Overview
- San Francisco edged Chicago 42–38 to keep control of a path to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, in a game that uniquely saw both teams answer with five straight touchdown drives to repeatedly tie the score.
- New England clinched its first AFC East crown since 2019 with a 42–10 win over the Jets, helped by Philadelphia’s 13–12 defeat of Buffalo.
- Pittsburgh’s 13–6 loss to Cleveland set up a winner‑take‑all finale at Baltimore for the AFC North and a playoff spot, with Browns corner Denzel Ward mocking the late Steelers play calls as Aaron Rodgers maintained confidence about winning next week.
- Week 18 features de facto finals: Panthers vs. Buccaneers for the NFC South on Saturday, Seahawks vs. 49ers to decide the NFC West and the conference’s top seed, and Steelers vs. Ravens as the regular‑season closer with a berth on the line.
- Broadcast analysts highlighted contract incentives in play, with RTL’s Björn Werner reporting a $500,000 bonus for Aaron Rodgers if Pittsburgh reaches the playoffs, up to $2.5 million for Baker Mayfield based on passing rankings, and $250,000 for Joey Bosa with one more sack.