17 weekends and 256 games have been completed this NFL season. Both No. 1 seeds are secured, the Chiefs locked up the AFC West title for a ninth consecutive year, and several more teams have clinched playoff berths.
With one more weekend to go, however, there is still plenty to play for.
AFC Playoff Picture: Seeds 1-7
- Baltimore (13-3, clinched home-field advantage)
- Miami (11-5, clinched a playoff spot)
- Kansas City (10-6, clinched AFC West title)
- Jacksonville (9-7)
- Cleveland (11-5, clinched No. 5 seed)
- Buffalo (10-6)
- Indianapolis (9-7)
#Ravens lock up the AFC’s top seed 🥇#NFL #NFLTwitter #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/iMI6GDou6s
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) December 31, 2023
In the Hunt
- Houston (9-7)
- Pittsburgh (9-7)
Analysis
Baltimore stomped Miami, 56-19, to secure home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs. The Ravens will have nothing to play for next week outside of spoiling Pittsburgh’s season. As a result, John Harbaugh’s unit will soon begin to prepare for their Divisional Round matchup and, more importantly, avoid the mistakes made the last time they secured the top seed in 2019. In that scenario, they lost to sixth-seeded Tennessee.
Baltimore’s stomping of Miami, coupled with Buffalo’s win last Sunday, has brought the Bills right back into the discussion for both the AFC East crown and the No. 2 seed. Buffalo, which once appeared entirely out of the mix four weeks ago when they walked out of Lincoln Financial Field having fallen to 6-6, has roared back to life with four consecutive victories, two of them against teams that secured playoff spots of their own. Taking down Miami on Sunday Night Football will secure Buffalo the AFC East and the No. 2 seed, but they could still clinch one of the remaining Wild Cards with a loss of their own, plus a Steelers or Jaguars loss.
The remaining divisional race and the last Wild Card spot are closely linked together. The AFC South sits in a three-way tie, which has been the case for multiple consecutive weeks. The Jaguars stopped their slide by defeating the Panthers on Sunday while the Texans and Colts bounced back from Week 16 losses to set up all three teams with identical 9-7 records headed into Week 18.
There are no scenarios where all three AFC South teams can make the playoffs. As such, the winner of Saturday night’s contest will have a playoff berth regardless of Sunday’s outcomes. However, if Jacksonville loses, the winner of Saturday’s game wins the AFC South. Pittsburgh needs to take down Baltimore and hope things with the AFC South clubs fall so they can still claim one of the remaining Wild Card slots.
NFC Playoff Picture: Seeds 1-7
- San Francisco (12-4, clinched home-field advantage)
- Dallas (11-5, clinched playoff spot)
- Detroit (11-5, clinched NFC North title)
- Tampa Bay (8-8)
- Philadelphia (11-5, clinched playoff spot)
- Los Angeles (9-7, clinched playoff spot)
- Green Bay (8-8)
The #49ers run away with the NFC’s top seed 🥇#NFL #NFLTwitter #FTTB pic.twitter.com/BwbOlXwvhX
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) December 31, 2023
In the Hunt
- Seattle (8-8)
- New Orleans (8-8)
- Minnesota (7-9)
- Atlanta (7-9)
Atlanta can only make the playoffs by winning the NFC South. The Saints’ clearest path is to win the division, but they could technically claim a Wild Card slot.
Analysis
Just like Baltimore, San Francisco got the job done on Sunday afternoon, securing NFC home-field advantage for the first time since 2019. They will most likely rest their starters for Week 18 against a Rams team on its way back to the postseason following their 2022 Super Bowl hangover.
Philadelphia’s late-season collapse continued as they blew a 21-6 halftime lead to the 3-12 Cardinals and lost 35-31. Their season, which had them once at 10-1, now may be on the rocks as they have lost control of their fate in the NFC East. A Dallas win on Sunday against a Commanders squad that has not won a game since October will doom the Eagles to the No. 5 seed and virtually guarantee that the Eagles will not be able to return to Lincoln Financial Field for the entire playoffs.
Tampa Bay gave away a golden opportunity to secure their third consecutive NFC South title by losing to New Orleans on Sunday, but they still remain very much in control of their own fate as a win against the 2-14 Panthers this weekend will allow them to lock down the No. 4 seed. For Atlanta and New Orleans, the winner of that game hopes Tampa stumbles one more time so that they can secure the division title.
Much as it was in Week 18 of last season, Seattle and Green Bay will duke it out for the seventh and final seed in the NFC. If both teams win, Green Bay will claim the No. 7 seed. However, a Seattle win and Green Bay loss will clinch the No. 7 seed for Seattle. Should both teams lose and New Orleans wins (but does not clinch the division title), New Orleans will claim the No. 7 seed over both teams.
Foster’s Final Playoff Predictions
AFC
Bye: Baltimore Ravens
#7 seed @ #2 seed: Indianapolis at Buffalo
#6 seed @ #3 seed: Miami at Kansas City
#5 seed @ #4 seed: Cleveland at Jacksonville
NFC
Bye: San Francisco 49ers
#7 seed @ #2 seed: Green Bay at Dallas
#6 seed @ #3 seed: Los Angeles at Detroit
#5 seed @ #4 seed: Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
Main Image Credit:
