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. Are there any NFL games on today, or was last Wednesday a simple anomaly?
NFL’s Condensed Week 18 Schedule
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.
As for Wednesday, last week was Christmas, and the NFL decided they wanted to take back the holiday from the NBA with two marquee matchups. This week, the NFL is giving us a break and only returns on Saturday. You can find the full schedule for this week below.
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.
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)
Eliminated From Playoffs
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
14. Chicago Bears (4-12)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
16. New York Giants (3-13)
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)
Eliminated From Playoffs
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
11. New York Jets (4-12)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
14. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
15. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
16. New England Patriots (3-13)