Lots of last chances on final weekend
Schedule changes put focus on remaining playoff contenders
The NFL’s schedule changes for Week 18 will feature exactly what the league wanted: a Sunday night showdown for a playoff berth.
To finish off the NFL’s first 17-game season, the Chargers-Raiders game in Las Vegas was flexed from daytime to prime time. Both AFC West rivals are 9-7 and the winner will advance to the postseason.
“Each week has a life of its own in the NFL. It’s having a life of its own since the beginning, and that’s the way we need to treat things around here,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “And the more, the longer that we’re here, the more people will realize that every week is going to feel like this coming week.”
Also in the mix for the final wild-card slot in the AFC — the Patriots own one of them — are the Colts, the Steelers and the Ravens. If the Colts win next Sunday on the road against the Jaguars, they’re in.
The Steelers (7-7-1) must win out; they play Monday night at home against the Browns, then visit the Ravens (8-8) and still could fall short.
The Steelers-Browns game ended too late for this edition.
The Ravens need all sorts of help, but they’re mathematically alive and must break a five-game slide Sunday against the Steelers. The Ravens would get the nod if they finish at 9-8 with the Chargers and Colts because they swept the other teams. But if the Raiders are 9-8 along with the Ravens and Colts, the Raiders go for the same reason.
A Chargers loss eliminates them. The league also switched two games from Sunday to Saturday. The Chiefs, already the AFC West champions, will be on the road against the Broncos, followed by the Cowboys against the Eagles in Philadelphia. Neither of those games has the strong postseason implications of Chargers-Raiders.
The Chiefs (11-5) could get the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a victory but would need the Titans (11-5) to lose to the Texans in Houston. The Broncos already are out of contention.
The Cowboys (11-5) have won the NFC East and the Eagles (9-7) own an NFC wild card.
The other games in Week 18 are the AFC West champion Bengals (10-6) against the Browns in Cleveland; the NFC North champion and top seeded Packers (13-3) against the Lions in Detroit; the Seahawks at the Cardinals, who own a wild-card berth at 11-5 and still could win the NFC West; the Saints (8-8 and in the mix for an NFC wild card) at the Falcons; the Jets at the AFC East-leading Bills (10-6), who take the division with a victory; the 49ers (9-7 and also in contention for an NFC wild card) at the NFC West-leading Rams (12-4); the Patriots (10-6), who still could win the AFC East with a victory over the Dolphins in Miami and a Bills defeat; the Panthers at the NFC South champion Buccaneers (12-4); the Bears at Vikings; and Washington at the Giants.
There are more permutations that will make heads spin. For example:
A four-way or five-way tie at 9-8 for wild cards is possible in the AFC. If the Dolphins and/or Browns also get to that record, the Colts have the edge based on best conference record.
While the Saints have the edge on the 49ers for an NFC spot at 9-8 based on a better conference record, in a three-way tie with the Eagles, the Eagles are in with the best conference record and then the Saints get the other berth over the 49ers.
Finally, there are scenarios involving ties that even some of the teams might not be sure of.