It is Week 18, and the NFL has plenty of games with playoff implications on the line. Some are just seeding, but there are games where it is win or go home for some. There are plenty of great players who put up excellent seasons (Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow) who could see their seasons completely end this year without having a crack at the postseason. That is the beauty of the National Football League. And on any given Sunday, there could be fireworks. Here are our Top 3 2024 NFL Games Week 18.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
It’s been a rollercoaster year for the Buccaneers who started off by beating the Lions and Eagles and then went on a massive slump before steering the ship back in the direction of a winning streak. They currently control their destiny in the NFC South. It is simple, win and in for Tampa. If they lose and the Falcons win their game versus the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta will win the South. I see no reason for the Bucs to stumble in this game. The Saints will be without Derek Carr for another game and their defense has been gashed week after week. In their first contest this year, Tampa hung 51 points on the Saints, and this Bucs offense is on fire. Mike Evans is chasing another 1000-yard season, and I think he will have a big game in his sights. This is the weakest division in the NFL, but the Bucs can be dangerous when hot. Prediction: Buccaneers 34 Saints 24
Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers
This game is important for two reasons. The Bengals must win and then receive some help (losses from Miami AND Denver) to even make the postseason. For the Steelers, if they win, they claim the crown in the AFC North and get pivotal home field advantage. The Bengals have been a bit of an enigma this entire season. Joe Burrow has put together an MVP campaign on a team that has played like a middle of the pack squad all year. Their defense has been taken advantage of plenty of times, they have lost a few absolute heartbreakers and there have been plenty of injuries. But right now, it seems like they are put together. The Steelers were hot out of the gates when Russell Wilson took over but have cooled off considerably. Three straight losses have pumped the brakes on this team’s momentum. If they lose and the Ravens win, Pittsburgh will claim a wild card spot. Their defense isn’t the typical Steelers D that we are used to. I think Burrow finds a way to exploit that. Prediction: Bengals 30 Steelers 27
Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions
This could be the matchup of the regular season. Both Detroit and Minnesota are fighting for not only the NFC North title, but also the 1-seed in the NFC. That means the winner of this game gets a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. How important is that? Detroit’s last bye week was Week 5, and the Vikings bye was Week 6. Those are the two earliest bye weeks you can have in the NFL so a little rest would go a long way for both squads. The Lions got the best of the Vikings the first time around, winning 31-29 in a thriller that ended with a game-winning field goal from the Lions with 15 seconds remaining. This should be an offensive shootout. Detroit had no answers for a mediocre San Francisco offense a week ago and we have seen the Vikings give up chunks of points plenty of times this year. Everything is on the line in this game, and I favor the bolder head coach. Prediction: Lions 34 Vikings 30