AFC Playoff Picture: Chiefs and Everyone Else Entering Week 18's Play

Entering the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs can kick back and relax watching the AFC playoff picture solidify.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) look at football cakes while being interviewed by Netflix reporter Stacey Dales following their win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs took care of business during the regular season, and they did so with a week to spare. Their finale against the Denver Broncos should be a low-stress outing in the grand scheme of things, especially as the rest of the conference looks to sort out who it will face in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Where does Andy Reid's squad rank entering Week 18's play, and what does the competition look like? Let's examine the AFC playoff picture for a better look at who's tracking to make the postseason.

* indicates a team that has clinched a playoff spot.

1: Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)*

With their Christmas Day victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City is officially the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC. That not only secures them a first-round bye, but it also nets them home-field advantage throughout the postseason (not including the Super Bowl). Now, all they have to worry about for the time being is whether Patrick Mahomes will play on Sunday or how much rest is considered too much ahead of the Divisional Round. That's a fantastic spot to be in ahead of Week 18's games.

2: Buffalo Bills (13-3)*

Thanks to a blowout win against the New York Jets over the weekend, the Buffalo Bills are locked into the two-seed in the conference. That ensures them a home game for the first round of the playoffs, as well as the Divisional Round if they advance to it. A Week 18 game against the New England Patriots doesn't do much aside from allowing quarterback Josh Allen to extend his consecutive starts streak. This was a very strong regular season from Buffalo, who projects to be a top threat to Kansas City in the playoffs.

3: Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

Since dropping a tough game to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, the Baltimore Ravens are on fire coming out of the bye. They've scored more than 30 points in each of their last three contests, surrendering a combined 33 points in those outings. Some help from the Chiefs let them jump ahead of the Steelers for the AFC North lead. With a win or tie against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 or a loss or tie from Pittsburgh, Lamar Jackson and Co. will be division champions once again.

4: Houston Texans (9-7)*

Bringing up the rear of the expected top four in the AFC are the Houston Texans, winners of the AFC South. After consecutive victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins, C.J. Stroud has led Houston to scoring outputs of just 19 and 2 in back-to-back losses. Both of those games came against top contenders, which casts even more doubt on the legitimacy of this year's team. Houston will eventually play the No. 5 seed in the Wild Card round after facing the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at noon.

5: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)*

It's been a tumultuous season for Pittsburgh, which enjoyed a 7-1 stretch at one point but has since dropped three straight games. Like the Texans, it seems that the Steelers are a second- or third-tier playoff team that's led by a great defense but held back by a limited offense. Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals is a big one, as Mike Tomlin's crew can secure the AFC North title with a win and a Baltimore loss to Cleveland.

6: Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)*

Thanks to their huge win against the Patriots in Week 17, Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers are headed back to the playoffs. With Pittsburgh sliding, Los Angeles does still have seeding to play for. A 4/5 matchup against Houston seems more favorable for a Wild Card team than going to potentially face the Ravens in the first round of the postseason. There's plenty left to shake out in Week 18, so the Chargers will need to take care of business against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon and let the rest play out.

7: Denver Broncos (9-7)

The Denver Broncos got into a downright thriller with the Bengals in Week 17, ultimately losing by a score in overtime. That prevented them from clinching a postseason spot, but they still have multiple paths to do so in Week 18. The most straightforward is beating the Chiefs on Sunday or tying with them. Elsewhere, a Cincinnati loss or tie against Pittsburgh and a Miami loss or tie against the Jets can get rookie quarterback Bo Nix into the playoffs.

In the hunt: Miami Dolphins (8-8), Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

Even without their starting quarterback and one of their top offensive weapons, the Dolphins managed to keep their playoff hopes alive last weekend. In order to snag the AFC's final wild card spot, they need to beat the Jets in Week 18 and see the Broncos lose to the Chiefs. Joe Burrow and the Bengals need a win and losses by both Denver and Miami to reach the big dance. Weirder things have happened, so the end of the AFC ranks is worth keeping an eye on as Saturday and Sunday approach.

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