With all 272 regular-season games now finished, the NFL playoff picture is set.
Week 18 ended with the Detroit Lions defeating the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on “Sunday Night Football.” Although the game was much closer than the final score, the Lions managed to secure the NFC North title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.
Several other playoff spots were also decided on Sunday, with the final two teams earning spots in the 14-team playoff field. Seeding and scheduling were finalized as well.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates throughout the day, explaining the developments and preparing for Super Bowl 59. Here’s how everything turned out:
NFC Playoff Picture
yz – 1. Detroit Lions (15-2), NFC North champions: After 18 weeks and nearly four quarters on Sunday night, they successfully defended their divisional title and earned the No. 1 seed for the first time ever. Despite being a battered team, the Lions now get a bye to rest before continuing their Super Bowl quest. Playoff schedule: BYE
y – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), NFC East champions: They secured the division title in Week 17 and the No. 2 seed in the NFC. On Sunday, they played their reserves in a win over the Giants, giving key starters some rest before their wild-card matchup with Green Bay. Playoff schedule: vs. Packers
y – 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), NFC South champions: After defeating New Orleans in their regular-season finale, the Buccaneers earned their fourth consecutive division title and climbed to the third seed thanks to the Rams’ loss. Playoff schedule: vs. Commanders
y – 4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7), NFC West champions: Like Philadelphia, they locked up their division in Week 17 and aimed to get through Week 18 healthy. But a loss to Seattle dropped them to the fourth seed, facing a tough playoff match against the Vikings. Playoff schedule: vs. Vikings
x – 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3), wild card No. 1: Their hopes of earning the No. 1 seed fell short, so now they must play on the road and face the Rams first, with a potential return to Ford Field if they win. Playoff schedule: at Rams
x – 6. Washington Commanders (12-5), wild card No. 2: A last-minute victory over Dallas in Week 18 helped them finish with 12 wins, their first since 1991. Green Bay’s earlier loss secured them the sixth seed. Playoff schedule: at Buccaneers
x – 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6), wild card No. 3: Losses to Detroit and Minnesota meant the Packers were already locked into a wild-card spot before Week 17. Their loss on Sunday secured the seventh seed, setting up a wild-card game against Philadelphia, who defeated Green Bay earlier in the season. Playoff schedule: at Eagles
AFC Playoff Picture
yz – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), AFC West champions: A victory over Pittsburgh on Christmas gave them home-field advantage and a first-round bye. They rested many starters in their Week 18 game against Denver. Playoff schedule: BYE
y – 2. Buffalo Bills (13-4), AFC East champions: The Bills locked in the No. 2 seed in Week 17. If the Chiefs lose in the first round, the road to Super Bowl 59 could go through Buffalo. Playoff schedule: vs. Broncos
y – 3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5), AFC North champions: They won the division and the No. 3 seed by defeating Cleveland in Week 18. Their playoff game will be a rubber match with Pittsburgh. Playoff schedule: vs. Steelers
y – 4. Houston Texans (10-7), AFC South champions: The Texans won the weak AFC South for the second year in a row but now face a tough wild-card matchup with the Chargers. Playoff schedule: vs. Chargers
x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), wild card No. 1: A win over Las Vegas and a Pittsburgh loss helped the Chargers move to the fifth seed and set up a wild-card game against Houston. Playoff schedule: at Texans
x – 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), wild card No. 2: Four straight losses to close the season dropped the Steelers to the sixth seed and a tough matchup in Baltimore. Playoff schedule: at Ravens
x – 7. Denver Broncos (10-7), wild card No. 3: The Broncos secured the AFC’s final wild-card spot with a 38-0 win over the Chiefs’ backups, ending a nine-year postseason drought. They now face the Bills, who will be a much tougher opponent. Playoff schedule: at Bills
x – clinched playoff berth
y – clinched division
z – clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye
First-round order for the 2025 NFL draft (projected)
(Team records in parentheses)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- Cleveland Browns (3-14)
- New York Giants (3-14)
- New England Patriots (4-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
- New York Jets (5-12)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-12)
- Chicago Bears (5-12)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
- Miami Dolphins (8-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
- *Houston Texans (10-7)
- *Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
- TIE *Denver Broncos (10-7)
- TIE *Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- *Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
- *Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- *Green Bay Packers (11-6)
- *Washington Commanders (12-5)
- *Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
- *Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- *Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
- *Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
- *Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
- *Detroit Lions (15-2)
(*Note: Spots 19 through 32 determined by playoff results)
Lions represent a possible breakthrough for the postseason?
