Sportsnaut
NFL Week 18 delivers the final weekend for the regular season in the National Football League. While a majority of the playoff spots are locked up, there are still a few games on the NFL schedule this weekend that carry a lot of importance.
Before the action kicks off on Saturday and Sunday, we’re delivering a few bold predictions for NFL Week 18. The focus for our picks will be on the games that either carry importance for the playoff picture or could involve an important statistical milestone.
Performances by both teams in the second half of the season and plenty of NFL stats point to the Carolina Panthers winning this game to clinch the NFC South. After all, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero loves to bait quarterbacks into throwing deep and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL when throwing deep since November. Carolina also has the screen game to exploit Tampa Bay’s biggest weakness defensively. Still, this game will be close enough that it comes down to the fourth quarter. With the Buccaneers’ season on the line, as he did early in the year, we think Mayfield rallies and hits Mike Evans for a late go-ahead touchdown that proves to be the deciding score.
Related: NFL Week 18 Predictions for Every Game
Running the football effectively has been quite an issue for this Seattle Seahawks offense. From Weeks 1–7, Seattle averaged just 75.7 rushing yards per game and a 3.3 yards-per-carry average while ranking 26th in Rushing Success Rate (36.7 percent) and 29th in Rush EPA (-0.169). However, coming out of the Week 8 bye, the Seahawks have averaged 108.9 rushing yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry, and they ranked 17th in Rush Success Rate (41.9 percent) and 11th in Rush EPA (-0.007).
Related: NFL Defense Rankings Entering Week 18
While all of the focus in this matchup is rightfully on Seattle’s defense versus the San Francisco 49ers’ offense, it will be the Seahawks’ ability to run the football that decides this game. Entering Week 18, the 49ers have allowed 4.6 yards per carry, and they have allowed the highest Rush Success Rate (51.8 percent) in the NFL since Week 9. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet will prove crucial to Seattle winning and clinching the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Panthers can lose in Week 18 and still be declared NFC South champions and host a playoff game. It would require the Atlanta Falcons coming out on top against the New Orleans Saints and that’s precisely what we think happens. Inexplicably, since 2018, the Falcons are 12-4 after being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and the team has maintained that ability to shine in meaningless games under Raheem Morris. In a battle between two...
