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If The 2018 NFL Playoffs Started Today: Postseason Brackets After Week 16

By Danny Cox
Published on: 05:06 PST, Dec 25, 2018

There is officially one week left in the 2018 NFL regular season and nine spots have been locked in for the playoffs, but three still remain. Along with those three spots needing to be determined in Week 17, there is still the issue of seeding in both the NFC and AFC which need to be figured out. If the playoffs were to start today, though, some surprising teams would be on the outside looking in on the postseason.

Over in the AFC, four spots have been determined with three of the division titles already locked up. The AFC North still needs a winner and it will end up being either the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the NFC, only one wild card spot remains open and two teams are alive and able to snag it in the final week of the season. When all is said and done, it will be either the Minnesota Vikings or the Philadelphia Eagles who make it into the postseason and the other will be staying home with their season over.

When looking at the records as they currently stand, only two seeds have been totally determined after Week 16. The New Orleans Saints have secured the number one seed in the NFC while the Dallas Cowboys are securely in place at the number four spot.

Let’s take a look at how things would be if the playoffs started today.

NFC

The road to the Super Bowl will have to go through New Orleans as the Saints locked up a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy for anyone to beat that team in the Superdome, but it is what they’ll be forced to do.

If the 2018 NFL playoffs started after Week 16, here would be the seeds for the NFC:

1.) New Orleans Saints at 13-2
2.) Los Angeles Rams at 12-3
3.) Chicago Bears at 11-4
4.) Dallas Cowboys at 9-6
5.) Seattle Seahawks at 9-6
6.) Minnesota Vikings at 8-6-1

Still alive:

7.) Philadelphia Eagles at 8-7

First-round byes: New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams

First-round match-ups:

  • Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
  • Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

AFC

As reported by ESPN, the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night didn’t help them at all. The Chiefs, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers are all in the running for the number one seed in the AFC with just a single week to go.

If the 2018 NFL playoffs started after Week 16, here would be the seeds for the AFC:

1.) Kansas City Chiefs at 11-4
2.) New England Patriots at 10-5
3.) Houston Texans at 10-5
4.) Baltimore Ravens 9-6
5.) Los Angeles Chargers at 11-4
6.) Indianapolis Colts 9-6

Still alive:

7.) Tennessee Titans at 8-6
8.) Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-6-1

First-round byes: Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots

First-round match-ups:

  • Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
  • Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers

After Week 16 of the 2018 NFL regular season, there is a lot more known about the playoffs but still plenty to be figured out. Three open spots remain between the AFC and NFC, and there are plenty of teams still vying for higher seeds as well. If the postseason is any bit as exciting as the end of the regular season is, it’s going to be a fun few rounds of playoffs.

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