NFL Playoff Picture 2024: Week 18 Standings, AFC and NFC Wild Card Hunt

The Buffalo Bills come into Week 18 with one of the most bizarre playoff scenarios you will ever see.

Buffalo could finish as high as the No. 2 seed with the AFC East title and there is a scenario in which it does not qualify for the playoffs at all.

The Bills are currently one game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, who all sit at 9-7, in the AFC wild-card hunt.

Indianapolis and Houston will play an elimination game in Week 18, while Pittsburgh visits a Baltimore Ravens team that clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 17.

The NFC wild-card race does not have any extreme situations, like Buffalo holds, and it could be determined by one Week 18 victory.

The Green Bay Packers control their own fate for the No. 7 seed. A win over the Chicago Bears is all they need to eliminate the Seattle Seahawks and keep the NFC South from having multiple playoff participants.

AFC Playoff Picture

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Indianapolis Colts guard Josh Sills (65) congratulates Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) on his touchdown during a NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts on December 31, 2023 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Division Leaders

1. Baltimore (13-3)

2. Miami (11-5)

3. Kansas City (10-6)

4. Jacksonville (9-7)

Wild-Card Race

5. Cleveland (11-5)

6. Buffalo (10-6)

7. Indianapolis (9-7)

8. Houston (9-7)

9. Pittsburgh (9-7)

The only certainties about the AFC playoff picture are that Baltimore is the top seed and Cleveland is locked into the No. 5 seed.

Baltimore secured home-field advantage throughout the AFC postseason with its Week 17 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Miami's loss opened the door for the Bills to win the AFC East with a home triumph over the Dolphins in Week 18.

Miami simply needs to win at home to avoid the wild-card chaos. A loss would drop the Dolphins to the No. 6 seed if they finish on the same record as the Browns. Cleveland plays a Cincinnati Bengals team eliminated from postseason contention, so it should pick up a win if it plays its starters.

The Bills will lose out on a wild-card spot if they stumble against the Dolphins and both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers win in Week 18.

Jacksonville plays the Tennessee Titans, while the Steelers take on the Ravens, who have nothing to play for. The Jags need to win to avoid a potential lose-and-out scenario. That would only happen if they stumble against the Titans and the Steelers win.

The Indianapolis-Houston clash will eliminate one of the 9-7 teams from the playoff race. The Colts are in front of the Texans right now thanks to a 31-20 victory in Week 2.

Pittsburgh can get into the postseason with a win in Baltimore combined with help from the wild scenarios mentioned above.

NFC Playoff Picture

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 31: Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Lawrence/Getty Images)

Division Leaders

1. San Francisco (12-4)

2. Dallas (11-5)

3. Detroit (11-5)

4. Tampa Bay (8-8)

Wild-Card Race

5. Philadelphia (11-5)

6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7)

7. Green Bay (8-8)

8. Seattle (8-8)

9. New Orleans (8-8)

10. Minnesota (7-9)

12. Atlanta (7-9)

Green Bay's Sunday night win over the Minnesota Vikings cleared up the NFC wild-card race.

The Packers just need to beat the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday to lock into a postseason spot.

The Packers could leap from No. 7 to No. 6 if they win and the Los Angeles Rams rest their starters against the San Francisco 49ers. Green Bay won the Week 9 head-to-head meeting with the Rams.

Los Angeles might prefer the No. 7 seed depending on how it views the matchup with either the Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys. Dallas needs a win to secure the NFC East crown and No. 2 seed, while a loss and a Philadelphia Eagles win would drop the Cowboys to fifth.

The other teams still alive in the NFC require help to reach the postseason.

The New Orleans Saints need to beat the Atlanta Falcons to have a chance of either leapfrogging Green Bay for seventh, or into the top of the NFC South over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay can lock up the NFC South crown with a win over the Carolina Panthers, which would then doom the Saints to playoff tiebreakers.

New Orleans has a worse conference record than both Green Bay and Seattle, so the Packers and Seahawks both must lose for the Saints to get in with a win.

Atlanta is still alive despite being one spot behind the eliminated Chicago Bears in the NFC standings. The Falcons need to beat the Saints and have the Bucs lose to earn a shot at the NFC South crown.

Minnesota has a near impossible task to jump from No. 10 to No. 7. The Vikings need to beat the Lions and then for the Packers, Seahawks and one of the Saints and Bucs to lose to earn the final wild-card position.