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NFL. com’s experts are backing the Broncos to beat the Chiefs in Week 18.
The Denver Broncos (9-7) are set to host the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) in Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Check out NFL.com’s preview and expert game picks in the below video.
Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). With the Chiefs resting starters, the Broncos are considered favorites in Week 18. Denver can clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs with a win (or tie).
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Baker Mayfield is eager to see Mike Evans play the Saints next week, who are without Marshon Lattimore to shut down his favorite receiver.
Baker Mayfield didn’t mention the New Orleans Saints or Marshon Lattimore directly, but he’s obviously circled the calendar for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ regular season finale — and what it could mean for Mike Evans. If Evans totals at least 85 yards against the Saints on Sunday, he’ll extend his streak of seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards to all 11 years he’s been in the NFL.
“Obviously Mike’s a huge part of this offense and the record is pretty important for us to get,” Mayfield told reporters after Week 17’s win over the Carolina Panthers. Correcting himself, he continued, “For him to achieve it but for us to make sure it happens. Having it right there in front of us and not having to force things. Obviously when he’s in the game, he’s a huge part of that and he creates the explosive plays in the passing game. Looking forward to seeing what happens next week.”
It’s no accident Mayfield is so eager when he knows Lattimore won’t be there to shut down his favorite receiver. Evans has averaged just 49.7 yards per game against the Saints across 20 matchups, largely thanks to Lattimore’s tight coverage and skill at making plays on the ball. For context, just three teams have held Evans to a lower pace, and they’ve played him a combined eight times (Green Bay Packers four times, Denver Broncos three times, and the New York Jets once).
But the Saints don’t have Lattimore now. They traded him at November’s NFL deadline and have since fielded one of the league’s worst secondaries with 240 passing yards allowed each week and just two interceptions in their last seven games. Granted, Lattimore has been sidelined for most of that time on his new Washington Commanders team with a chronic hamstring injury, but the point is the Saints are vulnerable.
And you can bet Mayfield and Evans plan to take advantage of that. It’ll be on Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and their teammates to ruin the Bucs’ day. Hopefully they’re up to the task.
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Previewing the Chicago Bears before the Packers host their NFC North rivals at Lambeau Field in Week 18.
The Green Bay Packers will finish the 2024 regular season with a visit from the Chicago Bears, who have lost 10 straight games since starting 4-2. Gone is coach Matt Eberflus, who was fired after 12 games. In is interim coach Thomas Brown, who is 0-4 since taking over.
Under Brown, the Bears have scored under 20 points in all four games and have a point differential of -63. But Chicago will be motivated to end a lost and disappointing season on the right foot at Lambeau Field, where the Bears haven’t won since 2015.
Here’s a closer look at the Bears in Week 18:
Jason Myers hit a 27-yard field goal, Cairo Santos hit from 42 and Myers connected from 50 just before the half to wrap up the scoring in a drab, nearly unwatchable battle of teams now eliminated from postseason contention. The Bears finished with only 179 total yards, including 76 net passing yards, and Caleb Williams threw a late interception to seal the deal. The rookie quarterback took seven sacks losing 46 yards. D’Andre Swift created 81 total yards, while D.J. Moore caught six passes. The Bears sacked Geno Smith three times and limited the Seahawks passing game to just 143 total yards. Incredibly, the highlight video of the game below is somehow eight minutes long.
First overall pick Caleb Williams is about to end a disappointing rookie season. He’s been sacked an NFL-high 67 times, in part due to issues up front but also because of a harsh adjustment to playing the quarterback position at the pro level. His improvisational style gets him into trouble more often than not. His passer rating is 87.7 despite throwing only six interceptions, and his success rate of 40.5 percent ranks 31st out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks. Williams has a big arm and the creativity to attempt and make any throw, but his completion percentage is just 61.7, and he has 18 turnover-worthy plays. He is athletic and gifted as a scrambler, as the Packers found out in the first meeting. Making Williams play from the pocket will be key.
