We have ascended to the final week of the 2023-24 NFL regular season, and there sure is a lot on the line this weekend. With no Thursday Night Football to fill our lives, we look ahead to the Week 18, which starts on Saturday. Our Week 18 NFL Power Rankings will provide a recap of what happened in Week 17, as well as what is at stake in the final week.
With the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers both having already locked up their conference’s respective No. 1 seeds, they will be resting their starters in a meaningless game. But there with four seeds in the AFC and six seeds in the NFC still up for grabs, Week 18 should produce plenty of fireworks.
1. Baltimore Ravens (no change)
This game was far from close, as the Ravens laid an absolute beat-down on the visiting Miami Dolphins, winning by 37 points. Buoyed by 21-point second and fourth quarters, the Ravens put it on cruise control early and coasted into the AFC’s top seed and to the top of our NFL Power Rankings.
Lamar Jackson was only asked to throw the ball 21 times, with five of those completions resulting in touchdowns. Looking like the MVP favorite, Jackson is leading the Ravens into an AFC North divisional clash against the Steelers in a game that has no playoff ramifications for Baltimore.
2. San Francisco 49ers (+1)
It may not have been the blowout many predicted, but the 49ers earned a 17-point win over the Commanders, clinching the NFC West division in the process. While big games from their offensive stars were not really needed, both Brandon Aiyuk (7/114) and Deebo Samuel (72 total yards) found the end zone in their win.
Resting their stars just like the Ravens, San Francisco plays host to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
3. Dallas Cowboys (+3)
A ‘lucky’ win to some, the Dallas Cowboys put themselves in pole position to take home the NFC East crown, a result not many thought was possible entering the season. With the Philadelphia Eagles stumbling here late, Dallas has continued their strong play all season, led by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
A road matchup with the Washington Commanders awaits Dallas, and all they need is a win to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC and win the division.
4. Detroit Lions (no change)
Marred with controversy, the Detroit Lions dropped a crucial game for NFC playoff seeding, thanks to poor, late-game calls from the referees and a questionable two-point conversion from Dan Campbell.
Given three tries at that fateful conversion, the Lions ultimately came up short, and it certainly wasn’t without controversy. With the division wrapped up, Detroit is still playing for seeding, even though they are a heavy favorite to land in the no. 3 spot in the NFC hierarchy.
5. Miami Dolphins (-3)
Another game in which the Dolphins played a better team than them, and another game in which the Dolphins got their doors blown off. Being absolutely torn apart by Baltimore is nothing new for the NFL this year, but for Miami to suffer this bad of a loss shows that maybe they aren’t as good as we think they are.
Having struggled all season against teams with winning records, they face off in an AFC East winner-takes-the-division matchup with Buffalo, and this one could be an all-timer.
6. Cleveland Browns (+1)
Apparently, it doesn’t matter what type of defense Joe Flacco faces. He is just on another level ever since he joined the Cleveland Browns. A three-TD game from Flacco cemented the Browns in the fifth spot in the AFC playoffs, with their Week 18 matchup against the Bengals not counting for anything playoffs-wise.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
Needing a win to keep on track to take home the NFC East division, the Eagles laid a goose egg against the Cardinals at home, dropping a stunner. With a last-gasp Hail Mary being intercepted in the end zone, the Eagles saw their chances of taking home the divisional crown only hanging on by a thread.
Needing a win plus a Dallas loss to take the East, it’s an uphill and unlikely battle for Philly to win, even though they do face the New York Giants.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (+1)
Your three-seed in the AFC playoff bracket is the Kansas City Chiefs, who pulled away from the Cincinnati Bengals to lock up the AFC West division. While their chances at winning the division never really seemed low, Kansas City has nothing more to accomplish in the regular season after locking it up in Week 17.
9. Buffalo Bills (-1)
The possibilities are endless for the playoff chances of the Buffalo Bills, as they can finish as high as second or as low as missing the playoffs completely. A matchup with the Dolphins is all that stands in their way, and it should be one of the best games of Week 18.
With Josh Allen needing to put up a big game after struggling to throw the ball lately, the Bills have to lay all their cards on the table, especially after their Week 17 win over the New England Patriots got them here.
10. Los Angeles Rams (+1)
A one-point win over the Giants helped the Rams clinch a playoff berth, and dependent on their Week 18 outcome (plus other factors), they will either hold the sixth or seventh spot in the NFC playoffs.
