The AFC North headlines Saturday's Week 18 doubleheader and both division games feature playoff implications.
The Baltimore Ravens (11-5), head coach John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson can clinch the AFC North title with a win on Saturday over the Cleveland Browns (3-13). A victory at home would be the HC-QB's fourth division title. It's been a balanced attack for Baltimore with a well-rounded offense and a defense that shut down the Houston Texans in a 31-2 win on Christmas Day.
The Browns will enter with Bailey Zappe as starting quarterback, per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, however, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is also expected to play. Heading into the season-finale, Cleveland is currently positioned for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even though the Browns have been hit with the injury bug, Myles Garrett has pitched his case to win Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league with 14 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) will sneak into the playoffs with a win on Saturday paired with losses by the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Bengals are riding a four-game winning streak and are coming off a thrilling 30-24 overtime victory over the Broncos. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have led the way for Cincinnati's hot offense and, with some help, could be a dangerous team if they're able to sneak into the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) are on a three-game skid and have an opportunity to clinch the AFC North with some help. If the Ravens lose on Saturday, Pittsburgh can capture the division title with a win over the Bengals. The Steelers offense has struggled recently and has not scored more than 20-plus points since Week 14.
Here are four things to watch for when the Browns-Ravens and Bengals-Steelers kick off on Saturday:
- WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)
- WHEN: 4:30 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, NFL+
1) Will the Browns’ offense finish the season-finale on a high note? Cleveland’s offense in the last three games has managed to score 16 points combined points. The quarterback play hasn’t been the best, and Bailey Zappe will be the Browns' fourth different starting QB of the season. The big threat in Cleveland's offense who the QBs can rely on is Jerry Jeudy, who was named a Pro Bowl starter on Thursday. The Browns WR is coming off a career-high 12 receptions in Week 17 and having the best season of his career. Jeudy reached the 1,000 receiving mark for the first time and appears to be a solid WR1 in 2025. Even with inconsistent QB play throughout the year, the Browns' offense has seen late-season contributions from Jordan Akins, Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman. If the Browns would like to pull off the upset, Cleveland must get consistent QB play.
2) Lamar Jackson’s last pitch to win MVP under the bright lights. It’s been a stellar campaign for the Ravens QB, and he told reporters this week that the team’s season is “just getting started” before the regular-season finale. The MVP award is likely to go to Jackson or Bills QB Josh Allen. Jackson has career highs in pass touchdowns (39), passing yards (3,955) and passer rating (121.6) this season. He also has a league-best 39 to four TD-INT ratio. The addition of Derrick Henry evolved Baltimore’s offense, which has opened things up for Jackson in the run and passing game, leading to the two-time MVP to break Mike Vick’s record for career rushing yards by a QB. As the Ravens enter the regular-season finale, there’s no question that the QB-RB duo is the most dangerous backfield and Baltimore has a chance to clinch the division with a victory.
- WHERE: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
- WHEN: 8 p.m. ET | ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, NFL+
1) Can Joe Burrow and the offense continue to succeed? It’s been nearly a month since Burrow faced the Steelers' defense and so much has changed since they last met on Dec. 1. It was the most combined points scored in a game between the Bengals and Steelers all-time, per NFL Research. In the last eight games, Burrow is the only QB in NFL history to record 250-plus pass yards and 3-plus pass TDs. A part of that success must go to receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase leads the league in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,612) and receiving TDs (16). He’s on pace to snag the league's first receiving triple crown since Cooper Kupp captured it in 2021. As for Higgins, his Week 17 performance against the Broncos was huge with Chase covered by Patrick Surtain II. In the crucial win, Higgins had 11 catches for 131 yards and three TDs. Pittsburgh will have its hands full with both receivers, who are the only teammate duo in the league with 10-plus receiving touchdowns in 2024. A big question for Cincy, however, will be the status of running back Chase Brown, who is expected to be a game-time decision after suffering an ankle injury in Week 17.
2) Russell Wilson must get back on track before the playoffs. During Pittsburgh’s three-game losing streak, Wilson has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions versus teams that will be playing in the postseason (Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs). Wilson, however, had success against the Bengals in their last matchup when the Steelers recorded a season-high 44 points and 520 total yards. Wilson will need to expose Cincy’s defense on deep passes, and he has the right receiver in George Pickens to do so. Pickens leads the NFL with 15 receptions for 515 receiving yards on deep passes, according to Next Gen Stats. Tight end Pat Freiermuth leads the Steelers with six receiving TDs. If Wilson wants to be heading into postseason in the right direction, look for Pickens and Freiermuth to be a key part of the passing game on Saturday.
