NFL playoff standings 2024: Final playoff picture as Week 18 ends

The NFL regular season is coming to an end, with playoff scenarios still to be decided. We take a look at what each game’s results do to the playoff picture.

We have reached the end of the 2024 NFL regular season, with just the final weekend’s 16 games before the playoffs begin. These games are huge, however, as tournament seeding and playoff berths are seemingly on the line in every game. Who will find their way into the playoffs and who will miss out?

The AFC playoff picture has three teams battling for the final wild card position along with a division title still to be claimed. In the NFC playoff picture, two division titles have to be claimed – one with the teams deciding who will be the top seed in the conference and who will settle for a wild card spot while the other is a win the division or miss the playoffs scenario.

We bring back our live playoff tracker for this weekend, updating it as games reach their final whistle. Who will see their playoff hopes dashed and who will move on to try to work their way into a Super Bowl appearance?

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Last update: January 5 – 11:31 p.m. Eastern

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2024 NFL Playoff Standings

AFC Playoff Picture (through Week 18):

1 – Kansas City Chiefs (15-2, AFC West champion)+=*
2 – Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East champion)+*
3 – Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North champion)+*
4 – Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South champion)+*

5 – Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, Wild Card 1 position)^*
6 – Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, Wild Card 2 position)^*
7 – Denver Broncos (10-7, Wild Card 3 position)^*

Eliminated from playoffs:
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)*
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)*
Miami Dolphins (8-9)*
New York Jets (5-12)*
Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)*
New England Patriots (4-13)*
Cleveland Browns (3-14)*
Tennessee Titans (3-14)* – Clinched first overall pick

^ Playoffs clinched
+ Division championship clinched
= Homefield advantage clinched (Top seed, bye week)

*Week 18 game played

Tie breaks:

• Steelers over Broncos based on head-to-head results
• Colts over Dolphins based on head-to-head results
• Jaguars over Patriots and Raiders based on AFC record
• Patriots over Raiders based on strength of victory
• Browns over Titans based on strength of victory

NFC Playoff Picture (through Week 18)

1 – Detroit Lions (15-2, NFC North leader)+=*
2 – Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East champion)+*
3 – Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC West champion)+*
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South champion)+*

5 – Minnesota Vikings (14-3, Wild Card 1 position)^*
6 – Washington Commanders (12-5, Wild Card 2 position)^*
7 – Green Bay Packers (11-6, Wild Card 3 position)^*

Eliminated from playoffs:
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)*
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)*
Arizona Cardinals (8-9)*
Dallas Cowboys (7-10)*
San Francisco 49ers (6-11)*
Chicago Bears (5-12)*
Carolina Panthers (5-12)*
New Orleans Saints (5-12)*
New York Giants (3-14)*

^ Playoffs clinched
+ Division championship clinched
= Homefield advantage clinched (Top seed, bye week)

*Week 18 game played

Tie breaks

• Lions over Vikings based on head-to-head results
• Buccaneers over Rams based on NFC record; Division tiebreak: Rams over Seahawks based on strength of victory
• Rams over Seahawks based on strength of victory
• Falcons over Cardinals based on NFC record
• Bears over Panthers based on head-to-head results; Division tiebreak Panthers over Saints based on strength of victory
• Panthers over Saints based on strength of victory

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NFL Week 18 Schedule and Scores

Saturday, January 4

4:30 p.m. Eastern

Cleveland Browns 10 – 35 Baltimore Ravens

8 p.m. Eastern

Cincinnati Bengals 19 – 17 Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, January 5

1 p.m. Eastern

Carolina Panthers 44 – 38 Atlanta Falcons
Washington Commanders 23 – 19 Dallas Cowboys
Chicago Bears 24 – 22 Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars 23 – 26 Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo Bills 16 – 23 New England Patriots
New York Giants 13 – 20 Philadelphia Eagles
New Orleans Saints 19 – 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Houston Texans 23 – 14 Tennessee Titans

4:25 p.m. Eastern

San Francisco 49ers 24 – 47 Arizona Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs 0 – 38 Denver Broncos
Seattle Seahawks 30 – 25 Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Chargers 34 – 20 Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins 20 – 32 New York Jets

8:20 p.m. Eastern

Minnesota Vikings 9 – 31 Detroit Lions

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Clinching Scenarios (Week 18)

AFC Clinching Scenarios

AFC North Division Championship

[CLINCHED] Baltimore Ravens clinch division if:

• Ravens win/tie OR
• Steelers lose/tie

[Eliminated from division] Steelers clinch division if:

• Steelers win and Ravens lose

AFC Wildcard Positions

[CLINCHED] Denver Broncos clinch playoff berth if:

• Broncos win/tie OR
• Dolphins lose/tie and Bengals lose/tie

[Eliminated] Miami Dolphins clinch playoff berth if:

• Dolphins win and Broncos lose

[Eliminated] Bengals clinch playoff berth if:

• Bengals win and Broncos lose and Dolphins lose/tie

AFC Seeding

• 1st Seed [clinched]: Kansas City Chiefs
• 2nd Seed [clinched]: Buffalo Bills
• 3rd Seed [clinched]: Baltimore Ravens
• 4th Seed [clinched]: Houston Texans
• 5th Seed [clinched]: Los Angeles Chargers
• 6th Seed [clinched]: Pittsburgh Steelers
• 7th Seed [clinched]: Denver Broncos

NFC Clinching Scenarios

NFC North Division Championship

[CLINCHED] Detroit Lions clinch division if:

• Lions win/tie

[Eliminated from division title] Minnesota Vikings clinch division if:

• Vikings win

NFC South Division Championship

[CLINCHED] Buccaneers clinch division if:

• Buccaneers win/tie OR
• Falcons lose/tie

[Eliminated] Atlanta Falcons clinch division if:

• Falcons win and Buccaneers lose

NFC Wildcard Positions

All wildcard berths have been clinched with seeding to be determined.

NFC Seeding

• 1st Seed [clinched]: Detroit Lions
• 2nd Seed [clinched]: Philadelphia Eagles
• 3rd Seed [clinched]: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 4th Seed [clinched]: Los Angeles Rams
• 5th Seed [clinched] Minnesota Vikings
• 6th Seed [clinched]: Washington Commanders
• 7th Seed [clinched]: Green Bay Packers