NFL’s Week 18 Biggest Losers
The last week of the NFL was an absolute masterpiece, with tons of teams fighting for playoff positions and fighting to get in the postseason. After this exhilarating season finale, we take a look at who this week’s biggest losers are this week.
Steelers Squeezed From Playoffs
The first team on the docket for this week’s biggest losers is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Interestingly enough, this team is probably in the most promising positions moving forward. However, on Sunday, the Steelers had a slim chance of making the playoffs. They would need to beat the Browns and need the Patriots and Dolphins to lose.
The Steelers would take care of business on their end beating the Browns 28-14. The Patriots played the Buffalo Bills and the Bills would take care of them handily. However, the Jets played the Dolphins and it was a terrible game, the Jets held the Dolphins’ offense pretty well. The Dolphins would take the lead late in the fourth quarter off a 50-yard field goal and the Jets would come back on the ensuing drive and fumble the ball in the end zone trying to make a play before the game was over.
Because the Jets and Joe Flacco could not take care of business, the Dolphins won the game and because the Bills beat the Patriots, the Dolphins got into the playoffs with the last seed in the AFC. Leaving Pittsburgh fans upset and frustrated. With their first-round pick selection solidified, they will look to improve their secondary as well as the offensive line.
Packers Squander Playoff Hopes
On Sunday Night, all eyes were on Sunday Night Football. The Packers would take on their division rival, the Detroit Lions. To move on to the playoffs, the Packers needed to defeat the Lions at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Because the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks would get into the playoffs if the Lions beat Green Bay.
The Packers would eventually give up a 16-13 lead to the Lions with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter and would never take the lead back. Because the Packers lost, the Seattle Seahawks would be getting the last seed in the NFC.
The Packers era is grim as Aaron Rodgers was heard saying some pretty unsettling words. Rodgers was heard after the game shaking hands that he wanted to keep his jersey after a player on the Lions was trying to swap it. If Rodgers retires, Jordan Love will take over the job and hope to continue the success of Green Bay
Cowboys Clapped By Commanders
The Cowboys went into the week knowing they would have a chance to clinch the NFC East with a win against the Washington Commanders and an Eagles loss against the Giants. The Commanders would start a quarterback who has never played in an NFL game, Sam Howell. This looks like an absolute layup for the Cowboys, all they would need is for the Eagles to lose.
On Sunday that wasn’t the case. The Cowboys would get embarrassed by the Commanders losing 26-6. It is such a bad look for a team in the playoffs this weekend, which is why I have them as one of my Week 18 losers. They will have to somehow bounce back from this embarrassment and take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.
Houston’s Dumbfounding Win
I am surprised I have one of Week 18’s biggest losers being a team that has lost all year long. How can it get any worse for the Texans? Well, they have done it again. The Texans went into Week 18 holding on to the first overall pick. All they needed to do is play Indianapolis and look interested. Winning should not have been on the docket.
However, the Houston Texans went on to beat the Indianapolis Colts. With the Chicago Bears losing to the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears will now receive the first overall pick. The most mind-boggling thing I have ever seen. Not only have they given up one of the most coveted draft picks in recent memory, but they also fired the coach that got them the win, Lovie Smith. Complete inside job by Lovie for the Chicago Bears. Lovie Smith, following this incident, will forever be a Chicago Bear.
Conclusion
It’s hard to pick one of these teams to be the biggest loser this week. If I had to choose, it would be between the Packers only needing to beat the Lions at Lambeau or the Texans just needing to lose against the Colts. After narrowing it down, the easy answer is the Houston Texans.
We all know how tough it is to win in the National Football League. Should the Green Bay Packers have won that game? Absolutely. But it’s tough for any team to get a win. Now, look at the flip side, if it is tough to get a win, it should be vastly easier to lose. All the Texans had to do was throw a football game. Just lose. They have failed to do the easiest thing in the entire NFL, and for that, the Houston Texans are my Week 18 biggest loser.