The NFL knew exactly what it was doing when it added an extra week to the NFL season in 2021. This wasn’t about adding an extra game for the sake of playing one more game, though the league isn't going to gawk at an extra week to line its pockets. The result though is one more week to watch meaningful football.
The NFL is pairing guaranteed division games with the ability to flex the most anticipated matchups into the primetime windows, and all eyes should be on what unfolds in the final week of the regular season. And while every bit of it was intentional, luck needed to be on the league's side. With two division titles still up for grabs and both No. 1 seeds undecided, Week 18 is loaded with games that actually matter, the best case scenario for both the NFL and its fans.
How Week 17 set up must-watch television in Week 18
Week 18 is only as good as last week's outcomes. Had these things not happened, the final week of the regular season would not have been as riveting as it’s set up to be.
- Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens losing to set up winner-take-all Week 18
- Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose; Atlanta Falcons win for possible 3-way tie scenario
- Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers wins set up winner-take-all for No. 1 seed in NFC
- Chicago Bears loss knocks them out of No. 1 seed contention
Thanks to the above, Week 18 has a lot at stake. Even for the teams not mentioned, like the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, each of whom need a win and the other to lose to get the No. 1 seed. If both win, then it gets even more chaotic to decide the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could backdoor their way into a first-round bye as well with the right situation. Although neither them nor the Houston Texans need a win to get in, they both need a win to determine the AFC South champion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were so obsessed with keeping Myles Garrett from getting the sack record that they forgot to game plan the rest of the game against Cleveland, and thus, they were handed their worst loss of the season to the Browns. That also meant their division title race and playoff hopes were put on hold for a week.
Every game matters, regardless of the opponent. Every game could have a domino effect on the final playoff seedings.
Primetime gold: The NFL is winning with standalone windows
With three standalone windows in the final slate of the NFL regular season, the NFL is winning on all fronts. They get two Saturday games and then one more in the final NFL game of the season on Sunday night. Don’t get me wrong, nothing beats the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET games, but in terms of boosting their ratings, it’s a massive win getting some of the biggest games of the season in standalone windows.
Week 18 starts with the Carolina Panthers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the NFC South tiebreaker scenarios are wild. Carolina can clinch the division with a win, and Tampa Bay needs both a win and Falcons loss. If Atlanta wins, regardless of what happens, the Panthers will get in. But, if Tampa Bay wins, that means NFC South fans will have to wait until Sunday to determine who wins the division.
On Saturday night, the Seahawks and the 49ers will duke it out for the division title and No. 1 seed. Sam Darnold has deja vu from last year when the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings were in the exact same position. What better way to show you’ve learned from last season than shining in the spotlight with no other games going on.
To finish the regular season, Baltimore travels to Pittsburgh. This is the penultimate Week 18 game: Winner takes all. The entire NFL playoff field will be set by the time the Sunday night game kicks off except for one team. The winner of the Ravens and Steelers will determine the AFC North division winner, thus making that game the perfect way to wrap up another regular season and kickstart the postseason.