{"id":652824,"date":"2026-01-04T08:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/652824\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T08:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:45:24","slug":"nfl-playoff-picture-week-18-seahawks-clinch-no-1-seed-nfc-south-tbd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/652824\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL playoff picture Week 18: Seahawks clinch No. 1 seed: NFC South TBD"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"play\"<\/p>\n

Ravens Steelers in Week 18 face big questions<\/p>\n

USAT’s Joe Rivera and Chris Bumbaca break down Lamar Jackson\u2019s status and DK Metcalf\u2019s suspension as Steelers and Ravens fight for AFC North.<\/p>\n

Sports Seriously<\/p>\n

Every week for the duration of the\u00a02025 regular season<\/a>,\u00a0USA TODAY Sports<\/a>\u00a0will provide timely updates to the\u00a0NFL<\/a>‘s ever-evolving playoff picture \u2013 typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).<\/p>\n

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized Sunday, Jan. 4.<\/p>\n

Here’s where things stand with\u00a0Week 18<\/a> underway:<\/p>\n

NFC playoff picture<\/p>\n

yz \u2212 1.\u00a0Seattle Seahawks<\/a>\u00a0(14-3),\u00a0NFC West champions:\u00a0Huge win at Silicon Valley on Saturday night assured them of staying home in the Pacific Northwest \u2212 with a week off \u2212 unless they get back to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60.\u00a0Remaining schedule: TBD<\/p>\n

y\u00a0\u2212 2.\u00a0Chicago Bears<\/a>\u00a0(11-5), NFC North champions:\u00a0Green Bay’s loss in Week 17 was doubly sweet, as it also wrapped up the division title for Da Bears<\/a>. However coming up short in last Sunday’s thriller at San Francisco means Chicago can’t get home-field advantage … though the Bears could see the Pack in the wild-card round.\u00a0Remaining schedule: vs. Lions<\/a><\/p>\n

y \u2212 3.\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>\u00a0(11-5), NFC East champions:\u00a0They can’t get into the top spot but could still reach the second seed … which got them to the Super Bowl last season. With\u00a0Week 16’s defeat of Washington<\/a>, Philly became the first team this season to wrap up a division in 2025 \u2212 and the first to win\u00a0this\u00a0division in successive years since they last did it 21 years ago.\u00a0Remaining schedule: vs. Commanders<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>\u00a0(8-9),\u00a0NFC South leaders:\u00a0They beat the Panthers<\/a> on Saturday … and now they wait. The common-games tiebreaker gives the Bucs<\/a> the advantage in the standings over Carolina for now. But if the Falcons win Sunday and create a three-way tie<\/a>, Panthers’ superior record (3-1) in games involving those three teams would give them the division.\u00a0Remaining schedule: TBD<\/p>\n

x \u2212 5.\u00a0San Francisco 49ers<\/a>\u00a0(12-5), wild card No. 1:\u00a0They could have stayed home for the next month as long as they kept winning. Alas, they could fall as low as the sixth seed now.\u00a0Remaining schedule: TBD<\/p>\n

x \u2212 6.\u00a0Los Angeles Rams<\/a>\u00a0(11-5),\u00a0wild card No. 2:\u00a0They became the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot but lost the pathway to home-field advantage and a first-round bye after consecutive losses. They can settle into the fifth seed \u2212 and a matchup with the NFC South champion \u2212 by beating Arizona.\u00a0Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals<\/p>\n

x \u2212\u00a07.\u00a0Green Bay Packers<\/a>\u00a0(9-6-1),\u00a0wild card No. 3:\u00a0The\u00a0Lions’ Christmas defeat put the battered Pack into the field<\/a>. But\u00a0a Week 17 loss to Baltimore<\/a>\u00a0means Green Bay locks in as the No. 7 seed and won’t play another game at Lambeau Field this season.\u00a0Remaining schedule: at Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Carolina Panthers<\/a>\u00a0(8-9), in the hunt:\u00a0(They’re behind eliminated Minnesota and Detroit, both 8-8, in the overall conference standings.) Saturday’s loss at Tampa doesn’t finish the Panthers. A win by Atlanta on Sunday<\/a> would confer the NFC South crown to Carolina.\u00a0Remaining schedule: TBD<\/p>\n

AFC playoff picture<\/p>\n

y\u00a0\u2212 1.\u00a0Denver Broncos<\/a>\u00a0(13-3), AFC West champions:\u00a0After surviving the Chiefs on Christmas night<\/a>, win in Week 18, and Denver gets the top seed. The Bolts’ Week 17 loss wrapped up the Broncos’ first division title in a decade \u2212 which was also the last time they won the Super Bowl. The Chargers also seem content to rest their top players, including QB Justin Herbert, on Sunday in Denver.\u00a0Remaining schedule:\u00a0vs. Chargers<\/p>\n

y \u2212 2.\u00a0New England Patriots<\/a>\u00a0(13-3), AFC East champions:\u00a0After blowing out the Jets last weekend, they wound up with their first division title since 2019 when Buffalo lost to Philadelphia. The Pats are just a tiebreaker (common games) of sitting atop the conference and could get the top seed in Week 18 if they win and Denver loses.\u00a0Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

x \u2212 3.\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>\u00a0(12-4),\u00a0AFC South leaders:\u00a0They won their eighth straight but need one more to lock up the division. A victory combined with defeats for Denver and New England lands the No. 1 seed in Duval County. Lose, and Houston can keep the AFC South with a win.\u00a0Remaining schedule: at Titans<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a>\u00a0(9-7),\u00a0AFC North leaders:\u00a0They failed to win the division crown at Cleveland. Now they’ll have to beat Baltimore in Week 18.\u00a0Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens<\/p>\n

