2024 NFL Playoff picture: Scenarios for final AFC Playoff spot entering Week 18

There’s one final spot left to secure in the AFC for the 2024 NFL Playoffs.

Going into Week 18 in the NFL, the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and Cincinnati Bengals are all in play for the seventh and final seed. With that, here are the scenarios for each to clinch that spot in the Wild Card:

• Denver Broncos (vs. Kansas City Chiefs): Win OR Loss + Loss for Cincinnati
• Miami Dolphins (at New York Jets): Win + Loss for Denver
• Cincinnati Bengals (at Pittsburgh Steelers): Win + Loss for Denver + Loss for Miami

For reference, Cincinnati will determine their fate the night before the other two as they’ll play the Steelers on ESPN on Saturday. Denver (CBS) and Miami (FOX) will then play in the afternoon window on Sunday.

Denver (9-7) is the likeliest of the three to secure that last spot in the AFC for their first playoff appearance since winning Super Bowl 50 in 2015. The Broncos will be playing Kansas City, who will be resting several players as they’ve already clinched the No. 1 seed, at Mile High this weekend. They also nearly beat the Chiefs earlier in the season with a two-point loss in Arrowhead. Plus, even if they lose their third consecutive to end the year, they can still get in if Cincinnati were to lose in Pittsburgh.

Miami (8-8) is then the next likeliest with them only noting the outcome of Chiefs vs. Broncos. If Denver wins, they’ll be eliminated anyway but, if they were to lose, the Dolphins could get in for their third consecutive appearance with a win over the Jets, who they defeated already earlier this month on a touchdown pass in overtime.

Cincinnati (8-8) rounds it out in the third likeliest considering what they need to happen for themselves along with to those other two teams. The Bengals will need to win the night before against the Steelers, who they lost to earlier this month at 44-38. They’ll then have to wait for the following afternoon and, if the Broncos and Dolphins both lose, they’ll be in the playoffs for the third time in four years. However, if they lose or either Denver or Miami wins, they’ll miss the postseason for the second straight season.

There’s only one spot for a trio of teams to play for in the AFC. All that’s left to do is play those three games to determine whether Denver, Miami, or Cincinnati will be in Buffalo to play the Bills in the Wild Card.