Week 18 NFL preview capsules
Carolina Panthers (8-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN)
FanDuel odds: Buccaneers -3, Total 43.5
Series Rewind: Tampa has won five of the past six meetings but Carolina claimed the victory in a potential turning-point game two weeks ago, 23-20.
It’s not exactly a winner-takes-all situation when the NFC South rivals meet for the second time in three weeks. The Panthers can dictate their fate when it comes to qualifying for the postseason. Carolina clinches the division with a win or a tie against the Buccaneers, plus the Panthers have a bit of a safety net. If the Atlanta Falcons defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, that result would also shove the Panthers into the playoffs. QB Bryce Young, whose team has alternated wins and losses over the past 10 games, led the Panthers to a win over Tampa Bay in Charlotte on Dec. 21 to give Carolina the slight upper hand. The Buccaneers have lost four consecutive games — all by four or fewer points — and have dropped seven of their past eight outings. Tampa Bay is truly in a must-win situation. Six of Carolina’s victories this season have come by three-point margins. It definitely feels different for the Panthers as the regular season comes to an end with an important game ahead. In recent years, they played just for pride to finish the schedule.
Seattle Seahawks (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
Saturday, 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -1.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: The second meeting of these teams follows a 17-13 victory in Week 1 for the 49ers, San Francisco’s seventh win in the past eight meetings in the series.
With the No. 1 seed and NFC West title on the line, the Seahawks are hoping to snap the 49ers’ six-game winning streak and stay home for the playoffs after a bye on wild-card weekend. The 49ers are riding the hot hand of QB Brock Purdy, who has posted back-to-back games with five offensive TDs. Purdy had two TD passes and 277 yards through the air in the opener at Seattle and rushed for two touchdowns with three TD tosses in a shootout that tilted San Francisco’s way against the Bears last week. The Seahawks have also won six straight and have only lost once since Oct. 5. The 49ers have overcome season-ending injuries to defensive stalwarts Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to move into position to earn home-field advantage through the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, with a victory. The Seahawks’ big concern is at left tackle. Charles Cross will miss his third straight game due to a hamstring injury. His backup, Josh Jones (ankle/knee), is listed as questionable after missing two practices and returning Thursday in a limited capacity. While Seahawks QB Sam Darnold has been productive, his history of his road-game challenges became relevant again last week with a shaky showing at Carolina. Seattle ran the ball effectively with a heavier dose of Zach Charbonnet (11 rushing TDs this season) tallying a season-high 110 rushing yards.
New Orleans Saints (6-10) at Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX)
FanDuel odds: Falcons -3, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: The Falcons defeated the Saints 24-10 on Nov. 23, which tied the all-time regular-season series at 56-56.
Rookie QB Tyler Shough is acquitting himself nicely since the decision by the Saints to make a switch at QB1. He had 333 passing yards, two TDs and a 142.7 passer rating last week. New Orleans has four consecutive wins and wraps up the regular season without top TD producer Chris Olave, who landed on injured reserve this week after scoring nine of the team’s 26 offensive touchdowns. Atlanta has three wins in a row and became a factor in the NFC South playoff picture by proxy with a win over the Rams on Monday. The Falcons can play a spoiler role if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers, which puts the division postseason entry in the hands of Atlanta. If the Falcons win after a loss by the Panthers, Carolina would still advance to the postseason as division champion. They’ll put the game in the hands of RB Bijan Robinson. He tallied a career-high 195 yards rushing and scored twice last week.
Cleveland Browns (4-12) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Bengals -7.5, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: The Bengals have won five of the past six meetings.
