Sports

NFL playoff clinching scenarios: AFC South among unresolved races

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Four division titles — AFC East, NFC East, AFC South and NFC South — will be decided in NFL Week 18.

In all, 11 teams enter Week 18 with a chance to secure a playoff berth: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Colts, Jaguars and Texans still are in contention to win the AFC South; the Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints still can win the NFC South. The Dallas Cowboys can win the NFC East with a win, thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles’ stunning Week 17 loss. The Miami Dolphins — who already have clinched a playoff berth — host the Bills on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in what is essentially an AFC East division championship game.

The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs have clinched division titles. For the Lions, it’s the first time since 1993 that the team has won its division. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have won the AFC West for the eighth consecutive season, the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history (New England Patriots from 2009-2019, 11 seasons, is the longest).

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers have clinched the top playoff seed in their respective conferences and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

AFC playoff clinching scenarios for Week 18

Clinched:

Ravens (13-3): AFC North division title; AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, first-round bye and home-field advantageChiefs (10-6): AFC West division titleBrowns (11-5): Playoff berthDolphins (11-5): Playoff berth

➤ Bills (10-6) clinch AFC East division title with:

Win

➤ Bills clinch playoff berth with:

TieSteelers loss or tieJaguars loss or tieTexans-Colts tie

➤ Texans (9-7) clinch AFC South division title with:

Win, Jaguars loss or tie

➤ Texans clinch playoff berth with:

WinTie, Jaguars loss, Steelers loss or tie

➤ Colts (9-7) clinch AFC South division title with:

Win, Jaguars loss or tieTie, Jaguars loss

➤ Colts clinch playoff berth with:

WinTie, Steelers loss or tie

➤ Jaguars (9-7) clinch AFC South division title with:

WinTie, Colts-Texans tie

➤ Jaguars clinch playoff berth with:

Tie, Steelers loss or tieSteelers loss, Broncos loss or tie, Texans-Colts doesn’t end in a tie

➤ Dolphins (11-5) clinch AFC East division title with:

Win or tie

➤ Steelers clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Bills lossWin, Jaguars loss or tieWin, Texans-Colts tieTie, Jaguars loss, Texans-Colts doesn’t end in a tieJaguars loss, Broncos win, Texans-Colts doesn’t end in a tie

NFC playoff clinching scenarios for Week 18

Clinched:

49ers (12-4): NFC West division title; NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, first-round bye and home-field advantageLions (11-5): NFC North division titleCowboys (11-5): Playoff berthEagles (11-5): Playoff berthRams (9-7): Playoff berth

➤ Falcons (7-9) clinch NFC South division title with:

Win, Buccaneers loss

 Cowboys (11-5) clinch NFC East division title with:

WinTie, Eagles tieEagles loss

➤ Packers (8-8) clinch playoff berth with:

WinTie, Seahawks loss or tie, Saints loss or tieTie, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers lossTie, Seahawks tie, Buccaneers loss or tieVikings loss or tie, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers lossVikings loss or tie, Seahawks loss, Saints loss

➤ Vikings (7-9) clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Packers loss, Seahawks loss, Buccaneers lossWin, Packers loss, Seahawks loss, Saints loss

➤ Saints (8-8) clinch NFC South division title with:

Win, Buccaneers loss or tieTie, Buccaneers loss

➤ Saints clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Seahawks win or tie, Packers loss or tieTie, Seahawks loss, Packers loss

➤ Eagles (11-5) clinch NFC East division title with:

Win, Cowboys loss or tieTie, Cowboys loss

➤ Seahawks (8-8) clinch playoff berth with:

Win, Packers loss or tieTie, Packers loss, Buccaneers loss or tieTie, Packers loss, Saints loss or tie

➤ Buccaneers (8-8) clinch NFC South division title with:

WinTie, Saints loss or tie

➤ Buccaneers clinch playoff berth with:

Tie, Seahawks loss, Packers loss or tie

This post appeared first on USA TODAY