The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading to the NFL playoffs.
Not only can Jacksonville secure the AFC South, and a home playoff game, but they also have a small chance of clinching the AFC No. 1 seed, provided they win and get a bit of help on the last day of the season.
Here are the Jaguars’ playoff scenarios for Week 18:
Jacksonville Jaguars AFC South Scenario
Starting with the AFC South—right now, the Jaguars enter the final day of the season holding a one-game lead over the Houston Texans. Both teams are playoff-bound, but that home game in Week 18 definitely motivates them.
This Sunday, the Jaguars will match up against the Tennessee Titans while the Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts. Jacksonville can clinch the AFC South with either a win or a tie against the Titans. However, the Texans can still claim the division title even if they lose, as long as they don’t tie with the Colts.
Jacksonville Jaguars No. 1 Seed Scenario
The Jaguars have more than just the AFC South to aim for this weekend.
There’s also a possibility, albeit slim, for Jacksonville to earn the No. 1 seed.
Currently, the Denver Broncos are leading the race with a 13-3 record. Although the Broncos and Patriots have the same number of wins, Denver holds a tiebreaker advantage based on their shared game results.
Jacksonville sits one game back at 12-4.
If the Jaguars beat the Titans, coupled with a Broncos loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and a Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins, they could secure that top spot.
On the flip side, if the Jaguars lose while missing out on the AFC South, they could potentially drop to the 7th seed. For that to happen, a series of outcomes would need to align: the Texans would have to beat the Colts, the Chargers would have to overcome the Broncos, the Bills need to win against the Jets, and, well, five out of a few other teams would also need to win. It’s a lot of “ifs”.
It’s likely not going to reach that point, but hey, if it does, we’ll be ready.
AFC Standings Heading into Week 18
Here are the complete AFC standings as we head into Week 18:
× – Team qualified for the playoffs
y – Team finalized the division
e – Team eliminated from playoff contention
AFC South Standings Heading into Week 18
The AFC South standings ahead of the final week are as follows:
