We’re in the endgame now.
Week 18 of the 2021 NFL regular season is here, and it began on Saturday with one team playing its final game of the year.
The Denver Broncos’ season ended with a 28-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver held its own against the AFC West champions and held a 21-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The game turned on a dime when Melvin Ingram steamrolled into the Denver backfield and forced a Melvin Gordon fumble, which Nick Bolton returned 86 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest fumble return touchdown in the NFL this season and helped the Chiefs close out a road victory. Kansas City can now finish no lower than No. 2 in the AFC playoff picture and is still in play for the top seed. The Broncos were officially eliminated from playoff contention following their Week 17 loss to the Chargers.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys ended their regular season with a standout performance, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 51-26 in a statement away win at Lincoln Financial Field.
Prescott ran the show by throwing for 295 passing yards and five touchdowns, four of them in the first half. Prescott found offensive weapons Dalton Schultz and Cedrick Wilson twice each.
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The five touchdowns brought Prescott to 37 on the season, giving him the most in Cowboys history. Ezekiel Elliott also turned in a typically solid shift, rushing for 87 yards but no touchdowns.
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The Gardner Minshew-led Eagles didn’t roll over, as he managed 186 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
In the end, the Cowboys’ offense overwhelmed Philadelphia as they put up 50 points for the second time this season.
The Week 18 Sunday slate featured seven contests in the 1 p.m. ET window, many with playoff implications.
The afternoon games began with the headliner that took place at NRG Stadium. The Tennessee Titans visited the Houston Texans where they locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 28-25 win. They move on to 12-5 to close out the regular season. Ryan Tannehill had an explosive game that ended with 4 TDs and 287 passing yards.
In the AFC South, there was an upset in TIAA Bank Field when the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 26-11, which all but ended the Colts' playoff dreams. The Jaguars also locked up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, again. Trevor Lawrence finished the game with 2 TDs and 223 passing yards.
Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL career may not be over just yet. In Baltimore, the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers gave fans one of the most exciting games of the afternoon. Both squads needed a win to squeak into the playoffs, and the Steelers pulled it off with a 16-13 win over the Ravens. The Steelers will officially make the playoffs as long as tonight's SNF game between the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers does not end in a tie.
Another AFC North matchup ended with the division-winning Cincinnati Bengals falling to the Cleveland Browns 21-16.
Across in the NFC, the Detroit Lions pulled off the 37-30 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears fell to the Minnesota Vikings 31-17 and the Washington Football Team defeated the New York Giants 22-7.
With a dramatic overtime interception, rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas sent the San Francisco 49ers to the playoffs in a 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The victory also means the New Orleans Saints won’t be heading to the postseason this year.
The 49ers erased a 14-point deficit on the backs of another standout Deebo Samuel performance, who had 95 receiving yards, 45 rushing yards and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also threw for 316 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.
The loss is the Rams’ fifth of the season, leaving them with an impressive 12-5 regular-season record. San Francisco heads to the playoffs with a 10-7 record.
While Bill Belichick and the Patriots already knew they’d be heading to the playoffs before kickoff, they will be disappointed with the 33-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins ground out an impressive rushing performance, totaling 195 yards, with running back Duke Johnson racking up 117 of them. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 109 yards and one touchdown.
Still, the Dolphins will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Patriots will head into the postseason as a wild card team.
The Buffalo Bills solidified their place on top of the AFC East with a 27-10 home win over a toothless New York Jets. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson only managed 87 passing yards in the loss, while his Bills counterpart Josh Allen threw for 239 yards.
The Jets finish the season with a 4-13 record, losing 13 games for the second season in a row. Buffalo finishes the season 11-6 and will look ahead to the playoffs after a relatively easy win.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished their season strong, putting up 24 points in the fourth quarter on their way to a 41-17 win over the Carolina Panthers. Brady threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant performance. Brady also showed how lethal he can make tight end Rob Gronkowski, as Gronk picked up 137 receiving yards on 7 catches.
Despite beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-20, the New Orleans Saints will miss out on the playoffs after the 49ers managed to beat the Rams.
Alvin Kamara had a big day as he rushed for 146 yards on 30 carries, while Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill combined under center for 178 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Saints finish the regular season with a 9-8 record.
The NFL regular season almost ended in a historic fashion, as the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders game nearly ended in a tie, which was the only result that would have seen both teams make the playoffs.
In the end, the Raiders pulled off the win 35-32 thanks to a 47-yard Daniel Carson field goal with no time left on the clock. Derek Carr threw for two touchdowns and 186 yards and running back Josh Jacobs added another 132 rushing yards.
The win means that the Raiders will nab the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and will play Joe Burrow and the Bengals on Saturday.
Here’s a look at the full Week 18 schedule.
Watch all NFL Week 18 games online at FuboTV (free trial here).
Last week's NFL scores
What a start to the penultimate week of the 2021 NFL season.
A game with major AFC playoff implications came down to the wire in Cincinnati. The Bengals earned the AFC North title with a last-second win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Ja’Marr Chase had a record-setting day with 11 catches, 266 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Joe Burrow, meanwhile, had four touchdowns and 444 passing yards before exiting the game with an injury in the final seconds. Evan McPherson nailed a 20-yard field goal as time expired to give the Bengals the 34-31 win.
For Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes had 259 passing yards and two touchdowns. The defeat drops the team from the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
So, who is the new top team in the AFC?
That would be the Tennessee Titans, who handled business against the Miami Dolphins in rainy Nashville. D’Onta Foreman ran for 132 yards and Ryan Tannehill tossed two touchdown passes to power the Titans’ offense. Tennessee’s defense held Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to 205 passing yards in the game. The Dolphins entered the game as the AFC’s No. 7 seed and are now out of the current playoff picture.
Tom Brady was not going to let Antonio Brown spoil a chance to beat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Brown exited the game in dramatic fashion in the second half with the Bucs trailing. The Bucs ended the game on an 18-0 run, capped off by a go-ahead touchdown pass from Brady to Cyril Grayson with 15 seconds left in the game. The win brings the Bucs to 12-4 on the season as they aim for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Despite three turnovers from Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams came up clutch for a 20-19 road win over the Baltimore Ravens. L.A. entered the fourth quarter down 16-7 but took a lead with 1:01 left in regulation on a Stafford touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. The win brings the Rams to 12-4 on the season and keeps them in contention for the top seed in the NFC.
The Las Vegas Raiders earned a walk-off road win over the Indianapolis Colts. Hunter Renfrow caught a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and made a leaping grab to set the Raiders up for a game-winning field goal attempt. Daniel Carlson stepped onto the field and drilled a 33-yard kick to win it. The result brings both teams to 9-7 on the year, tied for No. 7 in the AFC.
The Philadelphia Eagles pulled off an important come-from-behind win against the Washington Football Team. The Eagles overcame a 16-7 halftime deficit to take a 20-16 lead and sealed the game with an end zone interception from Rodney McLeod. The win keeps the Eagles in control of their playoff destiny in the NFC wild card chase.
The Buffalo Bills won an up-and-down game against the Atlanta Falcons. Josh Allen had a tough time throwing the ball in the snow, ending the day with three interceptions. However, he and Devin Singletary had two rushing touchdowns apiece as the team held on for the win and their spot atop the AFC East.
It was a one-sided battle between first-round quarterbacks at Gillette Stadium as the New England Patriots walloped the Jacksonville Jaguars 50-10. Mac Jones completed 22 of 30 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns, while Trevor Lawrence was intercepted three times. On top of that, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for four touchdowns out of the New England backfield. The win, combined with a loss from the Dolphins, clinched the Patriots a postseason berth.
The Chicago Bears dominated the New York Giants 29-3 at Soldier Field. Chicago’s defense tortured Mike Glennon and the New York offense, holding them to -16 passing yards in the first half. In all, the Bears forced two fumbles, two interceptions and a safety.
The Arizona Cardinals held off the Dallas Cowboys 25-22, giving themselves a chance to win the NFC West in Week 18. The 11-5 Cardinals jumped out to a 22-7 lead in the third after Kyler Murray and Antoine Wesley connected for a pair of touchdowns. The 11-5 Cowboys pulled within three after Dak Prescott found Amari Cooper for a four-yard touchdown with 4:42 remaining, but the Cardinals ran out the clock on the ensuing possession.
The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Denver Broncos 34-13, setting the stage for their potential win-and-in matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders in the final week of the season. Justin Herbert completed 22 of 31 passes for 237 yards, including touchdowns to Mike Williams ands Keenan Allen. Austin Ekeler ran for 58 yards and a TD to help the Chargers improved to 9-7. Drew Lock went 18-for-25 for 245 yards and a touchdown for the 7-9 Broncos, who were eliminated with the loss.
The New Orleans Saints kept their season alive with an 18-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Brett Maher converted three field goals to give the Saints a 12-10 lead late in the third. Taysom Hill then found Alvin Kamara for a 12-yard touchdown pass in the fourth to increase the lead to 18-10. The Saints improved to 8-8 to remain in contention for an NFC Wild Card spot.
Rookie Trey Lance, starting in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, led the San Francisco 49ers to a 23-7 win over the Houston Texans. Lance completed 16 of 23 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and he also ran for 31 yards on eight carries. Elijah Mitchell rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries as the 49ers improved to 9-7, maintaining their hold on an NFC Wild Card spot. The Texans fell to 4-12.
Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Rashaad Penny had big days in the Seattle Seahawks' 51-29 win over the Detroit Lions. Wilson and Metcalf connected for three touchdowns, while Penny rushed for 170 yards and two TDs for the 6-10 Seahawks. The Lions fell to 2-13-1.
Sunday Night Football featured an exhibition in why the Green Bay Packers may be the team to beat in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers conducted a thrashing of the Minnesota Vikings, winning 37-10.
The win clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the Packers. Meanwhile, the loss means the Vikings are out of playoff contention.
They were without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in the loss to the Packers after he was placed on the COVID/reserve list. In his place, Sean Mannion managed 189 passing yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a rampant Packers team.
Rodgers threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, finding both Allen Lazard and Davante Adams in the endzone. Running back AJ Dillon rushed for another two scores.
In what was likely Ben Roethlisberger’s last home game at Heinz Field, the Pittsburgh Steelers powered past the Cleveland Browns to win 26-14.
Najee Harris was a dominant force on offense, rushing for 188 yards and a touchdown. Big Ben did his part with 123 passing yards for one touchdown and one interception.
The Steelers’ defense consistently snuffed out the Browns’ attacks as T.J. Watt dominated with four sacks. Watt is now one sack away from tying Michael Strahan’s NFL record.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield recorded two touchdowns and two interceptions on 185 passing yards. The loss ensures the Browns will finish with a losing season.
