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NFL playoff picture 2018: Picking the Super Bowl champ

By Cody Rivera

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Running back Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after catching a two-point conversion against the Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Running back Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after catching a two-point conversion against the Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
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There is still a month left of the NFL season. But if it ended today, how would the playoffs turn out? Let’s take a look.

There are many fun things about the December portion of the NFL season. One of them, however, is that we start getting glimpses of how the playoff picture might unfold, and we start thinking about how the various playoff scenarios could play out.

Right now, in the first week of December, I’m going to attempt to do just that — all the way up to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

It’s all just speculation, of course, as a lot can still happen over the season’s final four months that could drastically change the playoff picture. But if the season ended today, here is a look at the teams that would officially make it into the dance:

AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-2)

2. New England Patriots (9-3)

3. Houston Texans (9-3)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4-1)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (9-3)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

In the wild card round, Houston would host Baltimore, and Pittsburgh would host Los Angeles. Then Kansas City and New England would patiently await the winners.

NFC

1. Los Angeles Rams (11-1)

2. New Orleans Saints (10-2)

3. Chicago Bears (8-4)

4. Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-5)

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-5-1)

The wild card round would give us an excellent NFC North showdown between Chicago and Minnesota at Soldier Field, as well as a meeting between the fading out Seahawks and the revived Cowboys at Jerry World. Meanwhile, the formidable Rams and Saints would await the winners in the divisional round.

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