2024 NFL Week 18: Sunday’s standout games and what to look out for
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — It’s the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season and there is still plenty to play for.
Whether it be playoff seedings, a spot in the postseason or the 2025 draft order, Sunday’s games are set to have a dramatic impact.
Here’s a look at three of Sunday’s standout matchups.
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1 p.m. ET
There is only one spot left up for grabs in the NFC playoff picture and it is in the NFC South.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently occupy that spot with a 9-7 record but, heading into the final game of the season, they sit just a game ahead of the Atlanta Falcons.
A Falcons loss on Sunday at home to the Carolina Panthers will seal the Bucs’ ticket to the postseason while Atlanta needs a victory and a Tampa Bay loss at home to the New Orleans Saints to advance to the playoffs.
The Falcons have been boosted in recent weeks by a switch at quarterback, with the benching of Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie passer Michael Penix Jr. breathing life into a previously stale offense.
In just his third start for the team, it is a lot to ask of the 2024 No. 8 pick, but offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has been impressed by Penix’s maturity since stepping in and thinks he’s got a bright future.
“He sees the game like a veteran quarterback. And he’s obviously played a lot of football, which helps. But he just has that natural eye for the game too,” Robinson told reporters on Thursday. “When he was 17 years old, he still saw the game the right way.
“And obviously, he just has that natural football instinct, the things that you like about any quarterback, so he’s very critical of himself … But understands, shoot, there’s a lot that goes into this. He needs some time on task with these guys. And he keeps saying, ‘Man, it’s going to come, it’s going to come.’ But doesn’t mean that he still thinks he’s going to hit every single throw, which he should.”
For the Bucs, they could end their injury-plagued season with a spot in the playoffs with a victory on Sunday. Also on the line when Tampa Bay hits the field is star wide receiver Mike Evans continuing his historic streak in the NFL.
Evans is looking to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and needs 85 yards on Sunday to hit the mark for the 11th straight campaign.
Tampa Bay is 4-0 this season when Evans has over 85 receiving yards, so for quarterback Baker Mayfield, the team’s goals and his wideout potentially making history go “hand in hand.”
“Let’s put things in perspective,” Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday. “You’re talking about tying somebody (Rice) that has all receiving records across the NFL throughout history.
“You’re talking about somebody that’s consistently been somebody in this community that has raised people up, continued to be the face of this franchise and be there for people, so that record is important for us. To get him to that – obviously, winning is the most important part, but those two things go hand in hand.”
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots – 1 p.m. ET
While the Buffalo Bills’ spot in the postseason is cemented and the New England Patriots’ elimination confirmed, there are two main storylines heading into the Week 18 clash between the two AFC East rivals.
Firstly, Bills quarterback Josh Allen is looking to put the final touches on his Most Valuable Player campaign with a strong finish against the Patriots.
Allen has been excellent in his seventh season in the NFL, leading the Bills to a 13-3 record and the No. 2 spot in the AFC. Despite having a cast of offensive weapons who might not be household names before the season, Allen has shone and appears to be battling Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for the award.
Allen has not won the award yet in his career while Jackson is going for his third. And while both would be deserving winners, the narrative of Allen possibly taking the Bills to the promised land after years of heartbreak could get him over the line.
The other thing on the line is the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Patriots currently own the rights to the No. 1 pick after an underwhelming 3-13 season and with many areas of the team needing to be addressed in the offseason if they are to improve in 2025.
If New England loses on Sunday as many expect the team to do, the Patriots will hold onto the top pick and get their choice at the best players coming out of college; Colorado’s Travis Hunter is predicted by many to be the No. 1 pick after a Heisman Trophy-winning season.
The Bills could rest some of their starters which might give the Patriots an opportunity to end the season with a win and, if that was to happen, the results of the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants’ games will all be vital with the four teams tied on the same record.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions – 8:20 p.m. ET
The game of Week 18 is an obvious one.
The Minnesota Vikings travel to the Motor City to face the Detroit Lions with not only the NFC North division title on the line, but also the No. 1 spot in the conference and home-field advantage throughout the postseason up for grabs too.
Both teams have 14-2 records and arguably the most well-rounded rosters in the NFL as the regular season comes to a close. Per the NFL, the 28 combined wins between the two teams are the most shared by two teams in a regular-season matchup in NFL history, besting the previous mark of 25 set by the 2007 Patriots (15-0) and Giants (10-5), and the 2005 Indianapolis Colts (13-1) and Seattle Seahawks (12-2).
The Lions have held the No. 1 spot for the majority of the season, but a slew of defensive injuries as the weeks have gone by – the team could get linebacker Alex Anzalone back on Sunday though, providing a huge boost for the middle of the defense – has forced the team’s offense to step up and match what their opponents are able to put up.
The team’s defensive injury woes have meant more responsibility falling on the shoulders of quarterback Jared Goff and he’s thrived under the pressure, with his performance in Detroit’s Week 17 win over the San Francisco 49ers marking his fourth straight game with three or more passing touchdowns, the longest streak by a Lions QB in the Super Bowl era. Since Week 11, Goff leads the NFL in passing yards per game (331.1) and touchdowns (20).
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell spoke about his anticipation ahead of the season finale.
“This is exciting, but it’s not like it’s the playoffs,” Campbell told reporters. “So yeah, for where we’re at, it’s the next one and it is exciting, but it’s – we all know it’s still going to come down to the prep and we’ve got to put the work in.
“It’s going to start today, we’ll be out there in walkthrough, and then, man, you put your best foot forward and you give your guys all you can, you cut them loose and let them go make plays and see where you stack up. So, that’s the exciting part.”
On the other side, the Vikings are hoping to cap off a magical season by finishing with the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
A campaign which began with starting QB JJ McCarthy being ruled out of his rookie year after suffering a meniscus tear could now end with Sam Darnold completing his return to NFL relevancy.
Darnold has been excellent after struggling since entering the league and has been helped by the offensive play-calling of head coach Kevin O’Connell and the skill position players at his disposal; the wide receiver trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor has been excellent while Aaron Jones has surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in his first season in Minnesota.
The Vikings defense has also been excellent, with coordinator Brian Flores likely to be on everyone’s list for a head coaching role next season due to Minnesota’s success.
All in all, Sunday’s game is massive and a must-see in terms of the postseason picture and we could see fireworks in Detroit.
Full Week 18 Sunday schedule
Away @ home
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons – 1 p.m. ET
Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys – 1 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers – 1 p.m. ET
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts – 1 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots – 1 p.m. ET
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles – 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1 p.m. ET
Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans – 1 p.m. ET
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals – 4:25 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos – 4:25 p.m. ET
Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders – 4:25 p.m. ET
Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets – 4:25 p.m. ET
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions – 8:20 p.m. ET
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