The Bengals escaped with a narrow 17-16 win in Cleveland in the opener when Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal. Cleveland started current Cincinnati backup Joe Flacco in that game. The Bengals aim to close out the regular season with their first three-game winning streak of the season after blowout wins over Miami and Arizona in the past two weeks. The 45-21 victory in Week 16 at Miami followed by a 37-14 romp in Week 17 against Arizona at home marked the first time the Bengals won back-to-back games by a margin of 20 or more points since Weeks 6-7 in 2021. Cincinnati’s offense has exploded in the last two weeks, earning season highs in first downs (29) and net yards (429) against Arizona. On defense, the Bengals tallied four sacks and held the Cardinals to 42 yards rushing. The Browns enter after their most emotional win of the season, a 13-6 defeat of rival Pittsburgh last Sunday in their home finale in Cleveland. The biggest storyline for the Browns heading into the season finale continues to be star defensive edge Myles Garrett and his pursuit of the NFL single-season sack record. Entering with 22 on the season, Garrett had two sacks of Joe Burrow on Sept. 7. Garrett’s 15 sacks in 13 games against Cincinnati are the most in his career against any opponent.
Indianapolis Colts (8-8) at Houston Texans (11-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Texans -10.5, Total 38.5
Series Rewind: The Texans have won five of the past six meetings against the Colts.
A ninth consecutive victory for the Texans would put the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) in a must-win spot to claim the AFC South. The Texans previously clinched at least a wild-card berth but winning the division and getting a home playoff game would rate as a much better situation. The Texans have ridden their top-ranked defense during the solid winning streak in which they have won by 10 or more points on just two occasions. Houston is coming off a 20-16 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers, another playoff team. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 244 yards and tossed scoring passes of 75 yards to Jayden Higgins and 43 yards to Jaylin Noel in the opening six minutes. Indianapolis was flying high with an 8-2 record entering a Week 11 bye. But Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was playing with a fractured fibula and then tore an Achilles in Week 14 against Jacksonville. Indianapolis continued to plummet, as signing 44-year-old Philip Rivers to a contract couldn’t stop the losing streak from reaching six games and eliminating Indianapolis from the playoffs. Riley Leonard, a sixth-round selection in last April’s draft, gets his first career start for the Colts with nothing on the line Sunday.
Tennessee Titans (3-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
FanDuel odds: Jaguars -12.5, Total 47.5
Series Rewind: The Jaguars have won six of the past seven games in the series and defeated the Titans 25-3 on Nov. 30.
The Titans have won two of their last four games and QB Cam Ward is finishing his rookie season with a kick. He’s going for a fifth consecutive game with two or more touchdowns, but Tennessee averages only 17.3 points per game this season. The Jaguars are steamrolling into January with seven wins in a row and have no trouble putting up points. QB Trevor Lawrence leads a Jacksonville offense which had scored 34-plus points in its last three games and 24-plus points in eight straight before encountering a bit of a wall against the Colts. The offense amassed 370 yards — its fourth most in a game this season — but three turnovers inside the Colts’ 25 stymied the Jaguars’ scoring. Lawrence threw his first interception in five games and had just his third game without a touchdown this season, his first since Week 9 vs. Las Vegas. Jacksonville’s defense picked up the slack, allowing just seven points over Indianapolis’ final nine possessions after Indianapolis leapt out to a 10-0 lead on its first two drives. With two fourth-quarter interceptions, the Jaguars defense is up to 21 on the season, tying the franchise record and the second most in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Packers -8.5, Total 36.5
Series Rewind: Green Bay defeated Minnesota 23-6 on Nov. 23, but the Vikings have won two of the past three meetings.
The Packers want to get healthy heading into the playoffs, where they already have clinched a wild-card berth. This weekend’s game will do nothing to change their No. 7 NFC playoff seed. Green Bay has no shot at the NFC North division title after the Chicago Bears claimed that last week. The Packers know they will open the playoffs on the road next weekend, with the opponent and starting time to be determined. Packers quarterback Jordan Love cleared the league’s concussion protocol, but coach Matt LaFleur announced Thursday that third-stringer Clayton Tune will start instead. Backup Malik Willis, who has started with Love out, also is dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries. Tune has made 14 appearances in the NFL and is 0-1 as a starter. His lone start came in 2023 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. There is far less indecision in Minnesota, where J.J. McCarthy is set to make his 10th start in his first season of NFL action. McCarthy missed all of last season because of a knee injury. An ankle injury cost him five games early in the 2025 campaign, and he sat out another contest while in concussion protocol. McCarthy was sidelined last week due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, but he returned to full practice late this week. He has 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first nine games.
Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) at New York Giants (3-13)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
FanDuel odds: Cowboys – 3.5, Total 49.5
Series Rewind: The Cowboys are 16-1 in the past 17 meetings with the Giants.
The Giants ended an eight-game losing streak and by defeating the Raiders last week, are likely out of the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
Quarterback Dak Prescott enters Week 18 with a league-high 4,482 passing yards, 34 ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford. Prescott could become the first Dallas quarterback to lead the NFL in aerial yardage. While Dallas aims for a .500 finish, New York could still earn the No. 1 overall pick if Kansas City beats the Raiders thanks to an inferior strength of schedule. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for 207 yards on 22-of-30 passing while adding 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Dart’s nine rushing scores are a franchise record for a quarterback and the third most by a rookie QB in NFL history. Dart could end his first year in the league with a bang. The Cowboys own the league’s worst passing defense (253.6 yards per game allowed) and are tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed (33).
New York Jets (3-13) at Buffalo Bills (11-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Bills -1.5, Total 50.5
Series Rewind: Buffalo has won five of the past six meetings with the Jets.
The Bills bid a likely farewell to Highmark Stadium where the franchise is 246-163 record dating to the original nameplate of Rich Stadium when it opened in 1973 and later Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo will play its home games in a new facility next season and already has a playoff spot secured, but the Bills’ streak of five straight AFC East titles ended when last weekend’s 13-12 loss to Philadelphia handed the division title to New England. That also means the Bills will hit the road to begin the playoffs. The Bills can be seeded as high as No. 5 for the AFC playoffs if they beat the Jets, but their seeding will depend on the results of Week 18 games that involve the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville and Houston. The Jets have lost their last four games and six of their last seven. When New York coach Aaron Glenn was asked Wednesday how he felt about his job security, he said his focus is on Sunday’s game. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, has completed 69.3% of his passes this season. He’s thrown 25 touchdown passes and has been intercepted 10 times. Allen has also run for 14 TDs, which is third in the NFL, but he has been dealing with a foot injury and didn’t practice Wednesday. McDermott said Allen is moving in the right direction. Although Tyrod Taylor has returned to the Jets after dealing with a personal situation, Glenn said rookie Brady Cook will be the starting quarterback Sunday. It will be the fourth straight game Cook has started. He has one TD pass and seven interceptions during that span.
Detroit Lions (8-8) at Chicago Bears (11-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bears -3, Total 50.5
Series Rewind: Detroit destroyed the Bears when they met in September, a 52-21 final and the Lions’ sixth victory in the last seven games against the Bears.
The Chicago Bears, surprisingly, are playing for a higher playoff seed with the NFC North title already clinched. The visiting Detroit Lions, unexpectedly, are playing for pride. Chicago lost any chance of gaining the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs when it dropped a 42-38 thriller to San Francisco on Sunday night. The Bears can still gain the No. 2 seed with a win over the Lions or a Philadelphia home loss to Washington. In that scenario, the Bears would host Green Bay during the wild-card round next weekend. The Bears would be the No. 3 seed with a loss to Detroit and a Philadelphia victory. Chicago would then host either the Los Angeles Rams or the 49ers in the wild-card round. Williams exceeded 300 passing yards for the first time this season against San Francisco, throwing for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He can become the first QB in franchise history to reach 4,000 yards in a season by throwing for 270 yards on Sunday. Detroit fell out of the playoff race by losing three straight following a win over Dallas to open the month of December. The Lions were held to 231 total yards and quarterback Jared Goff was sacked five times in a 23-10 loss to Minnesota on Christmas Day which formally ended the team’s playoff hopes. Goff plans to play against the Bears.
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) at Denver Broncos (13-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Broncos -12.5, Total 37.5
Series Rewind: The Chargers are undefeated in the AFC West. Broncos QB Bo Nix lost for the third time in three career tries when the teams met Sept. 21 in Los Angeles.
