THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2024-2025 Divisionals Recap

The NFL 2024-2025 Wildcards are in the books. This weekend brings the Divisionals round. 

AFC: (4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs is the Saturday afternoon game. The 10-7 Texans did win a playoff game, but the 15-2 Chiefs lost their regular season finale because they played backups. The Chiefs offense isn’t as high octane as in years past but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has the top defense in the NFL. A few years ago the Texans took a 24-0 first quarter lead at Kansas City. By halftime the Chiefs led 28-24 en route to a 51-31 win. With Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, they are always a threat. The Chiefs are seeking to reach the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year, with 6 of those 7 games being at home in Arrowhead. Another playoff game between these teams saw the Chiefs go into Houston, return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and throttle the Texans 30-0. In this game the Chiefs nearly did it again, returning the opening kickoff 63 yards, fumbling the ball, and retaining possession to start the game at the Houston 13. The Texans defense stiffened. Harrison Butker hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. Kaimi Fairbairn answered from 30 and Butker hit again from 36 to make it 6-3 Chiefs. 

In  the second quarter Fairbairn missed a 55 yard field goal try to give the Chiefs good field position at their own 45. Mahomes went to Kelce for a 49 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Karim Hunt got in for the touchdown to make it 13-3 Chiefs. The Texans managed a 48 yard field Fairbairn goal with 16 seconds left in the half to get within 13-6. The Texans began the third quarter at their own 18 and went on a mind-numbing drive. 14 plays and 82 yards took a whopping 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 3 from their 25, Joe Mixon gained 8. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, CJ Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 36, Stroud went to Collins for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 19, Stroud ran for 6. Mixon ran for a 13 yard touchdown. The Texans had all the momentum. Then Fairbairn doinked the extra point off the right upright no good. Instead of being tied, the Texans trailed 13-12. 

The Chiefs after a pair of offensive penalties faced 1st and 19 at their own 10. On 3rd and 6, Mahomes went to Kelce for 12. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. The fourth quarter began with the Chiefs facing 4th and 1 at the Houston 37. Everyone knew Walrus Andy Reid was not going to punt or try a 55 yard field goal in that situation. He went for it and Hunt gained 3 yards. Hunt then gained 8 more. Mahomes went to Kelce for 18. On 3rd and goal at the 11, the Texans had Mahoems dead to right. As he was being sacked and falling to the ground, he threw the ball just before his knees hit the ground. Kelce caught the 11 yard touchdown to have the Chiefs up 20-12 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Texans moved from their own 34 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 40. Stroud threw incomplete three times. On 4th and 10 with 10 minutes left in the game, DeMeco Ryans did not want to punt or try a 58 yard field goal. He went for it and Stroud was sacked for a 16 yard loss. 

Midway through the fourth quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 45 and moved to a  4th and 1 at the Houston 9. At this time Walrus Andy Reid understood that a field goal would make it a two score game. Butker hit from 27 to have the Chiefs up 23-12 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Needing 2 scores after a touchback, the Texans rushed to a 2nd and 2 at the Kansas City 5 yard line just before the 2 minute warning. Stroud was sacked on consecutive plays. On 4th and 14 and needing 2 scores, Fairbairn came in for the 35 yard chip shot field goal with 1:52 left. Fairbairn’s night of misery continued as his kick was blocked. The Chiefs punter took an intentional safety with 11 seconds left to prevent a blocked punt. Again, the Texans were good enough to make the playoffs and even win a playoff game but not good enough to compete with the elite. The Chiefs do not look that special on paper but games are not played on paper. On the field, the Chiefs keep winnings. They are in the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year and hosting the AFC Title Game for the 6th time in 7 years. This makes Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 23-14 Chiefs

NFC: (6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions is the Saturday night game. The Commanders are a very good football team. Jayden Daniels has been leading them to victories in Cardiac fashion. Yet the Detroit Lions are a wrecking ball. Yes, their defense is injury-riddled. At home in their dome, their pinball wizard offense can outscore anyone. Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn both take 4th down risks. Jared Goff and his many offensive weapons on the Lions are well rested from their bye week. The last time the Lions were in the NFC Title Game was in 1991. They got blasted by the Redskins, but that game was in Washington. 24 years later, the Divisional game is in Detroit. The Lions are the top seed for the first time ever. The Lions are one game from hosting the NFC Title Game for the first time ever. The Lions got a major break when Zane Gonzalez hit the opening kickoff out of bounds. The Lions took over at their own 40 and quickly went 3 and out. Their running bak got belted in the backfield and a 3rd and 15 pass from Jared Goff was dropped. The Commanders moved easily from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Detroit 28. Dan Quinn decided to go for it. He brought in Marcus Mriota for one play to replace Jayden Daniels. Mariota got rocked for a one yard loss.

From their own 29, this time the Lions made it look easy. Goff hit Williams for 19. Jahmyr Gibbs ripped off big gains of 15, 23 and 9. Gibbs ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback the Commanders moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 29. Daniels threw incomplete three times. Gonzalez hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 7-3. The Lions again quickly and easily moved from their own 27 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 17. The Lions had all the momentum but then Goff was sacked and fumbled. The Commanders took over at their own 22. Robinson gained 15 and 5. Daniels went deep to Brown for a 42 yard gain. On 4th and 3 from the Detroit 9, Dan Quinn passed up a chip shot 27 yard field goal try and went for it all. Daniels went to Zac Ertz for 7. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Daniels threw incomplete but defensive pass interference in the end zone meant 1st and goal at the one. Robinson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to hav the Commanders up 10-7 in the second quarter.

The Lions after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Goff went deep to Amra St Brown for 34. Gibbs gained 12. Goff went to Raymond for 15. Then on 1st and goal at the 2 came spectacular acrobatics. Goff was about to be sacked. As he was going to the ground he fired a pass just before his knees went down. The pass was slightly off the mark but Sam Laporta made a leaping one handed catch and pulled the ball into his body for the touchdown. The Lions led 14-10 midway through the second quarter. Yet one minute after a touchback the Commanders had the lead again. From his own 42, Daniels went to McLaurin at the sideline. He broke a tackle and gave a stiff-armed to an overmatched defender for a 58 yard touchdown and a 17-14 Commanders advantage. The Lions soon faced 2nd and 14 at their own 18. Goff went deep and was intercepted. Martin returned the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Commanders were on the road beating up the heavily favored home team 24-14.

Making matters worse, Goff got poked in the eye on the play and had to come out. Teddy Bridgwater came out of retirement to be his backup. Dan Campbell does not take his foot off the gas. The Lions took over at their own 27. From his own 39 with a backup quarterback, Quinn called a trick play. A double lateral was taken by Gibbs all the way to the sideline and then back to the middle of the field. With a convoy of blockers, Gibbs coasted for a 61 yard touchdown. The Lions were right back in it down 24-21 with 4 minutes left tin the half. After a touchback Austin Ekeler ran for 8 and Daniels added 15 more. Daniels went deep to Brown for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 7 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Daniels hit Ertz for the touchdown to make it 31-21 Commanders. After a touchback the Lions had 1:46 to work with. The Lions quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 29 with 35 seconds left. Goff went for it all but the ball was under thrown and intercepted in the end zone. Three first half turnovers by Goff had the Lions down by 10 at the half. The Commanders put up 28 points on 4 touchdowns in the second quarter. The teams combined for over 600 yards of offense in the first half alone. The Lions had 161 yards rushing in the first half while Daniels had 242 passing yards in the ridiculous pinball first half. 

The Lions took over at their own 9 in the third quarter. David Montgomery ran for 11 and 8 with a defensive facemark adding 15. On 3rd and 10 from their own 43, Goff hit St Brown for 19. Montgomery threw a halfback option pass to St Brown for 20. Gibbs ran for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Lions right back in it down 31-28. After a touchback, the Commanders kept coming. Daniels ran for 14. Robinson ran for 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the 25, one yard. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 16, Dan Quinn gambled. Daniels gained 3. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 5 at the start of the fourth quarter, Quinn gambled again. The Detroit defense suffered a killer penalty for having 12 men on the field. Robinson ran for a one yard touchdown to have the Commanders up 38-28. The Lions moved from their own 18 to their 46. Ben Johnson had called several successful trick plays, but the next one backfired. A halfback option pass by Williams was intercepted. The Commanders took over at their own 34. Ekeler immediately ripped off a 35 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 13, Quinn gambled yet again. Daniels hit McLaurin for 12 down to the one. McNichols got the yard to have the Commanders up big 45-28 midway through the fourth quarter. 

Needing 3 scores after a touchback, the Lions moved to a 4th and 8 at the Washington 19 with 5 minutes left. As much as Dan Campbell wanted to go for it, the Lions needed any points fast. Bates hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Lions within 14. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds to set up the Commanders at their own 40. They moved to a 4th nnd 1 at the Detroit 26. This time Dan quinn played it safe, knowing a field goal would ice the game. Yet Gonzelez from 44 was no good. The Lions had life. The Lions moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 10 at the Washington 17 with 32 seconds left. They needed a touchdown, an onside kick, and a Hail Mary touchdown. They got none of it as Goff went to the end zone and was intercepted again. The franchise best 15-2 Lions went down in flames at home. The Curse of Bobby Layne will not be broken this year. They may lose offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs. Speaking of defense, the Lions for several weeks tried to hold together their injury riddled defense. Sadly, the roof finally caved in. The offense turned the ball over 5 times, including 4 turnovers by Goff, 3 interceptions and a fumble. Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Title Game as a rookie. For the Commanders, they are in the NFC Title Game for the first time in 33 years. For the Lions, there is only more heartache. 45-31 Commanders

NFC: (4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday afternoon game.  The 10-7 Rams won the NFC West and then knocked off 14-3 Minnesota in the Wildcard. Now they were at the 14-3 Eagles, who won the NFC East. In the regular season the Eagles went into Los Angeles and throttled the Rams 37-20. Saquon Barkley is running wild and gives the Eagles the advantage. As much of an offensive wizard as Sean McVay is, the Eagles have Barkley and the home field should. The Eagles with a win get back to the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. The Eagles took over at their own 26 and went right to work. Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 14. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Saquon Barkley got the tough yard up the gut. Hurts then split the defense and raced for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 6-0 only 3 minutes into the game. The extra point was no good. 

The Rams soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 36. Matthew Stafford went to Tyler Higbee for 9. Karen Williams ran for 20. Stafford hit Puka Nacua for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 10, Sean McVay went for it. Williams gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford went to Higbee for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Rams. Yet light snow that started before the opening kickoff was now turning into heavy snow. The eagles took over at their own 17 and gained 15 yards due to defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 4 from their own 38, Barkley broke free and raced for a 62 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Eagles after the first quarter. After a touchback the Rams in the second quarter moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Philadelphia 11. Williams got the carry and lost a yard. Sean McVay decided this time no to gamble. Joshua Karty hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Rams within 13-10. A strong kickoff return had the Eagles at their own 43. They moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Rams 30. Jalen Hurts was sacked to push the Eagles out of field goal range. The Eagles got it back at their own 9 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Rams 32 with 30 seconds left in the half. Again, Hurts was sacked to kill the drive. 

The Rams in the third quarter moved from their own 26 to a 1st and goal at the 8. A fumbled handoff exchange led to a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and goal from the 13, Stafford was sacked. Karty hit from 34 for a 13-13 game midway through the third quarter. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 22. a 19 yard completion from Hurts to Goedert was wiped out by a penalty for an ineligible man downfield. Hurts was then sacked. Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal to have the Eagles leading 16-13 late in the third quarter. Just before the third quarter ended, a great Rams punt pinned the Eagles at their own 4 yard line. From his own 8, Hurts went back to pass and was sacked in his own end zone for a safety. The Rams were within 16-15 after three quarters. The Rams took the free kick at their own 35. From their own 43, disaster struck when Williams fumbled and Rodgers returned it 40 yards to the Rams 10. On 4th and goal at the one, Nick Sirianni went for it. Everyone knew the tush push was coming. Hurts crossed the goal line but a false start killed the drive. Elliott hit the 23 yard field goal to have the Eagles up 19-15 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Rams got it back at their own 29. On 3rd and 10 from their own 45, Stafford was sacked and fumbled. The Eagles recovered at the Rams 38. On 4th and 4, Nick Sirianni did not want to try a 50 yard field goal in a blizzard. He went for it and Hurts hit AJ Brown for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 17, Barkley got the carry up the gut and got stopped in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. Elliott’s 36 yard field goal was good as the Eagles led 22-15 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Rams failed to move and punted the ball away. The Eagles took over at their own 22. The Rams defense desperately needed a stop. Instead, Barkley broke free and turned out the lights with a 78 yard touchdown run. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Eagles had a 28-15 lead. Again, the extra point was no good. The game at this point appeared over. 

After a touchback, the Rams were in desperation mode. Stafford went to Nacua for 21, to Whitting for 12, to Tutu Atwell for 18, to Higbee for 6, and to Cooper Kupp for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford went to Parkinson for the touchdown. With 2:48 to play the Rams were within 28-22.  After a touchback, the Eagles needed to play smash mouth and close out the game. The Rams needed to stop them. This was power football in the trenches in the snow. On 2nd and 7, Hurts tried a play action pass but instead was taken down for a 12 yard loss. The Rams had life. They got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left at their own 18 needing only one touchdown to win. The Rams were out of timeouts except for the 2 minute warning.

Stafford hit Higbee for 5 and Kupp for 8 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 from his own 31, Stafford fired over the middle to Robinson. Stafford then went bombs away to Nacua, who made a leaping catch near the sideline and somehow got both feet down for a miracle catch. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 13, a bull rush up the middle buried Stafford for a sack and a 9 yard loss. Everything came down to 4th and 11 with 35 seconds left and the clock ticking. Stafford went to the sideline incomplete. The Eagles had survived. Barkley finished with 205 yards on the ground on 26 carries, nearly 8 yards per carry. The Rams were game, but the Eagles will be back in the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. Again, they will be playing the game at home. 28-22 Eagles

 

 

AFC: (3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills is the Sunday night game. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were both in contention for the league MVP. The winner of this game goes to the AFC Title Game. The 13-4 Bills and 12-5 Ravens met early in the regular season, with the Ravens winning a 35-10 blowout. Yet that game was in Baltimore. The rematch is in Buffalo. Derrick Henry is running with authority but the Buffalo defense is stout. Both of these teams are phenomenal, but this is one game where the home field truly matters. The weather at kickoff was cold and bad, 11 degree Buffalo weather. There was snow on the ground and snow coming down. The Ravens began facing 3rd and 8 at their own 29. Lamar Jackson ran for 9. Jackson went deep to  Isaiah likely for 39. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 16, Jackson went to Rashad Bateman for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. After a touchback the Bills soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32. Josh Allen went deep to Shakir for 34. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 26. Allen gained 7. James Cook ran for 8, 6 and 4. Davis got the last yard to tie the game 7-7. 

In the second quarter the Ravens moved from their own 9 yard line to a 2nd and 10 at the Buffalo 28. Jackson got sacked and fumbled. Von Miller picked up the fumble and rumbled 39 yards to the Buffalo 24. Allen went to Shakir for 13. Allen got the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills. The Ravens moved from their own 35 to a 1st and goal at the 2. Henry lost a yard. Then Jackson was sacked. Justin Tucker hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 14-10. After a touchback Allen hit Cook for 7. Davis ran for 16 and 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 30, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 18 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 4, Allen bulled his way in with help from his offensive line. With 16 seconds left in the half, the Bills had a 21-10 lead. 

In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their own 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 27. A run lost a couple yards and a delay of game killed the drive. Tucker hit from 47 to get the Ravens within 21-13. The Ravens got it back and soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Henry gained 17. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 12. Justice Hill ran for 22. Henry ran for 15 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 21-19. The 2 point try to tie the gam failed. After a touchback the Bills moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Baltimore 33. Allen threw incomplete twice. Trying a 51 yard field goal in brutal cold is like asking a kicker to kick a brick. Sean McDermott did, and Bass delivered for a 24-19 Bills lead with 12 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Ravens soon faced 2nd and 11 at their own 40. Jackson went to Andrews for 16, but Andrews had the ball poked out. The Bills recovered the fumble at their own 46 with 8 1/2 minutes left.

The Bills moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2, taking 5 minutes off the clock. A touchdown would all but turn out the lights. Allen out of the shotgun faked the handoff and kept the ball. He went up the middle and into a Baltimore brick wall for no gain. On 4th and goal at the 2, the decision was a very easy one. Sean McDermott went with the field goal. Bass hit from 20 to make it 27-19 Bills with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Ravens could tie the game with a touchdown drive but not win it. A kickoff penalty on the receiving team had the Ravens taking over at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 2, Jackson hit Hill for 3. Jackson went to Wallace for 27. Jackson found Andrews for 19. Jackson then with all the time in the world fired over the middle to Likely for a 24 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left, everything came down to the 2 point conversion. Jackson found a wide open Andrews in the flat. There was nobody near him. The ball was perfectly thrown. Andrews had it in his belly. 

He dropped it. Andrews is the all time Baltimore receiving leader. Yet this one just got away. Blame the snow. If you’re Milli Vanilli, blame it on the rain. Blame the sleet. The onside kick failed and the Bills ran out the clock. In a thrilling game between two great teams, the Ravens are done for the year. As for the Bills, last year they lost to Kansas City in the Divisional round. That game was at home in Buffalo. This year the Bills gave the Chiefs their only loss of the year not counting the finale when Kansas City played their backups. That regular season game the Bills won was also in Buffalo. Yet this AFC Title Game will be in Kansas City. This game and next week’s game is why we watch football. 27-25 Bills

The Conference Championship Games are set.

AFC Title Game: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

NFC Title Game: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

NFL 2024-2025 Divisionals Prequel

The NFL 2024-2025 Wildcards are in the books. This weekend brings the Divisionals round. 

Saturday January 18, 2024, 4:30pm on ESPN

AFC: (4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs (-7 1/2) — The 10-7 Texans did win a playoff game, but the 15-2 Chiefs lost their regular season finale because they played backups. The Chiefs offense isn’t as high octane as in years past but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has the top defense in the NFL. A few years ago the Texans took a 24-0 first quarter lead at Kansas City. By halftime the Chiefs led 28-24 en route to a 51-31 win. With Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, they are always a threat. The Chiefs are seeking to reach the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year, with 6 of those 7 games being at home in Arrowhead. The Chiefs are too deep and too experienced. Chiefs cover

8pm on FOX

NFC: (6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions (-9 1/2) — The Commanders are a very good football team. Jayden Daniels has been leading them to victories in Cardiac fashion. Yet the Detroit Lions are a wrecking ball. Yes, their defense is injury-riddled. At home in their dome, their pinball wizard offense can outscore anyone. Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn both take 4th down risks. The Lions are well rested from their bye week. Go with Jared Goff and his many offensive weapons to win the game, but the spread is high. Given Detroit’s defensive injuries and Washington’s resilience, beating the spread is certainly possible. Lions win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 19, 3pm on NBC

NFC: (4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles (-6) — The 10-7 Rams won the NFC West and then knocked off 14-3 Minnesota in the Wildcard. Now they were at the 14-3 Eagles, who won the NFC East. In the regular season the Eagles went into Los Angeles and throttled the Rams 37-20. Saquon Barkley is running wild and gives the Eagles the advantage. As much of an offensive wizard as Sean McVay is, the Eagles between Barkley and the home field should be able to win this game to get back to the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. Yet the Rams are a confident bunch and the Eagles do not blow teams out. Their offense did very little against Green Bay last week. Eagles win but fail to cover

6:30pm

AFC: (3) Baltimore Ravens (-1 1/2) at (2) Buffalo Bills — Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were both in contention for the league MVP. The winner of this game goes to the AFC Title Game. The 13-4 Bills and 12-5 Ravens met early in the regular season, with the Ravens winning a 35-10 blowout. Yet that game was in Baltimore. The rematch is in Buffalo. Derrick Henry is running with authority but the Buffalo defense is stout. Both of these teams are phenomenal, but this is one game where the home field truly matters. The weather is expected to be cold and bad, which is Buffalo weather. Upset special, Bills win outright

eric

NFL 2024-2025 Wildcard Recap

The 18 weeks of the NFL 2024 regular season are in the history books.

