Here are our NFL Week 18 predictions, powered by the latest simulation in Madden 26. Last week, the game accurately predicted 11 out of 16 games, bringing its season record to 164 wins and 92 losses. Now, let’s see if Madden 26 can continue its success by simulating every game of Week 18.
NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2025
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| TEAM | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | Overtime | FINAL |
| TB | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| CAR | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
I can’t believe it! The Panthers are going to the playoffs! It’s been way too long – since 2017, actually – and they clinched it with an amazing overtime win against the Buccaneers. I’m so hyped for this team!
Neither team managed to score on consecutive drives in the first half, but the Buccaneers led 14-10 at halftime after a touchdown catch by Chris Godwin. In the second half, Baker Mayfield capitalized on an interception thrown by Bryce Young, connecting with Emeka Egbuka for another touchdown.
Bryce Young quickly responded to his earlier interception by throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan, bringing the score to 21-17. The Buccaneers then increased their lead with a field goal, but the Panthers still had time to tie the game, and they successfully did.
With 1:58 remaining, Rico Dowdle scored a four-yard touchdown, tying the game. Tampa Bay couldn’t move the ball effectively, and that continued in overtime. This allowed the Panthers to kick a 42-yard field goal with 4:37 left, winning them the game.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| SEA | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| SF | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
The 49ers not only sweep the Seahawks, but earn the #1 seed and a bye during the Wildcard round.
It was a low-scoring game where San Francisco led at halftime despite not scoring any touchdowns, relying instead on three field goals. Seattle’s only touchdown came when Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a 24-yard pass.
The 49ers increased their lead in the second half with a seven-yard touchdown run by Christian McCaffrey, putting them ahead 16-7. However, the Seahawks quickly responded with a 55-yard field goal, bringing the score within one possession. Late in the game, Seattle took the lead when Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with just 3:27 remaining.
Okay, so that penalty actually gave the 49ers tons of time to move the ball. George Kittle made an amazing catch for 13 yards on third down – seriously, that play kept their drive alive! They pushed all the way down to the Seahawks’ 21-yard line, and then Eddy Pineiro nailed a 38-yard field goal as time ran out. Honestly, it was one of the craziest game simulations I’ve seen all week!
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| NO | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| ATL | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
The Atlanta Falcons sweep the New Orleans Saints for the first time since the 2016 season.
Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the Falcons finished the season with a win, thanks in part to a strong performance from quarterback Kirk Cousins. Running back Bijan Robinson continued his impressive form, rushing for 140 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave Atlanta a 17-3 lead.
Honestly, watching the Saints try to come back in the second half was frustrating. They played great defense, holding the Falcons to just a field goal, but our offense just couldn’t get going – we only managed 10 points ourselves. Shough didn’t turn the ball over, which was good, but that one touchdown he threw came way too late to really make a difference. It’s a tough loss, and now the Saints finish the season at 6-11. It’s disappointing, but hopefully we can bounce back next year!
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| CLE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| CIN | 7 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 33 |
The Cincinnati Bengals finished their season on a high note, winning their last three games thanks to solid play from both the offense and defense.
With no impact on the playoffs, this game didn’t offer much excitement. Shedeur Sanders managed a late touchdown, but also had an earlier interception. Joe Burrow continued his strong performance, passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
Cleveland’s Dylan Sampson scored a touchdown on the first drive, but the Browns struggled to score again until the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Cincinnati capitalized on the opportunity, building a commanding 30-7 lead by the middle of the final quarter.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| GB | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
| MIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Malik Willis leads the Packers to their 10th win of the season.
Now that we’ve secured the seventh seed, we’ve decided to give Green Bay’s key players a rest. Plus, with J.J. McCarthy still recovering from an injury, we expect the Vikings to stick with Max Brosmer as their starting quarterback.
Brosmer performed as anticipated, finishing with just under 100 passing yards in the game. A significant portion of his yardage came from a 34-yard pass to Aaron Jones Sr., which helped set up the team’s only touchdown drive.
The Minnesota Vikings’ defense played a strong game, but it wasn’t enough for a win. They held the Packers to only 16 points, and the Packers’ only touchdown came after a Minnesota interception. Bo Melton returned the interception to the Minnesota 32-yard line, setting up the score.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| DAL | 14 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| NYG | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
The Dallas Cowboys end the season on a positive note by beating the New York Giants.
Even though the Cowboys were already eliminated from playoff contention, they finished the season with a sweep of the Giants – making it five years in a row they’ve beaten New York both times. The offense had a strong performance, led by Dak Prescott, who threw for over 360 yards. A key moment was his 72-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens early in the first quarter.
