The most important week of the NFL regular season could be confused with the preseason.
The list of starting quarterbacks for playoff teams this weekend includes Jeff Driskel, Blaine Gabbert, Tyler Huntley, Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz.
They have a number of reserve players who started this season (Easton Stick, Nick Mullens, Trevor Siemian, Bailey Zappe, Jarrett Stidham, Jake Browning, Tyrod Taylor, Gardner Minshew, Mason Rudolph, Aidan O'Connell and Taylor Heinicke). The quarterback is injured and will be injured again in Week 18.
Perhaps the silver lining for quarterback play we haven't seen as much as this is the result of a crowd of second- and third-tier teams entering the final week of the regular season and competing for division titles and playoff berths.
Six NFC teams are competing for the two open spots. Five teams in the AFC are competing for three spots.
According to Fox SportsThe 20 teams competing for the Super Bowl is the highest number in 41 years heading into the final week of the season.
This is the problem:
Steelers (9-7): The Ravens (13-3) already have home-field advantage in the AFC, so Lamar Jackson and other starters will not play Saturday at Baltimore (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) become. To qualify for the playoffs, the Steelers, the 3.5-point favorite, must win and either the Bills or Jaguars must lose the next day.
Texans (9-7) vs. Colts (9-7): The winner of Saturday night's game (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) will qualify for the playoffs. If Jacksonville loses against Tennessee on Sunday, the winner of the Texans-Colts game will win the AFC South.
Jaguars (9-7): The Jaguars will clinch the AFC South championship with a win over the Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS), but their playoff hopes rest on CJ Beathard, who replaced Trevor Lawrence in last week's league win. It may be in the hands of – the worst of the Panthers.
Invoice (10-6): No team has a greater difference in potential outcomes. With a win against Miami (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Buffalo will clinch the AFC East title and the No. 2 seed. If they lose, the Bills would be out of the playoff picture if the Steelers and Jaguars win.
Dolphins (11-5): Miami has already clinched a playoff spot, but a win against the Bills would give the Dolphins their first Division 1 title in 15 years and at least one home playoff game.
Packers (8-8): The first year without Aaron Rodgers could include a postseason trip if Green Bay beats the Bears at home (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET). But Chicago has plenty of incentive to beat its rivals. Justin Fields has led the Bears to four wins in their last five games and has another chance to show the franchise that they shouldn't use the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback.
Buccaneers (8-8): In the first year without Tom Brady, Tampa Bay could win the NFC South title with a win against Carolina (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET). The Panthers already dealt a first-round pick to Chicago as part of the Bryce Young trade, so there's no reason to hold back.
Falcons (7-9) and Saints (8-8): If the Buccaneers win, this game will be meaningless. But if Carolina pulls off an upset victory, the winner of this game in New Orleans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) will be crowned the NFC South champion.
Seahawks (8-8): A win against Arizona (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) won't be enough to get them back into the playoffs. Seattle also needs the Packers to lose.
Cowboys (11-5): Dallas, the 13-point favorite, will win the NFC East if it wins at Washington (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
Commander (4-12): The loss would likely give Washington the No. 2 overall pick, giving it a chance to land a franchise quarterback like North Carolina's Drake Maye.
Eagles (11-5): Head coach Nick Sirianni may rest his starting lineup against the Giants (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) because Dallas is unlikely to lose in order to win the division title.
Giants (5-11): If they lose, the Giants won't pick higher than No. 5 in the next draft. A meaningless victory could drop them to 8th place.
Patriots (4-12): New England fans won't care that the Patriots' 15-game winning streak against the Jets ends. That way, he could get the second or third pick in the draft. Bill Belichick, who may play his final game against New England, has other ideas.
Jets (6-10): A season that started with Super Bowl hopes will end with the Jets' next first-round pick either at the top of fifth or at the bottom of 12th.
Vikings (7-9): Although technically alive, Minnesota's playoff hopes hinge on three losses to contenders. The Vikings also need to beat the Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET), who are reportedly scheduled 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 it felt like Brooklyn's chances for a title were still open.
Then Kevin Durant got injured. A month later, Kyrie Irving finally dashed that dream of his by requesting a trade to Dallas. Durant was traded to Phoenix three days later.
