Arizona Cardinals (3-12) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bengals -7, Total 53.5
There hasn’t been a lot to celebrate for either team this season, but the Bengals are not complaining about Joe Burrow finding his groove last week. The Bengals enjoyed arguably their best all-around performance of the season last Sunday, scoring 35 straight points to wipe out an early 14-10 deficit in a 45-21 rout of the host Miami Dolphins. The Cardinals lost their seventh straight, a 26-19 home setback to the Atlanta Falcons, last Sunday and are fixed on figuring out what’s needed to compete next season. The Bengals answered their first shutout loss since 2017 – and their first with Burrow as quarterback – by posting their largest scoring output of the season. The Bengals lead the NFL with 11 takeaways since Week 12. Defensive end Myles Murphy and safety Jordan Battle, both third-year starters, teamed up for Cincinnati’s first takeaway against Miami. Jacoby Brissett has consistently produced since taking over the starting spot for Kyler Murray. He has 200-plus yards and at least one TD pass in each of his 10 starts this season. He has helped TE Trey McBride reach 100-plus receptions for the second consecutive season. McBride can become the first NFL tight end with back-to-back 110-catch seasons with one reception Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Steelers -3, Total 34.5
The Steelers might be AFC North champions before midnight Saturday — if the Ravens lose at Green Bay — but the plan for Pittsburgh is to win the final two games, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. The gameplan might be different given the subtraction of WR DK Metcalf, who serves the first of his two-game suspension for grabbing a fan at Detroit. QB Aaron Rodgers called for other wide receivers to “step up” when called upon the next two games. Metcalf has been targeted 99 times and caught 59 passes for 850 yards, while all other Pittsburgh wideouts combined have been targeted 90 times with 56 receptions for 665 yards. Even without Metcalf, a huge boost might be on the way in the form of pass rusher T.J. Watt, who practiced Wednesday for the first time in two weeks. Watt has been sidelined since a procedure required to recover from a punctured lung. Watt’s presence is newsworthy for rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who makes his first start against a division opponent. The Steelers held the Browns to three field goals in a 23-9 victory in their first meeting this season but haven’t won in Cleveland since 2021. Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins landed on injured reserve with a broken leg and dislocated ankle sustained last week, ending his season after rushing 34 times for 69 yards the past three games. Sanders is 1-4 as a starter but had the Browns in position to take down the Buffalo Bills last week before succumbing in a 23-20 defeat.
New Orleans Saints (5-10) at Tennessee Titans (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -2.5, Total 39.5
Rookie quarterbacks are front and center on Sunday with Cam Ward starting to show why Tennessee drafted him first overall in April. Ward has three consecutive two-TD games and completed a career-high 75% of his passes against the Chiefs last week. New Orleans rookie Tyler Shough delivered a 300-yard game in the Saints’ 29-6 thrashing of the Jets last week. Ward was the headliner in a rookie class that leads a youth movement in Tennessee. Titans WR Chimere Dike, a fourth-round pick, has set himself apart by leading the NFL in all-purpose yards (151.3 per game) to earn a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Shough has completed 66.4% of his passes for 1,792 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. His passer rating is 86.5.
Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) at Indianapolis Colts (8-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Jaguars -5.5, Total 48.5
Jacksonville demoralized the Colts in a 36-19 win in Florida on Dec. 7 and has already clinched its first playoff berth since 2022. The Jaguars, winners of six of the past eight meetings with Indianapolis, have won five consecutive games to surge ahead of the AFC South pack while the Colts have lost five in a row. Philip Rivers took over the QB1 job for the Colts since Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in the loss at Jacksonville earlier this month. Signed off the couch to start the last two games at age 44, Rivers had Indianapolis in the game for four quarters at Seattle and on Monday for two-plus quarters before the 49ers pulled away. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence ran his interception-free streak to four games. With three touchdowns in the win, he set a career high with 26 touchdown passes this season. While 2025 first-round pick Travis Hunter played just seven games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury and 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. has battled injuries and not followed up his breakout rookie season, Jacksonville’s receiver-by-committee approach has worked well with five different leading receivers in the team’s last five games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) at Miami Dolphins (6-9)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Buccaneers -5.5, Total 45.5
The Buccaneers have won four consecutive division titles since 2021 and are in must-win territory at Miami after being bounced from the NFC South lead by the Panthers last week. Tampa has won six of the past seven meetings with the Dolphins, who are going with Quinn Ewers at quarterback for the second consecutive game because of Tua Tagovailoa’s turnover issues. The Bucs have lost each of their past three games by four points or fewer. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield faces a Miami defense that excelled during the team’s recent four-game winning streak that provided a brief sliver of hope to make the playoffs. In two games since, the Dolphins have allowed 73 points; opponents have scored on 11 of their last 18 possessions with 10 touchdowns. Miami allowed four consecutive touchdown drives to open the second half last week in a 45-21 loss to Cincinnati. The prior week, the Dolphins allowed four consecutive touchdown drives from the end of the first half into the third quarter in a loss to Pittsburgh. Ewers was effective early and then struggled toward the end of his first start last week. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 260 yards but threw two interceptions with no touchdowns.
New England Patriots (12-3) at New York Jets (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Patriots -13.5, Total 42.5
The Jets are cooking up a top draft pick and have been out of the playoff chase for weeks as a familiar, crippling problem struck for first-year coach Aaron Glenn: the franchise still doesn’t have a quarterback. Justin Fields (knee; IR) and Tyrod Taylor were not successful getting the Jets’ offense off the ground and undrafted rookie Brady Cook has been given a shot this month to prove he can bring value to the team going forward. The Patriots are more than settled at the position with Drake Maye delivering MVP-caliber production in his second NFL season. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft leads the league in completion percentage (70.9) and New England is 7-0 on the road this season. Cook has passed for 527 yards and one touchdown with six interceptions in three games this season.
Seattle Seahawks (12-3) at Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -7.5, Total 42.5
Seattle has won five consecutive games and the Panthers are riding high after a statement win over reigning NFC South division champion Tampa Bay last week, but the challenge on Sunday could be not looking ahead to bigger fish in Week 18. The Seahawks play at San Francisco in the regular-season finale, which could decide the NFC West and determine the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Panthers, leading the division after a 23-20 win over the Buccaneers last Sunday, are at Tampa next week with a playoff spot on the line. Panthers QB Bryce Young drove the Panthers down the field for a go-ahead field goal with a little more than two minutes remaining last week. It was the 12th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime in three seasons for Young — the most of any QB over that span. The Seahawks can win the division this week in Mike Macdonald’s second season — and for the first time since 2020 — but won’t know anything about their final playoff positioning until the 49ers (11-4) and Rams (11-4) take the field. Seattle took control of its playoff destiny when it overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat the Rams, 38-37, in overtime last week, grabbing the division lead in the process.