With Detroit now heading towards its first-ever No. 1 seed, it raises the question of how far they can go. They are the only team that has never reached the Super Bowl, despite playing since the Super Bowl era started in 1966. This year, they join other teams like the Bills, Texans, Chargers, and Vikings, all of whom are aiming to win their first Lombardi Trophy.
Low-scoring game
The Vikings struggled to score after failing on a fourth-and-goal, and by mid-game, the teams had only combined for 16 points. This is one of the rare low-scoring games, as both teams have scored less than 20 points only twice this season. On the other hand, they’ve both scored over 30 points 14 times this year.
Rams are not a team Minnesota or Detroit should want to face
Even though securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed offers a clear advantage with the bye and home-field advantage, there is another key reason the Lions or Vikings should aim to win: Avoid the Los Angeles Rams.
LA will host the loser of the NFC North title game, and neither the Lions nor the Vikings would take the Rams lightly. Los Angeles beat Minnesota 30-20 on October 24 at SoFi Stadium, which was the Vikings’ most recent loss before Week 18.
Coach Sean McVay has a unique perspective on the Vikings, as they are coached by Kevin O’Connell, who worked with McVay as his offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, the Lions have had success against the Rams, beating them twice in 2024, including a 24-23 victory in the wild-card round last January and a 26-20 overtime win in Week 1 this season, both games at Ford Field.
The Rams finished 10-7 and are likely to be underdogs at home, as SoFi Stadium doesn’t provide much of a home-field advantage. However, McVay and his team are experienced and are hitting their stride. The Lions or Vikings shouldn’t underestimate them.
Playoff schedule revealed
While the 2024 playoff matchups are almost set, the schedule is nearly finalized. The Los Angeles Rams are waiting to find out if they’ll host the Lions or the Vikings in the wild-card game on “Monday Night Football,” which will cap the opening weekend of the postseason. Here’s the (almost finalized) playoff lineup.
What’s at stake in Sunday night’s Vikings-Lions game?
The last game of the 2024 regular season, Minnesota at Detroit, has a lot of consequences:
- If the Lions win or tie, they will take the NFC North title, earn a first-round bye, and have home-field advantage for the first time in their history. They would also set a franchise record with 15 regular-season wins. The Vikings would then travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams in the wild-card round.
- If the Vikings win, they will claim the NFC North title, get a first-round bye, and secure home-field advantage. They could also reach 15 regular-season wins for the first time since 1998. The Lions would then travel to LA to play the Rams in the wild-card round.
Chargers to visit Texans in wild-card round
In the AFC’s opening round of the playoffs, the Los Angeles Chargers, one of the hotter teams, will face the Houston Texans, who are struggling. The Chargers secured the fifth seed in the conference and will head to NRG Stadium next weekend after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders. This victory also set up a third postseason meeting between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore.
Rams suffer potentially costly seeding slip
The NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams decided to rest their key players, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, in their Sunday game. They ended up losing 30-25 to the Seattle Seahawks, which may have significant consequences.
Instead of hosting the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders in the wild-card round, SoFi Stadium will now welcome the loser of the NFC North title game between the Vikings and Lions. However, it’s worth noting that the Rams defeated Minnesota 30-20 in LA during Week 8, which was the Vikings’ most recent loss.
Broncos earn final NFL playoff berth, some seeds still undetermined
Denver’s dominant 38-0 win over the Chiefs’ backup squad sealed the final playoff spot for the 2024 season. The Broncos secured the AFC’s last wild-card spot, the No. 7 seed, and will face the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.
This result eliminated the Bengals and Dolphins from playoff contention. As the late afternoon games concluded, some playoff seeds in each conference were still to be decided.