The win means the Steelers still have a chance to make the playoffs. The Steelers can clinch a postseason berth if they beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
All NFL scores from previous games
Week 16
Titans 20, 49ers 17
Packers 24, Browns 22
Colts 22, Cardinals 16
Falcons 20, Lions 16
Bengals 41, Ravens 21
Rams 30, Vikings 23
Bills 33, Patriots 21
Jets 26, Jaguars 21
Eagles 34, Giants 10
Buccaneers 32, Panthers 6
Texans 41, Chargers 29
Bears 25, Seahawks 24
Chiefs 36, Steelers 10
Raiders 17, Broncos 13
Cowboys 56, Washington 14
Dolphins 20, Saints 3
Week 15
Chiefs 34, Chargers 28 (OT)
Colts 27, Patriots 17
Dolphins 31, Jets 24
Bills 31, Panthers 14
Lions 30, Cardinals 12
Cowboys 21, Giants 6
Steelers 19, Titans 13
Texans 30, Jaguars 16
Bengals 15, Broncos 10
49ers 31, Falcons 13
Packers 31, Ravens 30
Saints 9, Buccaneers 0
Raiders 16, Browns 14
Vikings 17, Bears 9
Eagles 27, Washington 17
Rams 20, Seahawks 10
Week 14
Vikings 36, Steelers 28
Browns 24, Ravens 22
Titans 20, Jaguars 0
Chiefs 48, Raiders 9
Saints 30, Jets 9
Cowboys 27, Washington 20
Falcons 29, Panthers 21
Seahawks 33, Texans 13
Broncos 38, Lions 10
Chargers 37, Giants 21
49ers 26, Bengals 23 (OT)
Buccaneers 33, Bills 27 (OT)
Packers 45, Bears 30
Rams 30, Cardinals 21
Week 13
Cowboys 27, Saints 17
Buccaneers 30, Falcons 17
Cardinals 33, Bears 22
Chargers 41, Bengals 22
Lions 29, Vikings 27
Giants 20, Dolphins 9
Eagles 33, Jets 18
Colts 31, Texans 0
Washington 17, Raiders 15
Rams 37, Jaguars 7
Steelers 20, Ravens 19
Seahawks 30, 49ers 23
Chiefs 22, Broncos 9
Patriots 14, Bills 10
Week 12
Bears 16, Lions 14
Raiders 36, Cowboys 33 (OT)
Bills 31, Saints 6
Bengals 41, Steelers 10
Buccaneers 38, Colts 31
Patriots 36, Titans 13
Dolphins 33, Panthers 10
Giants 13, Eagles 7
Falcons 21, Jaguars 14
Jets 21, Texans 14
Broncos 28, Chargers 13
Packers 36, Rams 28
49ers 34, Vikings 26
Ravens 16, Browns 10
Washington 17, Seattle 15
Week 11
Patriots 25, Falcons 0
Colts 41, Bills 15
Ravens 16, Bears 13
Browns 13, Lions 10
Texans 22, Titans 13
Vikings 34, Packers 31
Dolphins 24, Jets 17
Eagles 40, Saints 29
Washington 27, Panthers 21
49ers 30, Jaguars 10
Bengals 32, Raiders 13
Chiefs 19, Cowboys 9
Cardinals 23, Seahawks 13
Chargers 41, Steelers 37
Buccaneers 30, Giants 10
Week 10
Dolphins 22, Ravens 10
Cowboys 43, Falcons 3
Titans 23, Saints 21
Colts 23, Jaguars 17
Patriots 45, Browns 7
Bills 45, Jets 17
Lions 16, Steelers 16 (OT)
Washington 29, Buccaneers 19
Panthers 34, Cardinals 10
Vikings 27, Chargers 20
Eagles 30, Broncos 13
Packers 17, Seahawks 0
Chiefs 41, Raiders 14
49ers 31, Rams 10
Week 9
Colts 45, Jets 30
Browns 41, Bengals 16
Broncos 30, Cowboys 16
Dolphins 17, Texans 9
Falcons 27, Saints 25
Giants 23, Raiders 16
Patriots 24, Panthers 6
Jaguars 9, Bills 6
Ravens 34, Vikings 31 (OT)
Chargers 27, Eagles 24
Chiefs 13, Packers 7
Cardinals 31, 49ers 17