x\u00a0\u2212 5.\u00a0Houston Texans<\/a>\u00a0(11-5), wild card No. 1:\u00a0They’ve won nine of 10, including eight in a row after\u00a0last Saturday’s triumph over the Chargers<\/a>, but haven’t been able to overtake similarly surging Jacksonville yet for the top spot in the AFC South. Still, that victory over the Bolts clinched at least a wild-card berth for Houston, which has a shot to win the division for a third straight season \u2212 now needing just a Week 18 win and loss by the Jags. The Texans<\/a>‘ sweep of the Chargers and Bills<\/a> currently has them sitting in the fifth seed.\u00a0Remaining schedule:\u00a0vs. Colts<\/a><\/p>\n

x \u2212 6.\u00a0Los Angeles Chargers<\/a>\u00a0(11-5), wild card No. 2:\u00a0Last weekend’s stumble against Houston ended their bid to rally for the AFC West title. Now the Bolts will have to chart their postseason path as a wild-card entrant, which is why Herbert won’t play in Week 18.\u00a0Remaining schedule:\u00a0at Broncos<\/p>\n

x\u00a0\u2212 7.\u00a0Buffalo Bills<\/a>\u00a0(11-5), wild card No. 3:\u00a0Sunday’s oh-so-narrow loss to Philadelphia wiped out their hopes of a sixth straight AFC East title. The Bills fall to the seventh spot due to the Chargers’ two-game advantage (5-1) in the common-games tiebreaker.\u00a0Remaining schedule:\u00a0vs. Jets<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Baltimore Ravens<\/a>\u00a0(8-8),\u00a0in the hunt:\u00a0(The eliminated Colts are technically in eighth place in the AFC.)\u00a0Their Week 17 win at Green Bay<\/a>\u00a0plus Pittsburgh’s loss means the Steelers and Ravens will vie for the AFC North crown on Sunday night.\u00a0Remaining schedule: at Steelers<\/p>\n

NFL playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18<\/p>\n

Denver clinches the AFC’s No. 1 seed with:<\/p>\n

Win\u00a0ORTie + Patriots loss or tie\u00a0ORPatriots loss + Jaguars<\/a> loss or tie<\/p>\n

New England clinches the AFC’s No. 1 seed with:<\/p>\n

Win + Broncos loss or tie\u00a0ORTie + Broncos loss<\/p>\n

Jacksonville clinches\u00a0the AFC’s No. 1 seed with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Win + Broncos loss + Patriots loss<\/p>\n

Jacksonville clinches\u00a0AFC South with:<\/p>\n

Win or tie\u00a0ORTexans loss or tie<\/p>\n

Houston clinches\u00a0AFC South with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Win + Jaguars loss<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh clinches AFC North with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Win or tie<\/p>\n

Baltimore clinches\u00a0AFC North with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Win<\/p>\n

Carolina clinches NFC South with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Falcons win<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay clinches NFC South with:<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Falcons loss or tie<\/p>\n

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025<\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0New York Giants<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Arizona Cardinals<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0New Orleans Saints<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Tennessee Titans<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Las Vegas Raiders<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Washington Commanders<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Atlanta Falcons<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0New York Jets<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Cleveland Browns<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Miami Dolphins<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Detroit Lions<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25b6\u00a0Indianapolis Colts<\/a><\/p>\n

x \u2013\u00a0clinched playoff berth<\/p>\n

y \u2013\u00a0clinched division<\/p>\n

z \u2013\u00a0clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye<\/p>\n

All NFL news on and off the field.\u00a0Sign up<\/a>\u00a0for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ravens Steelers in Week 18 face big questions USAT’s Joe Rivera and Chris Bumbaca break down Lamar Jackson\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":652825,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2075],"tags":[220,115,1466,247,265,825,240,210,374,215,211,214,53,235,260,2567,692,391,2005,324,146,113,217,25,860,7,219,1389,221,253,20842,2004,392,212,125,213,1066,1159,147,239,58,216,251,233,259,248,826,267,246,206,55,88,854,873,6,35196,84,676,245,264,236,242,109,359,424,397,218,252,238,237,261,327,9,266,209,250,222,234],"class_list":["post-652824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-carolina-panthers","tag-49ers","tag-afc","tag-afc-south","tag-american","tag-american-football","tag-american-football-conference","tag-angeles","tag-bay","tag-bears","tag-bills","tag-buccaneers","tag-buffalo","tag-buffalo-bills","tag-carolina","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-carolinapanthers","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-bears","tag-colts","tag-conference","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-lions","tag-dolphins","tag-eagles","tag-east","tag-football","tag-francisco","tag-herbert","tag-houston","tag-houston-texans","tag-hub","tag-indianapolis","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-jaguars","tag-justin","tag-justin-herbert","tag-lions","tag-los","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-miami","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-national","tag-national-football-conference","tag-national-sports","tag-neutral","tag-new","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-news","tag-nfc","tag-nfc-east","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-hub","tag-nfl-playoffs","tag-orleans","tag-overall","tag-overall-neutral","tag-panthers","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-playoffs","tag-rams","tag-saints","tag-san","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-seahawks","tag-seattle","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-south","tag-sports","tag-sports-news","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-texans","tag-vikings"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=652824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/652825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=652824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=652824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=652824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}