The Wildcard playoffs are set:

AFC (5) Chargers at (4) Texans was the Saturday afternoon game. Thankfully for the 11-6 Chargers, their playoff game was on the road. The Los Angeles wildfires have been devastating, and some of the players played with heavy hearts. Yet if anyone will keep a team focused on football, it’s Jim Harbaugh. They took on the 10-7 Texans. The Chargers after a touchback moved easily to a 3rd and 1 at the Houston 14. JK Dobbins got the carry and got buried by the Houston defense for a 2 yard loss. Cameron Dicker hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, a short pass turned disastrous when the receiver fumbled. Derwin James just ripped it out of the receiver’s hands as the Chargers took over again at the Houston 33. A sack of herbert followed by a dropped pass near the first down marker killed the drive. Dicker hit again from 39 to make it 6-0 Chargers. The defenses then dug in as the quarterbacks traded second quarter interceptions. 

A great punt late in the half pinned the Texans at their own one yard line. After barely avoiding an intentional grounding call for a safety, one play just before the 2 minute warning shifted momentum. On 3rd and 3 from their own 8, CJ Stroud hit Nico Collins for 5. Then on 3rd and 16 from their own 17, all chaos broke out. Out of the shotgun, a wild snap went way passed Stroud. He picked it up, scrambled all the way to his right, and turned a busted play into a 34 yard completion to Hutchinson. Stroud then went deep to Collins for 37. On 3rd and 11 from the Chargers 13, Stroud went to Collins for the touchdown. Despite being dominated for the first 28 minutes, the Texans led 7-6 with one minute left in the half. The Chargers went 3 and out and took only 20 seconds off the clock. The Texans got it back at their own 32 with 27 seconds left. Stroud ripped off a 27 yard run. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 41 yard field goal to have the Texans up 10-6 lead at the half.

The third quarter began with Stroud connecting with Collins for a 41 yard gain. Yet on the next pay from the Chargers 24, a trick play by DeMeco Ryans backfired. Joe Mixon took a lateral, set up for the halfback option pass, decided to keep the ball, and fumbled. The Chargers took over at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Houston 34. Jim Harbaugh passed up a 52 yard field goal try and went for it. Herbert hit Johnston near the sticks but perfect defense by Stingley caused the ball to hit the ground during the catch for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. The Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 19. offensive penalties on 3 straight plays had the Texans facing a crazy 2nd and 40. A defensive offside and a pair of completions got the Texans to a much more manageable 4th and 10. Fairbairn hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Texans with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. 

Very late in the third quarter the Chargers took over at their own 28. On the first play from scrimmage, Herbert found Murray in the flat. Problem: Murray plays defense for the Texans. Murray coasted 38 yards for a defensive touchdown to have the Texans up 20-6 after three quarters. After a touchback the Chargers began the fourth quarter by quickly moving to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 39. Herbert had his next pass bounce right out of Will Dissly’s hands and into the arms of Stingley. Problem: Stingley plays defense for the Texans. He had a convoy of blockers but was caught from behind after returning the interception 54 yards to the Chargers 13 yard line. A sack of Stroud killed the drive but Fairbairn’s 30 yard field goal had the Texans up 23-6 with 12 minutes left in regulation. 

Consecutive sacks of Herbert had the Chargers facing 3rd and 26 from their own 14. with the Chargers pretty much dead, Herbert fired over the middle to Ladd McConkey, who was a few yards short of the sticks. Then McConkey broke a tackle and outraced everyone for a stunning 86 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers were back in it. Yet seconds later, their momentum was gone in a big way. The extra point was blocked by Autry. Kicker Dicker could have caught the extra point and gotten tackled or just gone down. Yet perhaps because he did not know the rule, he just batted the ball to the ground thinking it would end the play like an incomplete pass. It was still a live ball, and Deangelo Ross picked up the ball and returned it all the way for a 2 point play for the defense. Dicker’s gaffe was hardly on the level of Garo Yepremian in the Super Bowl, but it was a blunder. Instead of being within 23-13, the Chargers trailed 25-12 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Texans just ground the Chargers into dust. On 4th and 1 from the Chargers 17, Mixon took the carry off left tackle, broke through a tackle and made it to the pylon for the dagger touchdown. The 14 play, 74 yard, 7 minute drive iced the game with 3:42 to play. Herbert was then intercepted by Stingley again. The Chargers had 9 turnovers the entire regular season, the fewest in franchise history. They had 5 on this day including 4 interceptions of Herbert. Herbert only had 3 interceptions in the entire regular season. 32-12 Texans

AFC (6) Steelers at (3) Ravens was the Saturday night game. These fierce rivals split the season series. The 10-7 Steelers entered having lost four straight. They lost to the 12-5 Ravens a few weeks ago to lose control of the division. Lamar Jackson was a legitimate league MVP candidate. The crowd at the Big Crabcake in Baltimore was pumped up before the game with retired Ravens Hall of Fame Ray Lewis doing his sUgar dance. Early on the Ravens fumbled a punt dangerously close to their own goal line but retained possession at their 5 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their own 13, Jackson ran for 4, one, 8, on 3rd and 1 from his own 26 another 5, and finally 4. Jackson carried the ball 5 straight times. Yes, he is the quarterback and not the running back. Yet of his over 5,000 total yards from scrimmage during the season, nearly 20% of it came on the ground. The actual running back is Derrick Henry, and he ripped off punishing runs of 12 and 34. On 3rd and 13 from the Pittsburgh 15, Jackson fired over the middle to Rashad Bateman for the touchdown. The 13 play, 95 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Ravens. 

On the first play after a touchback Mike Tomlin tried a flea flicker. Yet with nobody to throw to, Russell Wilson got taken down hard for a 3 yard loss. The defenses dug in as the game went to the second quarter. The Ravens then took over at their own 15 and pounded the Steelers defense into submission with 13 straight runs and 0 passes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 24, receiver Mark Andrews ran for 3. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, Henry gained 3. On 2nd and 13 from their own 36, Jackson ran for 20. Henry did the rest, running for 3, 17, and the 8 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 85 yard, 8 minute drive made it 14-0 Ravens. The lone bright spot for the Steelers was a 50 yard deep bomb, but it was wiped away by offensive pass interference. 

The Ravens got it back at their own 10 with 1:53 left in the half. On 3rd and 2, after 15 straight runs, Jackson found Bateman for 9. Jackson the went deep to Nelson Agholor for 25. Jackson went to Andrews for 20 and to Isaiah Likely for 19. Jackson spiked the ball to stop the clock and set up 2nd and goal at the 5 with 11 seconds left in the half. Jackson avoided a sack and scrambled around without a timeout. At the last moment Jackson fired to Justice Hill for the touchdown with 2 seconds left. The Ravens led 21-0 at the half of a game that even more lopsided statistically than on the scoreboard. The Ravens had over 300 yards of offense in the first half, with 160 yards on the ground. 

I the third quarter John Harbaugh decided not to gamble on 4th and 2 just past midfield. A great punt had the Steelers pinned at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 9, Russell Wilson avoided a sack and a safety and completed a 25 yard pass to Austin. Austin got blasted but somehow hung on to the ball. On 3rd and 5 from their own 33, Wilson went deep again to Williams for 37 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 30, Wilson went deep again to Van Jefferson for the touchdown. The 98 yard drive had the Steelers within 21-7 midway through the third quarter. After a touchback, Jackson was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Yet as quickly as the Steelers gained momentum, the Ravens took it back. On 2nd and 21 from his own 19, Jackson quickly went to Wallace for 21. Sims then ran for 15. Henry broke free for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Ravens up 28-7 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. by this point the Ravens already had 242 yards rushing, with 159 by Henry alone. 

After a touchback, Wilson went to Najee Harris for 9 and again for 21. Wilson went deep to George Pickens, who got hit by 2 defenders, one on each side. Yet somehow they both bounced off of him simultaneously as he glided to the end zone for a 36 yard touchdown. The Steelers still had life down by 14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After being dormant in the first half, the Steelers offense scored on both of their first two third quarter possessions. The Steelers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and 8 from their own 44. Wilson got taken down hard for an 8 yard sack as the third quarter ended. As the fourth quarter began, the Ravens had a chance to grind down clock and ice the game. 

From their own 17, the Ravens didn’t put the game away, but they did take 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Steelers took over at their own 25 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game. The Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 38, but Wilson was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Mike Tomlin pretty much had to go for it on 4th and 15 from the Baltimore 43 with 6 minutes left. Wilson went bombs away to the end zone into triple coverage. The ball should have been intercepted, but the Ravens were better off with the defender dropping it for an incompletion. The Ravens were a few first downs from closing out the game. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 48, Jackson gained 5. Defensive holding meant another automatic first down. On 2nd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 26, Hill gained 3 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 14, for the third time in the game it was Andrews taking the snap and powering ahead for two yards. 

Jackson then took a knee as the fourth quarter was scoreless. Jackson only threw 21 passes, completing 16 of them for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Yet the Ravens ran the ball 50 times, piling up 299 yards on the ground. They could have gotten the 300th rushing yard but John Harbaugh did the right thing having Jackson take a knee. Henry led all rushers with 186 yards on 26 carries. The Ravens held the ball for nearly 40 minutes to only 20 minutes for the Steelers. The Steelers were held to only 29 yards rushing. This was old-school smash mouth football, but with the home team doing the smashing and the road team getting smashed.  28-14 Ravens

AFC (7) Broncos at (2) Bills was the Sunday morning game. The 10-7 Broncos finally clinched their seven seed Wildcard on the final week of the regular season. They throttled Kansas City, who was playing their backups. The Bills coasted to a 13-4 record and the two seed, clinching the AFC East for the 4th straight year. Josh Allen is a legitimate MVP candidate. The Bills were heavily favored at home to steamroll the Broncos. The Bills were a perfect 8-0 at home in the regular season. The Broncos quickly began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 32. Bo nix went over the middle to Cortland Sutton for 19. Nix then went bombs away to Franklin, who beat the coverage and caught the perfectly thrown ball for a 43 yard touchdown. Less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Broncos led 7-0. The remaining 57 1/2 minutes were tougher.

The Bills took over at their own 33 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Denver 8. Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass  hit the 26 yard field goal as the Bills trailed 7-3. The Bills took over at their own 19. Allen went to Kincaid for 7. Johnson ran for 11 and James Cook added 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 40, Allen gained 7. On 3rd and 5 from the DeNVER 28, Allen hit Samuel for 7 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 3 at the Denver 14. Allen gained 9. Cook ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 81 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Bills up 10-7.

After a touchback the Broncos soon faced 4th and 8 at their own 43. Sean Payton called a fake punt and punter Dixon hit Marvin Mims for 15. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 36, a completion from Nix to Mims lost 3 yards. Nix then threw incomplete. Sean Payton decided against going for it or trying a 57 yard field goal. He chose to punt and play field position. This time Dixon did punt, and he pinned the Bills at their own one yard line. They held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes but couldn’t get past their own 40, punting at the 2 minute warning. Return man Mims got belted on a perfectly timed hit, with a personal foul on the receiving team pinning the Broncos at their own 8 yard line. The Broncos quickly moved to the Buffalo 32 with 5 seconds left. Wil Lutz’s 50 yard field goal try to tie the game doinked off the right upright no good. 

The Bills in the third quarter moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and goal at the 6. Cook got stopped for no good and Allen was then sacked. Officials missed a blatant defensive holding penalty in the end zone. Bass hit the 27 yard field goal to have the Bills up 13-7. The Bills got it back at their own 27. Allen went to Shakir for 13. On 2nd and 13 from their own 38, Allen threw incomplete but a defensive personal foul for a hit to the head meant 15 yards. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 24, a field goal would make it a 2 score game. Sean McDermott gambled. Allen with all kinds of time fired to the end zone. Ty Johnson made a sliding acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone. Johnson caught the ball just above the ground and just before he slid out of bounds. Allen went to Coleman for the 2 point conversion to have the Bills up 21-7 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Bills were dominating statistically in yards and first downs, as well as holding the ball for 30 of the first 42 minutes. Now that imbalance was finally reflecting on the scoreboard. The Bills began the fourth quarter with a 23 yard punt return to start them at their own 41. On 3rd and 6, Allen went bombs away to Samuel, who weaved through traffic for a 55 yard touchdown dagger. The game was now a blowout with the Bills leading 28-7. The Broncos moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 14. Rather than throw past the first down marker, a swing pass in the flat gained only one yard as the Broncos turned it over on downs. Bass tacked on a 34 yard field goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining to pad the lead. After the Broncos failed to convert 4th and 17, the Bills took over at the Denver 23. Allen was done for the day as Mitchell Trubisky played mop up. The Broncos are a good team who could be a great team next year. The Bills are a great team now. 31-7 Bills

NFC (7) Packers at (2) Eagles was the Sunday afternoon game. These teams played in the NFL regular season opener in Brazil. The Eagles won a squeaker. The rematch in Philadelphia has the 11-6 Packers dealing with Jordan Love who is not at 100%. The 14-3 Eagles who rested their starters in the regular season finale. Jalen Hurts is ready and Saquon Barkley had over 2,000 yards rushing. The Packers are suspect given that 5 of their 6 losses came against teams with better records. Yet Josh Jacobs runs with authority. On the opening kickoff, the Packers return man got blasted with a perfect hit to the chest and fumbled. The Eagles began at the Green Bay 28. On the first play from scrimmage Barkley gained 16. Hurts went to Dotson for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles less than 2 minutes into the game. Later in the first quarter the Eagles moved from their own 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 13. Jalen Hurts threw 3 incompletions. Jake Elliott hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles after the first quarter. 

The second quarter was scoreless as Love threw 2 interceptions and Brandon McManus missed a 38 yard field goal try for the Packers. Hurts completed his first 6 passes but missed his next 7 as Green Bay’s defense kept the Packers in the game. In the third quarter the Packers moved from their own 16 to a 2nd and goal at the 8. Love thew incomplete twice. McManus hit from 26 to get the Packers within 10-3 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 39. After being bottled up all game, Hurts went to Devonta Smith for 28 and again for 9. Hurts then went to Dallas Goedert, who stiff-armed the defender twice on the same play to complete the 24 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Eagles led 16-3 with 3:20 left in the third quarter. 

The Packers took over at their own 22. Love went to Jacobs for 15 and to Reed for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 42, Love went to Wicks for 10. On the last play of the third quarter Jacobs barreled over people and dragged a tackler along for a 31 yard run down to the one. On the first play of the fourth quarter Jacobs got the carry and after appearing stopped, barely broke the plane of the goal line while standing up. The touchdown had the Packers right back in it down 16-10. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 4th and 8 at the Green Bay 12. Elliott hit the 30 yard field goal. The 13 play, 58 yard drive took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock and gave the Eagles breathing room up 19-10 midway through the fourth quarter. The Packers faced 4th and 3 at their own 40 with 5 minutes left. Needing 2 scores Matt LaFleur had to go for it. Love found Heath by the sideline past the first down marker, but Heath came down with one foot just barely out of bounds for a killer incompletion. Elliott tacked on one 32 yard field goal and Love threw one more interception. After 6 straight games without an interception, Love threw 3 in this game. 22-10 Eagles

NFC (6) Commanders at (3) Buccaneers was the Sunday night game. The 12-5 Commanders have been revitalized by Dan Quinn. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been sensational. The Buccaneers won the NFC South for the fourth straight year, but they were only 10-7 in a pathetic division. They clinched on the final week of the regular season. Baker Mayfield has been playing like the top overall Draft pick he was. After an opening touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Washington 32. mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit the 50 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Commanders moved from their own 33 to a 3rd and 2 at the Tampa Bay 20. Daniels got stopped for no gain. Rather than just kick a 38 yard field goal to tie the game, Dan Quinn went for it. On 4th and 2, Daniels threw incomplete. 

The Commanders got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 6, Jayden Daniels went to Zac Ertz for 9 and to Terry McLaurin for 18. Austin Ekeler ran for 12 to end the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter from the Tampa Bay 45, Daniels hit Robinson for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 23, Dan Quinn gambled again. Ekeler gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa Bay 14, Daniels went to Zaccheaus for 6. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Daniels went to Brown for the touchdown. The mind-numbing 17 play, 92 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock and had the Commanders up 7-3. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 33. Daniels threw incomplete twice. Zane Gonzalez hit the 52 yard field goal to have the Commanders up 10-3 with 1:52 left in the half. 

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 27. Mayfield ran for 18. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 11, to Cade Otton for 12, and to Evans again for 20. Defensive pass interference added 11 yards down to the one. Mayfield went to Evans for the touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half for a 10-10 game. After a third quarter touchback the Commanders moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. A run lost a yard and Daniels threw incomplete twice. Gonzalez hit from 22 to make it 13-10 Commanders. The Buccaneers took over at their own 28. A defensive facemark added 15. On 3rd and 4 from midfield Mayfield went to Evans for 18. Irving got around the end for 19 more. Mayfield threw a 4 yard touchdown to Irving to give the Buccaneers the 17-13 lead. 

The Commanders after a touchback moved 67 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. The fourth quarter began with a 22 yard defensive pass interference penalty giving he Commanders 1st and goal at the one. Daniels threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that lost 2 yards. With a full 14minutes remaining, it made sense to kick the chip shot field goal and get within 17-16. Instead, Dan Quinn went for it. Daniels threw incomplete. The Tampa Bay defense had an inspired goal line stand, but the offense from their own 15 self-destructed. An attempted handoff from Mayfield to Wagner on a sweep was fumbled and the Commanders recovered at the Tampa Bay 13. On 4th and 2 from the 5, again Quinn could have kicked a field goal. Again, Quinn gambled. This time Daniels hit Mclaurin for the touchdown to make it 20-17 Commanders with 10 minutes left in regulation.

The Buccaneers moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 12. A touchdown would have given the Buccaneers the lead. Instead, Irving was taken down for a 2 yard loss. McLaughlin hit the 32 yard field goal to tie the game 20-20 with 4:40 left. After a touchback, Daniels hit Brown for 21 and Ekeler for 18 as the Commanders took the clock all the way down. With 3 seconds left Gonzalez came in for the 37 yard field goal try and the win. Mayfield grimaced and hoped he would get overtime and a chance with the football. The kick was high stakes drama for everyone. Gonzalez doinked it off the right upright but got the lucky bounce as it caromed inside the left upright and over the crossbar good. The Commanders won their first playoff game in 19 years, which was also at Tampa Bay. 23-20 Commanders

NFC (5) Vikings at (4) Rams is the Monday night game. Because of the devastating Los Angeles Wildfires, the Rams home game was moved to Arizona. Given that Arizona is an NFC West rival, this could be a home game for the Vikings instead. The 14-3 Vikings are the highest rated Wildcard ever, having missed out on the top seed and the first round bye due to losing their regular season finale at Detroit. The 10-7 Rams finished tied with Seattle for the NFC West division lead, but the Rams won the tie-breaker. They got the crown while Seattle stayed home for the playoffs. The Vikings are clearly the better team but never underestimate a team led by Sean McVay. Nevertheless, Sam Darnold had a great season and Justin Jefferson is all world.

The Rams are the only team other than Detroit to beat the Vikings this season. After n openinga touchback Matthew Stafford went right tinwork hitting Puka Nacua deep for 27 yards and Tyler Higbee for 23 more. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 10, the defense bit on the hard count and jumped into the neutral zone. Stafford then went to Kyren Williams for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 22 and moved to a 4th and 5 at the Minnesota 16. Joshua Harty hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams.

After a touchback the Vikings finally moved the ball. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 4th and 2 at the Rams 16. Kevin O’Connell was not in a gambling mood. Will Reichard hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 10-3. After a touchback, chaos ensued when Stafford was hit and fumbled. Cashman returned the fumble for a 26 yard defensive touchdown. Before the Vikings could celebrate a 10-10 game, officials reversed the fumble to an incomplete pass. Replay clearly showed Stafford shoveling the ball forward. The Vikings eventually got it back at their own 27 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 47. Darnold went to the sideline and Durant jumped the route for an interception. The Vikings got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 38. Darnold was sacked, and it was definitely a fumble. Verse picked it up off the bounce and rumbled for a 57 yard defensive touchdown to make it 17-3 Rams with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.

After a touchback the Vikings moved to a 4th and 2 at midfield at the 2 minute warning. Kevin O’Connell gambled and Darnold was sacked for an 11 yard loss. From the Minnesota 39, Williams ran for 9 and 5. Stafford hit Nacua for 12 and Allen for 13 with 15 seconds left in the half. The Rams were dominating up 24-3. Darnold was sacked 6 times in the first half. In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 23 to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 19. Stafford was sacked. Harty hit from 44 to make it 27-3 Rams. The Vikings got it back and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 43. Darnold went to Nailor for 14. After a defensive holding penalty, Darnold went to Nailor again for 12. Darnold then went to TJ Hockenson for a 26 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Vikings finally showed life. It was too little, too late, as Darnold was sacked 9 times overall.  27-9 Rams

The top seeds have the bye week.

