NFL Playoff Picture: Wild Card Weekend matchups, kickoff times set
The NFL playoff field is set.
Following the Detroit Lions' victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks - who defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 - clinched the last available playoff spot to put a bow on the regular season.
Here are the Wild Card Weekend matchups:
AFC
| Matchup | Date | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers (5) at Jaguars (4) | Saturday | 8:15 p.m. | NBC |
| Dolphins (7) at Bills (2) | Sunday | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Ravens (6) at Bengals (3) | Sunday | 8:15 p.m. | NBC |
(All times eastern)
The Miami Dolphins earned the AFC's last wild-card spot with an 11-6 victory over the New York Jets, combined with the Buffalo Bills' win over the New England Patriots, who entered Week 18 as the conference's No. 7 seed. Six teams had already punched postseason tickets in the AFC before Sunday.
On Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Tennessee Titans to claim their first AFC South title since 2017, while the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders to clinch the AFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
The wild-card round in the AFC will feature two big divisional rivalries. Buffalo and Miami, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, split their regular-season series this season. All eyes will also be on the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Jaguars, which will mark the first playoff games for Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence, two of football's best young quarterbacks.
AFC playoff standings
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs | West | 14-3 |
| 2 | Bills | East | 13-3 |
| 3 | Bengals | North | 12-4 |
| 4 | Jaguars | South | 9-8 |
| 5 | Chargers | West | 10-7 |
| 6 | Ravens | North | 10-7 |
| 7 | Dolphins | East | 9-8 |
The Bills and Bengals will each finish the regular season with only 16 games due to the cancellation of their Monday Night Football matchup in Week 17. The contest was called off after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field.
NFC
| Matchup | Date | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks (7) at 49ers (2) | Saturday | 4:30 p.m. | FOX |
| Giants (6) at Vikings (3) | Sunday | 4:30 p.m. | FOX |
| Cowboys (5) at Buccaneers (4) | Monday | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
(All times eastern)
The road to Super Bowl LVII goes through Philly. The Philadelphia Eagles capped a dominant regular season with a victory over the New York Giants to claim the NFC's No. 1 seed and secure a first-round bye.
The biggest clash of Wild Card Weekend will take place in Florida as the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys. Elsewhere, the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants will face off for the second time in four weeks after a thrilling regular-season matchup that ended with a last-second 61-yard Minnesota field goal.
Led by Geno Smith - who had started only five games under center between 2015-21 - Seattle will travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers. This marks a stunning campaign for the Seahawks, who traded longtime quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the offseason and were expected to rebuild.
NFC playoff standings
| Seed | Team | Division | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagles | East | 14-3 |
| 2 | 49ers | West | 13-4 |
| 3 | Vikings | North | 13-4 |
| 4 | Buccaneers | South | 8-9 |
| 5 | Cowboys | East | 12-5 |
| 6 | Giants | East | 9-7-1 |
| 7 | Seahawks | West | 9-8 |
The 2023 draft order for non-playoff teams can be found here.
HEADLINES
- Garrett says he's DPOY over Watt after 3 sacks vs. Steelers: 'I'm No. 1'
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- Rex Ryan says he can save Jets: 'Nobody is better than me'
- Browns stun Steelers in snowy conditions on TNF
- Purdy's status vs. Packers in doubt due to sore shoulder