2018 did contain several spectacularly deadly LOC accidents (Cubana/Havana, Saratov/Moscow, Lion Air/Jakarta, Ju-Air/Alps). Plus a fairly major CFIT (Iran Aseman/Yaruj).
They happened to clump together in a certain 365-day-period we call "2018." Any one of the first three alone would account for how much 2018 exceeded the "average" number of fatalities.
From a safety-analysis point of view, the only possibly-useful pattern might - speaking very broadly - be "crew/systems interactions" for Saratov and Lion Air.
From the point of view of journalism, "today was pretty much like yesterday" is not news. It's "olds."