New York spent most of the game trying to overcome an early deficit. While they managed to stay within striking distance in the first half, Dallas extended their lead to 24-13 by the end of the third quarter. A touchdown catch by Pickens then put the game out of reach, giving Dallas a commanding 31-13 lead with just six minutes remaining.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| TEN | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| JAX | 10 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
The Jacksonville Jaguars sweep the Titans as they win the AFC South.
Man, our defense really won us this game! They created two huge turnovers that directly led to touchdowns. It started right away – on just the third play, the Titans’ quarterback, Cam Ward, threw a pick to our linebacker, Dennis Gardeck, who almost ran it all the way in, getting us down to the one-yard line. Then, Travis Etienne Jr. punched it in on the very next play! It was awesome.
Ward quickly recovered from his earlier interception by throwing a touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm just before halftime, putting his team ahead 10-7. Jacksonville then managed to kick a field goal before the break.
Tennessee’s offense struggled throughout the second half. With the score 16-7 in the fourth quarter, a fumble by Tony Pollard at the Tennessee 44-yard line gave Jacksonville possession with 9:39 remaining. The Jaguars quickly capitalized, scoring a touchdown on a 31-yard run by Etienne just four plays later. After taking a 23-7 lead, Jacksonville controlled the game.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| IND | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| HOU | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
The Houston Texans defeated the Colts again, completing a season sweep and moving closer to winning the AFC South division.
The Houston Texans’ defense easily handled Riley Leonard in his first NFL start. The Indianapolis Colts’ offense started reasonably well, scoring a field goal and avoiding major mistakes early on, but they struggled to maintain any rhythm as the game progressed. A costly fumble on a punt return also hurt their momentum.
Leonard wasn’t very effective passing, completing 22 out of 40 attempts for just 171 yards and one interception. C.J. Stroud also had limited yardage with 182, but he did manage to throw one touchdown without any turnovers.
Leading 10-6 in the third quarter, Houston’s C.J. Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a nine-yard touchdown, extending their lead to 17-6. A field goal in the fourth quarter added to their advantage, securing a final score of 20-6.
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| NYJ | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| BUF | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
Since this game only impacts our playoff positioning, we’ve chosen to rest several of our key players on the Bills.
Mitchell Trubisky had a decent game, considering the circumstances. He successfully led the Bills on four drives that resulted in points, though only one of those drives ended in a touchdown. He finished with one touchdown pass and a total of 167 passing yards.
The team significantly outperformed Brady Cook and the Jets’ offense, which only scored a touchdown thanks to an excellent punt return. Aside from that special teams play, New York’s offense was only able to manage a single field goal.
With the win, the Bills officially stay in the sixth seed (with Houston’s win).
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| DET | 0 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 22 |
| CHI | 10 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 29 |
The Chicago Bears get revenge on the Lions and retain their #2 seed in the NFC.
Since the game didn’t affect our playoff chances, we rested some players from the Lions. However, most of their key offensive players, including Jahmyr Gibbs, still played. Gibbs had a standout performance, exceeding his recent averages. He hadn’t averaged more than 4 rushing yards per game since November 23rd, but today he averaged 5.7 yards, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help secure the win.
Detroit had a tough game, getting shut out in both the first and third quarters. While Jared Goff passed for 282 yards, his one touchdown was overshadowed by two interceptions, ultimately hurting the team. That touchdown came very late in the game, when Detroit was already trailing by 15 points with just over a minute remaining. A failed onside kick attempt then confirmed their loss.
Caleb Williams played exceptionally well, throwing for three touchdowns in the victory. One key play was an eight-yard pass to D.J. Moore in the fourth quarter that extended their lead to 29-14. This win guarantees Chicago will host the first two playoff games, should they advance that far.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| LAC | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| DEN | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
The Denver Broncos defeat the Chargers backups and secure the #1 seed in the AFC.
Bo Nix and the Broncos secured their final regular season win, preventing a series of losses against the Los Angeles team. Despite only managing two touchdowns from five drives into the red zone, the Broncos controlled possession of the ball for almost 39 minutes during the game.
So, I watched the Chargers’ backup QB, Trey Lance, play, and it was pretty much what you’d expect from a guy with the second team. He went 17 for 33, threw for 169 yards and even got a touchdown! He didn’t throw any interceptions, which is good, but he did fumble the ball twice. Honestly though, our offensive line really let him down – they gave up six sacks, and that was a big part of why we lost.
