Here’s how the NFL playoff picture looks with Week 17 underway:
AFC
y – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), AFC West champions: A Buffalo loss to Cincinnati opens gate for K.C. to snatch No. 1 seed, an objective currently impeded by Chiefs’ Week 6 loss to Bills. Remaining schedule: at Raiders
y – 2. Buffalo Bills (12-3), AFC East champions: Must win at Cincinnati on Monday to retain inside track for AFC’s first-round bye and home-field advantage. Fall to the Bengals, and Buffalo could slip to third place in conference. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Patriots
x – 3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), AFC North leaders: If they can beat Buffalo and wind up in a three-way tie with Bills and Chiefs, reigning conference champs would earn home field and first-round bye. A win Monday plus a Baltimore loss Sunday would convey AFC North championship to Cincinnati. Lose on Monday, and Bengals in jeopardy of dropping to wild-card range. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, vs. Ravens
Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores and Schedules
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8), AFC South leaders: They ended five-year drought against the Houston Texans with Sunday’s decisive victory … but it had little bearing on Jags’ playoff chances. The division title will be determined against Tennessee in Week 18. Remaining schedule: vs. Titans
x – 5. Baltimore Ravens (10-5), wild card No. 1: A win Sunday or Cincinnati loss Monday ensures Ravens and Bengals will play AFC North championship game in Week 18. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Bengals
x – 6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), wild card No. 2: Playoff participants for the first time in four years, all that’s left to be determined is which divisional champion Bolts will visit in opening round. They won’t be seeded worse than sixth. Remaining schedule: at Broncos
7. New England Patriots (8-8), wild card No. 3: Not only staved off elimination by beating Miami on Sunday, Pats will advance to the playoffs by winning next Sunday. Remaining schedule: at Bills
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8), out of playoff field: Five-game slide and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion leave their postseason hopes in jeopardy, Sunday’s loss at Foxborough dropping Fins out of projected postseason bracket. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8), out of playoff field: Postseason still looks like a pipe dream, especially with coach Mike Tomlin’s first losing season one defeat away … though odds have greatly improved by winning four of past five. Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Browns
Note: The New York Jets (7-9) are currently in 10th place overall in the AFC but have been eliminated from playoff contention.
11. Tennessee Titans (7-9), out of playoff field: They essentially treated Thursday night’s loss to Dallas like a preseason game given it’s the Week 18 matchup with Jacksonville that will determine AFC South crown. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars
NFC
x – 1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), NFC East leaders: They’re 0-for-2 without injured QB Jalen Hurts, failing twice to wrap up NFC’s No. 1 seed. But Philly can still do it in Week 18 against a Giants team ticketed for sixth seed and with little to play for before wild-card round. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants
y – 2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4), NFC West champions: Escaping from Las Vegas with an overtime win and eliminating Raiders leaves them with chance at NFC’s top seed thanks to their 9-2 record in intraconference games. Niners still need a win next week coupled with a Philadelphia loss. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals
y – 3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4), NFC North champions: Sunday’s loss means they can’t win No. 1 seed. Remaining schedule: at Bears
y – 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8), NFC South champions: Hasn’t been a pretty year, but Sunday’s win against Carolina eliminated the Panthers and gave Bucs consecutive divisional crowns for the first time in franchise history. Remaining schedule: at Falcons
x – 5. Dallas Cowboys (12-4), wild card No. 1: If they win in Week 18 and Eagles don’t, America’s Team swoops to NFC East throne. Cowboys also have a road to No. 1 seed if they beat Washington – Philly must obviously lose its last two games – and finish tied atop conference with Minnesota. Remaining schedule: at Commanders
x – 6. New York Giants (9-6-1), wild card No. 2: Big Blue is back in postseason for first time since 2016 thanks to Sunday’s win. Remaining schedule: at Eagles
7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8), wild card No. 3: They remained alive by eliminating the New York Jets on Sunday but don’t control postseason fate despite currently residing in the seventh spot. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams
8. Detroit Lions (8-8), out of playoff field: They need a win at Green Bay and a Seahawks defeat in Week 18 to reach postseason. Week 4 loss to Seattle may haunt them. Remaining schedule: at Packers
9. Green Bay Packers (8-8), out of playoff field: They’ve gotten plenty of outside assistance past few weeks, but biggest aid has come internally courtesy of Pack’s four-game winning streak, including Sunday over Minnesota. If they beat Detroit in Week 18, Pack will be in the playoffs for the fourth time in four years under coach Matt LaFleur Remaining schedule: vs. Lions
x – clinched berth
y – clinched division
***
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
