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With all due respect to Saturday’s high-stakes action, for Sunday night’s regular-season finale there was only one choice.

The historical footage of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry isn’t particularly grainy, having begun just before the turn of the millennium, but Baltimore and Pittsburgh’s two battles per year are loaded with lore. A wacky AFC North season had to come down to an on-field, win-or-go-home primetime installment that the football world will be watching.

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Since our attention will be captured, we might as well have a wager a few on the game, just to see if we can’t make some memories for when we look back at this particularly intense chapter between these modern-classic foes.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5, 41) at Pittsburgh Steelers

Lamar Jackson is back practicing in full, something the market expected in opening this line at a field goal or more last Sunday night.

While Baltimore got a big win with Tyler Huntley at the helm in Green Bay last Saturday, the Ravens’ average expected play level is obviously higher with Jackson, and it changes the projected point spread from around a pick’em to where you’re having to lay points with the Ravens on the road. What complicates things is the level of reliance on the version of Jackson we’ll get — and how long we’ll get it for.

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Even at the best of times for Jackson, the Steelers have been able to slow the Ravens’ offense during his MVP-caliber seasons:

• Jackson’s career averages:

  • 56.6 rushing yards per game

  • 35 rushing TDs in 115 games

  • Fewer than 2.0 sacks per game

• Jackson’s averages against Pittsburgh:

  • Almost 3.0 sacks per game

While the Steelers’ defense has left something to be desired this season, at 21st in Expected Points Added per Play (EPA/Play), in the Week 14 matchup in Baltimore, Pittsburgh’s was third-best, forcing -0.15 EPA/Play, while limiting the damage from Derrick Henry to 94 yards on 25 carries and no touchdowns.

While a few judgment calls went against the Ravens at home, it was clear that a point spread of -5.5 gave Baltimore too much credit. Four weeks later, and there’s been only a two-point adjustment to the line for the shift in home field.

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Part of that may be stemming from the absence of DK Metcalf — the field-stretcher for Aaron Rodgers — which was felt last week in a loss at Cleveland, and Metcalf had his best game as a Steeler in Week 14. He’s also averaged just 50 yards in his other 14 games this season, and where the Steelers were able to gash the Ravens was when the veteran quarterback was able to check Pittsburgh into plays that left the defense confused, leaving wide-open options.

[Check out all of Yahoo’s sports betting content here in our new betting hub]

All season long, the assumption has been made that the Ravens would eventually flip a switch and match their output to their power rating in the market, but even at their healthiest that hasn’t been the case against other playoff-caliber opponents.

One win, where the already-clinched Packers weren’t able to match the Ravens’ desperation and aggression, doesn’t confirm the high regard that Baltimore carries here, considering the Ravens have blown fourth-quarter leads to the Bills early and the Patriots late.

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Even if the Ravens do manage a 10-point lead on the road, there’s always room for Rodgers to make this game close late, but it’s more likely that we’re in for the usual tightly-contested game that John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin have found themselves in for almost two decades.

Pick: Steelers +3.5

Player props

Lamar Jackson under 232.5 passing and rushing yards (-115)

We’ve cited the historical numbers for Jackson against the Steelers, and while the names may change on Pittsburgh, the general game plan shouldn’t. While a sore Jackson may give Baltimore a better chance to win than Huntley, it doesn’t mean he’ll be freely running, since he hasn’t done as much of that this season anyway. Plus, there’s always the chance that Jackson can’t make it through all 60 minutes.

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Jonnu Smith over 2.5 receptions (+100)

Pat Freiermuth was the leading receiver for the Steelers with Metcalf unavailable last week, but he was used as a field-stretcher up the middle, catching three of five Rodgers’ passes. The other big change in personnel for Pittsburgh is the season-ending injury to fellow tight end Darnell Washington. Once he went out, Smith became Rodgers’ outlet, catching all five targets but for just 12 yards.

Marques Valdes-Scantling longest reception over 16.5 yards (-118)

Throwing conditions are never any good in Cleveland in December, but Rodgers tried to get the ball deep down the field to Valdes-Scantling anyway. Despite catching three passes for no more than nine yards, MVS had an average depth of target of 13.0 yards from his team-high nine targets in the absence of Metcalf. Against the Ravens’ secondary, prone to coverage breakdowns, there could be some more success if Rodgers keeps looking to stretch the field with his former Packers teammate.

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Anytime touchdown

Zay Flowers (+160)

After seven total touchdowns in his rookie season, it had been a frustrating stretch of more than a season and a half for anyone invested in Flowers to score, as he found the end zone just five times in 30 games despite 210 targets and 19 carries, while other lesser-talents were scoring at an unusually high rate relative to their overall usage. However, Flowers has scored in three consecutive games, including an 18-yard rushing touchdown, and a mathematically improbable stat line might be starting to correct itself.

With so much attention expected to be paid on Henry after his scoring splurge last week, and the Steelers’ reputation for spying well on Jackson, Flowers should find some single-coverage opportunities against the Steelers’ aging secondary.

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Kenneth Gainwell (+195)

While Jaylen Warren is the likely goal-line option each week, Gainwell can score in a variety of ways (four times on the ground and three through air), as he’s turned into a key security blanket for Rodgers. From a matchup perspective, Gainwell had eight touches/targets in the red zone in Week 14 to just two for Warren, scoring on one of four carries, while being a main character in the passing game with seven targets.

Jonnu Smith (+450)

The Steelers have started handing the ball off to Smith, and while I’m not sure what the football reason is for this, we don’t argue with the strategy — we just bet it. That evident desire to get Smith the ball alone might be enough to make them a valuable long-shot bet, but the injuries mentioned above also moves Smith up the hierarchy for a big-bodied scoring option for Pittsburgh.

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You can find more valuable betting analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.

Can Josh Hoover be the third transfer QB to lead Indiana to the College Football Playoff in 2026?

According to ESPN, the TCU QB has signed with the Hoosiers out of the transfer portal. Hoover’s impending arrival likely means that current Indiana QB and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Mendoza’s declaration would not be a surprise in the slightest. He’s the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in April. The Las Vegas Raiders — a team in desperate need of a QB — clinched the top pick on Sunday.

[Get more Hoosiers football news: Indiana team feed]

But we won’t officially know Mendoza’s draft intentions for a while. No. 1 Indiana plays No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Friday night and a win puts the Hoosiers in the national title game on Jan. 19.

Hoover has played in 35 games over the past three seasons at TCU. In 2025, he was 272-of-413 passing for 3,472 yards and 29 TDs with 13 interceptions. Hoover has thrown 71 TDs over the past three years and averaged 8.4 yards an attempt in both 2024 and 2025.

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After Indiana hired coach Curt Cignetti ahead of the 2024 season, the Hoosiers signed Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke out of the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. The former MAC Player of the Year threw for over 3,000 yards and 29 TDs as Indiana made the College Football Playoff for the first time.

Mendoza then arrived from Cal after the 2024 season as the Hoosiers continued their ascent. Indiana won the Big Ten in 2025 and is the only undefeated team at the top level of college football. Mendoza has thrown 36 TDs over 14 games so far this season and is averaging 9.6 yards a pass. He easily won the Heisman Trophy ahead of Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.

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Like both Rourke and Mendoza, Hoover will have one season of eligibility remaining. The Texas native was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022 and the No. 15 quarterback in the nation out of high school, according to Rivals.

Myles Garrett made NFL history on Sunday with his 23rd sack of the season, breaking the league’s coveted record for most sacks in a single season.

When it happened, game officials allowed a stoppage in play of roughly a minute for Garrett to celebrate with his Browns teammates. The delay occurred at a critical juncture late in the fourth quarter of the game between Garrett’s Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals that Cleveland won, 20-18.

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For this, Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor was not pleased. Neither was All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Taylor told reporters in his postgame news conference that the delay interfered with the Bengals’ hurry-up offense as they attempted to rally from a 17-12 deficit in the game’s final five minutes. The sack put the Bengals at second-and-16 near midfield.

[Get more Bengals news: Cincinnati team feed]

Taylor: ‘The umpire just held the ball’

“There’s five minutes left in our season,” Taylor said. “We’re playing for our lives here, and I was never told that we’re gonna stop the game. And in a critical moment like that. And the refs just said that they made a decision that they were gonna stop the game. And they said they tried to do it as quickly as possible. I didn’t feel that.

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“We didn’t sub. We’re trying to be on the ball and go and play with tempo, and the umpire just held the ball so that we couldn’t do anything.”

During the game, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who was on the receiving end of Garrett’s sack, raised both arms in frustration after the play as officials held on to the game ball instead of placing it for the next play. Garrett, meanwhile, was swarmed by his teammates to celebrate the achievement.

Why did officials allow game to be delayed?

Taylor told reporters that he approached officials to try to get an answer for why gameplay was paused to allow the Browns to celebrate.

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“Trying to get an answer was not easy,” Taylor said. “They just said that they made a decision as a crew to stop the game when that happened. I guess it didn’t matter when it happened. They were gonna stop the game and let it happen.

“I was never informed of that. They didn’t say one word.”

Ja’Marr Chase: Where’s the flag?

Chase, meanwhile, wanted to know why officials didn’t throw a flag for the celebration as players left the Cleveland bench to congratulate Garrett on the field.

“I don’t think they could do that,” Chase said. “I never knew you could let the whole team get on your field — that’s like me catching my 10th pass and the whole team running on the field. People get flagged. You can’t do that.

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“Congrats to him and everything. But they’ve gotta call a flag on that play.”

When informed that Taylor said that officials had planned all along to stop play to allow a celebration, Chase said that he expects the same treatment for any of his career achievements.

“Well,” Chase said, “they better stop the game when I do something on my back end.”

What should officials have done?

Few individual records in football carry as much weight as the single-season sack record. It’s a monumental achievement worthy of celebration.

At the same time, there’s plenty of time and opportunity for the Browns to celebrate. And the Bengals have a legitimate gripe about the game not being allowed to play out by the normal rules of gameplay.

The New York Jets’ defense reached a new, historic low on Sunday afternoon.

The Jets failed to pick off Mitchell Trubisky in their 35-8 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. With the Jets finishing the season at just 3-14, well out of playoff contention for a 15th straight season, they are now the first team in NFL history to go an entire campaign without at least one interception.

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The NFL first started tracking interceptions as a stat back in 1933. Since then, no team has recorded fewer than two in a single season. The 2018 San Francisco 49ers team was the previous worst in this category with two, one fewer than both the Houston Texans in 2020 and the Houston Oilers in 1982. Only two other teams in NFL history have failed to record five interceptions in a single season.

[Get more Jets news: New York team feed]

Though it hasn’t been all bad, the Jets’ defense has struggled for most of the season. They entered Sunday with just four recovered fumbles on the year, better than only three teams in the league, and allowing just more than 29 points per game, which is better than only two others. Their passing defense allowed an average of about 213 yards per game, which is right in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league, but they still couldn’t come up with a single interception.

Buffalo led the entire way at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, and carrying a 21-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Trubisky, who started in place of Josh Allen with the Bills already firmly in the playoffs, went 22-of-29 for 259 yards with four touchdowns. Ray Davis led them on the ground with 151 yards on 21 carries, and Keon Coleman had 49 yards on two catches. The Bills now sit at 12-5.

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Brady Cook went 11-of-22 for 60 yards for the Jets. He threw a touchdown late in the game to get points on the board when he found Andrew Beck for a 2-yard score. Khalil Herbert had 42 yards on 12 carries, and Isaiah Williams had 24 yards on five catches. The Jets have now lost five straight and seven of their last eight to end the year.

While first-year head coach Aaron Glenn has a lot more to fix than the lack of turnovers this offseason, the problem was just another example of how rough the year truly was in New York.

In Week 18 — the last of the 2025 NFL regular season — there isn’t much at stake in terms of fantasy football. Most leagues wrapped up in Week 17 and while there was meaningful football played for the standings, it’s always tough to gather much from the final week for fantasy. But what we can do is highlight some takeaways from Week 18 that we can use for fantasy football almost a year from now, for the 2026 regular season. Let’s recap some top performers.

Tyler Shough makes for an intriguing deep sleeper at QB

The Saints’ rookie QB had one of the better finishes to the 2025 regular season. It took Shough a bit to get acclimated after taking over the reins for New Orleans in Week 9. From then on through Week 17, Shough had been the QB11 in fantasy scoring, averaging 17 fantasy points per game going into Sunday’s game versus the Falcons. He scored another 21.92 points against Atlanta on 333 passing and two touchdowns, even without Chris Olave and a depleted backfield.

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Assuming the Saints make some improvements on offense and Shough gets a full training camp over the summer, he makes for an intriguing late-round QB option. If this season has told us anything, it’s that waiting on QB can pay off big if you nail a few options in the later rounds.

Jaydon Blue could be in the backfield mix for Dallas

The Cowboys found a gem in Javonte Williams, who finished the fantasy season (through Week 17) as the RB11 in fantasy scoring at 225.3 points. But Williams still has a long history of injury and this feels more like a peak or outlier season. Blue was a fifth-round pick out of Texas and showed some flashes of upside in Week 18 versus the Giants, rushing 16 times for 64 yards and a TD.

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Williams will hit free agency and could go elsewhere if he asks Dallas for too much. You’d think the Cowboys add more bodies anyway but we could see Blue go into 2026 as a potential option to lead the backfield. He’s someone to monitor this offseason.

Bhayshul Tuten should have full confidence if Travis Etienne Jr. walks

Another name that will hit free agency at RB is Etienne, who is coming off a resurgent season, finishing as a top-10 fantasy back. Etienne thrived in Liam Coen’s offense in 2025 but we also saw the rookie Tuten as a capable option throughout this season. He scored in the blowout win over the Titans on Sunday, his seventh TD of the season. If Etienne walks, Tuten could get first crack at being the lead back in a very exciting offense for 2026.

Zach Charbonnet could be the Seattle RB to draft in 2026

It’s unclear if the Seahawks will retain RB Kenneth Walker III after this season. Despite rushing for over 1,000 yards, Walker had a very disappointing season for fantasy, thanks to frustrating usage by OC Klint Kubiak. It’s also very clear Kubiak prefers Charbonnet in goal-line situations, which is gold in fantasy. He finished the season strong with 35 carries for 184 yards and three TDs over the final two games.

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Even if Walker is back, Charbonnet should be the priority back in Seattle thanks to his touchdown equity. If Walker bolts in free agency, Charbonnet could be a sleeping giant in drafts.

