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The 11-5 Philadelphia Eagles have clinched the NFC East and will be either the 2 seed or the 3 seed in the playoffs. They’ll finish up their regular season against the 4-12 Washington Commanders. Here are our five things to watch.
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Jimmy Kempski
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Posted on: January 3, 2026, 02:31h.
Last updated on: January 3, 2026, 02:33h.
What’s next for the 2-14 Las Vegas Raiders, as another NFL regular season ends? Stories about a trade of Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby. League-wide chatter about head coach Pete Carroll being fired at the end of this season. Reports about minority owner (and Fox NFL broadcaster) Tom Brady about to take an even more active role in Raiders’ off-field decisions.
For Raiders fans, and bettors, the focus today is more on finishing last in the NFL, locking up the No. 1 selection in this spring’s draft, and the next steps in what’s clearly going to need to be a rebuild. That rebuild will start at the quarterback position. So that starts with Indiana Hoosiers’ QB Fernando Mendoza (Heisman Trophy winner and AP College Football Player of the Year), who DraftKings has as -450 to go No. 1 (then QB Dante Moore, +450 at No. 2).
Mendoza just led his team to a dominant Rose Bowl win. A question is whether the Raiders move on from QB Geno Smith, who leads the NFL in interceptions (17), and will sit out tomorrow’s Chiefs’ game with an ankle injury.
This morning’s ESPN Index has the Raiders at 88.5% to choose No. 1, the New York Giants at 11.5%. If the Raiders beat the Chiefs tomorrow and the Giants lose to the Cowboys then New York gets the pick. The Cowboys are -190 moneyline favourites at FanDuel, the Giants are at +160. The Chiefs are -255 ML favourites at FanDuel, the Raiders +210.
Now, online chatter is just that. As Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson told reporters a few days ago, after he was asked about media chatter that he wanted out of Baltimore: “There’s always noise in the National Football League.” This morning’s chatter is about Crosby, the star edge rusher, who is looking at knee surgery (and reportedly was not happy about the organization’s decision to pull him from last weekend’s pivotal game against the Giants, pivotal from the perspective of needing to lose that game, to stand a better chance of grabbing that No. 1 pick?). Stories are that he is likely a trade candidate out of Las Vegas.
This from Carroll yesterday, when asked about coaching:
I love coaching. I really love being on the field. I love the strategy part of it, all the planning and all that. There’s been a lot of games, a lot of preparations. That still draws me in, the curiosity of how you can make the next right call or the right move with personnel, or the right decision. Those are still really intriguing to me. And, I’m basically pretty curious. I keep looking for something better in all ways we’re doing things, and that really generates the feeling of why I love this game.”
If the Raiders fire Carroll, and Brady indeed takes on a more direct role in team decisions, the Raiders at least know they have a building block in running back Ashton Jeanty. The rookie from Boise State was mentioned in the same sentence as Saquon Barkley when the Raiders chose him in the draft last year, and while he hasn’t dominated, he still has 1,227 total receiving and rushing yards, and 10 total touchdowns, this season.
NFL Network journalists Ian Rapoport and Tom Peliserro said this about Brady:
“Legendary quarterback Tom Brady and his business partner Egon Durban have wielded significant influence since becoming Raiders minority owners last year. Brady is close with former Michigan teammate and current GM John Spytek, with both serving as the sounding board for one another. While Spytek was Brady’s GM target last year, Brady’s prime target for head coach was Ben Johnson, who took the Bears job instead. Expect Brady — who has spent little time in the Raiders building as he balances his broadcasting duties on Fox and other business interests — to increase his presence as the decision closes in.”
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Mark Keast
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In Week 18, the Philadelphia Eagles will be resting starters while simultaneously hoping to win their game against the Washington Commanders with backups. Otherwise, there are a lot of matchups around the NFC that will determine playoff seeding. Here we’ll lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the NFL schedule for those of you on the fence while watching the other action around the league.
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Jimmy Kempski
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Patriots, Jaguars vying for top seed. The Broncos received a massive belated Christmas gift on Monday courtesy of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who relinquished all gamesmanship and said point-blank that Los Angeles would rest star quarterback Justin Herbert. Denver would have to absolutely implode to lose Sunday’s matchup. In such an event, though, New England (13-3) and Jacksonville (12-4) would be set up to seize that vaunted No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots are playing a 7-9 Dolphins team that’s been mathematically eliminated; the Jaguars face 3-13 Tennessee, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Denver can’t afford to get too cute here.
Fernando-mania. The Raiders are the NFL’s hottest current mess. They’ve lost 10 straight. The Pete Carroll experiment seems all but destined to end after one unceremonious year. 48-year-old minority owner Tom Brady was captured by TMZ getting a little close with 25-year-old influencer Alix Earle on New Year’s Eve. Las Vegas continues to be in the news for plenty of reasons beyond the actual on-field product. The good news? Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is only solidifying his case as a legitimate No. 1 pick, with a 14-of-16 line for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a drubbing of Alabama at the Rose Bowl on Thursday. Raiders general manager John Spytek has to be licking his chops.