The Chargers stumbled last week and the Broncos clinched the division when Los Angeles lost at home to Houston. The Chargers head to Denver as a wild-card team trying to secure the highest seed for the playoffs. They could be anywhere between the fifth and seventh seed, but would fall no further than sixth with a win. The Broncos would secure the AFC No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and homefield advantage for the postseason with a win. QB Justin Herbert won’t play for the Chargers on Sunday, improving the Broncos’ chances of getting the top seed. Herbert, who has been playing through a fractured left hand since Week 13, has thrown for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and has a career-high 498 rushing yards. Denver will face Trey Lance, who is 7-for-13 passing for 90 yards in three games this season. The Broncos have been without running back J.K. Dobbins for the past six games after he had season-ending foot surgery, and rookie RJ Harvey has become the lead back. He has 512 yards rushing on 131 carries and 46 receptions for 351 yards with 12 total touchdowns. Nix has nearly matched Herbert’s stats for the year. He has 3,790 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and has rushed for 307 yards and five more scores. Nix has spread the ball around but his top receiver is Courtland Sutton, who has 73 receptions for 1,012 yards and seven touchdowns. It is the second straight season and third time in his eight-year career he has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards.
Arizona Cardinals (3-13) at Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
FanDuel odds: Rams -7.5, Total 45.5
Series Rewind: Arizona has one victory over the Rams in the past five head-to-head meetings.
If the Seattle Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, then Los Angeles will land the No. 5 seed with a win. That will put the Rams on the road to open the playoffs with a less daunting challenge against the NFC South champion. A 49ers win or a Rams loss makes Los Angeles the No. 6 seed with a visit to either Chicago or Philadelphia ahead in the wild-card round. Stafford has thrown a franchise-record 42 touchdown passes, but he threw a season-high three interceptions in a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday that was a blow to his MVP chances. He also had two interceptions in a Nov. 30 loss at Carolina. He tossed just two picks in the Rams’ first 11 games. The Cardinals are playing out the string in a disappointing season that has them on an eight-game losing streak following a 37-14 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday. Kyler Murray is done for the season with a foot injury sustained in a devastating Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans, who scored 16 fourth-quarter points. Jacoby Brissett has taken over and completed 64.5% of his passes in 13 games (11 starts) with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. At issue has been a Cardinals defense that has allowed 35.0 points per game during the current losing streak. That includes allowing a season-high 45 points to the Rams in a Dec. 7 blowout loss.
Miami Dolphins (7-9) at New England Patriots (13-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
FanDuel odds: Patriots -11.5, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: New England claimed a 33-27 win at Miami on Sept. 14, the Patriots’ first win over the Dolphins in three seasons.
The Patriots can win 14 games in a season for the first time since 2016 when they won Super Bowl LI and can clinch the top seed in the AFC plaoyffs with a win over the Dolphins and a loss or tie by the Denver Broncos against the L.A. Chargers. New England would like this pursuit to be its sole focus but has been dealing with legal issues surrounding two key players — receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. The Patriots were fresh off celebrating their first division title since 2019 when reports surfaced of Diggs facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation, and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident that took place on Dec. 2. Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 23. In an unrelated incident, Barmore faces a misdemeanor charge of one count of assault and battery on a family/household member alleged to have occurred on Aug. 8. New England coach Mike Vrabel said before the team’s practice Wednesday he hadn’t heard anything that would keep either player from being available to play against Miami, though Diggs’ status for the postseason remains unclear. The Patriots’ tumultuous week came after a stress-free 42-10 victory over the New York Jets during which quarterback Drake Maye threw a career-high five touchdown passes. Maye threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another in Week 2 when the Patriots beat the Dolphins 33-27 in Miami. Since being eliminated from postseason consideration, the Dolphins have turned their focus toward their future over the past two weeks. That has included benching starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Rookie Quinn Ewers is expected to make his third career start — and first on the road — on Sunday. After struggling during a 45-21 loss to Cincinnati in which he threw two interceptions, Ewers bounced back last week and led Miami to a 20-17 win over Tampa Bay. Ewers tossed his first two touchdown passes, committed no turnovers and completed 14 of 22 passes for 172 yards.
