NFL Playoff Picture 2024: Latest Super Bowl Bracket and AFC, NFC Scenarios
Week 17 may have marked the end of 2023, but for some teams, it cemented their chance for more football in early 2024.
While some teams may have already started looking toward the offseason (we're looking at you, Carolina Panthers), others punched their ticket to meaningful January football.
This year's NFL playoff picture continued to crystallize on Sunday, with teams in both the AFC and NFC clinching No. 1 seeds and the associated first-round bye, as well as provide clarity on which teams will be competing for the final playoff spots in the final week of the regular season.
Keeping all of the different clinching scenarios and potential playoff teams together can be a tricky task, which is why we're here to help. We'll outline the current playoff picture in each conference and different scenarios to look for in Week 18.
The playoffs begin with the Wild Card Round on Saturday, Jan. 13 through Monday, Jan. 15.
The Divisional Round will be played on Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21, followed by the conference championships on Sunday, Jan. 28.
Super Bowl LVIII will be played on Sunday, Feb. 11, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
AFC Playoff Picture
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AFC Playoff Seeding
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3, clinched AFC North and No. 1 seed)
2. Miami Dolphins (11-5, clinched playoff berth)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6, clinched AFC West)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
5. Cleveland Browns (11-5, clinched playoff berth)
6. Buffalo Bills (10-6)
7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
In the hunt: Houston Texans (9-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
In Week 17, the Baltimore Ravens solidifed themselves as the team to beat in the AFC (if not the NFL) and the home of the likely 2023 MVP with their 56-19 drubbing of the current No. 2 seed Miami Dolphins. In doing so, the Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed, meaning they can rest their starters next week before skipping straight to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs clinched their eighth straight AFC West title with their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While their win did not come with the overpowered offense teams have become accustomed to seeing from the Chiefs, Kansas City cemented itself as the third seed in the AFC and guaranteed at least one home playoff game for Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
The real intrigue in the AFC lies in the AFC East and AFC South. In the East, the Miami Dolphins currently hold the No. 2 seed and are set to play the Buffalo Bills (currently the sixth seed) in Week 18 on Sunday Night Football.
If Buffalo wins and Miami loses, the Bills would leap to the No. 2 seed (an impressive feat after their 6-6 start) and the Dolphins would fall to the sixth seed. However, if Miami wins, it retain the second seed, but the Bills could fall out of the playoffs completely if the Steelers beat the Ravens.
In the AFC South, the Jaguars, Colts, and Texans are all tied at 9-7; however, Jacksonville currently holds the division crown due to a 4-1 record within the division. If Jacksonville beats the Titans next week, it'll hold on and clinch the AFC South along with the fourth seed. The Colts and Texans will play each other on Saturday in a win-and-in matchup.
AFC Playoff Bracket
(1) Ravens (bye)
(2) Dolphins vs. (7) Colts
(3) Chiefs vs. (6) Bills
(4) Jaguars vs. (5) Browns
NFC Playoff Picture
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NFC Playoff Seeding
1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, clinched NFC West and No. 1 seed)
2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5, clinched playoff berth)
3. Detroit Lions (11-5, clinched NFC North)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, clinched playoff berth)
6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7, clinched playoff berth)
7. Green Bay Packers (8-8)
In the hunt: Seattle Seahawks (8-8), New Orleans Saints (8-8), Minnesota Vikings (7-9), Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
The NFC playoff picture also became clearer in Week 17. By beating the Washington Commanders in Week 17 and watching the Philadelphia Eagles lose to the lowly Arizona Cardinals in a stunning upset, the San Francisco 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed and bought their panoply of stars some well-needed rest.
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles have already clinched playoff spots, but the division title is still up for grabs; if the Cowboys beat the Commanders in Week 18, they'll sew up the NFC East and the No. 2 seed. The Eagles will be the fifth seed unless they beat the New York Giants and the Cowboys lose to the Commanders, in which case the Eagles will be the No. 2 seed and the Cowboys will drop to five.
The NFC South is still up for grabs; while the Buccaneers currently hold the division title and will win the division if they beat the Carolina Panthers in Week 18, the Saints could steal the division with a win and a Bucaneers loss.
While the Los Angeles Rams clinched a wild card spot in Week 17, the exact seeding remains up in the air. The Packers can clinch a playoff spot with a win, nabbing either the sixth or seventh seed depending on whether the Rams win against the 49ers.
The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings are both still alive in playoff seeding but would need wins in Week 18 and help from other teams to make magic happen.
NFC Playoff Bracket
(1) 49ers (bye)
(2) Cowboys vs. (7) Packers
(3) Lions vs. (6) Rams
(4) Buccaneers vs. (5) Eagles
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