NFL Playoff Picture 2023: Updated AFC, NFC Wild-Card Bracket Ahead of Week 18

Less than one week remains of the 2022 NFL season, and it's going to come down to the wire for a few teams as they try to come out of some tight wild-card races on top.

Vying for the final wild-card berth in the AFC are the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, who have the best chance at getting in going into this weekend.

In the NFC, the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks are all looking to land the remaining wild-card spot. For now, the Packers are in the driver's seat as they only need to win outright to get in.

With so many last-ditch scenarios on the table for teams to punch their ticket to the postseason, this weekend's slate of games will be must-see TV for football fans.

Here's the latest look at the playoff picture and the AFC and NFC wild-card brackets ahead of Week 18.

Current NFL Playoff Picture

Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 18: .Football woth NFL logo resting on the field prior to the New York Giants game versus the Washington Commanders on December 18, 2022, at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

AFC

Clinched:

No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)

No. 2 Buffalo Bills (12-3)

No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)

No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

No. 6 Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

In the hunt: Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8), Miami Dolphins (8-8), New England Patriots (8-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), Tennessee Titans (7-9)

NFC

Clinched:

No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

No. 2 Minnesota Vikings (12-4)

No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)

No. 4 Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

No. 5 New York Giants (9-5-1)

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

4 AFC Teams Battling for Final Wild-Card Berth

AP Photo/Steven Senne

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, center, in the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

According to the math, the Patriots have the easiest road to securing the final wild-card berth. They only need to win outright on Sunday to get in.

However, it's the Buffalo Bills that they will have to defeat, and they will still be in play for the conference's No. 1 seed. If Bill Belichick can find a way to pull this off, it'll add to his stacked resume of coaching triumphs.

Should New England lose, though, the Dolphins will be in the best position to take advantage if they take care of business against the New York Jets.

If the Patriots and Miami both lose or tie, the Steelers will be in the playoffs with a win over the Cleveland Browns, while New England will make the postseason with a loss if the Steelers, Dolphins and Titans all lose.

The Jaguars will secure the AFC South title with a win over the Tennessee Titans, but the Titans can also claim the division crown with a win. That is the Titans' only way into the postseason, but the Jags have a remote chance to sneak into the postseason with a loss if New England, Pittsburgh and Miami all lose in Week 18.

Will Packers, Lions or Seahawks Get Final Wild-Card Spot in NFC?

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 01: Geno Smith #7 of the Seattle Seahawks looks to pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Lumen Field on January 01, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

In the NFC wild-card race, the word wild is definitely fitting.

How else could the Packers, who are currently in ninth place, have a better chance at clinching the final playoff berth over the Seahawks, who are in seventh place?

The reason is simple, but lengthy.

Green Bay will have the tiebreaker edge over Seattle if they beat Detroit this Sunday at Lambeau Field, where they play their best football. They're also on a four-game winning streak and have two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, who has found a way to help his receivers emerge into playmakers. According to the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook, the Packers are 4.5-point favorites.

If Detroit wins, it would still need Seattle to lose because the latter owns the tiebreaker if they both land at 9-8. Seattle need to beat the Rams and watch Green Bay lose or tie in primetime.

So, it's all up to the Packers.

If they win, the NFC wild-card race is over. But if this season is any indication, fans should go into Week 18 expecting the unexpected.