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -5.5, Total 35.5
Series Rewind: The Chiefs are 9-1 in the past 10 games with the Raiders.
When the Raiders hired Pete Carroll in January, the expectation was that the Super Bowl-winning head coach would help return the franchise to relevance, with the support of minority owner and decision-maker Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek. At the very least, the belief was that Carroll would be a steadying force for a team that had used four different coaches since 2021. The reality hasn’t matched the expectations, to say the least. The Raiders are even worse under Carroll than they were under the much-maligned Antonio Pierce regime a year ago. The team traded away a star receiver for the second straight season in Jakobi Meyers, and even stalwart defensive end Maxx Crosby had a highly publicized spat with the team after being shut down for the season ahead of their Week 17 loss to the New York Giants. Carroll, 74, has been adamant throughout the season that the decisions he’s made since taking over the Raiders were made with the intention of meaningfully competing in Year 1. The word “rebuild” was essentially forbidden in the facility. As for the Chiefs, it was reasonable to believe this season would have been somewhat of a trip back to earth after three straight Super Bowl appearances. It turned out to be far more humbling. They were eliminated from playoff contention Week 15.
Washington Commanders (4-12) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3.5, Total 38.5
Series Rewind: The Eagles are winners of four of the past five in this NFC East series and aim for a series sweep for the sixth time in nine years.
Philadelphia took both meetings from Washington in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023 and registered a 29-18 victory two weeks ago in Landover, Md. The rematch features a familiar Week 18 NFL storyline with both teams wrestling with whether to play their starters. The Eagles still have a chance to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC — if they beat the Commanders and Chicago loses to Detroit — but reportedly are planning to rest their regulars for the wild-card round. At worst, they will have the No. 3 seed. The Commanders have lost 10 of their last 11 games and have little to play for — other than the proverbial pride and a few potential personal payouts — and may decide to give younger players a chance to audition for 2026. The Eagles will sit quarterback Jalen Hurts and several starters. Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick in 2023, will make his second NFL start in place of Hurts. He also started in Week 18 last year, throwing for 269 yards and two TDs in a 20-13 win over the New York Giants. This season, McKee has completed 3 of 3 passes for 33 yards in three cameo appearances. With Marcus Mariota (quad) ruled out, Washington will give 39-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson his second straight start. Johnson, who has only one win in 10 career starts since he was drafted in 2008, took over after Mariota sustained hand and quad injuries in the Week 16 loss to the Eagles. Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in a 30-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas.
Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
FanDuel odds: Ravens -3.5, Total 41.5
Series Rewind: The Steelers took control of the AFC North race with a 27-22 victory at Baltimore on Dec. 7, Pittsburgh’s fifth win in the past six meetings.
Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North title with a win or tie, while Baltimore (8-8) takes the division crown with a victory. There’s no wild-card consolation prize for the team that doesn’t take the division. The Ravens rebounded from a 1-5 start with a five-game winning streak after their bye. While Baltimore is just 2-3 since Thanksgiving — including a home loss to Pittsburgh on Dec. 7 — the Steelers’ recent scuffles have created an opportunity. A victory last week over a 3-12 Cleveland Browns squad would have clinched Pittsburgh’s first division title since 2020. But the Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggled to find a rhythm offensively with top wide receiver DK Metcalf serving the first of a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NFL. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back contusion) was back at practice for the final three days of the week and proclaimed himself as ready to play after missing last week. Steelers counterpart Mike Tomlin acknowledged the disappointment of missing the chance to earn a playoff berth last week, but said he has “learned to always move forward” and that “frustration doesn’t get the job done.” Visiting Pittsburgh edged Baltimore 27-22 in Week 14, prevailing despite a big afternoon from the Ravens’ ground game. Baltimore rushed for 217 yards (5.4 yards per carry) as Derrick Henry led the attack with 94 yards on 25 attempts. Rodgers went 23-for-34 for 284 yards and a touchdown pass to Jaylen Warren that stretched the lead to 27-16 late in the third quarter. Metcalf contributed seven catches for 148 yards, both season highs in his first campaign with the Steelers.
–Field Level Media