Rivers done, again. The great season-saving Philip Rivers Experiment is over, as the 44-year-old will now step back into retirement after three losses in Indianapolis. What a valiant effort it was, though: Rivers has a higher QBR (39.3) in three starts in 2025 than the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa or the Raiders’ Geno Smith have this season. The Colts announced rookie QB Riley Leonard will start in Week 18, with Indianapolis (8-8) removed from playoff contention. Rivers, though, expressed nothing but gratitude for the opportunity.
“I got three bonus games that I never saw coming,” Rivers told reporters, “and couldn’t be more thankful that I got an opportunity.”
Teach me how to Purdy. It’s time to officially crown San Francisco as serious NFC contenders. The 49ers were a distant afterthought in their own division a couple months back, floating at 6-4 behind Seattle and the Rams. Suddenly, the Niners have ripped off six wins in a row with the return of starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who’s playing with rarely-before-seen levels of confidence. Case in point: hitting a nasty Dougie after a touchdown against the Bears last Sunday in a 24-of-33, 303-yard, five-total-TD performance. As 49ers tight end George Kittle has said, heaven “forbid a white guy has a little bit of motion.”
Packers get secondary help. Green Bay’s seen an unexpected influx of Cowboys into their building in 2025. First came Micah Parsons. Now, former All-Pro Trevon Diggs is joining the fray after Dallas cut bait and waived him this week. The cornerback is far from the same player who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, torched for four touchdowns and a 157.2 quarterback rating in eight games this season. But there’s still talent in there, and perhaps Diggs will be motivated by a fresh start.
Can Stafford seize an MVP? The race for the league’s top award is still wide-open entering Week 18. Support for the Rams’ Matthew Stafford, long the season favorite, has faltered significantly after he threw three interceptions in Monday’s 27-24 loss to the Falcons. The stats don’t lie, though: Stafford’s 42 touchdown passes are nine more than any other NFL quarterback entering the final regular-season game of the year. If Stafford gets back on track against the 3-13 Cardinals Sunday, consider the Most Valuable Player discussion wrapped up.
It’s a Sunday Night doozy. Lamar Jackson vs. Aaron Rodgers for sole possession of an AFC North title — and a playoff berth. Loser’s bounced out of the bracket entirely. Jackson confirmed this week he’ll play after missing last Saturday’s win with a back contusion, in what’s been an overall-frustrating year for the MVP due to injuries and roster instability.
There could be major long-term ramifications on the line for both organizations in Pittsburgh on Sunday. A Ravens loss could bring an end of an era to the John Harbaugh-Jackson partnership in Baltimore, with trade rumors swirling around Jackson for the better part of a strange season. A Steelers loss could bring an end to the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh, with rampant speculation (okay, there’s speculation literally every year) around Tomlin’s job security. Sunday should, in general, bring a unique new chapter in a historic NFL rivalry.
There aren’t a ton of playoff teams with a ton left to play for in Week 18. The Jaguars are one of them. And they just so happen to be facing the 3-13 Titans. Tennessee’s been playing much-improved offensive ball across the last month, as rookie Cam Ward has six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three starts. Still, the Jaguars should be motivated to put this one to bed early to preserve a shot at the one-seed and get their starters some second-half rest.
Don’t look now, but the reigning champs should be squarely back in the thick of the Super Bowl discussion. Philadelphia’s offense is still a sludge. But Vic Fangio’s defense is playing as well as any unit in the league: the Eagles have surrendered just 14.5 points a game across their last eight weeks.
That being said, this could be a classic end-of-year stunner. Philadelphia’s resting quarterback Jalen Hurts against the Commanders, despite a shot at the No. 2 seed if they’d beat Washington. That’d signal the Eagles will sit other key starters; Washington’s suffered through a brutal season with Jayden Daniels banged up, but backup Marcus Mariota has done some solid work at times. This could be an ugly, meaningless upset.
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Luca Evans
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The youngest coach in Dove Valley also looks the most out of place, by sheer physicality. This isn’t Isaac Shewmaker’s fault. It’s a compliment, more than anything.
On Thursdays, the 29-year-old Shewmaker bends down to mimic a snap and leads one of the best pass-rush units in football in get-off drills. Luminaries bend before him: 6-foot-2, 246-pound second-year reserve Jonah Elliss tenses; 6-foot-3 All-Pro Nik Bonitto waits; 257-pound Jonathon Cooper, whose muscles have muscles, toes. They all snap forward at Shewmaker’s bark. At his beck.
At a Broncos outside-linebackers coach who stands five-foot-something, and played a little high school ball back in Kentucky. No college.
“Obviously, God gave me the brains to do it,” Shewmaker says, sitting on a bench after the Broncos’ Thursday practice. “But not the body to do it.”
