Passing Matchups: Week 18

A top-to-bottom ranking of this week's NFL passing matchups, while providing details on both sides of the ball for the best and the worst pairings.

Justin Howe's Passing Matchups: Week 18 Justin Howe Published 01/01/2026

© Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Week 18 Passing Matchups

See Rushing Matchups here.

Top Passing Matchups

Seattle at San Francisco. Long gone are the days of a dominant 49ers pass defense. Missing virtually every key piece from 2023-2024, this unit has been scorched for 275+ yards in 6 of its last 12 games. (The damage was often far worse than that.) Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba aren't quite at the level they were midseason, but they're still dominating the usage (36% of targets), and they've connected for 72+ yards in every game but one.

LA Rams vs Arizona. There's no guarantee the Rams starters play a full game, but they shouldn't need one against this stripped-down group. The Cardinals have been beaten soundly through the air all year; they now lack their top two cornerbacks, plus safety Budda BakerMatthew Stafford himself had little trouble in this matchup just last month (22 of 31, 281 yards, 3 touchdowns), while Puka Nacua laid waste to the shoddy secondary (7 catches, 167 yards, 2 touchdowns).

Buffalo vs NY Jets. The white-flag Jets have now somehow gone 16 games and 512 opponent dropbacks without intercepting a pass. There's some bad luck mixed in there - they've broken up more passes than 12 teams, after all - but what a fitting symbol of the Jets' recent futility. Along the way, they've given up the league's fourth-most adjusted net yards per throw, factoring in sacks, touchdowns, and takeaways. You may confidently project Josh Allen as high as you have all season.

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