Is this it for Bill Belichick in New England?
Time for the big finale! After no shortage of twists and turns, the 2023 NFL regular season reaches its conclusion this weekend…
Editor’s note…
While the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson nestle safely in bubble wrap in view of the NFL playoffs, others are gearing up to tackle one final hurdle on their road to the postseason. For some, Week 18 beckons as the end of playoff hopes, contracts and even eras. For others, it is the beginning of offseason recruitment, prosperous chapters or fresh beginnings.
Uncertainty over the future of Bill Belichick has lingered throughout a torrid season for the Patriots and reaches its climax on Sunday, after which it is decision time on what lies next for New England and their storied head coach.
Does Robert Kraft allow Belichick to pursue the Patriots’ next quarterback of the future with a top-three pick at the Draft? Do the two sides shake hands and part after winning seven Super Bowl rings since 2000? Does Belichick resume his chase of Don Shula’s all-time-record 328 career wins elsewhere with, say, a Justin Herbert-led Los Angeles Chargers?
The Patriots close out their regular season on the road against the New York Jets. Is this Belichick’s farewell?
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A look at Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s top plays from the 2023 season so far
At the opposite end of the scale, two of the league’s leading Super Bowl contenders collide when the Dolphins and Bills tussle for the AFC East division in what has the makings of the perfect firework-filled conclusion to the regular season. While Buffalo must hold their nerve to complete their emphatic season turnaround, Miami and their injury-hit defense are clouded by untimely doubts on the eve of the playoffs after shipping 56 points against the Baltimore Ravens.
Elsewhere Justin Fields has bit down on the gumshield and fought back to corner the Chicago Bears into a quarterback quandary, leaving them to decide whether they move forward with their quarterback – who has the locker room and fans behind him – or use the No 1 overall pick of April’s Draft on USC’s Caleb Williams.
As Michael Penix Jr. prepares to lead the Washington Huskies into the College Football National Championship as one of the top prospects for quarterback-needy NFL teams, the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans – regardless of their playoff fate – enter Sunday rest assured that they have found their ‘guys’ in Jordan Love and CJ Stroud.
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Check out the best-of-the-best NFL catches of 2023
As Jim Harbaugh prepares to lead Michigan into the College Football National Championship as a familiar flirt with the NFL’s annual coaching carousel, the Shane Steichen-led Indianapolis Colts – awaiting the return of Anthony Richardson – enter Sunday believing they have nabbed their long-term head coach with whom to guide their young quarterback to success.
For Antonio Pierce, this could mark the start of a full-time post with the Las Vegas Raiders, while for Russell Wilson, it is likely to mark the end of his time with the Denver Broncos. Derrick Henry, Chris Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, Tee Higgins and Brian Burns, meanwhile, feature among the marquee names heading for free agency.
As the regular season draws to a close, a playoff campaign brimming with question marks begins…
Around the league…
- Veteran running back Dalvin Cook has signed with the Ravens after clearing waivers following his release by the New York Jets, for whom he managed just 67 carries for 214 yards.
- Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill left practice on Wednesday after learning a large fire had broken out at his South Florida home; both he and his family were unharmed in the incident, which fire officials said had been the result of a child playing with a cigarette lighter in a bedroom.
- Brock Purdy of the 49ers and Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins were selected to their first Pro Bowl as the starting quarterbacks for their respective conferences.
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Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and his family are safe after fire rescue crews responded to a large fire at his South Florida home.
- Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 after a video appeared to show him tossing a drink in the direction of fans during Carolina’s Week 17 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford and Joe Flacco are among the starting quarterbacks that are set to be rested in Week 18 as their teams prepare for the playoffs.
- Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be ruled questionable ahead of Sunday’s crucial season-finale against the Titans as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
What to watch…
CJ Stroud, Trevor Lawrence and TJ Watt
Saturday, 9.30pm – Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens: The Steelers are alive, somehow. A broken, beaten offense has squeezed late signs of life to preserve playoff hopes entering the final weekend. Mason Rudolph has taken over at quarterback from Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky to complete 35 of 51 passes for 564 and two touchdowns across back-to-back starts, which have ended in wins over the Bengals and Seahawks. Within that, star wide receiver George Pickens has put up 326 yards and two scores as Pittsburgh look to keep their slim postseason chances in tact with a win over a No 1-seeded Ravens team set to rest a number of its starters.
Sunday, 1.15am – Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts: Every year throws up its fair share of Pro Bowl snubs, among the rejected class of 2023 being Zaire Franklin. The Colts linebacker has starred alongside E.J. Speed to the tune of league-leading 170 tackles, two ahead of Bobby Wagner and back-to-back tackles champion Foye Oluokun. Franklin’s production has been complemented by that of Gus Bradley’s defensive front, which has seen Samson Ebukam (9.5), Kwity Paye (8.5), Dayo Odeyingbo (eight) and DeForest Buckner (seven) contribute to a fourth-ranked 49 sacks on the year. Their job? Blunt rookie standout CJ Stroud.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens runs a huge 86-yard touchdown on quarterback Mason Rudolph’s first pass of game.
Sunday, 6pm – Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans: Injuries have somewhat delayed the process, but on Sunday the Jaguars can clinch a second successive AFC East title with a victory over their divisional rival Titans. The status of quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains unconfirmed as he continues to nurse a knock to his throwing shoulder, while running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Calvin Ridley both have the chance to reach 1,000 yards on the year. Former No 1 overall pick Travon Walker has quietly amassed nine sacks, while pass rush companion Josh Allen will look to continue a glistening season that sees him on 16.5 sacks. It’s the final hurdle to the playoffs for Jacksonville; win and they are in; lose and they are in danger of being leap-frogged by the Texans or Colts, as well as potentially missing out altogether should the Steelers beat the Ravens.
Sunday, 9.25pm – Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers: The storyline in Chicago is Fields, the future of Fields, what happens next for Fields and what life might look like without Fields. While Bears fans bang the drum in favour of retaining their quarterback, Chicago’s impressive run of five wins in their last seven has seen Matt Eberflus revive his own chances of remaining head coach with the help of an ascending defense in which Montez Sweat has recorded six sacks in eight games since his mid-season trade from the Commanders and cornerback Jaylon Johnson has put up 31 tackles, 10 pass defenses and four interceptions to both earn Pro Bowl nods. The Bears defense has been trending towards the league’s very best.
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The best plays from Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the NFL’s 2023 season so far
SNF – Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins: The resurgent Bills have transformed what threatened as a lost season to reassert themselves as one of the most frightening propositions with the playoffs on the horizon. They have done so without the usual talismanic production of Stefon Diggs, who is without a 100-yard receiving game since Week Six having also not scored a touchdown or reached 50 yards in his last four outings. Between Josh Allen, an expanded role for James Cook and Joe Brady calling the shots, they haven’t exactly been suffering. But Diggs is their most gifted weapon, with a defining role to play at some stage over the coming month. He torched the Dolphins with 120 receiving yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bills to a resounding 48-20 victory in October – will it be a repeat?
Playoff permutations: What’s at stake on final weekend?
NFL playoff permutations in Week 18 of the 2023 regular season
Current playoff standings
| AFC | NFC |
|---|---|
| 1) Baltimore Ravens (13-3) (Y) | 1) San Francisco 49ers (12-4) (Y) |
| 2) Miami Dolphins (11-5) (X) | 2) Dallas Cowboys (11-5) (X) |
| 3) Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) (Y) | 3) Detroit Lions (11-5) (Y) |
| 4) Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) | 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) |
| 5) Cleveland Browns (11-5) (X) | 5) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) (X) |
| 6) Buffalo Bills (10-6) | 6) Los Angeles Rams (9-7) |
| 7) Indianapolis Colts (9-7) | 7) Green Bay Packers (8-8) |
| (X) = already clinched playoff berth | |
| (Y) = clinched division |
Who wins the AFC East? Who takes the AFC wild card spots? Who clinches the NFC South? Who can secure the final NFC wild card berth?
We guide you through the various playoff scenarios and permutations heading into the final weekend of the 2023 NFL regular season…
Best quotes
Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on Bills quarterback Josh Allen: “This guy is the new John Elway on steroids – and I don’t mean he’s taking steroids. Very similar. Different body types. Different running styles, but the same problems, for sure. Allen is just a beast of a guy, a physical specimen. Like John Elway was in the mid-80s to the mid-90s.”
Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr: “This is the best team I’ve ever been on, from the top to the bottom. We set ourselves up for success. Everything is right in front of us.”
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Odell Beckham Jr hauls in a 33-yard pass from Lamar Jackson setting up a Baltimore Ravens touchdown on the next play.
Mike Vrabel on his future as Titans head coach amid speculation he could succeed Bill Belichick in New England: “Of course I want to be here. Be here as long as we can win, as long as we can do this thing, and it’s been great. But it also has been just this year. And nobody wants to be where we’re at.”
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon on his commitment to quarterback Kyler Murray during his weekly Burns & Gambo appearance: “No, there’s no doubt. ‘No. 1’ our franchise quarterback, that’s who I love.”
Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams gives his backing to interim coach Antonio Pierce: “That’s my vote, and that’s basically how the whole locker room feels. With good reason. He’s come in and done a great job. He’s continued to win us over. It’s not just the comfortable thing. I think having AP here will be good for this organisation. He kind of embodies what it means to be a Raider.”
Running back Saquon Barkley on his future with the Giants: “I’ve mentioned before that I wanted to be a Giant for life. That was a goal of mine when I got drafted. I wanted to leave a legacy here, but it’s out of my control. I truly have no say. It’s really up to those guys upstairs.”
Titans running back Derrick Henry: “There will definitely be a moment, last game of the season, I’ll be a free agent after this year, and I’ve been here eight years. I’ll just be grateful to whoever shows up, and I know the fans will come out. Hopefully, we can finish the season strong.”
The stats
- The Packers lead their all-time series against the Bears 105-94-6, having won their last seven at home in the matchup and nine straight games overall since 2018
- Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts enter the final game tied on 15 rushing touchdowns, marking the most by a quarterback in a single-season in NFL history – who takes the crown?
- DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud of the Texans have the chance to become the first rookie head coach and qualifying rookie quarterback to reach the playoffs since Chuck Pagano and Andrew Luck with the Colts in 2012
- Rams receiver Puka Nacua needs four catches this Sunday to surpass Jaylen Waddle (104 in 2021) for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history
- Tyreek Hill needs 118 receiving yards to overtake Antonio Brown (1,834 in 2015) for the fifth-most in a season in history; Hill is the only player in NFL history to have multiple seasons of at least 1,700 receiving yards
Essential reading:
‘They call me the James Brown of the NFL!’
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun
Foye Oluokun has stormed his way to becoming recognised as one of the NFL’s premier tackling machines, but he won’t be thinking about defending his crown when the Jacksonville Jaguars enter their crucial final game of the regular season on Sunday.
“Every year I feel like I’ve got to prove myself or re-prove myself because there’s definitely a lot of doubters that see my name and don’t really know about me. At the end of the year we have all those top 100 player lists and I’ve never been on them.
“Once I get that, we’ll see what happens but, luckily, they haven’t given it to me yet, so I’m still working!”
Jags linebacker Oluokun discusses his rise from studying at Yale to becoming the James Brown of the league…
From Mahomes to Rodgers: Reynolds’ biggest NFL stories in 2023
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
“2023 was filled with memorable and significant moments in the world of American football. So much so that Tom Brady’s second retirement – which came on a grey Florida beach day exactly one year after his first – doesn’t even make this list.”
Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds has the final word on 2023 as he picks out some of his biggest NFL storylines from over the past year…
Her Huddle: Who will secure a playoff spot?
Hannah Wilkes is joined by Liz and Ash to look ahead to the final week of the regular season and discuss who they think will seal their spots in the playoffs.
Inside the Huddle: Siranni feeling the pressure?
Is Nick Sirianni beginning to feel the pressure in Philadelphia after defeat to the Arizona Cardinals?
Join Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold as they break down the biggest stories from around the NFL – as well as speaking to 31-year-old British Colorado State kicker Jordan Noyes…
Saturday’s double-header sees Steelers visit Ravens from 9.30pm, followed by Texans at Colts in ‘win-and-in’ clash; Sunday triple-bill starts at 6pm with Jaguars at Titans, followed by Bears at Packers and Bills at Dolphins showdown for AFC East title – all games live on Sky Sports NFL