After one of the crucial unsure intervals in trendy N.F.L. historical past, with a sport suspended after which canceled, Week 18 will go on as deliberate with the excellent news that Bills security Damar Hamlin is making fast progress after a life-threatening damage.
On Thursday, the league announced that video games would go on as scheduled and that the Bills-Bengals sport wouldn’t be made up. The No. 1 seed within the A.F.C. shall be awarded primarily based on profitable share, and the convention championship sport could also be performed on a impartial web site, relying on which groups are concerned.
As the N.F.L. famous in its announcement, any resolution it may have made would have include “competitive inequities.” But for many groups, the playoff image is unchanged. In the N.F.C., three groups — the Lions, Packers and Seahawks — are vying for the final convention spot within the postseason. And within the A.F.C., the Patriots, Dolphins and Steelers are vying for the remaining wild-card berth.
In each conferences, the No. 1 seed stays up for grabs, with the Chiefs and the Bills competing for the highest spot within the A.F.C, and the Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers battling for it within the N.F.C.s s
The charts beneath map the playoff paths that stay for every workforce. They record all of the methods a workforce could make the playoffs — or be eradicated from them. The tree diagrams begin with a given workforce and record the potential outcomes of the video games which may matter to that workforce, in chronological order from left to proper.
We’ll replace them all through the weekend, and so they’ll all hyperlink again to our interactive playoff simulator, which helps you to discover any state of affairs.
One notice: The textual content doesn’t account for ties. But we’ve got included a button with every tree in the event you’d prefer to discover how ties have an effect on every workforce’s playoff path.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills (12-3)
Remaining sport: Patriots
The Bills host the Patriots, and may get both the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 seed within the A.F.C. Since there was no outcome from the Bills-Bengals sport on Monday evening, the Bills need assistance to get the No. 1 seed. A win coupled with a Raiders win on Saturday will give the Bills the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
New England Patriots (8-8)
Remaining sport: at Bills
The Patriots are hoping to get the No. 7 seed, the final spot within the A.F.C. playoffs. They go to the Bills and have to win. (If they do, they might play them once more every week from now if the Bills find yourself because the No. 2 seed.) If the Patriots lose, they will nonetheless advance if the Titans, Dolphins and Steelers lose as nicely.
Miami Dolphins (8-8)
Remaining sport: Jets
The Dolphins’ Week 17 loss to the Patriots has put them on the skin of the playoff image, however they nonetheless have a path to the No. 7 seed. They should beat the Jets and hope the Patriots lose to the 12-3 Bills at Buffalo. Otherwise they’re out.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)
Remaining sport: Ravens
Because there was no end in Cincinnati’s sport towards Buffalo, the Bengals can’t get the No. 1 seed or a bye week. If they win and the Bills lose, the Bengals would be the No. 2 seed, internet hosting the Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers or Jaguars. Otherwise they would be the No. 3 seed and host the Ravens or the Chargers.
Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Remaining sport: at Bengals
The Ravens are within the playoffs, however can’t catch the Bengals within the A.F.C. North. They’ll enter the playoffs because the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
Remaining sport: Browns
Like the Patriots and Dolphins, the Steelers have a path to the final spot within the A.F.C., representing the No. 7 seed at 9-8. But of all of the groups on the sting of elimination, the Steelers’ path is the narrowest. They should win — they host the 7-9 Browns — and hope for Dolphins and Patriots losses.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
Remaining sport: Titans
The Jaguars will play for the A.F.C. South title after they host the Titans on Saturday. A win provides them the No. 4 seed and a house wild-card sport towards the Ravens or Chargers. They can nonetheless make the playoffs in the event that they lose, because the No. 7 seed, if the Dolphins, Steelers and Patriots all lose their video games.
Tennessee Titans (7-9)
Remaining sport: at Jaguars
The Titans are enjoying for the division title and a playoff berth. If they beat the Jaguars, they’re in and can host the Ravens or the Chargers within the wild-card spherical. If they lose, they’re eradicated.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)
Remaining sport: at Raiders
The Chiefs can do no worse than the No. 2 seed within the A.F.C. and may clinch a first-round bye with a win over the Raiders. If they lose, they will nonetheless get the No. 1 seed if the Patriots win on the street towards the Bills.
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
Remaining sport: at Broncos
The Chargers are in as a wild-card workforce. A win towards the Broncos on Sunday would give them the No. 5 seed and a playoff opener towards Jacksonville or Tennessee. On the opposite hand, a loss and a Ravens win would relegate the Chargers to the No. 6 seed, leaving them to face a more durable opponent — the Bengals or Bills — within the first spherical.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Remaining sport: Giants
For weeks, the Eagles have been on the cusp of clinching the division and the No. 1 seed within the N.F.C., with a bye week and home-field benefit all through the playoffs. But they’ve misplaced two in a row, leaving open a number of prospects.
A win or a tie towards the Giants provides them the No. 1 seed. A Cowboys loss provides the Eagles the division title and at the very least the No. 2 seed. A loss and a Cowboys win would relegate the Eagles to the No. 5 seed; they might go to Tom Brady and the Bucs at Tampa Bay within the wild-card spherical.
Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
Remaining sport: at Commanders
The Cowboys saved alive their hopes of profitable the division with a win final week. If they win once more and the Eagles lose, they’ll clinch the N.F.C. East title and may get a first-round bye if the 49ers lose as nicely. If the Cowboys lose, they’ll be the No. 5 seed, visiting Tampa Bay within the first spherical of the playoffs.
New York Giants (9-6-1)
Remaining sport: at Eagles
The Giants would be the No. 6 seed it doesn’t matter what occurs in Week 18. They’ll go to the No. 3 seed — both the 49ers or the Vikings — within the first spherical of the playoffs.
NFC North
Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Remaining sport: at Bears
After a disastrous loss to the Packers on Sunday, the Vikings are more likely to fall to the No. 3 seed, internet hosting the Giants within the wild-card spherical. If they win and the 49ers lose, they would be the No. 2 seed, internet hosting the No. 7 seed (the Packers, Lions or Seahawks).
Green Bay Packers (8-8)
Remaining sport: Lions
It’s easy for the Packers: A win makes them the No. 7 seed. They would go to the 49ers, Vikings, Eagles or Cowboys within the first spherical of the playoffs. A loss or tie eliminates them. They host the 8-8 Lions, who’re hoping for his or her first playoff berth because the 2016 season.
Detroit Lions (8-8)
Remaining sport: at Packers
By the time their sport towards the Packers begins on Sunday evening, the Lions may already be out of playoff competition. But if the Rams beat the Seahawks and the Lions beat the Packers in Green Bay, the Lions will get their first playoff berth because the 2016 season.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
Remaining sport: at Falcons
The Bucs have clinched the N.F.C. South division title and can host the No. 5 seed — in all probability the Cowboys — within the first spherical. Nothing that occurs in Week 18 will change that.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
Remaining sport: Cardinals
The 49ers have gained the N.F.C. West. A win and a Giants win towards the Eagles on Sunday would give them the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Otherwise, they’ll be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed and can open the playoffs towards both the Giants, Seahawks or the winner of the Lions-Packers sport.
Remaining sport: Rams
The Seahawks don’t management their playoff path, however they nonetheless have a shot at snagging the final wild-card spot within the N.F.C. They’ll have to win at residence towards the Rams after which hope for a Lions win over the Packers on Sunday evening.