AFC (1) Kansas City Chiefs

NFC (1) Detroit Lions

The Divisional Playoff games are set:

AFC:

(4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs

(3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills

NFC: 

(6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions

(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles

NFL 2024-2025 Wildcard Prequel

The 18 weeks of the NFL 2024 regular season are in the history books.

The Wildcard playoffs are set:

Saturday, January 11, 2025, 4:30pm on CBS

AFC (5) (11-6) Chargers (-3) at (4)(10-7) Texans — This is a case of contenders against pretenders. The Texans are pretenders and everybody knows it. Yes, CJ Stroud is a very good quarterback. Yet his team plays in the horrendous AFC South. The Chargers have a stud quarterback in Justin Herbert. Jim Harbaugh has turned the Chargers around. Weather will not be a factor. Neither team is elite, but the Chargers are just better. Chargers cover

8pm on Prime Video

AFC (6)(10-7) Steelers at (3)(12-5) Ravens (-9 1/2) — Ignore the records. Home field does not matter in this series, although this was a rare year where they split the season series and both teams won at home. The Steelers come in having lost four straight games, including at the Ravens a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, these teams play physical matchups. The spread is way too high for two teams who know each other inside out. Lamar Jackson is playing lights out. Derrick Henry is running with purpose. Yet with two well-coached physical defenses, an upset is possible. Ravens win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 12, 1pm on CBS

AFC (7)(10-7) Broncos at (2)(13-4) Bills (-8 1/2) — The Broncos ended their nine year playoff drought by beating up on Kansas City’s backups. Yet Bo Nix is playing well. Josh Allen has been playing spectacular football. He has a ton of weapons. While home field does matter in this game, the Broncos will not be intimidated by cold weather. The Bills are in Super Bowl or bust mode while the Broncos are a year away from being elite. The spread is too high given that the Broncos are well coached and play hard on defense. Bills win but fail to cover

4:30pm on FOX

NFC (7)(11-6) Packers at (2)(14-3) Eagles (-4 1/2) — In the regular season opener, the Eagles eked out a win in Brazil. Jalen Hurts will be rested and ready, as will sequin Barkley. The problem with the Packers is that their record is a bit deceptive. five of their six losses came to playoff teams with better records. Jordan Love is a good quarterback but the Eagles are the superior team. The Eagles tend to win close games rather than blow teams out. Eagles win but fail to cover

8pm on NBC

NFC (6) (12-5) Commanders at (3) (10-7) Buccaneers (-3) — This one could go either way. Jayden Daniels has had a sensational rookie year while Baker Mayfield has had his best season. Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles both know defense, but Washington seems to have the better defense. The Buccaneers play in a very soft division. The Buccaneers have playoff experience. The Commanders do not. Yet Daniels is too special to ignore. Upset special, Commanders win outright

Monday, January 13, 8pm on ESPN

NFC (5)(14-3) Vikings (-2) at (10-7)(4) Rams — Despite losing at Detroit, the Vikings are the greatest regular season Wildcard in NFL history based on their record. In any of the other seven divisions, they would have been division champions. Sam Darnold has had a sensational year until the regular season finale. Of the three Vikings losses, two were to Detroit and the third one was at the Rams earlier in the season. The Vikings are a much better team than they were earlier in the year. Sean McVay is a stud coach, and Matthew Stafford can still sling it. Yet Minnesota’s defense is much improved. Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the NFL. The Rams are the only thing standing in the way of the Vikings getting a third rubber match with Detroit. Home field will not matter. This could go either way, but go with the better record and defense. Vikings cover

The top seeds have the bye week.

AFC (1) Kansas City Chiefs
NFC (1) Detroit Lions

eric

NFL 2024 Week 18 Recap

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens was the Saturday afternoon game. The Browns are done for the year. The 11-5 Ravens are one game up in the AFC North. They are currently the three seed. If they win, they win the division. A loss coupled with a Pittsburgh win would cost them the division and drop them to the five seed Wildcard. The Ravens were a whopping 20 point favorites, an unthinkable spread in the NFL. The Browns with a loss would be guaranteed a top 3 Draft pick and possibly the top pick. Yet earlier in the year, the Browns defeated the Ravens. The Browns were starting newly acquired fourth string quarterback Bailey Zappe, who was previously on Kansas City’s practice squad. Lamar Jackson was having a lights out year, entering the game with 39 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions.Derrick Henry was running like a beast. Last year the Ravens had the AFC Title Game at home and lost. In the first quarter Zappe threw a sideline route to Wiggins. Problem: Wiggins plays defense for he Ravens. Wiggins glided 26 yards for the interception touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. 

The Browns soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Foreman got stopped short. Kevin Stefanski gambled. On 4th and 1 Zappe went deep incomplete. With a short field the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 9. Mark Andrews got stopped short. John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 1. Jackson tried ro run and at the last moment flipped a pass to a wide open Henry in the end zone. Jackson overthrew Henry incomplete. Both coaches got too cute by half and turned it over on downs. 

Late in the first quarter Zappe was already taken out as Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over. Later in the first half, zapped was back in. A shanked 26 yard punt gave the Ravens the ball at the Cleveland 47 to start the second quarter. On 3rd and 6 Jackson went to Henry for 10. Bay Flowers gained 9 and caught a pass from Jackson for 12. Jackson went to Andrews for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. A strong kickoff return had the Browns at their own 40. They moved to a 4th and goal at the 5. Stefanski played it safe. Dustin Hopkins hit from 23 to get the Browns on the board. The Ravens after a third quarter touchback saw Henry run for 25. Jackson hit Isaiah Likely for 14. On 2nd and 15 from the Cleveland 35, Jackson went deep to Andrews. Andrews made a sliding catch for a 30 yard gain. Jackson went to Rashad Bateman for a 7 yard touchdown to have the Ravens cruising up 21-3. 

Late in the third quarter the Browns faced 3rd and 4 at their own 34. Zappe found Jerry Jeudy for 10. The fourth quarter began with the Browns facing 3rd and 16 at their own 38. Zappe was sacked but the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 11, Zappe threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. Zappe found Jeudy for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 25, Zappe went to Moore for 8. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 16, Zappe hit Akins for the touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Browns were only down 21-10. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32. Jackson went to Bateman for 24 and again for 20. Henry ran for 15. Jackson hit Picard for 14. Henry ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Ravens to ice the game with 6:45 to play. 

In desperation mode the Browns and to go for it on 4th and 4 just past midfield. Zappe threw incomplete. Henry delivered the exclamation point, running for 8 and then for a 42 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Ravens finished with 220 yards rushing on 35 carries, led by Henry’s 138 yards on 20 carries. With the win, the 12-5 Ravens clinched the AFC North and locked up the three seed. They will host a playoff game on Wildcard weekend. Based on Sunday games the next day, the Browns assured themselves that they will pick second in the Draft. Kevin Stefanski is not expected to be a Black Monday casualty, but on Sunday the Browns fired their offensive coordinator. 35-10 Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Saturday night game. The 8-8 Bengals have won 4 straight but are on the outside looking in. They need to win and get help to sneak into the playoffs. The 10-6 Steelers are one game back in the AFC North. If the Steelers lose, they settle for a Wildcard. Yet if they win and Baltimore loses, the Steelers win the tie-breaker and the division. They would vault to the three seed. Yet Baltimore won earlier in the day, putting the division out of reach. The Steelers began the game at best a five seed Wildcard who would be playing road playoff games. Nevertheless, Mike Tomlin played his starters in an attempt to prevent the Steelers from possibly falling to the six seed. Very light snow flurries fell throughout the game, but not enough to make any impact. The Bengals began the game at their own 27. Joe Burrow hit Mike Gesicki for 12, Tee Higgins for 9 and Gesicki again for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 27, Burrow went to Chase for gains of 8, 7, and finally the 12 yard touchdown o make it 7-0 Bengals. Despite dominating the game, the Bengals would not reach the end zone again in the final 54 minutes. The Bengals moved from their own 33 to a 2nd and 6 at the Pittsburgh 26. Burrow threw incomplete and was then sacked. Cade York hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bengals. 

The Steelers got it back at their own 27. Najee Harris ran for 10. On 3rd and 11 Russell Wilson went deep ti Williams for a 25 yard gain to end the first quarter. The second quarter had the Steelers facing 3rd and 5 at the Cincinnati 34. Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 5 yard gain. Harris gained 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 9, Wilson got the yard. On 3rd and goal at the 6 Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Harris got in to have the Steelers within 10-7. With 49 seconds left in the half, the Steelers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 37. Wilson took the quarterback sneak. After initially being ruled to have the first down, officials reversed it to 4th and inches. Mike Tomlin went for it. Jalen Warren was initially ruled to have gotten the first down but officials again reversed it to short. 

The Bengals took the short field and moved to a 1st and goal at the 9 with 27 seconds left. Burrow threw 3 straight incompletions. York hit from 27. In the third quarter the Bengals took over at their own 36 and moved 47 yards on 11 plays in 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 5, Burrow was sacked. York hit from 35 to make it 16-7 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 13 and moved 82 yards in 15 plays, taking 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Burrow threw incomplete. York hit the 23 yarder. 3 straight drives saw the Bengals reach the red zone. 3 straight drives saw the settle for field goals. The Bengals led 19-7 with 11 minutes left in regulation, but their inability for their normally high octane offense to score touchdowns put their season at risk. 

 The Steelers took over at their own 35. Short passes led to a 3rd and 2 at the Cincinnati 47. Wilson hit Harris for 4 and again for 12. Wilson ran for 12. Wilson went to Pat Freiermuth for a 19 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Steelers were right back in it down 19-14. The Steelers got a major break when the Bengals fumbled a punt to set up the Steelers at the Cincinnati 38. On 2nd and 9 from the Cincinnati 27, a sack followed by offensive holding killed the drive. Chris Boswell nailed a 54 yard field goal. With 2:40 to play, the Steelers were within two points. They had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. A strong kickoff return had the Bengals taking over at their own 44. One or 2 first downs would end the game. Yet on 3rd and 3 just past midfield, Burrow was sacked. 

The Steelers took over at their own 24 with one timeout and 1:51 left needing only a field goal to win. The Cincinnati defense had been porous all year. They were stout for most of this game but were on the verge of blowing it. On 3rd and 9 from his own 25, Wilson fired to Freiermuth for 17. Yet rather than spike the ball, Wilson decided to scramble. He gained only 3 yards and was tackled in bounds. Then Wilson was sacked, forcing the Steelers to take their final timeout with 20 seconds left. Wilson threw deep to Pickens but the throw was off the mark and incomplete. Pickens had a miserable game, catching only one ball for 0 yards while dropping 3 passes. So with Pickens shaky, on 4th and 12 from his own 40 with 15 seconds left, Wilson went to reliable Freiermuth. The pass was perfectly thrown and this time Freiermuth just dropped it. The Steelers are in the playoffs at 10-7, but they enter having lost 4 straight. They dropped to the six seed, but if the Chargers lose on Sunday, the Steelers move back up to the five seed. The 9-8 Bengals ended the regular season winning 5 straight. They did their part but it might be enough. The Bengals needed Denver and Miami to both lose on Sunday. Otherwise the Bengals are out. On Sunday, Miami lost but Denver won, eliminating the Bengals. 19-17 Bengals

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — The Titans are done and with a loss still had a chance at the top pick in the Draft. The 9-7 Texans are AFC South Division champs and are locked into the four seed. Demeco Ryans was able to rest his starters for the playoffs but decided to start them. The Texans began at their own 31 CJ Stroud hit Nico Collins for 11 and 5. Stroud went to Dalton Schultz for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 25, Stroud went to Collins for 14. Joe Mixon ran for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Stroud went to Collins for the touchdown. The 11 play, 69 yard , 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Texans. That was enough as the starters played only one drive. Davis Mills played quarterback the rest of the way. The Texans got the ball back early in the second quarter at their own 8 yard line. Damien Pierce got the carry and raced for a 92 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans led 13-0. 

The Titans finally got on the board with a 35 yard Matt Wright field goal with 1:41 left in the half. Kaimi Fairbairn answered from 27 for the Texans to end the half. The Titans held the ball for over 8 minutes to start the third quarter but settled for a 38 yard Wright field goal to trail 16-6. The Texans moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Mills threw incomplete. DeMeco Ryans went for it on 4th and goal and Mills threw incomplete. The fourth quarter began with the Titans facing 3rd and 10 from their own one. Will Levis went deep to Calvin Ridley for 39. Yet 2 plays later Levis fumbled. Barnett picked up the fumble and rumbled 36 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Texans led 23-6 and coasted. The Titans got a garbage touchdown on a Hail Mary prayer that was answered but nothing else. With the loss, the Titans guaranteed themselves the top pick in the 2025 Draft. The Titans lost to backups. The 10-7 Texans as the four seed will host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend with well rested players. 23-14 Texans 

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — The Panthers are done for the year. The 8-8 Falcons are on the outside looking in. They are one game back in their division. If they win and Tampa Bay loses, the Falcons win the tie-breaker and the NFC South and are the four seed. Otherwise, the Falcons are out. The Falcons began at their own 29 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 13. Michael Penix threw 3 incompletions. Riley Patterson hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Atlanta 18. Bryce Young completed a pass for no gain and then threw incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit from 35 to make it 3-3. The Falcons moved from their 31 to a 4th and 4 at the Carolina 42. Raheem Morris went for it. Michael Penix threw incomplete. In the second quarter both offenses exploded.

On 3rd and 2 from midfield, Boone ran for 6. Young hit Legette for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 17, Young went to Legette for 15. Young ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Panthers. After a touchback from their own 41, Penix went to London for 24. Bijan Robinson ran for 15, 9, 2 and 6. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Penix ran for the touchdown to make it 10-10. The Panthers took over at their own 25. Young went to Franks for 12. Blackshear ran for 26. Young went deep to Sanders for a 33 yard touchdown. With 2:48 left in the half, the Panthers led 17-10. 

After a touchback Penix hit London for 9, Pitts for 9, and London for 26. Robinson ran for 20, then 3, and finally a 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-17 with 1:34 left. The Falcons got it back at their own 19 with 40 seconds left. Penix went to London for 19. On 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Penix went deep to McCloud for 42. Penix went deep to London for a 20 yard touchdown with 3 seconds left in the half. The Falcons led 24-17 at the intermission.

A third quarter interception of Penix had the Panthers at the Atlanta 21. On 4th and 1, Dave Canales went for it. Young hit Tommy Tremble for the 12 yard touchdown to tie the game 24-24. The Falcons moved from their own 32 to a 2nd and 9 at the Carolina 30. A completion lost 2 yards and then Penix was sacked. Patterson, in for an injured Younghoe Koo, came in for a 52 yard field goal try to give the Falcons the lead. Patterson was wide right no good. The Panthers took over at their own 42. Sanders gained 7 and Young added 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 38, Young went to Oker for 14. Sanders ran for 6 and 7. Young found Moore for a 9 yard touchdown as the Panthers led 31-24 after three quarters. 

The Falcons took over at their own 26. Penix went deep to London for 39. Robinson ran for 3 to end the third quarter, for 5 more to start the fourth quarter, and on 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 27, 6 more. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 12, Raheem Morris went for it. Robinson got the yard. On 3rd and 20 from the Carolina 21, Penix went to London for the touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation the game was tied 31-31. After a touchback, Young hit Coker for 9 and 7. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Blackshear gained 17. An offensive facemark on the next play had the Panthers facing 1st and 25 at their own 47. Young went deep to Sanders for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 10, Young ran for the touchdown. The Panthers had a 38-31 lead with 4 minutes left.

After a touchback, Robinson ran for 12, 9 and 5. Penix went to London for 9. Robinson ran for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 25, Penix went to London for 11. Robinson ran for 4 and then for a 4 yard touchdown. The game that had been tied 3-3, 10-10, 17-17, 24-24 and 31-31 was now tied for a 6th time at 38-38 with 46 seconds left in regulation. The Panthers won the overtime coin toss. After a touchback Sanders ran for 4 and 11. Young hit Tremble for 18. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 31, Young went to Coker for 8. On 2nd and 12 from the Atlanta 25, Young hit Coker for 14 and again for 10 down to the one. Sanders ran it in to end the game with just over 3 minutes left in an overtime where the Falcons never saw the ball. 

The Falcons finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs, but they have a young talented quarterback in Penix. He threw for 310 yards in this this game. The Falcons rushed for 227 yards on 38 carries, led by 170 yards on 28 carries for Robinson. The Falcons had well over 500 yards of offense in this game and never punted. The teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of offense. The Falcons may unload Kirk Cousins for draft picks. The arrow is trending up in Atlanta. It also is in Carolina. The Panthers finished 5-12, but Young overcame being benched earlier this year to vastly improve in the second half of the season. He threw 3 touchdown passes in the finale. 44-38 Panthers, OT

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Saints are done for the year. The 9-7 Buccaneers are one game up in their division. They win the NFC South with a win or if they lose and Atlanta also loses. If the Buccaneers lose and Atlanta wins, the Buccaneers lose the tie-breaker and are out of the playoffs. Spencer Rattler began at quarterback for the Saints after an opening touchback. The Saints moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Tampa Bay 15. A short pass by Rattler lost a yard. Blake Grupe hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. The Buccaneers took over at their own 23 and moved to a 4th and 10 at the New Orleans 39. Todd Bowles opted to punt but the Saints were penalized for running into the kicker. That made it 4th and 5 and field goal range. Chase McLaughlin hit from 52 to make it 3-3. After a touchback the Saints moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Tampa 21 to start the fourth quarter. Rattler threw incomplete. Grupe hit from 39 to make it 6-3 Saints. 

The Saints got it back at their own 21. Rattler went deep to Johnson for 26. Rattler went to Holker for 5 and 6 and to Clyde Edwards-Helaire for 14. Darren Rizzi went for it on 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 21. Williams gained 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 6, Williams gained 3. Rattler went to Bettis for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Saints. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the New Orleans 7. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 25 to have the Buccaneers within 13-6 with one minute left in the half. After a touchback the Saints moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Tampa Bay 21 with 20 seconds left. Rattler threw incomplete twice. Blake Grupe hit from 39 as the Saints took the surprising 16-6 lead to the locker rooms. Mayfield was 0-43 in his career when trailing by double digits, the worst mark since the 1950s. 

The Buccaneers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 6 at their own 32. Mayfield ran for 10. On 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Mayfield went to Shepard for 11 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. A defensive facemark on the next play added 12 more. On 3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 6, Mayfield went to Durham for the touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 16-13. The Buccaneers got it back but Mayfield was intercepted. The Saints had a short field at the Tampa Bay 37. On 2nd and 3, a run lost a yard. Then Rattler threw incomplete. Grupe hit from 49. Four field goals had the Saints up 19-13, but the inability to finish drives left the door open. 

The Buccaneers took over at their own 18. On 3rd and 6 from their own 22, Mayfield went to Culp for 20 as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield early in the fourth quarter, Mayfield gained 7. On 3rd and 1 from the New Orleans 35, Mayfield was sacked. Todd Bowles went for it on 4th and 8. Mayfield went deep to McMillan for a 33 yard gain. After offensive penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct and holding, Mayfield calmly went back to McMillan for a 32 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left the Buccaneers had their first lead up 20-19. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 9 Mayfield went to Mike Evans for just enough. On 3rd and 14 from their own 12, Mayfield scrambled for 28. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Tucker ran for 14. Mayfield went to Evans for 12. Irving ran for 8 and then for the 11 yard touchdown. With 1:51 left the Buccaneers led by 8 points. 

After a touchback the Saints moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Tampa Bay 32 with 47 seconds left. Rattler threw incomplete twice. With only 36 seconds left, all Mayfield had to do was take a knee. Yet the Buccaneers made a very controversial decision. Evans needed 5 more receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the 11th straight year. So Mayfield threw to Evans for a 9 yard gain. The Buccaneers let that be the game’s final play. Evans is now 2nd all time in this category behind Jerry Rice, who had 1,000 receiving yards for 14 straight seasons. Evans also won a 3 million dollar bonus for the achievement. Yet what if Mayfield had his pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown? It was a dangerous decision to put an individual achievement over the good of the team. Others would say no harm, no foul. 

