THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2022-203 WildCard Prequel

The Wildcard Playoff games are set:

Saturday, January 14, 2023, 4:30pm

NFC: 7) Seattle Seahawks at 2) San Francisco 49ers (-9 1/2) on FOX — A decade ago these teams were fighting for supremacy in the NFC. The 49ers are as good if not better than those teams. Their defense is just as nasty if not nastier. The Seahawks are no longer the Legion of Boom. Now they are just a plucky over-achieving team. Pete Carroll has his finger on the pulse of his team like nobody else. He has certainly helped Geno Smith. Yet the 49ers have the story of the year in Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, who is 5-0 as a starter. This game will not be a blowout given the intense rivalry of these teams. Yet the 49ers are the superior team with the better defense. 49ers win but fail to cover

8pm

AFC: 5) Los Angeles Chargers (-2) at 4) Jacksonville Jaguars on NBC — The Jaguars were 2-6 and then Doug Pederson turned them around. Early in the season the Jaguars went on the road and throttled the Chargers 38-10. The Chargers on paper are the better team. Yet the Jaguars have momentum. Home field will not be an issue since these are both warm weather teams. Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence are both playing well. The Chargers have the better receivers and the Jaguars have the better running game.The Jaguars have a slight edge on defense. The coaching edge is not close. Pederson is much better than Brandon Staley, who frequently makes reckless gambles. The Chargers have a couple of injuries at key positions. Go with momentum. The Jaguars are peaking at the right time. Upset special, Jaguars win outright

Sunday, January 15, 1pm

AFC: 7) Miami Dolphins at 2) Buffalo Bills (-13) on CBS — These teams split a pair of nasty games. Early in the season these teams were evenly matched. Yet Tua Tagovailoa has been injured in several games this season. He is out this game, which makes it a mismatch. The Bills are still riding the wave of emotion coming from the Damar Hamlin situation. Hamlin has made a miraculous recovery, and the Bills have rallied around him. Even without those events, the Bills have the home field crowd, the cold weather against a warm weather team, an outstanding defense, and a great quarterback in Josh Allen. The Dolphins lost five straight games before eking out a 9-6 win over the reeling Jets at home to back into the playoffs. The Bills are in Super Bowl mode. The Dolphins will not be able to keep up playing a backup quarterback. Bills cover

4:30pm

NFC: 6) New York Giants at 3) Minnesota Vikings (-3) on FOX — The Giants are a feel-good story. Brian Daboll has turned the Giants around and gotten the most out of Daniel Jones. Saquon Barkley is running well. Yet the Giants are not built to come back if they fall behind. The Vikings have an explosive offense. Kirk Cousins can go to Justin Jefferson any time, with Dalvin Cook running to keep defenses honest. The Vikings set an NFL record by overcoming a 33-0 halftime deficit to win. The Vikings have lost a couple brutal games at home, but the Giants lack the firepower. Inside a comfortable dome, go with the speed of the Vikings offense. Vikings cover

8pm

AFC: 6) Baltimore Ravens at 3) Cincinnati Bengals (-7) on NBC — Last year the Ravens were 8-3 until Lamar Jackson got injured. The Ravens then went 0-6. This year the Ravens were 10-3 and in contention to win the AFC North. Then Jackson got hurt again and the Ravens backed into the playoffs with four straight losses. The Bengals started 0-2 before quickly turning things around. Joe Burrow has so many weapons to go to. With Jackson, this is an exciting game. Without him, this is a mismatch. The Bengals beat the Ravens by 11 last week. You can only throw in so many wrinkles with backup quarterbacks. The Ravens win with running and defense, which is tough to do when trailing. Bengals cover

Monday, January 16, 8pm

NFC: 5) Dallas Cowboys (-2 1/2) at 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers on ESPN/ABC — The Buccaneers only went 8-9, becoming the fourth team to make the playoffs with a losing record. This was Tom Brady’ s first losing season. On paper, the Cowboys are the better team. Yet Brady is undefeated against the Cowboys, going 7-0 in that span. Home field will not matter. Neither of these teams plays in cold weather. Dak Prescott and company play well in the regular season, but often flame out in the postseason. Mike McCarthy knows offense and Todd Bowles knows defense. These Buccaneers are a shell of the team that won it all two years ago, but the Cowboys do not get the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves in the postseason. Brady gutted the Buccaneers to the postseason and may have one more miracle left in him. Betting against him has been a fool’s errand for a long time. Upset special, Buccaneers win outright

NFL 2022 Week 18 Recap

Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders was the Saturday afternoon game. The 13-3 Chiefs with a win would be the top seed in the AFC playoffs. The 6-10 Raiders have had a miserable season under Josh McDaniels. Jarrett Stidham was making his 2nd NFL start as Derek Carr remained away from the team. Josh Jacobs came in the NFL rushing leader, playing with an emotional heart. His father had open heart surgery the Wednesday before the game. Davante Adams came in the NFL receiving leader. Patrick Mahomes came in needing 430 yards passing to set the NFL single season passing record. The weak link on the Raiders is McDaniels. The Raiders won the coin toss and decided to defer, an imbecilic decision. Bill Belichick likes to defer, so McDaniels thinks that makes it ok. The goal is to keep Mahomes off the field, not to let him dictate the pace of the game. On the second play of the game, Mahomes went bombs away for a 67 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, the Raiders defense was flagged for having 12 men on the field. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mahomes rolled to his left, saw the running lanes closed, and flipped a shovel pass to Jerick McKinnon for the touchdown. The Chiefs led 7-0 only 2 minutes into the game. 

The Raiders moved into field goal range. On 3rd down Stidham was sacked. Daniel Carlson snuck a 54 yard field goal inside the left upright to get the Raiders within 7-3. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 43, Mahomes threw incomplete. Surprisingly, Andy Reid punted. A good punt had the Raiders taking over at their own 5 yard line. On a play action pass, Stidham collided with Jacobs and was then sacked. On the next play, Stidham went bombs away into double coverage and was intercepted. The Chiefs had a short field at the Raiders 44. Mahomes executed his play action pass properly and found Juju Smith-Schuster for a 28 yard gain. Toney easily gained 14. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 1st and goal at the 2. Ronald Jones got in to make it 14-3 Chiefs.  

The Raiders took over at their own 24 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Stidham threw a fade to the end zone but it was high and incomplete. Josh McDaniels gambled on 4th and goal at the 2. Stidham rolled out and fired over the middle incomplete. A 9 minute drive yielded nothing. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 8. Mahomes threw deep incomplete. Yet a horrendous roughing the passer call on Maxx Crosby meant 15 yards and an automatic first down. Crosby hit Mahomes in his shoulder nowhere near his head. The first roughing the passer call against the Raiders all season came at the worst possible time. Given a second chance, Mahomes torched the pathetic Raiders secondary as expected. At the 2 minute warning the Chiefs faced 1st and 10 from the Raiders 30. On 3rd and 10, Mahomes scrambled for 14. Kadarius Toney ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 98 yard, 5 minute drive made it 21-3 Chiefs with 47 seconds left in the half. 

After a touchback, Stidham quickly fired to Waller for 21. Defensive pass interference added 9. On 1st and 10 from the Chiefs 45, Stidham was sacked. The Raiders took their final timeout with 32 seconds left. on 2nd and 17, Stidham fired over the middle to Adams for a big gain in field goal range. Yet offensive illegal use of hands wiped out the gain and meant 2nd and 27. Rather than take a knee and end this miserable hands, another incompletions topped the clock. Now the Raiders could not take a knee because the defense had a timeout left. Stidham got hit and fumbled. The Chiefs recovered at the Raiders 30 with 9 seconds left. Harrison Butker hit a 44 yard field goal to end the half with a 24-3 lead. The Josh McDaniels plan of deferring the opening kickoff, as everything else he has tried to do this season, blew up spectacularly against his own team. 

The Raiders got the ball to start the second half after a touchback, the Raider moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 18.  Yet after another run meant 2nd and 10, Josh McDaniels immediately abandoned the run like he always does. An incompletion and a delay of game killed the drive. An 8 minute drive yielded only a 38 yard Carlson field goal as the Raiders trailed 24-6. This game was never a contest. A 31 yard Isaiah Pacheco run led to 3rd and goal at the one. Pacheco got in straight up the gut with 11 minutes left to make it a 31-6 Chiefs blowout lead. Pass-happy Josh McDaniels may or may not have noticed that even pass-happy Walrus Andy Reid was running the ball in obvious running situations. It’s called power football, and McDaniels refuses to play it. A meaningless touchdown pass from Stidham to Renfrow with 6 1/2 minutes left still was not enough to prevent a blowout. Stidham was sacked 6 times, including on 4th and 21 in his own territory. with 4 minutes left. Chad Henne came in for mop up work. The 14-3 Chiefs are the top seed. They will get the first round bye. If Buffalo wins on Sunday and the Chiefs play Buffalo in the AFC Title Game, that game will be held at a neutral stadium. Under any other scenario, the Chiefs will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They have the potential to host the AFC Title Title Game for the 5th straight year, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 

Luckily for the Raiders, this miserable season is over. Unluckily for them, McDaniels will still not be fired. Carr will be the fall guy. Another team will win with Carr. The Raiders under Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia were 10-7. The Raiders finished 6-11 this year. McDaniels is expected to take a keg of dynamite to the team, because in his own mind he has not done enough damage already. For those with short memories, the Raiders led by Carr went into Arrowhead earlier this season and were a failed 2 point conversion from winning. McDaniels threw Carr under the bus, but McDaniel is the problem. Stidham fumbled one more time but the Raiders retained possession. With Carr gone next year, McDaniels will be out of people to blame. It will be too late. When Mark Davis eventually realized McDaniels is the problem and fires him, the damage will have already been done. There is no home field advantage for the Raiders as tourists from other teams fill the stadium. 31-13 Chiefs 

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Saturday night game. The 7-9 Titans were at the 8-8 Jaguars with the AFC South crown on the line. Winner is in. The Titans with a loss were out. The Jaguars could lose and still get in, but would need a ton of help. The 7-3 Titans were cruising toward the playoffs until injuries led to a 6 game losing streak. Ryan Tannehill is on injured reserve. with Malik Willis not getting it done last week, this week with everything on the line it was third string quarterback Josh Dobbs getting the nod. The Jaguars were supposed to be a year away from contending, but Doug Pederson has turned this team around in his first season. Trevor Lawrence has been the biggest beneficiary. After a 3-7 start, the Jaguars have gone 5-1 since then. The Titans moved 51 yards in 17 plays and took 10 minutes off the clock. The Titans tried to rekindle the Music City Miracle of 1999 with a home run throwback play on offense, but this time it was called back due to the attempted lateral clearly being a forward pass. Randy Bullock hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. 

The Jaguars moved to the Tennessee 30 in the second quarter. Doug Pederson went to the bag of tricks but a reverse play blew up when Trevor Lawrence pitched the ball a little too high. The pitchout was fumbled and the Titans recovered. The Titans moved to the Jacksonville 21. With the Titans playing smash mouth, a well-executed play action pass from Dobbs went to Chigoziem Okonkwo for the touchdown and the 10-0 Titans lead. Jamal Agnew gave the Jaguars a spark by returning the ensuing kickoff 54 yards. Lawrence went to Christian Kirk for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 10-7 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 2 from the Jacksonville 17, Dobbs was swarmed. He smartly took the sack rather than try to face anything. Rand Bullock hit the 39 yard field goal to end the half with the Titans up 13-7.

I  the third quarter the Jaguars after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Tennessee 8. Lawrence rolled out and had a wide open Zee Jones in the end zone. There was nobody anywhere near Jones. Yet Lawrence overthrew him as the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone. Riley Patterson hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 13-10. Mike Vrable went to the bag of tricks. A direct snap to Derrick Henry was meant to be a halfback option pass. The Jaguars blew it up in the backfield yet Henry tried to throw the ball anyway with a couple guys draped all over him. Henry floated a ball as he was going to the ground. Into double coverage, the ball fell incomplete but the Titans were lucky enough to draw a defensive pass interference call. On 3rd and 10 from the Jacksonville 40, Dobbs hit the receiver over the middle for 13 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Jacksonville 24 under heavy pressure, Dobbs threw incomplete. Bullock hit from 41 to make it 16-10 Titans with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. 

With one minute left in the third quarter the Titans were facing 3rd and 16 from their own 9 yard line. This was right after a big run by Henry into Jacksonville territory was wiped out by offensive holding. Dobbs decided to go bombs away under heavy pressure. Tyson Campbell intercepted the ball and returned the pick 29 yards to the Tennessee 25. Instead of being down by 9, the Jaguars and a chance to take the lead. The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars facing 3rd and 3 at the Tennessee 18. Lawrence went to the end zone but the play was broken up in the last moment incomplete. Patterson hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 16-13. 

The defenses dug in. Midway through the fourth quarter on 3rd and 3 from their own 17, a completion from Dobbs to Jonathan Ward appeared to be stopped for a loss, but somehow Ward broke through a tough tackle for a 4 yard gain. On 3rd and inches from their own 30, Dobbs snuck across for a yard with plenty of help from his own offensive lineman pushing him form behind. On 3rd and 6 from their own 35 with 3 minutes left, Dobbs went back to pass and got blasted by Jenkins and fumbled. The ball went forward and bounced straight to Allen, who returned the fumble 30 yards for a defensive touchdown. After trailing the entire game, the Jaguars had the lead with 2:51 to play in the game. There was a chance this was an incomplete pass. After careful review, officials confirmed that Dobbs’s lost the ball before his arm knocked the ball forward. It was the empty hand rule. The Titans were one or two first downs away from running out the clock. Instead, the Jaguars led by 4 points as the home crowd erupted in celebration.

With all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, The Titans had plenty of time to run the ball. After a touchback, Dobbs ran for 10. Henry added 9. A 6 yard completion from Dobbs to Swain had the Titans with 1st and 10 at midfield at the 2 minute warning. Dobbs got hit again and fumbled again, but this time the ball bounced right back to Dobbs for a sack. A false start had the Titans facing 3rd and 17 from their own 43 with 1:46 left. Under heavy pressure, Dobbs somehow with 2 guys bearing on him managed a completion for 4 yards to set up 4th and 13 with 1:37 left. The Titans were down to their last gasp. For some reason, Dobbs threw underneath rather than past the first down marker. The completion gained only 8 with 90 seconds left. The Titans only had one timeout left. It was not enough. Lawrence took a couple knees. He is going to his first playoff game, and it will be at home. 6 wins in their last 7 games gave the Jaguars a winning season at 9-8. The Titans were the top seed last year. This year 7 straight losses had them finishing 7-10. This was an old-school stone age smash mouth football game. Both defenses hit the opposing offense in the mouth. Defense won this game. Welcome back to Sacksonville. 20-16 Jaguars 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons were out of the playoffs. The 8-8 Buccaneers were locked into the four seed as NFC South champs. With nothing to play for, they could have rested their starters. Yet Tom Brady was in danger of his first losing season in 23 years. He and the starters played.  The Buccaneers began at their own 30. Brady went to Chris Godwin for 17 and 8. Thompkins. ran for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 17, Brady went to Cade Otton for 5. Brady hit Rudolph for the 8 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 70 yard, 5 minute drive made it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Falcons took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 5, Desmond Ridder went to London for 26.  A defensive penalty for a low block added 15 more. Tyler Allgeier had big gains of 17 and 16. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Ridder hit Pruittfor the touchdown. The 91 yard drive made it 7-7.  

Two plays after a touchback the Buccaneers fumbled. The Falcons took over at the Tampa 34. The defense held and the Falcons settled for a Younghoe Koo 49 yard field goal to lead 10-7. The Buccaneers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 14. Bernard gained 8, but offensive holding brought it back and made it 4th and 10. Ryan Succop hit the 41 yard field goal to cap the 14 play, 52 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive for a 10-10 game midway through the second quarter. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Buccaneers recovered a Falcons fumble at the Atlanta 22. Yet Brady stayed on the sideline with a baseball cap on. He was done for the day. Blaine gabbers was now in at quarterback. Todd Bowles was not taking any further chances risking an injury to Brady. Gabbert went to Thompkins for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Gabbert hit Rusell Gage for a 3 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers led 17-10 at the midpoint.

After a third quarter touchback, the Falcons moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. A run lost a yard and Ridder threw incomplete. Koo hit from 24 to get the Falcon within 17-13. The Falcons took over at their own 20. Ridder hit London for 17. Allgeier gained 13. On 4th and 3 from the Tampa 43, Arthur Hill decided to go for it. Ridder hit Anthony Firkser for 11 and Hesse for 6. Cordarelle Patterson gained 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 11, Allgeier gained 5. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Ridder went to Olamide Zaccheaus for the touchdown to cap the 14 play, 80 yard, 8 minute drive as the Falcons led 20-17 after three quarters. The Falcons got it back in the fourth quarter and faced 3rd and 6 from their own 21. Ridder went deep to London for 40 yards. Ridder went to Darby for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa 16, Ridder went to London for 14. Patterson ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 27-17 Falcons midway through the fourth quarter. Koo tacked on a 51 yard field goal with 4 minutes left to complete the scoring. 20 unanswered points allowed the Falcons to end the season on a high note. Tom Brady saw his team fall to 8-9, his first ever losing season. Yet the Buccaneers are going to the playoffs. Football is about the team, not individuals. 30-17 Falcons

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills — By now the whole world knows about Damar Hamlin. His near death experience on the football field 6 days ago has united Americans of all stripes. The Bills came in 12-3 and were expected to rid e a wave of emotion. Although the top seed and a first round bye were out of reach, a win would lock up the two seed. If the Bills reached the AFC Title Game against top seed Kansas City, the game would be moved to a neutral site. The 8-8 Patriots needed a win to make the playoffs. Sometimes football is bigger than just a game. Sometimes there are larger forces at work brought on by emotion. The New York Giants defense in the game after 9/11. The New Orleans Saints blocked punt in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. 

Jermaine Lewis returning two kicks for touchdowns for the Ravens only days after his son was stillborn. 

Today Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown today for the Buffalo Bills only days after Damar Hamlin nearly died on the field. 14 seconds into the game, the Bills led 7-0. 

The Patriots eventually faced 3rd and 1 from their own 35. Mac Jones hit Jakobi Meyers for 20, Davante Parker for 17, Rhamondre Stevenson for 6, Parker for 11, and Meyers for a 2 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 42, Singletary gained 2. Allen went to Diggs for 16. On 3rd and 7 from the New England 21, Allen went to Gabriel Davis for 19. The second quarter began with Allen hitting Dawson Knox for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills. The Patriots took over at their own 26. Stevenson gained 18. Jones then hit Stevenson for 8 and Kendrick Bourne for 20. On 3rd and 3 at the Buffalo 17, Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 10. Jones hit Parker for a 2 yard touchdown and a 14-14 tie. The Bills from their own 28 to a 1st and 10 at the New England 15 with 38 seconds left in the half. A pair of incompletions left 14 seconds. In short field goal range, Allen’s pass on 3rd and 10 was intercepted as the Bills wasted an opportunity. In the third quarter the Patriots moved from their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 21. With a chance to take the lead, Jones was intercepted by White at the 2 yard line as the game remained tied. Two plays later the Bills fumbled and the Patriots recovered at the Buffalo 11. On 3rd and 8, a run gained only 3 yards.Nick Folk hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Patriots. 

