NFL Playoff Picture 2022-23: Full AFC Bracket After Week 18's Clinching Scenarios

The final domino in the AFC playoff picture fell with Sunday afternoon's Week 18 games.

There wasn't much to be decided on the final day, especially after Saturday. The Kansas City Chiefs secured the conference's top seed with their 31-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. In addition, the Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South for the first time since 2017 after they beat the Tennessee Titans 20-16.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills had clinched their respective divisions already, with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers assured of a wild-card position.

That left one more issue to resolve.

The New England Patriots' 35-23 loss to the Bills opened the door wide-open for the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers. It wasn't pretty for Miami, but an 11-6 victory over the New York Jets was enough to deny the Steelers the final wild-card berth in the AFC.

Here's how the AFC postseason bracket shook out when the dust settled.

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AFC Playoff Picture

1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) 
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3) 
3. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) 
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) 
5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) 
6. Baltimore Ravens (10-7) 
7. Miami Dolphins (9-8)

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No season has better symbolized the inevitability of the Chiefs since their ascendance than this one.

Kansas City lost one of its best offensive players in the offseason when it traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. In the Bills and Bengals, Andy Reid's squad also had two strong challengers for AFC supremacy.

Still, the Chiefs reeled off 14 wins and are the betting favorites (+330) at DraftKings Sportsbook to win Super Bowl LVII. The Bills follow closely behind at +400, and the Philadelphia Eagles (+550) are the highest NFC team.

Patrick Mahomes might be headed for a second MVP award after throwing for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Buffalo got the better of Kansas City in October in a rematch of the teams' dramatic 2022 playoff clash. Bengals star Joe Burrow seems to have the Chiefs' number as well after leading his team to a victory over Mahomes and Co. in Week 13.

Over the last four years, you wouldn't have made a lot of money betting against the Chiefs, and the odds of them at least reaching a fifth straight AFC title game are pretty good.

But fans shouldn't be surprised if the AFC has a third different Super Bowl representative in as many seasons.

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