The 5-12 Saints awaited Black Monday, with Darren Rizzi possibly being a coaching casualty. The 10-7 Buccaneers won the NFC South for the 4th straight year. Because the Rams lost, the Buccaneers moved up from the 4th seed to the 3rd seed. They will host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. 27-19 Buccaneers

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — The Patriots are done for the year. With a loss the Patriots would guarantee themselves the top pick in the 2025 Draft. The 13-3 Bills have clinched the AFC East and are locked into the two seed. This allowed Sean McDermott to rest his starters for the playoffs, so it was very surprising when Josh Allen started the game. He played exactly one snap to keep his consecutive games started streak alive. After handing the ball off, he headed to the bench for the rest of the day. Mitchell Trubisky played the rest of the game. Drake Maye played the first series for the Patriots. Yet when the Patriots began their second series at their own 45, Maye was out and Joe Milton was in. This was Milton’s very first NFL game. 

Milton hit Douglas for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 35, Milton went to Douglas for 7. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 18, Milton got the yard. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 12, Milton hit Gibson for 11. Milton got the yard to cap the 13 play, 55 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Patriots. The Bills took over at there own 25. Trubisky hit Coleman for 9. James Cook ran for 6 and 5. Trubisky hit Mack Hollins for 11 and 13. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 5, Gilliam gained 4. On 4th and goal from the 2, Sean McDermott went for it. Trubisky hit Davis for the touchdown to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 31. Milton went to Boutte for 14. Milton then rolled out and went deep to a wide open Boutte for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Patriots.  

The Bills after a touchback moved to a 4th and 7 at the New England 31. Tyler Bass hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Bills within 14-10. In the third quarter Milton fumbled and the Bills recovered at the new England 16. On 3rd and 1, Trubisky gained 4. Cook ran for a one yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bills led 16-14 midway through the third quarter. Trubisky was done for the day as well as Sean McDermott brought in 3rd stringer White to finish the final 1 1/2 quarters. The rest of the game belonged to Patriots kicker Joey Slye. Slye hit from 41 late in the third quarter, from 42 with 9 minutes left in regulation, and from 50 with 1:55 left to have the Patriots up by 7. The Bills took over at their own 29 and White quickly threw 4 straight incompletions. 

The Bills at 13-4 will have well rested starters as the two seed. They host a Wildcard playoff game next week. The Patriots finished the season 4-13. With the win, the Patriots tumbled from the top pick in the Draft to pick number four. There is no tanking in the NFL. The Patriots and other and teams played with heart and integrity. The Patriots victory was marred after the game by the Kraft family. Owner Robert Kraft has always portrayed the Patriots as a classy organization that does things the right way. They were classless after this win. They immediately after the game on Sunday fired Jerod Mayo after only one season. They really could have waited until Black Monday to let the players enjoy the win. Mayo won his first game and his last game, but too few games in between. 23-16 Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams are done for the year. After an opening touchback the Colts struck quickly. Joe Flacco went to Alex Ogletree for 21, to Pittman for 9, and deep to Pierce for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. After a touchback Mac Jones went to Strange for 12. Travis Etienne gained 11. Tank Bigsby added 11 more. Jones hit Thomas for 17. Bigsby ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Late in the first quarter Shane Steichen gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 48. Flacco got taken down for no gain. The good field position allowed Cam Little to start the second quarter with a 53 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Jaguars. 

After a touchback Jonathan Taylor ran for 8, 9 and 3. Flacco went to Pittman for 26. Taylor ran for 9, 2, and the 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Jacksonville 31. Flacco threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit from 49 make it 17-10 Colts.  The Jaguars after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 9.  Jones threw incomplete twice. Little hit from 28 to get the Jaguars within 17-13. A touchback left 1:25 on the clock, which was enough time for the Colts to move to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 18. Falco threw 3 straight incompletions. Gay hit from 36 to have the Colts up 20-13. The third quarter was scoreless as Jones threw an interceptions and Gay missed a 51 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. 

The Jaguars began the fourth quarter at their own 16. On 3rd and 4, Jones went to Strange for 11 and again for 26. On 3rd and 11 from the Indianapolis 37, Johnson ran for a 22 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 9, Jones went to Washington for 8. Washington was hit at the one yard line and fumbled. Washington recovered his own fumble at the one and rolled into the end zone without being touched. The touchdown counter as the game was tied 20-20 midway through the fourth quarter. 

After a touchback the Colts moved to a 4th and 1 at the Jacksonville 22. Shane Steichen lined up to go for it but it was a bluff. The defense didn’t bite as the delay of game made it 4th and 6. Gay hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 23-20 Colts with 4 minutes left. After a touchback the Jaguars moved to a 4th and 3 at the Indianapolis 35 with 1:44 left. Doug Pederson opted for the field goal. Little hit from 53 for a 23-23 game. 

After a touchback the Colts moved to a 3rd and 3 at midfield with 28 seconds left. Flacco was sacked. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. The Colts won the coin toss. After a touchback the Colts moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Jacksonville 18. A run lost 2 yards and Flacco threw incomplete. Gay hit from 38 to put the Colts up by 3 midway through overtime. The Jaguars would still get a chance with the ball. After a touchback on 3rd and 6, Jone was sacked On 4th and 22 from their own 18, Jones went to Thomas for 20, two yards short. The Colts finished the season 8-9. The 4-13 Jaguars will have the 5th pick in the Draft as Doug Pederson awaited Black Monday. He is expected to return. 26-23 Colts, OT

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys are done for the year. The 11-5 Commanders have clinched a Wildcard and are currently the six seed. The Cowboys started third string quarterback Trey Lance. If the Commanders lose and Green Bay wins, the Commanders fall to the seven seed. On 2 of the first 3 plays, Jayden Daniels was sacked by Micah Parsons. The Cowboys moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 3 at the Washington 16. Lance threw incomplete. Brandon Aubrey hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. In the second quarter the Commanders fumbled a punt to set up the Cowboys at the Washington 22. A sack of Lance killed the drive. Aubrey hit from 41 to make it 6-0 Cowboys. The Commanders moved from their own 37 to a 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 28. Daniels completed a pass that lost a yard. Zane Gonzalez hit from 47 to have the Commanders within 6-3. After a third quarter touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and goal at the 9. Lance was sacked. Aubrey hit from 36 to make it 9-3 Cowboys. Jayden Daniels has had a spectacular rookie season but he was a miserable 6 of 12 for 38 yards in the first half. Dan Quinn decided to sit him down for his health. Marcus Mariota played the second half.

After a touchback on 3rd and 3 from his own 37, Mariota went to Austin Ekeler for 14. Mariota ran for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 34, Mariota went to Zaccheaus for 29. Mariota went to Zac Ertz for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Commanders up 10-9 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback the Cowboys moved 68 yards in 15 plays and over 6 minutes. The Cowboys began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and goal at the 4. Lance threw incomplete twice. Aubrey hit from 22 to have the Cowboys back up 12-10. After a touchback Mariota went to Zaccheaus for 22. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 41, Mariota went to Terry McLaurin for 8 and 10. Mariota then went to Ertz for 11. Mariota ran for a 5 yard touchdown. Dan Quinn went for 2. Mariota threw incomplete but the Commanders led 16-12 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.  After a touchback on 3rd and 5, Lance threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 5 yards. Lance went deep to Jalen Tolbert for 32 and to Flournoy for 10. Defensive pass interference added 20 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rico Dowdle got in to have the Cowboys up 19-16 midway through the fourth quarter. 

With 3:18 left in regulation, the Commanders began their final drive at their own 9 yard line. A sack of Mariota was wiped away by  15 yard defensive facemark call. On 3rd and 4 from their own 36, Mariota hit McLaurin for 6. With 33 seconds to play, the Commanders faced 4th and 1 just past midfield. Mariota kept it and broke free for a 33 yard gain. The Commanders took their last timeout with 25 seconds left. Mariota hit Ertz for 11. On 1st and goal at the 5, the Commanders raced to the line and Mariota spiked the ball to stop the clock with 6 seconds left. The Cowboys took their last timeout on defense. Dan Quinn did not want overtime. Mariota fred to McLaurin for the touchdown with 3 seconds left. Kevontate Turpin took the kickoff 8 yards deep in his end zone but was tackled at his own 22 to end the game. The Cowboys finished the season 7-10 as Mike McCarthy awaited Black Monday. He is expected to survive. The 12-5 Commanders held the six seed Wildcard and will be on the road for their playoff games. 23-19 Commanders

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles — The Giants are done for the year. The 13-3 Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are locked into the two seed. Saquon Barkley needs 101 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s all time single season NFL rushing record. Yet coach Nick Sirianni made the controversial decision to sit Barkley to keep him rested for the playoffs. It was not a popular decision, given the chance to make history. Nick Sirianni sat Jalen Hurts and went with third string quarterback Tanner McKee. The Giants started third string quarterback Drew Lock. Brian Daboll gambled early on 4th and 7 just past midfield. Lock threw incomplete. From that spot McKee went to Dallas Goedert for 16 and 17 and to Smith for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. In the second quarter Jake Elliott missed from 39 but hit from 24 to make it 10-0 Eagles. The Giants finally got on the board with a 25 yard Grahan Gano field goal midway through the third quarter. The Eagles took over at their own 39. McKee went to Dotson for 12. McKee went to Wilson for 9 and Dotson for 19. On the first play of the fourth quarter McKee went to Jenkins for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Eagles.

The Giants after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 1 a their own 39. Lock gained 3. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 45, Lock went deep to Nabers for the touchdown. with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Giants were only down 17-10. A 25 yard punt return gave the Giants gift field position at the Philadelphia 38. The Giants wasted the field position. Gano hit a 53 yard field goal to have the Giants within 17-13 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback the Eagles mounted a mind-numbing 16 play, 56 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 14 with 1:36 left and the Giants out of timeouts, Nick Sirianni played it very safe. Kenneth Gainwell got stopped for no gain. Jake Elliott hit the 32 yard field goal to put the Eagles up by 7 wit 47 seconds left. On 3rd and 2 from his own 38, Lock went deep and was intercepted. The 3-14 Giants will have the 3rd pick in the Draft. Brian Daboll may be a Black Monday casualty. The Giants lost to backups. The 14-3 Eagles will be a well rested two seed when they host a Wildcard Weekend playoff game next week. 20-13 Eagles

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers — The Bears are done for the year. They can in having lost 10 straight games overall and 11 straight games to the Packers. The 11-5 Packers have clinched a Wildcard and are currently the seven seed. If they win and Washington loses, the Packers can move up to the six seed. In the first quarter Interim Coach Thomas Brown went to his bag of tricks on special teams. Knowing this might be his last game as coach before Black Monday, he went old school sandlot. The punt returner on the left side of the field pretended like he fielded the punt. Meanwhile, it was actually a second punt returner all the way on the right side of the field who actually caught it. That was Blackwell, who returned it with a convoy for a 94 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bears lead. 

The Packers moved from their own 29 to a 4th and 6 at the Chicago 19. Brandon McManus hit a 37 yard field goal to get the Packers within 7-3. The Packers got the ball back and immediately fumbled it away.Owens returned the fumble 13 yards to gift the Bears field position at the Green Bay 21. Caleb Williams hit Moore for 15 on the first play of the second quarter. Deandre Swift ran for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 14-3. 

The Packers took over at their own 37. Jordan Love went to Wicks for 16. Yet Love injured his throwing hand on the play and went to the sideline as a precaution. Malik Willis came in. Josh Jacobs ran for 12. Willis went to Kraft for 11 and again for 20. Jacobs ran for a 9 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 14-10. The Packers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 4th and 4 at the Chicago 12 at the 2 minute warning. McManus hit from 30 to get the Packers within 14-13. The Bears tried a trick play that resulted in an interception. The Packers fumbled the ball back. The Packers got it back and on the first play of the fourth quarter Matt LaFleur gambled on 4th and 3 from the Chicago 37. Reed lost 2 yards. 

The Bears on 3rd and 6 from their own 43 saw Williams hit Moore for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 45, Williams hit Moore or 9. Williams went to Moore again for a 32 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Bears. A relatively short 36 yard punt allowed the Packers to take over just shy of midfield with 6 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 21, Willis went deep to Heath for a 41 yard gain. Wilson got around the end for a 21 yard touchdown. The 2 point red failed but the Packers were within 21-19 with 4 1/2 minutes left. 

The Bears took over at their own 33 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 43 at the 2 minute warning. All they had to do was run the ball. A first down would all but end it. First came offensive holding. That stopped the clock with 1:55 left. On 1st and 20, running the ball was still necessary. Instead, the Bears called a mindless West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass that was sideways rather than forward. Williams hit Moore, who lost a yard and then fumbled the ball. Yes, just trying to run out the clock, the Bears passed and fumbled. These are the Bears. The Packers took over at the Chicago 43. On 3rd and 2, a run lost 2 yards. With one minute left, McManus came in for a 55 yard try to give the Packers the lead. McManus hit a low line drive that cleared the crossbar for the 22-21 Packers lead. These are the Bears.  

The Bears took over at their own 20 only 48 seconds away from their 11th straight loss to end the season and their 12th straight loss to Green Bay. Yet they needed only a field goal to win. Williams got sacked, but a defensive horsecllar tackle penalty gave the Bears 15 yards. Williams went to Odunze for 15 to midfield. With 14 seconds left the Bears faced 3rd and 11. Williams went to Moore for 18 as the Bearded to the line. Williams spiked the ball to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. Cairo Santos came in for a 51 yard field goal try. With everything on the line, Santos snuck the ball over the crossbar and inside the left upright good. The Bad News Bears finally won a game to end the season 5-12. Thomas Brown may not survive Black Monday, but he got his first win as an NFL head coach. The 11-6 Packers ended the season losing two straight and will be the seven seed Wildcard. All their playoff games will be on the road. Their main concern is the heath of Love’s throwing hand. 24-22 Bears

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams — The 9-7 Seahawks are done for the year. The 10-6 Rams have clinched the NFC West. They entered this game the three seed. Due to Tampa Bay winning earlier in the day, the Rams need to win to preserve the three seed. A loss would drop the Rams to the four seed. That was not enough of an incentive for Sean McVay who decided to rest his starters including Matthew Stafford. It was a controversial decision given that the four seed was expected to have a much tougher playoff matchup. For those who had no idea who the backup quarterback of the Rams it, it turns out to be former enemy San Francisco quarterback and current journeyman Jimmy Garoppolo. 

A field position game and a 17 yard punt return had the Seahawks taking over at their own 45. Charbonnet ran for 12. Geno Smith went to Fant fo 32. Smith hit Bobo for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Rams moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 19. Garoppolo threw incomplete. Joshua Karty hit from 37 to get the Rams within 7-3. The Seahawks began the second quarterback after a touchback facing 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Smith ran for 15. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 22. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 20, Smith went to Metcalf for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Seahawks. 

The Rams took over at their own 22. Garoppolo went to Corum for 12, to Johnson for 20, and to Whittington for 12. A defensive facemark added 13. On 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 6, Garoppolo went to Tyler Higbee for the touchdown to get the Rams within 14-10. The Seahawks moved from their own 27 to a 3rd and 5 from the Rams 33. Smith was sacked. Yet Jason Myers nailed a 56 yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 17-10. Garoppolo was intercepted but the Rams got the ball back at their own 20 with 53 seconds left. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 40 with 9 seconds left. Garoppolo threw deep incomplete. Harty leveled a 58 yard field goal to have the Rams within 17-13 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 1 at the Seattle 31. Garoppolo was sacked. Yet Karty again bailed the Rams out with a 57 yard field goal to get them within 17-16 midway through the third quarter.

The Seahawks after a touchback on 3rd and 10 saw Smith throw sideways to non-relative Smith-Nigba, who then lateraled to Charbonnet for a 32 yard gain. McIntosh ran for 12 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 12, Smith went to Barner for 10. Smith went to Barner again for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 24-16 Seahawks. After a touchback on 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Garoppolo hit Tutu Atwell for just enough. Garoppolo went to Higbee for 13 and to Whittington for 24 to end the third quarter. Garoppolo hit Rovers for 9 to start the fourth quarter. Rivers ran for 8 and 2. Garoppolo hit Johnson for a 4 yard touchdown. Sean McVay went for 2 to tie the game but Garoppolo threw incomplete. The Rams were within 24-22. 

The Rams got it back and soon faced 3r and 4 at their own 28. Garoppolo went deep to Whittington for a 50 yard gain. On 2nd and 8 from the Seattle 20, Garoppolo threw incomplete twice. Harty hit his 4th field goal from 38 to put the Rams back up 25-24 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, McIntosh ran for 10. Chabonnet ran for 3 and 7. Smith found Barner for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 27, Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 11. Smith found Fant for a 16 yard touchdown. Mike McDonald went for 2 but Smith threw incomplete. The Seahawks reclaimed the lead by 5 points with 3:19 left. 

The Rams after a touchback moved to a 4th and 3 at the Seattle 9 with 20 seconds left. It was all up to Garoppolo. With the 2019 49ers, Garoppolo’s team had a 20-10 lead after three quarters of the Super Bowl. After falling behind 24-20, Garoppolo overthrew a wide open receiver on a bomb that would have given the 49ers the lead again. The 49ers lost the Super Bowl. With the 2020 49ers in the NFC Title game, the 49ers led 17-7 after three quarters. Yet offensive miscues killed them. With the game tied, Garoppolo threw a killer interception. The 49ers lost 20-17. That was against the Rams. Now Garoppolo had a chance to be the hero for the Rams. He threw low and incomplete. 

Both teams finished the year 10-7, yet all records are not equal. The Seahawks are a good football team who lost the division tie-breaker and finished one game back in the competitive Wildcard race. The Seahawks are out of the playoffs. The Rams as division winners will host a Wildcard playoff game. Yet because Tampa Bay won, the Rams dropped from the three seed to the four seed. That means the Rams have a much tougher Wildcard game against a 14 win team. 30-25 Seahawks

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Jets are done for the year. The 8-8 Dolphins are on the outside looking in. If they win and Denver loses, the Dolphins grab the Wildcard seven seed. Otherwise, the Dolphins are out. Aaron Rodgers needed one touchdown pass to reach 500 for his career. There was rampant speculation that this would be not only his last game with the Jets, but his final game in his future first ballot Hall of Fame career. With the Dolphins fighting for their playoff lives, they would have to be without the injured Tua Tagovailoa. Tyler Huntley got the start. Jason Sanders hit first quarter field goals of 26 and 28 to make it 6-0 Dolphins, with the first kick set up by an interception of Rodgers. 

In the second quarter the Jets took over at their own 21. Breece Hall ran for 8. Rodgers hit Davantae Adams for 16m Garrett Wilson for 11, and Allen Lazard for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 25, Rodgers went to Wilson for 20. Rodgers then went to Tyler Conklin for the 5 yard touchdown and the history books. Rodgers cradled the ball and gave it to his equipment manager to preserve. Rodgers trails only Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. Midway through the second quarter, the Jets led 7-6. After that the game got ugly. Huntley was intercepted. Jeff Ulbrich gambled on 4th and 5 from the Miami 38. Rodgers was sacked. Huntley was then sacked and fumbled. 

The Jets took over with a short field at the Miami 39. Hall gained 13. Rodgers went to Yeboah for 13. Rodgers went to Lazard for the 13 yard touchdown. Jeff Ulbrich went for a pointless 2 point try that succeeded when Hall got in. After another Huntley interception, the Jets led 15-6 at the half. In the third quarter the Dolphins fumbled and the Jets recovered just past midfield. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rodgers threw incomplete. Ulbrich played it safe. Greg Joseph hit from 20 to have the Jets up 18-6. 

The Dolphins took over at their own 22. From their 33, Huntley hit Smith for 12. On 3rd and 8 from their 47, Huntley hit Washington for 12. Wright gained 3 and 8. The fourth quarter began with the Dolphins facing 3rd and 6 at the Jets 26. Huntley went to Cracraft for 11. Devon Achane ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 18-13. After a touchback the Jets soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 44. Rodgers went deep to Lazard for 43 yards. Rodgers hit Wilson for 9 and then went to Adams for a 4 yard touchdown. The Jets led 25-13 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

After a touchback the Dolphins were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 7 at their own 48 with 9 minutes left. Huntley went to Washington for 20, to Jalen Waddle for 17, and to Smith for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 6, a run lost 2 yards. Again it was desperation time. On 4th and 3 from the Jets 8, Huntley hit Cracraft for 4. Huntley went to Smith for a 4 yard touchdown. The Dolphins were right back in it down 25-20 with a full 5 1/2 minutes left. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32. Rodgers went deep to Adams for 29 and to Wilson for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 24, Hall ran for 17. The Miami defense desperately needed a stop to keep it a one score game. Rodgers went to Hall for a 6 yard touchdown to ice the game with 2 1/2 minutes left. 

