Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The final week of the regular season is here and there's still a few playoff spots open for those who are trying to seek their ticket into the tournament. For the rest of the teams, well at least some of them might be moving on with a new head coach come Monday (also known as Black Monday in the NFL). IN this post, I'll do the latest playoff picture, a Week 18 Preview and Picks to the games, and the Early & Late Game TV Broadcasting Pairings. A lot to do so let's get to work!
Playoff Picture: Week 18
Week 18 offers a few spots open. A couple of division spots and wild card spots are still open for both conferences. Scenarios are abound this week as teams try their hardest to win and get in. Let's start with the NFC.
Seeding
1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) (clinched playoff berth)
2nd seed: San Francisco 49ers (12-4) (clinched NFC West)
3rd seed: Minnesota Vikings (12-4) (clinched NFC North)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) (clinched NFC South)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (12-4) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: New York Giants (9-6-1) (clinched playoff berth)
7th seed: Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
Wild Card Weekend Matchups
Seattle @ San Francisco
NY Giants @ Minnesota
Dallas @ Tampa Bay
In the Hunt
Detroit (8-8), Green Bay (8-8)
Better Luck Next Year
Washington (7-8-1), New Orleans (7-9), Carolina (6-10), Atlanta (6-10), LA Rams (5-11), Arizona (4-12), Chicago (3-13)
If the Eagles win, they win homefield advantage and the NFC East. If the Eagles lose, the 49ers lose and Cowboys win they get homefield advantage as well as the NFC East. If the 49ers win and Eagles lose, they get homefield advantage. For the Seahawks, if they win and the Packers lose, they get in the playoffs. For the Lions, if they win and Seahawks lose, the Lions are in. If the Packers win, they're in. Let's look at the AFC.
Seeding
1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) (clinched AFC West)
2nd seed: Buffalo Bills (12-3) (clinched AFC East)
3rd seed: Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) (clinched playoff berth)
4th seed: Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: Baltimore Ravens (10-6) (clinched playoff berth)
7th seed: New England Patriots (8-8)
Wild Card Weekend Matchups
New England @ Buffalo
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
LA Chargers @ Jacksonville
In the Hunt
Miami (8-8), Pittsburgh (8-8), Tennessee (7-9)
Better Luck Next Year
NY Jets (7-9), Cleveland (7-9), Las Vegas (6-10), Indianapolis (4-11-1), Denver (4-12), Houston (2-13-1)
Should be noted that the Bills-Bengals game hasn't been decided so the Bills dropped out of the #1 seed. At this point, I'm not sure if they can win it. Buffalo would have to win and the Chiefs have to lose. If the Bengals win against the Ravens, they win the AFC North title. The Patriots can get the 7th seed with a win or Dolphins loss and Steelers loss and Jaguars win. Miami can clinch the 7th seed with a win and Patriots loss. The Steelers can clinch the 7th seed with a win and Dolphins loss and Patriots loss. The Jaguars can still lose to the Titans and clinch the 7th seed with a Dolphins, Patriots and Steelers losses. Quite wild in the AFC.
Week 18 Preview
The Eighteenth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Las Vegas, Nevada and finishes in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It will have a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. The week features two Saturday games, eight early games, five late games and a Sunday night game. Both FOX and CBS will have doubleheaders this week being the last week of the regular season. Let's get to the picks!
Week 18 Picks
Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate.
Kansas City (13-3) @ Las Vegas (6-10) (ABC; 4:30 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs beat the Broncos and the Raiders lost to the 49ers. Week 18 starts with a good rivalry game in the AFC West. Both teams don't like each other. The Chiefs have something to play for as they can win and they will likely be guaranteed to get the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Las Vegas doesn't have a lot to play for but they do have Jarrett Stidham up their sleeve. He's not quite the full house that the Raiders would want but he's the best that they got at the moment. Las Vegas could pull off an upset but I don't think they can. I'll take the Chiefs.
Tennessee (7-9) @ Jacksonville (8-8) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Titans
The Titans lost to the Cowboys and the Jaguars beat the Texans last week. It's a huge game in the AFC South as the winner moves on and the loser will likely go home. It will be interesting how the Titans can go if they can get Derrick Henry in the lineup. The status of Ryan Tannehill is up in the air as far as his status. That's the reasoning why they're not looked as highly in this one. Jacksonville seems to be the safer bet as they cut down on the turnovers and their offense looks scary at times. It should be noted that Trevor Lawrence is close to having a 4,000 passing yard season while throwing just eight interceptions. It's a tough task for the Titans to bear as they haven't looked for the last few weeks. I'll take the Jags in a winner-take-all.
