FOOTBALL
Week 18 In The Books
Andrae Hawes | January 6, 2025
Photo: nytimes.com
Hey guys, this is my first article of 2025. Happy new year! The NFL regular season is done, and the playoffs are set. It’s about to get wild, so let’s break down what’s happening.
The Detroit Lions are officially the kings of the NFC. Yeah, you heard that right. For the first time ever, they’re the No. 1 seed. They crushed the Vikings 31-9 in their finale, with Jahmyr Gibbs going off for 170 yards and four touchdowns. They’re taking the week off, and honestly, they deserve it. The Eagles are right behind them after beating the Giants 20-13 to tie their franchise record for wins. Philly is looking scary. The Buccaneers scraped their way to an NFC South title and will host the Commanders in the Wild Card round.
Over in the AFC, the Chiefs locked up the top seed. The Bills stumbled into the playoffs after losing to the Patriots, but they’re set to host Denver in what could be a sneaky-good Wild Card game. Meanwhile, the Texans finished strong with a win over the Titans and will face the Chargers. C.J. Stroud has been balling, so don’t count them out.
Wild Card Weekend kicks off Saturday with the Chargers visiting the Texans and the Steelers taking on the Ravens in what’s sure to be a nasty AFC North showdown. Sunday has the Broncos at the Bills, Packers at Eagles, and Commanders at Buccaneers. The weekend wraps up Monday with the Vikings heading to LA to face the Rams. The Chiefs and Lions get to kick back and watch it all unfold.
Can Detroit keep the magic going, or will the pressure get to them? And who’s getting fired on Black Monday? It’s playoff time, and anything can happen.