#FromStateToSundays: Week 18 Preview – Mississippi State Athletics
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Football Logan Lowery, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – There’s plenty to play for in the final weekend of the NFL regular season as six teams with former Mississippi State players attempt to solidify their playoff paths.
Kansas City, Philadelphia and Dallas have already clinched a postseason bid but are all jockeying for homefield advantage in the playoffs during their Week 18 games.
The Chiefs and defensive standouts Willie Gay Jr. and Chris Jones travel to the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and can secure homefield advantage with a win or a loss by the Buffalo Bills.
Philadelphia and Dallas are both bidding to win the NFC East and lockdown their home fields during the postseason. The Eagles and defensive duo Fletcher Cox and Darius Slay will host Tyre Phillips and the New York Giants on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. and can take the division with a win or a loss by the Cowboys.
Philadelphia can also secure homefield advantage with a win or a loss by Dallas and the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas and quarterback Dak Prescott are set to visit Montez Sweat and the Washington Commanders on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. The Cowboys need a win and the Eagles to lose to capture the NFC East and can make sure the playoffs run through AT&T Stadium with a win along with a loss by Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Prescott could also hit a milestone this weekend as well. He needs 185 passing yards to reach 25,000 for his career and if he does so, he will tie Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Jared Goff as the third-fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 25,000 passing yards in just 97 career games. Matthew Stafford (90) and Dan Marino (92) are the only signal callers to reach that statistic sooner.
Saturday night’s game between Tennessee and Jacksonville will not only involve former Bulldogs Denico Autry, Jeffery Simmons and Logan Cooke but it’ll also have playoff implications. The Titans can clinch the AFC South with a win. The Jaguars could also win that division with a win or tie and will secure a playoff berth if Miami, New England and Pittsburgh all lose.
The Seattle Seahawks trio of Johnathan Abram, Charles Cross and Gabe Jackson are also looking to punch their playoff ticket with a home win over the Los Angles Rams on Sunday at 3:25 p.m.
The NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings and Cameron Dantzler close out the regular season at the Chicago Bears on Sunday at noon. At that same time, J.T. Gray and the New Orleans Saints will wrap up their year hosting the Carolina Panthers.
The Green Bay Packers contingent of Elgton Jenkins and Preston Smith are set to close out Week 18 when they host the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.
SATURDAY, JAN. 7
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders | 3:30 p.m. ESPN, ABC
LB Willie Gay Jr. (KC)
DT Chris Jones (KC)
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars | 7:15 p.m. ESPN, ABC
DE Denico Autry (TEN)
P Logan Cooke (JAX)
DT Jeffery Simmons (TEN)
SUNDAY, JAN. 8
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears | 12 p.m. FOX
CB Cameron Dantzler (MIN)
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 p.m. CBS
CB Martin Emerson (CLE)
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints | 12 p.m. FOX
S J.T. Gray (NO)
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles | 3:25 p.m. CBS
DT Fletcher Cox (PHI)
OT Tyre Phillips (NYG)
CB Darius Slay (PHI)
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders | 3:25 p.m. FOX
QB Dak Prescott (DAL)
DE Montez Sweat (WASH)
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks | 3:25 p.m. FOX
S Johnathan Abram (SEA)
OT Charles Cross (SEA)
OG Gabe Jackson (SEA)
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers | 7:20 p.m. NBC
OG Elgton Jenkins (GB)
LB Preston Smith (GB)