PFF Grades and Data: Everything you need to know for every Week 18 game

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Ahead of NFL Week 18, our media team has dived deep into the numbers to deliver key insights for every NFL matchup, highlighting the hidden storylines and standout performances that shape each game.

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Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

The Browns' defense proved to be one of the few units capable of disrupting the Ravens’ passing game this season. In their Week 8 matchup, Lamar Jackson completed just 61% of his passes — his second-lowest mark of the year — and had a season-high five passes broken up.

Adding to the struggles, Ravens pass-catchers dropped three passes in the game, which is still a season-high. Cleveland defenders have been tenacious at the catch point all season, with their 20% contested target rate in coverage the third-highest in the league.

Jerry Jeudy’s 2024 season has been a breakout campaign, as he’s set career highs with 84 receptions and 1,166 receiving yards, marking his first 1,000-yard season. A major factor in Jeudy’s success has been his prowess as a vertical threat, as he ranks second among all pass-catchers with 40 receptions and 859 yards on throws of 10 or more yards downfield. Early in the season, defending those plays was a glaring weakness for the Ravens, who allowed a league-high 77 downfield catches from Weeks 1-10 — 14 more than any other team.

However, adjustments in the secondary have drastically improved their performance, limiting opponents to just 29 such completions since Week 11, tied for the eighth-fewest in the NFL.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

In a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bengals will likely rely on Joe Burrow’s arm to lead the charge. In their Week 13 matchup against the Steelers, Burrow was nearly flawless when targeting receivers inside the numbers, completing 19 of his 21 passes for 209 yards, three touchdowns and one interception that came off a tipped pass. For the season, Burrow's 2,430 passing yards and 21 touchdowns on such throws trail only Jared Goff. One player Burrow could target is Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen, who has allowed 587 receiving yards on targets inside the numbers—more than any other defender this season.

On the other side, Russell Wilson also shined in their previous meeting, particularly in the quick passing game. On throws made within 2.5 seconds, Wilson completed 19-of-22 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that occurred when George Pickens slipped on his route. While the Bengals allowed Wilson a 130.1 passer rating on quick throws in that contest, they’ve otherwise been dominant in this area, giving up just an 86.3 passer rating on quick attempts in all other games — a mark that would rank second-best in the league.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

With the No. 2 seed locked in, the Bills may use Week 18 to give younger players more opportunities. One standout to watch is rookie running back Ray Davis, who has been an effective complement to James Cook in the backfield. Davis' 378 rushing yards rank fourth among rookie running backs, while his 22 rush first downs and touchdowns trail only Bucky Irving and Tyrone Tracy.

On the quarterback front, Jayden Daniels holds the PFF-era record for most scramble yards by a rookie QB with 579. Drake Maye, currently fifth with 407 scramble yards, has announced he will play this week and has a chance to climb the leaderboard. With a strong performance, Maye could surpass Robert Griffin III (411), Vince Young (474), and Josh Allen (508) to finish second behind Daniels.

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

Last week, the Giants' offensive explosion was fueled by an impressive performance from their pass-catchers, who set a season-high with 174 yards after the catch. Even more remarkable was their 134 receiving yards after contact, the second-highest mark for a team in a single game this season.

Malik Nabers played a pivotal role, recording 103 yards after the catch against the Colts — the second-most by any wide receiver in a game this year. His 87 receiving yards after contact now stands as the best single-game mark for any player in 2024.

As Saquon Barkley continues his pursuit of the single-season rushing record, the Eagles may look to exploit inside zone runs if Barkley is active in the regular season finale. Barkley leads all players with 115 inside zone rushing attempts, tallying 623 yards at an impressive 5.4 yards per carry. On the defensive side, the Giants have struggled to stop inside zone runs, surrendering a league-high 541 yards and the second-worst average of 5.5 yards per carry.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons leaned heavily on their run game in their Week 6 victory over the Panthers, racking up 198 rushing yards and 12 rushing conversions — both season highs. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier showcased their dominance, with each logging at least 15 carries and 90 rushing yards. As one of the NFL’s most efficient rushing duos, the Falcons join the Lions as the only teams with two running backs with over 100 carries and average at least 4.5 yards per attempt. Carolina’s struggles against the run have been glaring, as they have given up a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry, while their 157 total rushing conversions surrendered are the most by any defense in the PFF era.

