The 2023 NFL regular season will come to a close this weekend, and there are plenty of terrific games with heavy playoff implications on tap.

This is the time of year where star players truly make a name for themselves. Yes, the playoffs aren’t here just yet, but Week 18 might as well be a playoff game for a bunch of teams.

Here are three key players to watch in the season finale this Sunday.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

It has been a strange season for Stefon Diggs, to say the least.

The star wide receiver got off to a torrid start, posting five 100-yard efforts in his first six games. Since then, however, Diggs has not reached 100 yards once. The last time he did it was on Oct. 15.

Head coach Sean McDermott insists there is nothing wrong physically with Diggs and that quarterback Josh Allen is simply making what he feels are the correct reads.

But it’s still awfully odd that Diggs, who has been the Bills’ clear-cut No. 1 pass-catcher since arriving in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the club, has been relatively absent during the second half of the season.

As a matter of fact, Diggs had 70 catches over his first nine games. Over the last seven, he has just 30.

It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but with Buffalo playing the Miami Dolphins with the AFC East division title on the line this Sunday, don’t be surprised if Diggs becomes a focal point of the Bills’ offense yet again.

If Buffalo loses to the Dolphins, it may find itself out of the playoffs altogether depending on what else happens in the AFC this weekend.

Keep an eye on Diggs. He may end up registering a breakout performance in South Beach.

A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

A.J. Brown finds himself in a similar situation to Diggs.

Earlier this season, Brown was on a historic pace, as he recorded six straight games of over 125 receiving yards between Weeks 3 and 8. But Brown has cooled off considerably, as he has logged just one 100-yard outing since that remarkable stretch.

Unlike Diggs, however, Brown is allowing his decreased role to show in on-field displays of frustration, which he recently apologized for.

The Eagles have lost four of their last five games, and they last thing they want to do is back into the playoffs. That’s why it would really behoove them to beat the New York Giants on Sunday.

The problem is, fellow wide out DeVonta Smith will be sidelined due to an ankle injury, putting even more pressure on Brown to perform.

This is a brilliant opportunity for Brown to bust out of his slump and hang another 100-yard performance on his 2023-24 resume. Of course, with Smith out, all of the defensive attention will be on Brown, so he can expect to face some brutal double teams from the Giants’ secondary.

We’ll see how Brown deals with the added pressure in Week 18. Will he rise to the occasion? Or will he continue allowing his anger to get the best of him and wilt?

Either way, look for Jalen Hurts to target Brown regularly.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

We don’t even know if Trevor Lawrence will be playing against the Tennessee Titans this weekend.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that Lawrence will be listed as questionable for the affair as he nurses a shoulder injury, but with the AFC South division title up for grabs, you can bet Lawrence will do whatever he can to be on the field.

If Lawrence does play, he probably will not be 100 percent. He didn’t play last Sunday after injuring his shoulder in Week 16, and while he said earlier this week that it was improving, he acknowledged that it still gives him issues when he makes certain movements.

Here’s the thing with Lawrence: he hasn’t been great this year. He has thrown 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, which is far from the 25 touchdowns and eight picks he tossed during his breakout campaign last season. This weekend will represent a great opportunity for Lawrence to shake off what has been a rather pedestrian first four months of the season and push Jacksonville into the playoffs.

But if Lawrence isn’t healthy, there will only be so much he can do.

If the Clemson product does suit up, monitor him in the first quarter. Is he throwing deep? Is he looking to avoid contact? Is he throwing the ball much at all?

Lawrence’s early demeanor will tell you everything you need to know about just how well he is feeling. That is, again, if he plays at all.

If the Jags win, they will clinch their second straight division crown. If they lose, they’ll need a whole lot of other things to happen to even make the postseason.

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