Baltimore (10-6) @ Cincinnati (11-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Ravens lost to the Steelers and the Bengals didn't finish the game against the Bills last week. The game could possibly go to the late game window but I'll just go to the early game window just in case. Baltimore really missed an opportunity to silence the Steelers hopes of a playoff berth. Granted they didn't have Lamar Jackson playing for them. We shall see if they can convince Lamar to give it a go against a division rival. The Bengals however could be rusty since they only played roughly nine minutes of the game against the Bills last week. Or perhaps it might not. Joe Burrow will have his guys ready I think.
Carolina (6-10) @ New Orleans (7-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Saints
The Panthers lost to the Buccaneers and the Saints beat the Eagles last week. Both teams don't have anything to play for except for draft position and pride. New Orleans had its best win of the season against Philadelphia. They could very well pull off another win. Carolina is sneaky good and can be also very bad. Their quarterback situation is a bit of a mess but the rest of the team is decent. I think they can build around their running backs D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard. I'll take Carolina with the upset.
Cleveland (7-9) @ Pittsburgh (8-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Browns beat the Commanders and the Steelers beat the Ravens last week. Browns-Steelers rivalry enters a new chapter as the Steelers are hanging on to hope by a thread while the Browns would like nothing more than to play spoiler to their rivals. Cleveland possesses a good running game that can put you on the ground quick. DeShaun Watson hasn't played great since his debut but he can play alright when given the time. I think the Pittsburgh defense will keep him in check. I think it will be a good test to see if the clutch gene runs deep in quarterback Kenny Pickett and see if he can lead the Steelers to victory. He's done it in the last two weeks. I think the Steelers will take care of business and have to see how the rest of the games will play out. At least Mike Tomlin would still have his winning season streak kept alive.
Houston (2-13-1) @ Indianapolis (4-11-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Texans lost to the Jaguars and the Colts lost to the Giants last week. The last time these two teams played was in Week 1. It ended in a tie. Things have changed a lot since then. The Texans are not a great team on either side of the ball. They have a decent running game and some decent pieces in wide receiver. Just not at quarterback. The Colts are mostly the same except for the expectations for them were to be in the playoffs. Both teams aren't playing for a playoff spot but I'll take the Colts in a close game.
Minnesota (12-4) @ Chicago (3-13) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings lost to the Packers and the Bears lost to the Lions last week. A good old fashioned NFC North battle. A black and blue division battle. Both teams will likely play a little harder just to garner pride. Minnesota does have a great record but you have to keep in mind that they have a 11-0 record in one-score games. They have a negative point differential. Chicago is not a good team as their offense is just not that good. It'd be a miracle that they can score 30 points. Both teams don't have a good defense. I think the Vikings will take care of business but against any other team, I don't trust them.
New England (8-8) @ Buffalo (12-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Bills
The Patriots beat the Dolphins and the Bills didn't finish their game against the Bengals last week. It will be interesting to see if the NFL can have the Bills-Bengals game finish in the near future. I've gone back and forth with the prospect of them just declaring it a tie versus having the game play at some point prior to the playoffs. It should be noted that Damar Hamlin's health and well-being should be the top priority. As far as the game itself, the Patriots look like a distant underdog versus their rivals. Buffalo pretty much possesses a good balance of football on either side of the ball. I think it'll be tough for them to put points on the board but the rust for the Bills could be a factor in this game. I'll take the Patriots on a whim.
NY Jets (7-9) @ Miami (8-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Both teams lost last week as the Jets lost to the Seahawks and the Dolphins lost to the Patriots. A make or break situation for the Dolphins as they can get in with a win and possibly a Patriots loss. It really comes down to which team's quarterbacks would I rather go with. On one hand you have the Jets which have a plethora of quarterbacks who have ineptitude. Or you have the Dolphins who could have Tua Tagovailoa back. With two concussions this season would you rather see him back? I doubt it. I'd take Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson before I trust the Jets.
Tampa Bay (8-8) @ Atlanta (6-10) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Panthers and the Falcons beat the Cardinals last week. Both teams aren't playing for much. Tampa has locked up the 4th seed and the NFC South title and won't likely move up or down in the seeding. Atlanta won't even sniff the playoffs. It seems that anytime the Buccaneers are down by 14+ points, Tom Brady finds a way to raise the dead and win. Despite the rough season, Brady has been playing well with 4,610 passing yards with 24 touchdowns. I just question his running game as they don't run the football well and often. Atlanta does that fairly good however. Atlanta is favored in this game for some odd reason. I'll take the Bucs.
