NFL Playoffs 2023: Known AFC, NFC Schedule and Updated Bracket Scenarios

While most of the NFL's Week 18 action is set to take place Sunday, two games will be played Saturday. The Kansas City Chiefs will look to close out a strong regular season in a road matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, then the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars will face off in the nightcap.

That second contest is huge for the playoff picture. The winner of the matchup will be crowned the AFC South champion. If the Titans lose, their season will be over. If the Jags lose, it's highly likely they won't be heading to the postseason, either.

Those two teams have been trending in opposite directions. Jacksonville is now atop the AFC South after winning six of its past eight games, while Tennessee is on a six-game losing streak. So it wouldn't be surprising if the Jaguars win the division for the first time since the 2017 season.

Plenty more will be at stake around the NFL during the final week of the regular season. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming playoffs.

NFL Playoff Schedule

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 01: A view of the NFL logo on a football before an AFC West game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on January 1, 2023 at GEHA Field at.Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wild-Card Round: Jan. 14-16

Divisional Round: Jan. 21-22

Conference Championships: Jan. 29

Super Bowl LVII: Feb. 12

AFC Playoff Picture

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Bye: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (13-3, clinched AFC West)

No. 2 Buffalo Bills (12-3, clinched AFC East) vs. No. 7 New England Patriots (8-8)

No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals (11-4, clinched playoff berth) vs. No. 6 Baltimore Ravens (10-6, clinched playoff berth)

No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, clinched playoff berth)

In the hunt: Miami Dolphins (8-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), Tennessee Titans (7-9)

(Note: It is unknown how the NFL will handle the Week 17 matchup between the Bills and Bengals, which was suspended during the first quarter on Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest.)

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There are four teams that could be the No. 7 seed in the AFC: the Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers or Jaguars. The only scenario in which Jacksonville will end up there, though, is if all four of those teams lose in Week 18. The Jags don't want that to happen, as they'd be waiting on Sunday to find out if they're heading to the playoffs or not.

The best-case scenario for Jacksonville is for it to beat Tennessee on Saturday night, which would give it the AFC South title and the No. 4 seed in the conference. If the Titans win, they'll win the division and get seeded at No. 4. If they lose, they're eliminated.

New England is in control in the battle for the No. 7 seed. If it goes on the road and beats Buffalo on Sunday, then it will capture the third and final wild-card berth.

A Patriots loss could allow the Dolphins to capitalize, as they would then clinch that last wild-card spot with a win over the Jets. Pittsburgh needs both New England and Miami to lose, and it needs to beat Cleveland in order to get into the postseason.

Even though the Dolphins have lost five consecutive games, they may be in the best spot. The Pats have a challenging Week 18 matchup, while the Dolphins host the Jets, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

NFC Playoff Picture

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) runs in for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Bye: No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, clinched playoff berth)

No. 2 San Francisco 49ers (12-4, clinched NFC West) vs. No. 7 Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

No. 3 Minnesota Vikings (12-4, clinched NFC North) vs. No. 6 New York Giants (9-6-1, clinched playoff berth)

No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, clinched NFC South) vs. No. 5 Dallas Cowboys (12-4, clinched playoff berth)

In the hunt: Detroit Lions (8-8), Green Bay Packers (8-8)

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Either the Seahawks, Lions or Packers will be the No. 7 seed in the NFC. And although Seattle currently sits in that spot, Green Bay is actually in control in that race.

If the Packers beat the Lions on Sunday night, they'll be heading to the playoffs for the fourth straight year, regardless of what happened in the earlier Rams-Seahawks matchup. If Seattle is victorious in that game, it will need Green Bay to lose to Detroit in order to reach the postseason.

A Seahawks loss would turn the Lions-Packers game into a winner-take-all matchup for the No. 7 seed. So Detroit needs Seattle to lose in order to have a chance to make the playoffs, and then it would need to defeat Green Bay to capitalize on that opportunity.

There are also three teams that could end up as the No. 1 seed in the NFC: the Eagles, 49ers or Cowboys. If Philadelphia beats the Giants (who are locked into the No. 6 seed), then it will secure the NFC East title and the top spot in the conference.

An Eagles loss could lead to them falling to the No. 2 or even the No. 5 seed, depending on how the 49ers and Cowboys fare. If that happens and San Francisco beats Arizona, the 49ers will be the No. 1 seed. But if the Niners lose as well, then a Dallas win over Washington would move the Cowboys up to the top spot in the conference.

If Philadelphia, San Francisco and Dallas all lose, then the Eagles will still end up at No. 1.