There are still five playoff spots to be determined going into Week 18 of the NFL season and 11 teams are fighting for them. The AFC East, AFC South and NFC South crowns are still at stake, as well as two Wild Card spots in the AFC.
The most significant game on the schedule is in Miami where the Bills and Dolphins go head-to-head for the AFC East crown. The Dolphins know they are in the playoffs, but things are far more uncertain for the Bills. Buffalo could finish as high as the No. 2 seed in the AFC, or miss the playoffs entirely if the Bills lose and a couple of other results go against them. Despite being at home, Miami is an underdog after getting blown out by Baltimore a week ago and suffering some significant injuries.
Jacksonville, Houston, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and New Orleans are also teams that could be facing a situation where they either get a home playoff game or miss the playoffs entirely.
Dallas can secure the NFC East and overtake the Eagles with a win in Washington, while the Green Bay Packers get a do-over on last year’s win-and-in situation with a home game against Chicago.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks are also in contention for Wild Card spots and can get in with wins and some help.
The Cowboys are the biggest favorite of the week going into Washington as a nearly two-touchdown favorite.
The Buffalo-Miami game has the highest total at 49.5 points, while the New York Jets–New England Patriots game has the lowest total at just 30.5 points.
The NFL Week 18 playoff scenarios are here if you want to understand how every game can affect the final standings.
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All odds from BetMGM.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (Saturday)
- This game is completely meaningless for the Baltimore Ravens as they have nothing to play for. Everything, from the AFC North, to the bye week, to home-field advantage in the playoffs is clinched. The question is how many starters they rest for this game.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, have everything to play for. While they have multiple paths to a playoff spot – including one where they do not win this game – a win, combined with either a Buffalo or Jacksonville loss is their easiest path.
- Mason Rudolph gets his third straight start for the Steelers. They have scored at least 30 points in his two starts after not scoring 30 points in any game prior to that this season.
- George Pickens has benefited the most from Rudolph, catching 11 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks. For all of his struggles this year he has 1,140 receiving yards this season.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (Saturday)
- This is a “win and you’re in” game in primetime on Saturday and the victor still has a shot at claiming the AFC South should Jacksonville lose at Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.
- The Colts defeated the Texans 31-20 back in Week 2 in a game that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson started but didn’t finish due to a concussion. Indianapolis also was without running back Jonathan Taylor, who missed the first four games while on the PUP list.
- Taylor has enjoyed considerable success against Houston in his career, averaging 124.6 rushing yards with seven total touchdowns across five games.
- C.J. Stroud needs 156 passing yards to become just the fifth quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in his rookie season. He was on pace to break Andrew Luck’s record (4,374 in 2012) before missing Weeks 14 and 15 because of a concussion.
- This game has little meaning for either team. The Browns are pretty much locked into the No. 5 seed and the Bengals are eliminated.
- It is worth wondering if the Browns will rest some key starters with nothing to play for. Quarterback Joe Flacco should be at the top of that list.
- Things have unraveled for Bengals quarterback Jake Browning the past two weeks. After throwing three interceptions in Pittsburgh, he completed 19-of-33 passes for only 197 yards in Kansas City. Those two performances, resulting in losses, ended the Bengals’ playoff push.
- A win would give the Browns franchise their first 12-win season since 1986.
New York Jets at New England Patriots
- The Jets get another shot at ending their 15-game losing streak to the Patriots, a skid that stretches back to the 2016 season.
- The Jets’ last win in Foxborough came in a divisional playoff game on Jan. 16, 2011. Mark Sanchez threw three touchdown passes to help defeat the Tom Brady-led Patriots 28-21.
- Trevor Siemian will be the Jets quarterback again after Zach Wilson has been ruled out with a concussion.
- Bill Belichick also could make another quarterback change following Bailey Zappe’s three-interception outing in last week’s road loss to Buffalo. Zappe has started the last five games after he replaced a benched Mac Jones in Week 12.
