The final week of the 2024 NFL regular season is here, and for some teams, there isn’t much to play for as they already have their playoff berth set or, worse yet, have been eliminated from contention. for the playoffs.
However, for other teams that are not on either end of the spectrum, the stakes are high, making this week a must-win situation while also looking at the rest of the league.
If we look at the current playoff picture, there is only one playoff spot available in both the AFC and NFC. In turn, four games in the AFC and three games in the NFC have playoff implications for nine teams in total, either simply making the playoffs or seeding within the bracket.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, No. 8, leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Let’s break down what teams and matchups we’ll see in Week 18, starting with a potential playoff breakthrough team in the AFC:
BALTIMORE RAVENS (vs. Cleveland Browns) – CLINCHED
Lamar Jackson and company have already secured their 2024 playoff spot with an 11-5 record, but the AFC North title is still up for grabs with the Pittsburgh Steelers (more on them in a moment) sitting just one game away. behind them with 10. -6.
So with a win or a draw for Baltimore, they would win the division and secure the third seed, which is an automatic home game in the Wild Card Round. They would also be locked out with a Steelers loss.
2024-25 NFL PLAYOFF ODDS: EACH TEAM’S ODDS OF MAKING THE POSTSEASON
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (vs. Cincinnati Bengals) – INSURED
Like the Ravens, the Steelers have already made the playoffs as well, but they want that third seed if they can get it.
Unlike the Ravens, however, they will face a much tougher AFC North foe in the Bengals, who are also seeking an unlikely postseason berth.
However, a slight advantage for the Steelers is that the Ravens will play earlier in the day. This way, they will know their situation when they take the field against Cincinnati. They would win the division title with a victory and a loss for Baltimore.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, #1, runs with a catch in the first quarter of the Week 11 NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, November 17. 2024.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (against the Steelers)
On the other side of this game is a Bengals team that has stayed alive with wins in its last four games to give itself 8-8 and a shot at the final wild card spot.
A fifth straight win is paramount if they want to reach that spot, but they also need things to happen in their favor to have a shot at winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
After a win, the Bengals will need the Denver Broncos to lose and the Miami Dolphins to lose or tie. Only then will Joe Burrow and his all-star team be able to sneak into the playoffs.
DENVER BRONCOS (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs have the AFC’s No. 1 seed set in stone with their league-best 15-1 record, so they will rest most of their starters on Sunday in preparation for the bye week and to ensure that key players like Patrick Mahomes are healthy for the Divisional Round.
For Bo Nix and the Broncos, however, they have the same plan they needed a couple of weeks ago: win and get in. The Broncos have lost two straight games, keeping teams like the Bengals and Dolphins alive in the playoff hunt.
Can this 9-7 group led by their standout rookie quarterback and stellar defense get Denver back to the postseason for the first time since they won the Super Bowl in 2015? They won’t see the usual Chiefs and will be home to get the job done.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, #10, throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, September 8, 2024 in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
MIAMI DOLPHINS (@New York Jets)
Like the Bengals, the Dolphins need some help to make the playoffs, but Cincinnati isn’t in the cards.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will need to beat their AFC East rival at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and have someone watch the Broncos-Chiefs matchup because they’ll need a Denver loss along with their win to claim that final playoff spot.
DETROIT LIONS – MINNESOTA VIKINGS: BY NFC NO. 1 SEED
This is perhaps the best game that Week 18 has to offer NFL fans, because the No. 1 seed in the NFC will be determined by who wins the NFC North.
Both the Lions and the Vikings are 14-2, as the latter has started a nine-game winning streak and will host the former on “Sunday Night Football” in a highly anticipated fight between two teams that each would love host all matches. playoff games except the Super Bowl.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, No. 14, looks to throw against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
If that wasn’t enough, the loser would be the #5 seed, not the 2-4 seed, as those are reserved for division winners. Being the No. 5 seed means going on the road to face the winner of the NFC South (that’s just a second away).
Buckle up, football fans. Two of the best offenses faced off in Week 18 with tons on the line. It’s playoff football without the real elimination.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS OR ATLANTA FALCONS?
Once again, the NFC South hasn’t been pretty, but Week 18 provides some suspense as both the Bucs and Falcons will go for that last playoff spot, and it will only be secured by the division title.
Tampa Bay has the advantage, however, as a win over the Carolina Panthers at home would ensure they win the division no matter what happens with the Falcons’ game against the New Orleans Saints.
However, if the Bucs lost and the Falcons won, Atlanta would win the division.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, #6, goes down against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. (Images by Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn)
However, you’re saying they would have the same 9-8 record? Kirk Cousins may no longer be Atlanta’s starting quarterback, but he had two of his best games of the season against Tampa Bay, leading to the Falcons wins in both matchups. A clean sweep in the regular season means the Falcons own the tiebreaker over the Bucs, which would crown them NFC South champions.
Both games will take place at the same time, 1 pm ET, creating the perfect amount of suspense for fans of both franchises.