But ah, those brains. They have a knack for making the complex seem easy, in a Vance Joseph defense that presents a lot that’s complex. Elliss calls Shewmaker “just super smart.” Practice-squad reserve Garrett Nelson raves about the coach’s “high-level IQ.” Rookie Que Robinson says the young Shewmaker is “smart as hell.”
“You’d probably walk past him in the grocery store and wouldn’t think he coached, probably, one of the top outside-linebacker groups,” Robinson cracks. “But yeah, shoot, man, he gets it done for us. And he’d probably give us the shirt off his back, at the end of the day.”
You know Joseph, the defensive coordinator primed for a head-coaching gig. You know 30-year-old quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who’s on the fast-track to a play-calling job soon enough. Meet Shewmaker, the most promising mind in Denver’s building who you probably have never heard of.
Just ask reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II.
“He’s got a brilliant football mind,” Surtain says. “And he’s gon’ get one of those job promotions … like a D-coordinator, or something like that, very soon.”
Quietly, Joseph’s defense experienced a large and partly unexpected turnover in leadership this offseason, after Denver fired inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky in January — and then fired outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite a month later after Wilhoite was charged with a now-dropped felony assault of a police officer. The young Shewmaker was waiting in the wings, fresh off just two years in defensive quality control in Denver. And in his first season as an NFL position coach, Shewmaker has presided over the driving group in a pass-rush that just broke its own franchise record for sacks (64).
That room is chock-full on talent, of course. The Broncos are set to pay Bonitto and Cooper over $160 million in the next few seasons for their services, and Elliss is a 2023 third-round pick. The room’s also chock-full on personalities. Bonitto hosts impromptu dance-circles in the middle of group drills, and Cooper bleats loud and often.
“I know it’s kind of a big ask to kinda wrangle our room” Nelson says.
Shewmaker is a young shepherd. Really, though, he has been building for this since he could walk. At 6 years old, he announced at his kindergarten graduation that he intended to become the head football coach at the University of Kentucky.
He loves the game — particularly defense — because it is a chess match. And Shewmaker teaches it as such.
“If they understand why they have to be here because of who it affects, then they buy into it more,” Shewmaker says. “When you just say, ‘Well, you have to set the edge because that’s what the piece of paper says,’ they have a harder time buying into it. So part of my whole thing is, ever since I started was – learning it on a level where I can teach all 11.”
He gave up playing for good after high school, when he suffered a variety of concussions in football and then got drilled by a 92 mph fastball to the noggin his senior year playing baseball. Doctors told him he should stop. (“I was like, ‘That’s probably fair,’ ” Shewmaker acknowledges.) So he went to Kentucky and became an equipment manager, resolving to simply do anything he could to get in the building.
Within a month, the program assigned him to help out with defensive backs. Within a year, ex-Kentucky defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley took a DBs job at Alabama and convinced Shewmaker — a student — to transfer. Shewmaker became a defensive assistant on Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s staff as a college sophomore in 2016. The rest is recent history.
In Denver, now, this Broncos edge-rusher group has answered the call at nearly every bell, down to the depth. Elliss has waded through an injury-muddled season to rack up 1.5 sacks and a couple of tackles for loss in his past three games. Reserve Dondrea Tillman has rounded into a legitimate star in his role, with four sacks and two interceptions in his last 10 games. Robinson, a 2025 fourth-round pick who was thought of as a mostly developmental prospect, contributed two quarterback hits in rotational reps in a Week 16 loss to the Jaguars.
Shewmaker, Robinson says, helps his group focus from not getting “scatterbrained” inside the detail of a formation.
“Plays that I did make — I probably talked to him about it like, 1,000 times,” Robinson says. “He probably told me not to look at this, don’t worry about that, and just do this, and you’ll be fine. And it’s helped me make a couple plays this season.”
Shewmaker has now spent enough time under Joseph that the Broncos’ defensive coordinator — nearly twice his age — often consults Shewmaker mid-game on the sidelines, as Nelson affirms. And the Broncos’ OLB room insists that Shewmaker could coach any position group.
Eventually, they sense, he could be coaching all of them.
“He’s going to be going far,” Nelson said, “in this profession.”
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Luca Evans
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Scheduling 16 Division matchups for the final week of the regular season continues to fight the league. With only TWO of the fourteen playoff positions up for grabs which will be decided between the Ravens/Steelers Sunday night game as well as Panthers/Buccaneers (with some help from Atlanta) Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles will come into Sunday almost locked into the 3 Seed, but with a little bit of scoreboard help happening at the same time they play Washington could see them leap into the 2 Seed. A Lions win over the Bears would give the Eagles a need to compete against the Commanders, a team out for revenge from just two weeks ago.
A Vengeful Rematch
The decision to go for 2 points, putting the Eagles up 19 points late into the 4th quarter was the right decision. The Eagles had already missed two field goals, taking 6 points off the board of what ended as a 29-18 game.
