The NFL season is almost over as fans are preparing for high stakes in the NFL Playoffs. This year's NFL Playoffs is one of the most intriguing in recent history as it really feels like any team in the hunt can win it all in 2024.
The NFL standings are mostly set in stone heading into Week 18 but there are some moving parts to factor in. Because of the various tiebreak scenarios, there is a littany of different playoff matchups that are possible in the first round.
In fact, there are 21 different first-round matchups depending on what happens in Week 18. Let's dive into all 21 matchups, first taking a look at the NFL standings. (Shoutout to ESPN's NFL Playoff Machine, which made this article much easier to research).
NFL Standings entering Week 18:
AFC | NFC |
|---|---|
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) | 1. Detroit Lions (14-2) |
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) | 2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) |
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) | 3. LA Rams (10-6) |
4. Houston Texans (9-7) | 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) |
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) | 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2) |
6. LA Chargers (10-6) | 6. Washington Commanders (11-5) |
7. Denver Broncos (9-7) | 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5) |
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8) | 8. Seattle Seahawks (ELIMINATED) |
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) | 9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8) |
The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals both need to win and the Denver Broncos to have a chance at making the NFL Playoffs. Cincinnati also needs the Dolphins to lose to the New York Jets to secure the seventh seed. All Denver needs is a win and they lock up the seventh seed.
The Seattle Seahawks are the eighth seed but have no chance of making the playoffs because of tiebreakers. However, the Atlanta Falcons can make the playoffs as NFC South Champions with a win and a Tampa Bay loss against the New Orleans Saints.
Every possible NFL Playoffs matchup:
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills
The second-seeded Bills will host the Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round if Denver beats the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. With Kansas City resting its starters, this is not a tall order for the Broncos.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
The Dolphins will be the team that travels to Buffalo in round one if Tyler Huntley can lead Miami to victory and if Carson Wentz can lead the Chiefs to victory.
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
If the Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday then the pressure will be even greater on the Broncos and Dolphins. Cincinnati needs all three results to go its way to give NFL fans Joe Burrow vs. Josh Allen.
LA Chargers at Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens just need a win to lock up the third seed in the AFC. The Chargers, meanwhile, cannot fall lower than the sixth seed. If Baltimore and Pittsburgh both win then this is the matchup. A Chargers win and Steelers loss, though, would make the Chargers the fifth seed.
LA Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
If the Ravens somehow lose to the Cleveland Browns and the Steelers beat the Bengals then Pittsburgh would be the AFC North Champions. If that happens, the outcome of the Chargers game does not factor in at all.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
If Baltimore wins, Pittsburgh loses and LA wins then the Steelers will be the sixth seed and will face off against their divisional foe in round one.
LA Chargers at Houston Texans
If the situation above happens then the Chargers will take on the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round. Houston is a much more favorable matchup for the Chargers than Baltimore.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans
Pittsburgh just needs a win to cement the fifth seed at worst in the AFC. If Baltimore wins, this would give the Steelers a first-round matchup against the Texans on the road.
Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
If Baltimore somehow loses the AFC North crown, setting up the three-six matchup between the Steelers and Chargers, then the Ravens would go on the road to take on the team they just beat on Christmas 34-2.
Green Bay Packers/Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
Washington owns the tiebreaker over Green Bay so as long as the Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18, this will be the two-seven matchup. If Washington loses, the Packers need to beat the Chicago Bears to become the sixth seed.
Again, this would take a Commanders loss to the Cowboys and a Packers win against the Bears. While unlikely, Washington has already lost to Dallas once this season, so it is possible.
Washington Commanders/Green Bay Packers at LA Rams
If the Commanders lock up the sixth seed they could be heading to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. The Rams will lock up the third seed with either a win over the Seahawks OR a Buccaneers loss. The Rams need just one of those outcomes.
Again, if Washington somehow loses the sixth seed in the NFC then this is a potential three-six matchup with the Commanders taking on the Eagles in round one.
Washington Commanders/Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Rams lose against the Seahawks, which is plausible considering the backups are playing, it opens the door for the Buccaneers to be the third seed. Tampa Bay would just need to beat the New Orleans Saints, which is the likely outcome.
This is the best-case scenario for the Packers in the first round of the playoffs but it is unlikely to happen. For this matchup to happen, the Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks and Saints all would have to win in Week 18.
Minnesota Vikings/Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions aren't just playing for the NFC North crown in Week 18, they are playing for the No. 1 seed. The loser of the Week 18 game will be a historic 14-win wild-card team that has to play on the road.
If the Buccaneers and Rams both win in Week 18 then the loser of the Vikings/Lions game will travel to Florida to take on the Buccaneers.
Minnesota Vikings/Detroit Lions at LA Rams
If the Bucs lock up the NFC South and the Rams' backups lose then the loser of the Vikings/Lions game will travel to Los Angeles. The Rams have already beaten the Vikings this season and came close to beating the Lions in Week 1 of the season.
The best game ratings-wise for the NFL is probably Lions-Rams because of all the storylines and history attached to that matchup.
Minnesota Vikings/Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons
If the Buccaneers lose to the Saints and the Falcons beat the Panthers then Atlanta would win the NFC South and lock up the fifth seed. Atlanta cannot go any higher than the fifth seed, so they would have to play one of the NFC North juggernauts.
How unfair is it for either the Lions or Vikings, though, if they have to play a road game against a team like the Falcons that has been far worse this season. Sometimes, life isn't fair.