After 272 games, the NFL playoff picture is finally set for the 14 best teams and the offseason has commenced for the other 18.

Some teams like New England could not wait to get a jump on their offseason, firing head coach Jerod Mayo less than 90 minutes after their game finished.

Meanwhile, others ensured they are least had a positive memory to end the campaign on with the Panthers and Jets pulling off upset wins in their games.

Read on for our full NFL Week 18 recap below!

1 – Baltimore’s Necessary Gamble Backfires

There was no other option for Baltimore in their Week 18 clash than to play their starters with the division title on the line, but it came at a cost.

They were made to work for all four quarters by the Cleveland Browns, which necessitated Lamar Jackson and company playing to the end.

However the game turned out to be much more physical than expected and there were a number of Ravens players who left with injuries.

First and foremost, Zay Flowers picked up a knee injury and exited the game in the second quarter which will necessitate monitoring ahead of next weekend’s Wild Card clash.

Safety Kyle Hamilton was also battling injuries heading into the game and he had to leave the game after picking up a knock of his own.

It’s the dilemma many coaches face at this time of year, needing to keep key players healthy heading into the postseason (or offseason) while still putting a competitive product on the field.

For the Ravens, in the big picture it paid off by getting the win they needed and locking up another AFC North division title.

But now they have to hope the guys that got dinged up will be ready to go ahead of what promises to be a physical and bruising encounter against Pittsburgh.

2 – Pittsburgh Is In Trouble

Speaking of the Steelers, boy are they in a world of hurt right now, not so much when it comes to injuries but they have the worst form line of any team heading into the postseason.

As late as December 15, the Steelers were in contention for the top seed in the AFC but four consecutive defeats, combined with a massive decline in offensive production, have them reeling.

Their most recent defeat came at home to Cincinnati and there were all sorts of concerning signs.

Despite holding the Bengals to just one touchdown and four field goals, the offence could not get anything done against a hapless Cincinnati defence.

Russell Wilson threw for just 148 yards, Najee Harris was held to 36 yards on the ground and their best receiver was tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Receiver George Pickens had an awful night and was a liability when the ball was thrown in his direction, not what you want from your primary option.

However that is just the tip of the iceberg and Wilson’s production (along with the line’s blocking) on the final drive should be ringing alarm bells.

On the plus side, if there is one opponent that will snap them out of their funk, it’s the Baltimore Ravens.

3 – The Patriots Made The Easy Call

Less than 12 months after getting hired as the successor to Bill Belichick in New England, Jerod Mayo was moved on by the Patriots.

In a ruthless afternoon, the Kraft family wasted no time dismissing Mayo just over an hour after their Week 18 win over Buffalo.

Over the last few weeks it became abundantly clear that Mayo was not ready for the job with all sorts of game management errors, press conference mistakes and failing to get the best out of an admittedly talent deficient roster.

There was a theory that Robert Kraft would be inclined to give Mayo a second season to demonstrate that he had learned from his rookie campaign, but with Drake Maye the only positive to come out of another 4-13 season, they had to find a guy who could maximise their quarterback’s potential.

Whoever does replace Mayo did have his job made a little bit tougher with Joe Milton leading the Pats to a 23-16 win over Buffalo.

Instead of controlling the first overall pick, New England will now select fourth in the draft which should allow them to find a talented player, but maybe not with the bidding war for one of the two quarterbacks to help further augment the roster.

4 – Denver Leaves No Doubt

In Miami and Cincinnati, they were hoping that there would be some drama at Mile High as the Broncos took on the backups of the Chiefs.

Even if the Broncos still won at the end, the audience was hoping for a slightly more competitive clash than what unfolded.

10 minutes into the game it was pretty clear what was going to happen as the broncos raced out to a 14-0 lead and a 24-0 halftime advantage thanks in no small part to Bo Nix.

The Chiefs did not offer up a whole lot of resistance, perhaps influenced by their disrupted travel with their team plane stuck on the airport runway due to ice in Kansas City, or just the fact it was a game where they needed to get out of the contest in one piece.

But 98 total yards does not exactly suggest they were offering up a whole lot of resistance.

As opposed to the Broncos who had spent essentially the last decade on the outside of the playoff picture.

Of course there was the theory that the Chiefs were more than happy to help the Broncos into the playoffs to eliminate the Bengals, but after that showing, they might not have done themselves any favours should they meet in the Divisional Round in two weeks time.

5 – Time For The Fun Plays

One advantage of teams having nothing on the line with Week 18 is it does open up the games to some slightly more creative play calling.

Especially when there are some backups in the game looking to make the most of their opportunity to shine.

We haven’t seen many designed quarterback runs in New England but Joe Milton kept the ball on the option and pulled off this spectacular celebration.

It was also a chance for the Chicago Bears to go deep into the playbook and pull off this spectacular trick play on a punt return.

Perhaps this Rams punt return from a decade ago served as the inspiration for that one.

There were also a few interesting moments as players went into the games with certain performance incentives on the line, most notably Mike Evans.

With the game already locked away and Tampa in position to kneel out the clock, instead they forced one last completion to their receiver to ensure his streak of 1000 yard seasons stayed intact and he could collect a hefty bonus.

Of course not everything went to plan for every team in Week 18, especially after this botched kickoff in Dallas wound up hitting one of their world famous cheerleading squad in the head.

Thankfully there was no trip to the blue medical tent needed as she shook it off and managed a smile.

In New Jersey, the Jets had nothing to play for against the desperate Dolphins so why not go deep into the playbook and try a few trick plays involving their beaten up, 41 year old quarterback and veteran receiver.

After all, what’s the worst that could happen?

Maybe the worst that could happen is a serious injury, turnover and defensive score but seeing Davante Adams get lit up like that wouldn’t have been a fun sight for the Jets.

At least Aaron Rodgers final game for Gang Green ended with a meaningless win as they head into a very important offseason for the franchise.