AFC Playoff Field Finalized As Bills, Bengals, Dolphins Sew Up Seedings

The Chiefs earned the top seed and the first-round bye.

The AFC playoff picture is officially set after the first slot of NFL games on Sunday. The times and dates of the wild card games have not been released yet.

The Dolphins were the last team in the conference to secure a spot in the playoffs—taking the seventh seed after a last-minute win over the Jets. 

Here’s a look at the full AFC seedings ahead of wild-card weekend.

1. Chiefs (14–3): The Chiefs officially secured the top spot with the bye week after beating the Raiders 31–13 on Saturday afternoon. Kansas City battled Buffalo for the top seed at the tail end of the season, but the Chiefs were able to capture No. 1 because of their winning percentage.

2. Bills (13–3): The Bills’ 35–23 win over the Patriots allowed them to hold onto the second seed for the playoffs. Because of the team’s no contest from Monday’s game vs. the Bengals, the Bills are the No. 2 seed due to having a lower winning percentage than the Chiefs. Buffalo will face Miami in the wild-card round.

3. Bengals (12–4): With the Bengals’ 27–16 win over the Ravens on Sunday, the two teams will not have to flip a coin to determine the host for next weekend’s rematch in Cincinnati during wild-card weekend. 

4. Jaguars (9–8): The Jaguars came back to win 20–16 over the Titans on Saturday night to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They will face the Chargers next weekend.

5. Chargers (10–6): The Chargers face the Broncos on Sunday, but the outcome won’t impact the team’s spot in the playoffs. With the Ravens’ loss to the Bengals, Los Angeles stays put in the sixth spot. They will face the Jaguars next weekend.

6. Ravens (10–7): The Ravens lost 27–16 to the Bengals on Sunday, pushing their seeding down one to No. 6. They will get a rematch against their AFC North opponent next weekend, and there’s reportedly a “strong chance” that quarterback Lamar Jackson could return for the wild card game.

7. Dolphins (9–8): The Dolphins kept fans on the edge of their seats on Sunday as they secured the final playoff spot after beating the Jets 11–6. Their win shut the Patriots’ and the Steelers’ chances of making the playoffs. Miami will face the Bills in the wild card next weekend, a team it split the series with this season.