NFL Playoff Schedule 2022: AFC, NFC Bracket Details and Latest Picks (2023)

The 2021-22 NFL playoffs are nearly here. Only one gameweek remains in the regular season, and only three playoff spots are still available. After the next 16 games—two on Saturday, 14 on Sunday—the playoff field will be set.

There's some clarity to the playoff picture, as six of the eight divisions have been clinched. The Green Bay Packers also own the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NFC.

The AFC's race for the top seed is undecided, though, with four teams still in play. The AFC East and NFC West have yet to crown champions as well.

Which teams still have a chance? How might the postseason play out? What are the most important matchups of Week 18? Let's take a look.

Saturday, January 8

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Sunday, January 9

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Washington Football Team at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET on CBS

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

AFC

Tennessee Titans 11-5 (Z)

Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 (Z)

Cincinnati Bengals 10-6 (Z)

Buffalo Bills 10-6 (X)

New England Patriots 10-6 (X)

Indianapolis Colts 9-7

Los Angeles Chargers 9-7

Las Vegas Raiders 9-7

Pittsburgh Steelers 8-7-1

The Tennessee Titans can clinch the top seed in the AFC with a win or losses by the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Kansas City can claim the top spot with a win and a loss or tie by the Titans.

The Bengals and Patriots are in play for the AFC's No. 1 seed, though they need help. The Buffalo Bills can clinch the AFC East with a win or a Patriots loss. New England needs a win and a Bills loss—or losses by both teams.

In the AFC wild-card race, the Indianapolis Colts only need to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars to get in. The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, meanwhile, will face off in a win-and-in game to close out the regular season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are both still mathematically alive. However, they need a lot of help, including Jacksonville upsetting Indianapolis.

NFC

Green Bay Packers 13-3 (Z, Y)

Los Angeles Rams 12-4 (X)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12-4 (Z)

Dallas Cowboys 11-5 (Z)

Arizona Cardinals 11-5 (X)

San Francisco 49ers 9-7

Philadelphia Eagles 9-7 (X)

New Orleans Saints 8-8

With the No. 1 seed already decided, the Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have little to play for in Week 18—though Dallas and Tampa are still fighting for seeding. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, though, are battling for the division.

A Rams win or a Cardinals loss would give the NFC West to Los Angeles. A Rams tie or a Cardinals tie would do the same. Arizona needs a win plus a Rams loss to take the division.

The Philadelphia Eagles are already in as the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. The San Francisco 49ers will be in as the No. 6 seed with a win, a tie or a loss by the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will be in as the No. 7 seed with a win over the Atlanta Falcons or a San Francisco loss.

*A full scenario breakdown can be found at NFL.com.

Obviously, the elimination games are going to be huge in Week 18. The Colts, Raiders, Chargers, 49ers and Saints all face virtual must-win scenarios. The Steelers-Ravens tilt will become important only if the Colts cannot take care of business against lowly Jacksonville, a team perhaps more interested in securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft than playing spoiler.

There's a good chance that when the Raiders and Chargers take the field for the final game of the regular season, the winner will be headed to the postseason while the loser goes home. There is a scenario wherein a tie could send both teams to the playoffs, but that would also require a Colts loss.

It's extremely unlikely, though, that the Raiders and Chargers will simply kneel out the game if it happens.

"This game matters too much to too many people, and we want to play our best and be proud of the result one way or another," Chargers coach Brandon Staley told the Rich Eisen Show.

Colts-Jaguars, Chargers-Raiders, 49ers-Rams, Saints-Falcons and Steelers-Ravens are the critical games when it comes to the wild-card race.

Those following the AFC East will want to watch both the Bills-New York Jets contest and the Patriots' showdown with the Miami Dolphins. The Rams-49ers game and the matchup between Arizona and the Seattle Seahawks will decide the NFC West.

Games between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, Chiefs and Denver Broncos, Patriots and Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will be key to the No. 1 seed in the AFC—though the Bengals still won't start quarterback Joe Burrow.

"Rest me this week and get my body back to where it needs to be so I can get back to full strength running around the way I need to be Week 1 of the playoffs," Burrow said Wednesday, per NFL Media's Chase Goodbread.

Cincinnati will also be without running back Joe Mixon, who has landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Latest Super Bowl Odds

Green Bay Packers 19-5

Kansas City Chiefs 5-1

Buffalo Bills 15-2

Los Angeles Rams 17-2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-1

Dallas Cowboys 11-1

Tennessee Titans 12-1

New England Patriots 16-1

Indianapolis Colts 18-1

Arizona Cardinals 20-1

Cincinnati Bengals 20-1

San Francisco 49ers 35-1

Los Angeles Chargers 40-1

Philadelphia Eagles 50-1

Las Vegas Raiders 100-1

New Orleans Saints 130-1

Pittsburgh Steelers 400-1

Baltimore Ravens 400-1

Wild Card Round

Saturday, January 15

4:35 p.m. ET: TBD

8:15 p.m. ET: TBD

Sunday, January 16

1:05 p.m. ET: TBD

4:40 p.m. ET: TBD

8:15 p.m. ET: TBD

Monday, January 17

8:15 p.m. ET: TBD on ESPN

Divisional Round

Saturday, January 22

4:25 p.m. ET: TBD

8:15 p.m. ET: TBD

Sunday, January 23

3:05 p.m. ET: TBD

6:40 p.m. ET: TBD

Championship Weekend

Sunday, January 30

3:05 p.m. ET: AFC on CBS

6:40 p.m. ET: NFC on Fox

Super Bowl LVI

Sunday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Predictions for Wild Card Weekend

AFC

Bye: 1. Tennessee Titans

No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs

No. 6 Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals

No. 5 New England Patriots at No. 4 Buffalo Bills

NFC

Bye: No. 1 Green Bay Packers

No. 7 New Orleans Saints at No. 2 Los Angeles Rams

No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No. 5 Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 Dallas Cowboys

Predicted Super Bowl LVI Matchup

Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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