I’m always so sad when it’s the end of football season. The season is so much shorter than some other sports, and it always seems to go in the blink of an eye, as they say. But, we still have lots of football up ahead. The NFL has just announced their NFL Week 18 schedule, and it’s packed with football goodness.
The games that matter most, of course, are in the more prime time viewing slots. But, whether your team has already made the playoffs or not, you’ll find plenty of reasons to watch football this weekend. Let’s get into the full NFL Week 18 schedule and key games.
What are the must-see games for NFL Week 18?
The biggest game of the weekend will shave the Buffalo Bills (10-6) taking on the Miami Dolphins (11-5) for the AFC East title on Sunday Night Football (Jan. 7). I’m pretty shocked that the Dolphins haven’t locked this up yet. They’ve been playing well all season, but they just aren’t as consistent as they need to be. That loss to the Baltimore Ravens last weekend was pretty brutal, too.
There’s no Thursday night or Monday night football this weekend. But, there will be two games on Saturday.
On Saturday, it’s a doubleheader, with the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) up against the Baltimore Ravens (13-3) at 4:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN, followed by the Houston Texans (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (9-7) at 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN. I’m impressed with the Steeler this year, but that Ravens game is going to be a blowout.
When it comes to the rest of the weekend, on Sunday (Jan. 6), CBS and FOX will air games in the usual 1 p.m. ET and 4:25 p.m. ET slots. Then, NBC will air the season’s final regular season game in the usual 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday Night Football slot.
One of Saturday’s hottest games will be the Seattle Seahawks up against the Arizona Cardinals in the 4:25 p.m. slot. Sure, the Cardinals are supposedly not good thig year. But, they just beat the Eagles in a major upset in Philadelphia. Plus, the Seahawks are playing for their lives to secure a spot in the playoffs. Going on that same time, another hot game is Green Bay against the Bears. Green Bay should win this, but if they don’t, their playoff chances are really in shambles.
What’s the NFL Week 18 Schedule?
Saturday, January 6, 2024, Games:
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore, 4:30 PM, ESPN / ABC / ESPN+
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Houston @ Indianapolis, 8:15 PM, ESPN / ABC / ESPN+
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Sunday, January 7, 2024, Games:
Cleveland @ Cincinnati, 1:00 PM, CBS
Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Minnesota @ Detroit, 1:00 PM, FOX
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Jacksonville @ Tennessee, 1:00 PM, CBS
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
New York @ New England, 1:00 PM, FOX
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Atlanta @ New Orleans, 1:00 PM, CBS
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Tampa Bay @ Carolina, 1:00 PM, FOX
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Chicago @ Green Bay, 4:25 PM, CBS
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Denver @ Las Vegas, 4:25 PM, FOX
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Philadelphia @ New York, 4:25 PM
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Seattle @ Arizona, 4:25 PM, FOX
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Kansas City @ Los Angeles, 4:25 PM, CBS
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Los Angeles @ San Francisco, 4:25 PM, FOX
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Dallas @ Washington, 4:25 PM, FOX
FedExField, Landover, MD
Buffalo @ Miami, 8:20 PM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL