Everything is set except the exact seedings in the AFC and who will wear the AFC East crown. Want to catch up on all the action from Week 18, including how the AFC South took a turn? We live-tracked the closest, most interesting races, so you can see all the swings and surprises of the regular season’s final week.
How the Bills and Steelers clinched AFC playoff spots
Baltimore, Miami, Kansas City and Cleveland clinched before Week 18, and Houston joined them on Saturday by beating Indianapolis. Pittsburgh also beat Baltimore on Saturday and snuck into the final seven when Jacksonville lost to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. And while the Sunday night Bills-Dolphins game will decide the AFC East, both teams are safe since the Jaguars’ loss also put Buffalo in the AFC playoff field.
How the Packers and Bucs clinched NFC playoff spots
The 49ers are the top seed in the conference, and the Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers, Eagles, Rams and Packers have all now punched their tickets. The Buccaneers took the NFC South with their win over the Panthers, while the Packers clinched a wild-card spot with a win against Chicago. The Seahawks, Saints, Vikings and Falcons have been eliminated.
How the Texans clinched the AFC South
The Texans have won the AFC South. At one point this season, the Jaguars were 8-3 and looked like a lock to take the division. But a slump down the stretch and some impressive play from DeMeco Ryans’ team flipped the script. In Week 18, Houston first beat the Colts on Saturday night. Then it watched as Jacksonville lost to the Titans on Sunday. The Texans will now be the fourth seed in the AFC and play the Browns on wild-card weekend.
How the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South
The Buccaneers won the NFC South at 9-8 after beating the Panthers — the NFL’s worst team — on Sunday. It is their third straight division title, and they will be the conference’s fourth seed and play the Eagles in their wild-card game.
How the Cowboys clinched the NFC East
We have not seen a repeat NFC East champion since 2004, and the streak continues in 2023. The Cowboys beat the Commanders on Sunday to take the title and land the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled down the stretch, surrendered a lead in the division race and couldn’t get going against the Giants in Week 18. They will now be the No. 5 seed and play Tampa Bay.
