The final weekend of the NFL regular season delivered the league’s trademark chaos, turning what looked like a quiet finish into a Week 18 slate packed with playoff stakes, division races and seeding battles.
In Cleveland, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders helped the Browns stun the Steelers 13-6, a result that revived the AFC North race. Sanders guided an early scoring drive and threw a 28-yard touchdown to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., while a relentless Cleveland defense led by Myles Garrett smothered Pittsburgh’s offense and held Aaron Rodgers without a touchdown. The upset ensured next week’s Steelers-Ravens matchup will decide the division.
Baltimore kept its side of the bargain a night earlier, throttling Green Bay 41-24 behind backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and a vintage workload from Derrick Henry, who ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns. The rivalry showdown now comes with major questions on both sides, including injuries and availability for key stars.
In the NFC, San Francisco stayed in the hunt for the conference’s top seed with a 42-38 shootout win over Chicago, setting up a decisive Week 18 meeting with Seattle. Philadelphia continued to lean on an elite defense in a 13-12 win at Buffalo, overcoming a second-half offensive disappearance. A blocked extra point proved pivotal as the Bills’ late push fell short on a two-point try.
New England, meanwhile, clinched the AFC East after Drake Maye’s near-flawless performance in a 42-10 rout of the Jets, coupled with Buffalo’s loss. Elsewhere, Tampa Bay’s 20-17 loss to Miami kept the NFC South unsettled heading into the finale, while Las Vegas’ 34-10 loss to the Giants pushed the Raiders closer to the league’s worst record and the No. 1 overall draft pick.
College football now shifts to center stage with the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Ohio State meets Miami in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31, while New Year’s Day features Texas Tech vs. Oregon in the Orange Bowl, Indiana vs. Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and Georgia vs. Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, with matchups highlighting contrasting styles and several high-profile trench battles.
In the NBA, Oklahoma City beat Philadelphia 129-104, Toronto outlasted Golden State 141-127 in overtime, Washington topped Memphis 116-112, Portland beat Boston 114-108, the Clippers handled Detroit 112-99, and the Lakers defeated the Kings 125-101.
In the NHL, Seattle beat Philadelphia 4-1, Pittsburgh downed Chicago 7-3, Detroit edged Toronto 3-2 in overtime, Columbus beat the Islanders 4-2, and Tampa Bay outlasted Montreal 5-4 in a shootout.
Source: Wash Post, The Athletic, nba.com, nhl.com, The Guardian