Titans 28, Rams 16
Steelers 29, Bears 27
Week 8
Packers 24, Cardinals 21
Jets 34, Bengals 31
Titans 34, Colts 31 (OT)
Rams 38, Texans 22
Steelers 15, Browns 10
Eagles 44, Lions 6
49ers 33, Bears 22
Panthers 19, Falcons 13
Bills 26, Dolphins 11
Patriots 27, Chargers 24
Seahawks 31, Jaguars 7
Denver 17, Washington 10
Saints 36, Buccaneers 27
Cowboys 20, Vikings 16
Chiefs 20, Giants 17
Week 7
Browns 17, Broncos 14
Giants 25, Panthers 3
Patriots 54, Jets 13
Titans 27, Chiefs 3
Packers 24, Washington 10
Falcons 30, Dolphins 28
Bengals 41, Ravens 17
Rams 28, Lions 19
Raiders 33, Eagles 22
Cardinals 31, Texans 5
Colts 30, 49ers 18
Saints 13, Seahawks 10
Week 6
Buccaneers 28, Eagles 22
Jaguars 23, Dolphins 20
Chiefs 31, Washington 13
Rams 38, Giants 11
Colts 31, Texans 3
Bengals 34, Lions 11
Packers 24, Bears 14
Ravens 34, Chargers 6
Vikings 34, Panthers 28 (OT)
Cardinals 37, Browns 14
Raiders 34, Broncos 24
Cowboys 35, Patriots 29 (OT)
Steelers 23, Seahawks 20 (OT)
Titans 34, Bills 31
Week 5
Rams 26, Seahawks 17
Falcons 27, Jets 20
Vikings 19, Lions 17
Saints 33, Washington 22
Patriots 25, Texans 22
Buccaneers 45, Dolphins 17
Packers 25, Bengals 22 (OT)
Steelers 27, Broncos 19
Eagles 21, Panthers 18
Titans 37, Jaguars 19
Chargers 47, Browns 42
Bears 20, Raiders 9
Cardinals 17, 49ers 10
Cowboys 44, Giants 20
Bills 38, Chiefs 20
Ravens 31, Colts 25 (OT)
Week 4
Bengals 24, Jaguars 21
Washington 34, Falcons 30
Bills 40, Texans 0
Bears 24, Lions 14
Cowboys 36, Panthers 28
Colts 27, Dolphins 17
Browns 14, Vikings 7
Giants 27, Saints 21 (OT)
Jets 27, Titans 24 (OT)
Chiefs 42, Eagles 30
Cardinals 37, Rams 20
Seahawks 28, 49ers 21
Ravens 23, Broncos 7
Packers 27, Steelers 17
Buccaneers 19, Patriots 17
Chargers 28, Raiders 14
Week 3
Panthers 24, Texans 9
Titans 25, Colts 16
Falcons 17, Giants 14
Chargers 30, Chiefs 24
Bengals 24, Steelers 10
Browns 26, Bears 6
Ravens 19, Lions 17
Saints 28, Patriots 13
Cardinals 31, Jaguars 19
Bills 43, Washington 21
Broncos 26, Jets 0
Raiders 31, Dolphins 28 (OT)
Vikings 30, Seahawks 17
Rams 34, Buccaneers 24
Packers 30, 49ers 28
Cowboys 41, Eagles 21
Week 2
Washington 30, Giants 29
Patriots 25, Jets 6
Broncos 23, Jaguars 13
Bills 35, Dolphins 0
49ers 17, Eagles 11
Rams 27, Colts 24
Raiders 26, Steelers 17
Bears 20, Bengals 17
Browns 31, Texans 21
Panthers 26, Saints 7
Cardinals 34, Vikings 33
Buccaneers 48, Falcons 25
Titans 33, Seahawks 30 (OT)
Cowboys 20, Chargers 17
Ravens 36, Chiefs 35
Packers 35, Lions 17
Week 1
Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 29
Eagles 32, Falcons 6
Steelers 23, Bills 16
Bengals 27, Vikings 24
49ers 41, Lions 33
Cardinals 38, Titans 13
Seahawks 28, Colts 16
Chargers 20, Washington 16
Panthers 19, Jets 14
Texans 37, Jaguars 21
Chiefs 33, Browns 29
Dolphins 17, Patriots 16
Saints 38, Packers 3
Broncos 27, Giants 13
Rams 34, Bears 14
Raiders 33, Ravens 27