NFL Players and Coaches Under the Most Pressure in Week 18
In the NFL, pressure is a constant. For every player and coach.
Those who don't perform will be replaced by ones who do. Head coaches who don't win don't stay head coaches for long. The ramifications of that pressure make (or cost) players millions of dollars every season.
But for many players and coaches, the pressure is that much higher this time of year. There are fringe contenders trying to scratch and claw their way into the postseason. Players on expiring contracts looking to hit it big the following season. Struggling players looking to keep their careers on track. Coaches trying to save their job with a late-season win streak.
Week 18 represents the last chance these individuals have to win their way into the postseason. The final shot to create some good tape for prospective suitors in the offseason.
There is no shortage of players and coaches facing pressure in Week 18—but for these, there is more than most.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
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At the beginning of this season, not many people viewed Jared Goff as a long-term answer at quarterback for the Detroit Lions. He was a placeholder. Someone who would keep the seat warm until the Lions could get out from under his contract—which runs through 2024—and the team could draft his successor.
Fast-forward a few months, though, and it's a much different story. The 8-8 Lions are one of the NFL's biggest surprise successes. And much of the credit for that belongs to their 28-year-old quarterback.
For the season, Goff is sixth in the league in passing yards with 4,214. He's tied for fourth in touchdown passes with 29 and is seventh in passer rating. And he just played as well in December as any signal-caller in the league—he was the only quarterback with three 330-yard passing games in the month.
Per Kyle Meinke of MLive, Goff was quick to credit his receivers while discussing this year's success:
"I go back to when we initially got healthy and however many games that was ago, and DJ (Chark) is back and Josh (Reynolds) is back, and now Jameson (Williams) coming into the fold, and it's like, we've got guys that can really stretch the field now. That's No. 1, just having guys that can really do that, and guys that I feel comfortable with and fits in our offense, and then just time on task. Just getting reps with those guys and feeling good about it, and DJ, you've seen over the last handful of weeks, catching those deep balls, and him and I have a good thing going. And Kalif, we hit on one. And Jameson, we hit a few weeks ago."
Goff's job security is no longer in question—this offseason will be about building around him, not potentially replacing him. But a playoff appearance can happen with a win and some help from the Rams. If Goff can lead the Lions to a victory over the Packers in Detroit's biggest game in years, then a contract extension and a fat raise become a real possibility.
Mike Tomlin, HC, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Mike Tomlin has little to prove. His .634 winning percentage as a head coach ranks among the top 25 in NFL history. He has won a Super Bowl. And per Pittsburgh Sports Live, safety Terrell Edmunds said that a big part of the reason this year's supposedly rebuilding Steelers team is 8-8 with a shot at the playoffs is the culture that Tomlin has built in the Steel City.
"It's culture," Edmunds said. "We are just fighting, standing together, we're not quitting. That's the biggest part of our culture as a Steeler. Even with the older guys on down, that's the mentality; we don't quit here. If you think, you can do it, and right now we're living it."
Frankly, the playoffs are still a long shot for the Steelers—in addition to a victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Steelers need the Miami Dolphins to lose to the New York Jets and for the New England Patriots to fall in Buffalo. But while a win over their AFC North rivals may not guarantee the playoffs, it will ensure something else.
In 15-plus years as the head coach of the Steelers, Tomlin has never had a losing season. Not one. There was an 8-8 campaign in 2012. And 2013. And 2019. But Tomlin has never lost more games than he's won as a head coach.
And if the Steelers get past Cleveland, the longest such streak in NFL history will continue on to 2023.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
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For a good portion of his career, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has performed feats labeled as superhuman.
He's going to have to don his cape again to keep the Titans' season from ending Sunday in Jacksonville.
As recently as November 17, the Titans were 7-3 and cruising toward the AFC South title. But since then the wheels have fallen off and then some.
The defense has struggled. The passing game has all but imploded with Ryan Tannehill out because of an ankle injury. The Titans have lost six straight games and are guaranteed a losing record for the first time since a disastrous 3-13 campaign in 2015. But if Tennessee can get past the Jaguars on Sunday, they will win the AFC South with a 8-9 record.
As head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters, the edict is clear—the entire season comes down to winning this game:
"Once you get in, you're in the tournament. We want to have a consistent program, a consistent winning program. We don't want to be in the situation we've been in the last couple weeks. Nobody wants that. The reality is that we're playing for an opportunity to win the division, an opportunity to make the playoffs. Winning is the foundation of everything we do. Competitiveness. But it's not OK to compete and not end up winning. We have to win."
Joshua Dobbs was OK in last week's loss to the Cowboys. But the Titans aren't winning by throwing the ball. Henry sat out the Cowboys game with a hip injury, but you can bet the rent he'll not only play Saturday but also carry the ball 25-plus times.
What he does with those carries will determine whether the Titans keep playing after Week 18.
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Steve Wilks, HC, Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers had fired their head coach, Matt Rhule, and traded their best player, Christian McCaffrey. They were supposed to fold. That the team entered Week 17 in control of its destiny in the NFC South spoke well of the job that Steve Wilks has done as interim head coach.
Sure, the Panthers came up short against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and in doing so were eliminated from postseason contention. But while speaking to reporters, Wilks said he expects his team to play just as hard in Week 18 against the Saints as it did last week against Tampa:
"The message to the team afterwards [was] we didn't do what we wanted to do. They made more plays than what we did today. So we gotta give those guys all the credit. We didn't play according to our DNA, which is physicality and effort—which I thought, for the most part, you saw that. We didn't play smart. Not at all.
But the one thing I stated to those guys—the last element, that's what we're gonna do this week. We're gonna finish. That's what men do. That's what good football teams do regardless of the record, regardless of the circumstances."
