A Wild Week 18 In The NFL Sets Up Super Wild Card Weekend

For the first time in the history of the National Football League, a week 18 of football was played. And it did not disappoint, bringing with it one of the wildest days of football we’ve seen in quite some time. 

The fun started early, with the Indianapolis Colts pathetically losing to the 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars to eliminate them from playoff contention. It was a “win and you’re in” situation for the Colts, an opportunity for Carson Wentz to lead Indianapolis to the playoffs in his first season as a member of the Colts. It was never close. Jacksonville held a 26-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, with Wentz committing the Colts two turnovers on the day with a lost fumble and a terrible pick in the fourth quarter. 

“It’s hard to put your finger on it right now,” Wentz said when asked to diagnose his disappointing finish to the season. “Sluggish, not the dynamic explosive offense we always thought we were. … I’ve got to protect the ball. I’ve got to do a better job. So there’s a lot that could be said and a lot of things to digest right now. But it’s a frustrating, kinda crappy feeling right now.”

The loss gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a chance at sneaking into the playoffs, needing a win over the Baltimore Ravens and a little bit of help in order to get in. Down 10-6 in the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh on a 10-play, 50 yard drive capped by a six-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool to take a 13-10 lead.

Big Ben to Chase Claypool for the Steelers TD.

Steelers take the LEAD! pic.twitter.com/k59cMKGliF

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A Justin Tucker field goal sent the game into overtime, giving Roethlisberger — who is playing in his final NFL season — a chance to extend his 18th season. 

After the Steelers defense was able to get a stop on the first possession of OT, Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh down the field to get kicker Chris Boswell into field goal range. Roethlisberger completed a fourth down at the Ravens 41-yard line to extend the drive, and Boswell nailed a 36-yard field goal to send Pittsburgh to scoreboard watching. 

“We knew we had to take care of our business first and foremost,” Roethlisberger said. “It took extra time but we found a way to do it.”

In the NFC, the NFC West title and the final Wild Card spot were still up for grabs, with the game of the afternoon taking place in Inglewood, CA, between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Rams quickly jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but San Francisco scored 17 unanswered points before LA took back the lead on a four-yard touchdown catch from Cooper Kupp with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter. That left San Francisco’s season in the hands of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, with a loss ending their season. 

Garoppolo led the Niners on an incredible five-play, 88-yard drive, capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Jauan Jennings to send the game into overtime. After a San Francisco field goal, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was picked off by rookie Ambry Thomas, sending the Niners to the postseason. 

“Our guys are so resilient,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I’m very proud of them, and I’m just glad that we get to go into the tournament and be a part of it.”

The Rams still won the NFC West crown due to an Arizona Cardinals loss, but fell out of the two-seed. 

And then there was the nightcap. 

The Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers entered Sunday Night Football in a fascinating situation. If the final game of the regular season ended in a tie, both teams would be in the playoffs, with the Steelers being knocked out in the most tortuous of ways. A loss by either team would knock them out of the postseason, with Pittsburgh sneaking into the seventh and final Wild Card seed. 

The Chargers mounted a furious fourth quarter comeback, tying the game as time expired on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Mike Williams. The Chargers converted four fourth downs on the 19-play, 83-yard drive. The two teams traded field goals in overtime before the Raiders chose to go for the win instead of the tie, heading to the playoffs on a Daniel Carlson 47-yard field goal.

“I don’t think any team has been through what we’ve been through in 10 years, let alone one year,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. “There’s so much emotion — pick a story. There’s so much emotion with everything we’ve done. “It’s probably the coolest accomplishment I think I’ve ever had in my life football-wise.”

And with that, the 2021 NFL regular season came to a spectacular end, setting up the

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