The NFL playoff field is set. Here’s how the Week 18 rush played out.
AFC Playoffs
Kansas City Chiefs: They are the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, an honor that gives them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the conference playoffs. The Chiefs played for nothing in their loss in regular season finale to the Denver Broncos and ruled out some starters, including Patrick Mahomes. The road to the AFC Super Bowl runs through Arrowhead.
Buffalo tickets: They visited the New England Patriots in the regular season finale winning nothing and lost 23-16. The Bills have already secured the second seed in the AFC, so they will host the worst wild-card team in the conference during wild-card weekend. That playoff opponent will be the Denver Broncos.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson and company clinched the AFC North title with a victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
That means the Ravens are the third seed in the AFC and will host a wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Houston Texans: Nothing was on the line for the Texans in Week 18, although they had no problem beating the Tennessee Titans. The Texans won the AFC South in Week 15, but they couldn’t improve their ranking. As the conference’s worst division winner, Houston is locked in fourth place.
The Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers during wild-card weekend.
Los Angeles Chargers: They entered Week 18 at the Las Vegas Raiders with a wild card spot in hand. The Chargers won fifth place with a solid win Sunday against the Raiders. This No. 5 seed will earn them a trip to Houston to face the Texans during the wild-card weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers: They had secured a playoff berth in mid-December, but fell short of securing the fifth spot after losing Saturday night to the Bengals.
They will be the No. 6 seed and will visit the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card weekend.
Denver Broncos: They secured the final wild card spot as the AFC’s No. 7 seed with their 38-0 elimination of the resting Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos now head to Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs.
The Chiefs already clinched first place in the conference, so they didn’t use their starters throughout the regular season finale in Denver.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins needed help to land that final wild card spot in the AFC – which they didn’t get from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos’ 38-0 victory over the visiting Chiefs eliminated the Dolphins from the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals: They had the best chance of securing a playoff spot among the AFC playoff hopefuls and didn’t get the break they needed in Denver. The Bengals needed the Broncos to lose to the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, which didn’t happen as Denver rolled to a 38-0 victory.
NFC Playoffs
Detroit Lions: They won the NFC North, the No. 1 seed in their conference and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with Sunday night’s victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Philadelphia Eagles: The NFC East champions are locked into the conference’s No. 2 seed. They defeated the New York Giants, 20-13Sunday with nothing at stake. Even Saquon Barkley took it easypassing on an attempt on Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
On wild card weekend, the Eagles will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They won the NFC South with their 27-19 victory against the New Orleans Saints.
The Buccaneers also moved up to third place with the Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
As the third seed in the NFC, the Bucs will face the Washington Commanders in the first round of the playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams: As the NFC West champion, Los Angeles entered Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks with a chance to clinch the third seed with a win. They fell short and lost to the Seahawks. That loss and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over the New Orleans Saints pushed the Rams into fourth place.
The Rams will face the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings lost the NFC North in their loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night and became the No. 5 seed, putting them on the road in the first round against the Los Angeles Rams.
Washington Commanders: They are heading into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the NFC thanks to their win Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
As the No. 6 seed during the wild-card weekend, the Commanders will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay Packers: The Packers’ loss to their rival Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders’ road win over the Dallas Cowboys make Green Bay the final wild-card team in the NFC playoffs.
As the No. 7 seed, the Packers will face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the first round.
Atlanta Falcons: They were eliminated from the playoffs with Tampa Bay’s victory over New Orleans. They lost in overtime to the Carolina Panthers, 44-38.
Elimination matches
NFC
1. Detroit Lions (15-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) against. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) against. 6. Washington Commanders (12-5)
4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) against. 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
AFC
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-4) against. 7. Denver Broncos (10-7)
3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) against. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
4. Houston Texans (10-7) against. 5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)