2022 NFL playoff image: Week 18 AFC and NFC dwell updates, standings, clinching eventualities

The ultimate weekend of the 2022 NFL common season is right here. The NFC and AFC playoff image will play out over the 2 days and 16 video games on the schedule. There are two video games slotted for Saturday, with the rest approaching Sunday, concluding with the Detroit Lions at Inexperienced Bay Packers on Sunday Night time Soccer.

How will the playoffs shake out? Over the previous couple of weeks right here on The Phinsider, we are going to sustain with the entire motion all through the weekend, updating the playoff image with every recreation’s outcomes. We observe of who’s clinching what spot within the postseason and which groups have seen their 2022 hopes dashed.

The NFL has formally canceled the Buffalo Payments at Cincinnati Bengals recreation that was began final Monday night time, however was suspended when security Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest within the first quarter. Canceling the sport has added a wrinkle into the playoff image, with the AFC standings determined by profitable proportion, quite than by straight data given the Bengals and Payments will play one fewer recreation than the remainder of the league. It has additionally opened the potential for a neutral-site AFC Championship recreation and probably a coin-toss to resolve who will host a possible wildcard recreation between the Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.

All of that can play out all through the 16 video games on the Week 18 schedule. We are going to observe all of it right here as effectively.

Coming into the ultimate weekend of the season, the AFC has the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the high spot, whereas the Buffalo Payments are holding on to the second seed. The Cincinnati Bengals are within the third spot, whereas the Jacksonville Jaguars are within the fourth seed. The Chiefs, Payments, and Bengals have all claimed their division titles, whereas the Jaguars have to win on Saturday night time to assert the AFC South. The Los Angeles Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens maintain the primary two wild card positions and are locked into the playoffs. The ultimate spot within the postseason is at present held by the New England Patriots, a spot they may clinch with a win this weekend. The Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers are chasing the Patriots for that spot. The Tennessee Titans can soar into the playoffs in the event that they beat the Jaguars, pulling the AFC South title away from them; the Jaguars, even with a loss, might issue into the playoffs as the ultimate wild-card crew with losses from the opposite contenders.

For the NFC aspect of the bracket, the Philadelphia Eagles maintain the highest spot within the standings, however they haven’t but clinched the NFC East division. The San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are within the second by fourth positions and have all claimed their respective division titles. The Dallas Cowboys, who might unseat the Eagles within the NFC East, and the New York Giants are locked into the playoffs, at present within the fifth and sixth positions. The Seattle Seahawks are within the ultimate place proper now because the seventh seed, however they don’t seem to be assured to finish the weekend there. The Detroit Lions and Inexperienced Bay Packers are each on the skin wanting in heading into the weekend.

How will the whole lot take a look at the tip of the week and the season? Our dwell standings under will preserve you updated.

Week 18 Schedule

Finals

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 31 – 13 Las Vegas Raiders

Schedule

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
New England Patriots at Buffalo Payments, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Detroit Lions at Inexperienced Bay Packers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

AFC Playoff Image (by Week 18 early Saturday recreation)

Week 18 Clinching Situations:

Buffalo Payments – Can not clinch high seed
Clinch AFC high seed (home-field benefit and bye) with:

Payments win and ~~Chiefs loss/tie~~ OR
Payments tie and ~~Chiefs loss~~

Notice: A Payments win would drive a neutral-site AFC Championship if each the Chiefs and Payments advance to that mark.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Clinch AFC South division championship with:

Clinch playoff berth with:

Patriots loss and Dolphins loss and Steelers loss

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs – Clinched first spherical bye
Clinch AFC high seed (home-field benefit and bye) with:

Chiefs win and Payments loss/tie OR
~~Chiefs tie~~ and Payments loss

Clinch first-round bye (potential impartial website AFC Championship) with:

Chiefs win OR
Payments loss OR
~~Chiefs tie~~ and Payments tie

Miami Dolphins
Clinch playoff berth with:

Dolphins win and Patriots loss/tie OR
Dolphins tie and Patriots loss and Steelers loss/tie

New England Patriots
Clinch playoff berth with:

Patriots win OR
Patriots tie and Dolphins loss/tie and Steelers loss/tie OR
Dolphins loss and Steelers loss and Jaguars win/tie

