Two teams can make the NFL playoffs even with a Week 18 loss

Of the eight teams still vying for the final three playoff spots, two don’t necessarily have to win in Week 18 to get to the postseason.

Following Week 17, 11 teams have clinched one of the 14 spots in this year’s NFL postseason, leaving three spots (two in the AFC and one in the NFC) up for grabs heading into the final week of the regular season.

Four teams control their destiny to get into the playoffs. The Jacksonville Jaguars or Tennessee Titans can clinch the AFC South and the No. 4 seed by winning their Saturday night showdown, the New England Patriots can clinch the AFC’s No. 7 seed by beating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, and the Green Bay Packers can clinch the NFC’s No. 7 seed by beating the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

But just two of the eight teams still in playoff contention have a chance to get into the postseason with a loss in Week 18.

Those two teams are the Jaguars and Patriots. Let’s take a look at how each can do so.

Jacksonville Jaguars

With loss: 8-9

Would need…

• New England Patriots loss to Buffalo Bills
• Miami Dolphins loss to New York Jets
• Pittsburgh Steelers loss to Cleveland Browns

This would create a six-way tie at 8-9 involving the Jaguars, Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers and Browns. The Dolphins and Jets would be eliminated due to an AFC East division tiebreaker, and the Steelers would be eliminated due to an AFC North division tiebreaker.

The Jaguars would then own the tiebreaker over the Patriots and Browns due to having the best conference record (7-5) of the three. The Patriots and Browns would own 6-6 records within the AFC.

New England Patriots

With loss: 8-9

Would need…

• Jacksonville Jaguars to clinch AFC South with a win or tie against Tennessee Titans
• Miami Dolphins loss to New York Jets
• Pittsburgh Steelers loss to Cleveland Browns

This would create a five-way tie at 8-9 involving the Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers and Browns. The Dolphins and Jets would still be eliminated due to an AFC East division tiebreaker, and the Steelers would still be eliminated due to an AFC North division tiebreaker.

This would leave just the Patriots and Browns, and the Patriots beat the Browns head-to-head earlier in the season.

None of the other six teams still vying for a playoff spot – the Dolphins, Steelers, Titans, Lions, Packers, or Seattle Seahawks – have any way of making it to the postseason with a Week 18 loss.