After more than four months of NFL action, the regular season will enter its final week. It has been a wild season, with twists and turns setting up an interesting postseason. However, there are matters still to be decided in the final stanza. Some of the top teams will have the luxury of resting their top players, while others will have to fight to extend their season at least for another week. In this article, we will examine the biggest stories entering the final week.
1.NFC North and South Title- the NFC North will be decided in the biggest game of the season when the Minnesota Vikings travel to Detroit to face the Lions. It is a matchup of 14-2 teams, which is the highest combined win totals to face each other in the regular season. These teams have faced their doubters and answered the challenge. Many doubted whether Sam Darnold would sustain his success, while others felt the Lions would crumble with the mounting injuries on the defense. The winner of this game will grab the number one seed in the conference, get a bye week, and home-field advantage. On the other hand, the NFC South will be decided this Sunday, and the scenario is simple. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints at home, then they will win the division. However, if the Bucs lose and the Atlanta Falcons defeat the Carolina Panther, then the Falcons will be the king of the South based on winning both head-to-head matchups. The winner of the NFC South will be the 4th seed and host the loser of the NFC North battle.
2. AFC North and Wild Card Spot- the AFC North will be decided in the final week, specifically on Saturday, when all four teams in the division battle each other. The scenario is simple for the Baltimore Ravens if they defeat the Cleveland Browns at home. If the Ravens slip up, then the Steelers could grab the divisional crown with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals at home. However, the Bengals will not make life easy for the Steel City franchise because Cincinnati will push for the win to put pressure on the Denver Broncos. The Broncos will be favorites to win the spot because they are at home and likely against the Kansas City Chiefs reserves.
3. Saquon’s Rush to History-last week Saquon Barkley became the ninth person to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. However, Barkley could use this matchup to surpass Erik Dickerson’s rushing record of 2,105 in week 18. There is intrigue heading into the matchup because Barkley will face his former team, the New York Giants. The Giants did not value the running back and failed to sign him to an inexpensive contract, and instead allowed the Penn State Alum to head South to their NFC East rival. It will be interesting to see whether the Philadelphia Eagles decide to play Barkley, having won the division last week and locking up the number 2 seed.
4. Who Wins MVP?- this is probably one of the wildest MVP races ever in the league. There are seven legitimate candidates who can win the most coveted individual award in the sport. It feels like Josh Allen is the frontrunner by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions during a crunch period of the season. It remains to be seen how much Allen will play on Sunday, having won the division and locked up the number 2. Lamar Jackson is breathing down his neck after demolishing the Steelers, Texans, and potentially the Browns on Saturday to win the division. Other candidates that deserve consideration include Barkley, Joe Burrow, Sam Darnold, Jared Goff, and even Derrick Henry.
5. Who lands the top picks- the race for the playoffs will be the center of attention, but the tanking for the top draft picks will be interesting heading into week 18. Last Sunday shifted the order dramatically with the Giants, Raiders, and Jaguars all winning. It means the New England Patriots are in pole position to land the top pick. It will be interesting to see whether the team chooses to build chemistry with its young players by playing their starters or resting them against a Bills team who will likely sit their number one unit. I think the Patriots should tank and rest their prized quarter, Drake Maye, who sustained a near concussion last week.