These cities, namely Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Minnesota, and Detroit, are contending for division championships in the NFL.
This week, the National Football League (NFL) enters its play-ins prior to the playoffs, which are scheduled for January 11-13, following a one-week break. The 10 games in Week 18 of the NFL regular season will decide division champions and determine wild card seeds and matchups for the initial round of playoffs.
The titles of the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South are up for grabs, as well as the last playoff spot in each conference and the fine-tuning of the first-round matchups. Two-time Super Bowl champions, Kansas City, have already secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, guaranteeing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The NFC No. 1 seed will be determined in the final prime-time game of the season, when Detroit hosts Minnesota on Sunday night. Both teams are currently 14-2.
Kansas City continues to have the best chances to win the Super Bowl, with a potential three-peat in league history. Other strong contenders include Detroit, Buffalo, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Minnesota.
Here are the possible outcomes in each division:
AFC EAST
Playoff team:
Bills (13-3)
This division is already locked down by the Bills, who are currently the only team to have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs, with top MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen leading the charge. They will face the lowest-seeded qualifier in the wild card playoffs, which would likely be Denver.
Still alive:
Dolphins (8-8)
Should the Dolphins defeat the New York Jets and the Chiefs conquer the Broncos, the Dolphins will secure the seventh and last AFC seed.
AFC NORTH
Playoff teams:
Ravens (11-5), Steelers (10-6)
Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh have clinched their spots in the playoffs. If the Ravens win against Cleveland on Saturday, they will become the division champions and secure the No. 3 seed, provided the Steelers lose to Cincinnati.
If the Ravens lose and the Steelers triumph against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh will swipe the division title by means of a superior division record, which is the second tiebreaker.
Even if the Ravens clinch the division, the Steelers still have something to fight for: they will gather the No. 5 seed if they emerge victorious against Cincinnati or if the Los Angeles Chargers lose to the Las Vegas Raiders. This fifth seed would provide a much more favorable first-round matchup, playing against the NFC South winner and the fourth seed in Houston, rather than returning to Baltimore.
The Bengals are still alive with a 30-24 victory over Denver last week, and they would secure the last playoff spot should they overcome Pittsburgh, and both Miami and Denver fall.
AFC SOUTH
Playoff team:
Houston (9-7)
This division is headed by Houston, currently the only team with a winning record in this struggling sector of the conference.
AFC WEST
Playoff teams:
Kansas City (15-1), Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
Still alive:
Denver Broncos (9-7)
The Chiefs, under the supervision of Coach Andy Reid, have a history of resting key players in crucial situations, and it is rumored that they might do so again in the season finale against the Broncos. A victory for the Broncos would secure their playoff berth, but they would need both Miami and Cincinnati to lose in order to make this occurrence a reality.
The Chargers have Coach of the Year candidate Jim Harbaugh on their side, and a win, coupled with a Steelers' loss, would clinch the No. 5 seed for them.
NFC EAST
Playoff teams:
Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), Washington Commanders (11-5)
The Eagles clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC following a dominant 41-7 victory against the Cowboys on Sunday, despite absence of injured quarterback Jalen Hurts. Saquon Barkley had a strong game, leading the league with 2,005 rushing yards and sitting just 100 yards away from ties Eric Dickerson's season record of 2,105 yardsonly set in 1984.
Washington secured their postseason berth thanks to late heroics from Jayden Daniels in their recent wins against the Eagles and Atlanta and could even snag the No. 6 seed with victories against the Cowboys or a loss from the Green Bay Packers, setting them up for a potentially third game against the Eagles.
NFC NORTH
Playoff teams:
Detroit Lions (14-2), Minnesota Vikings (14-2), Green Bay Packers (11-5)
The best division in the league will come to a thrilling close with a winner-take-all showdown between the Lions and Vikings on Sunday night, determining the division title and the NFC No. 1 seed. The victor will also earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the loser will be consigned to the No. 5 seed, facing either the Los Angeles Rams or the NFC South winner in the wild card round.
Nevertheless, a loss for the Vikings could push the Green Bay Packers as low as the No. 7 seed, should they fall at home to the Bears on Sunday, making for a challenging playoff run.
Quarterback Sam Darnold's resurgence has significantly contributed to the Vikings' improvement from a 7-10 record in 2023. Darnold has amassed 4,153 passing yards, surpassing his best season total of 3,127 yards from his previous six years with the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers by over 1,000 yards.
NFC SOUTH
Still in the race: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7), Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
The last NFC playoff spot will be determined between these two teams on Sunday. If the Buccaneers emerge victorious or manage a tie at home against the Saints, or if the Falcons lose to the Panthers at home, the Buccaneers will secure the division, the No. 4 seed, and a home game in the first round. If both teams end up with 9-8 records, the Falcons will clinch the division by beating the Buccaneers twice in the regular season.
NFC West
Playoff bound: Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
The Rams secured a playoff berth and the division title due to a lucky holiday weekend. They edged out Arizona 13-9 on Saturday, improving their chances, and other favorable results on Sunday helped them clinch the tiebreaker over Seattle (9-7). Their game this week against Seattle becomes irrelevant in terms of playoff qualification, but it will still impact seeding.
The Rams will maintain their No. 3 seed in the NFC with a victory or tie against Seattle, or with a Tampa Bay loss.
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are both playoff-bound in the AFC North, with the Ravens aiming to secure the division title and the No. 3 seed against Cleveland on Saturday. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be closely watched, as they aim to maintain their strong performance in the NFL.
In the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are fighting for the last playoff spot. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will face off against the Saints, while the Falcons take on the Panthers. The outcome of these games will determine which team secures the division, the No. 4 seed, and a home game in the first round.
Jared Goff and the Minnesota Vikings, currently tied with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North lead, will be eager to secure the division title and the NFC No. 1 seed in their game against the Lions on Sunday night. A loss could push the Green Bay Packers to as low as the No. 7 seed, making for a challenging playoff run.
Sam Darnold's resurgence has significantly contributed to the Vikings' improvement, surpassing his best season total of 3,127 yards from his previous six years with the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers by over 1,000 yards. The vitally important showdown between the Vikings and Lions will decide not only the division title but also the NFC No. 1 seed.
In the AFC East, the Bills have clinched the division title and are the only team to have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs this season, with top MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen leading the charge. They will face the lowest-seeded qualifier in the wild card playoffs, while the AFC East is already locked down by the Bills.
