NFL Game Week 18 - Schedule, Best Picks & Where to Watch
Welcome to the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season. The chaos of week 17 has perfectly summed up this year, with the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders all winning games to potentially ruin their draft position. Each team spent time inside the top two picks in recent weeks, but now they’ve fallen to pick four or worse, showcasing how quickly things can shift. As we head into Week 18, nine teams with four or fewer wins could see their draft outlook change drastically based on this weekend’s results.
With so many teams likely to sit their starters, this tussle at the top of the draft order will be one of the most intriguing things to watch in this final week of the regular season, but, don’t worry, there is still plenty to enjoy from a playoff seeding perspective. Here are some games we think are worth keeping an eye on.
As always, visit our NFL page for up-to-date timings and broadcast information for the full slate.
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
- Date & Time: Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 8:20 p.m. ET
- Venue: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
- Broadcast Details: NBC, Peacock
Where else could we start other than this incredible matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, with the NFC one-seed on the line? Both Sam Darnold and Jared Goff have delivered MVP-caliber seasons, operating two of the best offenses in the NFL.
The Detroit Lions enter this game as the highest-scoring team in the NFL, with 33.3 points per game, but their defensive injuries have made them vulnerable on that side of the ball. They have conceded 31 points or more in three of their last four outings, and looked destined to play in high-scoring affairs until at least some of their starters return to the lineup. Thankfully, they can out-score just about anyone, having posted at least 34 points in each of those last four outings, including two games over 40.
They will be tested this week against a very talented Minnesota defense, coached by one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, in Brian Flores. The Vikings are conceding just 18.8 points per game, which is fourth best in the NFL, and the second-fewest rushing yards per game, with 88.1. On top of that, they rank inside the top 10 for opponent completion percentage, whilst ranking third with 47 sacks and first with 22 interceptions.
It is a scary unit to go up against, especially in the knowledge that Minnesota will rack up points when they have the ball on offense. Sam Darnold is in imperious form, averaging a passer rating of 106.4 on the season, and linking up beautifully with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and co., en route to 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns. With Detroit vulnerable on defense, Sam should be very excited for this opportunity to put up points, and it will just come down to whether or not his talented defense can get a couple of stops against the Lions' league-leading offense.
Prediction/Analysis:
This is an incredibly close game to call, and it is worth noting that Detroit will benefit from playing on their home field. However, their defense is, by a long way, the weakest unit on the field, and Minnesota's all-around quality should give them the edge.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
- Date & Time: Saturday, January 4, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
- Broadcast Details: ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, Fubo Sports
For neutral NFL fans, one of the most intriguing storylines to watch for this weekend is whether the Cincinnati Bengals can somehow find a way to sneak into the playoffs. They will need a couple of other results to go in their favor, which many neutral fans will be rooting for, in the hope that the league’s hottest quarterback, Joe Burrow, can get another opportunity on the playoff stage. Even if they don’t, this game is worth watching simply because it could be the last opportunity to watch Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins all on the same field, with Higgins rumored to be leaving this off-season.
Their opponents this week are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who already have a playoff berth guaranteed, but will be motivated to win, as a loss for the Baltimore Ravens would then give the Steelers the AFC North title. These divisional clashes are always a thrilling watch, and it will be interesting to see if Burrow can continue his good run of form against a Steeler defense that is holding opponents to just 20.5 points per game, which is seventh best in the NFL. Pittsburgh are giving up just 4.1 yards per carry, which is sixth best in the NFL, suggesting Cincinnati’s best plan of action will be to simply let Burrow do his thing.
For Pittsburgh, they are on a disappointing three-game losing skid, in which they have failed to score more than 17 points in any game. Whilst there is no shame in losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs, considering they are three of the best teams in the NFL, the manner in which they have lost has led many to argue that the Steelers' 10-6 record is fraudulent. They will be eager to disprove that narrative, and get one over on their fearsome rivals this Saturday.
Prediction/Analysis:
How can you bet against Joe Burrow at this moment in time, especially against a Pittsburgh team that has lost three on the bounce? Whilst still far from perfect, the Bengals have also shown signs of improvement on defense, and they should be able to get the win here to keep their slim hopes of playoff football alive.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
- Date & Time: Sunday, December 29, 2024, at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
- Broadcast Details: CBS, Paramount+
A clash that features the Kansas City Chiefs backups wouldn’t normally be worthy of inclusion on this list, but, the fact of the matter is, this game holds the key to the AFC playoff picture. If the Denver Broncos can get a win against these Chiefs backups, then they are in, and the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals will have to settle for watching the action from the sofa.
Despite Kansas City likely resting a good number of their most important starters, this will still be a test for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. After all, there are only so many players Andy Reid can leave out, and Big Red and Steve Spagnuolo will still be doing everything in their power to win the game as two of the best coaches in the NFL. Furthermore, Carson Wentz is one of the better backup options in the NFL, and more than capable of playing well in this offense.
The problem is, that he will be going up against a Denver defense that ranks fifth in the NFL with just 19.4 points conceded per game. They are stingy on the ground, giving up just 3.9 yards per carry, which is second-best in the NFL, and have produced the most sacks with 58.
On offense, Denver also ranks inside the top 10 for points scored, with 24.2 per game. Nix is coming into the game on a run of two consecutive outings with a passer rating of over 100, and he showed off his big play ability with two stunning touchdown passes against the Bengals last week. Can the rookie keep his cool and get the job done against an under-manned Chiefs defense, who he has already played well against earlier this year?
Prediction/Analysis:
The Denver Broncos would be foolish to overlook even the Kansas City Chiefs backups, but it is hard to imagine Sean Payton not finding a way to get a win here to give him his first playoff berth as head coach of the Broncos. This will be a tough test for his rookie quarterback, but his defense is absolutely good enough to take the pressure off and get the job done.
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
- Sunday Jan 5th, 4:25 p.m. | Fox, Fubo Sports
The other game of note in the AFC playoff picture could be an intriguing one, with Miami needing to get a win over their rival New York Jets in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. They will need a Denver loss as well to make that happen.
Author: Venuse, Inc.