The 8-9 Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs while the 5-12 Jets ended a long losing streak to end the season on a high note. Tyreek Hill, angry at missing the playoffs for the first time in his career, said he was leaving the Dolphins to play for a winner. Jeff Ulbrich awaited Black Monday, at least being able to end the season if not his head coaching tenure with a win. Rodgers threw 4 touchdown passes, putting him at 503 and only 5 touchdown passes behind Favre. If that doesn’t keep Rodgers playing, nothing will. 32-20 Jets 

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos — The 15-1 Chiefs have locked up the AFC West and the top seed in the conference with the first round bye. This allowed Walrus Andy Reid to rest his starters in the finale. The 9-7 Broncos are currently the seven seed Wildcard but have clinched nothing. If the Broncos lose, they would still get in if Miami and Cincinnati also lost. Yet Cincinnati won on Saturday, making the Broncos finale a do or die game. If the Broncos win they are in. If they lose, the Broncos lose the tie-breaker and are out. For the Chiefs, it was a chance for Patrick Mahomes to learn how to hold a clipboard. For his backup Carson Wentz, it was a chance for redemption and a chance to audition for other teams. This game was never a contest.

After an opening touchback, Bo Nix went to Adkins for 12. Nix hit Franklin for 7 and Vele for 5. Williams ran for 10. Nix connected with Marvin Mims for a 32 yard touchdown to have the Broncos up 7-0 only 3 minutes into the game. The Broncos got it back at their own 15. On 3rd and 4 Nix hit Humphrey for 9. On 4th and 1 from their own 39, Sean Payton gambled and Nix got the yard. Nix then went deep to Cortland Sutton for 47 yards. Nix hit Sutton for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Broncos. The Broncos got it back at their own 11. Runs and short passes had the Broncos facing 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Nix gained 12 as the first quarter ended. More runs and short passes in the second quarter had the Broncos facing 4th and 1 at the Kansas City 38. Payton gambled again and Nix gained 2. Nix hit Williams for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 15, Nix got the yard. Nix hit Vele for a 3 yard touchdown to have the Broncos cruising 21-0. The rest of the game was pointless. 

Harrison Butker missed a 51 yard field goal with one minute left in the half that would have gotten the Chiefs on the board. Nix from his own 41 quickly moved the Broncos to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 15 with 10 seconds left. Nix threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit from 33 to have the Broncos up 24-0. In the third quarter the Broncos took over at their own 21. On 3rd and 3 Nix found Sutton for 7. Nix went to Williams for 25. On 3rd and 11 from the Kansas City 42, Nix went to Vele for 32. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Nix went to Mims for the touchdown to make it 31-0 Broncos. The Chiefs went for it on 4th and 7 fro the Denver 42. Wentz was sacked. In the fourth quarter Estime ran for a one yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 

Wentz was awful, throwing for less than 100 yards. He was benched. For those wondering who the Chiefs 3rd stringer is, it is Chris Oladokun. Despite entering with a full 9:40 to play in regulation, Oladukon did not throw a single pass. He was sacked once as the Chiefs failed to avoid the shutout. Yet this was a win for both teams. The 10-7 Broncos punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in 9 years when Peyton Manning went out on top. Nix was lights out, going 26 of 29 for 321 yards, 4 touchdown passes, and 0 interceptions. As the 7 seed wildcard, all their playoff games will be road games. If they somehow get past the Wildcard round, their second playoff game would be a rematch with Kansas City. The difference is this time the game would be in Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the starters would be playing. The 15-2 Chiefs will have a healthy and very well rested team, making Andy Reid a most Happy Walrus indeed. 38-0 Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders have won 2 straight but are done for the year. the 10-6 Chargers have clinched a Wildcard and entered the weekend as the six seed. Yet with Pittsburgh losing on Saturday, the Chargers moved up to the five seed. A win would keep them at the five seed but a loss would drop them back to the six seed. In the first quarter Cameron Dicker missed a 51 yard field goal try for the Chargers. Before that miss he was 35 of 37 on the year. He would redeem himself in a big way during this game. Daniel Carlson hit from 40 to have the Raiders on the board first. Dicker hit from 33 to tie the game 3-3 after the first quarter. After a touchback Alexander Mattison ran for 11 to end the first quarter. The second quarter began with Aidan O’Connell hitting Jakobi Meyers for 22. O’Connell went deep to Meyers for a 25 yard touchdown. The Raiders led 10-3, but in too many games this season their offense would score an early touchdown and then take most if not all of the game off. The exhausted defense would then break. 

The Chargers gradually chipped away. Dicker hit second quarter field goals of 32 and 49 to have the Chargers within 10-9 with one minute left in the half. All the Raiders had to do was be smart with the football and get to the half with the lead. On 2nd and 5 from their own 31, O’Connell threw an ill-advised pass under duress that was deflected and intercepted by Henley. The Chargers took over with gift field position at the Raiders 30 with 38 seconds left. Justin Herbert went to Quentin Johnston for 19 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 10 seconds left. Herbert fired to DJ Chark for the touchdown. Herbert went to Ladd McConkey for the 2 point conversion to have the Chargers up 17-10 at the half. After a third quarter touchback, the Chargers moved to a 1st and goal at the one. 3 straight runs up the middle got stopped cold. On 4th and goal at the one, Jim Harbaugh played it safe to make it a 2 score game. Dicker hit from 20 to make it 20-10 Chargers. 

After a touchback the Raiders moved to a 4th and 6 at the Chargers 29. Carlson hit from 47 to get the Raiders within 20-13. After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Raiders 45 to start the fourth quarter. Herbert scrambled for a 41 yard gain. Herbert hit Will Dissly for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 27-13 Chargers. The Raiders took over at their own 42. O’Connell was injured on the drive and Desmond Ridder came in. On 1st and 10 from the Chargers 18, Ridder threw incomplete and a run went nowhere. O’Connell came back in on 3rd and 10 and threw incomplete. With 11 minutes left in regulation a field goal was a reasonable decision. Antonio Pierce went for it on 4th and 10. O’Connell threw deep incomplete. The Chargers marched 81 yards to turn a once close game into a blowout. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Haskins got in to make it 34-13 Chargers. 

The Chargers scored on 7 straight possessions. 4 of those first 5 scores were field goals, but the 2 fourth quarter touchdowns showed how bad the mismatch was. The early missed field goal prevented it from being 8 straight scoring drives. The Raiders got a garbage touchdown with 25 seconds left. Herbert torched the Raiders by going 28 of 36 for 346 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Jim Harbaugh pounded the ball, running 35 times for 137 yards. The 4-13 Raiders have the sixth pick in the Draft. Antonio Pierce Awaited his Black Monday fate although he is expected to survive and return next year. The Raiders could have had Jim Harbaugh. Instead, he quickly turned around the 10-7 Chargers. They are the five seed and will play road playoff games. 34-20 Chargers

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are done for the year. With Brock Purdy out, Joshua Dobbs got the start for the 49ers. This was a very strange game. The first quarter was defense. Jake Moody hit a 51 yard field goal for the 49ers. Moody then missed from 47. Ryland hit from 51 for a 3-3 game. Dobbs was then intercepted. The second quarter featured plenty of offense as the Cardinals took over at the San Francisco 45. On 3rd and 2, Kyler Murray hit McBride for just enough. On 3rd and 8 from the San Francisco 23, Murray found Dortch for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Cardinals. The 49ers took over at their own 26. Taylor ran for 12 and 23. Dobbs found Saubert for 11. Taylor ran for 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Dobbs got in for a 10-10 game.

After a touchback, Murray ran for 9. Murray hit McBride for gains of 28 and 12. On 3rd and 3 at the San Francisco 12, Murray ran for 7. Murray hit McBride for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Cardinals with 1:51 left in the half. After a touchback, Taylor ran for 12. Dobbs hit Coney and Saubert for 9 apiece. Dobbs went to Conley for 21. Dobbs found Cowing for  14. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Dobbs hit Ricky Pearsall for the touchdown. With only 16 seconds left in the half, the 49ers had tied the game for the third time 17-17.

After a touchback, Murray quickly went to Zay Jones for 25 and to Dortch for 9. Ryalnd nailed a 49 yard field goal to put the Cardinals back on top 20-17 at the half. A 17 yard third quarter punt return had the Cardinals taking over just past midfield. Murray went to Marvin Harrison Jr for 14. Murray ran for 6. Carter added 9 and 2 on the ground and caught a pass from Murray for 9. Murray found Dortch for a 2 yard touchdown. Jonathan Gannon went for a pointless 2 point try that failed, but the Cardinals led 26-17. After a touchback Dobbs hit Cowing for 16. Kyle Shanahan gambled on 4th and 1 from the Arizona 45. Taylor gained 9. Dobbs went to Kyle Uszczyk for a 36 yard touchdown. The 49ers were within 26-24. Yet after three quarters of a good football game, the fourth quarter was one-sided. 

After a touchback Murray went to Jones for 9, to Harrison for 20, and to McBride for 14. On 3rd and 12 from the San Francisco 17, Murray went to Dortch for 13. The fourth quarter began with Carter running for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 33-24 Cardinals. The 49ers moved from their own 18 to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 20. On 2nd and 12, Dobbs fumbled the ball away. The 49ers got it back but on 3rd and 10 from their own 34, Dobbs was intercepted. The Cardinals took over at the San Francisco 39. Defensive pass interference added 24 yards. Murray went to Harrison for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 40-24 Cardinals. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 43, Dobbs threw incomplete thrice. Jones ran for a 46 yard touchdown with 1:47 left as a 21 point fourth quarter explosion completed the blowout. The 8-9 Cardinals and 6-11 49ers now face the offseason. 47-24 Cardinals 

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions was the regular season finale Sunday night game. This is for all the marbles. The Vikings are 14-2. The Lions are 14-2. The Lions hold the tie-breaker, which is meaningless. The winner of this game wins the NFC North and is the top seed in the conference with the first round bye. The loser tumbles to the five seed Wildcard with the best Wildcard record in NFL history. This game is why we watch football. It was expected to be a shootout. Instead, the first three quarters were a defensive slugfest. Midway through the first quarter the Lions took over at their own 22. From their own 33, Jared Goff went to Amra St Brown for 23. On 4th and 5 from the Minnesota 39, it was time for the first of several Dan Campbell gambles. Goff hit Williams for 14. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions after the first quarter. The second quarter was about defense, especially red zone defense.

A field position game had the Vikings taking over at midfield. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Sam Darnold threw incomplete twice. Kevin O’Connell should have kicked the field goal, but he decided to replicate Dan Campbell’s approach. Darnold threw incomplete a third time. Yet a few plays later from his own 26, Goff had an ill-advised pass deflected and intercepted. The Vikings received gift field position at the Detroit 7 yard line. 3 times Darnold looked for Justin Jefferson and 3 times came up snake eyes. The last 2 throws saw Jefferson wide open and Darnold throw high and incomplete. Will Reichard hit the 25 yard field goal to get within 7-3. After a touchback the Lions moved to a 4th and 1 at the Minnesota 42. This time the Campbell gamble failed as Goff threw incomplete. The good field position allowed the Vikings to move to a 3rd and 5 at the Detroit 13. Darnold threw incomplete. Reichard hit from 31 as the Vikings were within 7–6. Only 20 seconds remained in the half. 

Yet Reichard hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Lions at their own 40. That was enough time for Goff to hit St. Brow for 19 and Raymond for 11 and leave 2 seconds. Bates hit from 48 to have the Lions up 10-6 at the half. The third quarter brought more red zone defense. After a touchback the Vikings moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Darnold threw incomplete. Kevin O’Connell gambled. On 4th and goal, Darnold threw incomplete again. In the shadow of his own goal line, Goff went bombs away. This is Dan Campbell football. Yet this time it backfired as Goff was intercepted. The Vikings took over at their own 46. They moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Detroit 33. Darnold threw incomplete. Reichard hit from 51. The Vikings were within 10-9. This was shaping up to be a brutal NFC North street fight. 

After a touchback Gibbs ran for 9 and 2. On 2nd and 19 from their own 42, Goff went to Sam LaPorta for 17. On 3rd and 2 Goff hit St Brown for 12. On 4th and 2 from the Minnesota 10 in a game where points were not coming easy, a field goal made sense. Yet instead it was another Dan Campbell gamble. It’s just who he is. Goff fired to Gibbs over the middle for the touchdown. The 13 play, 70 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive hit the Vikings in the mouth and put the Lions up 17-9 late in the third quarter. The Vikings after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 34. Darnold threw incomplete. From 51 yards out, Reichard was no good. The Lions took over at their own 41. Goff hit Gibbs for 14 as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Goff hit LaPorta for 11. the game then nearly changed drastically. On first and 10 from the Minnesota 34, Goff had a pass deflected and nearly intercepted by Ale Van Ginkel. Ginkel had a clear path to the end zone the other way. Goff was lucky the ball hit the ground incomplete. 

Yet Goff kept throwing, hitting St Brown for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 25, Goff hit  Williams for 12. Gibbs ran around the end for a 13 yard touchdown. Instead of a 17-17 game, the Lions led 24-9. The Lions took over at their own 26 and quickly moved to turn out the lights. Gibbs ran for a 47 yard gain. Gibbs then ran for 3, 10 and 5. On 4th and 2 from the Minnesota 6, a field goal would lock up the win. Remember, in last year’s NFC Title Game the Lions passed up a field goal that would have put them up 27-10. Instead they gambled, lost, and fell apart. Yet Dan Campbell is who he is. He has been too successful to change his approach. So again he went for it. It could have been a buff, but either way the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On the next play Gibbs ran for a 4 yard touchdown to turn a fistfight into a blowout. 

The Vikings with the loss dropped to 14-3. They are the five seed Wildcard and will play road playoff games. They are the highest winning regular season wildcard in NFL history, but for the very first time, 14 wins did not win a division. These Vikings are why we have Wildcards to begin with. Yet 2 of their 3 losses came against Detroit. The 15-2 Lions won 15 games for the first time in franchise history. They won consecutive division titles for the first time since 1952-1954. The Lions earned the top seed in the conference for the first time in franchise history. Goff was 27 of 33 for only 216 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Darnold finished a brutal 18 of 41 for 166 yards without a touchdown or interception but several missed red zone opportunities. The iLons pounded the ball for 178 yards in 31 carries led by 139 yards on 23 carries by Gibbs. Gibbs had 4 touchdowns, 3 on the ground. The Lions have the first round bye. If the Vikings win their first playoff game, they would then play at Detroit. A very classy Dan Campbell told Kevin O’Connell after the game that these teams might meet again in 2 weeks. Don’t be fooled by the score. The rematch would be very tough and the most anticipated playoff game in years. 31-9 Lions

The Wildcard playoffs are set:

Saturday:

AFC (5) Chargers at (4) Texans

AFC (6) Steelers at (3) Ravens

Sunday:

AFC (7) Broncos at (2) Bills

NFC (7) Packers at (2) Eagles

NFC (6) Commanders at 3 (Buccaneers)

Monday:

NFC (5) Vikings at (4) Rams

NFL 2024 Week 18 Prequel 

THIS. IS. WHEN. THE. BIG. DOGS. COME. OUT.

Saturday, January 4, 2025, 4:30pm

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-17 1/2) — The 11-5 Ravens with a win lock up the AFC North and the three seed. If they lose and Pittsburgh wins, the Ravens lose the division and drop to the Wildcard, meaning road playoff games. A Browns win would be the upset of the year. It is not going to happen. The Ravens are too focused and Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will put this game away early. A garbage touchdown could defeat the spread. Ravens win but fail to cover

8pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-2 1/2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 8-8 Bengals have won four straight but they need to win and have Denver lose to sneak into the playoffs as a Wildcard. The 10-6 Steelers are already a Wildcard. If they win and Baltimore loses, the Steelers win the AFC North and are the three seed. Yet Baltimore is heavily favored and their game will be over by the time this game starts. If Baltimore wins, the Steelers have nothing to play for. Mike Tomlin could rest his starters. Joe Burrow has been lights out but has not gotten much help from his defense. If the Steelers play their starters, the calculus changes. Assuming the Steelers play the backups, go with the hot offense playing the starters. Bengals cover

Sunday, January 5, 1pm

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (-4 1/2) — The 9-7 Texans won the AFC South and are locked into the four seed. DeMeco Ryans will most likely rest his starters. Yet the Titans are so awful that the Texans might still defeat the point spread. Titans win but fail to cover

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-7 1/2) — The 8-8 Falcons need to win and have Tampa Bay lose to win the NFC South and sneak into the playoffs as the four seed. The Panthers are done for the year but they have been playing better football in recent weeks. Rookie Michael Penix has serious talent. He will make sure the Falcons handle their business, although the Panthers could get a garbage touchdown to beat the spread. Falcons win but fail to cover

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-14) — The 9-7 Buccaneers have a simple mission. Win at home and win the NFC South to be the four seed in the playoffs. If the Buccaneers lose and Atlanta wins, the Buccaneers are out. The Buccaneers with a win and a Rams loss can even move up to the three seed. With everything to play for, the Buccaneers will put this game away early. Baker Mayfield has been on fire. He has so many weapons. The Saints are down to their fourth string quarterback. Buccaneers cover

Buffalo Bills (-2 1/2) at New England Patriots — The 13-3 Bills clinched the AFC East and are locked into the two seed. Sean McDermott may rest his starters. The Patriots put up a fight a couple of weeks ago in Buffalo. The Patriots with a loss are guaranteed the top pick in the 2025 Draft, but Jerod Mayo could be coaching for his job. Drake Maye has talent. The Bills have nothing to play for. The Patriots would love to end their miserable season on a high note. Upset special, Patriots win outright

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (-5 1/2) — Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention. The Jaguars still have a shot at the top Draft pick.  Joe Flacco is better than Mac Jones. Jonathan Taylor still runs well. Colts cover

Washington Commanders (-3) at Dallas Cowboys — The 11-5 Commanders have clinched a Wildcard spot and are currently the six seed. A loss combined with a Green Bay win would drop the Commanders to the seven seed. This means Dan Quinn will probably play his starters. The Cowboys have been terrible at home all year. Jayden Daniels has been spectacular. Commanders cover

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-3 1/2) — The 13-3 Eagles clinched the NFC East and are locked into the two seed. Nick Sirianni will rest his starters with one notable exception. Former Giants running back Saquon Barkley has passed 2,000 yards rushing and needs another 101 yards to break Erick Dickerson’s all time single season rushing record. It would be even sweeter to break the record against the team that let him walk. Yet he may be pulled early if he struggles while playing with backups. The Giants are terrible and still have a shot at the top Draft pick. Even playing against backups, asking the Giants to win this game on the road is too much to ask. Eagles cover

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (-9 1/2) — The 11-5 Packers clinched the seven seed Wildcard. Yet if they win and Washington loses, the Packers can move up to the six seed. This means Matt LaFleur will most likely be playing his starters. That is bad news for the Bad News Bears, who have lost 10 straight. Packers cover

4pm

Seattle Seahawks (-2 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams — The 10-6 Rams clinched the NFC West and are the current three seed. This point spread makes no sense unless Sean McVay rests his starters.. Yet the Rams should play their starters. If they lose and Tampa Bay wins, the Rams fall to the four seed. So the Rams do have something to play for. Upset special, Rams cover

Miami Dolphins (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — The 8-8 Dolphins are on the outside looking in. They need to win and hope Denver loses to sneak into the playoffs as the seven seed wildcard. The Dolphins have everything to play for. The Jets are horrendous. This could be Aaron Rodgers’s final game in his only season with the Jets. Dolphins cover

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (-9 1/2) — The 15-1 Chiefs have nothing to play for. They have clinched the AFC West and the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the first round bye. Walrus Andy Reid will rest his starters. The 9-7 Broncos have everything to play for. They are currently the seven seed Wildcard. If they win, they are in. If they lose and either Miami or Cincinnati wins, the Broncos are out. While the Chiefs would love to keep their rivals from the playoffs for the 9th straight year, getting healthy for the postseason matters more. Yet the spread is still too high. Broncos win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Chargers (-5 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders have won two straight after losing 10 straight, but the 10-6 Chargers are on a mission. The Chargers have clinched a Wildcard and are currently the six seed. If the Chargers win and Pittsburgh loses, the Chargers move up to the five seed. Pittsburgh plays the day before so by the time this game kicks off, the Chargers could already be locked into the six seed. In that scenario Jim Harbaugh might rest his starters, Either way, the Chargers have more talent than a Raiders team with very little talent on offense. Home field advantage has rarely mattered in this rivalry. Chargers win but fail to cover

San Francisco 49ers (-1) at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are eliminated from the playoffs. Neither one is in position for a top 10 Draft pick. Go with Kyler Murray and James Conner even though home field does not matter in this series. Upset special, Cardinals win outright

8pm

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-2 1/2) — This is why we watch football. The 272nd and last game of the regular season is also its best. For the first time in NFL history, two 14-2 teams will compete in the regular season. This is winner take all. The winner clinches the NFC North and the top seed in the conference along with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a the first round bye. The loser drops to the five seed Wildcard and plays road playoff games. The Lions have the better offense but more injuries on defense. Dan Campbell gambles are the X factor. Go with the home field. The Vikings are a great team but the Lions seem to be a team of destiny. This could be a shootout for the ages. Lions cover

NFL 2024 Black Monday Head Coach Firing Predictions

Happy New Year. You’re history. Happy Hanukkah. Clean out your desk. Merry Christmas. You’re fired. The NFL coaching carousel is about to spin like a dreidel. The NFL is a cold place in losing environments. The annual ritual of firing coaches on Black Monday is a long-established NFL tradition. As retired coach Jerry Glanville used to say, the NFL stands for “Not For Long.”