The ever so clueless Dan Quinn, who hasn’t learned from his time in Atlanta. Part of the comical 28-3 Falcons Super Bowl loss. Or multiple years as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, giving up 48 points to a 7th seed Packers team in his last game on the sideline for “Americas team.”
Upset over the Eagles decision to go for 2, Quinn stated “If that’s how they want to get down, we’ll see them again in two weeks.” Feels very threatening for a Week 18 division opponent matchup. Which leads to the question.
Did Dan Quinn forget that the Eagles clinched the NFC East title with their Week 16 victory at Northwest Stadium?
The Commanders season was realistically over by their Bye Week(if not earlier) Sitting at 3-8, losing their franchise QB for weeks at a time, rushing him back from numerous injuries just to be sidelined again feels like something a desperate team would do.
Add in injuries to Tyler Biadasz, Marcus Mariota, Laremy Tunsil, Sam Cosmi, Trey Amos, amongst plenty of players like Zach Ertz, Marshon Lattimore and Austin Ekeler. The #1 thing the Commanders should be playing for on Sunday is draft position.
7th overall is a great place to be for a team that was only 22 points from punching their ticket to a Super Bowl less than 12 months ago.
If 17th year Josh Johnson is able to lead the Commanders to a nothingburger victory against Tanner McKee and what we should expect to be most of the Eagles backup & reserve players. Then I guess we can give Dan Quinn & Co. Their flowers of “only beating an Eagles backup QB” 2 years running.
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Tyler L’Heureux
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EL SEGUNDO — If you go strictly by the numbers, then the 2025 regular season wasn’t the best of quarterback Justin Herbert’s six seasons in the NFL. He didn’t top 5,000 yards passing, as he did during the 2021 season. He didn’t limit his interceptions to only three, as he did in ’24.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Herbert would sit out the Chargers’ regular-season finale Sunday against the Broncos in Denver in order to rest and ensure his fractured, non-throwing left hand doesn’t suffer any unnecessary damage before the playoffs begin the following week.
So, Herbert’s regular season totals were as follows: He completed 340 of 512 passes (66.4%) for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 16 games, leading the Chargers to an 11-5 record and earning his second Pro Bowl selection. Trey Lance will start Sunday and Herbert will not suit up.
It wasn’t what Herbert accomplished, but how he did it, according to Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. After all, Herbert played the past five games with a fractured hand that required surgery one day after he hurt it in the first quarter of the Chargers’ victory Nov. 30 over the Las Vegas Raiders.
What’s more, Herbert played the entire season without left tackle Rashawn Slater, his blind-side protector who suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp in August. Herbert also played the past seven games without top right tackle Joe Alt, who sustained a season-ending ankle injury Nov. 2.
“Well, to me, it was an MVP season,” Roman said Thursday.
Roman praised Herbert for the many things great and small that he did to weather the twin storms of playing at a high level with a debilitating injury and behind a patchwork offensive line that lacked cohesion because of the injuries to Slater and Alt, two Pro Bowl candidates going into the season.
“When you look around the league with the other teams that have had attrition such as this, the results aren’t quite the same,” Roman said. “So, when you go back and look at it, just the way he has gutted through and found a way to will us to victory, and I’m not going to name the games.
“But those are the games that get you to the playoffs. You don’t come by it easy, and when you have so much attrition like that, it just funnels to him. It rolls uphill to him. It changes everything, so his ability to navigate through that with a steel mind and, really, just not blink. Not for one second was there a ‘Why us?’
“Not at all.”
Roman could have mentioned comeback victories such as the Chargers’ 23-20 victory over the Broncos on Sept. 21, their 29-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 12 or consecutive victories over the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-19, and the Kansas City Chiefs, 16-13, last month.
Herbert missed only 10 snaps total after breaking his hand against the Raiders, eight while he was being checked by the Chargers’ medical staff in the SoFi Stadium locker room and two at the end of the game when Lance performed two kneel-downs to kill the final seconds off the clock.
So, if 300-yard games have been few and far between this season, it certainly hasn’t dimmed the Chargers’ appreciation of Herbert. Things could have turned sour in the wake of the injuries to Slater and Alt, but Herbert shouldered a heavy burden despite being sacked a career-high 54 times.
“That’s where we are right now,” Roman said of Herbert’s ability to lead the Chargers to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008 and’09. “It’s the whole team, obviously, but in terms of Justin and what he’s had to deal with this year, I think it’s a career-defining type of year.”
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Elliott Teaford
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The Eagles can repeat, largely because of their defense, but yes, even with parts of the offense, too.
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Jimmy Kempski
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The Philadelphia Eagles enter their Week 18 matchup with the Washington Commanders very healthy at this point in the season, and many of their players will get even healthier as the Birds plan on resting starters in this matchup. The Commanders’ season is long since over, as they have already shut a few of their most important players down for the season.