Vikings-Lions will be historic … on top of its huge stakes
By now, you probably know that the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will face each other tonight at Ford Field with a lot on the line: the NFC North title, the first-round bye, and home-field advantage that come with the No. 1 seed in the conference.
But this game will also be historic. It will be the first game in NFL history, in 105 seasons, to feature two teams with 14 wins. It will also have the highest combined total of wins (28) for any regular-season matchup in league history. The previous record was 25 wins entering a game, which included the famous 2007 regular-season finale when the New England Patriots completed the first and only 16-0 regular season.
Broncos removing all drama as AFC field comes into focus
The Denver Broncos needed wins in the last two weeks to secure a wild-card spot and end a nine-year playoff drought. Although they failed to win in Weeks 16 and 17, they are handling the Kansas City Chiefs’ backup players easily on Sunday, leading 24-0 at halftime. If they maintain their lead, they will claim the AFC’s final playoff spot as the seventh seed, which means they will travel to Buffalo next weekend.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins, who are losing to the New York Jets, and the Bengals, who won in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, can only hope for a miracle. Miami moves on with a win and a Denver loss. Cincinnati would advance if both the Broncos and Dolphins lose.
AFC’s No. 5 seed hangs in balance
One of the last spots to be decided in the AFC playoff picture is the fifth seed. This position is important because it would mean facing the AFC South champion Houston Texans, who have struggled in recent weeks. The Los Angeles Chargers can claim the fifth seed by beating the Raiders in Las Vegas, but they are currently behind. If the Chargers lose, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been struggling, will travel to Houston next weekend.
Aaron Rodgers hits rare milestone at Miami’s expense
It’s been a rough season for the New York Jets, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers reached an important milestone during what could be his final game with the team and possibly his final game in the NFL. A 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Conklin marked Rodgers’ 500th regular-season touchdown pass, making him the fifth player in NFL history to reach this mark. He joins Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539), and Brett Favre (508), Rodgers’ former teammate with the Packers.
That touchdown gave the Jets a 7-6 lead over the Miami Dolphins, who must win Sunday to have any chance at making the playoffs.
No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL draft clinched
Like the New York Giants the previous week, the New England Patriots played their best football when it mattered least and ended up giving away the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. The Patriots’ Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills moved the top pick to the Tennessee Titans. Here are the top five spots as they stand right now (scroll down for the full Round 1 lineup):
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- Cleveland Browns (3-14)
- New York Giants (3-14)
- New England Patriots (4-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
What’s at stake in 4:25 p.m. ET NFL games?
Dolphins at Jets: Miami must win and hope Denver loses to secure the final wild-card spot in the AFC and the No. 7 seed. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out earlier, so Tyler Huntley will start in his place for the second week in a row.
Chiefs at Broncos: Denver needs to win or tie to secure the final wild-card spot in the AFC after missing the chance in the last two weeks. The Chiefs are resting many of their key players since they secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed earlier. A loss will end the Broncos’ season, keeping them out of the playoffs for the ninth year in a row. If both Denver and Miami lose, the Bengals will take the final wild-card spot in the AFC.
Chargers at Raiders: A win for the Chargers would move them from the sixth seed to the fifth seed and set up a wild-card matchup with the Texans.
Seahawks at Rams: A Rams win would make them the NFC West champions and the conference’s No. 3 seed. A loss would drop them to the fourth seed, behind the Buccaneers.
Who gets NFC’s third seed?
The Los Angeles Rams would take the third seed by beating Seattle today. If Seattle wins, the Buccaneers would move up to the third seed because they have a better record in NFC games than LA. The third seed will host the Washington Commanders in the wild-card round, while the No. 4 seed will face the loser of the Sunday night game between the Lions and Vikings.
Bucs win NFC South
It was a tough game, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched their fourth straight NFC South title by coming back to beat the New Orleans Saints 27-19. WR Mike Evans also reached his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season on the final play of the game, tying Jerry Rice’s league record.
NFC’s No. 7 seed decided
Chicago kicker Cairo Santos made a 51-yard field goal at the last second, giving the Bears a 24-22 win and putting Green Bay in the NFC’s No. 7 seed. This means Green Bay will play in the wild-card round against Philadelphia. Washington’s win over the Cowboys made this result not matter, thanks to a touchdown by Terry McLaurin from backup QB Marcus Mariota in the last seconds.
Falcons in desperation mode
Atlanta is down 38-31 after Panthers QB Bryce Young ran for a 10-yard touchdown. Atlanta has the ball at the two-minute warning. If the Falcons lose, Tampa Bay will win the NFC South because they are currently leading New Orleans 20-19.
Packers go up
Green Bay took the lead over the Bears for the first time with a 55-yard field goal by Brandon McManus in the final minute. With Washington losing, Green Bay is now in line for the NFC’s sixth seed.
Everyone want the NFC South?
A crazy series of events is making the NFC South title race very exciting. Tampa Bay took the lead with a 32-yard touchdown catch by Jalen McMillan, but he also lost 15 yards after making an unsportsmanlike gesture. As Tampa Bay went up 20-19, Atlanta tied its game 31-31 with a 21-yard touchdown pass from rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. to WR Drake London.
Anyone want the NFC South?
As the Bucs-Saints and Falcons-Panthers games are winding down, both Tampa Bay and Atlanta are still losing, and the NFC South title is still up for grabs. If New Orleans and Carolina both win, the Bucs will take the division.
Tua Tagovailoa officially out for Dolphins
Miami needs to beat the New York Jets and hope the Denver Broncos lose to make it to the playoffs as the AFC’s final wild card. However, they will be without QB Tua Tagovailoa due to a hip injury. QB2 Tyler Huntley will start again for the second week in a row. Miami has won four straight games against the Jets and 12 of their last 14 meetings.
Commanders pull Jayden Daniels
Washington has started switching in its backups against the Dallas Cowboys, including substituting in QB2 Marcus Mariota for rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who was a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Washington is currently in the NFC’s sixth seed and would stay there with a win or a Green Bay loss. The team that finishes with the No. 7 seed will play Philadelphia in the wild-card round, while the sixth seed will play either the Rams or the NFC South champion on the road.
Who gets No. 1 draft pick if Patriots win?
A key game this afternoon is the New England Patriots, who are currently leading the Buffalo Bills 14-10 at halftime. If New England loses, they will secure the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft. If the Patriots win, the Tennessee Titans, who are losing to the Houston Texans, would have the top pick.
The Cleveland Browns, who lost earlier, are currently at the top of the draft board due to having a 3-14 record and playing an extra game. A Patriots win could push them out of the top four picks.
Injuries mounting for Packers
Green Bay could be having a tough Week 18, where the main goal is to possibly move up to the NFC’s sixth seed, which would allow them to avoid the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. However, things have not gone well. Wide receiver Christian Watson, who is often injured, was carted off the field with what seemed to be a non-contact injury to his right knee, not the one that had caused issues earlier in the week. Quarterback Jordan Love also left the game against Chicago after injuring his throwing elbow. Both players are listed as questionable to return.
The last time Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t win NFC South?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ success is often overlooked because the NFC South division doesn’t always require 10 wins to claim the top spot. The last time the Bucs didn’t win the NFC South was in 2020. Ironically, that was the year Tom Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl 55 win, entering through the wild-card round while the New Orleans Saints won the division in Drew Brees’ final season.
The last time Atlanta Falcons won NFC South?
The last time the Atlanta Falcons won the NFC South was in the 2016 season. That year, they made it to the Super Bowl but lost to the New England Patriots after blowing a 28-3 lead in the second half. Dan Quinn, who now coaches the Washington Commanders, was the Falcons’ coach in 2016. Since then, the Falcons have not made the playoffs.
What’s at stake in 1 p.m. ET NFL games?
- Panthers at Falcons: Atlanta needs to win to keep their chance of winning the NFC South. If they win and Tampa Bay loses, the Falcons will take the division title.
- Saints at Buccaneers: Tampa Bay will win its fourth straight NFC South title with a win, or if Atlanta loses. The seeding for the division winner and the NFC West champion Rams is still undecided, but these teams will be in the third or fourth spot before “Sunday Night Football.”