Honestly, the game was pretty tight until the very end! RJ Harvey really came through with a 1-yard touchdown on 4th down with just over five minutes left, and that totally shifted things. After that score, putting them up 23-14, Denver’s defense locked things down and helped them secure their 14th win of the season. It was a great finish!
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| KC | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| LV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Raiders were shut out in their final game of the season, while Chris Oladokun achieved his first victory as a starting quarterback.
This week’s simulation was remarkably uneventful. Kenny Pickett and Oladokun together only managed 210 passing yards – seriously. Pickett himself finished with just 55 yards on 11 completed passes out of 24 attempts, and one of his throws resulted in an interception that set up another field goal for the Chiefs.
With 6:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, Kareem Hunt scored a three-yard touchdown, securing the win for his team. The Raiders, now with a record of 2-15, couldn’t manage a final drive led by Pickett.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| ARI | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| LAR | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
The Rams finished their season with a win, completing a two-game sweep of the Cardinals for the second time in the last three years.
Matthew Stafford had a strong game, throwing for three touchdowns. The Rams quickly jumped to a 21-0 lead over the Cardinals. Kyren Williams then added another touchdown, extending the lead to 28-7 with over eleven minutes left in the third quarter.
The Cardinals managed to score 10 points without the opposing team responding, and their defense began to play better. However, these improvements came too late to change the outcome of the game, and they fell to a 3-14 record for the season.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| MIA | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| NE | 0 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
Although the New England Patriots didn’t finish with the top spot in the AFC, they completed a season sweep of the Miami Dolphins and ended the year with a 14-3 record.
The Patriots needed a victory to stay ranked second, and they took their time securing it. They didn’t score until halfway through the second quarter, with a two-yard touchdown run by TreVeyon Henderson. After that, both teams continued to exchange field goals until halftime.
With a 13-3 lead, Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry, increasing New England’s advantage. A subsequent field goal put the Patriots ahead 23-3. Miami’s quarterback, Quinn Ewers, finally scored his first points of the game with a short run, but he immediately threw an interception. Patriots safety Craig Woodson then ran the interception back 27 yards for a touchdown.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| WAS | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| PHI | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
Washington kept it close, but ultimately failed to prevent a sweep from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles started strong with a touchdown on their first drive – a six-yard pass caught by Dallas Goedert. However, they didn’t score again until late in the third quarter, allowing Josh Johnson and the Commanders to briefly take a 9-7 lead. A 51-yard touchdown run by Saquon Barkley then put the Eagles back in front.
Philadelphia extended their lead with 10 more points, highlighted by a 21-yard touchdown catch by Goedert, bringing the score to 24-9. While this win doesn’t move them up to the second seed, the Eagles have now secured their 12th victory of the season.
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers – NFL Week 18 Results According to Madden 26
| Team | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | FINAL |
| BAL | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| PIT | 10 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
The Ravens overcome a 27-14 deficit as they beat the Steelers and secure a ticket to the playoffs.
Pittsburgh’s offense showed significant improvement compared to the previous week, even without D.K. Metcalf. A key factor was Jaylen Warren, who scored two long rushing touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also had a solid performance, completing 22 out of 28 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown, though he did throw one interception.
A 44-yard field goal by Chris Boswell gave the Steelers a 27-14 lead with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter, but Pittsburgh wouldn’t score again in the game.
The Ravens’ offense then rallied with two quick touchdowns. First, Derrick Henry ran for a 31-yard touchdown with 8:45 remaining. After the Ravens’ defense stopped their opponents, quarterback Lamar Jackson connected with Zay Flowers for a 16-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winner.
With just over four minutes remaining and needing only a field goal to win, the Steelers advanced to the 40-yard line. However, a pass from Rodgers was intercepted by Chidobe Awuzie, which allowed the Ravens to run out the clock, secure the division title, and advance to the playoffs.
According to all of these results, here is the playoff picture:
AFC:
- (1) Denver Broncos (BYE)
- (7) L.A. Chargers at (2) New England Patriots
- (6) Buffalo Bills at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
- (5) Houston Texans at (4) Baltimore Ravens
NFC:
- (1) San Francisco 49ers (BYE)
- (7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Chicago Bears
- (6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Philadelphia Eagles
- (5) Seattle Seahawks at (4) Carolina Panthers
So, that’s a wrap on how Madden 26 predicted Week 18 of the NFL! I really enjoyed seeing how the game played out, and I’m excited to see how accurate it was. Honestly, even if it’s way off, it’s still fun to see what wild scenarios the game comes up with for the future!
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