- A loss would secure the No. 2 pick for the Patriots. The last time the franchise picked that high was in 1993 when New England drafted quarterback Drew Bledsoe No. 1 overall.
- The NFC South: Where a 7-9 Atlanta Falcons team can still win the division. The winner of this game will win the NFC South if Tampa Bay loses to Carolina. The Saints could still clinch the wild card with a win and some help.
- The Falcons have won exactly seven games in four of their past five seasons. A loss would make that in five of the past six seasons.
- It is a fair assumption that Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is coaching for his job on Sunday, especially with the way this season is finishing with losses in three out of four – including to a one-win Carolina team.
- Quarterback Derek Carr is playing his best football as a member of the Saints with 10 touchdowns to only two interceptions the past four weeks. He has also had a passer rating of 106.0 or better in each of the past three games. The Saints are 3-1 in that stretch.
- It’s déjà vu for the Jaguars. A Week 18 win over the Titans secures the AFC South title and a home game during Wild Card Weekend.
- Jacksonville defeated Tennessee 34-14 back in Week 11 and has won three in a row over its divisional rivals.
- The Jags could get quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) and wide receiver Christian Kirk (core muscle surgery) back from injury. If Lawrence remains sidelined, C.J. Beathard will get another start.
- Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis left last week’s 26-3 loss to the Texans due to a foot injury. Ryan Tannehill will get the call if Levis is unable to go. Tannehill has just two touchdown passes compared to six interceptions in nine games (seven starts) this season.
- Tennessee (5-11) is guaranteed its worst finish in coach Mike Vrabel’s six seasons at the helm. The Titans went 7-10 last season, ending a streak of three straight playoff appearances.
- The NFC North champion Lions are pretty much locked into the No. 3 seed in the NFC bracket while the Vikings need a win and plenty of help to sneak into the playoffs.
- With little to play for, Detroit could rest starters. But if tight end Sam LaPorta is on the field on Sunday, he has a shot at history. He needs just one catch to break a tie with Keith Jackson (81 in 1988) for the most by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
- Vikings rookie quarterback Jaren Hall struggled before being replaced by Nick Mullens in their 33-10 home loss to the Packers last Sunday night. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell will go back to Mullens as the starter, who threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns, along with four interceptions, in a 30-24 loss to the Lions two weeks ago.
- A win by Detroit (11-5) would match the 1991 team for the most regular-season victories in franchise history. That also was the last time the Lions won a division title before this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
- The Buccaneers only need to beat the Panthers to secure a third straight NFC South title.
- Tampa Bay beat Carolina 21-18 in Week 13 but fell 21-3 to the Panthers in Charlotte last season.
- The Bucs committed a season-high four turnovers in last week’s home loss to the Saints. Tampa is plus-six in turnover margin on the season, good for fifth best among NFC teams.
- Last Sunday also was the first game this season where Baker Mayfield threw more than one interception. He enters Week 18 with a career-high 28 touchdown passes compared to 10 picks.
- The Panthers were shut out last Sunday for the first time in more than 20 years (Week 12, 2002 season) and managed a meager 124 yards of total offense. Bryce Young was sacked six times.
- The 49ers have nothing to play for after clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC a week ago. They will almost certainly rest starters.
- Both teams will sit their starting quarterback so it will be Carson Wentz vs. Sam Darnold.
- The Rams enter the week in the sixth seed but could fall to the No. 7 seed depending on their game and the Packers-Bears game.
- Quarterback Matthew Stafford put the Rams on his back down the stretch, leading them to a 6-1 record down the stretch to push them into the playoffs. He had 16 touchdown passes to only four interceptions in those seven games after returning from injury.
- Sean McVay is looking for his third 10-win season in the past four years and his fifth overall in seven years.
- The Chiefs clinched their eighth consecutive AFC West title with Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Patrick Mahomes will not play in this game and Blaine Gabbert will get his first start for the Chiefs.
- Kansas City has been a different team this year – with a top-three defense in points against and an offense outside of the top-10.
