It is a new year, and that means playoff football is just around the corner. This late in the season, many games are meaningless, but this year, three games hold importance in the Week 18 slate of games. Two playoff spots are left, one in each conference, and the top seed in each conference is not determined yet. In the NFC South, the Panthers and Bucs have a head-to-head for the fourth seed, with the loser’s season over. On Saturday night, in perhaps the most enthralling matchup of the season, the Seahawks play the 49ers for the right to have a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the playoffs, with the loser dropping to the fifth seed. The AFC North also has a massive matchup between rivals, the Steelers and Ravens, in a win and in game for both these teams. These three games highlight the Week 18 games and should make this weekend of football incredible, with games both on Saturday and Sunday.
The first game of the weekend is the Panthers against the Buccaneers, and what is interesting about this game is that neither of these teams has a winning record, yet one of them will be in the playoffs. For years now, the NFC South has not been the cleanest of divisions, and that remains the case for this season. Bryce Young and the Panthers have shown glimpses of brilliance this year with wins against the Packers and Rams, but at the end of the day, they have not been consistent enough, as they have had losses against the Saints (x2), Cardinals, and extremely tight wins against bad teams like the Dolphins and Jets. The Bucs have also not looked good, and after starting the season 5-1, they are 1-7 in their last eight games. Baker Mayfield has not been great, and he has not had a quarterback rating above 75 since mid-October. The Bucs are flailing, but they need to find their best football in this one. In no world are either of these teams legit contenders, but somehow, one of them will be hosting a playoff game next week. Both teams have lackluster offenses that are in the bottom half of the league in points scored and yards a game, so this game will be low-scoring and physical.
 In this game, I have the Bucs winning 27-23 and going to the playoffs. There is a scenario where even if the Bucs win, they will not make the playoffs if the Falcons beat the Saints, and in that case, the Panthers would still make the playoffs. Tampa’s fate lies with the Falcons-Saints game, but I have them beating the Panthers. Mayfield is a better quarterback than Young, and he will get the job done with some of his top guys like Godwin and Evans. This is a get-right game for the Bucs, and they will get it done at home against the Panthers. Carolina has been inconsistent, and I’m not sure what version of them we will see on Saturday. It will be a close game, but ultimately, it will be the Bucs taking this one thanks to a late-game touchdown drive.
The Saturday night game is the one I am looking forward to. It is the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks taking on the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers for the NFC’s one seed. Both teams are on six-game winning streaks, and Sam Darnold finds himself in another Week 18 clash for the top seed. This is a star-studded game and will be a terrific game that will come down to the better quarterback. Purdy has been on a heater in the last month, as he has 13 total touchdowns in his last three starts and is averaging an 86.8 QBR in that span. Darnold, on the other hand, is averaging a 35.5 QBR over his last three starts and has the same number of interceptions as touchdowns thrown, three apiece. Darnold needs to find it here because this game has gigantic implications for Seattle. The Seahawks’ top-six defense has bailed out the recent struggles of Darnold, but they may have a tough time themselves against a Niners offense averaging 38.5 points a game in their last four games. There are tons of talent on both teams, and I’m expecting a high-scoring game that comes down to the final field goal.
It will be an incredible battle between these two amazing teams, but the 49ers will win this game 30-27 and clinch the first-round bye. I still do not trust Darnold in these big games, and while I do think the Seahawks will keep it close against a subpar 49ers defense, Brock Purdy will get it done at home. Purdy has been balling out, and his confidence is at the top of the world right now. Their offense has been electric, and Purdy will have all his top stars like Kittle and McCaffrey in this game. The Niners’ offense cannot be stopped, and they will need to put points on the board. For San Fran defensively, they need to have a lot of focus on Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and apply pressure to Darnold. Darnold gets uncomfortable when he does not have time, and the 49ers have to take away JSN from the game to force the Seattle offense to find other weapons. On the other side, for the Hawks, they have to limit McCaffrey. CMC is a game-wrecker, and the Seahawks cannot get broken down by checkdowns or route running by him. Purdy loves to find McCaffrey, and Seattle has to take away that option. It will be a fantastic game, and I have the 49ers taking down their NFC West rival in primetime.
The final game of Week 18 is an AFC North showdown between the Steelers and the Ravens. The winner of this game is playoff-bound while the loser’s season is over, so this game is enormous for both teams. Pittsburgh had a chance to clinch the division last week, but they suffered a terrible defeat to the lowly Browns, with the final score being 6-13. The Ravens kept their season alive as they won against the Packers in Week 17, and this week, they will have quarterback Lamar Jackson back after he practiced all week. Jackson has been banged up this entire season, but he seems to be at full health now, and Baltimore’s key to winning is pounding the run game for all 60 minutes. Derrick Henry had 36 carries for 216 yards last week with four touchdowns, and if the Ravens can replicate that, they are bound for a win. This is a run-heavy football team, and they need to keep it on the ground and dominate the Steelers’ defense. On the Steelers’ side, they need to figure out a way to produce an offensive spark. They were held to six points last week, and with no D.K. Metcalf, they too need to use their running backs to a high degree. Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren have to be used heavily because the Pittsburgh offense does not have a lot of good options in the passing game, and these running backs will have to carry Pittsburgh to a win. This game will be won on the ground, and it will be a battle of defenses as well between these two foes.
After seeing the Steelers’ last game against the Browns, I am going to take the Ravens to win this one 27-17. Jackson seems healthy, and it seems to me that Baltimore has formulated a clear plan: give the ball to Derrick Henry. Henry will run all over the Steelers in this one, and I do not see how the Steelers will produce points coming off a bad loss to Cleveland. The Ravens got lucky as the Browns beat the Steelers last week, and this week, they will capitalize on the opportunity and head into the playoffs. It will end another mediocre season for the Steelers, and I believe that Baltimore will win this Sunday Night winner-take-all game.
It is the final week of the regular season, and after this week, the seeds will be confirmed, and we will have our full playoff picture. The action is on both Saturday and Sunday, so with no shortage of action, it will be a splendid weekend of football. Who will make it into the playoffs from the scrappy NFC South? Will Sam Darnold and the Seahawks take that crucial one seed in a duel against the 49ers? Can Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry run the Ravens to the playoffs and take the Steelers out of it?