NFL Playoff Picture 2026, AFC, NFC Bracket Scenarios Before Final Games

Three division titles are on the line in Week 18.

The AFC South, AFC North and NFC South will be determined through results on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' clash with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North title is the only head-to-head game for a divisional crown.

In the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars control their own fate with a victory.

All of the power in the NFC South belongs to the Atlanta Falcons, whose result will decide if the Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the division.

A handful of seeding changes could happen as well on Sunday, but the primary draws are the divisional title showdowns.

AFC Standings

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Division Leaders

1 Denver Broncos (13-3; clinched AFC West)

2. New England Patriots (13-3; clinched AFC East)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4; clinched playoff berth)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

The Denver Broncos will likely leave Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Denver is facing a Los Angeles Chargers team that will rest a chunk of its starters. The assumption is that Denver will handle its business at home.

The New England Patriots need to beat the Miami Dolphins and have the Broncos lose to claim the top spot in the AFC. The Jaguars also have a chance to finish No. 1 with a win and both teams losing.

Jacksonville must beat the Tennessee Titans, or have the Houston Texans lose to the Indianapolis Colts to secure the AFC South title.

Pittsburgh must win the winner-takes-all AFC North clash on Sunday night to win its division and claim the No. 4 seed.

Wild-Card Race

5. Houston Texans (11-5; clinched playoff berth)

6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5; clinched playoff berth)

7. Buffalo Bills (11-5; clinched playoff berth)

There could be a decent amount of change in the order of the AFC wild-card spots on Sunday.

The Chargers are starting Trey Lance in Denver, so the assumption is they will fall to 11-6.

Houston and Buffalo will both put their starters on the field. The Texans can win the AFC South with a win and a Jacksonville loss. Buffalo can improve its seeding with a win over the New York Jets and a Chargers loss.

Houston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Buffalo, so if they finish at 12-5 and the Chargers are 11-6, the Texans would be the No. 5 seed with the Bills and Chargers behind them in that order.

In the Hunt

9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

Baltimore must win in Pittsburgh on Sunday night to win the AFC North. A loss eliminates the Ravens from playoff contention.

Eliminated

8. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)

10. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)

13. Cleveland Browns (4-12)

14. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

15. New York Jets (3-13)

16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)

NFC Standings

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Division Leaders

1 Seattle Seahawks (14-3; clinched NFC West)

2. Chicago Bears (11-5; clinched NFC North)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5; clinched NFC East)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now at the mercy of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Bucs need Atlanta to lose to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to clinch the NFC South title.

If Atlanta wins, it creates a three-way tie atop the NFC South at 8-9 that gives Carolina the division on a tiebreaker.

The No. 2 seed could change hands on Sunday if the Chicago Bears lose to the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Washington Commanders.

Wild-Card Race

5. San Francisco 49ers (12-5; clinched playoff berth)

6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5; clinched playoff berth)

7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1; clinched playoff berth)

The Los Angeles Rams have the power in the wild-card race.

A Rams win over the Arizona Cardinals boosts them up to the No. 5 seed and drops the San Francisco 49ers down to No. 6.

If the Rams lose, the wild-card standings remain the way they are.

In the Hunt

10. Carolina Panthers (8-9)

Carolina needs Atlanta to beat New Orleans to trigger the three-way tiebreaker that puts it into the postseason. A Saints win eliminates the Panthers.

Eliminated

8. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)

9. Detroit Lions (8-8)

11. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)

12. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

13. New Orleans Saints (6-10)

14. Washington Commanders (4-12)

15. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

16. New York Giants (3-13)