Pittsburgh Steelers
Clinch playoff berth with:

Steelers win and Dolphins loss/tie and Patriots loss/tie OR
Steelers tie and Dolphins loss and Patriots loss

Tennessee Titans
Clinch AFC South division championship with:

Stay Standings:

1 – Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (14-3, AFC West champion)+<
2 – Buffalo Payments (12-3, AFC East champion)+*
3 – Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, AFC North chief)^*
4 – Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8, AFC South chief)*
5 – Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, Wild Card 1)^*
6 – Baltimore Ravens (10-6, Wild Card 2)^*
7 – New England Patriots (8-8, Wild Card 3)*

Within the hunt
Miami Dolphins (8-8)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)*
Tennessee Titans (7-9)*

Eradicated
New York Jets (7-9)*
Cleveland Browns (7-9)*
Las Vegas Raiders (6-11)
Indianapolis Colts (4-11-1)*
Denver Broncos (4-12)*
Houston Texans (2-13-1)*
Notice: The Jets are forward of the Titans within the standings based mostly on tiebreaks, however the Titans haven’t been eradicated as a result of they will nonetheless win their division.

* Nonetheless to play
^ Clinched playoff berth
+ Clinched division title
< Clinched high seed/bye week

Week 17 Elimination Situations:

Jacksonville Jaguars
Eradicated from playoff competition with:

Jaguars loss and Dolphins win/tie OR
Jaguars loss and Patriots win/tie OR
Jaguars loss and Steelers win/tie

Eradicated from AFC South division championship with:

Miami Dolphins
Eradicated from playoff competition with:

Dolphins loss OR
Patriots win OR
Dolphins tie and Patriots tie OR
Dolphins tie and Steelers win

New England Patriots
Eradicated from playoff competition with:

Patriots loss and Dolphins win/tie OR
Patriots loss and Steelers win/tie OR
Patriots loss and Jaguars loss OR
Patriots tie and Dolphins win OR
Patriots tie and Steelers win

Pittsburg Steelers
Eradicated from playoff competition with:

Steelers loss OR
Patriots win OR
Dolphins win OR
Steelers tie and Patriots tie OR
Steelers tie and Dolphins tie

Tennessee Titans
Eradicated from AFC South division championship and playoff competition with:

NFC Playoff Image (by Week 18 Saturday)

Week 17 Clinching Situations:

Dallas Cowboys
Clinch NFC high seed (home-field benefit and bye) with:

Dallas win and Eagles loss and 49ers loss/tie

Clinch NFC East division championship with:

Cowboys win and Eagles loss

Detroit Lions
Clinch playoff berth with:

Lions win and Seahawks loss/tie OR
Lions tie and Seahawks loss OR
Lions tie and Seahawks tie and Commanders win

Inexperienced Bay Packers
Clinch playoff berth with:

Philadelphia Eagles
Clinch NFC high seed (home-field benefit and bye) with:

Eagles win/tie OR
Cowboys loss/tie and 49ers loss/tie

Clinch NFC East division championship with:

Eagles win/tie OR
Cowboys loss/tie

San Francisco 49ers
Clinch NFC high seed (home-field benefit and bye) with:

49ers win and Eagles loss

Seattle Seahawks
Clinch playoff berth with:

Seahawks win and Packers loss/tie OR
Seahawks tie and Lions tie and Commanders loss/tie

Stay Standings:

1 – Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, NFC East chief)^*
2 – San Francisco 49ers (12-4, NFC West champion)+*
3 – Minnesota Vikings (12-4, NFC North champion)+*
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, NFC South champion)+*
5 – Dallas Cowboys (12-4, Wild Card 1)^*
6 – New York Giants (9-6-1, Wild Card 2)^*
7 – Seattle Seahawks (8-8, Wild Card 3)*

Within the hunt
Detroit Lions (8-8)*
Inexperienced Bay Packers (8-8)*

Eradicated
Washington Commanders (7-8-1)*
New Orleans Saints (7-9)*
Carolina Panthers (6-10)*
Atlanta Falcons (6-10)*
Los Angeles Rams (5-11)*
Arizona Cardinals (4-12)*
Chicago Bears (3-13)*

*Nonetheless to play
^Clinched playoff berth
+Clinched division title