Alec Pierce should be on your sleeper radar

Pierce was one of the better pickups off the waiver wire in fantasy this season. He used a 132-yard effort in Week 18 to push himself over 1,000 receiving yards for the season. That’s pretty impressive given the QB room for the Colts (Daniel Jones, Philip Rivers, Riley Leonard). Pierce is very clearly one of the best deep-ball WRs in the NFL. If Indy can shore up the QB position or Jones can return from injury and pick up where he left off, Pierce should be a quality late-round receiver option in PPR formats.

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Parker Washington clearly a favorite in the Jacksonville passing game

It feels like all season we’ve been waiting to write off Washington in the Jags’ passing attack. Injuries and inconsistent play thrust the third-year receiver into a significant role in Coen’s offense. It’s clear after Week 18 that both Coen and QB Trevor Lawrence love Washington and what he can do out of the slot.

In three pretty important games, Washington finished with a combined 19 catches on 29 targets for 347 yards and two TDs. He’s also going to lead Jacksonville in receiving despite playing limited snaps in four of the first six games.

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Travis Hunter is coming off major injury. Brian Thomas Jr. regressed big time. Jakobi Meyers signed an extension. But Washington is entering a contract year and should be the priority WR from this exciting passing offense to target in 2026.

Is Michael Wilson the greatest wide receiver of all-time? My column

Seriously, is Wilson this good? How did the Cardinals overlook him this entire time? Was it just Kyler Murray not sustaining the passing game? I’m asking a lot of questions you don’t have the answers to. But after this run, Wilson is very clearly the best WR on Arizona’s roster and will be a very, very, very popular sleeper pick at the position in 2026 drafts.

He capped off a ridiculous second half with five catches for 98 yards and a TD in Week 18 versus the Rams. Even prior to Sunday, Wilson finished the fantasy season as the WR16 in total points. That’s insanity. All this, initiated by Jacoby Brissett taking over at QB. Imagine what these two could do in a full season …

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If it’s Brissett again under center in 2026, Wilson has to be one of your favorite clicks in drafts. If it’s Murray (which it likely won’t be), maybe I’m a bit concerned. But it feels like, because of this season, he might get overhyped and overdrafted, which could hurt his value. It’s going to be one of the more polarizing offseason storylines for drafting nerds (like me).

Colston Loveland has all the upside in the world

We know next season it’s going to be Trey McBride in his own tier and then every other tight end for fantasy. Does Loveland have a chance to be the TE2 behind McBride? That would be a bold prediction but the talent is clearly there. The rookie finished with 10 catches on 13 targets for 91 yards and a score in Week 18 versus the Lions. It was his sixth TD of the season and second game above 20 fantasy points.

Another year with QB Caleb Williams gives you some more chemistry and rememeber, Loveland didn’t start to play significant snaps until Week 7 this season. Despite all that, Loveland still finished as the TE14 in points. We know the ceiling is there. If Loveland can get an 80%+ snap share at TE for Chicago, he can finish as a top TE in 2026.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered Week 18 with a shot at overtaking the Chicago Bears for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

But as the Bears lost, 19-16 on a walk-off field goal to the Detroit Lions, the Eagles weren’t in prime position to capitalize. Head coach Nick Sirianni opted to rest his starters against a four-win Washington Commanders team playing with third-string quarterback Josh Johnson.

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The Commanders beat the Eagles’ backups 24-17, and the Bears held on to the No. 2 seed in the NFC despite losing, relegating the Eagles to the No. 3 seed.

[Get more Eagles news: Philly team feed]

What Eagles lose by not clinching No. 2 seed

The Bears and Eagles will each host playoff games in next week’s wild-card round. If both teams advance to the divisional round, the Bears would host the Eagles with the winner advancing to the NFC championship game.

That’s the primary advantage the Eagles surrendered when they started Sunday’s game with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and Co. on the bench.

The games were played at the same time, and Sirianni couldn’t have known that the Bears would lose. But he prioritized rest over giving the Eagles their best chance at the No. 2 seed, and they’ll go into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed instead.

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Why did Sirianni rest starters?

Sirianni explained his decision to prioritize rest while speaking with reporters on Friday.

“At the end of the day, it’s not a guarantee we can get the 2 seed,” Sirianni said. “But I guarantee that I can rest the starters. Just thought that was the best thing for our football team.”

He was asked postgame if he had any regrets given the outcome.

“No, you go through your process, Sirianni said. “You make the best decision for your football team.”

Starting safety Reed Blankenship, who did not play on Sunday, told reporters postgame that he agreed with Sirianni’s decision.

“You can play the what-if game,” Blankenship said. “I mean, yeah, when the Lions win — when you’re on the sideline, like ‘man, I wish I would have played.’

“But you don’t know that. I’d rather have a week of rest and have my body recovered than go out there and be in a dog fight and then feel bad going into a playoff game.”

Starting receiver DeVonta Smith was 44 yards short of a 1,000-yard season entering Sunday’s game. He did start and told reporters that Sirianni had offered him the choice to do so. He didn’t record another catch after tallying 52 yards to eclipse 1,000 for the season.

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He told reporters after the game that he wasn’t given an option to keep playing with the No. 2 seed still at stake.

“Everybody told me to get the hell out,” Smith said, per The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena.

Eagles still had a shot after Bears lost

The Lions secured their win over the Bears as the result of Commanders-Eagles remained in the balance. With Detroit’s win in the books, the Eagles forced a Commanders punt with 1:04 remaining and a chance to tie the game.

But backup quarterback Tanner McKee threw three incompletions and took a sack for a turnover on downs, allowing the Commanders to kneel out the clock on their win.

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Both the Bears and the Eagles finish at 11-6, and the Bears hold the tiebreaker. As the No. 2 seed, Chicago will host the rival Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) in next week’s wild-card round in a rematch of one of the best games of the NFL season that the Bears won on a walk-off touchdown in overtime.

The Eagles will host a banged-up San Francisco 49ers team that finished 12-5, but struggled while playing without multiple injured starters in a Saturday loss to the Seattle Seahawks that determined the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Both matchups are tough, and neither the Bears nor the Eagles, of course, are guaranteed to advance to the divisional round.

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The Eagles reduced the risk of injury and wear and tear on their starters while sacrificing their best shot at hosting a divisional-round playoff game. Only time will tell if that decision pays off as the Eagles seek their second consecutive Super Bowl championship.

The Denver Broncos’ No. 1 seed-clinching performance wasn’t impressive or memorable. But it got the job done, which has pretty much been the Broncos’ approach this season.

Denver might not be the most dominant top seed ever, but it’s hard to go 14-3 in the NFL. And now the Broncos, like the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC, are two home wins from Super Bowl LX.

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The Broncos outlasted the Chargers 19-3 in an uninspiring game. They were good enough to beat a Chargers team that had little to play for and was resting starters, but they didn’t look like one of the best teams in the NFL. Denver’s offense didn’t score a touchdown. Its defense was good, as it has been all season, and the Broncos should be thankful for that. The offense will have to be better to beat whoever they host on divisional round weekend. The important part is they’re hosting someone on divisional round weekend as the No. 1 seed.

The last time the Broncos hosted a playoff game, Peyton Manning was the winning quarterback. They beat Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, and two weeks later they defeated MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. There was a drought after that, and it bottomed out in Nathaniel Hackett’s beyond-awful season as head coach.

Things, however, can turn around fast in the NFL. The Broncos traded for head coach Sean Payton and drafted quarterback Bo Nix, which helped solve their two biggest problems. The Broncos overcame salary cap problems and draft picks lost in the horrific Russell Wilson trade to make the playoffs last season and become the AFC’s best team this season, ending the Kansas City Chiefs’ streak of nine straight AFC West titles.

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The Broncos caught a break in Week 17 when the Texans beat the Chargers. Had the Chargers won, they’d have been playing for the AFC West championship in Week 18. Instead, they were stuck with a wild-card spot, with little chance of improving their seeding in a meaningful way, and they sat some players, including quarterback Justin Herbert. The path to a No. 1 seed was a lot easier against a disinterested Chargers team.

It still wasn’t easy. Denver’s defense accounted for the first touchdown of the game when Trey Lance’s pass was deflected and intercepted by Ja’Quan McMillian, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. That ended up being the only TD of the game.

The Broncos’ defense was good, as usual. Lance had a big opportunity to impress in a rare start, but looked like little more than a career backup. It’s hard for most quarterbacks to generate much against the Broncos. That’s what makes them a dangerous opponent in the playoffs, especially with the bye coming up.

The Broncos won’t get the same respect that most No. 1 seeds get. They have won an inordinate amount of close games this season. The offense has not taken a step forward in Nix’s second season, and is prone to bad games like it had Sunday. That group had trouble with the Chargers’ JV team. But the Broncos has a legitimate home-field advantage in the altitude and won’t have to leave Colorado until the Super Bowl, if they make it. And for anyone underestimating Denver due to style points: It’s hard to win 14 games by accident.

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Here are the rest of the winners and losers from the late games of Week 18. (The AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars led winners and losers from the early games):

WINNERS

Rhamondre Stevenson: The New England Patriots didn’t have a ton to play for Sunday, aside from praying the resting Chargers beat the Broncos to open up the possibility of a No. 1 seed. But the Patriots did play their starters, and Stevenson had a career day.

The Patriots ran over the Miami Dolphins to win 38-10 and finish the season 14-3. The Broncos take the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed, and the Patriots will forever lament blowing a 21-0 lead at home to the Bills and losing a few weeks ago, but New England can feel good going into the playoffs on a high note.

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Stevenson stole the show. He had 131 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also had a receiving touchdown. Fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson added two more touchdowns.

The Patriots won’t get the bye as the No. 1 seed. But it was a productive day.

Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders didn’t try to hide their shame of desperately chasing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. At least they didn’t screw up and actually got the top pick.

The Raiders had the first pick clinched before their season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off. They landed the top pick when the Giants won in the early set of games. That way, it didn’t even matter when they beat a Kansas City Chiefs team that crawled across the finish line at the end of the season. In one of the uglier games of the season, the Raiders beat the Chiefs 14-12. The teams traded field goals in the final 1:01, the final one a 60-yarder from Daniel Carlson with eight seconds remaining. Neither team scored a touchdown.

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If it was Travis Kelce’s final game, it was an unceremonious way to go out. While that era might end for the Chiefs, another will begin soon for the Raiders.

The Raiders almost certainly will take a quarterback with the first pick. Fernando Mendoza of Indiana has led the discussion, but Oregon’s Dante Moore will be a candidate if he enters the draft. It’s a crucial offseason coming up. The Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday, so a new staff will take over. And the Raiders will get a quarterback who can finally provide some hope of better days ahead.

Matthew Stafford’s MVP chances: Is it possible that Stafford overtook Drake Maye on the final day of the season to win his first MVP?

It will be a tough decision for voters. Stafford made his final case with four touchdown passes in a 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams did not play well for most of the game but turned it on late. Stafford had two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to push the Rams to the win. It was his fourth four-touchdown game of the season. He finishes with 46 touchdowns on the season. With the win, the Rams clinched the No. 5 seed and will face the Panthers on Saturday’s first game of wild-card weekend.

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The MVP race has been a two-man battle for a while between Stafford and Maye. New England won Sunday evening too, but Maye had a relatively quiet day with 191 yards and a touchdown.

Maye probably had the lead going into Week 18, after Stafford struggled against the Falcons last week. Stafford had the more prolific game Sunday. Will that flip the vote back in Stafford’s favor?

LOSERS

Philadelphia Eagles: Maybe the Eagles should have played for the No. 2 seed.

The Eagles rested starters, choosing to not chase the No. 2 seed and a wild-card matchup against the Green Bay Packers, who are probably the most vulnerable of the wild-card teams after Micah Parsons’ injury. The Eagles needed to win and have the Bears be upset by the Lions. The Eagles played backups, and the Bears were upset. So were the Eagles, as Washington won 24-17 with third-string quarterback Josh Johnson leading the way.

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Maybe it won’t matter. A rested Eagles team will face the 49ers on wild-card weekend, and perhaps the rest will be more important than the easier matchup against Green Bay. But if they lose that game, or a possible road game at the No. 2 seeded Bears the next weekend, there will be some second-guessing over why they didn’t try to get the more advantageous seed.

Chicago Bears: Sunday’s performance by the Bears was troubling.

They had something tangible to play for against a Detroit Lions team that was eliminated from the playoff race last week. Getting the No. 2 seed with a win would clinch a matchup against a vulnerable Green Bay Packers team, rather than facing either the Rams or 49ers. The Bears played their starters and still got the No. 2 seed because of Philadelphia’s loss to Washington, but it’s hard to view Sunday as a positive day for the Bears.

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The Lions dominated the Bears in Chicago for most of the first three quarters. The Bears rallied in the fourth quarter to tie it, with Caleb Williams and the passing game finally coming alive after struggling most of the game, but the Lions won 19-16 on a field goal as time expired.

The Bears didn’t rest their key players and lost anyway. They didn’t look particularly good in doing it, either. Now on wild-card weekend they’ll face a Packers team that did rest its starters in Week 18.

Aaron Glenn: To be fair, Glenn has been down to his third-string quarterback and a shell of the defense he started the season with. But the Jets have been impossibly bad for most of Glenn’s first season as a head coach.

The Jets started the season 0-7 and finished by being blown out for most of their games since November. The latest loss was as bad as it gets, being absolutely overmatched against a Buffalo Bills team that rested starters before the playoffs start next weekend. The Bills sent out Highmark Stadium a winner in the final regular-season season game there, beating the Jets 35-8.

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The Jets were playing Bills backups and couldn’t even compete. When the Bills took a 21-0 lead with 4:58 left in the first half, the Bills were outgaining the Jets 248-29 and had 15 first downs to one for the Jets. If that happened against Josh Allen and James Cook, it would be bad. Against Mitchell Trubisky and Ray Davis, it was embarrassing. Trubisky had 259 yards and four touchdowns. The Jets didn’t get an interception, inexplicably becoming the first team in NFL history to not record a single interception over the course of a season.

There hasn’t been much speculation that Glenn is in trouble after a 3-14 season. But there aren’t any tangible signs that he’s the right coach for the job. We’ll find out more next season.

Development curves are not always linear in sports. Sometimes, players need to struggle for extended periods before improvement comes, or greatness emerges. I know it feels like we waited for Trevor Lawrence forever.

But man, was it worth the wait.

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The Jaguars head into the NFL playoffs with an overflowing bandwagon. They won their eighth straight game Sunday, rolling past the Titans, 41-7. Lawrence threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, his seventh straight week he’s accounted for multiple scores. Not many fantasy leagues use Week 18 for scoring purposes, but Lawerence was at the top of the QB board by the time Sunday’s early window closed.

Lawrence’s stats have exploded over this winning surge. He’s thrown for 2,009 yards in the eight-week sample, with 19 touchdowns against just five picks. That hashes out to a 102.65 passer rating and 8.2 YPA. He’s also augmented his game with 187 rushing yards and four more touchdowns.

Lawrence finished as the QB4 when the fantasy regular season completed last week in most leagues. If you start the scoring in Week 5, he’s only behind Josh Allen. The days of drafting Lawrence as a late-round quarterback steal are obviously over.

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Lawrence’s breakout season left a mark.

It took the Jaguars a while to adequately build a supporting cast around Lawrence, but the nuts and bolts fit perfectly in 2025. Jakobi Meyers was a smart mid-season acquisition, giving Lawrence a reliable target in the middle of the field. Slot receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange both took steps forward in their third seasons (they also both had touchdowns on Sunday). And the offense is all orchestrated by first-year coach Liam Coen, a respected tactician and a far cry from the Urban Meyer mistake and the last days of Doug Pederson.

It’s interesting that Lawrence took this step forward despite a disjointed year from his two signature wideouts. Brian Thomas Jr. ended the year with a disappointing 48-707-2 line, and Travis Hunter looked ordinary during his seven games (28-298-1). They’re both young players, of course, with plenty of time to change their own stories. If Thomas reclaims his rookie form or Hunter notably improves next year upon return from injury, Lawrence has a plausible path to being the best QB in fantasy next year.

A splash of Travis Etienne Jr. would also help the offense, if the Jaguars can re-sign him. Etienne finished as the RB9, beating his projection in seven games after the Week 8 bye. All of his per-touch metrics improved in 2025, another feather in Coen’s cap. Six touchdown catches didn’t hurt, either.

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How much hope is there for a Justin Jefferson bounce-back in 2026?

While the Jaguars had something to play for in Week 18, several other NFL clubs were merely playing for pride. The Vikings were also aiming at a winning record, a notable accomplishment for a team that started off 4-8. Minnesota’s 16-3 win over Green Bay on Sunday was mostly driven by the nasty Vikings defense, but the offense also entered the fun, unlocking Justin Jefferson for the first time in weeks.

Normally when Jefferson posts a 8-101-0 log, we don’t make any notes. Star receivers are supposed to produce like that. But in this case, it was the first Jefferson start over 100 yards since Week 5 against Cleveland. Jefferson ends the year with 84 catches, 1,048 yards and just three touchdowns.

Although J.J. McCarthy wasn’t able to finish Sunday’s game, it was one of his better starts. He averaged 7.9 YPA and didn’t have a turnover or sack. McCarthy had a YPA of 7.1 or better in each of his final four games, perhaps suggesting that the Kevin O’Connell tutelage is starting to sink in.

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For a while, I was starting to view Jefferson as a third-round pick in 2026, but this late surge from McCarthy might be enough to keep Jefferson around the 1-2 wheel next year. McCarthy’s fantasy value will probably repeat from last year, a plausible-upside pick in the late rounds, or a possible waiver-wire add for deeper pools.

Alec Pierce is for real

I am hesitant to call Alec Pierce a breakout player because the breakout has essentially happened already. He’s led the NFL in yards per reception for two straight years, and he finished this year with a 47-1,003-6 line. He graded as a low-end WR2 in points per game, and stayed consistent no matter who the Colts used at quarterback.

Pierce is real, and he can be spectacular.

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His touchdown equity will ultimately determine how high Pierce can fly. One of his scores Sunday at Houston was a trademark 66-yard bomb, helped by a miscommunication in the Texans secondary. The second score was an eight-yard catch, reminding us that Pierce doesn’t have to be pigeonholed as a deep threat. He can win on the shorter routes, too.

Pierce’s last two years come at the perfect time, on the eve of his free-agent window. I would be surprised if the Colts let him leave the building, but teams can’t keep everyone they want. No matter where Pierce is working next season, he’s probably going to be drafted as a presumable fantasy starter, real estate he’s earned as he looks forward to his age-26 season. He’s right in the middle of his peak.

On Sunday, with about half the NFL already having been eliminated from postseason contention, there wasn’t much to play for, but for many players, there was still plenty on the line in the form of contract incentives for reaching particular benchmarks.

From sacks to receptions and yardage or even team rankings, multiple players in the final week of the season played for (and earned) bonus money reaching into the millions.

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DL Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals

Campbell needed one sack to receive a $500,000 bonus for 7.5 sacks, but he didn’t get it.

RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

Dowdle needed 7 scrimmage yards to hit a $1 million bonus for 1,350 total yards. He managed that feat during Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but barely, gaining 10 yards on seven carries.

Dowdle also had a $250,000 bonus on the line if he scored a touchdown, but failed to hit that incentive in Week 18.

RB Nick Chubb, Houston Texans

Chubb was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Colts, preventing him from bringing home an extra $250,000 for gaining 600 rushing yards this season. He finished this regular season with 506 yards.

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DL Arik Armstead, Jacksonville Jaguars

A quiet Sunday kept Armstead, who needed 1.5 sacks against the Titans, from earning a $1 million bonus for reaching seven total on the season.

