The most important week of the NFL’s regular season could be confused with the preseason.
The list of quarterbacks starting for playoff teams this weekend includes Jeff Driskel, Blaine Gabbert, Tyler Huntley, Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz.
They join the plethora of backups (Easton Stick, Nick Mullens, Trevor Siemian, Bailey Zappe, Jarrett Stidham, Jake Browning, Tyrod Taylor, Gardner Minshew, Mason Rudolph, Aidan O’Connell, Taylor Heinicke) who have started in this season defined by injuries to quarterbacks and will do so again in Week 18.
Perhaps the silver lining of so much unwatchable quarterback play is the resulting crowd of second- and third-tier teams jockeying for division titles and playoff spots entering the final week of the regular season.
Six NFC teams are fighting for two available spots. Five AFC teams are battling for three spots.
According to Fox Sports, the 20 teams still in contention for the Super Bowl is the highest number entering the final week of the season in 41 years.
This is what’s at stake:
Steelers (9-7): The Ravens (13-3) already have clinched home-field advantage in the AFC, meaning Lamar Jackson and other starters won’t see the field Saturday in Baltimore (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). To clinch a playoff spot, the Steelers — a 3.5-point favorite — need to win, then see the Bills or Jaguars lose the next day.
Texans (9-7) and Colts (9-7): The winner of Saturday night’s game (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) between these two clinches a playoff spot. If Jacksonville loses at Tennessee on Sunday, the Texans-Colts winner would win the AFC South.
Jaguars (9-7): The Jaguars will claim the AFC South with a win over the Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS), but their playoff hopes could rest on the arm of C.J. Beathard, who filled in for Trevor Lawrence in last week’s win against the league-worst Panthers.
Bills (10-6): No team has a greater gap in potential outcomes. A win at Miami (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) gives Buffalo the AFC East title and the No. 2 seed. A loss, plus wins by the Steelers and Jaguars, would push the Bills out of the playoff picture.
Dolphins (11-5): Miami has already secured a playoff berth, but a win against the Bills would give the Dolphins their first division title in 15 years and at least one home playoff game.
Packers (8-8): Year 1 without Aaron Rodgers could include a postseason trip if Green Bay wins at home against the Bears (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET). Chicago, though, has plenty of motivation to knock off its rival. Justin Fields has led the Bears to four wins in their past five games and has another chance to show the franchise they shouldn’t use the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on a quarterback.
Buccaneers (8-8): Year 1 without Tom Brady could include the NFC South title if Tampa Bay wins at Carolina (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET). The Panthers have no reason to lay down, having already handed their first-round pick to Chicago as part of the trade for Bryce Young.
Falcons (7-9) and Saints (8-8): A Buccaneers win makes this game meaningless. However, an upset win by Carolina would crown the winner of this game in New Orleans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) as the NFC South champion.
Seahawks (8-8): A win at Arizona (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) isn’t enough to get back to the playoffs. Seattle also needs the Packers to lose.
Cowboys (11-5): Dallas, a 13-point favorite, will take the NFC East with a win in Washington (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
Commanders (4-12): With a loss, Washington likely will end up with the No. 2 overall pick, giving the franchise another swing at a franchise quarterback, such as North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
Eagles (11-5): With a division title now requiring an unlikely loss by Dallas, head coach Nick Sirianni may rest his starters against the Giants (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).
Giants (5-11): With a loss, the Giants wouldn’t pick lower than fifth in the upcoming draft. With a meaningless win, they could fall as far as No. 8.
Patriots (4-12): New England fans wouldn’t mind seeing the Patriots’ 15-game win streak against the Jets end since it would help them land the No. 2 or No. 3 pick in the draft. Bill Belichick, in what could be his final game with New England, has other thoughts.
Jets (6-10): A season that started with Super Bowl hopes will end with the Jets’ next first-round pick landing as high as No. 5 or as low as No. 12.
Vikings (7-9): Though technically alive, Minnesota’s playoff hopes rest on three losses by favored teams. The Vikings also need to defeat the Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET), who reportedly plan to play their regular starters.
Bad times in Brooklyn
Exactly one year ago, the Nets were the hottest team in the NBA, winning 14 of 15 games and making it feel as if Brooklyn’s title window was still open.
Then, Kevin Durant got hurt. One month later, Kyrie Irving finally killed the dream by asking out and getting traded to Dallas. Durant was dealt to Phoenix three days after that.
Now the aftermath looks as ugly as once feared.
