NFL playoff bracket: Updated matchups for wild card round, playoff picture

Admin January 5, 2025

The 2024 NFL regular season is coming to an end, and soon, the field for the NFL playoffs will be set.

Entering Week 18, 12 of the 14 available playoff spots had already been clinched. However, there were still three division titles left to be determined and plenty of seeding scenarios left to be decided. That included the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

But by the end of the day on Sunday, NFL fans will know the full field of 14 teams and the shape of the league’s playoff bracket. Here’s what we know about it as Week 18’s results are recorded.

NFL playoff bracket, wild-card matchups

Here’s a look at the NFL playoff bracket – and the matchups for Super Wild Card Weekend – as the league’s regular season winds to a close in Week 18.

AFC wild card matchups

1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1, AFC West winners) – BYE

The Chiefs wrapped up the No. 1 seed with their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas in Week 17. That is allowing them to rest their starters in Week 18 and get the coveted lone bye in the AFC.

Kansas City will face the highest-remaining seed in the conference in the divisional round of the postseason.

2. Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East winners) vs. 7. Denver Broncos (9-7, wild card No. 3)

The Bills were the only AFC team that had a chance to challenge the Chiefs, but they will settle for the No. 2 seed in the conference instead. Buffalo wrapped up the No. 2 seed in Week 17 and got a chance to sit its starters in Week 18. Josh Allen kept his starting streak intact but played just one snap and handed the ball off before exiting the game.

Buffalo is currently slated to host the Broncos, the only team that hasn’t yet locked up a playoff berth as of Sunday afternoon. The Broncos need to win or tie against the Chiefs to get into the postseason as the No. 7 seed and set up an intriguing first-round matchup between Buffalo’s high-flying offense and Denver’s stalwart defense.

3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners) vs. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2)

The Ravens stomped the Cleveland Browns on Saturday to clinch the AFC North. The Steelers couldn’t quite overcome a 12-point four quarter deficit against the Cincinnati Bengals in their Saturday night game, which denied them a chance to earn the conference’s No. 5 seed.

Instead, the Steelers dropped into the No. 6 seed and set themselves up to play the Ravens for a third time in the first round of the postseason. The divisional rivals split the season series, but Pittsburgh has generally gotten the better of Lamar Jackson during his career.

4. Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South winners) vs. 5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, wild card No. 1)

The Texans had long clinched the AFC South and were locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC after their Christmas loss to the Ravens. Still, they managed to beat the Tennessee Titans in Week 18 to give themselves some positive momentum going into the NFL playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Chargers are poised to be the AFC’s No. 5 seed if they can beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. A loss would allow the Steelers to leapfrog them and force the Chargers into a tougher matchup with the Ravens, so rest assured Jim Harbaugh’s squad will put its best foot forward.

NFC wild card matchups

1. Detroit Lions (14-2, NFC North leaders) – BYE

The Lions haven’t yet clinched the NFC North but they can do so with a win or tie against the Vikings in their “Sunday Night Football” matchup in Week 18. If they lose, Minnesota will be the No. 1 seed and Detroit will drop down to No. 5, so the NFL’s final regular-season contest will be a meaningful one.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East winners) vs. 7. Green Bay Packers (11-6, wild card No. 3)

The Eagles played third-string quarterback Tanner McKee in Week 18 after clinching the No. 2 seed the previous week. They still beat the New York Giants 20-13 and established themselves as one of the deepest teams in the league.

As for the Packers, they lost to the Chicago Bears for the first time since 2018 in the final week of the season. Cairo Santos hit a game-winning field goal as time expired to send the Packers into the postseason having lost back-to-back games. Green Bay had a chance to be the conference’s No. 6 seed but now, the Packers will get a postseason rematch with an Eagles team that beat them 34-29 in Week 1.

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6, NFC West winners) vs. 6. Washington Commanders (12-5, wild card No. 2)

The Rams decided to sit their starters in Week 18 despite being able to lock up the No. 3 seed with a win. If they can’t beat the Seattle Seahawks, they will drop to the No. 4 seed and will square off against with the NFL’s first-ever 14-win wild-card team.

As for the Commanders, they earned a come-from-behind win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 to clinch the No. 6 seed. They did so with Jayden Daniels sitting out most of the contest, so he should be fresh for Washington’s first playoff game in four years.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winners) vs. 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2, wild card No. 1)

The Buccaneers had a close call against the New Orleans Saints in Week 18, but Baker Mayfield and Co. ultimately did enough to earn an eight-point win over their divisional rival. Now, they will wait to see whether they earn the NFC’s No. 4 seed or if they can improve to No. 3 with a Rams loss.

The No. 5 seed will be the loser of the Lions vs. Vikings game on “Sunday Night Football.” Minnesota has the slightly narrower path to the No. 1 seed – it needs to win and can’t get the top seed with a tie – but it’s more of a coin flip as to whether this will be the Lions or Vikings.

NFL playoff schedule

The NFL playoffs kick off on Jan. 11 with the league’s Super Wild Card Weekend before concluding on Feb. 9 with Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

Super Wild Card weekend

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 11

AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 12

AFC/NFC wild card game: 1 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 13

AFC/NFC wild card game: 8:15 p.m.

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18

AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19

AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.
AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round

Sunday, Jan. 26

NFC championship game: 3 p.m.
AFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl 59

Date: Feb. 9, 2025
Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: FOX

NFL playoff picture Week 18

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (15-1, AFC West winners, No. 1 seed)*
Buffalo Bills (13-4, AFC East winners, No. 2 seed)*
Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners, No. 3 seed)*
Houston Texans (10-7, AFC South winners, No. 4 seed)*
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, wild card No. 1)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2)*
Denver Broncos (9-7, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Cincinnati Bengals (9-8), Miami Dolphins (8-8).

NFC

Detroit Lions (14-2, NFC North leaders)*
Philadelphia Eagles (14-3, NFC East winners, No. 2 seed)*
Los Angeles Rams (10-6, NFC West winners)*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winners)*
Minnesota Vikings (14-2, wild card No. 1)*
Washington Commanders (12-5, wild card No. 2, No. 6 seed)*
Green Bay Packers (11-6, wild card No. 3, No. 7 seed)*

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched