NFL Week 18 Preview for All 6 Video games on FOX

We’ve got one more Sunday of regular-season action ahead of us for the 2025 NFL regular season, and the Sunday FOX slate is loaded with games that could have playoff implications. 

Five of the six matchups might play a role in shaping the playoff picture as the postseason awaits. One of those matchups includes “America’s Game of the Week,” where Tom Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will be on the call for the Detroit Lions–Chicago Bears matchup. 

Now, let’s dive into what to know about each of the six games airing on FOX this weekend. 

A rare bit of scheduling awkwardness for the NFL, which put the Panthers-Buccaneers game on Saturday afternoon, knowing that if Tampa wins that game, the NFC South champ in fact hinges on Saints-Falcons. If Carolina wins Saturday, it clinches on that alone. But a Bucs win means Tampa Bay needs New Orleans to win or tie, while Carolina would need Atlanta to win. 

The division is upside-down in the second half of the season. The Saints have won four straight, the Falcons have won three straight, including a combined 3-0 against the Bucs and Panthers. 

Receiver Chris Olave will miss the game for the Saints due to a blood clot in his lungs. He’s been a key part of rookie Tyler Shough’s 5-3 record as the starting quarterback. 

Is Atlanta’s late-season surge enough to keep coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot in their jobs? 

The Giants have the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft right now. A win here could drop them to as low as seventh, and the draft pick value of such a drop is equal to losing the No. 14 overall pick on the old Jimmy Johnson value chart. 

Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart had 22 total touchdowns despite losing Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo for most of the year, but his 3-8 record as a starter works against him for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. 

So much has changed for the Giants since their first game with the Cowboys. Brian Daboll was coach, Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and Nabers went for 167 and two scores in an overtime loss in Week 2. 

Dallas’ Dak Prescott leads the NFL in passing yards, completions and attempts. The Cowboys’ franchise records for all three were set by Tony Romo in 2012 and are technically within reach. Prescott would have to go at least 29 of 60 for 422 yards to break them. 

As long as there isn’t a Jaguars loss and a Texans win, Jacksonville wins the AFC South and earns a home playoff game. If the Jaguars win and the Broncos and Patriots both lose, Jacksonville would get the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Either way, an outstanding first season under coach Liam Coen. 

A year ago, the Jaguars’ defense was last in the NFL with nine takeaways. Now they have 30 this season, two behind the Bears for the league high, so credit should go to first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile as well. 

Tennessee’s offense has found itself in the last month under interim coach Mike McCoy. After scoring no more than 24 points in any of their first 12 games, the Titans have scored at least 24 in four straight. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who had seven touchdown passes and six interceptions in a 1-11 start, has eight TDs and one pick in his last four games.

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (4:25 p.m. ET)

Back in August, it would have been wild to think Detroit was the team eliminated from playoff contention here and Chicago was trying to land the NFC’s No. 2 seed. These teams met in Week 2, and the Lions won 52-21 to drop the Bears to 0-2. 

Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is another first-year coach with remarkable results. Caleb Williams has lots of milestones in play. He needs 109 yards to break the Bears’ single-season passing record, which belongs to Erik Kramer’s 1995 season, and he needs 270 yards to become Chicago’s first-ever 4,000-yard passer. 

Detroit has lost four of five to go from 7-4 to missing the playoffs, and its defense has given up 30.8 points per game in that span. Detroit’s line has dealt with injuries, but running back Jahmyr Gibbs has 37 carries for 81 yards — 2.2 yards per carry — in its three-game losing streak.

The Rams have the No. 6 seed in the NFC right now, but could jump up to fifth with a win and a 49ers loss. That would mean getting to play at a middling NFC South champ instead of going to Philadelphia or Chicago. 

Can Matthew Stafford win an MVP with a strong showing? He has a league-best 42 touchdowns against eight interceptions, though three came in last week’s loss to the Falcons. 

Falcons beat Rams 27-24, Stafford throws 3 INTS, Are their Super Bowl hopes fading?

The NFL receptions title is a face-to-face showdown. Rams receiver Puka Nacua and Cardinals tight end Trey McBride are tied for the league lead with 119 catches, with the Bengals‘ Ja’Marr Chase lurking two behind. Either could get to 130 — only six players in NFL history have done that.

Playoff home games were a mainstay of the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady dynasty years for the Patriots. From 2007-19, they had 27 playoff games and only three were true road games. So, battling the Broncos for home-field advantage on the AFC side is important, but it’s worth mentioning that New England went a perfect 8-0 on the road and has three home losses this season.

Mike Vrabel on the Patriots clinching AFC East, Drake Maye’s MVP odds

Can Drake Maye win MVP? He has 30 touchdowns against eight interceptions and has done it without an elite receiver. The Patriots have scored at least 23 points in 13 straight games and they’re 12-1 in those games, a testament to their progress under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. 

Miami has bounced back from 1-6 to 7-9, and in the first meeting with New England, the Dolphins led midway through the fourth quarter before giving up the game’s final 10 points. Mike Vrabel has a top-10 defense in most respects, but the Achilles heel for New England is their red-zone defense, where they’re last in the league, giving up touchdowns 70% of the time.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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