Today, the aftermath is just as ugly as once feared.
Since improving to 13-10 with a Dec. 13 win over Phoenix, the Nets have lost 10 of their last 12 games, with their only victory coming against the historically dreadful Pistons (3-0). 31 losses).
Brooklyn has now lost five straight games, losing by an average margin of 16.4 points.
On Thursday, the NBA imposed a historic $100,000 fine on the NBA for load management against the Bucks, which started a losing streak.
Leading scorer Cam Thomas has missed 20 consecutive field goal attempts, 18 of them in the past two games. Mikal Bridges has not reached 20 points in nine of the last 12 games. Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 6.2 3-point attempts per game despite shooting 28.9 percent from deep last season and 31.6 percent this season. And Ben Simmons, the team's highest-paid player, has been out since Nov. 6, despite preseason reports such as spring training that the former All-Star was in the best shape he's ever been. Not on the pitch.
The Nets rank 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 second-fewest steals in the league.
Thanks to playing in the top-heavy Eastern Conference, the Nets (15-20) are currently in position to qualify for the play-in tournament, but the teams ranked 9th through 12th are all within one game of each other. .
The Rockets own a 2024 first-round pick, so the Nets have no incentive to tank (thanks James Harden). They can be patient and follow the failed shortcuts of the super team. There is no external pressure. The Nets have plenty of young talent and future draft picks (thank goodness for the Big 3, at least).
And they can use it to swing for the fences once again.
Donovan Mitchell won't be suited to play alongside Jalen Brunson, but the Westchester native could live up to his dream of playing in New York by filling the Nets' biggest need: an elite scorer. That could allow Bridges to thrive in a more natural secondary role.
If that happens, the Nets will lose multiple first-round picks. That would be at the expense of his young talent. It could end up being too expensive considering the potential interest from the Knicks, Heat, and others.
It also may not be a scenario Cleveland considers in another calendar year, as Mitchell is not eligible to become a free agent until after next season.
For now, all the Nets have is now.
Friday night means welcoming the Thunder (23-10) to Brooklyn, less than a week after the Nets suffered a 16-point loss at Oklahoma City.
Today's back page
vader aid
Harrison Bader is back.
The Gold Glove Award-winning center fielder and Bronxville native who spent parts of the past two seasons with the Yankees agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Mets on Thursday.
Bader, 29, would instantly upgrade the Mets' defensive front, likely moving Brandon Nimmo to the corner outfield position.
But Bader's offense has struggled since his best season in St. Louis in 2021, when he hit .267 with 16 home runs and a .785 OPS.
Bader hit .240/.278/.365 with the Yankees last season, but was placed on waivers in August and struggled in Cincinnati. His health has also been an issue, with Bader averaging less than 96 games over the past three seasons.
The deal reunites 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 Osman impressed in his long-awaited debut with the Rangers in a dominating 4-1 win over the Blackhawks. In the words of the paper's Larry Brooks, if Osman “can prove to be a viable option, that could change the equation for general manager Chris Drury.”
⚾ Having missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees have the unpleasant option of splurging on Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Shota Imanaga, or paying high prospect costs, to add an impact starting pitcher. It will have to, writes the Post's Joel Sherman. trade. …During that time, they signed Cody Poteet.
🏀 The Knicks' reliance on Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle to lead the offense and play in the low 30s has increased since the trade for OG Anunoby.
🏈 Bryce Huff will be getting paid this offseason. Is it by the Jets? And how do you evaluate an elite pass rusher who plays less than half the snaps?
🏈 After a roller coaster season with the Giants, Tommy DeVito has to figure out how to spend his first professional offseason.
🎙️ The Post's Andrew Marchand reminded us that Pat McAfee's future at ESPN will hinge on McAfee's dwindling viewership, not the controversy over Aaron Rodgers' antics.
🏒 The Islanders cruised to the road and won against the Coyotes. Afterwards, I filled my stomach with pizza at the post-game buffet.
💰ESPN Pony raised $920 million. The deal, which gives the rights to broadcast 40 NCAA Championship games for eight years, is driven by expanded ratings for the Division I women's basketball tournament.
🏀 Understand this: The Lakers are scapegoating their coach.
🏀 With Nikola Jokic absurd game winner.
