It’s week 18 already! Time has flown by. I know it’s been a few weeks but I wanted to get one more of these in before the playoffs start so here we go! Many of the games have significant playoff implications.

Home Alone vs Let’s Ride: Bengals @ Steelers on ESPN at 6 pm mountain time

The Bengals were left for dead despite their high scoring offense. Now they are just one win away plus a couple of team’s losses from clinching a playoff spot. Kevin McAlister has been playing lights out for most of the year and putting up insane stats. He is very good but I think people are starting to forget that he is throwing to Chase and Higgins. Apparently the entire league and especially the Chiefs is afraid of the Bengals despite the fact that they only have one win against a team with a winning record. They have also lost to the Chiefs the last 3 times they have played but who cares about those facts. They are peaking at a good time even if it is too little too late. The offense is humming and the defense is slightly less crappy then it has been most of the year. Meanwhile Russ and the Steelers have not been playing well. They have lost 3 straight, albeit to really good teams. But Russ looks more like “let’s ride” Russ and a lot less like Seattle Russ. Also, he and George Pickens are not vibing well which isn’t shocking because Russ is kind of annoying and Pickens doesn’t seem to get a long with anyone. One team seems on the rise…the other seems on the fall. Is this just based upon scheduling or is this legit where these teams are at? Let’s all find out by watching the NFL on Saturday night! I think the Steelers kind of suck. I don’t think the Bengals are good but I think they are good enough to win one more and make Sunday interesting.

Bengals 27 Steelers 21

Baker keeps baking!: Saints @ Bucs on Fox at 11 AM mountain time

Next year, I really want the Bucs to get to 13 wins so I can make Baker’s Dozen comments. But for now, this will have to do. You got to admit, Baker is darn likeable. I mean I have never really liked the Bucs but I am actively cheering for them now, simply because Baker makes me laugh. And they are now one win away from clinching the division. They are also 85 yards away from keeping Mike Evans 1,000 yard season streak alive. If you hear the team talk, I am not sure which is actually more important to them. Anyway, this team is pretty fun. I mean they got Baker and a running back named Bucky. I am not sure they are all that good but they are good enough to beat the aints. Especially since they are sending Spencer Rattler out there and Kamara isn’t playing. The Falcons might beat the Panthers but it won’t matter because Baker is going to bake up a victory.

Bucs 38 Aints 13

Tua less Dolphins vs the last ride of Aaron Rodgers: Dolphins @ Jets on Fox at 2:25 PM mountain time

The Dolphins need a win and a Broncos loss in order to get into the playoffs. All they have to do is beat the Jets and Aaron Rodgers who is coming off perhaps his worst game ever. The problem is Tua is still hurt and probably not going to play. The good news is it isn’t Tua’s head this time. It’s his hip or something. The Dolphins are rolling with Tyler Huntley who is better than the garbage QBs they were rolling out earlier in the year but he still isn’t good. Meanwhile, Rodgers very well could be playing his last game as a Jet and maybe his last game ever. This week Rodgers said this has been the best two years of his life. He and I have different perspectives on what makes a year good. Anyway, he is bringing all the good vibes to New Jersey. He surely can’t play as awful as he did last week. I think he brings his A game one last time and the team rallies around him. Meanwhile, the Dolphins with Tua on the road aren’t very good. Without Tua, I don’t like their chances. Give me the enigma for one last win.

Jets 24 Dolphins 17

JV Chiefs vs Desperate Broncos: On CBS at 2:25 PM Mountain time

I won’t be watching this one on TV. Instead, I’ll be attending the game. My wife bought me tickets for the game. I think she did this in order to get rid of me so she can yell and celebrate without any ramifications for our marriage. Savi and I will be bundled up due to the cold weather to cheer on Carson Wentz and whoever else is playing. This will be Savannah’s first NFL game so that is exciting. She did learn that Mahomes wasn’t playing and she was a little disappointed. She wanted to see him throw some crazy pass. I told her we might see that if we show up early enough for warm ups. This game for the Chiefs is simply a game to get out of there as healthy as possible. Meanwhile, the Broncos are trying to make the Playoffs for the first time since 2015. They have the second longest drought in the league to only the disaster that is the Jets. The Broncos have been pretty good all year and really should have beat the Chiefs earlier in the season but instead they got a kick blocked. Think about this, if that kick hadn’t been blocked and they made that FG, the Broncos would already be in the Playoffs and the Chiefs would need to win this game to lock up the 1 seed. This really is a game of inches. Anyway, I think this game will be closer than people think. I mean right now the spread is 10.5. That is an awfully big number. The JV Chiefs don’t suck. I mean they still got to play some guys who normally start. Plus Wentz isn’t terrible. I think the JV Chiefs come out strong and take a lead. After a while, Reid decides to let the 3rd string QB get some snaps and the Broncos mount a comeback. Late in the game, the Broncos are down 1 and Bo Nix leads a nice drive to give them the opportunity to kick a game winner. The blocked kick is mentioned 47 times on the drive to the annoyance of Bronco fans everywhere. This time, the Chiefs don’t block it or really even try to block it and the Broncos kicker kicks them into the playoffs. And Joe Burrow has to stay home alone during the Playoffs.

Broncos 26 Chiefs 24

Winner gets the 1 seed, the Loser gets the Rams: Vikings @ Lions on NBC at 6:20 PM

What a season both these teams have had. The Lions have overcome a plethora of injuries to a 14-2 season. Hard nose Dan Campbell has somehow created a culture of scoring a bunch of points and giving up just slightly less points. Jared Goff has been awesome and the Lions have weapons all over. Throw in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson who is know for his creativity and whatnot and you have a recipe for a fun team. I should like this team. However, I do not. I can’t tell you why but for some reason they rub me the wrong way. I don’t hate them or anything and I can’t pinpoint what my issue is but for some reason, I just don’t like them that much. On the other side you have the Minnesota Vikings. As a kid, the Vikings were my NFC team. I loved Chris Carter and Randy Moss and Jake Reed and Robert Smith on offense and Chris Doleman and John Randle and Joey Browner and others on defense. Then they had the boat incident and I didn’t feel like cheering for them after that. Then my son became a Packers fan so it was even easier not to cheer for the Vikings. But then they got Kirk Cousins. Everyone likes Kirk…especially opposing defenses recently. They moved on from Kirk and brought in Sam Darnold who has been a bust before this year. Granted that was for two teams who are arguably the worst run organizations in the league. Turns out if you give Darnold some weapons and some good coaching he is pretty awesome. He has the opportunity to lead his team to the 1 seed and a first round bye and I am not gonna lie to you, I am cheering for it. Besides, the bye is probably the only way the cursed Vikings make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Both these teams are really freaking good with a ton of talent. Normally, I’d say they were evenly matched but the Lions defense is a mess with all the injuries. However, the Lions are playing at home. This game is a coin flip, but give me the healthier team in a shoot out for the win.

Vikings 38 Lions 30