After delving into the first 12 weeks of the NFL season and the best matchup each week, the attention shifts to the final third of the year. At this point in the season, playoff races heat up, and divisional winners take shape.
Once again, the criteria for the best matchups include the best storylines, quarterback duels, past matchups that wowed, and other factors that would attract a viewer to an NFL game. In Week 16, Senior Editor Jethro Swain makes his second “editor’s pick” of the series.
Week 13: Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots – Dec. 3, 4:25 pm
The Buffalo Bills will travel down to Foxborough, MA, for an AFC East clash.
Josh Allen faces
Drake Maye in what should be another close matchup in a growing rivalry. Last season, the Bills and Patriots split the season series, and the winner won by four points or less.
During the
Dec. 14 matchup, the Bills outlasted the Patriots 35-31;
TreVeyon Henderson and
James Cook stole the show. Both running backs had two touchdowns and rushed for 100+ yards, while Allen and Maye each threw for under 200 yards. While the Bills won the battle, they lost the war. The Patriots finished the season 14-3 compared to the Bills’ 12-5, but this season things will look completely different.
The Patriots will line up AJ Brown at wide receiver in place of
Stefon Diggs and combine him with
Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas,
Kyle Williams,
Mack Hollins and tight end
Hunter Henry. The Patriots acquired Brown on June 1, bolstering a wide receiver room looking for a true No. 1 option. The Bills added rookie receiver Skyler Bell and veteran receiver DJ Moore.
Even if both defenses play their best, one offense will have enough firepower to break through.
Week 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Baltimore Ravens – Dec. 14, 1:00 pm
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to Baltimore, MD, in Week 14 to take on the final AFC North opponent on their schedule. Both of these teams disappointed their fanbases by narrowly missing the playoffs last season; both need a bounce-back year in the worst way.
Baker Mayfield vs
Lamar Jackson will be a classic bout that turns back the clock to a former AFC North quarterback matchup. Head-to-head, Jackson is
7-3 all time vs. Mayfield, and last time they faced off in 2024, the Ravens won 41-31. In that game, Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns while Mayfield threw for 380 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
This time around, Mayfield will be without
Mike Evans, who went to the San Francisco 49ers, but he’ll have the help of second-year receiver
Emeka Egbuka and an improved version of
Bucky Irving. One of the major questions will be whether the Buccaneers’ defense could stop Ravens running back
Derrick Henry. Last time out, Henry ran for 169 yards on 15 carries.
Week 15: Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings – Dec. 20, 8:20 pm
As the season nears a close, NFC North foes will contend for a chance to earn a playoff spot. This season, the Minnesota Vikings will have quarterback
Kyler Murray after the Arizona Cardinals split this offseason. With receivers
Justin Jefferson,
Jordan Addison, and newly acquired receiver
Jauan Jennings, having a legitimate quarterback could make the Vikings dangerous.
For the Detroit Lions, performing in the latter half of the schedule will be crucial after collapsing last year. The Lions lost four of their final six games, including an ugly 23-10 loss on Christmas Day. Entering their second season without Ben Johnson, the Lions will look to new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to innovate the unit and return it to what it used to be.
In a highly competitive NFC North, this game will likely be important not only for the two teams playing in it, but for the rest of the division as well.
Week 16: Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks – Dec. 25, 8:15 pm
The NBA might find a lump of coal in its stocking this Christmas, given the slate that the NFL has in store on Santa’s big day. Football fans are in for a treat with Packers-Bears early on and Bills-Broncos in the afternoon; however, the coup de grace is the Rams-Seahawks rematch in Seattle at night.
This regular-season contest was the game of the year in 2025, as Sam Darnold led a ferocious 16-point fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime and a game-winning, eight-point drive to seal not only the victory but (essentially) the NFC West title and No. 1 seed in the playoffs as well. Without a win that Thursday night, the Seahawks likely don’t go on to win the Super Bowl.
It’ll be nearly impossible to top the turbulence and ramifications of those games, but with Myles Garrett now a part of the equation, the Rams won’t just be seeking revenge — they’ll be out for blood. Seattle will have all season to prepare for Week 16, so expect Super Bowl-caliber performances on Christmas night in a battle of the NFL’s best.
Week 17: Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots – TBD
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots met in the
2026 AFC Championship, which was predictable going into the playoffs. The quarterback matchup, on the other hand, was not. Maye defeated
Jarrett Stidham 10-7 in a defensive battle. In the end, the Broncos needed their leader at the most important position,
Bo Nix.
Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the Divisional Round, and if he were healthy, the AFC Championship likely would have had a different outcome. This season, the Broncos will get a chance to redeem themselves and show that they could have replaced the Patriots in the Super Bowl if healthy.
This game could also serve as a playoff matchup preview and, depending on how the season tracks for both teams, a competition for a top-two seed in the NFL Playoffs. The Broncos’ defense versus the Patriots’ offense will make for a fun matchup no matter what time they decide to play the game.
Week 18: Division-Winning Week – Which Games Could Matter?
Week 18 is exciting because it produces division- or playoff-clinching scenarios. For example, last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in the final game of the season after Ravens kicker
Tyler Loop missed a game-winning field goal.
This section takes a look at which games we predict will have the biggest ramifications on playoff and division outcomes. There are 17 weeks of games to come beforehand, so it’s impossible to know for sure which games will be the most important, but these, on paper, feel like the biggest:
AFC North: Steelers @ Ravens
AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers @ Broncos
NFC South: Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
NFC West: Rams @ Seahawks
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