- Commanders at Cowboys: Washington will secure the NFC’s sixth seed with a win.
- Bears at Packers: Green Bay can claim the NFC’s sixth seed with a win and a Commanders loss. If they don’t win, they will be the No. 7 seed.
- Bills at Patriots: If New England loses, they will stay at the bottom of the draft order for the 2025 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns are currently No. 1 after their loss to Baltimore on Saturday.
Bucs catch a few breaks on injury front
Saturday wasn’t a great day for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Safety Jordan Whitehead was involved in a car crash and suffered injuries that will keep him from playing for the rest of the season. However, it is expected that he will be okay in the long term.
Bucs catch some breaks on Sunday
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a bit of good luck on Sunday, as a win will give them their fourth straight NFC South title. Their opponent, the five-win New Orleans Saints, will be missing star running back Alvin Kamara (groin injury) and backup running back Kendre Miller, which weakens their backfield. Quarterback Derek Carr has already been ruled out. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons, who are also trying to win the NFC South, will be without wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder injury) in their game against the Carolina Panthers, which they must win to have any chance of reaching the playoffs.
Did Bengals lose their season in Week 1?
If the Cincinnati Bengals don’t make it to the playoffs, they might blame their poor start to the season. Whether it was starting 0-3, 1-4, or 4-8, their losses have often been by close margins. The Bengals have lost eight times, with an average loss of 6.1 points. Excluding a 20-point loss to the Eagles, they have lost by just 4.1 points in the other seven games.
The Bengals had a tough schedule, with seven of their losses coming against teams heading to the 2024 playoffs. However, one loss stands out: a 16-10 defeat to the New England Patriots, who are likely heading to the top pick in the 2025 draft.
The Bengals scored their fewest points of the season in this game, and the contract situation of wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may have distracted the team. If the Bengals had managed to beat the Patriots, who have only won three games (against the Jets and Bears), they would have already secured a wild-card spot.
Bengals playoff scenario: Two more opponents’ losses and in
The Bengals took care of business with a 19-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Now, they will be rooting for two specific outcomes to help them make the playoffs. They need the Denver Broncos to lose against the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be resting many of their key players, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Bengals also need the Miami Dolphins to lose against the New York Jets. If Denver loses, the Dolphins will have the chance to make the playoffs with a win.
Steelers playoff scenarios: AFC North rematch or showdown with Texans?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are struggling after losing four straight games heading into the playoffs. Even though they lost to the Bengals, there is still a chance for the Steelers to get a favorable playoff matchup.
If the Los Angeles Chargers win against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Steelers will drop to the No. 6 seed and face a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens, whom they lost to 34-17 three weeks ago. However, if the Chargers lose, the Steelers will play against the Houston Texans in the wild card round. Houston has lost its last two games and is the only playoff team in the AFC with a negative point differential this season.
NFC North scenarios: Lions, Vikings battle for division title and home-field advantage
Despite a lack of excitement in the playoff race as the season ends, the NFL has set up a high-stakes game for its final regular-season game. The Detroit Lions need a win to remain in first place in the conference and secure the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.
The Minnesota Vikings also have a chance to secure home-field advantage, but they need to beat the Lions, having lost their last four games against them.
Regardless of the result, both teams will likely drop to the wild-card spot, which could lead to a challenging first-round matchup. The Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, and the Lions lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
NFC South scenarios: Can the Buccaneers or Falcons still surprise?
After losing their division lead in Week 17 to the Washington Commanders, the Atlanta Falcons need a lot of help to end their six-year playoff drought.
The Buccaneers will win their fourth consecutive NFC South title by simply beating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. However, if the Buccaneers lose, the Falcons could still win the division if they beat the Carolina Panthers and win the tiebreaker based on their head-to-head record.
The Falcons’ chances don’t look good. The Saints were shut out 34-0 by the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago, and the Buccaneers beat the Saints 51-27 in their first matchup in Week 6. With Derek Carr out and Alvin Kamara doubtful, the Saints’ chances seem slim.