Then came another shocker. Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to start the game. He did it again, this time returning the kickoff 101 yards for another touchdown. Are? You? Kidding? Me!!!???!!!!??? 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game. Jermaine Lewis did that for the Ravens a few days after his son was stillborn. Hines just did this a few days after Damar Hamlin nearly died. There are larger forces at work. At the risk of offending some of you (never stopped me before), the world was witnessing the case for atheism being obliterated. The Bills led 21-17 and got the ball back at their own 19. On 3rd and 1, Allen gained 3. Allen went to Shakir for 28. Allen then rolled out, directed traffic, and uncorked a 42 yard touchdown bomb to John Brown to make it 28-17 Bills after three quarters. 

The Patriots took over at their own 15. Jones hit Parker for 14. Harris gained 19 as the third quarter ended. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 36 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Bill Belichick went for it. Jones hit Meyers for 10. Jones then went to Parker for a 26 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Patriots were within 28-23. In a desperate attempt to avoid kicking to Hines, the kickoff went out of bounds to set up the Bills at their own 40. A chop blok penalty had the Bills facing 2nd and 23 from their own38. Allen hit Isaiah McKenzie for 13. On 3rd and 10, Allen went bombs away again to Diggs for a 49 yard touchdown. The Bills were up by 12 with 9 minutes left. The Patriots went 3 and out but got a break when the Bills fumbled the punt and the Patriots recovered at the Buffalo 35. Yet on 3rd and 19 from the Buffalo 22, Jones went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Patriots got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 28 with 2:42 to play. Jones was intercepted again. One year after the Sean McDermott’s Bills blasted the Patriots 47-17 to eliminate them in the playoffs, the Bills this time knocked the 8-9 Patriots out of playoff contention. The 13-3 Bills locked up the two seed. If they play Kansas City or Cincinnati in the AFC Title Game, the game will be played at a neutral site. From his Cincinnati hospital bed, Damar Hamlin is alive, speaking, and Tweeting his happiness for his team. 35-23 Bills

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears — The 12-4 Vikings entered as the three seed and needed a win over the lowly Bears and a San Francisco loss to claim the two seed. The top seed is out of reach. The Bears with a loss and a Houston win would own the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With Justin Fields out, Nathan Peterman started. On the third play from scrimmage facing 3rd and 7 from their own 30, Kirk Cousins went deep to Osborn for a 66 yard gain. On the next play Cousins went to Adam Thielen for a 4 yard touchdown. Greg Joseph missed the extra point but the Vikings led 6-0. The Vikings began the second quarter facing 3rd and 11 at their own 33. Cousins went to TJ Hockenson for 16 and Ham for 11. Mattison gained 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 25, , Cousins went to Osborn for 7 and Smith for 8. From the 10, Alexander Mattison ran for 3, 6, and the one yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 66 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive to make it 13-0 Vikings midway through the second quarter. Boyle came in for Peterman. 3 plays later on 3rd and 7 from their own 31, Boyle was intercepted. Patrick Peterson returned the pick 28 yards to the Chicago 35. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 5, a delay of game penalty was followed by an incompletion. Joseph hit the 28 yard fed goal to make it 16-0 Vikings.

After a touchback, Boyle hit Cole Kmet for 17 and 16. On the next play Van Jones raced down the sideline past terrible attempts at tackling for a 42 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed as the Bears were within 16-6. After a touchback, the Vikings moved to a 1st and goal at the 6 with one minute left in the half. The Vikings got 0 yards and took the clock down to one second. Joseph hit the 24 yard field goal but a mindless offensive penalty for 12 men on the field nullified the score and ended the half. It didn’t matter. After a third quarter touchback, Cousins was done for the day. Kevin O’Connell wanted to keep his stars fresh for the playoffs and gave them the second half off. Nick Mullens played the second half. Mattison ran for 6 and 11. Mullens went to Ham for for 10 and Nailor for 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 8, Mullensa gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mattison got in to make it 23-6 Vikings. The Bears did manage one third quarter touchdown, but nothing else. Joseph hit field goals of 50 in the third quarter and 41 in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. The 13-4 Vikings will be the three seed in the playoffs. The Bears with the loss combined with a Houston win are officially the worst NFL team of 2022. After the Super Bowl, the Bears will be on the clock for the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 29-13 Vikings

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — The 11-4 Bengals hosted the 10-6 Ravens. Both teams are in the playoffs. The Ravens came in losers of 3 straight games with Lamar Jackson being injured. The division is out of reach for them. Instead of Tyler Huntley, 3rd stringer Anthony Brown started. For the Bengals, the top seed was out of reach. Yet a win and a Buffalo loss would vault them to the two seed. If the Bengals were to play Buffalo in the AFC Title Game, the game would be moved to a neutral site. The Bengals took over at their own 31 and moved 63 yards in 17 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 16, Joe Burrow threw incomplete 3 straight times. Evan McPherson hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. One play after a touchback an interception of Brown gave the Bengals a short field at the Baltimore 48. Burrow went to Tyler Boyd for 22. Burrow hit Hurst for 7 and Boyd for 12. Joe Mixon ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Bengals. 3 plays later on the first play of the second quarter with the Ravens facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30, Brown was intercepted again to give the Bengals another short field at the Baltimore 32. On 3rd and 4, Burrow went deep to JaMarr Chase for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Bengals.