Arizona (4-12) @ San Francisco (12-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Cardinals lost to the Falcons and the 49ers beat the Raiders last week. It is a game that means nothing to Arizona but means something to San Francisco. They can win and with some help get the #1 seed in the NFC. Arizona isn't very good and it seems unlikely that they can pull off an upset. At least with a quarterback with the name Trace McSorley. San Francisco seems to be the team that wouldn't likely fall off the cliff like that. I'll take the 49ers.
Dallas (12-4) @ Washington (7-8-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
The Cowboys beat the Titans and the Commanders lost to the Browns last week. Dallas needs to win and hope that the Giants do the same to the Eagles to win the NFC East. Standing in their way is their longtime rival in Washington. Dak Prescott and company should take care of business but could we also see Cooper Rush in the game? Taylor Heinicke could very well start since his head coach Ron Rivera goofed up in thinking his team was still in the playoff hunt. At least not put Carson Wentz in the game. I don't trust Dallas to go far into the playoffs and I don't trust them to take the win in Washington. Then again, I don't trust the Commanders either. Someone has to win right. I'll take Washington in a game of bragging rights.
LA Chargers (10-6) @ Denver (4-12) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Rams and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs last week. The Chargers clinched a playoff berth and won't likely move up or down in the AFC seeding. Denver is going to be playing the spoiler card and the respectability card. With the final game of the season, I would have to imagine the Broncos would like nothing more to get some pride back to end the season and try to build for next year. The Chargers could possibly rest starters but I'm not sure if they need to. Denver isn't very good with a quarterback situation that is messy. I'll take the Chargers but I'm iffy on them.
LA Rams (5-11) @ Seattle (8-8) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Rams lost to the Chargers and the Seahawks beat the Jets last week. The defending champs won't be playing next week as they were eliminated from playoffs a while ago. They haven't had a great season with the hangover being too overpowering to them. Seattle however does have something to play for in this game. If they win, the Lions are out of playoff contention. So if you're a Lions fan, you'll be cheering for Matthew Stafford's team in this game (darn shame he won't likely play). Baker Mayfield kind of fell to earth last week and seems to have to put a better effort against a down but not out Seahawks squad. I'll take Geno Smith and company.
NY Giants (9-6-1) @ Philadelphia (13-3) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Giants beat the Colts and the Eagles lost to the Saints last week. The classic I-95 rivalry rolls into Philly. New York has stated that they will be resting their starters in this game. The opportunity for the Eagles to clinch the #1 seed is at hand. The Giants are willing to give it to them and now they have to finish the job. I would have to expect the two teams will still play their hardest to win. The Giants don't really have an opportunity to move up on the seeding. I would also be wary of how much the Eagles will let Jalen Hurts play in this game as he has had a injury bug the last few weeks. I just hope to see the Eagles get the win.
Detroit (8-8) @ Green Bay (8-8) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Lions
The Lions beat the Bears and the Packers beat the Vikings last week. The regular season wraps up with a do-or-die situation for both teams. Depending on the result of the Rams-Seahawks game, the Lions could possibly still be alive in the playoff hunt. If the Rams win and the Lions win, the Lions are in. If the Seahawks win and the Packers win, the Packers would get in. If the Seahawks win and the Lions win, the Seahawks are in. Anyway, the game could mean nothing for the Lions when it is all said and done. The Packers who were at one point 4-8 and looked dead. It would be something if Aaron Rodgers and company accomplish a feat that they had only completed in 2016 when Aaron Rodgers said to "Run the Table." I hate to say it to you Lions fans but I don't see you guys taking this game. Green Bay looks like the better team. Detroit could win if they can control the ball. I don't see it happening.
Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings
Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings.
CBS Early
New England @ Buffalo
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green
Houston @ Indianapolis
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely
CBS Late
NY Giants @ Philadelphia
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis
LA Chargers @ Denver
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton
FOX Early
NY Jets @ Miami
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston
Minnesota @ Chicago
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth
Carolina @ New Orleans
Jason Benetti, Brady Quinn
FOX Late
Dallas @ Washington
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson
LA Rams @ Seattle
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez
Arizona @ San Francisco
Chris Myers, Robert Smith
For more information on which game(s) are being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2022: Week 18 Maps
2022 Pick ‘Em Records
My record:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8
Week 16: 9-7
Week 17: 12-3
Total: 155-98-2
Cardinal Viking's record:
Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 10-6
Week 17: 9-6
Total: 144-107-2
Previous Picking Records:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2019: 161-94-1
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