Tag: nfl week 18

Patriots’ top 10 defensive players in Week 18, per PFF grades

These were the highest-graded Patriots players defensively in Week 18, per PFF

The New England Patriots didn’t come away with a victory in Sunday’s season finale, but their defense put up a respectable fight in the pouring snow against the rival New York Jets.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise considering the unit has been doing it all season. The defense has shown up week after week and stayed competitive, despite being bogged down with injuries.

Whenever the team seems to be down and out, there’s always a new face stepping up and making an impact on the field. On Sunday, it was rookie cornerback Alex Austin, who was the highest-graded defensive player for the Patriots in Week 18, per Pro Football Focus.

The Patriots defense did struggle against the Jets’ rushing attack with Breece Hall coming out of the backfield, but Austin and company completely shut down the passing game, holding Trevor Siemian to only eight completions and 70 passing yards.

Here are the top-10 defensive players for the Patriots in the final week of the regular season, per PFF:

Patriots’ top 10 offensive players in Week 18, per PFF grades

These 10 players graded the highest offensively for the Patriots in Week 18, per PFF

The New England Patriots sputtered to a finish with one of the worst offensive performances they’ve had all season in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

They didn’t get shut out, like they did by the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers, but they were held to only a field goal in a game where they couldn’t get anything going offensively.

Perhaps the biggest reason for their struggles was the weather. A snowstorm swooped upon Foxborough during the game and made even the simplest of plays 10 times more difficult. Turnovers were also an issue throughout the matchup, along with the odd play-calling leaning too heavily on quarterback Bailey Zappe’s arm.

The fact that offensive lineman Mike Onwenu topped all Patriots offensive players on this list with a 64.1 Pro Football Focus grade puts everything in perspective.

Here are the top-10 graded Patriots offensive players in Week 18, per PFF:

NFL Week 18 scores from Sunday’s games

Check out the final score from all 14 games in the NFL on Sunday.

The NFL had 14 games on Sunday to conclude the 2023 season. Now all the postseason spots have been clinched, all the division titles have been won and the playoff schedule has been set.

But what were the scores from Sunday’s games?

Below are the final scores from all 14 games that were played.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

NFL Power Rankings Week 18: Bills win causes shake-up in season finale

Here are the final power rankings of the regular season

Never say never when it comes to the Buffalo Bills, who scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat the Miami Dolphins on the road and punch their ticket to the postseason as the No. 2 seed.

It’s a dramatic turn of events for a Bills team that was fighting for their playoff life a few weeks ago. Now, they’re suddenly entering as the second-ranked team behind the Baltimore Ravens.

If anything, it just shows how dangerous they’ve become as a football team. They’ve been one of the hottest teams down the stretch, and they’ll be entering the playoffs on a five-game winning streak with victories over the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.

Facing them at this point could be a real problem for fellow playoff contenders.

Also in Week 18, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers both took losses, but they also rested their starters in the regular season finale, which means they didn’t budge at the top of the rankings.

Here are the full rankings of NFL teams in Week 18:

Fantasy football inactives, injuries and weather: Week 18

Week 18 weather, injury updates and gameday inactives for the fantasy football lineup decisions.

Sunday updates will begin when teams start releasing official pregame inactives and starter information to the league. This is typically around 60-90 minutes prior to the kickoff of their game.

Weather forecasts are courtesy of The Football Database.

Week 18 gameday inactives, weather and notes

KEY GAME-TIME DECISIONS

Early games: RB Alvin Kamara (inactive), RB Kendre Miller (active), WR Tee Higgins (inactive), QB Trevor Lawrence (active), WR Christian Kirk (inactive)
Afternoon games: WR Christian Watson (inactive), WR Jayden Reed (active), RB Isiah Pacheco (active), RB D’Andre Swift (inactive)
Sunday night: WR Jaylen Waddle (inactive), RB Raheem Mostert (inactive)

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 37°F, cloudy, W 12 mph

Browns

Inactives: WR Amari Cooper, WR Marquise Goodwin, PK Dustin Hopkins, CB Mike Ford, CB Greg Newsome, DE Myles Garrett and S Juan Thornhill

Lineup notes: LB Anthony Walker Jr. (knee) was placed on IR. WR Amari Cooper (heel) and PK Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) are out. QB Joe Flacco (calf) and RB Kareem Hunt (groin) all practiced Friday. Flacco will sit out, and it will be surprising if we see much of Hunt. WR Elijah Moore (concussion) is active following a questionable tag. PK Riley Patterson was elevated to the active roster, and PK Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) was ruled out. DE Myles Garrett (shoulder), CB Greg Newsome (knee), and S Juan Thornhill (calf) will not play.

Bengals

Inactives: OT D’Ante Smith, TE Irv Smith, WR Tee Higgins, DT Travis Bell, C Trey Hill, CB Chidobe Awuzie and RB Chris Evans

Lineup notes: WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) will miss another contest after a brief return to the field. WR Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder), RB Joe Mixon (ankle) and QB Jake Browning (foot) practiced Friday and will play.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Vikings

Inactives: DT Jaquelin Roy, QB Jaren Hall, OG Ed Ingram, CB Theo Jackson, CB Mekhi Blackmon, OT Brian O’Neill and CB Byron Murphy

Lineup notes: TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) went on IR and is out for the season. RT Brian O’Neill (ankle) is out, and LT Christian Darrisaw (illness) is active after being questionable.

Lions

Inactives: WR Jameson Williams, CB Steven Gilmore, TE Brock Wright, DL John Cominsky, DL Brodric Martin, QB Hendon Hooker and DE Charles Harris

Lineup notes: WR Jameson Williams (ankle) is out. LT Taylor Decker (groin), C Frank Ragnow (knee, back, toe) and TE Sam LaPorta (ankle) are good to go after a full practice Friday. DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (pectoral) was activated from IR and is not on the injury report.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 40°F, cloudy

Jaguars

Inactives: WR Christian Kirk, DT Angelo Blackson, OG Cole Van Lanen, QB Matt Barkley and LB Yasir Abdullah

Lineup notes: QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) will gut it out. WR Zay Jones (knee, hamstring) also will give it a whirl, though WR Christian Kirk (groin) isn’t quite ready yet, despite being activated from IR on Saturday.

Titans

Inactives: CB Anthony Kendall, DL TK McClendon Jr., DL Caleb Murphy, LB Trevis Gipson, OT Jaelyn Duncan, QB Will Levis and OT Daniel Brunskill

Lineup notes: QB Will Levis (foot) is inactive after being questionable, but QB Ryan Tannehill was named the starter anyway. CB Caleb Farley (back) has been ruled out.

New York Jets at New England Patriots (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 32°F, 95% chance of snow, NNE 15 mph

Jets

Inactives: QB Aaron Rodgers, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, DE Carl Lawson, WR Allen Lazard, PK Austin Seibert, OT Austin Deculus and CB Bryce Hall

Lineup notes: QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) is out, and QB Zach Wilson (concussion) went on IR.

Patriots

Inactives: QB Mac Jones, DT Sam Roberts, RB JaMycal Hasty, S Joshuah Bledsoe, OT Trent Brown, WR Tyquan Thornton and TE La’Michael Pettway

Lineup notes: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) went on IR, ending his season. TE Hunter Henry (knee) also went on IR. LT Trent Brown (illness) is out. WR DeVante Parker (ribs) is active, but WR Tyquan Thornton (ankle) won’t go.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Falcons

Inactives: QB Taylor Heinicke, S DeMarcco Hellams, DT Tommy Togiai, C Drew Dalman, DB Natrone Brooks and DE Zach Harrison

Lineup notes: QB Taylor Heinicke (ankle) will not be available, so look for QB Desmond Ridder to start the finale.

Saints

Inactives: RB Alvin Kamara, WR Keith Kirkwood, LB Monty Rice, QB Jake Haener, DL Kyle Phillips, OT Landon Young and CB Lonnie Johnson

Lineup notes: RT Ryan Ramczyk (knee) went on IR. RB Alvin Kamara (ankle) won’t play, but RB Kendre Miller (ankle, illness) and TE Juwan Johnson (chest) are active despite being questionable.WR Chris Olave (ankle) was limited early in the week, but he had a full session Friday and will go. RB Jordan Mims was elevated from the practice squad.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 48°F, cloudy, W 12 mph

Buccaneers

Inactives: QB John Wolford, LB K.J. Britt, OT Brandon Walton, WR Rakim Jarrett and LB Markees Watts

Lineup notes: QB Baker Mayfield (ribs), WR Trey Palmer (hip), and CB Carlton Davis (concussion) are active, despite being listed as questionable.

Panthers

Inactives: CB Shaquill Griffin, OT Ilm Manning, DE Marquis Haynes, OG Cade Mays, WR Mike Strachan, PK Eddy Pineiro and OT Ricky Lee

Lineup notes: WR Jonathan Mingo (foot) was placed on IR. PK Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) is inactive. QB Bryce Young (back) and RT Taylor Moton (knee) practiced all week and will play. WR DJ Chark Jr. (foot) had full sessions Thursday and Friday and will go. CB Jaycee Horn (toe) is active after being questionable.

Late afternoon games

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 34°F, cloudy, WNW 10 mph

Bears

Inactives: CB Jaylon Johnson, S Quindell Johnson, QB Tyson Bagent, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Greg Stroman, OT Ja’Tyre Carter and WR Darnell Mooney

Lineup notes: WR Darnell Mooney (concussion) is out again. TE Cole Kmet (knee) and RB Khalil Herbert (back) are active. RB D’Onta Foreman is a healthy scratch once again. C Lucas Patrick (knee) was placed on IR. WR DJ Moore (ankle) practiced Friday and will play.

Packers

Inactives: LB Isaiah McDuffie, RB AJ Dillon, DL Brenton Cox, OT Caleb Jones, WR Christian Watson and WR Grant DuBose

Lineup notes: RB AJ Dillon (thumb, neck) is out. TE Luke Musgrave (kidney) was activated from IR. WR Christian Watson (hamstring) won’t go, but WR Dontayvion Wicks (chest), WR Jayden Reed (chest) and LG Elgton Jenkins (knee, ankle) are active. RB Aaron Jones (knee, finger) was limited all week but doesn’t have an injury tag.

Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Broncos

Inactives: C Alex Forsyth, CB Art Green, WR Michael Bandy, DL Thomas Incoom, DT Elijah Garcia and TE Chris Manhertz

Lineup notes: WR Courtland Sutton (concussion) and WR Marvin Mims (hamstring) practiced Friday and are good to go. RT Mike McGlinchey (ribs) has been placed on IR.

Raiders

Inactives: RB Josh Jacobs, OT Thayer Munford, WR Keelan Cole, DB Tyler Hall, DB Jaydon Grant, QB Brian Hoyer and DL Byron X. Young

Lineup notes: RB Josh Jacobs (quadriceps) and TE Michael Mayer (toe) are out.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 37°F, cloudy

Eagles

Inactives: WR DeVonta Smith, DL Fletcher Cox, QB Tanner McKee, OT Tyler Steen, RB D’Andre Swift and CB Darius Slay

Lineup notes: WR DeVonta Smith (ankle) and CB Darius Slay (knee) are out. RB D’Andre Swift (illness) also is inactive.

Giants

Inactives: DL Timmy Horne, QB Jacob Eason, LB Benton Whitley, TE Tyree Jackson, CB Deonte Banks, WR Parris Campbell and C John Michael Schmitz

Lineup notes: C John Michael Schmitz (shin) is inactive. QB Tyrod Taylor (back) was limited all week but will play.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 50°F, clear, W 14 mph (retractable-roof dome)

SEahawks

Inactives: OT Abraham Lucas, OT Raiqwon O’Neal, RB Kenny McIntosh, DL Jarran Reed, OT Jason Peters, DL Mario Edwards Jr. and LB Patrick O’Connell

Lineup notes: RT Abraham Lucas (knee) is out. RB Kenneth Walker III (shoulder) and WR Tyler Lockett (toe) practiced Friday and will go. LB Jordyn Brooks (ankle) is active.

Cardinals

Inactives: OT Dennis Daley, LB Trevor Nowaske, CB Divaad Wilson, TE Blake Whiteheart, CB Garrett Williams, DE Cameron Thomas and OT Carter O’Donnell

Lineup notes: LT D.J. Humphries (knee) was placed on IR with a torn ACL. WR Marquise Brown (heel) went on IR and is out for the season. WR Zach Pascal (hamstring) is active.

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 55°F, clear N 17 mph (open-air dome)

Chiefs

Inactives: QB Patrick Mahomes, OT Donovan Smith, WR Rashee Rice, DE Mike Danna, TE Travis Kelce, WR Kadarius Toney and CB L’Jarius Sneed

Lineup notes: WR Rashee Rice (hamstring), LT Donovan Smith (neck) and WR Kadarius Toney (hip, ankle) are out. QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is out. RB Isiah Pacheco (concussion, shoulder) is active but probably won’t see much, if any, action. TE Travis Kelce (neck) and DE Michael Danna (coaching decision) also will be rested. TE Noah Gray (ribs) is good to go after practicing all week. LB Nick Bolton (wrist, abdomen), DE George Karlaftis (coaching decision), and CB Trent McDuffie (shoulder) are active, but it will be surprising of they play much. CB L’Jarius Sneed is out.

Chargers

Inactives: WR Keenan Allen, RB Isaiah Spiller, LB Kenneth Murray, WR Jalen Guyton, DL Nick Williams, OG Zion Johnson and S JT Woods

Lineup notes: EDGE Joey Bosa (foot) and WR Keenan Allen (heel) are out. LB Kenneth Murray (shoulder) joins them after being deemed doubtful. WR Joshua Palmer (concussion) practiced fully Friday and will go. LG Zion Johnson (neck) also is out.

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 49°F, mostly clear

Rams

Inactives: DL Aaron Donald, QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp, OT Joe Noteboom, TE Tyler Higbee, RB Kyren Williams and LB Ernest Jones

Lineup notes: WR Cooper Kupp (rest), RB Kyren Williams (rest), DT Aaron Donald (rest), QB Matthew Stafford (rest) and TE Tyler Higbee (shoulder) are inactive. QB Carson Wentz will start. Don’t expect to see much, if anything, from WR Puka Nacua.

49ers

Inactives: CB Ambry Thomas, DL Arik Armstead, S Tashaun Gipson, WR Jauan Jennings, QB Brock Purdy, S Ji’Ayir Brown and RB Christian McCaffrey

Lineup notes: RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) is out. RB Elijah Mitchell (illness) is set to play after a full session Friday. DT Arik Armstead (foot/knee) was ruled out. QB Brock Purdy (coach’s decision) will sit in favor of QB Sam Darnold.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 44°F, cloudy, W 13 mph

Cowboys

Inactives: CB Noah Igbinoghene, QB Trey Lance, OG Tyler Smith, CB Eric Scott Jr., DL Viliami Fehoko Jr., OG Zack Martin and S Sheldrick Redwine

Lineup notes: RB Deuce Vaughn (ankle) landed on IR. RB Rico Dowdle (ankle) will return after practicing Thursday and Friday. LG Tyler Smith (foot) and RG Zack Martin (illness) are inactive, but C Tyler Biadasz (illness) will go.

Commanders

Inactives: DE Jonathan Allen, TE Cole Turner, LB Andre Jones Jr., OG Andrew Wylie, QB Jacoby Brissett, S Kamren Curl and LB Casey Toohill

Lineup notes: RT Andrew Wylie (elbow) and QB Jacoby Brissett (hamstring) are inactive. WR Curtis Samuel (hamstring) practiced fully Friday and is good to go. QB Sam Howell will start. DE Jonathan Allen (knee) and S Kam Curl (quad) will not be available.

Sunday Night Football

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (8:20 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 60°F, mostly cloudy, 80% humidity

Bills

Inactives: OG Alec Anderson, CB Kaiir Elam, DL Kingsley Jonathan, RB Latavius Murray, S Damar Hamlin and DL Linval Joseph

Lineup notes: C Mitch Morse (illness) was questionable after he sat out of practice Friday but has been since removed from the report. QB Josh Allen (neck, finger) practiced all week and is good to go. RB Leonard Fournette was elevated from the practice squad.

Dolphins

Inactives: RB Raheem Mostert, DB Ethan Bonner, OT Kion Smith, QB Skylar Thompson, WR Jaylen Waddle, TE Tyler Kroft and CB Xavien Howard

Lineup notes: WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) and RB Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) will miss this game. WR Tyreek Hill (ankle), QB Tua Tagovailoa (shoulder, quadriceps), RB De’Von Achane (toe, ribs), LT Terron Armstead (knee, ankle, back), RG Robert Hunt (hamstring) and RT Austin Jackson (oblique) practiced Friday and will play. CB Xavien Howard (foot) has been ruled out. S Jevon Holland (knees) was added Saturday as questionable but is active.

Studs and duds in Patriots’ season finale loss to Jets

Who were the studs and duds in the Patriots’ season finale?

The New England Patriots rumbled with the New York Jets in a snowstorm on Sunday and came out on the losing end.

When the last whistle sounded, it signaled an end to a disappointing 2023 season for a Patriots team that only won four games. It’s a long drop-off from the perennial Super Bowl contender that was once viewed as the NFL’s gold standard.

Now, they’re a broken team that could be looking to fire their legendary head coach, Bill Belichick, in the offseason.

The offense couldn’t get anything going against the Jets on Sunday, but honestly, no one expected them to light up the scoreboard considering the weather conditions. It was an ugly back-and-forth, defensive battle before the Jets broke the game wide open in the fourth quarter.

Here are the Patriots’ studs and duds for the game:

Instant analysis: Patriots’ 15-game streak gets iced in 17-3 snowstorm loss to Jets

The Jets end the streak, and the Patriots finish the 2023 season with a loss

The worst season in the Bill Belichick era for the New England Patriots came to a painful end on Sunday against the archrival New York Jets.

A snowstorm swooped over Foxborough and gave way to an ugly four quarters of football that ended with Jets running back Breece Hall rushing for a 50-yard touchdown and doing snow angels on the ground.

With the win, the Jets ended a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots.

For New England, the loss guarantees a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and it could also spell the end for Bill Belichick as the Patriots’ head coach.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots played as tough as they have all season, holding Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian to only 70 yards passing in the game. But as great as the unit has been for New England, they struggled to slow down Hall, who cashed in on 178 rushing yards with a career-high 37 carries.

On the other side, the Patriots got away from their ground game and leaned too much on Bailey Zappe’s arm. The second-year signal-caller went 12-of-30 for 88 yards and two interceptions, while running back Ezekiel Elliott only had 13 carries.

It was a confusing game plan given the conditions on the field. If anything, it was simply a disappointing end to an overall disappointing season.

The Patriots’ coaching staff could look completely different in 2024. Their roster is also expected to get a major shake-up with the possibility of a new regime coming in, along with the bevy of money the team will have to spend.

Even if this was a cold, icy end to an era, a few good decisions will surely help this once esteemed franchise find sunshine and warmth once more.

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Best reactions to Bengals beating Browns, finishing season 9-8

Best reactions after Bengals vs. Browns in Week 18.

The Cincinnati Bengals closed an up-and-down season with a bang on Sunday, blowing out the Cleveland Browns in 31-14 fashion in Week 18.

That helped the Bengals stay above .500 while finishing with a 9-8 record. As many outsider observers pointed out, the team also avoided going outright winless in AFC North play for the first time.

Fueled by veterans such as Joe Mixon making big plays and hopeful splashes from some of the younger members of the roster, the game was a best-of-both-worlds showcase for fans.

Here’s a look at some of the most notable takes and reactions from right after the game went final.

Instant analysis after Bengals finish season with blowout of Browns

Instant analysis after Bengals vs. Browns in Week 18.

Led by Joe Mixon, the Cincinnati Bengals cruised through the Week 18 season finale against the Cleveland Browns, winning 31-14.

The Bengals jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on the back of two Mixon touchdowns in the first quarter and never looked back against a Browns team resting its starters ahead of the playoffs.

With the win, the Bengals close the season at 9-8 and avoid an 0-6 hole in AFC North play.

Along the way, one of the themes of the game was younger guys getting some run while providing hints about the future.

Here are some quick notes and numbers to know as the Bengals now turn to the offseason.

Watch: Joe Mixon scores 2 TDs to put Bengals over Browns

Joe Mixon popped off early for the Bengals.

Sunday felt like a game where a veteran Cincinnati Bengals player might go off for a big performance while setting the tone for the upcoming offseason.

It turns out that veteran was running back Joe Mixon.

In the first quarter alone, Mixon rushed six times for 80 yards, with one of those attempts a huge 44-yard gain to put him up over the 1,000-yard mark on the season.

Mixon also rushed for a touchdown and his lone catch of the quarter went for a touchdown, too, giving his team a 14-point lead going into the second quarter.

Here’s a look at the scores from Mixon:

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