The Ravens faced 3rd and 13 from their own 21. Brown threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Brown went to Likely for 28 and Kolar for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 19, Brown went to Likely for 12. Kenyon Drake ran for 3 and then for the 4 yard touchdown. With 1:57 left in the half, the Ravens were within 17-7. The Ravens got it back and faced 3rd and 9 from their own 6. Rather than just run the ball and try to get to the half, John Harbaugh decided to get aggressive. Brown was sacked in the end zone and fumbled. Ossai recovered for a defensive touchdown and a 24-7 Bengals lead. In the third quarter a sack of Burrow forced a fumble that gave the Ravens gift field position at the Cincinnati 9. Yet a run gained one yard and Brown threw incomplete twice. Justin Tucker hit a 26 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 24-10. After a touchback, the Bengas moved to a 4th and 2 at the Baltimore 8. McPherson hit from 26 to make it 27-10 Bengals. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Cincinnati 33. Brown threw incomplete. Tucker delivered from 51 to get the Ravens within 27-13. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Ravens had moved from their own 18 to a 2nd and 5 at the Cincinnati 9. Brown threw incomplete and then got taken down for no gain. Again it was a 27 yard Tucker field goal to get the Ravens within 11. They got nothing else. With 3 minutes left a 47 yard completion as for naught when the Ravens fumbled the ball away. The 10-7 Ravens are the six seed. The 12-4 Bengals are the three seed. In a quirk of fate, these teams meet again next week in Cincinnati in the playoffs. 27–16 Bengals

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — League rules required this game between awful teams had to be played. With a loss, the Texans could lock up the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Sometimes a pair of terrible teams can come together and play an exciting game. This actually was that game. Nevertheless, the sheer number of blunders still made it the Stupor Bowl. On the first play of the game after a touchback, Davis Mills went to Brandin Cooks for 33. Mills then went to Jordan Akin for 15, Quitoriano for 9, and Cooks for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Colts fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the Texans at the Indianapolis 18. A run was blown up for a 7 yard loss. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Texans.

After a touchback, Sam Ehlinger hit Pierce for 13. Moss gained 34. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 24, Ehlinger threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside to set up 3rd and 1. Jackson got stopped but with absolutely nothing to lose, Jeff Saturday went for it. On 4th and 1, Ehlinger gained 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Houston 9, Ehlinger only gained 4 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 3 more. Ehlinger hit Michael Pittman for a one yard touchdown to finish the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Colts within 10-7. In the second quarter the Colts punted on 4th and 17 from their own 2 to set up the Texans with a short field at the Indianapolis 46. From the indy 21, Freeman gained 7 but fumbled. The Justin Blackon returned the fumble 34 yards to set up the Colts at their own 42. One play later, Mills was intercepted by Jonathan Greenard, who returned it 39 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 17-7 Texans lead. 

In the third quarter the Colts moved from their own 17 to a 4th and goal at the 6. On the field goal try, the defense encroached to make it 4th and goal at the 3. Saturday inexplicably went for it. Out of the shotgun, Ehlinger threw incomplete. A 13 yard punt return gave the Colts the ball with a short field just past midfield. A defensive facemask added 15 yards. Ehlinger ran for 8 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Moss ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 17-14. After a touchback, Mills went deep to Quitoriano for 52. On 3rd and 8 from the Indy 19, Mills went to Jordan Akins for the touchdown. Again, the Texans could guarantee themselves the top Draft pick by losing. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Texans were winning 24-14. 

The Texans got the ball back with a chance to put the game away. Yet on 3rd and 8 from their own 21, Mills was intercepted by Ray McLeod. McLeod returned the pick 27 yards for a touchdown to get the Colts within 24-21. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Mills was intercepted again by Thomas. This time Thomas returned the pick 11 yards as the Colts took over at their own 42 to start the fourth quarter. Moss gained 10. Ehlinger went to Pierce for 18 and Pittman for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ehlinger hit Mo Alie-Cox for the touchdown. with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Colts led 28-24. The Colts got the ball back at their own 24 and moved 40 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 7 from the Houston 36, a field goal try would be 54 yards. Chase McLaughlin delivered. 17 unanswered points had the Colts up 31-24. 3 1/2 minutes still remained. For the billionth time, a Texans loss guaranteed them the top Draft pick.

