NFL Week 18 Saturday doubleheader: Games, channels, times, AFC playoff scenarios

As the Eagles prepare for Sunday’s matchup against the New York Giants, Week 18 gets underway Saturday with two games that have big playoff implications in the AFC.

Both games will air on ESPN and ABC, since there is no Monday Night Football game in Week 18.

The early game features Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to Las Vegas to take on a disappointing Las Vegas Raiders team that benched quarterback Derek Carr and excused him from the team. Starting in his place is Jarrett Stidham, who nearly led the Raiders to an overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers last week.

Kickoff for Chiefs-Raiders is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and calling the game will be a three-person booth featuring Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, and Dan Orlovsky. You’ll see this booth a lot more next season, when ESPN has three doubleheaders as part of the NFL’s new TV deal with the network’s parent company, Disney.

» READ MORE: Full Week 18 playoff scenarios after Bills-Bengals game canceled

The second game on Saturday is the Tennessee Titans taking on the surprising Jacksonville Jaguars, who have won four straight games and turned things around under former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. In fact, the Jaguars’ upset win against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 18 is the only reason the Eagles remain in first place in the NFC East at the moment.

The winner of Titans-Jaguars will clinch the AFC South and a home playoff game during the first round next weekend. If the Titans lose, their season is over, but the Jaguars could still clinch a wild-card spot if the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers all lose on Sunday.

Kickoff for Titans-Jaguars is scheduled for 8:15 p.m., and calling the game will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman — their first assignment since Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game, which was suspended and ultimately canceled after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a tackle in the first quarter. Hamlin has shown “substantial improvement” in recent days, according to doctors caring for him in Cincinnati, including addressing the Bills via FaceTime on Friday.

Because the game was canceled, the Chiefs could clinch the AFC’s top playoff seed with a win or with a loss by the Bills on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Due to the canceled game, the AFC Championship game could be played at a neutral site — regardless of the Chiefs securing home-field advantage — under a couple of different scenarios approved by the NFL on Friday,

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Week 18′s Saturday games:

Here’s what the AFC playoff picture looks like heading into Saturday’s games.

(x: clinched playoffs; y: clinched division)

In the hunt: Miami Dolphins (8-8), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), Tennessee Titans (7-9)

Kansas City Chiefs: Can secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a win OR a Bills loss.

Tennessee Titans: Can win the AFC South with a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Can win the AFC South with a win. Can clinch a playoff spot with a Patriots loss AND a Dolphins loss AND a Steelers loss.

New England Patriots: Can clinch a playoff spot with a win.

Miami Dolphins: Can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a Patriots loss.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a Patriots loss AND a Dolphins loss.

The first round of the playoffs begin next weekend. Fox and NBC will each broadcast two games, while CBS and ESPN will get one game each. The full schedule will be announced following Lions-Packers on Sunday Night Football.

Saturday, Jan. 14

Sunday, Jan. 15

Monday, Jan. 16