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Jimmy Kempski
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Manhattan criminal-defense attorney Mark Bederow said the lack of corroborating evidence in the case against Stefon Diggs “will impact the witness’ credibility,” predicting the case could end without a trial
New England Patriots Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing a felony charge of strangulation or suffocation and a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery stemming from an alleged December 2 incident at his home in Dedham, Massachusetts. Diggs also welcomed a child with rapper Cardi B in November 2025.
According to the police report (Diggs moved to have the report impounded and was rejected by the judge), a woman identified as Diggs’ private chef, Mila Adams, told Dedham police she began working for him in July 2025 under an agreement for weekly pay, which later shifted to monthly salary arrangements. She said Diggs later told her her services were not needed for a week, forcing her to leave her room in the residence while other guests remained, and without airfare to travel home. Adams said she was still owed roughly one month’s pay.
Lot of credibility issues stick out in that police report against Stefon Diggs. I would expect Diggs to be ok and would not at all be surprised for this to go away soon (when he and the complainant come to terms over their financial dispute). @Patriots
— Bederow Law (@Bederowlaw) December 30, 2025
Adams told police that on December 2, during an argument over the unpaid money, Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom after a disagreement, struck her across the face, and placed his arm around her neck from behind, restricting her breathing, tightening his grip as she tried to pull away, and then threw her onto a bed before leaving the room. She reported redness on her upper chest afterward, but did not take photos of her injuries.
Adams initially reported the incident to police on December 16 but declined to press charges. After returning to the home to collect her belongings and speaking with Diggs’ assistant, who she said asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement before being paid, Adams changed her mind and on December 23 asked police to pursue criminal charges. Police said they planned to apply for criminal complaints charging Diggs with assault and strangulation or suffocation, and noted that multiple attempts to contact Diggs went unanswered.
Diggs’ attorney, Michael DiStefano, appeared remotely in Dedham District Court and had asked a judge to have the police report impounded, arguing the details should remain sealed-his request was denied. He also confirmed that Diggs had made a financial offer to the alleged victim, and the judge said she would consider that request.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law,” DiStefano stated.
The New England Patriots have also voiced their support for Diggs. “The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
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Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on January 23, 2026, though the judge is considering postponing the arraignment until March.
Outside legal experts say several factors outlined in the police report could be central to how prosecutors evaluate the strength of the case, including the delay in reporting, the absence of documented injuries, and the underlying wage dispute. Manhattan-based criminal defense attorney Mark Bederow, who is not involved in the case, said those elements are frequently scrutinized by judges and juries in domestic assault prosecutions.
“In these circumstances, the delay in reporting, the lack of injuries and photographs and the fact this is at its core a dispute over money bodes very well for Diggs as it will impact the witness’s credibility,” Bederow said.
Lot of credibility issues stick out in that police report against Stefon Diggs. I would expect Diggs to be ok and would not at all be surprised for this to go away soon (when he and the complainant come to terms over their financial dispute). @Patriots
— Bederow Law (@Bederowlaw) December 30, 2025
Bederow added that discussions around payment or settlement, which were referenced in court, are not unusual in cases rooted in employment disputes and do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing.
“Working out a payment will not implicate him. It shows both parties’ motive to resolve the matter and would likely impact the credibility of the complainant more than Diggs,” he said.
Bederow also noted that timing can play a role in how quickly such cases resolve, particularly when defendants face professional and reputational consequences outside the courtroom.
“Diggs also has another incentive to pay what she claims he owes her: the playoffs start in two weeks and he and the Patriots want this behind him,” Bederow said.
Based on his experience handling high-profile criminal cases, Bederow said he would be surprised if the matter proceeded to a full trial.
“I would be shocked if this case went on for a long time and ended up in a trial. In fact, I would expect it to be over very quickly after the two parties come to a financial agreement.”
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Lauren Conlin
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There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Gaining 16 yards in a half of football is pathetic.
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Jimmy Kempski
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(CNN) — It’s been a long 2025 NFL season so far with twists, turns, shocking injuries, surprising contenders and disappointing years from preseason favorites.
As we come off another intriguing week of action across the league and approach the end of the season, the playoff picture is becoming more and more clear.
With just one week of the NFL regular season left, who’s in, who’s out and who still has a shot at making a postseason run for a spot in Super Bowl LX and a chance to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
(All teams listed by current seeding in each conference)
AFC
1. Denver Broncos (13-3, 1st AFC West): The Broncos already qualified for the postseason but still beat the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs 20-13 on Friday. A win against the Los Angeles Chargers at Mile High in Week 18 will earn Denver top seed status in the AFC.
2. New England Patriots (13-3, 1st AFC East): New England will be lurking should Denver fail to wrap up the conference and the Pats will play the Miami Dolphins to close out the season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, 1st AFC South): The Jags are also still in the running for the first-round bye after beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17. They now host the Tennessee Titans in Week 18.
5. Houston Texans (11-5, 2nd AFC South): Houston’s sensational defense has fired the franchise into the postseason for a third straight year. The team confirmed its place in the playoffs with a 20-16 win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, 2nd AFC West): The Chargers will be happy to have already locked up a postseason spot as they face a motivated Denver squad in the final week of the regular season.
7. Buffalo Bills (11-5, 2nd AFC East): After losing in dramatic circumstances against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bills close out the year with a home game against the Jets having already secured their berth in the playoffs.
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, 1st NFC West): After missing the playoffs in the last two campaigns, the Seahawks are back in the postseason and tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed after beating the Carolina Panthers 27-10 in Week 17. Seattle now faces the San Francisco 49ers in its last regular season game.
2. Chicago Bears (11-5, 1st NFC North): Da Bears haven’t made the postseason since 2020, so some celebration in the Windy City is merited, but Chicago has only made the playoffs twice since 2010 – and lost in the wild card round both times. After spending so many years in the proverbial wilderness, the team won’t be content with just making it. The Bears take on the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, 1st NFC East): The defending Super Bowl champions are back in the postseason to defend their title, but with hopes of a first-round bye now over, Philly may look to rest players ahead of a game against the Washington Commanders in Week 18.
5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, 2nd NFC West): After missing the postseason last year, the Niners are back and looking dangerous. Starting QB Brock Purdy is back and playing incredibly as they host the Seahawks in Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the conference at stake.
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-5, 3rd NFC West): The Rams round out an incredible NFC West, which has three teams in the playoffs. Los Angeles, though, suffered a surprise defeat against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 and closes out the regular season with a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, 2nd NFC North): The Pack lost to Baltimore in Week 17 but still secured the NFC seventh seed heading into the playoffs. Off the back of three straight defeats, Green Bay heads to Minnesota in Week 18 to take on the eliminated Vikings.
AFC
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, 1st AFC North): The Steelers only had to beat the Cleveland Browns on the road last Sunday to secure their place in the playoffs, but blew the opportunity after losing 13-6. Pittsburgh now faces a winner-takes-all clash against its bitter rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 18. Pittsburgh currently has a 40% chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL.
9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8, 2nd AFC North): The Ravens had Super Bowl aspirations before the year kicked off with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and star running back Derrick Henry, but it all seemed to fall apart with Jackson missing significant time due to injury. But results went their way on Week 17 and they beat the Packers 41-24. It all means that the NFL says the Ravens now have a 60% chance of reaching the postseason still.
NFC
4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, 1st NFC South): Carolina is still sitting first in its division despite losing to the Seahawks in Week 17. The Panthers still have a chance of reaching the postseason as they face a win-or-go-home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. The NFL says Carolina has a 72% chance of making it to the playoffs.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 2nd NFC South): The Bucs lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 and now everything hangs on the final game of the regular season against the Panthers. We’ll see what happens but the NFL gives Tampa Bay just a 28% chance of progressing.
AFC
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-8, 3rd AFC South)
10. Miami Dolphins (7-9, 3rd AFC East)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10, 3rd AFC North)
12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10, 3rd AFC West)
13. Cleveland Browns (4-12, 4th AFC North)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-13, 4th AFC South)
15. New York Jets (3-13, 4th AFC East)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14, 4th AFC West)
NFC
8. Minnesota Vikings (8-8, 3rd NFC North)
9. Detroit Lions (8-8, 4th NFC North)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1, 2nd NFC East)
12. Atlanta Falcons (7-9, 3rd NFC South)
13. New Orleans Saints (6-10, 4th NFC South)
14. Washington Commanders (4-12, 3rd NFC East)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-13, 4th NFC West)
16. New York Giants (3-13, 4th NFC East)
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Patrick Sung, Ben Church and CNN
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Troy Renck: The Broncos offense was a chore to watch on Christmas. Like eating vegetables. While it is fair to suggest Denver is a year ahead of schedule in its return to excellence, the Broncos are here, so their flaws must be examined like cells under under a microscope. They can secure the No. 1 seed with a win over the Chargers on Sunday. But a lingering issue persists: Will Denver’s run game, led by rookie RJ Harvey, become the Broncos’ undoing?
Parker Gabriel: Not if you ask head coach Sean Payton. He made it clear Monday he thinks the main area that the Broncos must improve in to win a Super Bowl title is turnover margin. No mention of the run game whatsoever. And, hey, if you take the ball away two or three times per playoff game, you’re going to have more license to play the way you want to offensively. The way the Broncos have played offensively has changed some since J.K. Dobbins’ injury, though. Their pass rate has ticked up from 57.6% pre-injury to 62.7% post-injury. More concerning, Denver’s overall averages per game and per run have dropped from 133.6 and 4.9, respectively, to 100 and 3.8. It takes more than just the running back to have a good running game, of course, and the Broncos have dealt with offensive line and tight end injuries along with Dobbins, but given the way the front has sustained in pass protection and elsewhere and the way the numbers fall on clean lines around Dobbins’, this feels more like a running back difference than anything else.
Renck: Harvey has delivered a memorable rookie season. He boasts 12 touchdowns. To put that in perspective, in the two years leading up to his 2,000-yard season, Hall of Famer Terrell Davis posted 15 apiece in 1996 and 1997. The difference? Davis was a bell cow. Harvey is more Liam Neeson, possessing a “very particular set of skills.” He does not need Siri to find the end zone. However, he is not Dobbins. Dobbins was good early, but a finisher late, averaging 5.6 yards per carry in the second half in 10 games. In the six games since Dobbins’ foot injury that might heal by the Super Bowl, Harvey has averaged 3.7 yards per attempt overall and 3.7 in the second half. For the Broncos to reach Super Bowl LX, they need Bo Nix to throw roughly 35 times per game. He might be too young, it might be too much to ask, but Broncos require more from Harvey and the offensive line.
Gabriel: They need the defense to get back to its sure-tackling, red-zone-dominating ways, too, Troy. The game gets faster in the postseason. Nix and most of the Broncos got a taste of that last year in Buffalo. This defense should be ready to make that transition smoothly. They’ll be playing at home in front of a frothing crowd that hasn’t seen postseason football live in a decade. Another wrinkle I wonder about: Nix talked after the Chiefs game about recognizing at one point that he should have tucked the ball and ran. As the game went, he did that more. Payton dialed up a beauty of a designed draw for a 9-yard touchdown, Nix scrambled four times and finished with a season-high nine carries. He’s going to finish with fewer carries than last year — 92 as a rookie in the regular season vs. 75 heading into Week 18 this year, but the biggest difference is the production. He generated 41 first downs last year with his legs compared to 22 so far this season. One way to help Harvey and the run game in the postseason: Take the understandable regular-season governor off Nix and make him a featured part of the plan.
Renck: Harvey is showing more patience as he learns to go north-and-south, rather than bumping outside. He breaks tackles and is physical. One of two things need to happen moving forward. He must get more touches, meaning keeping him on the field on third down in place of the unproductive Tyler Badie. Harvey’s improvement in blitz pickup warrants additional snaps. Or Nix has to run roughly six times a game for more than 40 yards, easing the pressure on Harvey. The Chiefs game reminded us how dangerous Nix can be with his legs. Harvey has been great at the goal line, and mid everywhere else. The Broncos’ ability to make a run to the Super Bowl hinges on how well Harvey and Nix run over the next month.
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Troy Renck, Parker Gabriel
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The Broncos will play for the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Sunday afternoon.
Denver is set to host the Los Angeles Chargers at 2:25 p.m. Sunday at Empower Field. CBS has the broadcast.
The NFL announced the full set of games for the final week of the regular season on Sunday night.
The Broncos have put themselves in the best position of any team in the AFC. When the Chargers lost Saturday to Houston, Denver clinched the West division championship.
Their ideal scenario is simple: Beat the Chargers and clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference, a bye through the Wild Card round and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
No other result matters.
The weekend’s games, though, narrowed the possibilities in the event of a Denver loss.
Buffalo dropped out of the race for the No. 1 seed with a home loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, leaving three teams still in the picture for the No. 1 seed headed to Week 18: Denver, New England (13-3) and Jacksonville (12-4).
The Jaguars play at 1 p.m. Sunday against Tennessee (3-13) while the Patriots play Miami (7-9) at 2:25 p.m.
Here are the seeding possibilities for Denver:
Saturday, Jan. 3
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 2:30 p.m.
Seattle at San Francisco, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 4
Cleveland at Cincinnati, 11 a.m.
Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 11 a.m.
Green Bay at Minnesota, 11 a.m.
Indianapolis at Houston, 11 a.m.
New Orleans at Atlanta, 11 a.m.
Tennessee at Jacksonville, 11 a.m.
Arizona at L.A. Rams, 2:25 p.m.
Detroit at Chicago, 2:25 p.m.
Kansas City at Las Vegas, 2:25 p.m.
L.A. Chargers at Denver, 2:25 p.m.
Miami at New England, 2:25 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 2:25 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 2:25 p.m.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 6:20 p.m.
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Parker Gabriel
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The Philadelphia Eagles improved to 11-5 after beating a very good Bills team in Buffalo. The defense was awesome. The offense, eh, not so much. As always, win, lose, or tie, we hand out 10 awards.
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Jimmy Kempski
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Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Trading the No. 1 overall pick for multiple selections at the 2026 NFL Draft might have been overrated, anyway.
The New York Giants are winners for the first time since October, snapping a nine-game skid in a 34-10 beatdown of the equally inept Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
With the win, which was Mike Kafka’s first as interim head coach after losing his first five tries, Big Blue (3-13) lost its stronghold on the top selection at this spring’s draft to the Raiders (2-14) in what was just the fourth meeting in NFL history (post-merger) that featured the two worst teams playing each other during the final two weeks of the season.
Jaxson Dart passed for 207 yards and added 48 on the ground with two touchdowns. The franchise quarterback’s presence would have allowed the Giants to hold that No. 1 pick hostage for a passer-needy team desperate for a crack at drafting a potential organizational game-changer under center.
Still, New York could come away with the top pick should it lose to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 and the Raiders beat the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs.
Regardless, Sunday provided a much-needed sliver of good feeling for a franchise that has been mired in dysfunction. This was the largest margin of victory since a 38-10 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 of the 2022 season.
Wan’Dale Robinson led all receivers with 11 catches for 113 yards, making him the first wide receiver 5-foot-8 or shorter to record a 1,000-yard season since Richard Johnson in 1989.
The Giants defense had a banner day, too. They picked Raiders quarterback Geno Smith twice. The former Jets draft pick leads the NFL with 17 interceptions this season and left the game early after suffering an ankle injury.
Edge rusher Brian Burns, who was named to the Pro Bowl earlier this week, picked up 1.5 sacks to set a new career-best at 16.5.
Cornerback Deonte Banks, whose defensive issues has landed him in a reserve role in the secondary, provided an exclamation point with a 95-yard kick-off return.
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Joe Pantorno
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers have little to play for in Week 18, which raises the question of whether quarterback Justin Herbert should take the field in the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos and their league-leading pass rush.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said after a 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday he hadn’t thought about it yet. Herbert talked as if he expects to play. But if the Chargers (11-5) are going to have any meaningful chance to win in the wild-card round and be a real threat in the playoffs, they need Herbert at full strength, which might require holding him out of the game.
Everything that transpired against the Texans and their elite defensive line indicated the best way to ensure the Chargers QB is ready for the postseason would be to sit him.
Herbert was sacked five times and hit eight times as the offensive line showed its one week revival in Dallas was indeed more the result of the Cowboys defense.
Herbert was under siege, as he could be in Denver. The Broncos are averaging four sacks per game, with outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper combining for 20 1/2 sacks this season. And with the top seed in the AFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage all at stake, that defense will have plenty of incentive to go all-out.
Already playing with a surgically repaired non-throwing hand, Herbert went to the sideline with that left hand and arm dangling after being sacked on the first drive of the game against the Texans.
Fortunately for the Chargers, he was able to keep playing without issue, showcasing Herbert’s immense importance in trying to rally the Chargers out of an early 14-0 deficit.
“I mean, every week he does things that are reserved for only the best in the game — heroic,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just the kind of competitor he is, and so many feed off of him, we all feed off him. I kind of ran out of superlatives, really.”
Herbert is what makes the Chargers go. He is the main reason they are back in the playoffs in spite of constant uncertainty at the offensive tackle spots caused by injuries to starters Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Herbert’s ability to keep making plays with his arm and legs despite being one of the most hit quarterbacks in the NFL has Los Angeles with consecutive 11-win seasons for just the third time in franchise history.
Herbert has been the on-field avatar of Harbaugh’s competitive philosophy, “attacking everything with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” as Harbaugh described it at his introductory news conference in February 2024.
“Every game is the most important,” Herbert said when asked about the significance of facing the Broncos. “You dive into it and you give it your all each week. I’ve got no doubt that this team will do that again next week.”
That mindset is what might lead to Herbert playing in Denver, with the intention of trying to establish some momentum.
Herbert was 21 of 32 for 236 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while also leading the team with 37 yards rushing.
The typically sturdy Chargers secondary had major issues on its first two drives, which ended up costing the team the game. CB Donte Jackson tried to pass off Jayden Higgins, but there was no safety help, resulting in a 75-yard touchdown pass. Jaylin Noel followed that up with a 43-yard scoring catch coming across the field against S Elijah Molden.
WR Quentin Johnston kick-started the Chargers offense with a 60-yard catch and finished with five receptions for 98 yards. If the growth he has shown in the first two seasons of the Harbaugh era continues, Johnston can cement himself as the dominant passing game option outside the numbers Herbert has needed.
TE Oronde Gadsden II had two crucial drops, with one of them ending up being picked off by the Texans at the goal line late in the second quarter. The rookie did respond in the second half, finishing with three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.
The Chargers seemingly got through the game without further issue, but the absences of LT Jamaree Salyer (hamstring), return specialist Derius Davis (ankle), CB Benjamin St-Juste (shoulder) and rookie S R.J. Mickens (shoulder) all loomed large in the defeat.
68 — K Cameron Dicker had made all 68 field-goal attempts inside of 40 yards before missing a 32-yarder wide right late in the first half. Dicker also missed an extra point.
The Chargers face the Broncos next week. Los Angeles is 5-0 against the AFC West this season, including a 23-20 win over Denver on Sept. 21.
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Dan Greenspan
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The Eagles take on the Bills, who have the league’s best rushing attack, but also one of its worst run defenses.
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Jimmy Kempski
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