The Texans soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 25. Ogunbowale gained 3. Mills hit Rodgers for 14 and Moore for 12 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. With 1:26 left the Texans were down to their last gasp, facing 4th and 12 from the Indy 48. Mills went deep to Cooks for 30. With 50 seconds left, the Texans were again down to their last gasp facing 4th and 20 from the Indy 28. Under heavy pressure, Mills threw the Hail Mary. A defender was perfectly positioned in the end zone for the interception. It went right through the defender’s hands and was caught by Akins for the touchdown. The Texans got their miracle. They were an extra point away from a tie game. Yet if ever a game did not deserve overtime, this game was it. With nothing whatsoever to lose, Lovie Smith went for the win on the road. Mills fired to Akins in the end zone successfully. Now the Texans had the one point lead. 

After a touchback, on 3rd and 10, Ehlinger went to Jackson for 11 and Woods for 9. With 13 seconds left, the Colts were at their own 45. They needed about 15 yards to try a very long field goal. A completion for one yard accomplished nothing and forced the Colts to take their last timeout with 8 seconds left. Ehlinger had a receiver by the sideline but threw high and incomplete, leaving 2 seconds. Out of field goal range, it was Hail Mary time. Ehlinger’s pass did not even reach the end zone before falling incomplete. 

Two weeks ago the Houston Texans were the worst team in pro football. All they had to do was lose one of their final 2 games and they would have gotten the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They won their final 2 games and “lost” that opportunity. They will pick second behind the Bears.

Texans fans may not like this, but what the Texans did protects the integrity of pro football. Hockey, baseball and basketball have all been plagued by “tanking.” This is when bad teams purposely lose games to improve their Draft position. 

Tanking violates everything that sports is about. Losing on purpose is anti-sports, anti-competition, and anti-decency. As the late John Madden said, “The worst thing you can say about someone is they lost on purpose. For the sake of what’s right, for the sake of football, you have to (try to) win.” Football is the only sport where there is no evidence of tanking. Give credit to Texans coach Lovie Smith for keeping the team together and to the players for showing pride and professionalism. 

Just to be clear, if a very good NFL team who has clinched their playoff spot rests their starters to keep them healthy for the playoffs, that is not tanking. It is mind-numbingly stupid to risk injuries in a meaningless game. 

Professional sports can only survive if people believe the product they are watching is honest and fair. From a tanking standpoint, football is the only one of the four major sports that has not been tainted. Lovie Smith and Jeff Saturday both wondered if they would be fired on Black Monday, but on this Sunday they honored football the right way by putting on a great game worth of the greatest sport in the history of sports. Sadly, the Texans could not even wait until Black Monday. After consecutive wins, the Texans fired Smith Sunday night. It was their second straight season of firing a coach after one year. 32-31 Texans

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — The Jets started 7-4 and the Dolphins 8-3. Both teams then lost 5 straight. The Jets are out of the playoffs. The Dolphins with a win and a New England loss would sneak into the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard. In the second quarter, Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein missed a 55 yard field goal try. Jason sanders hit from 37 to get the Dolphins on the board first. Zuerlein hit from 32 for a 33- game at the half. Sanders hit from 37 in the third quarter. Zuerlein hit from 35 for a 6-6 game with 12 minutes left in regulation. With 3 minutes left the Dolphins took over at their own 32. At the 2 minute warning with the Dolphins at their own 44, a very controversial call affected the outcome. A short completion was followed by a defensive horse collar tackle. It was an awful call, but the 15 yards allowed the Dolphins to get into field goal range. With 18 seconds left, Sanders hit from 50 to make it 9-6 Dolphins. The Jets desperation hook and laterals went backward to their own end zone for a safety. The Dolphins with their win and New England’s loss are playoffs bound. 11-6 Dolphins 

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — Neither of these teams are going to the playoffs, and both coaches had a chance of being dismissed after the season. After an opening touchback, Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Olave for 7 and Shaheed for 6. Dalton went to Johnson for 21. Dalton went to Olave for a 25 yard touchdown. The Saints led 7-0 only 4 minutes left in the game. The offense took the remaining 56 minutes off. Wil Lutz missed a 44 yard field goal try in the second quarter that would have extended the lead. In the third quarter the panthers took over at their own 18. Foreman gained 21 and 11. Chuba Hubbard gained 7. Sam Darnold hit Shenault for 8. On 3rd and 4 from the Saints 29, Darnold hit DJ Moore for 10. Hubbard gained 6, 2, and on 3rd and 2 from the Saints 11, 2 more. On 3rd and goal at the 3 out of the shotgun, Darnolf gained 2, fumbled, and got bailed out when Jordan recovered in the end zone for the offense touchdown and a 7-7 game. With 1:24 left in a defensive bonelock, Lutz came in for a 55 yard field goal try to give the Saints the lead. His kick was blocked. The Panthers moved from their own 45 to the Saints 24 with 3 seconds left. Eddie Pineiro came in for a 42 yard try to win it at the gun. Pineiro was good. Both coaches awaited Black Monday. 10-7 Panthers 

