January 2024 is here, which means there is only one week left in the 2023 NFL regular season before the playoffs begin. Before the tournament toward Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas in February can kick off however, the 14 playoff positions must be set, from the top seeds in the NFC and AFC to the third and final wild-cards team from each conference.
After the results of Week 17, here's a look at the current standings and near-future scenarios to consider in the latest, updated look at the entire NFL playoff picture and what's still at stake in Week 18:
POWER RANKINGS: Cowboys, Browns, Steelers climb as Dolphins, Eagles, Seahawks drop for Week 18
NFL standings after Week 17
AFC playoff picture
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3), champions, AFC North. The Ravens clinched their first division title in four seasons with MVP front-runner MVP Lamar Jackson ripping through the No. 2 Dolphins on Sunday. That win also cemented Baltimore's top seed that come with the lone bye and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.
2. Miami Dolphins (11-5), first place, AFC East. The Dolphins' loss to the Ravens means they will not be the top seed in the AFC playoffs and also sets up a de facto division title with the Bills, who are one game behind going into the teams' Week 18 meeting in Miami but won the previous Week 4 matchup in Buffalo. The Dolphins will finish either at No. 2, No. 5 as the top wild card or No. 6 behind the Browns, who have the same record.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6), champions, AFC West. The Chiefs clinched their eighth straight division title with their win over the Bengals. They are set to stay on this seed given they are a game behind the Dolphins, whom they beat, and even with the Bills, to whom they lost. The AFC East winner of that Dolphins-Bills will finish ahead of them and the Chiefs cannot slide behind the Jaguars, whom they also beat.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7), first place, AFC South. The Jaguars have the same record as the second-place Colts and Texans, but they are still up the division after Sunday thanks to owning the best division record (4-1). While Jacksonville beat Carolina, Indianapolis beat Las Vegas and Houston beat Tennessee to keep pace. The Jaguars still need to beat the Titans in Tennessee in Week 18 to take the division with the Colts and Texans ending the season against each other in Indianapolis.
5. Cleveland Browns (11-5), second place, AFC North. The Browns clinched a wild-card berth after beating the Jets on Thursday night. They lost any shot at a division title and top seed when the Ravens beat the Dolphins. The Browns can either finish here or No. 6.
6. Buffalo Bills (10-6), second place, AFC East. The Bills did what they needed to do to have a shot another division title by beating the Patriots as the Dolphins were being routed by the Ravens. If they can win in Miami in Week 18, they would take the East again and jump up to No. 3 ahead of the AFC South winners.
7. Indianapolis Colts (9-7), second place, AFC South. The Colts kept pace and pressure on the Jaguars in the division race by matching them at 9-7 with a home win over the Raiders. They hold the edge for now for the final wild card over the South's Texans ahead of their matchup in Week 18 after winning at Houston in Week 2.
Who's in the hunt?
8. Houston Texans (9-7)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
The Texans and Steelers kept pace with the Colts while the losing Raiders, Bengals and winning Broncos were eliminated.
NFC playoff picture
1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4), champions, NFC West. The 49ers beat the Commanders handily in Week 17 after their tough home loss to the Ravens. Thanks to the Eagles and Lions losing, they also were rewarded with clinching the top seed, home-field advantage and the lone bye in the AFC playoffs.
2. Dallas Cowboys (11-5), first place, NFC East. The Cowboys had a great Week 17, first beating the Lions on Saturday to earn that head-to-head tiebreaker and then seeing the Eagles on Sunday to take control of the division lead back for Week 18. The Cowboys hold the conference-record tiebreaker over the Eagles and can now win the division with a win over the Commanders in Week 18 or an Eagles loss to the Giants.
3. Detroit Lions (11-5), champions, NFC North. The Lions have clinched their first division title in 30 years. They are guaranteed to finish no lower than this seed but after losing to the Cowboys in Week 17, they have slimmer chances of moving up to No. 2. That would happen, however unlikely, with a win over the Vikings in Week 18 coupled by finishing losses by the Cowboys and Eagles.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8), first place, NFC South. The Buccaneers lost to the Saints at home in Week 17 and now have the same record as the second-place team in the division but still have control of the lead and this seed with the common-games tiebreaker in their favor after splitting the season series. That means Tampa Bay can clinch the division with a win at Carolina in Week 18 or a New Orleans home loss to Atlanta.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5), second place, NFC East. The Eagles have clinched a playoff berth but they lost control of the division lead when they were upset by the Cardinals at home, given the Cowboys have the tiebreaker going into Week 18. Now they need help from the Commanders beating the Cowboys while the Eagles rebound vs. the Giants to win a second consecutive division title.
6. Los Angeles Rams (9-7), second place, NFC West. The Rams clinched a wild-card spot in Week 17 thanks to their close win over the Giants coupled with the Seahawks' loss to the Steelers. There's still the strong potential of Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit to face the Lions in the initial playoff round.
7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8), third place, NFC West. The Seahawks missed a big chance to strengthen their wild-card position, losing to the Steelers at home and keeping the pack of teams hovering around .500 alive behind them.
Who's in the hunt?
8. Green Bay Packers (8-8)
9. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
10. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
11. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
The Packers' win over the Vikings kept them alive and eliminated the Bears. The Saints' best bet remains winning the NFC South, and that's also the Falcons' feasible playoff path.
