PLAYOFF PICTURE
NFL Playoff Guide: Postseason bracket much clearer with 1 week remaining
Jan 3, 2025, 12:44 pm
Are the Chargers or the Steelers a better matchup for Houston? Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
It's Week 18 of the NFL season, which means just one more weekend remains before postseason action begins.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes look like a formidable opponent once again and have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC bracket with a 15-1 record.
Over in the NFC, a crucial game awaits when the Minnesota Vikings (14-2) travel to face the Detroit Lions (14-2) on Sunday in a game that will decide the division winner, the No. 1 seed in the conference and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl.
Here are some more things to watch as the regular season winds down:
NFL playoff picture
AFC
Six of the seven spots in the playoff bracket are secure, though the seeding is still up for grabs in some situations. The Chiefs are the top seed while the Buffalo Bills (13-3) own the No. 2 spot. The Baltimore Ravens (11-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6), Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) and Houston Texans (9-7) also know they have more football to play. The Ravens can clinch the No. 3 spot in the bracket with a win over the Browns. The Texans are locked into the No. 4 spot despite a worse record than some teams because they've clinched their division.
As for the seventh team, the Denver Broncos (9-7) are in good position though the Miami Dolphins (8-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) still have hope. The problem for the Dolphins and Bengals is the Broncos can earn the final spot with a win against Kansas City this weekend, and there's not much incentive for the Chiefs to play their starters considering they've already got the No. 1 seed wrapped up.
NFC
Much like the AFC, six of the seven spots are taken. The Vikings, Lions, Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), Green Bay Packers (11-5), Los Angeles Rams (10-6) and Washington Commanders (11-5) will be in the bracket. Minnesota and Detroit will duke it out for the No. 1 seed next Sunday while the loser falls all the way to No. 5. The Eagles have secured the No. 2 spot.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) have the inside track for the final spot, needing a win over the New Orleans Saints this weekend to secure their place. If they lose, the Atlanta Falcons (8-8) could still sneak into the bracket if they beat the Carolina Panthers.
NFL playoff format
The 14-team bracket enters its fifth season after debuting during the 2020 season. Seven teams advance to the postseason from both the AFC and the NFC.
The four division winners in each conference earn the top four seeds, ranked by their records. The last three teams are all wild-card selections, also ranked by record.
The format means the No. 1 seed in each conference is very important because it guarantees a wild card round bye and homefield advantage until the Super Bowl. For the other 12 teams in the opening round, the No. 7 seed travels to the No. 2 seed, No. 6 goes to No. 3 and No. 5 travels to No. 4.
NFL playoff schedule
Jan. 11-13: Wild Card Round. Two games on Saturday, three on Sunday, one on Monday.
Jan. 18-19: Divisional Round. Two games on Saturday, two on Sunday.
Jan. 26: AFC and NFC Conference Championships.
Feb. 9: Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome in New Orleans.
NFL playoff betting odds
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Chiefs are the favorites to win the Super Bowl at +375. The Lions are right behind them at +400 while the Bills are third at +550.
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C.J. Stroud completed all six of his passes for 50 yards and a touchdown Sunday on the Texans' opening drive before going to the bench as Houston snapped a two-game skid going into the AFC playoffs with a 23-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
The Texans (10-7) also avoided being swept by the team they replaced in Houston. The Texans won for the first time since clinching their second straight AFC South title Dec. 15 with a win over Miami.
Now Houston waits to see if the Texans are hosting either the Los Angeles Chargers, who played at the Raiders later Sunday, or Pittsburgh in an AFC wild-card game.
With the loss combined with New England's win over Buffalo, the Titans ' season of misery at least landed them the No. 1 pick overall in the NFL draft in April. Their 3-14 finish matches 2014 for the most losses in a season since relocating from Texas to Tennessee in 1997.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he would decide how long his starters played based on how the game went.
Stroud needed 11 plays and 7:17 on a drive capped with a 2-yard TD pass to Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins for a lead Houston never lost.
Joe Mixon had five carries on that opening drive, then his day was done. Mixon turned cheerleader running down the sideline with a ballcap as Dameon Pierce took his second carry 92 yards for his second rushing TD of the season early in the second quarter for a 13-0 lead.
Pierce finished with a career-high 176 yards rushing. Mixon had 23 yards and surpassed 1,000 for the season.
One of the biggest cheers from the thin crowd on a rainy, cold day came when former University of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton's 48-yard TD pass putting the Patriots up 14-7 was shown on the video board.
Ka’imi Fairbairn finished the first half with a 27-yard field goal putting the Texans up 16-3.
Tennessee gave second-year quarterback Will Levis his 12th start this season. First-year coach Brian Callahan kept his promise to rotate, putting in veteran Mason Rudolph on the fourth possession. Rudolph guided the Titans to a pair of field goals by Matthew Wright.
Levis had the better day despite a botched handoff returned for a fumble. He finished with 175 yards passing and a 49-yard TD pass to Tay Martin with 2:41 left.
Big man TD
Defensive end Derek Barnett got the ball on a botched handoff by Levis to Tony Pollard early in the fourth and went 36 yards for the TD and a 23-6 lead. It was Barnett's second such return for a TD this season and third of his career.
Barnett not only played in college at Tennessee, he played high school ball at a Nashville suburb.
Injuries
Texans WR John Metchie was being evaluated in the concussion protocol after being hurt on an incompletion late in the third quarter that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty. LB Jake Hansen hurt an ankle
Titans TE Chig Okonkwo aggravated an abdominal injury that had him on the injury report in the first quarter.
Up next
Houston play either the Chargers or Steelers trying to win a second straight wild-card game.
Tennessee goes into the offseason losers of six straight and eight of nine under Callahan. Now controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk has to decide what changes might be needed for a franchise building a $2.2 billion enclosed stadium next door set to open in 2027.
*Don't miss the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the win on YouTube.