NFL announces kickoff dates, times for Week 18

With one week left in the regular season in the NFL, playoff races are coming down to the final stretch. Now, with plenty of spots in play, the league has announced their schedule for the last weekend of the regular season.

The two games on Saturday will feature important divisional matchups between Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC North and then, even more so, in the AFC South between Houston and Indianapolis. Then, come Sunday, the biggest game on the slate will come between Buffalo and Miami with the winner set to take the AFC East.

January 6th (Saturday)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (4:30 p.m. on ESPN/ABC)
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC)

January 7th (Sunday)
New York Jets at New England Patriots (1 p.m. on FOX)
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. on CBS)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. on FOX)
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (1 p.m. on FOX)
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. on CBS)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. on CBS)
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (1 p.m. on CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (1 p.m. on FOX)
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (4:25 p.m. on FOX)
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m. on FOX)
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. on FOX)
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (8:20 p.m. on NBC)

(*all times Eastern)

In Week 17 in the NFL, several teams clinched certain spots in their respective divisions and conferences.

In the AFC, the Ravens clinched the conference’s top seed with their 56-19 blowout of Miami. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs took the AFC West again with their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Still, in Week 18, the Wild Card spots, specifically involving the AFC South, need some sorting out. Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Houston are all still jockeying for position within their division with two of those teams set to meet in Indy next weekend. That also affects the Pittsburgh Steelers who are on the outside looking in.

It includes the AFC East clash as well with Buffalo, who’s on a four-game winning streak, heading to Miami to play for the division.

The NFC is a cleaner picture, especially after today’s action. San Francisco, with their win and Philadelphia’s loss, clinched the conference’s top seed. Dallas also benefitted from the upset of the Eagles’ as they reclaimed the lead for the NFC East with only one win needed to take it.

The biggest issue in the NFC falls upon the NFC South. Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Atlanta are all still alive and jockeying for position. Their logjam also has an impact on Green Bay and Seattle. That means two spots for five teams, which, in the end, will get sorted out after the NFC South wraps up and tiebreakers are then determined.

A race to the finish line is exactly what people want to see in the NFL during the last week of the season. However, that’s not the case if it’s one of your teams as some fanbases will be on the edge of their seats come kickoff next weekend.