Thankfully, Black Monday now comes past the holiday season, allowing coaches to enjoy time with their families. The pink-slips come afterward.

This season’s NFL 2024 Black Monday Coach Firing Carousel

The 2024 regular season coaching carousel saw three coaches fired during the season. The Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus. The New Orleans Saints fired Dennis Allen. The New York Jets fired Robert Sales. More changes will come Black Monday. 

A time to fire: Rules of the Black Monday coach firing ritual

Owners can fire any employee they want whenever they want, but that does not mean they should. There are certain unwritten rules that owners should consider before firing (or not) NFL coaches on Black Monday.

• Never fire a coach after a winning season. No matter how badly the team underachieves, some teams would kill to go 9-8.
• Do not fire a coach unless it is absolutely definite that a better replacement option exists.
• Do not fire a coach after one season unless there is zero hope for improvement. Bill Parcells won only three games in his first season as an NFL head coach. Jimmy Johnson won one game. Tom Landry won zero games and tied one.
• Do not fire a coach after two losing seasons if they had four or five winning seasons prior. Allow two or even three bad seasons if the coach has the ability to turn things around.
• If a coach has won a Super Bowl for you, leave him alone for a few years.
• If he has won two Super Bowls for you in non-consecutive years, give him a lifetime contract.
• Lastly, if it is a close call, give the coach one more year.

With that, here are the NFL 2024 Black Monday Coach Firing predictions.

Black Monday firings that are necessary:

New York Jets: Jeff Ulbrich

What should happen:

Jeff Ulbrich is just a placeholder. The Jets may also move on from Aaron Rodgers. The team needs a quarterback whisperer who will unleash Rodgers or nurture his replacement. 

What will happen:

Ulbrich is gone. 

Chicago Bears: Thomas Brown

What should happen: Thomas Brown is also just a placeholder. The Bears need to develop rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. This team also needs a quarterback whisperer.

What will happen: Brown is gone. 

New York Giants: Brian Daboll

What should happen: Brian Daboll just saw the Giants snap their 10 game losing streak. Yet the Giants have no talent whatsoever. Ownership traded away Saquon Barkley, who is lighting up the league in Philadelphia. The Giants have no quarterback. 

What will happen: 

Despite being utterly bereft of talent, the Giants ownership will make the coach the fall guy to deflect from their own organizational bungling. Daboll is gone. 

Deserve to stay but will be fired: None.

Deserve to stay and will stay:

Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce

What should happen:

Josh McDaniels was an unmitigated disaster. Antonio Pierce inherited a mess. The defense was a mess. Now with Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator, the defense is vastly improved. The secondary is even improved. The Raiders have very little talent on offense. They have no quarterback, no running back, and no offensive line. Despite a 10 game losing streak, Pierce held the team together and they won consecutive games heading into their finale. He deserves to continue, especially if the Raiders finally draft offensive talent.

What will happen:

Mark Davis is already paying money to ex-coaches Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels. He knows the cupboard is bare. Pierce stays, but the team must improve in 2025. 

New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo

What should happen: After 24 years of Bill Belichick, Mayo is in his first season. Going into the finale the Patriots have the top pick in the Draft. Drake Maye has showed promise as a rookie quarterback. Mayo deserves another year to see what he can do.

What will happen: 

Robert Kraft is a beloved owner. He would lose some of that luster if he quickly fires Mayo. Mayo will be given more time. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson

What should happen: This team was 8-3 last year before Trevor Lawrence got injured and the team fell apart. This year has been a disaster. Lawrence went down again on an illegal hit but the team was already a mess before his injury. 

What will happen: Shad Khan is known as a patient owner. Pederson is a good coach who took the Jaguars to the playoffs two years ago. The team is in rebuilding mode and he deserves to be part of it. He fixed Lawrence once and can do so again. Barring a shocking development, Pederson isn’t going anywhere. 

Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy

What should happen: After three straight 12 win seasons, the Cowboys were embarrassed at home in the Wildcard round last year. This year the Cowboys suffered several blowout home losses. Dak Prescott became the highest paid player in the league and CeeDee Lamb became the highest paid receiver. The roof caved in. Prescott is out injured, but the real problem is Prescott is overrated. Jerry Jones shelled out dollars to players that did not deserve it. Jerry desperately wants to win another Super Bowl, but a better alternative is not out there.

What will happen: Jerrah will huff and puff and count his money, but McCarthy isn’t going anywhere. He has never been a good fit in Dallas, but he is a good coach. Jerrah has gotten more patient with coaches in his older years after driving away good coaches in his younger years. If McCarthy leaves, it’s because he is fed up. That is not his style. 

Could go either way: 

Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan 

What should happen: Mike Vrabel never should have been fired. Brian Callahan is only 3-13, but the team has little talent. They let Derrick Henry leave, and he is now crushing it in Baltimore. 

What will happen: Flip a coin. A coach needs more than one year, but the Titans ownership may just decide to call this a failed experiment. 

New Orleans Saints: Darren Rizzi

What should happen:

Dennis Allen is a terrific defensive coordinator who is not a head coach. Darren Rizzi is a good special teams coach who briefly sparked the Saints upon taking over on an interim basis. The Saints regressed in their last two games, but they have been devastated by injuries. They were down to their fourth string quarterback last week and their third stringer this week. Rizzi has the fire and passion to be an NFL head coach. 

What will happen:

Rizzi should stay unless a better option exists. Right now it does not. Rizzi is given a chance. 

Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski:

What should happen: After the Browns went on the road in the playoffs and shocked Pittsburgh, Stefanski was a hero. Then owner Jimmy Haslam got rid of Baker Mayfield in favor of Deshaun Watson. Injuries had the Browns starting their fourth stringer Dorian Thompson-Robinson by the end of the year.  Stefanski deserves to see if Watson has any gas left in the tank. 

What will happen: This is another case of ownership possibly throwing a coach under the bus to hide the incompetence of the ownership. Stefanski could be gone, but keeping him would not be the worst decision. The Browns make awful decisions, which bodes badly for Stefanski.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles:

This may seem odd given that the Buccaneers are 9-7 and on the verge of winning their fourth straight NFC South Championship. Todd Bowles is a very good defensive coordinator. Yet this year his offense is playing well as Baker Mayfield is lighting up the league. The problem is Bowles wins just enough games to survive but does not seem to be able to get a team with talent to the next level. 

What will happen:

If the Buccaneers make the playoffs, Bowles isn’t going anywhere. If the Buccaneers collapse against a weak Carolina team in their finale and miss the playoffs, he probably still stays.  He may be gone next year unless he can finally make a deep playoff run with a talented roster. 

eric

NFL 2024-2025 NFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

The first 17 weeks of the 2023 NFL regular season are in the history books. Week 18 is here. 

This week football jargon not used for 51 weeks is said over and over. We learn who controls their own destiny and who needs help making the playoffs. Some years it seems almost everybody has a shot at the playoffs. This year the NFC playoff picture has very few possibilities. Only one playoff spot remains for two teams. Everything else is a fight for seeding among teams that have already clinched playoff berths.

This brings my assessment of the 2024-2025 NFC playoff permutations and combinations.

Only the top seed with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs gets the first-round bye.

The AFC Playoff picture is also fairly straightforward. 

NFL 2024-2025 AFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

Six of the eight NFC Week 18 games have playoff implications. Only two of the four NFC Divisions have been clinched.

Now for the NFC Playoff picture. 

1.) Detroit Lions (14-2): The Lions have clinched a playoff spot but nothing more. Right now they are the top seed. Next week they have a winner take all showdown at home against Minnesota. If they win against Minnesota, the Lions win the NFC North and retain the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. If they lose, the Lions drop to the five seed and play a road game on Wildcard Weekend. 

2.) Philadelphia Eagles (13-3): The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are locked into the two seed. They will host a game on Wildcard Weekend. 

3.) Los Angeles Rams (10-6): The Rams have clinched the NFC West. They are currently the three seed and will host a playoff game on Wildcard weekend. They cannot move higher than the three seed. However, if they lose their finale and Tampa Bay wins, the Rams fall to the four seed. 

4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7): The Buccaneers are one game up in the NFC South, but they do not hold the tie-breaker and have not have clinched anything. They control their own destiny. If the Buccaneers win their Week 18 finale at home against New Orleans, the Buccaneers win the NFC South and the four seed. They would host a Wildcard playoff game. If the Buccaneers lose, they can still win the division and the four seed if Atlanta also loses. If the Buccaneers lose and Atlanta wins, the Buccaneers are out. Conversely, if the Buccaneers win and the Rams lose, the Buccaneers move up to the three seed. 

5.) Minnesota Vikings (14-2): The Vikings are tied atop the NFC North but they do not hold the tie-breaker. They are currently the five seed Wildcard. Nevertheless, they still control their own destiny. They have a winner take all showdown at Detroit next week in their regular season finale. If the Vikings lose, they stay at the five seed and play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Vikings win, they win the NFC North and vault to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. 

6.) Washington Commanders (11-5): The Commanders are currently the six seed. They have clinched a Wildcard and will be play road playoff games. Yet if they lose next week and Green Bay wins, the Commanders fall to the seven seed.

7.) Green Bay Packers (11-5): The Packers are currently the seven seed. They have clinched a Wildcard and will be play road playoff games. Yet if they win next week and Washington loses, the Packers move up to the six seed.

On the outside looking in:

8.)  Atlanta Falcons (8-8): The Falcons are on the outside looking in. They only have one path to the playoffs. If they win their finale and Tampa Bay loses, both teams would be 9-8. The Falcons would win the tie-breaker and win the NFC South. They would be the four seed and host a Wildcard playoff game. The Falcons cannot make the playoffs as a Wildcard. If the Falcons lose or Tampa Bay wins, the Falcons are out. 

Here are all eight NFC games with playoff implications:

Carolina Panthers (4-12) at Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

New Orleans Saints (5-11) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

Washington Commanders (11-5) at Dallas Cowboys (7-9)

Seattle Seahawks (9-7) at Los Angeles Rams (10-6) 

Minnesota Vikings (14-2) at Detroit Lions (14-2) 

Chicago Bears (4-12) at Green Bay Packers (11-5)

Predictions:

1.) Lions 15-2

2.) Eagles 14-3 (They may rest their starters)

3.) Rams 11-6

4.) Buccaneers 10-7 

5.) Vikings 14-3

6.) Commanders 12-5

7.) Packers 11-6

Out: Falcons 9-8

Wildcard Round: 

7.) Packers at 2.) Eagles

6.) Commanders at 3.) Rams 

5.) Vikings at 4.) Buccaneers

Divisional Round:

5.) Vikings at 1.) Lions

3.) Rams at 2.) Eagles  

NFC Title Game: 2.) Eagles at 1.) Lions

The Lions are a team of destiny. They came up one game short last year on the road. This year they will be at home. The Lions have some injuries on defense, but their pinball offense can score at will. This team has heart. The Vikings and Eagles are both great teams, but this is the year the Lions roar. 

The Lions will hoist the George Halas NFC Championship Trophy and reach the Super Bowl. Bringing home the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be very tough. Baltimore and Kansas City are playing well, and Buffalo beat the Lions this year in Buffalo. Nevertheless, the Lions have the firepower to win it all. The Super Bowl in New Orleans will be played indoors in a dome, which favors the Detroit track meet pinball offense. The Lions will finally eliminate the curse of Bobby Layne and win their first Super Bowl.

eric 

NFL 2024-2025 AFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

The first 17 weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season are in the history books. Week 18 is here.
This week football jargon not used for 51 weeks is said over and over. We learn who controls their own destiny and who needs help making the playoffs. Some years it seems almost everybody has a shot at the playoffs. This year the AFC playoff picture has very few possibilities.

That’s our assessment of the 2024-2025 AFC playoff permutations and combinations.

Only the top seed with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs gets the first-round bye.

The NFC playoff picture also has very few possibilities.

NFL 2024-2025 NFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

Five of the eight AFC Week 18 games have playoff implications. Three of the four AFC Divisions have been clinched.

Now for the AFC Playoff picture. 

1.) Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): The Chiefs clinched the AFC West for the ninth straight season and are locked into the one seed. They have home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye.

2.) Buffalo Bills (13-3): The Bills clinched the AFC East for the fourth straight season and are locked into the two seed. They will host a game on Wildcard Weekend.

3.) Baltimore Ravens (11-5): The Ravens have clinched a playoff spot and are one game up in the AFC North. They are currently the three seed and cannot move higher. They would play a game at home on Wildcard weekend. Yet if they lose and Pittsburgh wins, the Ravens lose the tie-breaker and the division. They would fall to the five seed Wildcard and play road playoff games.

4.) Houston Texans (9-7): The Texans have clinched the AFC South. They are locked into the four seed and will host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend.

5.) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): The Steelers have clinched a Wildcard and would play road playoff games. They are one game back in the AFC North and are currently the five seed. If the Steelers win and Baltimore loses, the Steelers win the tie-breaker and the AFC North. The Steelers would then be the three seed and be at home for a Wildcard playoff game. If Pittsburgh loses and the Chargers win, the Steelers fall to the six seed.

6.) Los Angeles Chargers (10-6): The Chargers have clinched a Wildcard and will play road playoff games. As of now they are the six seed. Yet if they win their finale and Pittsburgh loses, the Chargers move up to the five seed.

7.) Denver Broncos (9-7): The Broncos have not clinched anything but they control their own destiny. They have a Week 18 showdown against Kansas City, who might be resting starters. If the Broncos win, they clinch the seven seed Wildcard and play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If they lose they can still grab the seven seed if Miami and Cincinnati also lose. If the Broncos lose and either Miami or Cincinnati wins, the Broncos are out.

Outside looking in: 

8.) Miami Dolphins: 8-8): If the Dolphins win in Week 18 and Denver loses, the Dolphins win the tie-breaker and grab the seven seed Wildcard spot. If the Dolphins lose or Denver wins, the Dolphins are out.

9.) Cincinnati Bengals (8-8): The Bengals have the longest shot. They can make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard only if they win their regular season finale against Pittsburgh and Denver and Miami both lose. If the Bengals lose, they are out. If either Denver or Miami win, the Bengals are out.

Here are the AFC games with playoff implications:

Cleveland Browns (3-13) at Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Miami Dolphins (8-8) at New York Jets (4-12)
Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) at Denver Broncos (9-7)
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)

Predictions:

1.) Chiefs 15-2
2.) Bills 14-3
3.) Ravens 12-5
4.) Texans 10-7
5.) Steelers 11-6
6.) Chargers 11-6
7.) Broncos 10-7

Out — Miami 9-8, Cincinnati 8-9

Wildcard Round:

7.) Broncos at 2.) Bills
6.) Chargers at 3.) Ravens
5.) Steelers at 4.) Texans

Divisional Round:

5.) Steelers at 1.) Chiefs
3.) Ravens at 2.) Bills

AFC Title Game: 2.) Bills vs 1.) Chiefs

The Baltimore Ravens are a wrecking machine, but the one team they don’t want to play on the road is the Bills. Last year the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs. Even though the game is in Kansas City, it is the Bills who will hold the Lamar Hunt Trophy as the AFC Champion. Yet for the fifth time, the Vince Lombardi Trophy will elude them.

eric

NFL 2024 Week 17 Recap

This is when the big dogs come out.

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Christmas Wednesday morning game. The 14-1 Chiefs were one win from clinching home field throughout the playoffs. The 10-5 Steelers were tied atop their division and they held the tie-breaker, but they had not clinched their division yet. The game was live-streamed on Netflix and played on a Wednesday to anger players and viewers alike. A 25 yard punt return early on had the Chiefs with a short field at the Pittsburgh 42. On 4th and 1, Walrus Andy Reid gambled early on. Kareem Hunt gained 4. Patrick Mahomes gained 12. MAhomes found Xavier Worthy for a 7 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Chiefs led 6-0. The Chiefs got it back and faced 3rd and 11 at their own 20. Mahomes went to Perine for 14 and then went deep to Watson for 49. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 11, Mahomes went to Watson for the touchdown to make it 13-0 Chiefs.

The Steelers finally got going from their own 23 and soon had a 2nd and 4 at the Kansas City 8. Jalen warren ran it up the gut for the touchdown, but offensive holding nullified the score. On the next play Russell Wilson went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Steelers got it back at their own 28 to start the second quarterback. Wilson went to George Pickens for 7 and to Washington for 8. Wilson found Pat Freiermuth for 15. Warren ran for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 20, Wilson went to Freiermuth for 15. From the one, Wilson faked the handoff, rolled out to his left, and raced to the corner pylon. He got there just in time and stretched the ball over the plane of the goal for the touchdown to get the Steelers within 13-7. The Chiefs in the third quarter moved from their own 33 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 13. Mahomes threw 3 straight incompletions. Harrison Butker hit from 32 to make it 16-7 Chiefs. The Steelers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Kansas City 12. Wilson was sacked. Chris Boswell hit from 36 to get the Steelers within 16-10.

The Chiefs took over and soon faced 2nd and 14 at their own 19. Mahomes went to Hollywood Brown for 17 and again for 12. Mahomes found Travis Kelce for 19, Worthy for 11, and Kelce again for 7. On the first play of the fourth quarter Karim Hunt ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Chiefs led 22-10. The Steelers on 3rd and 15 from their own 25 fumbled the ball away. The Chiefs recovered at the Pittsburgh 34. Mahomes hit Kelce for 20 and again for a 12 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. Although they are in the playoffs, the 10-6 Steelers second third straight loss had them at risk of losing the division race. They are now one game back in their division, needing to win and get help to have a chance. They are in the playoffs as a Wildcard at worst. As for the 15-1 Chiefs, they have now officially clinched the top seed in the AFC, home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the coveted first round bye. This makes Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 29-10 Chiefs 

Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans was the Christmas Wednesday afternoon game. The 10-5 Ravens began the day tied for their division lead but not holding the tie-breaker. Before kickoff, a Pittsburgh loss meant the Ravens could seize control of the division with a win. The 9-6 Texans had already clinched their division. The Ravens began the game at their own 25 and Derrick Henry ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. On 2nd and 13 from their own 34, Lamar Jackson ran for a 25 yard gain. Henry ran for 7 and 5. Jackson’t first pass of the game and only pass on the drive was a 27 yard connection to Bay Flowers. Henry ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Houston 31. Ali lost 3 yards and Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit form 52 to make it 10-0 Ravens. A good punt pinned the Ravens at their own 4. Henry got the carry, went backward, and was tackled in his own end zone for a safety. The Texans were down 10-2 and took the free kick at their own 43. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 3 looking to tie the game. Joe Mixon lost a yard and CJ Stroud threw incomplete. DeMeco Ryans went for it on 4th and goal at the 4. Stroud went to Mixon, who gained 3 but got bottled up at the one. After the goal line stand, the game got out of hand. 

