The NFL’s 272-game regular-season schedule is down to its final 16 contests.
Week 18 will begin Saturday, when the AFC North title will be decided. The Baltimore Ravens can win it – dicey a proposition as that might prove – by beating the Cleveland Browns in the day’s first game. If not, the Steelers could reclaim the divisional flag by vanquishing the Bengals on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, though surging Cincinnati is still fighting for its own slim playoff chances.
Sunday’s afternoon games will determine the NFC South crown (either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Atlanta Falcons), the AFC’s final wild-card entry (either the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins or, perhaps, Bengals) plus several undetermined seeds.
But the game of the weekend – and perhaps the entire regular season – will take place Sunday evening at Ford Field, where the Minnesota Vikings will visit the Detroit Lions with just a few items hanging in the balance: a 15-win regular season, the NFC North championship, home-field advantage and a first-round bye on the NFC side of the Super Bowl 59 tournament.
Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ panel of NFL experts see the regular-season finales playing out:
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