NFL Playoff Standings 2022: Top Bracket Seeds, Wild-Card Matchups and Scenarios

The final week of the first 17-game schedule reminded us that a lot can still happen in the final week of the season. Even after 16 games, there were still playoff matchups to figure out in the final week of the season. 

The Indianapolis Colts really shook things up. All they had to do was simply beat the 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars who were on their way to the No. 1 pick in the draft. That didn't happen. Instead, the Jags sacked Carson Wentz six times and the quarterback had two turnovers in a 26-11 loss. 

That opened the door for quite the shakeup in the AFC. In Year 2 of the 14-team playoff, there's certainly more drama around the final teams to get in. 

It went all the way down to the Las Vegas Raiders overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, but the playoff field is finally set. 

Playoff Picture

Lon Horwedel/Associated Press

AFC

1. Tennessee Titans (12-5)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)

3. Buffalo Bills (11-6)

4. Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)

5. Las Vegas Raiders (10-7)

6. New England Patriots (10-7)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1)

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (13-4)

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)

3. Dallas Cowboys (12-5)

4. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

5. Arizona Cardinals (11-6)

6. San Francisco 49ers (10-7)

7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)

Wild-Card Round Matchups

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

AFC

No. 1 Tennessee Titans (bye)

No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs

No. 6 New England Patriots at No. 3 Buffalo Bills

No. 5 Las Vegas Raiders at No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals

---

NFC

No. 1 Green Bay Packers (bye)

No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 Dallas Cowboys

No. 5 Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 Los Angles Rams

Wild-Card Scenarios

Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

The NFL playoffs are somewhat unique in that the bracket will reshuffle after Wild Card Weekend if necessary. The top seed will host whoever is the lowest seed remaining.

Essentially, the top-seeded team doesn't just get a bye week. It also has dibs on the lowest-seeded team, which, in theory, is the weakest team in the field.

So while the Tennessee Titans are most likely going to play the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round, that's only true if none of the AFC Wild Card teams pull off an upset in Round 1.

Over in the NFC, that makes the Green Bay Packers' most likely second-round opponent the Dallas Cowboys if the better-seeded teams win all the matches. However, nobody should be filling out those brackets quite yet. Last year, the wild-card teams went 4-2 on Wild Card Weekend, throwing everyone's predictions.

The NFC has two fun wild-card matchups in particular. There will be an NFC West trilogy between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. They split the regular-season series. We'll also get a matchup between a hot San Francisco 49ers team and Dak Prescott looking to affirm the Dallas Cowboys' decision to give him a bunch of money this past offseason.