Puka Nacua has been on fire for the Rams all year, and it looks like he will be playing in a meaningless game for the Rams, as he only needs four receptions and 29 receiving yards to break the NFL rookie record in both categories.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1)
Dropping a crucial Week 17 NFC South matchup makes Week 18 a crucial week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and all they need is a win to clinch. The offense could not get anything going in their home loss, as they only put up 13 points.
Facing the hapless Carolina Panthers, Baker Mayfield and company should be able to take this game easily – but weirder things have happened. A win would almost certainly guarantee that the Buccaneers find themselves in the top 10 of our NFL Power Rankings next week.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)
With five playoff-clinching scenarios on the table for the Pittsburgh Steelers, their Week 17 win over the Seattle Seahawks was, in a word, huge. Riding on the back of their rushing attack, Pittsburgh yet again covered up their sub-par quarterback play and earned a crucial win.
Fighting an uphill battle with only the seventh and final seed in play, Pittsburgh’s path to the playoffs requires some help from plenty of their AFC foes.
13. Green Bay Packers (+2)
A win-and-in scenario awaits the Green Bay Packers in Week 18, who left no doubt after humbling the Minnesota Vikings on New Year’s Eve. Jordan Love has looked like a rock star down the stretch this year, and he was en fuego against Minnesota, tearing apart their blitz-heavy attack.
Facing the Chicago Bears to close out their season, the Packers need a win to get into the NFC bracket. And while they wouldn’t be expected to make it far, there might not be many teams that would actually want to play the surging Packers, who have been steadily maintaining a top-15 standing on and off this season in our NFL Power Rankings.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (+2)
Shutting out Carolina helped put the Jacksonville Jaguars in the driver’s seat to win the AFC South division in Week 18, and their matchup with the Tennessee Titans is all that stands in their way.
With Trevor Lawrence fighting through injuries this year, this Jacksonville team has gone through it all. But with an 83 percent chance to make the postseason (and 69 percent chance to win their division), Week 18 could be a very good end to the season for the Jaguars.
15. Indianapolis Colts (+2)
Even after Anthony Richardson went down with a season-ending injury, the Indianapolis Colts refused to quit – and they are one win away from earning a trip to the playoffs. Holding on against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17 allowed Indy to put themselves in position to make a postseason run, and there still is even a shot that they win the division too.
16. Houston Texans (-3)
A 23-point win over the Titans helped keep the Houston Texans in the AFC playoff chase, and they enter Week 18 with a decent chance of making that come true. While they still can win the division, a win plus a loss from Jacksonville or losses from Jacksonville and the Steelers puts Houston into the postseason for the first time since 2019.
17. Seattle Seahawks (-7)
A costly home loss to the Steelers in Week 17 makes the playoff chances for the Seahawks quite slim. Needing a loss by Green Bay and a Seattle win, the Seahawks travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals, who are red-hot after their win over the Eagles.
Seattle could not stop the run at all, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren set the game pace for Pittsburgh. Not needing to rely on the passing game a lot, Seattle wasn’t able to control the ball long enough to put up enough points, leading to their loss.
18. New Orleans Saints (+4)
It’s an outside chance, but there is hope for the New Orleans Saints to make the postseason still, and they don’t have to win the division to do so. A win over the Buccaneers last week helped keep them in contention, and a win plus another Tampa Bay loss would push the Saints into an unlikely postseason bid, which would be quite a fun way for the Saints to move up in our NFL Power Rankings.
19. Atlanta Falcons (+5)
Even after a blowout loss at the hands of the Bears, the Atlanta Falcons need a win and a Buccaneers loss to win the NFC South. Their QB troubles aside, this roster somehow has kept their head above water just enough to remain in contention.
Facing the Saints, who are fighting for their own playoff lives in Week 18, should make for one of the better matchups of the weekend — which might seem tough to say.
20. Minnesota Vikings (no change)
Jaren Hall wasn’t the answer in the first half for the Vikings, and it was too big of a hole for Nick Mullens to pull the offense out of, so the final day of 2023 resulted in a blowout loss to the Packers.
Minnesota, who is mostly out of the playoff picture, has quite the offseason ahead of them. Needing to find a quarterback, as well as having a premium draft selection, are only some of the headlines that the Vikings will need to address after they face Detroit in Week 18.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)
It is surprising how well the Bengals played once they lost Joe Burrow for the season, and a lot of that praise should be given to Jake Browning. Stepping in for Burrow, Browning looked more than capable of taking the keys to the offense, which helped keep Cincy afloat for a while.
While dropping their matchup with Kansas City last week, the Bengals do have a chance to earn an above .500 record if they beat the Browns on Sunday, which would be the cherry on top of a season many expected to go off the rails with Burrow’s injury.
