With the 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” — though the game was closer than the final score suggests. With that win, the Lions secured the NFC North title and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in the franchise’s history.
Several other playoff spots and seeding were decided on Sunday, as the final two teams earned their places in the 14-team playoff field, while matchups and rankings were finalized. USA TODAY Sports provided live updates throughout the day, explaining what happened and setting the stage for Super Bowl 59. Here’s a breakdown of how things turned out:
NFC Playoff Picture
- yz – 1. Detroit Lions (15-2), NFC North champions: The Lions fought until the very end of Week 18, clinching the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed for the first time in their history. After a season full of challenges, the Lions are looking forward to some extra rest before beginning their Super Bowl run. Playoff schedule: BYE
- y – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), NFC East champions: The Eagles secured the NFC East title in Week 17 and earned the No. 2 seed. They rested many of their starters in the final game, which they won with backups, setting up a wild-card matchup with Green Bay. Playoff schedule: vs. Packers
- y – 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), NFC South champions: The Bucs won the NFC South for the fourth consecutive season after a win over New Orleans in their regular-season finale. They moved up to the third seed after the Rams’ loss. Playoff schedule: vs. Commanders
- y – 4. Los Angeles Rams (10-7), NFC West champions: The Rams locked up their division in Week 17 and looked to finish Week 18 healthy. However, a loss to Seattle dropped them to the fourth seed, where they now face a tough matchup against Minnesota. Playoff schedule: vs. Vikings
- x – 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-3), wild card No. 1: Despite having a shot at the No. 1 seed, the Vikings will now have to play on the road. Their first task will be a tough matchup against the Rams. Playoff schedule: at Rams
- x – 6. Washington Commanders (12-5), wild card No. 2: Washington ended the regular season with a thrilling win over Dallas, earning their first 12-win season since 1991. They secured the sixth seed thanks to Green Bay’s loss. Playoff schedule: at Buccaneers
- x – 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6), wild card No. 3: After losing both games to Detroit and Minnesota, the Packers ended up as the seventh seed. They now face a wild-card rematch with the Eagles, who defeated them in Week 1 in South America. Playoff schedule: at Eagles
(NFL)
AFC Playoff Picture
- yz – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), AFC West champions: The Chiefs secured the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage by dominating Pittsburgh on Christmas. They earned a first-round bye and rested many starters in the Week 18 game against Denver. Playoff schedule: BYE
- y – 2. Buffalo Bills (13-4), AFC East champions: The Bills locked up the No. 2 seed in Week 17. If the Chiefs lose their playoff opener, Buffalo could host the road to Super Bowl 59. Playoff schedule: vs. Broncos
- y – 3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5), AFC North champions: The Ravens clinched the division title and the No. 3 seed with a dominant win over Cleveland. They now have a rubber match with Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Playoff schedule: vs. Steelers
- y – 4. Houston Texans (10-7), AFC South champions: The Texans claimed the weak AFC South for the second straight year, but the fourth seed now sets them up for a tough wild-card matchup against the Chargers. Playoff schedule: vs. Chargers
- x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), wild card No. 1: The Chargers moved to the fifth seed thanks to Pittsburgh’s loss and will face Houston in the first round after a victory over Las Vegas. Playoff schedule: at Texans
- x – 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), wild card No. 2: The Steelers finished the season with four straight losses, dropping them from the division lead to the sixth seed. They will face Baltimore in the first round. Playoff schedule: at Ravens
- x – 7. Denver Broncos (10-7), wild card No. 3: The Broncos made the playoffs for the first time in nine years, blowing out the Chiefs’ backups 38-0 to earn the final wild-card spot. They will face the Bills in the first round, a tough matchup for a team that struggled against the Chargers and Steelers. Playoff schedule: at Bills
x – clinched playoff berth
y – clinched division
z – clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye
