University of Kwazulu-Natal

Nfl Releases Week 18 Schedule With Playoff Berths On The Line Msn

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfl releases week 18 schedule with playoff berths on the line msn

Every year, the NFL waits as long as possible before releasing the Week 18 schedule and that announcement finally came on Sunday night. The final week of the NFL season will kick off on Saturday with a doubleheader and then close out on Sunday night with the Ravens and Steelers battling in Pittsburgh. That will be the 272nd and final game of the 2025 season and the winner will clinch the AFC North title along with the final playoff spot in the AFC. The Steelers and Ravens met back in Week 14 with Pittsburgh topping Baltimore, 27-22. The biggest game of the weekend will arguably be happening on Saturday with the Seahawks hitting the road to face the 49ers in a massive NFC West showdown. There will be a lot on the line in that game with the winner taking home the NFC West title and the No.

1 overall seed in the NFC. That means the winner will get a bye in the opening round of the playoffs while the loser will be forced to hit the road for the wild card round. In the early game on Saturday, the Buccaneers will be hosting the Panthers in a game that could decide the NFC South. If the Panthers win, they'll clinch the division title. However, the same can't be said for Tampa Bay. If the Bucs win, they'll also need the Falcons to lose to the Saints on Sunday to clinch the division (A Bucs win combined with a Falcons win would create a three-way tie at...

The No. 1 seed in the AFC will be decided on Sunday. The Broncos will be hosting the Chargers at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS and if they win that game, they'll clinch the top seed. However, if the Broncos lose, the Patriots could sneak in and steal the top seed by beating the Dolphins. The NFL's Week 18 schedule is finally here.

The penultimate week of regular-season action clarified which few pieces of the playoff puzzle still have to fall in place. With that coming into focus, the league was able to determine a setup for every team's finale. The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will meet on Saturday afternoon to determine the likely winner of the NFC South (barring the Atlanta Falcons winning out). Then, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will clash Saturday night with the NFC's No. 1 seed on the line. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will close out the season on Sunday night to decide the AFC North title.

Here's a look at the NFL Week 18 schedule with times and dates for all 16 showdowns: The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will meet in Week 18 with the AFC North title at stake. Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Week 18 of the NFL season surely will not be a relaxing end to a grueling regular season. Far from it. Four division titles are still up for grabs, with at least two — and possibly three — to be decided in winner-take-all matchups.

The two conferences’ No. 1 seeds and the playoff byes that come with them remain in play. And, yes, even the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is in question. That left the league with tough decisions for how it would configure the Week 18 schedule, including which game would be featured in the coveted “Sunday Night Football” finale on NBC. However, the league didn’t have to wait for the conclusion of Monday night’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons to make its selections.

The 2025 NFL regular season will end in the Steel City. The NFL wraps up the 2025 regular season with Week 18 on Saturday, January 3 and Sunday, January 4, 2026. Every game pits division rivals against each other one last time before the playoffs start. The NFL announced the full schedule on December 28, 2025, after Week 17 concluded. The league placed the most important games in prime-time spots based on playoff implications. Week 18 brings 16 division games spread across Saturday and Sunday.

Both days deliver high-stakes football as teams fight for playoff berths and seeding. The NFL picked these two games for Saturday based on playoff drama. Carolina and Tampa Bay battle for the NFC South title. Seattle and San Francisco meet for the NFC West championship and the NFC’s #1 seed. Sunday brings 14 games across three time windows. Six games start at 1:00 PM ET.

Seven games begin at 4:25 PM ET. One prime matchup airs on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 PM ET. Week 18 of the NFL will have a lot on the line as there will be playoff berths and seed jockeying during the regular-season finale. Heading into Sunday Night Football, there was no schedule for when teams will play. The only known timing was the Saturday doubleheader on ESPN, a pair of Sunday doubleheaders on CBS and FOX, and then NBC hosting the final game of the regular season on Sunday Night Football. The NFL waited until the last possible moment to release the television schedule to ensure the best matchups.

When Sunday Night Football’s overtime game came to an end, the schedule was finally revealed. The first two games revealed will be played on Saturday with ESPN/ABC’s doubleheader. The Cleveland Browns will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens at 4:30 p.m. ET. That will be followed by the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

The Steelers have already secured a playoff berth, but they can still win the AFC North title if they win this Sunday and the Baltimore Ravens lose. If that happens, the Steelers would host the Los Angeles Chargers. If Pittsburgh doesn’t win the AFC North, they would be the fifth seed and go on the road in the playoffs against the No. 4 seed Houston Texans. Seahawks at 49ers. Ravens at Steelers.

It’s the final week of the regular season and we can’t wait. The NFL has officially set the board for the final weekend of the regular season, and, for some, Week 18 is shaping up less like a farewell and more like a stress test. The league has confirmed ahead of Monday Night Football (Rams-Falcons) that the season will close in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers host the Ravens in a prime time, winner-takes-everything finale. And a certain Mr Rodgers has already made his stance clear. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, with the AFC North title and a home playoff game on the line.

Before that, the weekend opens with a nationally televised Saturday doubleheader, followed by a packed Sunday slate that funnels all remaining tension toward one final game. Let’s take a look... Sunday, Jan. 4 – Early window (1:00 p.m.) Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) – AFC West, No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage

Buffalo Bills (13-3) – AFC East, No. 2 seed Houston Texans (9-7) – AFC South, No. 4 seed Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) – playoff berth Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) – playoff berth

The NFL playoff field is starting to take shape. Multiple teams clinched or improved their postseason positions through the early wave of games Sunday. Four divisions will go down to the wire next weekend. Here’s where things stand with the postseason picture: The NFL released the Week 18 schedule on Sunday night. Pittsburgh at Baltimore | 4:30 p.m.

| ESPN Houston at Indianapolis | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN

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