The NFC’s No. 1 seed will be determined in the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night. The high-stakes matchup will decide both the NFC North division winner and the coveted first-round playoff bye, along with home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser will fall to the No. 5 seed and face a road game in the wild-card round.
Currently, the Vikings (14-2) are in a strong position after securing a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, setting up the critical clash with the Lions (13-2). Detroit will first visit the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) on Monday night, where a victory would give them the upper hand in the race for the top seed. However, a loss or tie would place the pressure squarely on their shoulders as they must defeat the Vikings again to secure the division. Detroit previously defeated Minnesota 31-29 in Week 7. If the teams are tied entering Week 18, Detroit holds the tiebreaker.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) have already locked up the NFC East title and clinched the No. 2 seed with a dominant 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys. However, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni faces a difficult decision this week regarding star running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley is just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s long-standing single-season rushing record. Sirianni must weigh whether to rest his starters in preparation for the playoffs or give Barkley a chance to achieve the milestone.
The Los Angeles Rams (10-6) have claimed the NFC West division, while the Seattle Seahawks (9-7) were eliminated from playoff contention after the Washington Commanders (11-5) secured a 30-24 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Washington’s win guarantees them a wild-card spot, and they are joined by the Green Bay Packers (11-5) in securing the final two playoff positions.
In the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) now control the division after Atlanta’s loss. The Falcons (8-8) dropped to second place and will need a win by Tampa Bay to ensure they don’t lose the division. The Buccaneers can clinch the division title with a victory or tie against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18.
Over in the AFC, three teams have already secured their playoff positions. The Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC West weeks ago. The Buffalo Bills (13-3) hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC East, and the Houston Texans (9-7) are guaranteed the No. 4 seed as AFC South champions.
The AFC North title remains up for grabs, with the Baltimore Ravens (11-5) needing a win or tie against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday to claim the division and the No. 3 seed. If the Ravens falter, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) can still win the division with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, or they will secure a wild-card berth regardless of the result.
The final AFC playoff spot is still undecided, with the Denver Broncos (9-7), Miami Dolphins (8-8), and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) all in the running. The Broncos can clinch the spot with a win or tie against the Chiefs. The Dolphins need a victory over the Jets and a Broncos loss to stay alive in the playoff hunt. The Bengals will need a win, plus losses from both the Broncos and Dolphins, to claim the last available spot.
