Ravens, 49ers coasting into final week of regular season
The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers enter the final week of the regular season with nothing left to play for. Each has locked up the No. 1 seed in their conference and will enjoy a first-round bye in the playoffs.
MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson and the Ravens secured home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with an impressive fashion, thrashing the No. 2 seed Miami Dolphins 56-19. The 49ers, on the other hand, let the Washington Commanders hang around a bit before pulling away to a 27-10 win. Following the Philadelphia Eagles’ stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Despite the top spots being locked up, there is still plenty left to play for in Week 18. The Eagles and Cowboys are tied atop the NFC East at 11-5; Dallas can clinch the division with a win at Washington. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills and Dolphins will meet next Sunday night to decide who will lay claim to the AFC East title.
As for the rest of the NFL, there’s plenty of intrigue heading into Week 18. Let’s take a look at where things stand as we enter the final week of the season.
In the AFC playoff picture, the Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jaguars, Browns, and Bills have all secured playoff berths, while the Colts, Texans and Steelers are still in the hunt. The NFC playoff picture sees the 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers, Eagles and Rams all with secured playoff berths, while the Packers and Seahawks are still in the hunt.
The Ravens enter the playoffs as the clear-cut team to beat, with a 100 percent chance of making the playoffs and odds of 22.7 percent to win the Super Bowl. The Dolphins are coming off a tough loss and have a 100 percent chance of making the playoffs with odds of 9.4 percent to win the Super Bowl. The Chiefs, Jaguars, Browns, and Bills all have secured playoff berths, with the Bills being a legitimate threat to the Ravens in January.
In the NFC, the 49ers have a 100 percent chance of making the playoffs and are favored with odds of 26.6 percent to win the Super Bowl. The Cowboys and Lions both have 100 percent chances of making the playoffs and odds of 9.4 percent and 4.8 percent to win the Super Bowl, respectively. The Buccaneers have a 67.8 percent chance of making the playoffs with odds of 1.5 percent to win the Super Bowl, while the Eagles have a 100 percent chance of making the playoffs with odds of 4.4 percent to win the Super Bowl.
With so much still up for grabs in the final week of the regular season, football fans can expect an exciting finish as teams battle for their playoff spots and seeding.
(Source: The Athletic)