Despite all the sacks allowed, the Bears rank ninth in pass-blocking grade at PFF — highlighting how important the quarterback position is to avoiding sacks. Chicago won’t have left tackle Braxton Jones, arguably the team’s best blocker, after he suffered a season-ending injury. The Bears are piecing together the starting five to end the season. Chicago averages only 4.1 yards per carry on the ground, including a 3.8-yard mark from running back D’Andre Swift. Defensively, the Bears are giving up 4.7 yards per carry and have just 37 sacks in 16 games. Chicago ranks near the middle of the pack in both run defense grade (18th) and pass-rush grade (14th). The Bears have four players with at least 30 pressures: Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor. Sweat and Taylor had sacks of Geno Smith last week.
The Bears are actually plus-8 in turnover differential, ranking ninth overall. They have only 14 giveaways, and Caleb Williams has thrown only six picks, but the Bears do have a giveaway in four straight games. The defense has 22 takeaways, including 11 fumbles recovered. The Bears are good at punching the ball out, and Jordan Love must protect the ball under pressure. During their 4-2 start, the Bears produced 13 takeaways. They have just nine since.
Defensive lineman Andrew Billings, safety Jaquan Brisker and left tackle Braxton Jones are on injured reserve. Starting guard Teven Jenkins didn’t play last week due to a calf injury. Safety Elijah Hicks and backups Travis Homer and Tarvarius Moore also didn’t play.
DL Gervon Dexter: The second-year interior pass-rusher has 38 pressures and 22 stops. He’s disruptive inside.
CB Kyler Gordon: The slot corner has three fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and nine total pressures. He was great against the Seahawks and can impact the game in multiple ways.
WR D.J. Moore: The veteran receiver leads the team in targets (89) and receiving yards (880), but he’ll need a big game Sunday to get to 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth time in his career.
RT Darrell Wright: With Braxton Jones out, Wright is probably the Bears’ best available blocker. He’ll have battles with Rashan Gary on Sunday.
The New Orleans Saints have already been connected to another Chiefs linebacker in 2025 free agency. Maybe Nick Bolton could be a worthy successor to Demario Davis:
The New Orleans Saints sit at 5-11 and don’t have a great draft pick to show for it. Their best chance for improvement next year will be by making some moves in free agency.
Bleacher Report recently released a 2025 overview, which included a potential free agent for the Saints to consider this offseason. That player was linebacker Nick Bolton, of the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is what they had to say about Willie Gay Jr.’s former teammate:
“Demario Davis turns 36 years old this summer and will be entering the last year of his contract. According to Over The Cap, New Orleans can get out of his contract and save $4 million of cap space with a post-June 1 cut, so Davis might be on his way out and the defense could afford to add a young linebacker.”
Bolton would certainly be an interesting player to watch in the New Orleans defense, especially if Demario Davis is on his way out. But you have to think he’d choose to retire rather than be released like this.
The 24-year-old already has 458 tackles with 32 going for a loss. He also has five sacks, showing he can get to the quarterback if he needs to. The Saints like to blitz their quarterbacks and he could fit the scheme if they go with a familiar face at head coach.
His run stopping skills are a little bit better than his aptitude in coverage, but he does have four career interceptions and eight passes broken up. Maybe he could help cover the tight ends that have plagued New Orleans’ secondary.
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The New Orleans Saints can still learn a few things about themselves and prepare for next year in their final game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The New Orleans Saints are coming off of yet another embarrassing loss and have just one more game remaining, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While there isn’t a lot to look forward to, a couple of key things for next year can still be gleamed from the matchup.
One important thing to watch this week will be how they use Spencer Rattler. The rookie quarterback has lost his first five starts in the NFL. While it hasn’t necessarily been the fairest chance to win, given the current outlook of the roster, his performance has still looked rocky. He has one more chance to go into the offseason with some momentum.
Another offensive element that may be decided is how much they need to invest into a backup running back next season. Kendre Miller has had flashes, but is constantly hurt. Clyde Edwards-Helaire could have the chance to come in and win a job for next year if he is impressive enough. A few of his carries last week looked better than anything the Saints have seen in a while.
Lastly, this is one more chance for Darren Rizzi to show any slither of hope that he could be the choice for head coach. It is clear that players love him, but having back-to-back dreadful losses certainly won’t help his case for a job. It might already be decided, but perhaps he can give the front office something to think about.
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The NFC South title is up for grabs in Week 18. The Saints can’t win it themselves, but they can impact the playoff picture and ruin the Bucs’ season:
The NFC South title is up for grabs going into the final week of the season.
