All the NFL Week 18 essentials you need: Playoff spots on the line. Plus, latest on Antonio Brown.
It's Week 18 ... and the NFL's longest-ever regular season concludes Sunday. Before we dig even deeper, enjoy these:
- Which teams will emerge victorious in Week 18? Our experts make their picks.
- AFC's top seed, two division titles, three wild-card spots on the line in Week 18.
- Derrick Henry could give the Titans' Super Bowl hopes a massive boost.
- Two former NFL head coaches were among the first hires for the reimagined USFL.
Game of the week (AFC edition): Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders - These longtime AFC West rivals square off with a playoff berth on the line. That is, unless, there's chaos in the form of a highly unlikely Jaguars win over the Colts. Then, the Chargers and Raiders would only need to play to a tie for both teams to secure wild-card spots. That scenario would make for a scintillating Sunday night conclusion to the regular season😆.
Game of the week (NFC edition): San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams - The 49ers are in a win-and-in scenario. The Rams need a win to guarantee the NFC West crown and a coveted home playoff game. A 49ers loss opens the door for the Saints to get a wild-card berth. A Rams loss could put the Cardinals in position to win the NFC West.
NFL Week 18: Picks, expert analysis and more
- Week 18 predictions: Paste BN Sports' panel of experts have made prognostications for every game this weekend.
- Playoff picture: The AFC's top seed and the final three postseason berths need to be resolved in Week 18.
- Aaron Rodgers' ignorance shouldn't disqualify him from MVP award: A Chicago-based NFL MVP voter declared he would not cast a vote for Rodgers. Rodgers responded by calling that Chicago sportswriter "an absolute bum." Rodgers' vaccination status doesn't factor into his on-field MVP credentials, Nancy Armour writes.
- GM's presence could cast shadow on Jaguars' coaching search: The Jaguars are trying to move on from the Urban Meyer debacle, but retaining GM Trent Baalke could create some complications in the coaching search, Mike Jones writes.
- NFL ditches controversial test: The Wonderlic test, one of NFL's worst ideas, is dead. Good riddance, Mike Freeman writes.
- Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up heading into Week 18. Where do the Bengals land after last week's win over the Chiefs?
- First-round draft order: Here's how things stand heading into Week 18, with two teams in contention for the No. 1 overall pick.
Antonio Brown saga continues
- What we know about Antonio Brown's 'cover-up' allegations, the Bucs' response; NFL future: The Buccaneers finally released Brown on Thursday, which came after the wide receiver tried to explain what happened on Sunday. Here's the latest on the saga.
- Insufferable Antonio Brown-Bucs soap opera not worth caring about: There are no winners in the saga involving Brown, the Bucs, Tom Brady and Bruce Arians, Paste BN Sports' Nancy Armour writes.
- NFLPA plans to investigate Antonio Brown's claims: Brown has yet to contact the players' union about what transpired Sunday, and details remain scarce.
NFL Week 18 schedule
Saturday
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Washington Football Team at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
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