NFL playoff picture Week 18: Bengals stay alive by beating Steelers; Ravens clinch AFC North

Every week for the duration of the 2024 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league's ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon's late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday's and Thursday's games or Saturday's, if applicable.)

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 on Sunday, Jan. 5.

Here's where things stand with Week 18 of the 2024 season under way:

NFC playoff picture

x – 1. Detroit Lions (14-2), NFC North leaders: They couldn't gain anything substantive with Monday night's win at San Francisco aside from the resumption of the overall NFC lead. But the Lions can achieve everything they want from the regular season, including home-field advantage and the division title, by sweeping Minnesota at Ford Field in the final regular-season game of the league's 2024 schedule Sunday night. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings

y – 2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), NFC East champions: They locked down the division crown in Week 17 and the NFC's No. 2 seed. For now – with nothing to gain Sunday and key starters like RB Saquon Barkley resting – they need to get QB Jalen Hurts (concussion) healthy while awaiting their wild-card round opponent. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants Playoff schedule: vs. Commanders or Packers

y – 3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6), NFC West champions: Like Philly, they wrapped up their division in Week 17 and just want to get through Week 18 intact before preparing for their playoff opener. Remaining schedule: vs. Seahawks

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7), NFC South leaders: Their Week 17 rout of the Panthers moved them back into first place, and Atlanta's overtime loss at Washington kept Tampa Bay there. Win their Week 18 game, and the Bucs earn a fourth consecutive division crown – and they'd also elevate to the third seed if the Rams lose Sunday. A loss combined with a Falcons win sends the Buccaneers down the playoff plank. Remaining schedule: vs. Saints

x – 5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2), wild card No. 1: They're one Week 18 win from wrapping up the division, home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the NFC. Who saw this coming? Remaining schedule: at Lions

x – 6. Washington Commanders (11-5), wild card No. 2: A thrilling overtime victory in Week 17's Sunday night game against Atlanta launched them into the field ... and maybe won QB Jayden Daniels the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Washington's 8-3 record in NFC games is two better than Green Bay's, so the Commanders will get the sixth seed if those teams wind up with the same record. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys

x – 7. Green Bay Packers (11-5), wild card No. 3: Getting swept by Detroit and (eventually) Minnesota relegated the Pack to wild-card status even before Week 17. Should be notable to see how hard they and the Commanders work to engineer a matchup with the No. 3 seed next week rather than facing a trip to Philadelphia. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears

8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7), eliminated: Though they have a better record than the Falcons, whom the Seahawks beat earlier this season, Seattle has no path to the playoffs. Remaining schedule: at Rams

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8), in the hunt: A gut-wrenching Week 17 loss to the Commanders means they need to beat Carolina in Week 18 and hope the Bucs also lose in order to win the NFC South. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers

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AFC playoff picture

yz – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), AFC West champions: By crushing Pittsburgh on Christmas, they secured home-field advantage and a first-round bye – and two-plus weeks off in actuality with many starters resting in what's now a meaningless (for K.C., anyway) Week 18 contest at Denver. Remaining schedule: at Broncos Playoff schedule: BYE

y – 2. Buffalo Bills (13-3), AFC East champions: They've locked up the No. 2 seed, meaning the road to Super Bowl 59 could go through Western New York if the Chiefs lose their playoff opener. Remaining schedule: at Patriots Playoff schedule: vs. Broncos or Dolphins or Bengals

y – 3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5), AFC North champions: Catching fire? Probably an understatement as they blazed their way to the division crown and No. 3 seed Saturday afternoon by smoking Cleveland. Playoff schedule: vs. Chargers or Steelers

y – 4. Houston Texans (9-7), AFC South champions: They rule a weak division for the second straight year and are cemented them as the fourth seed ... which will likely mean a tough wild-card matchup, albeit in Houston. Remaining schedule: at Titans Playoff schedule: vs. Steelers or Chargers

x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), wild card No. 1: They moved up to the fifth seed courtesy of Pittsburgh's loss and will secure the wild-card matchup with Houston by beating Las Vegas on Sunday. Lose, and the Bolts slide back to the sixth seed (due to their Week 3 loss at Pittsburgh) and get a trip to Baltimore. Remaining schedule: at Raiders Playoff schedule: at Texans or Ravens

x – 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), wild card No. 2: They've lost four in a row (by an average of 13 points) to close out the regular season, dropping them from the AFC North lead and No. 3 seed down to sixth. A loss by the Chargers on Sunday would push Pittsburgh back up to fifth in the conference. Playoff schedule: at Texans or Ravens

7. Denver Broncos (9-7), wild card No. 3: They've had win-and-in scenarios in their past two games and lost both times. Lose again, and they're out. However, one more victory – or tie – will advance Denver to the playoffs for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning and Von Miller nearly nine years ago. The Broncos' Week 18 game against Kansas City means basically nothing to the Chiefs – and that should be a real advantage for Denver, which can do no better than the seventh seed. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs

8. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8), in the hunt: Still alive thanks to a five-game winning streak. Though they appear like the best team outside the postseason field, the Bengals still need help to get in – losses by both the Dolphins and Broncos on Sunday.

9. Miami Dolphins (8-8), in the hunt: After handling the Browns on the road in Week 17 – and without injured QB Tua Tagovailoa, who seems likely to sit again Sunday due to a hip issue – they qualify if they win in Week 18 and the Broncos lose. Miami's record in AFC games (6-5) is better than both Denver's and Cincinnati's. Remaining schedule: at Jets

x – clinched playoff berth

y – clinched division

z – clinched home-field advantage, first-round bye

NFL playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18

Cincinnati clinches playoff berth with:

▶ Denver loss + Miami loss or tie

Denver clinches playoff berth with:

1. Win or tie

Miami clinches playoff berth with:

▶ Win + Denver loss

Detroit clinches NFC North and NFC's No. 1 seed (first-round bye and home-field advantage) with:

▶ Win or tie

Minnesota clinches NFC North and NFC's No. 1 seed (first-round bye and home-field advantage) with:

▶ Win

Atlanta clinches NFC South with:

▶ Win + Tampa Bay loss

Tampa Bay clinches NFC South with:

1. Win or tie

2. Atlanta loss or tie

First-round order for 2025 NFL draft (projected)

(Team records in parentheses)

1. Cleveland Browns (3-14)

2. New England Patriots (3-13)

3. Tennessee Titans (3-13)

4. New York Giants (3-13)

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)

6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

7. New York Jets (4-12)

8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)

9. Chicago Bears (4-12)

10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)

11. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)

13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

16. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

19. Houston Texans (9-7)

20. Denver Broncos (9-7)

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

23. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)

24. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)

25. Washington Commanders (11-5)

26. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)

30. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

31. Detroit Lions (14-2)

32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

(Note: Spots 19 through 32 determined by playoff results)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff picture Week 18: Bengals need help; Ravens take AFC North