Overview
- Carolina visits Tampa Bay on Saturday for the NFC South title, with scenarios that allow the Panthers to clinch the division even if they lose.
- Seattle at San Francisco on Saturday night will award both the NFC West crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed with its lone first-round bye.
- The Ravens-Steelers game on Sunday night is winner-take-all for the AFC North and the final AFC playoff berth.
- Denver can secure the AFC’s top seed with a win over the Chargers, who have announced plans to rest starters, while New England and Jacksonville retain outside paths based on other results.
- The Raiders are guaranteed a top-two pick in the 2026 draft and can lock No. 1 with a loss to the Chiefs, as betting outlets and AI models publish game-by-game Week 18 predictions.