Subsequent weekend will deliver on the primary Week 18 in NFL historical past after the league opted to increase the common season to 17 video games for every crew. Three playoff spots stay obtainable heading into the ultimate week of the season, two of that are within the AFC.
After Sunday’s video games, the NFL introduced main scheduling information for subsequent weekend. Chiefs at Broncos and Cowboys at Eagles might be performed in a doubleheader on Saturday, whereas Chargers at Raiders–an AFC West matchup between two groups proper within the playoff hunt—was flexed into the Sunday Night time Soccer slot.
Los Angeles and Las Vegas are two of 5 AFC groups nonetheless vying for playoff spots, together with the Colts, Ravens and Steelers.
For Indianapolis, the state of affairs is straight ahead, with the Colts merely needing to beat the two–14 Jaguars to lock up a playoff spot. If it fails to take action, nevertheless, the state of affairs turns into very fascinating for the 2 AFC West groups within the working.
As identified by NFL Community’s Adam Beasley, if the Colts lose to fall to 9–8, the Raiders and Chargers could each clinch wild card spots with a tie on Sunday evening.
The 2 groups would transfer to 9–7–1 on the season, higher than a 9–8 file that the Ravens can clinch with a win over the Steelers subsequent week. Pittsburgh must beat the Browns on Monday evening and the Ravens subsequent week to maneuver to 9–7–1, however they’d nonetheless not get in on tiebreakers forward of both the Raiders or Chargers ought to they tie.
Baltimore is strolling a really skinny line to make the postseason. Together with a win in opposition to Pittsburgh, it wants a Browns loss on Monday or subsequent week, a Colts loss to the Jaguars, a Dolphins loss or tie with the Patriots, and a Raiders win over the Chargers to safe a playoff spot. That mixture would give the crew the tiebreaker over the Colts and Chargers.
A Jaguars win, which a few of these eventualities hinge on, stays a protracted shot. The Colts are 15-point favorites within the Week 18 sport proper now, per SI Sportsbook.
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