From their own one, Hery gained 7 and Jackson went to Rashad Bateman for 12. Jackson then went deep to Mark Andrews for a 67 yard gain. Jackson hit Isaiah Likely for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-2 Ravens at the half. In the third quarter, an interception of Stroud set up the Ravens at their own 39. Henry ran for 13 and Jackson then faked a handoff and raced for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 24-2 Ravens. The Ravens got it back and faced 3rd and 3 at their own 45. Jackson gained 8. A defensive facemaska dded 15. Jackson hit Henry for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 2, Henry gained one. Jackson then hit Andrews for the touchdown. Although 6 minutes remained in the third quarter, the remaining 21 minutes were scoreless as backups on both teams finished the fourth quarter. The 9-7 Texans are in the playoffs but they are looking like a potential first round exit. They are most likely the four seed.The 11-5 Ravens are now one game ahead in their division. If they win next week, they clinch the division. The Ravens even have a very slim chance of moving up from the three seed to the two seed, but that would require they win next week and get help. 31-2 Ravens 

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. The Seahawks came in one game back in their division. The Bears were done. 0 touchdowns were scored. Jason Myers kicked a 27 yard field goal for the Seahawks on their opening drive. Cairo Santos tied the game from 42 yards out with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Myers hit from 50 with 20 seconds left in the half. A horrendous effort saw the Bears finally reach a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 40 with 37 seconds left in the entire miserable game. Caleb Williams threw 3 straight incompletions. Rather than try a 58 yard field goal to tie the game, the Bears decided to go for it. Williams went deep and was intercepted with 20 seconds left to keep the second half scoreless. That was the entire game as league officials vowed to burn the tape so that future generations would never have to suffer through watching this wretched game. The 9-7 Seahawks still needed help to make the playoffs. They would not get it and would be eliminated by Sunday night. The 4-12 Bears lost their 10th straight. 6-3 Seahawks

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots was the Saturday morning game. The Chargers needed only a win in one of their final two games to lock up a playoff Wildcard. The Patriots are done for the year. The Chargers took over at their own 9 yard line in the first quarter. Runs and short passes including runs of 5 and 6 by JK Dobbins had the Chargers facing 3rd and 2 at their own 35. Justin Herbert went to Ladd McConkey for 6 and to Hasan Haskins for 10. Jim Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 3 at the New England 42. Herbert went to McConkey for 5. Herbert went to Johnston for 19. Finally, Herbert hit Davis for a 23 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 91 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 24 and moved to a 4th and 5 at the New England 9 in the second quarter. Cameron Dicker hit a 27 yard field  goal to make it 10-0 Chargers. After a touchback, a simple pitchout went horribly wrong when it was fumbled. The Chargers took over at the New England 44.Herbert went to Will Dissly for 7 and to McConkey for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 10, Haskins gained 4. Herbert hit McConkey for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Chargers. 

The Patriots took over at their own 27. Drake Maye went to Kendrick Bourne for 18. Maye ran for 12. When the Chargers jumped offside, Maye realized he had a free play and threw deep into double coverage. Pop Douglas made a diving catch near the goal line and rolled over into he end zone before being touched for a 36 yard touchdown. The Patriots were within 17-7 with 1:25 left in the half. The Chargers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 3 at the New England 44 with 28 seconds left. Herbert threw deep incomplete. Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 3. Herbert went to Smartt for 9 as the Chargers took their last timeout with 17 seconds left. A mindless unnecessary roughness penalty for a late shove on Herbert gifted the Chargers 15 yards. Dicker’s 38 yard field goal try barely snuck inside the right upright. In fact, it appeared the kick was no good. Yet officials ruled it good as the Chargers took a 20-7 lead to the locker rooms. 

The second half was a formality. Early in the third quarter the Chargers took over at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 5, Herbert went to Johnston for 7. Herbert found Dissly for 14. On 3rd and 3 from their own 41, Herbert went to Palmer for 19. Herbert went deep to McConkey for a 40 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 94 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Chargers up 27-7. Jerod Mayo gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 38. Maye was sacked for a 15 yard loss. Dicker hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 30-7 Chargers. Mayo went for it again on 4th and 7 from the Chargers 31. Maye was sacked again. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Dobbins gained 13 with a horse collar tackle adding 15 more. The fourth quarter began with the Chargers facing 3rd and 2 at the New England 20. Dobbins gained 8, 4 and 2. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 6, Herbert ran for 4. Dobbins ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 37-7 Chargers. Dicker tacked on a 35 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The 10-6 Chargers are officially in the playoffs. 40-7 Chargers

Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals was the Saturday afternoon game. The 9-6 Broncos with a win in either of their final 2 games would make the playoffs as a wildcard. The 7-8 Bengals needed to win out and get help to have a chance at making the playoffs. The Broncos after an opening touchback moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Cincinnati 12. Bo Nix threw incomplete and Sean Payton was not in a gambling mood. Wil Lutz hit from 30 to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Bengals after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Denver 22. Zac Taylor went for it and Brown got stopped for no gain. The Bengals got it back at their own 27 and moved to a 1st and goal at the one. Burrow threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that lost a yard. On 4th and goal at the 2, Taylor gambled again. Burrow was sacked. The Bengals got it back at their own 38. Brown gained 5 and 8. Burrow went to Iosivas for 17, to Tee Higgins for 8, and to Jamarr Chase for 13. This time Burrow hit Higgins for the 2 yard touchdown. With 1:49 left in the half, the Bengals finally took the 7-3 lead. The Bengals moved from their own 28 in the first half to a 1st and goal at the 3. Burrow threw 3 straight incompletions. Cade York hit from 22 to make it 10-3 Bengals.

The Broncos after a touchback son faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Nix ran for 2. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 40, Nix went to Marvin Mims for 8. McLaughlin ran for 11 and 13. Nix went to Cortland Sutton for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive. The game was tied 10-10 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The Bengals took over at their own 37. On 3rd and 13 from their own 45, Burrow scrambled for 19 as the third quarter ended. Early in the fourth quarter Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 2 at the Denver 28. Burrow hit Brown for 11. Burrow went to Higgins for a 12 yard touchdown. The Bengals led 17-10 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos took over at their own 25. Nix went to Sutton for 13. Nix then went bombs away to Mims, who beat the double coverage and caught a perfectly thrown ball for a 51 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the game was tied again 17-17. 

The Bengals after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at midfield. Burrow went over the middle to Higgins, who had the ball chopped out of his hands by Patrick Surtain. Initially the call was ruled an incomplete pass. Sean Payton challenged the call and it was reversed to a fumble and a recovery by the Broncos at their own 40 with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 15 from their own 46, Nix fired over the middle and was intercepted. The Bengals took over at their own 41 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Burrow immediately went deep to Chase for 38 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 17, Burrow went to Chase for 11. On 1st and goal at the 6, Chase Brown could have scored but purposely gave himself up at the one. Yet he injured himself on the slide and had to come out. The plan was to force the Broncos to use their timeouts, bleed the clock, and kick a field goal. Yet because of the injury the Broncos kept their last timeout. So the plan changed. Burrow took the quarterback sneak up the middle for the touchdown. The Bengals led by 7, but the Broncos after a touchback had 90 seconds and one timeout to make a comeback. 

After a touchback, Nix went to Sutton for 15 and 14. With 14 seconds left the Broncos were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 1 from the Denver 25 with 14 seconds left. Nix rolled out to his right. With a defender in his face he threw a Hail Mary to Mims, who was blanketed by 2 defenders. All 3 players went up for the ball and Mims came down with it. Replay showed that Mims did not fully secure the ball until everyone was out of bounds. Yet it was ruled a touchdown. After initially deciding to go for 2 and the win, Sean Payton changed his mind and opted for the extra point. The game was tied 24-24 with 8 seconds left. The Bengals won the overtime coin toss and each team punted on their first drive. The Bengals took over at their own 46. Burrow went to Higgins for 6, to Mike Gesicki for 12, and to Higgins for 19. The Bengals were well within field goal range. Khalil Herbert, in for the injured Brown, ran for 8 as the Broncos took their 2 overtime timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 14, York came in for the 33 yard field goal try to win it. York doinked it off the left upright no good in front of a shellshocked home Cincinnati crowd. York was playing due to an injury to regular kicker Evan McPherson. 

The Broncos took over with 2:43  left in overtime. Yet a tie game would automatically get the Broncos into the playoffs, so they could afford to be very conservative as long as the Bengals did not get the ball back. Now it was the Bengals taking their 2 overtime timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 9, a first down would let the Broncos run out the clock. The Bengals desperately needed a stop. A run would take the clock down to the 2 minute warning. Sean Payton called a pass and Nix threw incomplete. The Bengals had life. A relatively short 39 yard punt gave the Bengals the ball at their own 37 with 2:20 left in overtime. York prayed for a chance at redemption. Burrow fired to Iosivas for 16 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. A pitchout to Herbert gained 13. Now a field goal try would be 53 yards. Rather than just gain a few more yards, Burrow went for it all and found Tee Higgins for a 31 yard gain down to the Denver 3 yard like with 1:10 left in overtime. 

Rather than rely on a field goal try even from that short distance, Burrow fired to Higgins in the front corner of the end zone for the 3 yard touchdown. Despite being sacked 7 times, Burrow was a lights out 39 of 49 with 412 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Despite starting 0-3 and 1-4 and once sitting at 4-8, the Bengals have won 4 straight to get to 8-8. The Broncos were 9-5 and needed to win one of their last 3 games to make the postseason. Consecutive losses have the Broncos at 9-7. The Broncos still control their own destiny. If they win next week, they are in the playoffs. The downside is they will be playing 15-1 Kansas City. The upside is the game will be in Denver and Kansas City might be playing their backups having locked up the top seed. The Bengals still have a much tougher road. They need to go on the road next week and beat a Pittsburgh team with everything to play for. The Bengals also need other teams including Denver to lose. Nevertheless, this was a thrilling football game. 30-24 Bengals, OT

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams was the Saturday night game. — The Cardinals ere done for the year. The 9-6 Rams had a one game lead in their division and looked to move one step closer to locking it up. The first quarter was scoreless. In the second quarter the Cardinals had 4th and 1 at the Rams 14. Jonathan Gannon went for it. James Conner got stuffed for no gain. After more defense, the Rams took over at their own 40 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. Matthew Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 29. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 31, Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 15. Stafford ran for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, Williams got in to make it 7-0 Rams with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Rams got it back at their own 23 with 1:41 left and moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Arizona 35 with 39 seconds left. Stafford threw incomplete twice. Joshua Harty hit from 53 to make it 10-0 Rams. The Cardinals began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 40. Kyler Murray went to McBride for 14. On 3rd and 5 at the Rams 41, Murray found McBride for 7. Murray hit Wilson for 9 and then ran for 12 himself. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Murray threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. Murray hit McBride for a one yard touchdown. In a major play, the extra point attempt was blocked. The Cardinals trailed 10-6. The Cardinals got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Rams 10 early in the fourth quarter. Murray threw incomplete. Ryland hit from 28 to get the Cardinals within 10-9. The Rams moved from their own 33 to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Stafford threw incomplete. Harty hit the 25 yarder to put the Rams back up by 4 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 3:15 to play on 4th and 10 from the Rams 40, Murray went deep and was intercepted. The Arizona defense held and the Cardinals got it back at their own 36 with 2:01 left. The Cardinals moved to a 1st and goal at the 5 with 42 seconds left. Then came chaos. Murray rifled a pass that was batted up in the air. Witherspoon made a diving interception. While the nose of the ball hit the ground, Withersppn never lost control. The rule now allows the ball to hit the ground as long as possession is maintained. Officials also missed defensive holding on the play. The Rams took over at their own one. The Cardinals only had 2 timeouts left. On 3rd down in the shadow of his own goal, Stafford took a knee out of the end zone to avoid a safety. It was harrowing, but the 10-6 Rams got one step closer to clinching their division pending the outcome of other games. The blocked extra point was the difference. By Sunday night, the results of other games went the Rams way. The Rams clinched the NFC West. 13-9 Rams

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills — The Jets are done for the year. The Bills with a win would lock up the two seed although the top seed is out of reach. After an opening touchback, the Bills faced 3rd and 5 at their own 35. Josh Allen hit Shakir for 12. On 2nd and 17  from their own 45, Allen threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 13 from their own 47, Allen went to Mack Hollins for 23. Allen went back to Hollins for 10 and to Kincaid for 11. On 2nd and goal at the 6, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Allen got in to make it 7-0 Bills. The Jets moved from their own 28 to a 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 24. Jeff Ulbrich went for it and Allen got stopped for no gain. In the second quarter the Jets moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 8 at the Buffalo 12. Aaron Rodgers was intercepted. The Jets got it back at their own 5. From their own 2 on 2nd and 13, Rodgers was sacked in the end zone for a safety. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half the Bills led 9-0. The Bills took the free kick at their own 32 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Jets 21 with 2 seconds left. Tyler Bass hit the 39 yard field goal to make it 12-0 Bills. Midway through the third quarter of a game that was still close, On 3rd and 19 from the Buffalo 41, Rodgers was intercepted. Benford returned the pick 24 yards with another 15 tacked on for unnecessary roughness against Rodgers of all people. From the Jets 38, the Bills turned out the lights. On 2nd and 14 from the Jets 30, Allen went to Amari Cooper for the touchdown to make it 19-0 Bills. A 25 yard punt return gave the Bills a short field at the Jets 37. Allen hit Kincaid for 13. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 10. Cook ran for 4 and then the one yard touchdown to make it 26-0 Bills. On the very next play from scrimmage, the Jets fumbled a swing pass and the Bills recovered at the Jets 15. On 3rd and 9, Allen went to Coleman for the touchdown to make it 33-0 Bills. The fourth quarter began with Josh Allen being given the rest of the day off to prepare for the playoffs. Mitchell Trubisky took over at his own 35. On his third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 14, a short pass from Trubisky to Shavers saw Shavers break several attempts at tackling and race down the sideline for a 69 yard touchdown to make it 40-0 Bills.  Only after Rodgers headed to the bench did the Jets show any signs of life as backup Tyrod Taylor led a couple of garbage time scoring drives. The Bills locked up the two seed. 40-14 Bills

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — This week’s Stupor Bowl between 3-12 teams is for Draft position. The Jaguars took over at their own 32 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Mac Jones threw incomplete. Little hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jaguars. A second quarter interception of Mason Rudolph gave the Jaguars a short field at the Tennessee 43. Jones went to Thomas for 17. Thomas ran for 18. Jones went to Washington for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 26. Jones threw 3 straight incompletions. Little hit from 44 to make it 13-0 Jaguars. The Titans took over at their own 29 at the 2 minute warning. They moved to a 4th and 4 at the Jacksonville 21 with 3 seconds left. Matt Wright hit from 39 to get the Titans on the board. The Titans began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 23. Rudolph went to Okonkwo for 18. Spears ran for 12. Spears then fumbled but Calvin Ridley picked it up for the offense and gained 19. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 45, Rudolph went to Ridley for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Jacksonville 18, Spears got just enough. On 3rd and 2 from the Jacksonville 8, Rudolph went to Vannett for the touchdown The 13 play, 85 yard, 8 minute drive had the Titans within 13-10. The Jaguars took over at their own 26 late in the third quarter. Travis Etienne ran for 8 and 2. Offensive penalties had the Jaguars facing 1st and 25 at their own 21 to start the fourth quarter. Jones hit Thomas for 9 and Washington for 24. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 37, Jones gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 26, Jones again gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 15, Tyler Bigsby gained 4. On 3rd and 10 from the Tennessee 11, Jones went to Thomas for the touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 74 yard, 9 minute drive had the Jaguars up 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback the Titans moved to a 4th and 9 at the Jacksonville 10. Needing 2 scores, Brian Callahan opted for the field goal. Wright hit from 28 to get the Titans within 7 with 2:02 to play. The Titans held on defense and forced a 3 and out. The Titans took over at their own 26 with 90 seconds left. They reached a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 26 with 30 seconds left. Rudolph threw 4 straight incompletions. 20-13 Jaguars

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Panthers are done for the year. The 8-7 Buccaneers are tied atop their division but do not hold the tie-breaker. They need to win and get help to make the playoffs. After an opening touchback, Irving ran for 6, 10 and 12. Baker Mayfield went deep to Durham for 31. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. After a touchback Bryce Young went deep to Adam Thielen for 31. Young went to Coker for 15 and back Thielen for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Buccaneers moved from their own 20 to a 1st and goal at the 2. Irving got stopped for no gain and then lost a yard. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mayfield was sacked. Chase McLaughlin hit the 23 yarder to make it 10-7 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers in the second quarter moved from their own 39 to a 3rd and 8 at the Carolina 16. Mayfield threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 34 to make it 13-7 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 19. Irving ran for 34 and caught a pass from Mayfield for 42 down to the one. From there, Mayfield went to Evans for the touchdown to make it 20-7 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 36. Roughing the passer added 15. An offensive penalty and a sack had the Buccaneers facing 2nd and 27 at their own 34. Mayfield went to Miller for 23. On 3rd and 4, Mayfield hit Evans for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 27, Irving gained 5 and 9 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Mayfield went to McMillan for a 10 yard touchdown. With 1:11 left in the half, the Buccaneers were dominating up 27-7. 

After a touchback on 3rd and 5 from their ow 35, Young went to Leggette for 10. On the next play Young went deep to Thielen for a 40 yard touchdown. The Panthers were within 27-14. The Panthers got it back quickly but Eddie Pineiro’s 53 yard field goal try to end the half was no good. In the third quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 1, McMillan gained 9. Mayfield went deep to Evans for 34 and to Irving for 16 and 15. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Mayfield hit Durham for the touchdown to make it 34-14 Buccaneers. The Panthers tried to punt and Johnny Hekker had his punt blocked. JJ Russell picked it up and raced 23 yards for another touchdown to make it 41-14 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back and moved 85 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 16, Mayfield went to McMillan for the touchdown 90 seconds into the fourth quarter to complete the carpet-bombing. The 9-7 Buccaneers awaited results of other games knowing they were still alive. By Sunday night, the other games went the Buccaneers way. They had a one game lead in the division, If they win next week, they win their division and are in the playoffs. 48-14 Buccaneers

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints — Both teams are done for the year. Derek Carr did not get his chance to make NFL history by losing to all 32 NFL teams. His injured hand has not healed. He is still out. Spencer Rattler started in his place. The Raiders team plane had mechanical issues. They did not arrive in New Orleans until late Saturday night. After snapping their 10 game losing streak last week, the Raiders began this game in promising fashion. A statement drive took 17 plays. From their own 27, they moved 69 yards. They took 9 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 4 from the New Orleans 13, a short pass from Aidan O’Connell to Amir Abdullah saw him leap for the pylon for the touchdown. Yet Darren Rizzi challenged the score. On further review, Abdullah was down inside the one. Yet even 1st and goal at the one is too much to ask of these Raiders. The conclusion was inevitable. Abdullah got stopped for no gain. Then he got taken down for a 2 yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 3, O’Connell was sacked. Daniel Carlson hit the 31 yard field goal for a 3-0 Raiders lead. Yet for a team that frequently sputters on offense after their opening drive, it was not a good sign. This team cannot run the ball. 

After a touchback on their first play from scrimmage, Rattler ripped off a 28 yard gain. The saints moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Raiders 38. Rattler found a receiver over the middle, but he got blasted and dropped the ball for an incompletion. On 3rd and 6 Miller gained nothing. A field goal would be 56 yards so Darren Rizzi decided to go for it. After a false start, Rizzi opted to punt. The Raiders took over at their own 6 and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 9. O’Connell went to Alexander Mattison for what appeared to be an 8 yard gain. A horrendous spot reduced it to a 6 yard gain and 4t and 1. Antonio Pierce challenged the spot and lost. The Raiders punted. A 21 yard punt return had the Saints starting at midfield. Rattler went to Miller for 16. On the first play of the second quarter, Rizzi went to his bag of tricks. A perfectly executed flea flicker saw Rattler go deep to a wide open Foster Moreau. The former Raiders tight end caught the ball for a Big Easy 30 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Saints lead. 