S Austin Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Johnson fell short of the one sack he needed against the Titans to collect on a $250,000 incentive.

DE Joseph Ossai, Cincinnati Bengals

Ossai was inactive Sunday against the Browns and missed a shot at a $250,000 bonus with a sack.

RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Pollard fell 16 yards short of gaining an extra $250,000. That yardage would’ve given him 1,000 on the season.

WR Hollywood Brown, Kansas City Chiefs

With a touchdown in Week 18, Brown would’ve earned a $250,000 incentive, but he didn’t hit it. He could’ve earned another $125,000 with 102 receiving yards, but he finished with 64 on Sunday.

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WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

Allen came into Sunday six receptions away from earning an extra $750,000 in bonus money for reaching 80 receptions this season; he ended the day with seven. He earned another $250,000 for gaining 750 receiving yards on the season. He didn’t score a touchdown, though — if he caught two on Sunday, he would’ve earned another $250,000.

LBs Bradley Chubb and Jordyn Brooks, CB Rasul Douglas, Miami Dolphins

Bradley Chubb hit multiple incentives in Week 17 but won’t be able to collect on them unless the Dolphins’ defense finishes ranked in the top 20 in the NFL. Chubb has reached more than $3 million in snap count incentives, over $2 million in sack incentives, plus another $900,000 for crossing the eight-sack milestone this season. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks and cornerback Rasul Douglas are in the same boat as Bradley, having already hit certain incentives but needing the defense to finish in the top 20 to collect.

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Miami is currently the 21st-ranked defense (24.1 ppg) in the league behind Atlanta at No. 20 (24.0 points per game).

WR Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots

Diggs needed 30 yards to earn a $500,000 bonus for 1,000 yards, and he hit that mark as the Patriots defeated the Dolphins on Sunday. He also could’ve gained another $500,000 if he snagged eight balls to finish the season with 90 catches, but he caught just three on Sunday. He already earned a $500,000 bonus for 80 catches, which he hit in Week 17.

TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Henry needed five catches to collect $250,000 in incentives, and he got exactly that. He ended the season with 60.

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EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, New England Patriots

Chaisson just needed half a sack to earn a $500,000 bonus for seven total on the season, and he notched a solo sack in Sunday’s win.

TE Adam Trautman, Denver Broncos

Trautman needed five catches Sunday to finish with 25 on the season for an extra $125,000, but he didn’t hit it.

RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

As the Eagles look toward the playoffs, they rested multiple starters on Sunday in a loss to the Commanders, including Barkley. Barkley could’ve snagged a $250,000 bonus for reaching 1,500 all-purpose yards this season. He fell 87 yards short, ending the season with 1,413 total yards.

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CB Christian Bedford, Buffalo Bills

Benford needed two interceptions against the Jets to earn an extra $400,000, but he didn’t play in Sunday’s 35-8 win over the Jets.

CB Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills

White needed one interception to collect $250,000, but he didn’t play Sunday.

TE Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills

Knox had three separate incentives on the line, each valued at $100,000. He would’ve earn one of those by notching six more catches (he only had two). But he earned the other two by gaining seven more receiving yards (he had 24 on Sunday) and one for scoring a touchdown against the Jets.

RB Ty Johnson, Buffalo Bills

Johnson needed two touchdowns to collect $250,000, but he only scored one on Sunday. He needed 57 receiving yards to gain another $125,000, but ended with 20.

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DL DaQuan Jones, Buffalo Bills

Jones needed a sack to receive a $250,000 incentive, but did not play.

DE Joey Bosa, Buffalo Bills

Bosa needed one sack to earn a $250,000 payout, but did not play.

LB Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills

Milano needed 1.5 sacks to pick up $250,000, but did not play.

KR Kene Nwangwu, New York Jets

Kene Nwangwu could’ve notched a $500,000 payout if he returned a kick for a touchdown in Week 18, but it was not to be.

K Nick Folk, New York Jets

Folk could’ve snagged an extra $125,000 if he made two field goals in Week 18, but he did not play.

QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Darnold was within striking distance of $2 million in incentive money for hitting milestones for passing touchdowns (28), passing yards (4,000), completion percentage (67.5%), and passer rating (100).

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Heading into Week 18, Darnold needed three touchdown passes, 150 passing yards, a 0.3 completion percentage increase, and a 0.8 passer rating increase to hit those bonuses.

Darnold managed to hit two of those incentives in Week 18, passing for over 150 yards and upping his completion percentage to 67.7 on the season.

WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Jennings earned a $2.4 million playing time incentive during Saturday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He can make an additional $600,000 with 35 more snaps in the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

WR Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders

He needed 93 receiving yards for a $200,000 bonus for 800 yards (he had just 20 on Sunday), and two touchdowns for a $250,000 bonus for eight touchdowns (he had none). He could’ve earned another $200,000 if he hit 10 catches in the game, but he had just two.

OLB Von Miller, Washington Commanders

Miller needed one sack for a $500,000 bonus for nine total on the year, and he got it.