NFL Playoff Picture 2022: Updated AFC, NFC Wild Card Bracket Ahead of Week 18

In the final week of NFL's longest regular season ever, there are still postseason berths to be decided.

A handful of AFC teams are still in contention for the final two wild-card spots, while either the San Francisco 49ers or New Orleans Saints will get the last wild-card berth in the NFC.

Eleven teams have already clinched playoff berths, and six of the eight division titles have been won. But the AFC East (Buffalo Bills or New England Patriots) and NFC West (Los Angeles Rams or Arizona Cardinals) crowns are still up for grabs, and four teams are alive in the battle for No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Here's a look at the current NFL playoff picture, followed by more on the battles for the final wild-card berths, including clinching scenarios.

Current NFL Playoff Picture

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AFC

Bye: No. 1 Tennessee Titans (11-5)

No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) vs. No. 6 Indianapolis Colts (9-7)

No. 4 Buffalo Bills (10-6) vs. No. 5 New England Patriots (10-6)

In the hunt: Las Vegas Raiders (9-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7-1), Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers (13-3)

No. 2 Los Angeles Rams (12-4) vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) vs. No. 6 San Francisco 49ers (9-7)

No. 4 Dallas Cowboys (11-5) vs. No. 5 Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

In the hunt: New Orleans Saints (8-8)

5 AFC Teams Battling for Final Pair of Wild-Card Berths

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Let's start with the Colts, because there's a good chance they make things much less interesting in the AFC wild-card race.

Indianapolis is going on the road to face Jacksonville, which is an NFL-worst 2-14 this season, on Sunday afternoon. If the Colts win, they'll clinch a wild-card berth and eliminate both the Steelers and Ravens from postseason contention in the process.

Even if Indianapolis loses, it will still have a path to the playoffs if Los Angeles loses to Las Vegas, Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore and New England loses to Miami, but the door would be open for Baltimore and Pittsburgh in that case.

Pittsburgh needs to beat Baltimore and then see Indianapolis lose and the Sunday night game between Los Angeles and Las Vegas not end in a tie. As for the Ravens, they need to beat the Steelers and then see the Chargers, Colts and Dolphins all lose.

The Chargers-Raiders game got flexed to Sunday night as a winner-takes-all matchup.

Winning or tying is Los Angeles' only route to the postseason. Las Vegas could lose and still get into the playoffs if Indianapolis loses to Jacksonville and Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore, and a tie would also see them in the playoffs if Indianapolis loses to Jacksonville.

The most likely situation is that the Colts will win their way into the playoffs, then either the Chargers or Raiders will get the final spot. 

Will 49ers or Saints Get Final Wild-Card Spot in NFC?

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The NFC wild-card race is much simpler than what's happening in the AFC. The currently No. 7-seeded Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth. So it'll be a two-team battle between the 49ers and Saints for the final spot in Week 18.

San Francisco will make the postseason if it beats Los Angeles on the road Sunday. They'd also get in if the Saints lose to the Falcons, or if either game ends in a tie.

The only way that New Orleans can get into the playoffs is by beating Atlanta and having San Francisco lose to Los Angeles.

The Saints are capable of going on the road and beating the Falcons, who are 7-9 and eliminated from playoff contention. When the two NFC South rivals met in Week 9, Atlanta won 27-25 in New Orleans in quarterback Trevor Siemian's first start since the injury to Jameis Winston. That began a five-game losing streak for the Saints.

But New Orleans has been playing better of late, having won three of its past four games. And the Saints will have much more to play for than the Falcons this time.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have a challenging NFC West matchup against the Rams, who need to win this game to secure the division crown. A Rams loss would open the door for the Cardinals to win the NFC West title with a win over the Seahawks.

The Saints have been to the playoffs in four straight seasons, and with a bit of help, they could extend that streak to five.

However, San Francisco beat Los Angeles 31-10 in Week 10 at home. So if the 49ers can do that again, they'll be heading to the playoffs and could knock the Rams down to a wild-card spot.