The Raiders moved from their own 26 to a 3rd and 5 at the New Orleans 21. O’Connell threw incomplete. Carlson hit from 39 to get the Raiders within 7-6. The Saints after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Raiders 40. Rattler went deep to Johnson for what might have been 39 yards and down to the one, although Johnson did roll over into the end zone before being touched. It didn’t matter as offensive holding wiped out the gain. The Saints ended up punting and another great punt pinned the Raiders at their own 5 yard line. On 2nd and 12 Abdullah broke free for a 17 yard gain. O’Connell went to Bowers for 13. On 3rd and 5 from their own 38 at the 2 minute warning, O’Connell went deep to Jakobi Meyers for 29. O’Connell  went to Bowers for 17. Abdullah ran for 13. On 1st and goal at the 3, a play action pass saw O’Connell hit Meyers for the touchdown. With one minute left in the half the Raiders led 13-7. After a touchback that was plenty of time for the Saints. They moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Raiders 16 with 9 seconds left in the half. Rattler threw deep incomplete, leaving only 3 seconds. Blake Grupe hit the 34 yard field goal. Despite being dominated statistically, the Saints only trailed 13-10. 

The Raiders took over at their own 15 in the third quarter and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the New Orleans 37. A designed draw play to Abdullah gained only one yard. Carlson nailed the 54 yard field goal to make it 16-10 Raiders. The Raiders got it back at their own 39 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the New Orleans 7 to start the fourth quarter. O’Connell threw incomplete. Carlson hit his 4th field goal from 25 to make it 19-10 Raiders. After a touchback the Saints moved to a 2nd and 6 at midfield. Rattler went to Wilson for 16, but the gain was wiped out by offensive holding. On the next play Rattler was intercepted by Jack Jones. The Raiders had a short field at the New Orleans 40. On 3rd and 5 O’Connell went to Bowers for 13. On 3rd and 6 from the New Orleans 18, O’Connell backpedaled and threw a prayer to the corner of the end zone. Tre Tucker came down with it for a touchdown with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 3 minutes left in regulation the Saints took over at their own 10. The Saints moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Raiders 20 with 1:12 left. Rattler went to Johnson for 16 but the gain was wiped out by offensive pass interference. On the next play Rattler was intercepted by Harper. The Raiders defense pitched a second half shutout. A tee 10 straight losses, the Raiders have won 2 straight in what was their most complete team win to date. Brock Bowers broke Mike Ditka’s record for yards by a rookie tight end that had stood for decades. Bowers also set a rookie record for most receptions by a tight end in a season. These records were accomplished 16 games, not in 17. Bowers still has one week to add to his totals. 25-10 Raiders 

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles — The Cowboys are done for the year. The 12-3 Eagles enter this game the two seed. With a win the Eagles lock up their division. The Eagles need to win and get help to have a shot at the top seed. They would have to do it without Jalen Hurts, who was out with a concussion. Kenny Pickett got the start. After an opening touchback the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 35. Yet Rush was then intercepted by Gardner-Johnson, who returned the pick 65 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Eagles lead. After a touchback on 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Rush gained 2. Rush hit Brooks for 12. On 3rd and 9 from the Philadelphia 34, Rush went to Cooks for 22. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 9, Rush threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Rush went to Jalen Tolbert for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. In the second quarter the Eagles took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 2 from their own 37, Saquon Barkley gained 7. On 3rd and 8 from their own 46, Pickett went to Calcaterra for 34. Pickett went to Smith for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Eagles. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, the Cowboys fumbled the ball away. The Eagles took over at the Dallas 39 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Dallas 13. Pickett threw incomplete twice. Jake Elliott hit a 31 yard field goal to have the Eagles up 17-7 with 1:55 left in the half. 

The Cowboys took over at their own 26. On 3rd and 6 from their own 42, Rush was intercepted. It was Gardner-Johnson again, and he returned the pick 25 yards to his own 35. Barkley gained 15. Pickett went deep to Smith for a 49 yard gain down to the one. Pickett got the yard to have the Eagles up 24-7 at the break. In the third quarter the Eagles moved from their own 33 to a 2nd and goal at the 7. Barkley got stopped and a touchdown pass by Pickett was nullified by offensive holding. Elliott hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 27-7 Eagles. Yet in the third quarter Pickett got injured and had to leave the game. The Eagles 3rd string quarterback Tanner McKee came in having never taken an NFL snap. With a 20 point lead, handing the ball to Barkley on every pay seemed ideal. Barkley gained 9 and 23. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 20, McKee went to AJ Brown, who made a leaping touchdown catch. In his very first NFL game, McKee had a touchdown pass as the Eagles led 34-7. The Eagles began the fourth quarter at their own 25 after recovering a Cowboys fumble. On 2nd and 12 from the Dallas 25, McKee went to Smith for his McKee’s 2nd NFL touchdown to complete the blowout. The Eagles clinched the NFC East and the two seed. Based on the results of other games, the top seed and 1st round bye is out of reach.  41-7 Eagles 

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants — The Giants are done for the year. With 2 more losses the 2-13 Giants are guaranteed the top pick in the Draft.  The 7-8 Colts need to win out and get help to make the playoffs. The Colts had to do so without Anthony Richardson, who is out for this game injured. Joe Flacco started in his place. Early on Flacco was intercepted. The Colts got it back and moved from their own 37 to a 3rd and 2 at the Giants 10. Flacco was sacked. Matt Gay hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. After a touchback, Tyrone Tracy ripped off a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 14 from the Indianapolis 31, Drew Lock went to Nabors for the touchdown and the 7-3 Giants lead.In the second quarter Gay missed a 54 yard field goal try. The Giants took over at their own 44. Lock went to Nabers for 19. On 3rd and 8 from the Indianapolis 32. Lock went to Darrius Slayton for the touchdown as the Giants had the surprising 14-3 lead. The Colts after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Giants 11. Flacco threw incomplete. Gay hit from 29 to get the Colts within 14-6. After a touchback Singletary ran for 5 and 13. Lock went deep to Nabers for 34. On 2nd and goal at the 20 after an offensive penalty, Lock went to Nabers for 19. After a false start, on 3rd and goal at the 5, Lock went to Robinson for the touchdown.With 6 minutes left in the half, the worst team in football had a 21-6 Giants lead. 

The Colts after a touchback faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Jonathan Taylor gained 2. Flacco went to Pierce and Pittman for a pair of 13 yard gains. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 25, Taylor gained 12. On 4th and 5 from the Giants 8 with one minute left in the half, Shane Steichen went for it. Flacco hit Granson for 6. Taylor ran for a 3 yard touchdown with 20 seconds left to get the Colts within 21-13. Yet the Giants gave the home crowd a thunderbolt of energy when Smith-Marsette returned the second half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a 28-13 Giants lead. After a touchback Flacco went to Pittman for 19. Taylor ran for 6, 5, 9 and 0. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 25, Taylor got it again and ran for the touchdown. Just like that, the Colts were back in it down 28-20. The Colts got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Giants 23. Taylor got stopped for no gain and Shane Steichen went for it. Taylor got the carry again up the gut and ran into a brick Big Blue wall for no gain. The Giants moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 1 at their own 42. Brian Daboll went for it and this time it was Tracy running into the teeth of the defense for no gain. In the fourth quarter the Colts took over at their own 39. Flacco went to Pittman for 14. Defensive pass interference added 19. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 13, Flacco went to Alex Pierce, who out-jumped the defender for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion try to tie the game failed but the Colts were within 28-26.  

After a touchback the Giants soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Lock went to Robinson for 4. Lock then found Naebers, who escaped everyone for a 59 yard touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left ire gelatin the Giants led 35-26. After a touchback, Flacco quickly went to Pierce for a 49 yard gain. Flacco hit Downs for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 7, Flacco went to Pittman for the touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Colts were right back in it down 35-33. After a touchback and a 6 yard defensive pass interference penalty, Lock went to Robinson for 18. On 3rd and 8 from the Indy 44, Lock went to Robinson for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Lock ran for the touchdown. The Giants again had breathing room up 42-33 with 3 minutes left. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Flacco was intercepted. Phillips returned the pick 25 yards to the indy 17. After 6 touchdowns, this time the Giants settled for a 30 yard Graham Gano field goal. After another touchback, Flacco was sacked and fumbled. The Giants took over at the Indianapolis 22 with 1:53 left. Lock took 3 knees. The Giants snapped their 10 game losing streak. They may no longer end up with the top Draft pick, but thankfully there is no tanking in the NFL. Teams try to win. As for the Colts, it was a bitter defeat. At 7-9, they are eliminated from the playoffs. 45-33 Giants 

Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns — The Browns are done for the year. The 7-8 Dolphins need to win and out and get help to make the playoffs. They would have to do so without Tua Tagovailoa, who is out of this game with an injured hip. Tyler Huntley got the start in his place. A hideous first half saw Jason Sanders hit a 54 yard first quarter field goal for the Dolphins. Dustin Hopkins answered from 25 early in the second quarter. Sanders hit from 39 to end the half with the Dolphins up 6-3. The Dolphins took over at their own 28 in the third quarter. Tyler Huntley went to Tyreek Hill for 13 with 15 more tacked on for a defensive facemark. Huntley went to Washington for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 29, Huntley found Cracraft for 16. Huntley ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Dolphins. With 4 minutes left in regulation Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 5 from his own 18 yard line. Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed a pass for only 3 yards. Huntley hit Hill for 13. Huntley went to Smith for a 7 yard touchdown.to complete the scoring. The 8-8 Dolphins are still alive, but they must win next week and get help to make the playoffs. 20-3 Dolphins

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings — The 11-4 Packers and 13-2 Vikings are both in the playoffs. The Packers are a Wildcard. The Vikings are tied atop their division and the conference but they do not hold the tie-breaker. The Vikings need to win and get help to grab the top seed. In the first quarter will Reichard missed a 57 yard field goal try for the Vikings. The Packers reached a 3rd and 7 at the Minnesota 8. Jordan Love threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit from 22 to make it 3-0 Packers. The Vikings took over at their own 23. Aaron Jones ran for 5 and 9. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 3rd and 4 at their own 43. Sam Darnold went to Jordan Addison for a pair of 13 yard gains. Darnold went deep to Nailor for a 31 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Vikings lead. After a touchback the Packers moved to a 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 23. Rather than kick a 41 yard field goal, Matt LaFleur gambled and Love thew incomplete. The Vikings moved from their own 24 to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Darnold threw incomplete. Reichard hit from 25 to make it 10-3 Vikings with 2:16 left in the half. The Vikings got it back at their own 16 with 1:16 left. They moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 37 with 4 seconds left. From 55 yards out, Reichard was no good. Yet the defense jumped offsides. Given another chance from 50, Reichard was good as the Vikings took a 13-3 lead to the locker rooms. After a third quarter touchback the Vikings faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Darnold hit Jones for 4. On 3rd and 8 from their own 43, Darnold went to Nailor for 22. Darnold went to Justin Jefferson for 7 and 15 and to Addison for an 18 yard touchdown. 20 unanswered points had the Vikings cruising up 20-3.

The Vikings got it back and this time Darnold was intercepted. Valentine returned the pick 31 yards to the Minnesota 16. Josh Jacobs ran for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 20-10. After a touchback Darnold hit Jones for 7, Jefferson for 6, Jones for 13, and Addison for 20. Jones ran for 13. Darnold went to Cam Akers for a 9 yard touchdown to have the Vikings up 27-10 after three quarters. With 9 minutes left in regulation, a 43 yard field goal that would have extended the lead doinked off the upright for Reichard no good. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 33. Love went to melton for 13 and to Kraft for 35. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 15, Love went to Romeo Doubs for just enough. Wilson ran for a 5 yard touchdown. Matt LaFleur decided on a pointless 2 point conversion try. It succeeded as Love hit Doubs to have the Packers within 27-18 with 6:12 to play in regulation. The Packers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 31. Love went to Doubs for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 19, Love went to wicks for 18 down to the one. After a loss, Love went to Heath for a 3 yard touchdown. The Packers were right back in it down 27-25 with 2:18 to play. After a touchback, Darnold went to Ham for 13 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Packers took their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to 3rd and 2 just past midfield. with everyone expecting a run, a play action pass saw Darnold roll out and toss a soft lob to a wide open Akers. Akers nearly fell down, but he barely caught the ball at his shoe strings for the first down. Darnold then took 3 knees. Darnold finished 33 of 43 for 377 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. The 14-2 Vikings have a showdown next week at Detroit. It is winner take all for the division and the conference with the first round bye. The loser of that game is the Wildcard. The 11-5 Packers are locked in as a Wildcard. 27-25 Vikings 

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders was the Sunday night game. The 8-7 Falcons are tied atop their division. They hold the tie-breaker but have not clinched anything. If the Falcons win out, they win their division and go to the playoffs. The 10-5 Commanders are in the driver’s seat for a Wildcard but have not yet clinched a playoff spot. A win in either of their final 2 games would clinch a Wildcard. Their division became out of reach earlier in the day. An early inception of Michael Penix was returned 29 yards by Martin to set up the Commanders at the Atlanta 38. Jayden Daniels went to Zaccheaus for 12 and 9. On 4th and 2 from the Atlanta 7, Dan Quinn went for it. Daniels went to Zaccheaus for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Commanders. After a touchback Bijan Robinson gained 13. Penix went to Pitts for 23. On 4th and 4 from the Washington 28, Riley Patterson hit the 46 yard field goal, but the defense jumped offsides. Raheem Morris took the points off the board. Penix hit London for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Penix through incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Robinson got in for a 7-7 game. In the second quarter the Commanders moved from their own 28 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 12. After offensive holding, Daniels was intercepted. The Falcons took over at their own 28. Tyler Allgeier ran for 8 and 5. Penix hit London for 14. Robinson gained 5 and 12. Allgeier gained 6 and roughing the passer added 10. Robinson gained 8, 3, and finally the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Falcons with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Falcons got it back at their own 28 with 1:52 left in the half. The Falcons moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Washington 21 with 16 seconds left. Penix threw incomplete twice, leaving 2 seconds. Patterson hit from 39 to have the Falcons up 17-7 at the intermission. 

The Commanders began the third quarter at their own 31. On 3rd and 22 from their own 19, Daniels was sacked but defensive illegal contact meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Brian Robinson gained 10. Zaccheays gained 11. Daniels went to Zac Ertz for 37. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 34, Daniels gained 9. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 16, Dan Quinn went for it. Daniels gained 4. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 10, Daniels went to hertz for the touchdown. The 15 play, 69 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Commanders within 17-14. After a touchback Daniels ran for 13 and again for 18. On 4th and 5 from the Atlanta 39, Quinn gambled again rather than try a 57 yard field goal. Daniels hit McNichols for 6. Zaccheays caught a pass from Daniels for 6 and ran for 8 himself. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 10, Rodriguez gained 2. Rodgriuez ran for a 2 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to have the Commanders up 21-17. The Commanders got it back at their own 36 and moved to a 1st and goal at the one looking to put in the dagger. On 3rd and goal at the 2, a touchdown pass from Daniels to Zaccheaus was nullified by offensive holding. Zane Gonzalez hit a 31 yard field goal. 17 unanswered second half points had the Commanders up 24-17, but they did not slam the door shut. 

The Falcons took over at their own 32 with 4 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 11 from midfield with 2 1/2 minutes left, Penix went to London for 31. On 1st and goal at the 5, a wild snap sailed over Penix’s head. By the time Penix recovered it, it was a 21 yard loss. The Falcons faced 2nd and goal from the 26 at the 2 minute warning. On 4th and goal at the 13, Penix fired over the middle to Pitts for the touchdown. Raheem Morris took no chances on a 2 point try. The extra point tied the game 24-24 with 80 seconds left.  The Commanders went 3 and out when a 3rd and 10 pass to Zaccheays was just dropped. The Falcons took over at their 19 with 40 seconds left. On 3rd and 10 from their own 44 with 7 seconds left, the defense jumped. On 3rd and 5 under heavy pressure, Penix threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and 10 at the Washington 38. With 2 seconds left, Patterson came in for a 56 yard try to win it. Patterson’s kick was dead center but a bit short no good. The Commanders won the overtime coin toss. After a touchback and a false start, Daniels had a pair of 7 yard runs sandwiched around a 10 yard completion to Ertz. On 3rd and 2 from midfield, Daniels ran for 16. Daniels hit Rodriguez for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 2 with 2:45 left in overtime, Dan Quinn called timeout to give Daniels a chance to catch his breath. A touchdown would end the game but a field goal would give the Falcons a chance with the ball. Daniels fired over the middle to Ertz, who caught the ball just above the ground and hung on for dear life. Touchdown. Ballgame. The 11-5 Commanders are in the playoffs. The 8-8 Falcons are one game back in their division. They need to win next week and have Tampa Bay lose to make the playoffs. Otherwise they are out. In a special life note, after the game Commanders special teamer Jeremy Reaves proposed to his girlfriend on the sideline and is now an engaged man. 30-24 Commanders, OT

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers is the Monday night game. This is the rematch of last year’s NFC Title Game. The Lions had a big lead but the 49ers came storming back. This year the 49ers crashed and burned, and are done for the year. Meanwhile the 13-2 Lions are tied atop their division and the conference. The Lions hold the tie-breaker. This was almost a meaningless game for them. Whether they win or lose, their home game next week against Minnesota will decide if they win the division and the top seed in the conference with the first round bye. Yet Dan Campbell said the Lions would be going full throttle and not resting starters. The 49ers began at their own 39. Brock Purdy went to Conley for 13. Deebo Samuel ran for 9 and Purdy hit George Kittle for 18. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 5, Kyle Shanahan went for it and Purdy gained 2. Purdy went to Pearsall for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Jahmyr Gibbs gained 6 and 21. Jared Goff went to Reynolds for 26. On 3rd and goal at the 3 Williams got in for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Lions trailed 7-6. 

After a touchback the 49ers faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Purdy hit Pearsall for 14. Guerendo gained 11. Purdy hit Kittle for 20. On the first play of the second quarter, Purdy hit Kyle Juszczky for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 49ers. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Goff hit Sam LaPorta for 6. Gibbs gained 15. On 3rd and 12 from the San Francisco 41, Goff connected with Amra St Brown for the touchdown to have the Lions within 14-13. After a touchback Purdy hit Jennings for 9. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, Purdy went deep to Pearsall for 40. Purdy ran for a 9 yard touchdown. 3 touchdowns on their first 3 drives had the 49ers up 21-13 with 6 minutes left in the half. After a touchback the Lions moved to a 4th and 3 at the San Francisco 8. Goff threw incomplete. The 49ers took over with 1:13 left in the half and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 30 with 20 seconds left. Purdy went to Kittle but offensive pass interference nullified the gain. On the last play of the half, Jake Moody’s 51 yard field goal try to extend the lead was no good.

The Lions began the third quarter at their own 34. Goff went to St Brown for 13 and 6. On 3rd and 5 from the San Francisco 48, Goff went to Williams for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the San Francisco 31, Goff went to Robinson for 21. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Goff went to LaPorta for the touchdown. Dan Campbell went for 2 and Goff hit Patrick for a 21-21 game. The 49ers took over at their own 16. Purdy hit Jennings for 13. Purdy went to Pearsall for 39 and to Kittle for 22. Purdy hit Deebo Samuel for a 5 yard touchdown to put the 49ers back up 28-21. 

The Lions after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 3 at the San Francisco 26. Goff was sacked. Dan Campbell went with a 57 yard field goal try and Jeremy Bates delivered to have the Lions within 28-24. Purdy went deep from midfield and was intercepted. The Lions took over with a short field at the San Francisco 43. Goff went to Reynolds for 9 and St Brown for 13. On 4th and goal at the 4, rather than just kick the field goal, Campbell gambled again. Goff hit St Brown for the touchdown to have the Lions up 31-28. Early in the fourth quarter kyle Shanahan tried a 58 yard field goal to tie the game. Moody was no good. Bates connected from 42 to have the Lions up 34-28 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Another interception of Purdy gave the Lions the ball at their own 38. Gibbs ran for 8 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 30, Gibbs took an end around all the way for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Lions led 40-28. Purdy got knocked out with 1:36 left. Joshua Dobbs finished the game. Dobbs ran for a 7 yard touchdown with 43 seconds left. Moody’s bad night continued as he missed the extra point and drilled the onside kick out of bounds. The 14-2 Lions are at home next week for their showdown with Minnesota. The division, the conference, and the first round bye with home field advantage throughout the playoffs, it’s winner take all. 40-34 Lions