Hamlin has made a strong recovery in the last 24 hours according to reports overnight.
The League has cancelled the Cincinnati-Buffalo game, meaning that Cincinnati win the AFC North as Baltimore can't overhaul their win percentage even if they beat them on Sunday.
They've come up with a complex contingency for deciding playoff venues in the AFC, including the possibility of staging the championship game on neutral ground.
Outlined well here:
What you need to know about the proposals and the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game.
www.nfl.com
Week 18 is upon us, with the top seed in the NFC still up for grabs and the NFC East and AFC South titles to be decided also. Some playoff spots are up for grabs in both conferences too.
In the AFC the Patriots, Dolphins, and Steelers are in contention for the final playoff spot. The Patriots and Steelers are in form but the former have to go to Buffalo which could be an emotional occasion after this past few days. You'd never rule out a Belichick defence though, even if their offense is putrid. Steelers by contrast play a Browns team who upset Washington last week but I wouldn't see lightning striking twice. Steelers to win and sneak in to the playoffs.
The NFC is much more interesting from a playoff perspective. Philly could end up as 1st, 2nd, or 5th seed depending on results on Sunday. They have been hugely impressive on both sides of the ball but the absences of Hurts and Johnson have weakened them significantly. I'd expect them to beat the Giants on Sunday night though, given that the Giants are already assured of the 6th seed and will be targeting a playoff win for the first time in yonks. Dallas should beat Washington in the other NFC East match. The 49ers are in very good form ahead of the playoffs, and I see them pipping Minnesota to the 2nd overall seed. Purdy and McCaffrey have been sensational since they came into the team, and their defence is mean; they could go a long way. The other big story is the 3 way scrap for the 7th seed between Seattle, Detroit and Green Bay. The latter 2 face off at Lambeau in the late Sunday Night Football game, but Seattle could have sealed the 7th seed if they win earlier in the day at home to the Rams (who threw in the towel months ago). Detroit have been really entertaining to watch anytime I've seen them this season, and you still have to respect Aaron Rodgers despite his being a complete prick off the field.
So, with all that said, here are my picks for the Wildcard games after this weekend:
AFC:
Kansas City top seeds (should beat the Raiders tomorrow night, but their form is patchy even with Mahomes)
Buffalo v Pittsburgh
Cincinnati v LA Chargers
Jacksonville v Baltimore (fancy Jags to beat Titans in the late Saturday game; Lawrence has got their offence going)
NFC:
Philly top seeds
49ers v Seattle
Minnesota v NY Giants
Tampa Bay v Dallas
Gonna be a fun couple of nights ahead!
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
