Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerIncluded Columnist IVDecember 30, 2024
Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Images
Just 2 areas are up for grabs in the 2024 NFL playoff race heading into Week 18, however the stakes stay fairly high with a lot delegated figure out in regards to seeding.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared all of the numerous possibilities for this Saturday and Sunday.
Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero
Every NFL seeding circumstance getting in Week 18, through << a href="https://twitter.com/RealJackAndrade?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">> @RealJackAndrade<: << a href="https://t.co/5EkM16aRM6">> pic.twitter.com/5EkM16aRM6
Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero
And here are the Week 18 clinch situations: << a href="https://t.co/R0c2TxM89h">> pic.twitter.com/R0c2TxM89h
3 of the leading 4 seeds are protected in the AFC, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills leading the top of the conference and the AFC South champion Houston Texans secured at No. 4. There’s less certainty in the NFC, where the Philadelphia Eagles are the only group that currently understands its fate. Even the Detroit Lions, the No. 1 seed getting in Week 17, might lose the NFC North and slip to the 5th seed with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota vs. Detroit getting bent into the Sunday Night Football slot suggests how it’s perhaps the single greatest clash in the last week.
Their previous conference decreased to the wire, with Jake Bates nailing a 44-yard basket with 15 seconds staying to provide the Lions a 31-29 triumph.
Detroit Lions @Lions
CLUTCH << a href="https://twitter.com/jakebates30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">> @jakebates30> #DETvsMIN<|FOX << a href="https://t.co/0h4IAxgA5o">> pic.twitter.com/0h4IAxgA5o
Beyond simply winning the department, finishing the season sweep of Minnesota would verify Detroit is a champion competitor in spite of all of the injuries it has actually needed to crucial gamers.
Need to the Lions lose, on the other hand, it would create some angst that all of their effort in the routine season will eventually be for naught in regards to reaching the Super Bowl.
Over in the AFC, the fight for the last wild-card area will be the story to follow since of the ramifications for whoever loses out.
Must the existing standings hold, the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals would be going home.
While Miami signed head coach Mike McDaniel to a multiyear extension in August, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Dec. 11 that “some have their eye on Miami and question whether there’s a modification if things end terribly this season.” At the minimum, McDaniel may be opening 2025 on the hot seat if he just has 2 Wild Card Round exits to reveal for his very first 3 years at the helm.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler likewise reported on Dec. 4 that Bengals coach Zac Taylor was dealing with comparable concerns with his group sitting at 4-8. While Cincy is riding a four-game winning streak, going 2 straight years without playoff football would raise apparent issues about the franchise’s instructions under Taylor.
The Dolphins and Bengals got in the season with high expectations,