Bryce Young’s improvement in the second half of the season provides optimism for the Panthers heading into 2025, particularly with his composure under pressure. Since Week 8, Young has faced the fourth-most pressured dropbacks but ranks second among qualifying quarterbacks with a 75.0 passing grade and 11 big-time throws under pressure. His nine scramble conversions during pressured plays also rank third-best in the league. However, he’ll face a tough test against a Falcons pass rush coming off its best performance of the season in Week 16, where they recorded season-highs with 17 pressures, 11 quick pressures, and five sacks against the Commanders.

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The injuries to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have significantly hindered the Saints' wide receiver production this season. As a group, Saints wide receivers rank last in the league with just 515 yards after the catch and sit 29th overall with only 43 receptions of 15 or more yards. To address the absence of their explosive duo, New Orleans signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling midseason. Since Week 9, Valdes-Scantling has provided a much-needed deep threat, averaging 25.1 yards per reception — the second-highest among wide receivers with at least 10 catches in that span.

Tampa Bay’s ground game appears poised for success against a Saints run defense that has been one of the league's most porous. New Orleans has allowed 1.7 yards before contact per rushing attempt, ranking 29th, and has struggled particularly on first down, surrendering 4.9 yards per carry — the third-highest mark in the NFL. Buccaneers rookie Bucky Irving has been electric this season, leading all running backs with a minimum of 100 carries by averaging an impressive 4.2 yards after contact per rush.

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Caleb Williams has faced challenges with his deep passing accuracy. This season, 63.2% of his attempts on throws 20-plus yards downfield have been charted as “uncatchable,” the highest rate in the NFL and 4.6 percentage points worse than the next closest quarterback, Drake Maye.

On the other hand, Packers pass catchers have excelled in contested catch situations. Their 59.7% contested catch rate ranks second in the NFL, trailing only the Vikings, showcasing their ability to win 50-50 battles downfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

Brian Thomas Jr. has been a standout performer in an otherwise underwhelming year for the Jaguars' offense. His 1,179 receiving yards lead all rookie wide receivers this season and rank fifth-most in the PFF era. Additionally, his 546 yards after the catch are the fourth-most by a rookie wide receiver in the PFF era.

The Colts offense may look to exploit the Jaguars' vulnerabilities in defending deep passes. Indianapolis has attempted a pass of 20-plus yards downfield on 16.5% of plays, the second-highest rate in the league behind the Packers. Jacksonville's defense has struggled in this area, allowing a 47.7% completion percentage on such throws — the second-highest in the NFL, trailing only the Giants.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

Derek Stingley Jr. has been the definition of a lockdown cornerback for the Texans this season. He’s allowing a league-best 47.0 passer rating in coverage, the lowest among all cornerbacks. Additionally, his 13 forced incompletions are tied for the fourth-most at the position.

The Titans’ offensive line remains a glaring area for improvement heading into the offseason. Tennessee ranks 31st in run-blocking efficiency and 26th in pass-blocking efficiency. On designed runs, their 0.9 yards before contact per rush rank 30th in the league.

Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys

One of the most remarkable aspects of Jayden Daniels’ rookie campaign has been his ability to thrive in clutch moments. In the fourth quarter and overtime against the Falcons, Daniels completed 7-of-10 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown while adding 51 yards on eight rushing attempts.

On the season, his 86.2 passing grade and 12 passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime trail only Joe Burrow. However, he faces a unique challenge against a Cowboys defense that has struggled early in games, allowing a 106.2 passer rating through the first three quarters (third-worst), but has tightened up late, giving up just a 79.4 passer rating in the fourth quarter and overtime (seventh-best).

For Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle, Week 12 against the Commanders marked the beginning of a dominant stretch. Since then, he ranks top-four among running backs with 120 carries, 605 rushing yards, and 16 runs of 10 or more yards. Dowdle has also excelled after contact, racking up 449 yards, a figure surpassed by only eight players in that span. He’ll look to continue his strong play against a Commanders defense that has allowed 5.0 yards per carry to running backs this season, the second-worst mark in the league, ahead of only the Panthers.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

Ricky Pearsall delivered one of the best performances of his young career, earning a 78.4 overall grade in last week's game against the Lions. His 3.92 yards per route run ranks as the eighth-highest mark of the season among rookie wide receivers with a minimum of 15 passing snaps in a game.

Trey McBride finally found the end zone last week, recording his first touchdown of the season. Known for his prowess in contested situations, McBride has hauled in 66% of contested catch opportunities over the past two seasons.

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams

Leonard Williams is thriving in his 10th season and first under Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme. His 86.4 PFF grade marks a career-high and ranks fourth among all interior defensive linemen this season.

Jared Verse has been outstanding in his rookie campaign, showcasing elite pass-rush ability. His 19% win rate on pass-rush snaps ranks as the second-highest for a rookie since 2006, trailing only Micah Parsons' remarkable 22% win rate during his 2021 rookie season.

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

With Tua Tagovailoa still recovering from a hip injury, the Dolphins turn to Tyler Huntley to keep their playoff hopes alive. Huntley impressed in last week’s matchup against the Browns, earning an 83.6 PFF passing grade — the highest single-game grade by a Dolphins quarterback this season.

Even without C.J. Mosley, the Jets’ linebacker corps has continued to excel against the run. The group leads the league in run stops (85) and ranks second in tackles for loss or no gain (32).

Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders

The Chargers and Raiders last squared off in Week 1, where J.K. Dobbins stole the show for Los Angeles. Dobbins racked up a season-high 135 rushing yards, with 129 of those coming on runs between the tackles, including all three of his carries that went for 10 or more yards. This remains a trouble spot for the Raiders, whose 25 runs of 10-plus yards allowed between the tackles rank as the sixth-highest in the league.

For the Raiders, the emergence of Brock Bowers as a centerpiece of the passing game has been a major bright spot. Lining up primarily in the slot or out wide, Bowers has amassed 788 receiving yards — 182 more than any other tight end this season. In the PFF era, only Kyle Pitts has surpassed that total as a rookie tight end. However, Bowers faces a tough challenge against a Chargers defense that has allowed just 8.8 yards per reception to tight ends lined up as receivers, the third-best mark in the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Hollywood Brown has been targeted on an eye-popping 44% of his routes over the past two games. Known for his deep-threat ability, Brown and Mahomes have yet to connect on a pass of 20-plus yards downfield. However, with his current level of involvement in the offense, it feels inevitable that the two will soon connect on a big play.

For the Broncos, Marvin Mims Jr. has been electric after the catch over the past six games, averaging an incredible 14.4 yards after the catch per reception. His 331 yards after the catch since Week 11 rank third among all wide receivers, showcasing his ability to turn short gains into explosive plays.

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions

For the Vikings to secure a crucial victory in this matchup, containing Jahmyr Gibbs will be essential after his dominant performance in Week 7. Gibbs torched Minnesota for 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including 74 yards after contact and eight missed tackles forced. Those figures remain the highest single-game totals by any running back against the Vikings this season.

On the outside, Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold steps into a challenging role with Carlton Davis sidelined. Arnold has logged a league-high 351 snaps in man coverage this season, a heavy workload that has resulted in six defensive pass interference penalties, second only to D.J. Reed. His task this week? Slowing down Justin Jefferson, who leads the NFL with nine defensive pass interference calls drawn and averages 24.5 yards per reception against man coverage. The matchup could play a pivotal role in determining the game's outcome.