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2024 Week 18 recaps, observations and reactions

Recaps, observations and analysis from around the fantasy football world in Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season.

The Bengals fought to the finish for their playoff lives while the Chiefs took the coward’s way out to shut them down. Bryce Young finished his sophomore season with a strong performance. A lot of other backups and no-names finished out the final week of the regular season as teams rested for the playoffs.

Ravens 35, Browns 10: Lamar Jackson passed for 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, completing 16 of 32 attempts. Derrick Henry led the Ravens’ rushing attack with 138 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries, while Jackson added 63 yards on 9 carries. In receiving, Rashod Bateman had 5 catches for 76 yards and 1 touchdown, Mark Andrews caught 4 passes for 54 yards and 1 touchdown, and Isaiah Likely added 3 catches for 38 yards. Bailey Zappe passed for 170 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, completing 16 of 31 attempts, while Dorian Thompson-Robinson added 13 yards on 2 completions. In rushing, D’Onta Foreman led with 27 yards on 10 carries. The Browns totaled 56 rushing yards. In the receiving game, Jerry Jeudy caught 6 passes for 63 yards, Jordan Akins had 6 receptions for 60 yards and 1 touchdown, and Elijah Moore added 3 catches for 36 yards.

Bengals 19, Steelers 17: Joe Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes for 277 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, and 4 sacks, posting a passer rating of 89.9. In rushing, Khalil Herbert led with 69 yards on 20 carries. In the receiving game, Ja’Marr Chase caught 10 passes for 96 yards and 1 touchdown, Mike Gesicki had 8 catches for 68 yards, and Tee Higgins added 4 receptions for 53 yards. Russell Wilson completed 17 of 31 passes for 148 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions, with a passer rating of 78.4. In rushing, Najee Harris led with 36 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 carries, while Jaylen Warren added 21 yards on 6 attempts. In receiving, Pat Freiermuth caught 8 passes for 85 yards and 1 touchdown, Mike Williams had 1 catch for 25 yards, and Najee Harris contributed 4 receptions for 20 yards.

Panthers 44, Falcons 38 (OT): Bryce Young completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions, with a passer rating of 123.5. In rushing, Miles Sanders led with 66 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries, while Bryce Young added 24 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 carries. In receiving, Jalen Coker caught 7 passes for 62 yards, Miles Sanders added 3 catches for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, and Adam Thielen had 5 receptions for 44 yards. Michael Penix Jr. passed for 312 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, completing 21 of 38 attempts with a passer rating of 88.9. Bijan Robinson led the rushing attack with 170 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 carries, while Penix added 5 yards and 1 touchdown on 1 carry. In receiving, Drake London had 10 catches for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, Ray-Ray McCloud added 4 receptions for 66 yards, and KhaDarel Hodge caught 1 pass for 24 yards.

Commanders 23, Cowboys 19: Marcus Mariota passed for 161 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, completing 15 of 18 attempts with a passer rating of 141.0. In rushing, Mariota led with 56 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 carries. In receiving, Terry McLaurin caught 8 passes for 62 yards and 1 touchdown, Zach Ertz had 5 receptions for 44 yards and 1 touchdown, and Olamide Zaccheaus added 2 catches for 51 yards. Trey Lance passed for 244 yards on 20 completions, with no touchdowns or interceptions, and a passer rating of 81.0. In rushing, Rico Dowdle led with 72 yards and 1 touchdown on 22 carries, while Deuce Vaughn added 37 yards on 6 attempts. In receiving, Jalen Tolbert had 4 receptions for 98 yards, KaVontae Turpin caught 3 passes for 53 yards, and Jonathan Mingo added 2 catches for 24 yards.

Bears 24, Packers 22: Caleb Williams had 21 completions on 29 attempts for 148 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, posting a rating of 95.2. D’Andre Swift led the rushing attack with 65 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. DJ Moore was the top receiver, catching 9 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. Other notable performances include Keenan Allen with 25 yards on 3 catches, and Roschon Johnson with 16 yards on 5 receptions. Jordan Love threw for 69 yards on 7 completions in Green Bay’s passing game, while Malik Willis added 136 yards on 10 completions. The Packers’ rushing game was led by Emanuel Wilson, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Malik Heath was the top receiver with 53 yards on 3 catches, and Dontayvion Wicks added 49 yards on 5 receptions.

