Week 18 Recap: 70 Minutes and a LOT of Drama

Now I know why the NFL decided to extend the season and add an extra week: for insanity like this. Now I know why the NFL decided to add an extra playoff spot two years ago: for insanity like this. The sounds you heard during this final Sunday of the 2021 regular season were the owners counting their money, and also laughing at the fans whose hearts were racing. Some fans were vested in scenarios that had nothing to do with their favorite teams, adding more nerves to said fans. Yet in spite of all of the infuriatingly nail-biting moments that took place in this final week, this football fan drank in every bit of this.

So entering the final week of the season, a lot needed to be decided in the AFC. Two spots remained, with five teams still alive, with the two teams who needed the most help (Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens) facing each other. It was an ugly game, offense-wise, but the game ended up going to overtime tied at 13. Ravens won the toss, but couldn't get in FG range. The Steelers fared better; getting in FG range by the two-minute warning, and it was Chris Boswell's kick that won it for the Steelers, and at an amazing time, too.

Before Pittsburgh's game ended, the impossible happened: the Jacksonville Jaguars blasted the Indianapolis Colts in a very stunning upset. I said that the Jags would win, but I never thought they'd actually dominate the Colts in the way they did. The Colts never led. Not one lead. They had the "win and in" scenario, and all they had to do was beat a two-win team, and they weren't even close. So as a result of Pittsburgh's win, not only were the Ravens eliminated, but the Colts' season ended as well. So two spots remained open, and all the Steelers needed was for the regular season finale between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers to have a winner.

Simple, right? Not so fast.

It looked like it would be pretty cut and dry. Nothing suggested that the game would end in a tie. The Raiders were up 29-14 with under five minutes to go. They had this. Then the Chargers got in and got the two pointer to make it 29-22. Even so, all the Raiders had to do was get past midfield and eat up as much clock as possible. Derek Carr fumbled changed that. They didn't lose the fumble, but it was on 3rd down and forced them to punt. Even so, the Chargers had to go 83 yards, and even with 2:06 left and all of their time outs, there was no way they could do it, right? Right?!

So the Bolts get the score they needed, and they choose that moment to actually make an extra point (the Chargers are notorious for missed PATs), and we have overtime. OVERTIME. Only eight letters, but to fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers (as well as some others who were pulling for the Steelers to get in the playoffs), it was the longest word in the English language. If the game ended in a tie, both teams involved would get in the playoffs, and the Steelers would be eliminated. Raiders won the toss, so of course, many were hoping for a touchdown to end it. They got close, but settled for three. Chargers had their turn, it looked like they were going to be stopped, but a clutch pass from Justin Herbert to Mike Williams put them in FG range. Unfortunately, they ended up settling for three, and with about four and a half to go, the game was tied.

It got down to the two minute warning, and something I had feared was happening: the Raiders were getting conservative. There were jokes/theories entering this week that if the teams would actually settle for the tie if it would get both of them in. They were barely past midfield, not in FG range, yet plays were conservative. The 3rd down play from Josh Jacobs got them to FG range, but Carr decided to run it down to two seconds. Daniel Carlson nailed a game winning 47-yard FG in the final seconds, and as a result, the Raiders were in the playoffs, the Steelers were in the playoffs, and the Chargers became the 18th and final team to be eliminated this season.

So about that 3rd down play from the Raiders? Turns out that wasn't the original plan. The Raiders were content with running down and killing the rest of the clock, but with 38 seconds left in overtime, Chargers coach Brandon Staley decided to call a timeout, doing so because "he wanted the right guys on defense due to the Raiders running the ball." According to Carr, that timeout changed their mindset. Now the Raiders were set on getting points, leading to the clutch running play that set up the FG. Again, had the game ended tied, both teams would have made the playoffs. Now, thanks to that timeout, the Chargers' season came to an abrupt end.

The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off Week 18 with a win over the Denver Broncos that kept them alive for home field, but that came to an end thanks to the Tennessee Titans defeating the Houston Texans, as the win gave the Titans the #1 seed in the AFC. Not much was left to settle in the NFC, though the most important game was the Los Angeles Rams hosting the San Francisco 49ers, with the Niners down 17-0. They would come back to tie it, but Cooper Kupp's late TD grab put the Niners in danger, as elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints ended up winning handily over the Atlanta Falcons. The Niners tied it up to force OT, and after getting a go-ahead FG, Ambry Thomas intercepted Matthew Stafford's pass attempt to Odell Beckham Jr., and that sealed the Niners' victory and put them in the playoffs, while ending the Saints' season.

Despite the loss, the Rams did win the NFC West due to the Arizona Cardinals' loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but thanks to victories by the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams ended up with the #4 seed, while Tampa Bay took #2 and Dallas ended up at #3. The Buffalo Bills locked up the AFC East when the New England Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins; the Bills defeated the Jets a few minutes later, and as a result of the Cincinnati Bengals' loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Bills ended up at #3, while Cincy is the #4 seed, and the Kansas City Chiefs are #2.

So that's it. The 2021 regular season is over. What a wild season it was! And the fun's just getting started, as the playoffs are all set. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Pittsburgh Steelers (rematch from Week 16, which was won by KC), the Buffalo Bills will host the New England Patriots (third meeting of the season; teams split the season series), and the Cincinnati Bengals will host the Las Vegas Raiders (rematch from Week 11, which was won by Cincy). In the NFC, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles (rematch of Week 6), the Dallas Cowboys will host the San Francisco 49ers (never met this season), and the Los Angeles Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals (third meeting of the season). The Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers have byes.

Super Wild Card Weekend will start with Raiders/Bengals and Patriots/Bills on Saturday, January 15. Eagles/Bucs, Niners/Cowboys, and Steelers/Chiefs will take place on Sunday, January 16, and Cardinals/Rams will serve as the first-ever Monday playoff game, taking place on Monday, January 17. The chase for the Lombardi Trophy is on!

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