EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings (14-2) have won nine consecutive games, going undefeated in November and December.

Minnesota will try to extend the streak in Week 18 when the calendar flips to January 2025 and the regular season concludes with a showdown at Detroit (14-2) on Sunday Night Football.

The winner of that game will claim the NFC North crown, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, which comes with the spoils of a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the Divisional Round and NFC Championship Game.

The loser will receive the No. 5 seed and set a record for the most wins by a team that didn't win its division.

Minnesota's 27-25 win over Green Bay on Sunday secured no worse than the No. 5 seed for the Vikings.

The Vikings are 26-9 in one-score games in three seasons under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell. Minnesota is 1-2 in one-score games against Detroit in that time.

The Commanders (11-5) and Packers (11-5) have secured playoff berths and are vying for the No. 6 or No. 7 seeds.

The Los Angeles Rams (10-6) also clinched a playoff berth in Week 17, but the Rams will be either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, depending on what Tampa Bay (9-7) does in Week 18.

Philadelphia (13-3) is locked in at the No. 2 seed.

The top four seeds in the AFC and NFC go to division winners. If the season ended today, the Vikings would be the No. 5 seed in the NFC Playoffs (this is the same status the team has had in the previous four weeks since we fired up this series).

Since the NFL expanded the playoffs in 2020, No. 2 seeds now play on Super Wild Card Weekend.

If the postseason started today, Philadelphia would host Green Bay in the 2-7 matchup, the Los Angeles Rams would host Washington in the 3-6, and Tampa Bay would host Minnesota in the 4-5.

Fifteen clubs have officially been eliminated from making the playoffs. The Patriots, Jaguars, Raiders and Giants were eliminated before Week 14. The Browns, Jets and Titans joined the group jockeying for position in the 2025 NFL Draft before Week 15.

The Bears and Panthers were eliminated during Week 15. The Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers and Saints also are planning January vacations. The Colts and Seahawks were the most recent teams to be ousted from contention.

Here's a look at the current NFC playoff picture — with conference standings and a status update — as we head into Week 18.

Division Champions

NFC EAST

2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Giants (3-13)

Status: The Eagles extended the NFC East's improbable streak of having a different division champ for the 20^th consecutive season with a 41-7 thumping of the 2023 NFC East Champion Cowboys and did so without Jalen Hurts (and without Kenny Pickett for part of the game).

Can rest easy, if they chose …

The Eagles are locked in at the No. 2 seed, regardless of what happens in their game or anywhere outside of South Philly. Saquon Barkley became the NFL's ninth player with 2,000 rushing yards in a season and needs 101 to break Eric Dickerson's all-time record of 2,105. Will Philly run Barkley or rest him?

NFC WEST

3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Seahawks (9-7)

Status: Even though Seattle won on Thursday Night Football and visits Los Angeles in Week 18, the Rams clinched the NFC West by edging the Cardinals 13-9 and leaning on the old strength of victory tiebreaker over the Seahawks. Wins by the Bills, Vikings, Commanders and Bengals guaranteed that tiebreaker for the Rams, even if L.A. loses to Seattle.

Will get the No. 3 seed with …

A Buccaneers loss or tie to the Saints, which will be determined by the time L.A.'s game starts

OR

A Rams win or tie against the Seahawks

Will get the No. 4 seed with …

A Rams loss to the Seahawks + a win by the Buccaneers, the latter of which will be determined by kickoff

Already Punched a Ticket & Vying for Seeding

1. Detroit Lions (14-2)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Vikings (14-2)

Status: Detroit erased an 8-point halftime deficit by outscoring San Francisco 27-13 in the second half of a 40-34 win. Kerby Joseph picked off two overthrows by Brock Purdy to push his NFL-leading interceptions total to nine this season.

Will clinch division and the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs with …

A Lions win or tie against the Vikings

Will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC with …

A Lions loss to the Vikings

5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Lions (14-2)

Status: Sam Darnold threw for a career-high 377 yards and touchdowns to Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers, helping Minnesota build a 17-point lead twice before Green Bay's rally fell shy in the fourth quarter for a second consecutive Border Battle. Minnesota has won 14 games in a season only one other time (15-1 in 1998).

