Overview
- Carolina visits Tampa Bay at 4:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN with a win clinching the NFC South, while the Buccaneers need a victory plus a favorable Saints-Falcons result to reclaim the division.
- An unusual three-way tiebreak remains possible if Tampa Bay wins and Atlanta beats New Orleans, a scenario that would send Carolina to the playoffs despite a loss.
- Seattle at San Francisco kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN with the NFC West title and conference No. 1 seed at stake, as the Seahawks clinch with a win or tie and fall to No. 5 with a loss.
- San Francisco must win to secure home field; a loss could drop the 49ers to the No. 5 or No. 6 seed depending on the Rams’ result, as both teams enter on six-game winning streaks in a rare finale matchup noted by Elias.
- Beyond Saturday, the AFC North will be settled Sunday night by Ravens-Steelers, the Broncos are a win from the AFC’s top seed, and the Chargers plan to sit Justin Herbert in Week 18.