22. Denver Broncos (-4)
With the Denver Broncos now out of playoff contention, all eyes turn back to the Russell Wilson saga and where he will be playing next season. While they did earn a Week 17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver is out of the running in the AFC and will face the Raiders in a game that matters only for draft positioning and our NFL Power Rankings.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (-9)
Out of playoff contention, the Raiders now will have an eye toward their future, which will include finding both a new general manager and head coach. With Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelley filling in on interim roles, this team has actually looked like a united front lately.
Dropping their Week 17 matchup against the Colts pushed their eyes towards the 2024 NFL offseason, where the Raiders will once again have a chance to right the ship and actually field a competitive roster, even though they were a much tougher opponent than many expected this season.
24. Chicago Bears (-1)
It is shocking to think that the Bears were still in playoff contention heading into the later part of this season – but they now can set their sights on the NFL Draft, where they hold the top selection from Carolina.
Having thrashed the Falcons by 20 points in a snowy affair last week, it was quite clear that Justin Fields has plenty left to offer, and he seems willing to still offer it to the Bears. It just depends on if they are willing to keep him on their roster next season or not.
25. New York Jets (no change)
Wrapping up the final Thursday Night Football game of the season, the New York Jets managed to put up 20 points in their loss to the Browns. A disastrous season that had a lot of promise when it began only has one more game left before it’s over.
A matchup with the Patriots in what could be considered the Toilet Bowl matchup, the Jets could manage to win seven games, which would be a pretty big feat after losing Aaron Rodgers in the first game and finding themselves moving all over in our NFL Power Rankings.
26. New York Giants (+1)
It remains to be seen if Daniel Jones will be back as the starting QB for the Giants, but the offense very clearly missed him this season, even with Tommy DeVito putting up a Goliath-like run.
This team has a lot of holes on it, so many that it’s possible that the upcoming offseason won’t be long enough for them to address all of them. Having dropped a close game to the Rams the week prior, a matchup with the Eagles is all that is left for this squad.
27. Tennessee Titans (-1)
After only putting up a lone field goal in Week 17, the Titans have a chance to play spoiler in what could be Derrick Henry’s final game with the only NFL franchise he has called home. Facing the Jaguars, the Titans could turn both the AFC South and the AFC playoff race on its head if they were to upset Jacksonville, which would be a funny ending to what was a season filled with growing pains and uncertainty in our NFL Power Rankings in Tennessee.
28. Arizona Cardinals (+3)
While they only have four wins on the season, the Cardinals have made them count, winning four games against four teams who are still in the playoff hunt (Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh).
Their road upset win over the Eagles in Week 17 flipped the NFC playoff picture on its head, giving the Cowboys a clear path to winning the East. With head coach Jonathan Gannon entering his first full offseason, his comments about Kyler Murray’s future help clear up a decision this team was going to need to make here soon.
29. Los Angeles Chargers (-1)
Easton Stick has stepped in for Justin Herbert and the Chargers, and the tough season that had a ton of promise when it began is on its last leg. Hosting the Chiefs in the final game, it will be interesting to see if Austin Ekeler or Keenan Allen have suited up for the final time in powder blue, or if SoFi Stadium will see them once again next year.
30. Washington Commanders (-1)
Sam Howell is clearly not in the long-term plans at quarterback for the Commanders, and the fact that he leads the league in interceptions paints a fair picture as to why.
Holding a premium draft pick in a draft with a few rookie QBs ripe for the taking, Washington’s Week 18 matchup with Dallas should be nothing more than a dress rehearsal for both players and assistant coaches, especially with the prevailing opinion that Ron Rivera won’t be the head coach here next season.
31. New England Patriots (-1)
Bill Belichick’s time leading the Patriots could be ending soon, as rumbles have been popping up about his future in Foxborough. A storied career leading some of the best teams in the league could be drawing to a close, with plenty of roster questions needing to be answered this offseason.
Facing the Jets in what could be his final game with the franchise, Belichick will look to go out on top in a matchup that he has been a part of quite a few times over his coaching career in the AFC East.
32. Carolina Panthers (no change)
The future of the Panthers looks bleak at this point, especially since they do not have their first-round selection this year. Entering yet another head coach hiring cycle, plus with their owner caught on camera throwing a drink at a fan, and you have a franchise that is stuck in the mud.
Carolina ends its struggle of a season against the Buccaneers, and while a win is quite unlikely, the hope is that maybe, just maybe, Bryce Young can put together a solid performance to round out his rookie season. Having spent most of their time in the basement of our NFL Power Rankings is hopefully not a trend they repeat again next season.
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