The final game of the NFL regular season will see the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens battle for the AFC North title on Sunday night.
And while the winner will host a playoff game, this meeting between the two rivals could also cause a coaching change for the losing side.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin have gone head-to-head for nearly two decades. But both have been put through the wringer this season thanks to some inconsistent play from their teams.
Tomlin was booed by the home fans during a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, while Harbaugh’s job status and his relationship with quarterback Lamar Jackson have been a popular topic for the local media over the past month.
Hanging over Tomlin’s head is the fact that his team also let a chance to clinch the division slip away last week in a disappointing loss to the 4-12 Cleveland Browns.
Could a division title save the winning coach’s job? It certainly would help.
But for the team that comes out on the wrong end of the scoreboard, an off-season of change seems likely.
In some good news for Harbaugh and the Ravens, Jackson will return to the field after missing last week’s game due to a back contusion. The news is not as favourable for Tomlin’s Steelers, as they will once again be without top wide receiver DK Metcalf, who is serving a two-game suspension for his altercation with a fan in Detroit.
It’s always a battle when these two teams meet, but for the division title and with head coaching jobs possibly on the line, this one should be extra intriguing.
Buccaneers need some help
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did their part to keep their playoff hopes alive, now they need some help from a division rival.
To clinch the NFC South title — for a fifth consecutive season — and the No. 4 seed in the NFC, the Buccaneers needed to beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, and then have the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
They accomplished the first step by beating the Panthers 16-14 for just their second win in their past nine games.
But despite the loss, the Panthers are still alive.
If the Falcons beat the Saints, then Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta will all be tied at 8-9, and it’s the Panthers who own the three-way tiebreaker.
It seems only fitting that the NFC South crown will be decided by the two teams that can’t win the division.
What else is at stake?
While Steelers-Ravens is easily the biggest game on Sunday, there is still plenty more to be played for in Week 18.
Here’s a quick rundown of some other key storylines:
• The AFC’s No. 1 seed is still up for grabs. The Denver Broncos clinch with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. If the Broncos lose, the New England Patriots can claim the top spot with a victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Jacksonville Jaguars are also in play, but they would need a win over the Tennessee Titans and losses by both the Broncos and Patriots.
• The Jaguars also need a win to clinch the AFC South. If the Jags lose to the Titans, and the Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts, it will be the Texans who win the division.
• While the result of the game means nothing, the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Cleveland Browns will still have plenty of eyes on it. That’s because Browns defensive superstar Myles Garrett needs just one sack to break the NFL single-season record. Garrett enters the game with 22 sacks on the season and will look to break Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt’s shared record of 22.5.
Forrest’s favourites (Season record: 25-20 — All odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Seahawks @ 49ers — Pick: 49ers +2.5: It’s hard to bet against the roll the 49ers’ offence has been on as of late. Add in that they’re also the home team catching some points, and we’ll side with Purdy’s squad.
Saints @ Falcons — Pick: Saints +3.5: Not many QBs are playing better than New Orleans’ Tyler Shough right now. Take the Saints plus the points.
Panthers @ Buccaneers — Pick: Panthers +3: The Buccaneers are just 1-6 at home this season and have lost seven of their past eight. It’s a bad time to be playing poor football, so we’re taking the Panthers to at least cover.
Full Week 18 Schedule (all times ET)
Saturday, Jan 3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16, Carolina Panthers 14
Seattle Seahawks 13, San Francisco 49ers 3
Sunday, Jan. 4
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 1 p.m.
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m.