With the Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, Washington clinched the final Wild Card spot. It also took control of the division out of the Falcons’ hands.
All the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to do is win Week 18 and they’ll secure their fourth consecutive divisional title. There’s only one thing standing in their way: the New Orleans Saints. The Saints may not have a playoff future of their own, so ruining the future of the Buccaneers is a nice consolation prize.
The last time New Orleans and Tampa Bay faced off was Spencer Rattler’s first start. It was an all-around embarrassing loss, and the Saints were outclassed on both sides of the ball.
It’s also unlikely the Saints will drop in the NFL draft with a Week 18 victory. The Saints have such a low strength of schedule that moving outside of the top-10 picks appears doubtful.
If the Saints win and the Falcons beat Carolina Panthers, Atlanta has punched their ticket to the playoffs. This also means the Falcons would have to begrudgingly root for a New Orleans victory.
A Saints loss means the Falcons are eliminated from playoff contention. With the season lost, the Saints can spoil someone’s hopes on Sunday. Will it be the Falcons or Buccaneers?
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Where Wisconsin lands in Joe Lunardi Bracketology entering 2025
Wisconsin basketball enters 2025 and its full Big Ten schedule with a 10-3 (0-2 Big Ten) record.
The first stage of the season was mostly successful for Greg Gard’s team. It started 8-0 with impressive wins over then-No. 9 Arizona and Pittsburgh. While a three-game losing streak halted its momentum, two losses came in tight fashion to Big Ten rivals Michigan and Illinois.
Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball entering 2025 Big Ten schedule
Wisconsin went 10-1 overall against its nonconference foes. The only loss was an 88-74 road defeat to then-No. 5 Marquette.
That mark puts the team in a strong position entering its full Big Ten slate. While its Big Ten record of 0-2 is currently tied for last, each team still has yet to play 90% of its conference schedule.
Wisconsin’s wins over Arizona, Pittsburgh, UCF and Butler build a strong initial resume for future NCAA Tournament consideration. That resume is enough to slot the team as a No. 8 seed (No. 32 overall) in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology entering the New Year.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) December 28, 2024
Wisconsin is on the No. 8-seed line along with Georgia, Clemson and San Diego State. Notably, several of the Badgers’ previous opponents are included in the projected field, with Marquette as a No. 2-seed, Illinois as a No. 5-seed, Pittsburgh as a No. 6-seed and Michigan as a No. 7-seed. Arizona and UCF both narrowly missed the cut, ranked No. 77 and No. 84 overall, respectively.
The Badgers return to the Kohl Center court on Jan. 3 at home against Iowa. That game begins an 18-game conference gauntlet. Wisconsin will need to recapture its strong early-season form if it is to rise in the bracket before March Madness begins.
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Several former Wisconsin Badgers accept postseason all-star game invites
Former Wisconsin defensive lineman Elijah Hills (2024) and wide receiver Chimere Dike (2020-23) accepted invites to postseason all-star games this week.
Hills and Dike are two of several former Badgers looking to improve their stock entering the 2025 NFL draft.
Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal class by projected 2025 impact
Hills, first, will participate in the 2025 Tropical Bowl. The event, which has been held since 2016, welcomes NFL draft hopefuls from across the Football Bowl Subdivision. It will be played on Jan. 19, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.
The veteran defensive lineman joined the Badgers in 2024 after three years at Albany (Football Championship Subdivision). He was arguably Wisconsin’s best defensive lineman in 2024, finishing the campaign with 26 total tackles (17 solo), six tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass deflection. His transfer addition was one of Luke Fickell’s best since taking over as Wisconsin head coach in 2023.
Hills is currently projected to go undrafted despite that breakthrough season. A strong Tropical Bowl performance could change that fact.
invite accepted ✔️@3lijah_hills is headed to the 2025 Tropical Bowl! pic.twitter.com/pAUYaqcf4r
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 27, 2024
Dike, next, will play in the 2025 Hula Bowl. The all-star showcase was restarted in 2020 after a lengthy break. It features college football stars from all divisions, in addition to international players. The contest will be held on Jan. 11, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.
The veteran wide receiver played four years at Wisconsin before closing his career at Florida. He was the Badgers’ leading receiver in 2022, totaling 47 catches, 689 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native tallied a career-best 783 receiving yards at Florida in 2024. His 42 receptions were a team-best.
