Week 17 was one for the ages. In the middle of the holidays, the NFL gave us five days of football, spanning Wednesday to Monday. Now, we head into Week 18 and fans are certainly curious as to when the NFL will return again. Thursday Night Football has been a staple for the NFL for quite some time. Are there any NFL games on today, or was last Thursday’s snoozer between the Seahawks and Bears the last of the year?
NFL’s Thursday Night Football Has Come to an End
As we head into a new year, Week 18 is a little bit different. With some games having major playoff implications, the NFL only announced the times and days of this week’s games when Sunday Night Football of Week 17 finished.
What does that mean for Thursday Night Football? Well, there won’t be an NFL game on Thursday this week. With teams not knowing when they played until Sunday night of Week 17, a quick turnaround for Thursday night would likely have been too much. So, instead, we can all look back fondly at Seattle’s 6-3 win over the Bears last Thursday as we wait for more NFL action this weekend.
2024’s Thursday Night Football Results
- Week 1 (Sept. 5): Kansas City Chiefs 27, Baltimore Ravens 20
- Week 2 (Sept. 12): Buffalo Bills 31, Miami Dolphins 10
- Week 3 (Sept. 19): New York Jets 24, New England Patriots 3
- Week 4 (Sept. 26): Dallas Cowboys 20, New York Giants 15
- Week 5 (Oct. 3): Atlanta Falcons 36, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 (OT)
- Week 6 (Oct. 10): San Francisco 49ers 36, Seattle Seahawks 24
- Week 7 (Oct. 17): Denver Broncos 33, New Orleans Saints 10
- Week 8 (Oct. 24): Los Angeles Rams 30, Minnesota Vikings 20
- Week 9 (Oct. 31): New York Jets 21, Houston Texans 13
- Week 10 (Nov. 7): Baltimore Ravens 35, Cincinnati Bengals 34
- Week 11 (Nov. 14): Philadelphia Eagles 26, Washington Commanders 18
- Week 12 (Nov. 21): Cleveland Browns 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 19
- Week 13 (Nov. 29 – Black Friday): Kansas City Chiefs 19, Las Vegas Raiders 17
- Week 14 (Dec. 5): Detroit Lions 34, Green Bay Packers 31
- Week 15 (Dec. 12): Los Angeles Rams 12, San Francisco 49ers 6
- Week 16 (Dec. 19): Los Angeles Chargers 34, Denver Broncos 27
- Week 17 (Dec. 26): Seattle Seahawks 6, Chicago Bears 3
Week 18 NFL Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 4
- Browns at Ravens, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
- Bengals at Steelers, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
Sunday, Jan. 5
- Giants at Eagles 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Bills at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Texans at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Panthers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Commanders at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Bears at Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Saints at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Jaguars at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Chiefs at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Chargers at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Dolphins at Jets, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- 49ers at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Seahawks at Rams 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Vikings at Lions, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
NFL Playoff Bracket Heading Into Week 18
With this being the final week of the regular season, the playoff bracket will finally be decided.
When it comes to important games, this week will see the biggest of the year for the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. The two will face off on Sunday Night Football, the winner getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the NFC North title. The loser will drop to a Wild Card spot with the No. 5 seed.
In the AFC, three teams are fighting for the final Wild Card spot, with the Denver Broncos currently in seventh. Denver will be playing a win-and-get-in game against the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad as the team rests its starters, having already locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are both hoping for that final spot with a Broncos loss. If Denver loses the game, and both Cincinnati and Miami win, the Dolphins will squeak into the playoffs thanks to their tie breaker over the Bengals.
On Saturday afternoon, the Browns and Ravens will faceoff in an AFC North showdown. If the Ravens win, they lock up the division. If they lose, then the Steelers can win the division on Sunday. If both teams lose, the Ravens get the crown.
NFC Playoff Race | Week 18
1. Detroit Lions (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
In The Hunt
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
AFC Playoff Race | Week 18
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
In the Hunt
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)