NFL Week 18 predictions: Projecting every game on NFL schedule this week

While the Cleveland Browns pulled off an upset over the Baltimore Ravens in their last meeting, a lot has changed since. Primarily, Baltimore’s defense has been outstanding over the last six weeks – 171.2 passing yards per game and 75.5 QB rating allowed – which should open the door for a two-score win. Baltimore could take a sizeable early lead in this one and with the No. 3 seed in the AFC locked up with a win, rest their starters in the fourth quarter to keep everyone healthy for the Wild Card round.

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Even if our NFL Week 18 predictions for the first Saturday matchup prove accurate, the Pittsburgh Steelers will still have something to play for on Saturday night. A loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a Los Angeles Chargers win on Sunday over the Las Vegas Raiders, would push Pittsburgh into the No. 6 seed for a rematch against the Ravens. Alternatively, winning versus Cincinnati means a matchup against the Houston Texans. With that said, we just don’t trust a Steelers defense that has been abysmal versus the past over the last 5 games – 108.6 QB rating, 70.3% completion rate and 13-4 TD-INT ratio allowed – against Joe Burrow in a must-win game.

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The Carolina Panthers have an opportunity to play spoiler in Week 18, as a win would knock the Atlanta Falcons out of the playoff mix. However, the absence of running back Chuba Hubbard in combination with the worst defense in the NFL – 111.4 QB rating and 15 passing touchdowns allowed in the last six games – doesn’t bode well for Carolina. Michael Penix Jr. should have a strong performance in this one, but Bijan Robinson will be the star. Of course, this win still requires a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss for Atlanta to win the NFC South.

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The Washington Commanders clinched a playoff spot, but rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels still has plenty to play for in Week 18. With a victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Washington clinches the No. 6 seed in the NFC and a playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead of the Philadelphia Eagles. With how well Daniels has played over the last four games – 13-4 TD-INT, 109.8 QB rating and 72.06% completion rate – the Commanders should be able to cruise to a win versus a short-handed Cowboys roster.

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The Green Bay Packers have locked themselves into one of the lowest seeds in the NFC. Even if Green Bay beats the Chicago Bears early on Sunday afternoon, they’ll still be locked into the No. 7 seed with a victory from the Washington Commanders. It sets up a scenario where if the Commanders are winning big, Matt LaFleur might pull some starters late in the game to preserve them for the playoffs. The Packers should still not have much trouble dismantling the Chicago Bears, but protecting some guys for the Wild Card round could make the final score closer.

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The Tennessee Titans have clearly thrown in the towel on this season and a loss would lock them into a top-three pick. It sets up the most favorable situation for the Houston Texans, who can at least attempt to use this as a get-right game for the offense. Unfortunately, nothing we’ve seen from C.J. Stroud or this Texans offensive line suggests any positives from a Week 18 performance will carry over into the playoffs. This will be the Texans’ last win of the season.

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The NFL schedule worked out pretty favorably for the Denver Broncos, drawing a win-and-in scenario against a Kansas City Chiefs team with nothing to play for. While Andy Reid might give a few starters some run, since this team won’t play again until the Divisional Round, rest will be the priority. That opens the door to a Broncos’ victory, with Bo Nix becoming the first Broncos rookie quarterback to lead this team to the playoffs since John Elway.

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The only stakes in this matchup might be both head coaches trying to save their jobs. Shane Steichen has a much better chance of sticking around, but the Indianapolis Colts have ended this season on an abysmal stretch. Ultimately, this game might come down to which locker room is more willing to fight for their head coach in one last game. We’re going with the team whose head coach hasn’t thrown his players under the bus during post-game press conferences this season.

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If our NFL Week 18 predictions for Saturday unfold, the Los Angeles Chargers can clinch the No. 5 seed with a win on Sunday. That would be massive, allowing Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert to avoid a Wild Card round matchup against the Baltimore Ravens and instead face the slumping Houston Texans. Even without that added incentive, we’d feel very confident picking the Chargers to put a hurting on the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday.

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With a win in Week 18, the Los Angeles Rams secure the No. 3 seed and a first-round matchup likely against the Washington Commanders. It’s probably a more favorable draw than the Green Bay Packers, as the Rams’ offensive weaponry – Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp – could feast on Washington’s defense. As for this game, we expect the young Rams’ defensive line to wreak havoc in the Seattle Seahawks’ backfield, leading to a win for Los Angeles.

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With the Buffalo Bills locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed, there’s no incentive to play starters for very long in Week 18. Josh Allen might get a few drives to pad his NFL stats for MVP, but the primary motivation for the Bills coaching staff in this one should be coming out of Sunday’s game healthy. As for the New England Patriots, losing secures the No. 1 pick and might provide the push Robert Kraft needs to make a coaching change.

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The New York Jets aren’t tanking, but the post-game comments coming out of Sunday’s loss made it clear most of the team is checked out on the season and ready for major changes. That’s great news for the Miami Dolphins, who have a history of feasting on bad teams. This matchup does kick off at the same time as the Denver Broncos game, so Miami might have a good idea by the fourth quarter of if it even has a playoff spot to compete for.

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With the NFC’s No. 2 seed locked up, we certainly won’t see several Philadelphia Eagles stars suiting up in Week 18. Saquon Barkley has also made it clear he’s not particularly motivated to break the single-season rushing record if it jeopardizes the Eagles’ Super Bowl hopes. However, the Eagles locker room and coaching staff will be motivated to get it for him. We’re predicting Barkley breaks the record (101 yards needed) in the first half and then sits out the rest of the game.

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It’s a young Arizona Cardinals team looking for positive momentum to carry over into the offseason versus an injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers roster that is counting down the seconds until Week 18 is over. With a banged-up offensive line and many in the 49ers organization just ready for the season to end, we expect James Conner and the Cardinals to power their way to a victory and finish with an eight-win season that should be considered a major accomplishment.

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There are two primary motivations for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. First, defeating the New Orleans Saints so the Bucs can host a Wild Card game. Second, get Mike Williams 85 receiving yards so he can finish with his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season. Expect both to be achieved on Sunday afternoon.

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If the Detroit Lions are healthy, this could be the best NFL game of 2024. Unfortunately, the Lions don’t have a viable pass rush right now and Sam Darnold from a clean pocket is an MVP quarterback. Jared Goff will absolutely have an answer for Brian Flores’ defense, just as he has in their last three meetings. Unfortunately for Detroit, its injuries in the front seven are what will cost it the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Our hope is that we see a rematch in the NFL playoffs, which would be an all-time classic.

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