Dike finished his five-year college career with 139 total catches, 2,261 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is currently projected to be a Day 3 selection in the upcoming NFL draft. A strong Hula Bowl performance could raise that stock further.
Hula Bowl Bound! 👏🏼@chimdk11 has officially accepted his invite to the Caribe Royale Orlando 2025 Hula Bowl All-Star Game! #GoGators | #HulaBowl2025 🏈@GatorsFB @SAGECards @cariberoyale @NFL @CoachScottFB pic.twitter.com/jRuflIdUjj
— Hula Bowl (@Hula_Bowl) December 27, 2024
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.
Most experts have picked the Bengals to beat the Broncos in Week 17.
The Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) are set to host the Denver Broncos (9-6) in Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season on Saturday.
Check out NFL.com’s preview and expert game picks in the below video.
After facing the Bengals on the road, the Broncos will return home to host the Kansas City Chiefs in their regular season finale in Week 18.
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Here are four big matchups to keep an eye on between the Commanders and Falcons.
The Washington Commanders (10-5) will host the Atlanta Falcons (8-7) on Sunday Night Football in Week 17, looking to clinch a playoff berth. Despite the Commanders having the better record, the Falcons are currently a higher seed in the NFC playoff picture because they lead the NFC South.
The Bucs play the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. ET, and the result of their game could impact the Falcons and Commanders. Tampa Bay is also 8-7, but the Falcons currently hold the tie-breaker advantage. However, if Carolina upsets the Buccaneers, the Commanders will clinch a playoff spot before their game kicks off.
This matchup looks much different than it did two weeks ago. The Falcons benched quarterback Kirk Cousins and replaced him with first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. Sunday’s game will feature two rookie first-round quarterbacks starting against one another in prime time for the first time in NFL history.
The Falcons have multiple playmakers on both sides of the ball, which makes it a tough matchup for the Commanders. We’ve identified four key matchups for Sunday’s game.
Outside of Daniels, the key for opposing defenses is always to slow down wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The veteran wideout went over 1,000 yards receiving for the fifth consecutive season last week, joining some elite company. He is having the best start to his NFL career with 12 touchdown receptions.
On the other side is A.J. Terrell. The fifth-year cornerback signed an extension before the season, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks. Terrell is having another solid season for Atlanta, but McLaurin presents a big challenge. The Falcons need Terrell to limit any big plays from Daniels to McLaurin.
Yes, you read that correctly. Benjamin St-Juste will likely be back in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game, as Marshon Lattimore looks unlikely to play. Lattimore reaggravated a hamstring injury in his second game for the Commanders last week against the Eagles. Philadelphia targeted Lattimore often, with him and A.J. Brown taking turns getting the best of one another — when officiating let them.
St-Juste hasn’t played much the past two weeks, but in just a few snaps against the Saints two weeks ago, he committed a critical penalty. Last week, with Lattimore out, St-Juste gave up a key fourth-down reception and missed the tackle.
London is a different matchup for St-Juste because they’re built similarly. St-Juste has struggled against smaller, quicker receivers. St-Juste cannot allow London to make multiple big plays downfield. You can guarantee that Penix will target him.
Bijan Robinson is similar to Saquon Barkley. Both were former top-10 picks capable of dominating games as a runner or receiver. While Robinson has yet to reach Barkley’s productivity, he’s had to share time. Robinson is the type of player who has hurt the Commanders. Washington did a good job of bottling up Barkley in the second half last week after he went off in the first 30 minutes. The Commanders should employ a similar strategy to slow Robinson, as he will be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense to ease the pressure off Penix.
The Falcons get their first look at Jayden Daniels this week. After it looked like an injury impacted Daniels midway through the season, or he hit the rookie wall, he’s back on track over the last three weeks. Daniels had his signature moment last week, passing for five touchdowns and rushing for 81 yards against the NFL’s top defense. He led the Commanders to an upset win over the Eagles, snapping their 10-game winning streak.
Daniels did throw two interceptions, and there’s no better defender at forcing turnovers than Falcons safety Jessie Bates III. Bates isn’t just around the ball; he’s excellent at baiting quarterbacks. Daniels isn’t your average rookie. It will be fascinating to see if the Falcons and Bates can trick Daniels into a mistake or two, which could prove to be the difference in the game.
