Who Could Possibly Be NFL's Week 18 Flex?

As the NFL's Week 16 begins in full today on Christmas Eve, it is fun to speculate what the Week 18 Sunday Night Football flex game will be. As you know, the NFL attempts to place the final game of the season as one that has meaning to the postseason. There are a couple of candidates.

TITANS AT JAGUARS

With Jacksonville's win over the Jets on Thursday, they are just a Week 17 win over the lowly Texans from making this a battle for the AFC South crown. The Jags are currently a half game back of the Titans and currently own the tiebreaker. As long as they are within a game of one another in the standings and this game will matter. This is the heavy contender for the Week 18 flex game. 

BUCCANEERS AT FALCONS

This actually could be for the NFC South championship and an automatic playoff spot. Right now, the Buccaneers have a one game lead over the Falcons, Panthers and Saints and ... depending on how the next two weeks go ... this could be for all the division marbles. It is not unusual to have a bad division anoint their champion on the final game of the season. Just two years ago, the Washington Football Team needed to beat the Eagles to clinch the NFC East with a 7-9 record.

RAVENS AT BENGALS

By the time we get to this game, both teams will have clinched a playoff spot. The Bengals already have and the Ravens are on the verge of doing so themselves.  However, this could be for the AFC North title and have meaning as it pertains to seeding. Right now, the Bengals are 10-4 and the Ravens are 9-5 with Baltimore winning their first meeting and the winner of the division likely lands the No. 3 seed and the loser goes on the road to face the AFC South champ.

COWBOYS AT COMMANDERS

Dallas may not be playing for anything on this day and the Commanders (with that tie) could need a lot of stuff to go on around them to make this game matter. If that does happen, the NFL would love to have the Cowboys in this game against a big rival.

JETS AT DOLPHINS

This could be a thing. The Jets have fallen out of the playoffs right now and the Dolphins are on a skid themselves, but still are holding on to the final postseason spot. The Jets won the first meeting, meaning another win gives them the tiebreaker if they both tie for that last spot.

LIONS AT PACKERS

Wouldn't this be a dream for NBC? Aaron Rodgers with a chance to forge a way into a playoff spot and taking on the Lions who has turned a 1-6 record into a 7-7 mark. Detroit won the first meeting but it may be a stretch to think Green Bay will be able to fight back to still be alive in a couple weeks.

BILLS AT PATRIOTS

Doubtful for this one because there is a lot that would need to happen earlier in the day to make this one matter. The NFL typically doesn't like to try to guess that things break a certain way for this game to matter but instead have this game run simultaneously with the other games that impact this playoff spot. Plus, who knows if the Bills have the top seed wrapped up and won't even need this game.