NFL
NFL Playoff Picture 2022: Who’s In and Who’s Out Heading Into Week 18?
Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
Get to know Luke Norris betterPublished03 Jan 2023
While ultimately trivial, given what transpired with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday night, the NFL playoff picture will come into full focus soon as we enter the final week of the 2022 campaign.
Three postseason slots are still up for grabs, two in the AFC and one in the NFC, and there could still be plenty of shuffling with those who’ve already clinched.
Given the events of this past week, things are obviously much simpler in the NFC, as no teams were affected by the NFL‘s decision (which was the right one) to declare the Bills-Bengals matchup a no-contest.
The AFC, however, could face a scenario in which the conference title game is played at a neutral site depending on what happens with the Bills, Bengals, and Chiefs during this final weekend.
Here’s what the NFL playoff picture looks like heading into Week 18.
NFL Playoff Picture 2022: Who’s in and who’s out in the NFC heading into Week 18?
As we know everything that’s currently happening in the NFC, we’ll once again start there. Here’s who’s in. (*=clinched playoff berth)
- 1. Philadelphia Eagles* (13-3, 1st NFC East)
- 2. San Francisco 49ers* (12-4, 1st NFC West)
- 3. Minnesota Vikings* (12-4, 1st NFC North)
- 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers* (8-8, 1st NFC South)
- 5. Dallas Cowboys* (12-4, 2nd NFC East)
- 6. New York Giants* (9-6-1, 3rd NFC East)
- 7. Seattle Seahawks (8-8, 2nd NFC West)
And here’s who’s out but still in contention.
- 8. Detroit Lions (8-8, 2nd NFC North)
- 9. Green Bay Packers (8-8, 3rd NFC North)
Eliminated: Washington Commanders (7-8-1, 4th NFC East), New Orleans Saints (7-9, 2nd NFC South), Carolina Panthers (6-10, 3rd NFC South), Atlanta Falcons (6-10, 4th NFC South), Los Angeles Rams (5-11, 3rd NFC West), Arizona Cardinals (4-12, 4th NFC West), Chicago Bears (3-13, 4th NFC North)
NFL Playoff Picture 2022: Who’s in and who’s out in the AFC heading into Week 18?
And here’s a look at the AFC playoff picture as it currently stands heading into Week 18. (*=clinched playoff berth)
- 1. Kansas City Chiefs* (13-3, 1st AFC West)
- 2. Buffalo Bills* (12-3, 1st AFC East)
- 3. Cincinnati Bengals* (11-4, 1st AFC North)
- 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8, 1st AFC South)
- 5. Los Angeles Chargers* (10-6, 2nd AFC West)
- 6. Baltimore Ravens* (10-6, 2nd AFC North)
- 7. New England Patriots (8-8, 2nd AFC East)
And here’s who’s out but still in contention.
- 8. Miami Dolphins (8-8, 3rd AFC East)
- 9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8, 3rd AFC North)
- 10. Tennessee Titans (7-9, 2nd AFC South)
Eliminated: New York Jets (7-9, 4th AFC East), Cleveland Browns (7-9, 4th AFC North), Las Vegas Raiders (6-10, 3rd AFC West), Indianapolis Colts (4-11-1, 3rd AFC South), Denver Broncos (4-12, 4th AFC West), Houston Texans (2-13-1, 4th AFC South)