Wilks certainly appears to have the support of Carolina's players, with defensive tackle Derrick Brown going to bat for him while appearing on Good Morning Football:
"I'll speak for everybody in that locker room in saying we want Coach Wilks to be our next head coach. That's for sure. I think every single week we're gonna come in, he's gonna tell you exactly how it is. He doesn't sugarcoat nothing. He keeps it Plain Jane, per se. He lets you know exactly what's going on."
Last week's loss to the Bucs dropped the Panthers to 5-6 under Wilks. A win in the season finale would bump him back to .500—and strengthen his case to be back in 2023.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Los Angeles Rams
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2022 was quite a year for Baker Mayfield.
He began the season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. But when the Browns pursued and ultimately obtained Deshaun Watson, it became clear that Mayfield's time in Cleveland was over.
Then he was traded to Carolina, where he opened the season as the starter. Seven games and six mostly miserable starts later, Mayfield was benched and then released by the Panthers.
That led to his being picked up by a Rams team that was desperate for quarterback help—so desperate that just two days after he joined the team, Mayfield played against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In all, Mayfield has performed well for the Rams—he led the team to a win over the Raiders and a blowout victory over the Denver Broncos on Christmas. His play came back to earth last weekend against the Chargers, but even after the lackluster showing, Rams head coach Sean McVay went out of his way to laud Mayfield's play since he joined the team while speaking to reporters:
"I think he's a great competitor. I really like the way that he's gone about this. Really have enjoyed working with him. Very similar to what the temperature and tone's been, looking forward to finishing this off the right way. But I can't say enough about how impressed I've been with everything he's done in such a short amount of time."
Matthew Stafford has reportedly said he has no intention of retiring after he suffered a spinal cord contusion, but the injured starter's availability for 2023 is murky. Mayfield could be a Plan B for the Rams. Or a bridge starter for yet another team next year.
A strong final game against the Seattle Seahawks can only help his chances of getting another shot to start next season. A bad game could end them.
No pressure.
Matthew Judon, Edge, New England Patriots
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In his two seasons with the New England Patriots, Matthew Judon has become one of the NFL's most prolific pass-rushers. He has 28 sacks during that time, including an AFC-high 15.5 this year.
While speaking to reporters ahead of last week's win over the Miami Dolphins, Judon made it clear his focus is on helping get the Pats into the playoffs.
"It's been a crazy year and we're still in it. We still have something to fight for," Judon said. "That's what we're going to hang our hat on. We are not out of the race."
However, Judon also said he wouldn't mind breaking the Patriots franchise record of 18.5 sacks, set by Andre Tippett in 1984:
"Yeah, I'd like to. I'm pretty sure Tipp is tired of sitting on that throne, so hopefully I can dethrone him. But it comes within a scheme and a defensive game plan. I can't really just go out there wildin' and chasing records and chasing goals and abandoning my duties and my discipline to the team."
Judon is also just two sacks behind Nick Bosa for the NFL lead this season. So with a big game, Judon could ostensibly win the sack title, set a franchise record and help New England get back to the postseason.
That rather seems like a lot on the line.
Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk already got a big free-agent payday in the offseason. He responded with the best year of his career. In the lead-up to last week's blowout win over the Houston Texans, Kirk made it clear that there was one more big item on his personal checklist—posting his first 1,000-yard campaign.
"I know sometimes people can downplay it a little bit, especially with a 17th game and whatnot but, for me, it's a huge deal. It's a huge deal for any wide receiver. You don't just wake up and have 1,000 yards. It's hard in this league to make plays; for me, that's always been a milestone I've always wanted to complete, so it's definitely a huge deal."
Sure enough, Kirk cleared the 1,000-yard mark—albeit barely. But just because that personal milestone has been cleared doesn't mean the 26-year-old doesn't still have plenty on the line this weekend against the Tennessee Titans.
For starters, there's the small matter of the AFC South. If the Jaguars win, they'll become division champions. There's still a possibility they'll make the postseason with a loss, but it's remote. And Tennessee is exponentially easier to pass on than run on. The Titans sport the No. 1 run defense in the AFC—and the worst pass defense in the NFL.
There's also the matter of cheese. Cabbage. Money. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Kirk pocketed a $500,000 bonus for gaining 1,000 receiving yards. If he can catch two passes Saturday he'll earn $500,000 more—and another $500,000 on top of that if he hits 1,100 yards.
Mike McDaniel, HC, Miami Dolphins
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This last one may come as a surprise to some people—especially when you consider that less than two months ago, Mike McDaniel of the Dolphins was getting Coach of the Year buzz in some circles.
But that was before the Dolphins embarked on a five-game losing streak. Now, the Dolphins need to beat the New York Jets and get help from the Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs.
McDaniel told reporters he expects a motivated team to show up against New York:
"I expect a hungry and well-intentioned team ready to go play the Jets. It's a one-game season to really take all the lessons learned from this five-game losing streak and put together something that the locker room and coaching staff is proud of as the regular season comes to a close."
In fairness to McDaniel, some of Miami's issues of late have been beyond his control, especially quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's concussion. Most teams would struggle somewhat when forced to roll out the third string quarterback. But Miami's level of play has been down across the board in recent weeks, while turnovers and mistakes have been up.
Even if the Dolphins lose to the Jets and/or miss the postseason, it's exceedingly unlikely that McDaniel would be fired after just one year. But with the specter of Sean Payton looming over every coach with even a warm seat, it also can't be ruled out.
Logging a win over New York would bolster McDaniel's job security heading into what will be a pivotal offseason in Miami. Getting into the playoffs would be that much better.
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