- The Chiefs can not move up or down in the standings and are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
- The Chargers have lost seven out of eight games down the stretch, while the offense has been a non-factor without quarterback Justin Herbert.
- A Broncos victory would secure the team’s first winning season since going 9-7 in 2016.
- Jarrett Stidham will get another start at quarterback with Russell Wilson serving as the backup. Stidham finished with 224 passing yards and a touchdown in last week’s 16-9 win over the Chargers.
- Raiders running back Zamir White has posted 285 rushing yards over the last three games while starting for an injured Josh Jacobs (quadriceps). The Broncos are second to last in the NFL against the run, giving up 137.6 yards per game.
- Las Vegas has won seven in a row over its divisional rivals and hasn’t lost at home to Denver since 2015 when the team was in Oakland.
- The Seahawks need a win and a Packers home loss to the Bears to steal a wild card berth.
- Seattle’s only win in NFC West play (1-4) this season came against the Cardinals back in Week 7. The Seahawks have defeated their divisional rivals four straight times.
- Arizona is 3-4 with Kyler Murray at quarterback this season compared to 1-8 without him. Murray did not play in the first meeting against Seattle. He’s 2-5 in his career against the Seahawks.
- The Cardinals finished with season highs in both points (35) and yards (449) while overcoming a 15-point halftime deficit on the road to upset the Eagles last week.
- James Conner’s 128 rushing yards against Philadelphia were the most for him in a game since going for 145 in Week 8 of the 2019 season when he was with the Steelers.
- The Cowboys still have a ton to play for as they try to secure the NFC East and get an extremely important home playoff game. A win gets them that.
- The Cowboys offense has been significantly worse away from AT&T Stadium, furthering their need for a home playoff game. Even though this game is on the road it is against a Washington defense that is 32nd in the league in points against and has allowed at least 27 points in seven consecutive games.
- This could be the final game of the Ron Rivera era in Washington. The team did not have a winning record in any of his first four seasons.
- Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has already set franchise records for receptions (122) and receiving yards (1,651). He also has 19 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
- It is simple for the Packers: Win, and they are in. It is identical to the situation they faced in Week 18 a year ago at home. They did not win that game.
- Packers quarterback Jordan Love has thrown 16 touchdowns to only one interception over the past six games. The Packers are 4-2 in those games.
- The Bears are not going to be a pushover in this game. They are 5-2 over their past seven games, quarterback Justin Fields is playing well and their defense has been outstanding since adding Montez Sweat at the trade deadline.
- The Packers are 9-0 against the spread against Chicago going back to the 2019 season.
- Losers of four of their past five games, the Eagles need a win and a Cowboys loss to claim the NFC East title. Otherwise, Philadelphia will be the No. 5 seed and travel to play the NFC South champion during Wild Card Weekend.
- The only victory for the Eagles during December was at home over the Giants (33-25) on Christmas. Jalen Hurts finished with 301 passing yards. It was his first 300-yard passing game since Week 8 and just his fourth of the season.
- Philadelphia has defeated New York five straight times, including last season’s divisional round triumph (38-7). Hurts has accounted for 10 total touchdowns (seven passing, three rushing) and thrown just two interceptions during this run.
- Saquon Barkley needs 84 rushing yards for 1,000 this season. He’s reached this milestone three other times in his career (2018, ’19, ’22). The Eagles are giving up 103.1 rushing yards per game.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
- This is what the NFL had in mind when it made every regular season end with only divisional matchups, a winner-take-all for the division.
- The Buffalo Bills could either finish as the No. 2 seed in the AFC (with a win) or miss the playoffs entirely. That is a wide range of results.
- The Dolphins are coming off an embarrassing 56-19 loss in Baltimore that was also very costly physically. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury while quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was banged up late. Both injuries happened with the outcome already decided.
- The Dolphins are trying to win their first division title since the 2008 season.
(Photo of Josh Allen: Danielle Parhizkaran / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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