NFL playoff picture: Standings heading into final regular season matchups

Week 17 is over, so there is only one more week until the NFL postseason begins. Seventeen teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention, meaning there is only one spot up for grabs in each conference. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens are on the outside looking in right now, but they can still make it. So, how does the NFL playoff picture stack up heading into the regular season finale?

AFC standings

1. Denver Broncos, 13-3, AFC West
2. New England Patriots, 13-3, AFC East
3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 12-4, AFC South
4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-7, AFC North
5. Houston Texans, 11-5, AFC South
6. Los Angeles Chargers, 11-5, AFC West
7. Buffalo Bills, 11-5, AFC East
8. Indianapolis Colts, 8-8, AFC South (eliminated)
9. Baltimore Ravens, 8-8, AFC North
10. Miami Dolphins, 7-9, AFC East (eliminated)
11. Cincinnati Bengals, 6-10, AFC North (eliminated)
12. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-10, AFC West (eliminated)
13. Cleveland Browns, 4-12, AFC North (eliminated)
14. Tennessee Titans, 3-13, AFC South (eliminated)
15. New York Jets, 3-13, AFC East (eliminated)
16. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-14, AFC West (eliminated)

NFC standings

1. Seattle Seahawks, 13-3, NFC West
2. Chicago Bears, 11-5, NFC North
3. Philadelphia Eagles, 11-5, NFC East
4. Carolina Panthers, 8-8, NFC South
5. San Francisco 49ers, 12-4, NFC West
6. Los Angeles Rams, 11-5, NFC West
7. Green Bay Packers, 9-6-1, NFC North
8. Minnesota Vikings, 8-8, NFC North (eliminated)
9. Detroit Lions, 8-8, NFC North (eliminated)
10. Dallas Cowboys, 7-8-1, NFC East (eliminated)
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-9, NFC South
12. Atlanta Falcons, 7-9, NFC South (eliminated)
13. New Orleans Saints, 6-10, NFC South (eliminated)
14. Washington Commanders, 4-12, NFC East (eliminated)
15. Arizona Cardinals, 3-13, NFC West (eliminated)
16. New York Giants, 3-13, NFC East (eliminated)

AFC playoff picture

The Denver Broncos are atop the AFC standings, and they will take on a Los Angeles Chargers team that will rest their starters in Week 18, meaning Denver should be able to secure the one seed and a first-round bye. Denver isn't likely to secure the single-season sack record that was once within reach, but the team's elite defense will be on display in the postseason. Los Angeles has been good enough to clinch a playoff berth, but they've also been bitten by the injury bug all season long, so resting the starters should help freshen the roster up ahead of a potential playoff run.

The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars are still in the running for the one seed, too. Both teams would need a Denver loss, and the Jaguars would also need the Patriots to lose in addition to securing a win. After a second straight Los Angeles Rams loss, Drake Maye has surpassed Matthew Stafford as the MVP favorite.

While the Jaguars could earn the first-round bye, they are also at risk of losing the division title. A loss would leave the door open for the Houston Texans to win the AFC South. Houston is the hottest team in the NFL. They've won a league-high eight straight games. The defense has long been one of the best in the NFL, but the offense is starting to match it. C.J. Stroud is looking more like the player he was as a rookie than the player he was to start this season.

There is only one AFC playoff spot still up for grabs: the AFC North title. The Steelers locked up another non-losing season for Mike Tomlin, but they could still lose the division and, therefore, be knocked out of playoff contention. The team on their tail is the Ravens. The Steelers are coming off a 13-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns that was one of the ugliest losses of the year. Baltimore struggled in recent weeks behind a banged-up Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP was forced to sit out in Week 17, but the Ravens were rewarded with a Tyler Huntley masterclass. Baltimore beat the Green Bay Packers 41-24 on the back of an elite rushing attack, and now they will take on the Steelers in their final regular season matchup of the year. The winner gets into the postseason, and the loser is eliminated.

A blocked extra point cost the Buffalo Bills a Week 17 win, but they will be playing postseason football as well. With no Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow in the playoffs this year, this could be the season that Josh Allen gets it done.

NFC playoff picture

The Seattle Seahawks started off slow in their Week 17 matchup, but an excellent second half led to a win. The team has yet to secure the first-round bye, though. They only have three losses on the season, but the winner of their game against the San Francisco 49ers will decide who the number one seed is.

The NFC West is stacked. The Rams are on both of their tails, too, although they have lost two straight games. Three teams getting in the NFC West means that only two will make the postseason from the NFC North, a similarly stacked division. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions have been eliminated, the latter of which came as a surprise to many. Detroit collapsed late in the season, and their playoff hopes were ended when the usually great offense failed them in a 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will be in the playoffs, but the Packers are having their own issues. The team has been decimated by injuries. Micah Parsons is out with a torn ACL, and Jordan Love missed the last game. Malik Willis did play well in relief of Love, though.

The Philadelphia Eagles have locked up the NFC East, and the Carolina Panthers are still in the lead in the NFC South despite their Week 17 loss. The Buccaneers' falloff has been drastic, but they still have a chance to make the postseason because they play Carolina in the regular season finale.