Texans 23, Titans 14: C.J. Stroud completed 6 of 6 pass attempts for 50 yards and a touchdown, while Davis Mills added 128 yards. Dameon Pierce rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, including a long of 92 yards. Nico Collins and Robert Woods were the top receivers, with Collins gaining 38 yards and a touchdown on 5 catches and Woods corralling two balls for 39 yards. Will Levis led the Titans in passing with 175 yards and 1 touchdown, completing 9 of 17 attempts. The Titans’ rushing game was led by Tony Pollard, who gained 62 yards on 22 carries. Calvin Ridley had a standout performance as the top receiver, with 76 yards on 3 catches. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Tay Martin also contributed, with Westbrook-Ikhine tallying 4 receptions for 50 yards and Martin catching a 49-yard touchdown.

Colts 26, Jaguars 23 (OT): Joe Flacco threw for 264 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions for the Colts. Jonathan Taylor led the ground game, rushing for 177 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. In the receiving game, Josh Downs had 10 receptions for 94 yards, while Michael Pittman Jr. added 6 catches for 72 yards. Alec Pierce contributed with a 40-yard touchdown reception, and Drew Ogletree had 21 yards, providing a balanced offensive attack. Mac Jones passed for 225 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception for the Jaguars. Tank Bigsby led the rushing attack with 39 yards and a touchdown, while Travis Etienne Jr. added 31 yards. In the receiving game, Brian Thomas Jr. had a standout performance with 103 yards on 7 catches, followed by Brenton Strange with 60 yards. Parker Washington caught a touchdown pass, while Travis Etienne also contributed with 29 receiving yards.

Patriots 23, Bills 16: Joe Milton III passed for 241 yards and 1 touchdown for the Patriots, with a 111.4 passer rating. Antonio Gibson led the rushing attack with 41 yards, while Milton added 16 yards and a touchdown. Kayshon Boutte was the top receiver with 117 yards and a touchdown, followed by DeMario Douglas with 34 yards. Austin Hooper contributed 27 yards, and Jaheim Bell had 19 yards. Mitchell Trubisky passed for 101 yards and 1 touchdown for the Bills, with a 97.5 passer rating. Ray Davis led the rushing attack with 64 yards, while James Cook added 28 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Samuel was the top receiver with 52 yards, followed by Keon Coleman with 31 yards. Mack Hollins contributed 25 yards, and Ray Davis added a receiving touchdown.

Eagles 20, Giants 13: Tanner McKee threw for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns, posting a 100.6 passer rating for the Eagles. Will Shipley led the rushing game with 32 yards, while Kenneth Gainwell added 14 yards. Jahan Dotson was the top receiver with 94 yards, followed by Dallas Goedert with 55 yards. Ainias Smith contributed 35 yards and a touchdown, while Johnny Wilson also caught 3 passes for 24 yards. Drew Lock completed 22 of 29 passes for 138 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception, posting an 82.3 rating for the Giants. Tyrone Tracy Jr. led the rushing attack with 59 yards, while Devin Singletary added 22 yards. Malik Nabers was the top receiver with 64 yards and a touchdown, while Wan’Dale Robinson caught 10 passes for 43 yards.

Buccaneers 27, Saints 19: Baker Mayfield passed for 221 yards, throwing 2 touchdowns and 1 interception with a 93.4 rating for the Buccaneers. Bucky Irving led the ground game with 89 yards and 1 touchdown, while Mayfield added 68 yards rushing. Mike Evans was the top receiver with 89 yards, while Jalen McMillan contributed 74 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Rattler threw for 240 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions, completing 26 of 42 attempts for the Saints. The rushing game was led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire with 26 yards, while Jamaal Williams added 15. Juwan Johnson was the top receiver with 80 yards, while Foster Moreau and Marquez Valdes-Scantling contributed 31 and 33 yards, respectively.

Broncos 38, Chiefs 0: Bo Nix had an impressive performance with 321 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions on 26/29 passing. The Broncos’ rushing attack was led by Jaleel McLaughlin (39 yards) and Audric Estime (34 yards), while Bo Nix also contributed 47 yards. Courtland Sutton was the top receiver with 98 yards and 1 touchdown, followed by Marvin Mims Jr. with 51 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Chiefs, meanwhile, rested their starters (cowards… I hope their double bye week costs them in the Divisional round, but I digress). Carson Wentz completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards, but no touchdowns. Rushing duties were handled by Carson Steele (25 yards), Chris Oladokun (5 yards) and Samaje Perine (1 yard). Nikko Remigio led the receiving corps with 48 yards on 2 catches, while Peyton Hendershot added 25 yards.

Chargers 34, Raiders 20: Justin Herbert had a stellar performance, completing 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Chargers’ rushing game featured J.K. Dobbins with 63 yards on 18 carries, while Herbert added 42 yards. In the receiving game, Quentin Johnston led with 186 yards on 13 receptions, while Ladd McConkey and Will Dissly both contributed heavily with 95 and 42 yards, respectively. Aidan O’Connell completed 24 of 34 passes for 214 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, while Desmond Ridder added 11 yards on 1-of-2 passing. The Raiders’ ground game featured Alexander Mattison with 20 yards on 6 carries. In the receiving game, Jakobi Meyers led with 123 yards and 1 touchdown on 9 receptions, while Brock Bowers contributed 50 yards and 1 touchdown.

Seahawks 30, Rams 25: Geno Smith had an efficient game, completing 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions, with a rating of 137.8. On the ground, Zach Charbonnet led with 59 yards on 14 carries. In the receiving game, Noah Fant caught 5 passes for 63 yards and 1 touchdown, while DK Metcalf added 53 yards and 1 touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 334 yards on 27 completions, adding 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, with a passer rating of 97.0. In the run game, Ronnie Rivers led with 48 yards on 12 carries. For receiving, Jordan Whittington hauled in 3 passes for 86 yards, and Tutu Atwell added 37 yards on 5 catches. Tyler Higbee had 46 yards and a touchdown.

Jets 32, Dolphins 20: Aaron Rodgers threw for 274 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception, posting a passer rating of 112.5. Breece Hall led the rushing attack with 57 yards on 12 carries. In the receiving game, Davante Adams caught 6 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Allen Lazard added 71 yards and a score. Tyler Huntley passed for 227 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. De’Von Achane led the ground game with 121 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, including a 61-yard run. In the receiving game, Jonnu Smith had 9 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, while Jaylen Waddle added 44 yards on 4 catches.

Cardinals 47, 49ers 24: Kyler Murray threw for 242 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions. On the ground, Tony Jones Jr. rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Carter added 43 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. In the receiving game, Trey McBride led with 7 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Marvin Harrison Jr. contributed 63 yards and a touchdown. Joshua Dobbs threw for 326 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Patrick Taylor Jr. led the rushing attack with 109 yards on 17 carries, while Dobbs added 17 yards and a touchdown on 8 attempts. In the receiving game, Ricky Pearsall had 6 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Jauan Jennings added 7 receptions for 52 yards.

Lions 31, Vikings 9: Jared Goff passed for 231 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Jahmyr Gibbs was the standout on the ground with 139 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 carries, while Craig Reynolds added 39 yards on 8 attempts. Amon-Ra St. Brown led the receivers with 77 yards on 6 catches, and Sam LaPorta contributed 63 yards on 7 receptions. Sam Darnold struggled with a 4.0-yard average, passing for 166 yards on a woeful 18-of-41 attempts without a touchdown. On the ground, Cam Akers led with 65 yards, followed by Aaron Jones with 45 yards. Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor both recorded 3 receptions for 54 and 53 yards, respectively.