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NFL Week 18 scores: Live playoff picture updates, results, analysis as teams battle for playoff spots

The 2023 playoff bracket is almost set

The 2023 NFL regular season wraps up Sunday with what has already been a wild Week 18. In the early window, we saw the Jacksonville Jaguars get eliminated from playoff contention with the Tennessee Titans playing spoiler, which gave the AFC South title to the Houston Texans. We also saw the Atlanta Falcons eliminated from playoff contention with a 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed the NFC South for the third straight season with a 9-0 win over the Carolina Panthers.

In the late window, the drama ramped up quite a bit. The Cowboys claimed the NFC East with a win over the Commanders, but would've won it regardless of that victory due to the Giants' upset win over the Eagles. Now, Dallas is the No. 2 seed while Philly stands as the No. 5 seed in the conference. The Packers clinched a playoff berth with their win over the Bears, and the Rams are the No. 6 seed after they were able to beat the 49ers. 

Here's a look at the entire playoff picture in the NFC. 

  • Packers (7) at Cowboys (2)
  • Rams (6) at Lions (3)
  • Eagles (5) at Buccaneers (4)

All that is left to be determined is the AFC East, which will culminate in a showdown between the Bills and Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. The winner will be the No. 2 seed in the conference and division champions, while the other will enter the postseason as a wild card opponent.  

Below, we will keep tabs on that remaining matchup and highlight playoff implications that come with it.

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Live updates
 

And that will do it. The Bills leap up to the No. 2 seed in the AFC and win the division! Meanwhile, Miami drops to the No. 6 seed and will need to travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs next weekend. Buffalo will host Pittsburgh.

 

Buffalo has taken the lead with 7:16 to play in the fourth quarter and has ALL the momentum at the moment. 
 

Deonte Harty puts the Bills right back in this game with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown. 
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Again, let's look at the playoff scenarios for these teams as we begin the second half: 

  • If the Dolphins win: (2) Dolphins vs. (7) Bills and (3) Chiefs vs. (6) Steelers
  • If the Bills win: (2) Bills vs. (7) Steelers and (3) Chiefs vs. (6) Dolphins
  • If there is a tie: (2) Dolphins vs. (7) Steelers and (3) Chiefs vs. (6) Bills
 
 

One of the wildest touchdowns you'll see all year and we're knotted at seven apice. 
 

Dolphins strike first. If they win, they'll clinch the No. 2 seed and the AFC East. 
 

And now both quarterbacks have an interception. Josh Allen is picked in the end zone, eliminating a scoring opportunity for Buffalo early in this pivotal head-to-head for the AFC East title. 
 

Not the start the Dolphins were hoping for with Tua Tagovailoa intercepted on the opening drive. Buffalo will gain possession at their own 16-yard line. Ill-advised throw by Tua, who lofted it deep into double coverage. 
 

Bills-Dolphins situation entering tonight:
- Winner clinches AFC East and will be 2 seed in AFC playoffs
- If Dolphins win, teams would meet again in Miami in Wild Card
- If Bills win, they would host PIT in Wild Card and Dolphins would play at KC
- If game ends in a tie, Dolphins would host PIT and Bills would play at KC

 

NFC WILD CARD MATCHUPS:

  • Packers (7) at Cowboys (2)
  • Rams (6) at Lions (3)
  • Eagles (5) at Buccaneers (4)
 
 

And right after that completion, Sam Darnold fumbles the football and the Rams recover. They will move on and get the win, and be the No. 6 seed in the NFC. That means, Matthew Stafford and the Rams will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions in what might be the most highly anticipated playoff game of the wild-card slate.

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After a long completion down the middle of the field, Sam Darnold clocks the ball at the San Francisco 40-yard line. 

 
 

And it's official. The Dallas Cowboys are NFC East Champions and the No. 2 seed in the NFC. So long as the Rams hold on and beat the 49ers, they'll face the Packers next weekend at AT&T Stadium. Mike McCarthy will face his former Green Bay team. Could you ask for anything better?

 

With the Packers officially in, all that remains is their seeding. If the Rams win, they will be the No. 7 seed and travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys. If the Rams lose, they will be the No. 6 seed and face the Lions in Detroit. 

 
 

And it's official. The Packers are IN THE PLAYOFFS. What a year for Jordan Love. 

 

Looks like the Packers are on their way to a win over the Bears. With the victory, they clinch a playoff berth. Also, that means the Seahawks and Saints are eliminated from postseason contention. 

 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have taken out their key starters with the victory over the Commanders and the NFC East title locked up. 

 

Gutsy call by Sean McVay! Instead of kicking the extra point, the Rams take the lead with a two-point play on a pass from Carson Wentz to Tutu Atwell. They lead the Niners, 21-20.

 

Carson Wentz puts on the wheels to rush for a 12-yard touchdown to tie the game against San Francisco. Both of these teams rested their key starters, but this game still could still have significance for Los Angeles in terms of seeding. If they pull out the win, they'll be the No. 6 seed. If they lose, they could drop to the No. 7 seed. 
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Wow! Gutsy call by Jonathan Gannon and the Cardinals. On fourth-and-3 from the Seattle 8-yard line, the offense stays on the field and Kyler Murray completes a touchdown pass to Trey McBride to take a 20-13 lead over the Seahawks. 

 

IF THE PACKERS SCORE HOLDS....Packers win:

  • Packers clinch Wild Card
  • Seahawks eliminated
  • Saints eliminated

Cowboys win:

  • Cowboys win NFC East and clinch 2-seed
  • Lions are 3-seed
  • Eagles are 5-seed
 

The Cardinals are in the red zone and looking to add points to take a lead over Seattle. The Seahawks can't afford a loss here or they are heading home for the offseason. 

 

Pretty interesting that Dak Prescott is still out there for the Cowboys. They have the division and the win locked up. Might be smart to get him out of harm's way. 

 

NFC playoff picture if current scores hold (DAL, GB, SF ALL WIN)

  1. SF
  2. DAL
  3. DET
  4. TB
  5. PHI
  6. GB
  7. LAR
 

Packers are back in the red zone after Jayden Reed bursts for a 59-yard catch and run that flipped the field for Green Bay. They are now looking to add to their lead over Chicago and push toward a playoff berth.
 

The Cowboys are now up 35-10 and in clear sight of the NFC East title after Prescott connected with Brandin Cooks for a five-yard touchdown. Dallas will be the No. 2 seed in the NFC thanks to their head-to-head victory over the Lions. 

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