NFL Playoff Schedule 2018: Bracket Dates and Updated AFC, NFC Scenarios

The Philadelphia Eagles secured the top seed in the NFC playoffs with their Monday night 19-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders, but they did not play like an expected Super Bowl contender.

Their offense had been dynamic under Carson Wentz, and Nick Foles threw four TD passes in his first start after Wentz went down with an ACL injury. However, Foles could not escape the Oakland pass rush or find open receivers against an opponent with the 19th-ranked defense.

Nevertheless, the Eagles (13-2) won the game, and they will have time to figure things out. Since they own the top seed and that comes with a bye in the first round of the playoffs, the Eagles won't play another game until the weekend of January 13 and 14, when they host a divisional playoff game.

The Minnesota Vikings (12-3) will be the No. 2 seed in the playoff structure if they can beat the Chicago Bears in the season finale on December 31, and it's unlikely they will fall out of that position.

The only thing that could knock them out of that slot is losing to the Bears, the Carolina Panthers (11-4) beating the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints (11-4) losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) losing to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams are in line to take the No. 3 seed, with the Saints having the inside track on the fourth seed. The Panthers will have no worse than the No. 5 seed as the top wild-card team, while the Falcons (9-6) and Seattle Seahawks (9-6) are battling for the sixth seed.

That final spot in the NFC playoffs is the only postseason position that has not been decided going into the final week. The Falcons have the edge for that position based on their head-to-head victory over the Seahawks, but they have a tough game at home Sunday against the Panthers.

The Seahawks are coming off a road win over the Dallas Cowboys, and they host the Arizona Cardinals in the season finale. 

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The AFC has two openings heading into the final week of the season. The two wild-card positions have yet to be decided, although the Baltimore Ravens (9-6) and Tennessee Titans (8-7) are currently in those positions. The Ravens are in great shape to make the playoffs because they host the Cincinnati Bengals, who may not provide much resistance in what could be the last game of the Marvin Lewis era.

The Titans will be challenged at home by the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5), and if they lose that game, the Los Angeles Chargers (8-7) or Buffalo Bills (8-7) would have a chance to supplant the Titans.

The Chargers have the edge on the Bills for that final spot because they beat the Bills earlier this season, and if the Chargers beat the Raiders at home, the Titans lose, the Ravens win or the Bills lose to the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles would get the final spot in the AFC playoffs.

The Bills can get in if they win and the Ravens lose, or if they win and the Titans and Chargers both lose.

The New England Patriots (12-3) are the probable No. 1 seed, and they will clinch that position by beating the New York Jets at home in Week 17. If they lose and the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) beat the winless Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh would take the top seed.

The top four seeds should be the Patriots, Steelers, Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs (9-6), with the Jaguars and Chiefs already locked into the No. 3 and 4 seeds.

The Steelers clinched a wild-card weekend bye when they beat the Houston Texans 34-6 Monday afternoon.

Playoff dates

The wild-card weekend will be played January 6 and 7, with the divisional playoff round taking place January 13 and 14.

The AFC and NFC title games will be played January 21, while Super Bowl LII will be held Feb. 4 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.