PMT DB
PMT DB
NFL Week 18: Playoff Picture Set and the End of the Regular Season
The 2025 NFL regular season is officially in the books, and it went out with the kind of chaotic, heart-attack-inducing energy that only this league can provide. We started the weekend wondering if the AFC North would ever stop beating the hell out of itself, and we ended it with the Pittsburgh Steelers punching the final ticket to the dance. It was a classic Mike Tomlin game distilled into sixty minutes of anxiety, featuring everything from a priest blessing the field to a missed 44-yard field goal by the Ravens that sent the Terrible Towels into a frenzy.
The AFC North Bloodbath and Wild Card Predictions
The Steelers finding a way into the postseason feels right for a team that refuses to die, and PFT Commenter is already looking ahead to their matchup against the Texans. While Houston has the momentum, never count out a Tomlin-led squad in January.
PFT CommenterThe Steelers are into the playoffs and I think they could win a game
The Steelers are into the playoffs and I still think they could win a playoff game. Now they're playing the Texans. I think they might.
While the Steelers are in, the Colts are heading home after a season that felt like a slow-motion car crash once the injuries piled up. Big Cat pointed out that despite the roster talent, the lack of hardware in the trophy case should be making seats a lot hotter in Indianapolis than the front office is letting on.
Big CatChris Ballard shouldn't be safe as Colts GM after 9 years without a division title
Chris Ballard has been the Colts GM for I believe nine years now. He has never won the division and it's the AFC South. And it's not like the AFC South is bad, but there have been stretches where there have been bad teams and he has not found a way to win the division.
Seattle Claims the Crown and the NFC Chaos
Out West, the Seahawks put an absolute physical beatdown on the 49ers to secure the number one seed. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. The Seattle defense turned Brock Purdy into a shell of himself, and Kenneth Walker III ran like he was trying to break the stadium. Big Cat is officially a believer in what Mike Macdonald is building in the Pacific Northwest.
Big CatThe Seahawks are the best and scariest team in the NFC
I think I now trust the Seahawks. I think that D is good enough if they've got the ground game working. They are, to me, the best team in the NFC right now.
With the NFC going through Seattle, the road to the Super Bowl looks significantly more daunting for everyone else. PFT and Big Cat both agreed that if the ground game stays this dominant, there might not be a team in the conference that can travel to Pike Place and leave with a win.
Big CatI'm in on the Seahawks to make the Super Bowl
I am in on the Seahawks to be in the Super Bowl. Do you think the Seahawks—I am in on the Seahawks to be in the Super Bowl.
Division Dramas and Draft Positioning
In the NFC South, the Panthers managed to lose their way into a playoff spot thanks to some help from the Falcons. It’s the second time the franchise has made the postseason with a losing record, and while the Rams are heavy favorites, the guys aren't ready to bury Bryce Young just yet.
Big CatYou have to take the Panthers (+10.5) against the Rams in the Wild Card round
The Rams are 10.5 point favorites against the Panthers. Think we gotta take the Panthers. Think we gotta meow mix it up. Take the Panthers, keep pounding.
Meanwhile, the Giants and Eagles played a game that left both fanbases mostly annoyed. The Giants won a meaningless game that effectively nuked their draft positioning, a move that Big Cat found personally offensive as a fan of logical team building.
Big CatThe Giants should be ashamed of winning meaningless games to ruin their draft pick
You have to be so angry at the Giants for doing this year in year out where they fucked themselves over by winning completely meaningless games for no reason. Why did you win this game today?
PFT offered a theory that the Giants players weren't actually trying to ruin the pick, but were instead playing for their own lives. When you're on a sinking ship, you play well enough to make sure the next boat picks you up.
PFT CommenterThe 2025 Giants players played hard in Week 18 just so they could showcase themselves for other teams
I've got a theory about the some of the Giants players in these final weeks of the season. Obviously it's hard to tank in the NFL as a player... I think these guys are so burnt out playing for the Giants that by the end of the season in these meaningless games, they're like, 'I need to play to my absolute best potential so I can sign with a team that's not the Giants.'
The Coaching Carousel and Looking Ahead
Black Monday is looming, and the rumors are already flying. Between the Falcons moving on from Raheem Morris and the uncertainty in Cleveland, the guys expect a busy week of firings. Big Cat expects a quick turnaround for Kevin Stefanski if the Browns decide to pull the trigger.
Big CatKevin Stefanski will be fired by the Browns but hired immediately by another team
It feels like Kevin Stefanski is gonna get fired. And it feels like Kevin Stefanski is gonna get hired. I don't think he's gonna be unemployed for very long. Pretty quickly. I feel like the Giants will be very interested in a Stefanski.
As we pivot to Wild Card weekend, the energy is shifting to Saturday night at Soldier Field. The Bears won the North but finished the season on a two-game skid, leaving Big Cat feeling a mix of pride and pure terror. He knows that if Ben Johnson doesn't flip the script and get aggressive, the Packers could turn a dream season into a nightmare.
Big CatBen Johnson must be more aggressive in the playoffs for the Bears to succeed
Ben Johnson fucked up at points in this game, especially not going for it on fourth and five in the fourth quarter. Hopefully he realizes the defense that the Bears have right now, you gotta be very aggressive in these playoffs to string together some wins.
It’s playoff football time, which means the stakes are higher, the takes are hotter, and Hank is probably going to try to convince us Jalen Brown was snubbed from an Oscar next.
Get those fish ready at Pike Place, the real season starts now.
