The First Read: What's at stake in the NFL playoff race in Week 18? Plus, risers/sliders from Week 17

In The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha provides a snapshot of the hottest stories and trends heading into Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season, including:

But first, an overview of what's at stake in the final week of the 2023 regular season ...

This is it. The end of the regular season is finally upon us. We've grinded through 17 weeks of watching the NFL and we're still left to wonder how a handful of teams are going to finish this deal. At least we know who the top playoff seeds will be in each conference, as Baltimore and San Francisco secured those spots over this past weekend. What happens next is anybody's guess.

Four division titles remain up for grabs: the AFC East, AFC South, NFC East and NFC South. The second seed in the AFC will come down to the season finale between Buffalo and Miami on Sunday Night Football, while Detroit, Philadelphia and Dallas are still vying to claim that slot in the NFC. If you want to get into the scenarios for the final wild-card entries in each conference, you really better hunker down and keep some Advil within reach. There are five AFC teams still alive that haven't clinched a spot and six fighting for a postseason berth in the NFC.

All of that is why this edition of The First Read will focus on what's at stake for those contenders. Instead of delving into every team, we'll concentrate on those still chasing division titles and/or wild-card spots. Here's how one writer thinks it will all shake out.

Ravens blow out Dolphins. The battle for the top seed in the AFC was anything but that. Baltimore trailed, 10-7, at the end of the first quarter before going on to outscore Miami, 49-9, from then on in a 56-19 win. For the Dolphins, it was a stark reminder of how tough it's been for them to compete