The final week of the NFL season kicked off with a doubleheader on Saturday.
The first game of the day was in Las Vegas, where Kansas City beat the Raiders 31-13. It was a big win for the Chiefs, earning them a first-round seed in the AFC and an accompanying first-round bye.
The Chiefs weren’t in a position to claim the No. 1 overall seed with their Week 18 win as the week began, but that changed Thursday. NFL Bills-Bengals game officially canceledThat cancellation put the Chiefs in the driver’s seat of the top seed and capitalized on it by beating the Raiders.
The Chiefs retain the top seed, but it’s still possible they won’t play an AFC Championship game. If the Bills beat the Patriots on Sunday and face Kansas City in the AFC title game, the game will be played at a neutral site. If the Chiefs face a team other than the Bills, the game will be played in Kansas City.
Saturday’s nightcap took place in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars defeated the Titans 20-16 to clinch the AFC South title. The win wasn’t secured until Josh Allen returned a fumble for a touchdown with less than three minutes remaining. The Jaguars’ win means they’ve earned the 4th seed overall in the AFC, and will host a match in the wildcard round next week.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the current playoff standings after Kansas City and Tennessee won.
AFC playoff standings
still alive
Dolphin (8-8): If the Dolphins beat the Jets on Sunday, and the Patriots also lose to the Bills, they’ll earn the final wildcard spot in the AFC.
Steelers (8-8): For the Steelers to make the playoffs, three things must happen: the Patriots must beat the Bills, and the Dolphins must lose to the Jets.
eliminated
Titan (7-10): The Titans could have made the playoffs with a win over Jacksonville, but they were officially eliminated Saturday night after losing to the Jaguars.
NFC playoff standings
still alive
Lions (8-8): It takes two things for the Lions to make the playoffs: they need to beat the Packers and the Seahawks need to lose to the Rams.
Packer (8-8): The Packers currently trail the Lions and Seahawks in the standings, but it’s really one of those three teams that will decide their fate this week. If the Packers beat the Lions on Sunday night, they’ll be heading to the playoffs.
Wildcard round matches (based on current standings)
AFC
- (7) Patriots at (2) Bills
- (6) Ravens vs. (3) Bengals (a coin toss will decide where this game is if Baltimore beats Cincinnati on Sunday)
- (4) Jaguar (5) Charger
Goodbye: Chiefs
NFC
- (7) Seahawks (2) 49ers
- (6) Giants at (3) Vikings
- (5) Cowboys at (4) Buccaneers
Goodbye: Eagles
