NFL Analysis
1/7/24
4 min read
2023 NFL Playoff Bracket: Field Is Set after Week 18
One day after the Houston Texans locked up a playoff berth, the Pittsburgh Steelers joined them in the AFC playoff field by virtue of the Jacksonville Jaguars' loss. Later, the Buffalo Bills overtook the Miami Dolphins for the AFC East title.
A few hours after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinched the NFC South, the Green Bay Packers knocked off an NFC North rival for the second weekend in a row to earn the conference's final wild-card berth.
AFC FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
7. Pittsburgh at 2. Buffalo (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
6. Miami at 3. Kansas City-z (Saturday, 8 p.m., Peacock)
5. Cleveland at 4. Houston-z (Saturday, 4:30 p.m., NBC)
Bye: Baltimore-z*
z-clinched division; *-clinched first-round bye
AFC PLAYOFF Field
1. BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-4, 1ST NORTH)
Playoff Momentum: Sure, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the rival Steelers, but most of Baltimore's stars got an extra week of rest because it already had clinched the AFC's top seed.
Wild Card opponent: Bye
2. Buffalo Bills (11-6, 1st East)
Playoff Momentum: The Buffalo Bills survived Josh Allen's three turnovers to rally past the Dolphins and capture the East title. The victory was the Bills' fifth in a row and sixth in seven games.
Wild Card opponent: vs. PIT
3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-6, 1ST WEST)
Playoff Momentum: The Kansas City Chiefs had little to play for in Week 18 but still emerged with a close victory over the Chargers. Next is a rematch against the Dolphins, whom the Chiefs defeated 21-14 in Week 9 in Germany.
Wild Card opponent: vs. MIA
4. Houston TexanS (10-7, 1ST SOUTH)
Playoff Momentum: Facing a win-and-you're-in situation at Indianapolis, the Houston Texans won to complete a remarkable turnaround from 3-13-1 to AFC South champions. What do a trio of impact rookies — coach DeMeco Ryans, QB C.J. Stroud and DE Will Anderson — have in store for Cleveland?
Wild Card opponent: vs. CLE
5. CLEVELAND BROWNS (11-6, 2ND NORTH)
Playoff Momentum: The Cleveland Browns had nothing to play for against Cincinnati, so they sat many of their stars in a loss at Cincinnati. A four-game improvement put the Browns in the playoffs for only the second time since 2002.
Remaining schedule: at HOU
6. MIAMI DOLPHINS (11-6, 2nd EAST)
Playoff Momentum: The Miami Dolphins led the AFC East from Week 1 until it counted, giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns and losing to the Bills on Sunday night of Week 18. Tua Tagovailoa threw two interceptions and for just 173 yards for Miami, which goes into a playoff opener at Kansas City having lost three of five.
Wild Card opponent: at KC
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, 3rd SOUTH)
Playoff Momentum: QB Mason Rudolph, RB Najee Harris and a stingy defense helped the Pittsburgh Steelers position themselves for a playoff spot. Subsequent losses by Indianapolis and Jacksonville put them in the postseason.
Wild Card opponent: at BUF
NFC FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
7. Green Bay at 2. Dallas-z (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., FOX)
6. Los Angeles Rams at 3. Detroit-z (Sunday, 8 p.m., NBC)
5. Philadelphia at 4. Tampa Bay-z (Monday, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN)
Bye: San Francisco-z*
z-clinched division; *-clinched first-round bye
NFC PLAYOFF Field
1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-5, 1ST WEST)
Playoff Momentum: Sunday's loss to the Rams in what amounted to an exhibition gave the San Francisco 49ers a chance to rest several stars. The top seed awaits the results of Wild Card weekend to learn its next opponent.
Wild Card opponent: Bye
2. DALLAS COWBOYS (12-5, 1st EAST)
Playoff Momentum: Remember when the Dallas Cowboys laid an egg at Washington in Week 18 last season? The Cowboys obviously did, because they walloped the Commanders on Sunday to lock up the NFC East, the second seed and potentially two playoff games at home, where they were 8-0. Coach Mike McCarthy's current team will meet his former one in Round 1.
Wild Card opponent: vs. GB
3. DETROIT LIONS (12-5, 1ST NORTH)
Playoff Momentum: Back off with the NFC North locked up? Not the Detroit Lions, who rang up 30 points and 448 yards against Minnesota to roar into the Wild Card round, where they will face a Rams team that rested its stars and still defeated the 49ers.
Wild Card opponent: vs. LAR
4. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-8, 1ST SOUTH)
Playoff Momentum: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't earn many style points for their wins, but they're AFC South champions for the third consecutive season after shutting out Carolina. Next up is a date with the Eagles, who the Tom Brady-led Bucs defeated in the 2021 playoffs at Tampa.
Wild Card opponent: vs. PHI
5. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6, 2nd EAST)
Playoff Momentum: Remember when the Philadelphia Eagles were 10-1? Sunday's blowout loss at New York was their fifth loss in six games, creating all sorts of questions in the City of Brotherly Love.
Wild Card opponent: at TB
6. LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-7, 2ND WEST)
Playoff Momentum: Resting their stars didn't hurt the Los Angeles Rams because the 49ers did as well. The Carson Wentz-led edition of the Rams escaped San Francisco with a win after a daring two-point conversation. That gave the surging Rams a seventh victory in their past eight games and set up a trip to Detroit instead of Dallas.
Wild Card opponent: at DET
7. Green Bay Packers (9-8, 2nd North)
Playoff Momentum: A 2-5 start seems like a distant memory for QB Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers, who won seven of their final 10 games to earn an improbable playoff berth in Year 1 post-Aaron Rodgers. That the clincher came against the rival Bears made it even better.
Wild Card opponent: at DAL
