Week 18 of the NFL will have a lot on the line as there will be playoff berths and seed jockeying during the regular-season finale.
Heading into Sunday Night Football, there was no schedule for when teams will play. The only known timing was the Saturday doubleheader on ESPN, a pair of Sunday doubleheaders on CBS and FOX, and then NBC hosting the final game of the regular season on Sunday Night Football.
The NFL waited until the last possible moment to release the television schedule to ensure the best matchups. When Sunday Night Football’s overtime game came to an end, the schedule was finally revealed.
NFL Week 18 Television Schedule
The first two games revealed will be played on Saturday with ESPN/ABC’s doubleheader. The Cleveland Browns will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens at 4:30 p.m. ET. That will be followed by the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.
The Steelers have already secured a playoff berth, but they can still win the AFC North title if they win this Sunday and the Baltimore Ravens lose. If that happens, the Steelers would host the Los Angeles Chargers. If Pittsburgh doesn’t win the AFC North, they would be the fifth seed and go on the road in the playoffs against the No. 4 seed Houston Texans.
The Bengals’ path became much more cut-and-dry after the Chargers won last week. They need to finish in a two-team tie with the Broncos at 9-8. With the win over the Broncos, the Bengals narrowed the gap between the two teams to one game and locked up the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Kicking off Week 18 with a Saturday doubleheader! pic.twitter.com/61k3hj08OK
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024
The entire schedule on Sunday has also been revealed.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Giants-Eagles
- Bills-Patriots
- Texans-Titans
- Panthers-Falcons
- Commanders-Cowboys
- Bears-Packers
- Jaguars-Colts
- Saints-Bucs
Sunday, 4:25 ET
- Chiefs-Broncos
- Chargers-Raiders
- Dolphins-Jets
- 49ers-Cardinals
- Seahawks-Rams
The Chiefs have already secured the top seed in the AFC with home-field advantage throughout. With that slot secured, starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes is not expected to play against the Broncos in Week 18. For the Dolphins to make the playoffs, they must defeat the Jets and the Broncos must lose against the Chiefs in Week 18.
MORE: Updated Week 17 NFL Playoff Bracket
The Broncos have two options to make the playoffs: 1) Win vs. the Chiefs, or 2) Dolphins and Bengals both lose in Week 18.
Sunday Night Football Showdown: Vikings vs. Lions
To end the regular season, we get the crown jewel of Week 18. The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Detroit Lions, with the NFC North and NFC No. 1 seed on the line.
VIKINGS VS. LIONS.
WEEK 18.
WINNER GETS THE #1 SEED AND NFC NORTH TITLE. pic.twitter.com/lVRDh40U4M
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024
Entering the season, sportsbooks had the Vikings’ over/under set at 6.5 wins. Now, after defeating the Packers in Week 17, they have won 14 games and have a real shot at winning the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Vikings are the biggest surprise of the 2024 season, and Sam Darnold looks poised for a lucrative payday this offseason. The big question is whether it’ll be with Minnesota (who just drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) or another team.