Only one more week until the 2025 NFL season comes to a close. It’s sad to see another NFL season come and go in the blink of an eye, but it’s setting up to be a great playoff tournament. Playoff spots are becoming scarce, and many teams punched their ticket in Week 17, but Week 18 will be the final test to see who gets into the dance. It only gets better from here, depending on who you root for.
The Pittsburgh Steelers refuse to win in Cleveland. Their last four trips to the Huntington Bank Field have resulted in losses to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, and Shedeur Sanders. The last Steelers quarterback to win in Cleveland was Ben Roethlisberger in 2021. Mike Tomlin has been coming up short there since 2021, and it might cost the Steelers a playoff spot this year.
It doesn’t matter if they won this week; the Seattle Seahawks are frauds. Sam Darnold is not the guy, regardless of how well he plays at the beginning of the regular season. It’s impossible to have faith in him in a big game, especially a playoff game. He isn’t built to make a deep run in the playoffs. Darnold looked terrible against the Carolina Panthers, and don’t expect much else from him for the rest of the season.
The Steelers lost the game, but they prevented Myles Garrett from getting his record-breaking sack. Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass 40 times, and Garrett couldn’t get him. Now, he has one more chance in Week 18 when the Browns travel across the state to play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Lucky for him, he has 15 sacks in 13 career games against the Bengals, and Burrow is the most sackable quarterback ever.
Most of the playoff spots in the NFL are locked up already, but Week 17 wasn’t able to offer clarity on a couple of them. The Steelers and Ravens game next week will decide the AFC North’s playoff representative. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers will square off to see who the NFC South sends to the dance. If you thought Week 17 was exciting, then get ready for a couple of movies in Week 18 when playoff lives are on the line, and legacies can be defined.
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions are missing their old buddy. In a shocking turn of events, it appears that Ben Johnson was keeping the lights on in the Motor City. The Lions were knocked out of layoff contention while Johnson’s Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North title. The Lions were injured and had a weird season, but Jared Goff and the offense seemed lost at times without Johnson at the helm.
Week 18 is going to be fun. It is sad to see another regular season end, but it just means we are getting close to the good stuff. Playoffs are where legacies are made in the NFL. Next week will show who really wants it. Some teams are already locked in and will rest their guys, showcasing younger players who don’t often get a chance to see the field. Other teams will be in a fight for their life. It will be two dogs going after one bone, and it is going to be a treat to watch.
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