NFL Week 18 playoff implications: 9 teams head into final regular season game with stakes

Last week in 2024 NFL Regular Season is here, and for some teams there isn’t much reason to play because they’ve already secured their playoff spot, or worse, been eliminated from playoff contention.

However, for other teams not on either end of the spectrum, there is everything to play for, making this week a must-win situation while also looking at the rest of the league.

Looking at the current playoff picture, there is only one open playoff spot in both AFC and NFC. On the other hand, four games in the AFC and three games in the NFC have playoff implications for a total of nine teams, whether it’s a simple playoff or seeding within a bracket.

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Let’s dive into which teams and matchups to watch in Week 18, starting with a potential team that will make a deep playoff run in the AFC:

BALTIMORE RAVENS (vs. Cleveland Browns) – WON

Lamar Jackson and company already have their spot in the 2024 playoffs at 11-5, but the AFC North title is still up for grabs with the Pittsburgh Steelers (more on them in a bit) just one game behind them at 10- 6.

So with a win or a tie for Baltimore, they would clinch the division and lock up the No. 3 seed, which is an automatic home game in the Wild Card round. They would also lock those up with a Steelers loss.

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS (vs. Cincinnati Bengals) – WON

Like the Ravens, the Steelers have also already made the playoffs, but they want that No. 3 seed if they can get it.

However, unlike the Ravens, they will be going up against a much stronger AFC North foe in the Bengals, who are also making a run at an unlikely postseason berth.

A slight advantage for the Steelers is that the Ravens will be playing earlier in the day. So, they will know their situation when they take the field against Cincinnati. They would clinch the division title with a win and a loss in Baltimore.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (vs. Steelers)

On the other side of this game is a Bengals team that stayed alive with wins in the last four games to secure an 8-8 score and a chance for that last wild card slot.

A fifth straight win is paramount if they want to reach that spot, but they also need things to go in their favor to have a shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

After the win, the Bengals will need the Denver Broncos to lose and the Miami Dolphins to lose or tie. Only then can Joe Burrow and his all-star team sneak into the playoffs.

DENVER BRONCOS (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)

The Chiefs have the top seed in the AFC set in stone with their league-best 15-1 record, so they will rest most of their starters on Sunday in preparation for a bye week and ensure 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 few weeks ago: Win inside. 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 starting quarterback and stellar defense get Denver back to the postseason for the first time since they won the Super Bowl in 2015? They will not see their usual bosses and will be at home to get work done.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (@ New York Jets)

Like the Bengals, the Dolphins need help to make the playoffs, but Cincinnati isn’t on 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 game as they will need a Denver loss along with a win to clinch the final playoff spot.

DETROIT LIONS – MINNESOTA VIKINGS: FOR NFC NO. 1 SEEDS

This might be the best game Week 18 has to offer NFL fans, as the No. 1 seed in the NFC will be determined by who wins the NFC North.

The Lions and Vikings are both 14-2 as the latter snapped a nine-game winning streak and will host the former on “Sunday Night Football” in a highly anticipated battle between two teams that would each like to host every single playoff game except for the Super Bowl .

If that’s not enough, the loser would be the #5 seed – not #2-4 because those are reserved for the division winners. Being the No. 5 seed means going on the road against the winner of the NFC South (more on that in just a second).

Buckle up, football fans. Two top offenses battling in Week 18 with tons on the line. It’s playoff football without real elimination.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS OR ATLANTA FALCONS?

Once again, the NFC South wasn’t pretty, but Week 18 brings a bit of uncertainty as both the Bucs and Falcons will be fighting for that final playoff spot, and it will only be secured by a division title.

Tampa Bay has the upper hand, though, as a win over the Carolina Panthers at home would secure the division win no matter what happens with the Falcons’ game against the New Orleans Saints.

However, if the Bucs lost and the Falcons won, it would be Atlanta who would win the division.

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However, they would have the same 9-8 record, you say? 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 the Falcons to wins in both games. The clean sheet in the regular season means the Falcons own the tiebreaker over the Bucs, which would crown them NFC South champions.

Both games will be played at the same time, 1:00 PM ET, which will create the perfect amount of suspense for fans of both franchises.

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