2 NFL division titles on the line in Week 18 after crucial losses tighten playoff picture

Drew Brees' shares his biggest takeaway from the New England Patriots’ dominant win over the New York Jets.

Three different Week 17 games in the NFL set up two extremely important matchups for the regular-season finale across the league next week.

The NFC South and AFC North divisions will both be decided by who wins, as the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Pittsburgh Steelers all lost on Sunday.

The first two teams, the Panthers and Bucs, are division rivals who both knew what was at stake when they entered their contests against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins respectively.

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Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts during the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Dec. 28, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

For the Panthers, a win at home against the Seahawks meant winning the NFC South. But Seattle had already clinched their playoff berth and owned the top seed in the NFC with a 12-3 record entering the game.

Bryce Young and company were unable to get anything going against a suffocating Seattle defense, which has been one of the best units in the league all season long. Young scored a meaningless touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Seahawks came away with the 27-10 victory on the road to help their own No. 1 seed status.

Meanwhile, the Bucs knew they would definitely like Carolina to lose against the Seahawks, but they had to take care of the Dolphins to get a better chance at winning the division.

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Instead, Baker Mayfield had trouble again being consistent on offense, throwing two interceptions as