Week 18 Preview: Top 5, Bottom 5, Hot Takes

Table of Contents

A new segment on FootballHelper.com is here! We will be featuring OUR Top 5 NFL Teams, Bottom 5 NFL Teams, and Hot Takes every week from here on out! We look forward to your reactions and takes as well. Let us know what NFL topics would interest you moving forward! Email us at info@footballhelper.com with any questions, comments, or inquiries! #FBHFamily

Top 5 Teams going into Week 18!

1. Baltimore Ravens 13-3 (previous week: 1)

The Ravens made sure they left no doubt about the team to beat ahead of Super Bowl 58 by throttling the 49ers and Dolphins in consecutive weeks. Along with those stellar offensive performances, Lamar Jackson has all but sewn up his second MVP.

2. San Francisco 49ers 12-4 (2)

The 49ers rebounded from that Ravens ripping at home with a get-well game all-around traveling to the Beltway in Washington. They now can rest, get resettled and healthier for a hopeful deeper playoff run with the top-seed bye business wrapped up before Week 18.

3. Dallas Cowboys 11-5 (9)

The Cowboys needed to flex a little and even though the Lions pushed them to the limit, they made the needed offensive and defensive big plays to finish undefeated at home to give them a shot of opening the playoffs in prime position.

4. Cleveland Browns 11-5 (6)

How about Joe Flacco, again? Here comes a mini-season MVP outside of Baltimore and a rising Comeback Player of the Year favorite. He has the Browns on track to face his former team in a division rematch in the divisional round.

5. Detroit Lions 11-5 (4)

The Lions looked dead in Dallas until a late rally with their defense and big pass plays. They are pushing hard to go into the playoffs with momentum, hosting their first postseason game in 30 years. They need to stay sharp with Matthew Stafford and the red-hot Rams looming for them.

Bottom 5 Teams getting ready for the couch and the 2024 NFL Draft!

28. New England Patriots 4-12 (26)

The Patriots are playing out the string well for Bill Belichick, swarming hard defensively and rallying around Bailey Zappe, despite his big passing mistakes. It’s hard to believe the BB era comes down to one more game.

29. Tennessee Titans 5-11 (28)

The Titans need to do some page-flipping offensively with their youth movement around Will Levis and both the offensive line and secondary need upgrades for them to be a lot more competitive in a sudden tough division.

30. Los Angeles Chargers 5-11 (29)

The Chargers are headed to some big changes after their injury-riddled, coach-firing mess to end the season. This team’s potential is high but there are many schematic vs. personnel things that must be cleaned up around Justin Herbert and the defensive foundation.

31. Washington Commanders 4-12 (31)

The Commanders looked alive offensively and defensively for a brief moment against the 49ers before all their overall talent and QB shortcomings came to light again. Ron Rivera likely won’t see the next rebuilding step. 

32. Carolina Panthers 2-14 (32)

The Panthers showed some recent fight with Bryce Young playing better and the defense still motivated. Then the shutout disaster happened in Jacksonville, with the owner’s actions being a lot more embarrassing than his effort.

FBH Top 5 Takes from Week 17!

  1. Fields and Da Bears: The Bears should NOT be thinking about moving Justin Fields now after seeing what he provides to this offense with his constant all-around improvement in 2023 and the crowd roaring in his favor after the last home game victory of the season at Soldier Field. Look for Matt Eberflus to hold on to his franchise signal-caller moving forward. Chicago holds the #1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft (from CAR 2-14) and the Caleb Williams talks SHOULD be put to rest. Fields is the guy. (at least he should be) The Bears should instead look to build around JF and go all-in for the unanimous #1 prospect in the entire draft class, another weapon for Fields to pair alongside superstar WR D.J. Moore, in Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (the son of NFL great WR Marvin Harrison, one of Peyton Manning’s top weapons in Indy). Can you imagine MHJ and DJM on the same field? As well as upgrading the offfensive line for Fields? Money. Fields would be a strong 2024 MVP candidate.
  2. The Eagles are starting to worry me: The blame game is comedy at this point. The whole Eagles team from coaching to playcalling to players underperforming are all contributing to their current woes. Are the Eagles fixable? Absolutely. Will it be easy? No. Do the Eagles have what it takes to make another Super Bowl run? Of course. But, where do we begin? Controlling what they can control and not letting the outside noise break their locker room. The collective needs to watch film from earlier in the season when they were in the gauntlet and playing their best ball in general. When the Eagles beat Dallas, KC, Miami, and Buffalo they had a formula. Rediscover that formula. Connect as a team. Hold each other accountable. The Birds are far from out if they fix their mistakes. Their roster is top-3 in the league and talent has never been an issue- it’s been execution and stale playcalling.
  3. C.J. Stroud has his work cut out for him: With one game left in the regular season, the Houston Texans‘ path to a playoff berth is crystal clear. Win, and they’re in. Lose or tie, and they’ll be watching the postseason as spectators. The Texans will be on the road versus their division rival the Indianapolis Colts in Indy. In their first meeting of the year, the Colts got the best of the Texans and defeated Houston 31-20. However, it was not Stroud’s fault, who posted 384 yards and 2 touchdowns, in the loss. Stroud has been on a tear this season, and if it wasn’t for injury, Stroud would be the front-runner for 2023 NFL Rookie of the Year. This season, the Texans star has compiled 21 TDs (5 INTs), 3,844 Total Yards, in 14 games played. A tremendous feat for a player in his first season. Now, for the first time, C.J. Stroud gets the national spotlight in the NFL. A stage he has been on before (and has thrived on), many times in college. We think 7 gets it done and the lights aren’t too bright for this superstar in this revenge game.
  4. The Dallas Cowboys got bailed. I am not impressed by their win over Detroit as officiating ruined a great NFC showdown. I think Detroit beats them if they ever play again. I am impressed with Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb though. Lamb is becoming one of the league’s top wideouts. If you had him on your fantasy team this past week, you most likely won your league.
  5. Lions Fans have every right to be upset. The whole nation feels your fan base’s pain. Despite the score and outcome, the Lions are Super Bowl contenders! Amon-Ra St.Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Aidan Hutchinson are players to keep an eye on in the Motor City.

Related Football Insights

Super Bowl LVIII Recap

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22 in overtime for their second-straight Super Bowl title in

Read More »

Super Bowl Preview 

We are just a few days out from the big game and two teams remain. The San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas

Read More »

Ready to Evolve Your Game?

Your first Football Helper session is FREE! Book with us today, and take the first step towards football mastery. Whether you’re looking to understand the game, dominate your fantasy league, delve into football analytics, or win at Madden, we’ve got you covered.

Contact us now, and let’s make it game time!

Name(Required)
Which Services Are You Interested In?(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Scroll to Top