Since peaking with a win at Phoenix on Dec. 13 to improve to 13-10, the Nets have lost 10 of their past 12 games — with their lone wins coming against the historically dreadful Pistons (3-31).
During its current five-game losing streak, Brooklyn has lost by an average of 16.4 points.
On Thursday, the NBA levied a historic $100,000 fine against the organization for load-managing their way to a loss to the Bucks that began that streak.
Leading scorer Cam Thomas has missed 20 straight field-goal attempts, including all 18 in the past two games. Mikal Bridges hasn’t reached 20 points in nine of the past 12 games. Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 6.2 3-point attempts per game despite hitting 28.9 percent from deep last season and 31.6 percent this season. And Ben Simmons, the team’s highest-paid player, hasn’t taken the floor since Nov. 6 despite spring training-like preseason reports that the former All-Star had never felt so good.
The Nets are 26th in the league in field-goal percentage (45.8) and 27th in free-throw percentage (75.1) while ranking 23rd in defensive rating and forcing the second-fewest steals in the league.
Thanks to playing in the top-heavy Eastern Conference, the Nets (15-20) are currently in position to make the Play-In Tournament, though the teams in ninth through 12th place are all within one game of each other.
The Nets have no incentive to tank because the Rockets own their 2024 first-round pick (thanks, James Harden). They can be patient, following the failed shortcut of their superteam. There is no external pressure. The Nets have young talent and a strong haul of future picks (thanks, Big 3, for that at least).
And they can use it to swing for the fences once more.
Though Donovan Mitchell would be a poor fit playing alongside Jalen Brunson, the Westchester native could fulfill his dream of playing in New York by filling the Nets’ greatest need of an elite scorer, which would allow Bridges to thrive in a more natural secondary role.
It would cost the Nets multiple first-round picks. It would cost young talent. It could ultimately cost too much, given the potential interest of the Knicks, Heat and others.
It also might not be a scenario that Cleveland considers for another calendar year, with Mitchell not eligible to be a free agent until after next season.
For now, all the Nets have is now.
Friday night, that means welcoming the Thunder (23-10) to Brooklyn, less than a week removed from the Nets’ 16-point loss in Oklahoma City.
Today’s back page
Bader aid
Harrison Bader is coming home — again.
The Gold Glove-winning center fielder and Bronxville native, who spent parts of the past two seasons with the Yankees, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Mets.
Bader, 29, provides an immediate upgrade to the Mets defense, likely shifting Brandon Nimmo to a corner outfield spot.
Bader’s offense, though, has suffered since his best season in St. Louis in 2021, when he hit .267 with 16 home runs and a .785 OPS.
Last season, Bader hit .240/.278/.365 with the Yankees before being placed on waivers in August and struggling with Cincinnati. His health has been an issue, too, with Bader averaging fewer than 96 games over the past three seasons.
The signing will reunite Bader with former Florida teammate Pete Alonso. The two played together on the school’s 2015 College World Series team.
What we’re reading 👀
🏒 Brennan Othmann impressed in his long-awaited Rangers debut, a dominant 4-1 win over the Blackhawks. If Othmann “proves himself a viable option, that could change the equation for GM Chris Drury,” in the words of The Post’s Larry Brooks.
⚾ The Yankees are going to have to do something uncomfortable to add an impact starting pitcher after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, writes The Post’s Joel Sherman, whether that’s splurging for Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery or Shota Imanaga, or paying a steep prospect cost in a trade. … In the meantime, they signed Cody Poteet.
🏀 The Knicks’ reliance on Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle — to dictate the offense and play high-30s minutes — only has increased since the OG Anunoby trade.
🏈 Bryce Huff is going to get paid this offseason. Will it be by the Jets? And how do you value an elite pass rusher who plays less than half of snaps?
🏈 After a roller-coaster Giants season, Tommy DeVito has to figure out how he’s going to handle his first pro offseason.
🎙️ The Post’s Andrew Marchand dishes a reminder: Pat McAfee’s ESPN future won’t hinge on controversy around Aaron Rodgers drivel but on McAfee’s viewership numbers, which are down.
🏒 The Islanders cruised to a road win over the Coyotes. Then they fueled up on pizza from the post-game buffet.
💰 ESPN ponied up $920 million for eight years of rights to air 40 NCAA championships, a deal drives by the expanding valuation of the Division I women’s basketball tournament.
🏀 Get this: The Lakers are scapegoating the coach.
🏀 Nikola Jokic with an absurd game-winner.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
NY Times
