Although it feels like Week 1 was just yesterday, the NFL will wrap up the regular season on Sunday. Fortunately for the Los Angeles Rams, this weekend’s game won’t be their last of the year. They punched their ticket to the playoffs, guaranteeing themselves at least one more game in January.
Heading into the final week of the regular season, the NFC playoff picture is just about set. There is some room for movement and shuffling among the seeds, six of the seven teams have already clinched a postseason berth.
The Eagles are the only team that’s locked into one specific seed, clinching the No. 2 spot in the conference with their win over the Cowboys in Week 17.
The Rams can move between the third and fourth seed, the Packers and Commanders are battling for the sixth seed, and the Vikings and Lions will play for a first-round bye on Sunday night. The winner of Vikings-Lions will take the No. 1 seed, while the loser will fall to No. 5.
Here’s an updated look at the NFC playoff picture entering the final week of the season.
NFC playoff picture
- Lions: 14-2 (NFC North)
- Eagles: 13-3 (NFC East)
- Rams: 10-6 (NFC West)
- Buccaneers: 9-7 (NFC South)
- Vikings: 14-2 (wild card)
- Commanders: 11-5 (wild card)
- Packers: 11-5 (wild card)
- Falcons: 8-8
As crazy as it sounds, the NFC is going to have a 14-win wild-card team that has to go on the road in the first round of the playoffs and face either the Buccaneers or Falcons. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Rams are guaranteed to host a playoff game next week.
The only teams above that haven’t clinched a postseason berth are the Buccaneers and Falcons. If the Buccaneers beat the Saints on Sunday, they win the NFC South. If they lose and the Falcons beat the Panthers, Atlanta will take the division and the No. 5 seed.
Projected wild-card matchups
(1) Lions: Bye
(2) Eagles vs. (7) Packers
(3) Rams vs. (6) Commanders
(4) Buccaneers vs. (5) Vikings
If the season ended today, this is what the first round of the playoffs would look like in the NFC. Obviously, there’s still a lot to be sorted out in the final week of the season, with only the Eagles locked into their current seed, so this could change by next week.
Rams’ Week 18 scenarios
No. 3 seed
- Rams win OR Buccaneers loss
No. 4 seed
- Rams loss AND Buccaneers win
The Rams are most likely going to rest their starters against the Seahawks in Week 18, as Sean McVay indicated on Monday. That doesn’t mean they’re playing to lose, but they’re fine with dropping to the No. 4 seed and having to play either the Lions or Vikings in the wild-card round.
If they win or the Bucs lose, they’ll maintain the No. 3 seed and face either the Commanders or Packers.