Will clinch division and the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs with …

A Vikings win against the Lions

Will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC with …

A Vikings loss or tie against the Lions

6. Washington Commanders (11-5)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Cowboys (7-9)

Status: Washington has won at least 11 games in a season for the first time since 1991, when the franchise concluded that campaign by winning Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, thanks to Jayden Daniels becoming the first rookie in NFL history with three or more passing touchdowns and 125+ rushing yards in a game.

Will get the No. 6 seed with …

A Commanders win against the Cowboys

OR

A Packers loss against the Bears

OR

A Commanders tie against the Cowboys and a Packers tie against the Bears

Will get the No. 7 seed with …

A Commanders loss against the Cowboys and a Packers win or tie against the Bears

OR

A Commanders tie against the Cowboys and a Packers win against the Bears

7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Bears (4-12)

Status: The Packers had their streak of scoring at least 30 points in five consecutive games ended by the Vikings.

Will get the No. 6 seed with …

A Packers win against the Bears and a loss or tie by the Commanders against the Cowboys

Will get the No. 7 seed with …

A Packers loss against the Bears

OR

A Packers tie against the Bears and a Commanders win or tie against the Cowboys

Controls part of its destiny

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Saints (5-11)

Status: Baker Mayfield completed 27 of 32 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns, racking up a passer rating of 153.0 against Carolina, one of his former squads.

Will win NFC South with …

A Buccaneers win or tie over the Saints

OR

A Falcons loss or tie against the Panthers

Will get the No. 3 seed with …

A Buccaneers win against the Saints and a loss by the Rams against the Seahawks

Will get the No. 4 seed with …

A Buccaneers win against the Saints + a win or tie by the Rams against the Seahawks

OR

A Falcons loss or tie to the Panthers

Needs help

9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Panthers (4-12)

Status: The Falcons led the Commanders 17-7 at halftime but only had the ball for 9:01 in the second half and zero seconds in overtime. Washington outscored Atlanta 23-7 after intermission.

Can clinch division and No. 4 seed in NFC Playoffs with …

A Falcons win against the Panthers and a Buccaneers loss against the Saints

Eliminated and Working on New Year's Resolutions

8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Rams (10-6)

Status: Seattle won at Chicago with a 6-3 baseball score in Week 17 but didn't get the help it needed across the league for the Week 18 contest at L.A. to become a winner-takes-the-NFC West.

10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 Commanders (11-5)

Status: Dallas committed four turnovers, sending what was a 7-7 tie in the second quarter spiraling into a 41-7 loss.

11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 49ers (6-10)

Status: Arizona tried to throw a plot twist in L.A.'s quest for the division, but Kyler Murray's pass for Trey McBride was intercepted at the 1-yard line with 37 seconds remaining in a 13-9 Rams win.

12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Cardinals (7-9)

Status: Even with a victory at Arizona, San Francisco is guaranteed to finish fourth in the NFC West a season after appearing in Super Bowl LVIII. Former Viking Joshua Dobbs relieved Purdy late in Monday's game and scored a rushing touchdown after Purdy left with an injury.

13. New Orleans Saints (5-11)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Buccaneers (9-7)

Status: The Saints went 1-for-10 on third down to finish their home slate with a 25-10 loss in a game between the host of last season's Super Bowl (Las Vegas) and this season's.

14. Chicago Bears (4-12)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Packers (11-5)

Status: The Bears losing streak has reached 10 games, which only trails 14 from Week 8 of 2022 to Week 4 of 2023 for the longest in franchise history. Chicago's 3-pointer against Seattle was part of the lowest-scoring game in the NFL this season (9 total points).

15. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Falcons (8-8)

Status: Adam Thielen caught five passes on six targets for 110 yards and both of Carolina's touchdowns, but Bryce Young was just 10-for-22 with 93 yards when targeting any other teammate.

16. New York Giants (3-13)

Remaining Schedule

1/5/25 @ Eagles (13-3)

Status: The Giants racked up five touchdowns on offense and added a 100-yard kickoff return by former Viking Ihmir Smith-Marsette in a 45-33 romp against the Colts. The 45 points in Week 17 represent 17.3 percent of New York's 260 points for so far this season.

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