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 7-9 Browns are eliminated. The Steelers were 2-6 at one point but are now 8-8. Mike Tomlin’s team needed a win to avoid his first losing season. More importantly, the Steelers needed a win and losses by both Miami and New England to make the playoffs. In the first quarter, the Steelers moved from their own 24 to a 2nd and goal at the one. kenny pickett kept the quarterback sneak and got stopped. On 3rd and goal, Najee Harris went over the top and got nailed, forcing a fumble. The Steelers recovered and officials ruled Harris did not break the plane of the goal before losing the football. In the second quarter, the Browns faced 3rd and 3 at their own 36. Deshaun Watson went to Bryant for 14. On 3rd and 10 from midfield, Watson threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs.Watson went to Kareem Hunt for 14. On 3rd and 1from the Pittsburgh 22, Nick Chubb gained 10. Watson went to David Njoku for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. 

After a touchback, Pickett went to Gentry for 23. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 47, Pickett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 27, Pickett hit Warren for the yard. On 3rd and 15 from the Cleveland 31, Pickett went to George Pickens for the touchdown. With 1:47 left in the half, the game was tied 7-7. Two plays later, Watson was intercepted to set the Steelers up at their own 44. Chris Boswell hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Steelers up 10-7 at the break. After a third quarter touchback, the Steelers moved 59 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and 9 from the Cleveland 10, an incompletion b y Pickett was followed by him getting sacked. Boswell hit from 34 to make it 13-7 Steelers. Another interception of Watson was returned 12 yards by Kazee to the Cleveland 25. Harris ran for 11, 5, 2, and for the 4 yard touchdown. 20 unanswered points had the Steelers up 20-7 after three quarters. 

The fourth quarter began with the Browns at their own 23. Chubb gained 15 and 11. Watson went deep to Arami Cooper for 36. On 2nd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 11, a sack of Watson was wiped away by roughing the passer. Watson hit Chubb for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 20-14 with 10 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Pickett hit Heyward for 9 and Harris added 6. On 3rd and 10 from his own 40, Pickett went to Pickens for 17. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 41, Pickett went to Hayward for 27. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 12, Pickett hit Heyward for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Pickett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Derek Watt scored the touchdown. Pickett hit Johnson for the 2 point conversion. The 14 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive put the Steelers up by 14 with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Browns finished the game with Watson being sacked on 3 of the final 4 plays. The 9-8 Steelers avoided Mike Tomlin’s first losing season. Yet because Miami won their game on the final play, the Steelers would not be going to the playoffs. 28-14 Steelers.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles — Both teams are in the playoffs. The 10-6 Giants are locked into the six seed Wildcard. Brian Daboll rested his starters to keep them healthy for the playoffs. The 13-1 Eagles lost 2 straight without Jalen Hurts. At 13-3, they needed a win in the regular season finale to lock up the NFC East and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the first round bye. A loss and a Dallas win would drop the Eagles all the way to the five seed Wildcard. The Eagles moved from their own 35. On their first play from scrimmage, Hurts hit AJ Brown for 35 yards. Yet on 2nd and 8 from the Giants 14, Hurts threw incomplete twice. Jake Elliott hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back and faced 3rd and 2 at their own 28. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 6. On 3rd and 9 from their own 35, Hurts went deep to Brown for 37. Miles Sanders ran for 6, 4 and 6. Boston Scott ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Eagles after the first quarter. The Eagles defense shut down the Giants offense in the first half. Elliott hit second quarter field goals of 52 and 39 and a third quarter field goal of 54 to have the Eagles up 19-0. 

The Giants backups put up a fight, forcing Nick Sirianni to leave his starters in. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. With Daniel Jones resting, Davis Webb threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit a 24 yard field goal but the Giants still trailed 19-3 After three quarters. The Giants got it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 41. On 4th and 1 from midfield, Brian Daboll went for it. Web hit Cager and got the yard. Brightwell gained 17. Webb went to Cager for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 14, Webb ran it in. The 2 point try failed but the Giants were within 19-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Eagles after a touchback moved 71 yards in 15 plays and 7 minutes. Elliott hit his 5th field goal from 22 to make it 22-9 Eagles with 3:20 to play. Brightwell returned the ensuing kickoff to start the Giants at their own 46. Webb hit Kenny Golladay for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 6 with 1:38 to play. The onside kick failed and Hurts took 3 knees. They did it the hard way, but the Eagles are NFC East champs and the top seed in the playoffs. They have the bye week and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 22-16 Eagles

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders — The Commanders were 7-5-1 but 3 straight losses and 7-8-1 meant they are out of the playoffs. A win would get them to .500 on the year. The 12-4 Cowboys entered the game as the five seed Wildcard. A win and a Philadelphia loss would vault them to the NFC East crown and the two seed. If San Francisco also lost, the Cowboys would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the first round bye. Early in the game the Cowboys lined up to punt on 4th and 2 from their own 33. Punter Anger fumbled the snap and the Commanders took over at the Dallas 20. Two plays later it was notTaylor Heinecke or Carson Wentz but third string quarterback sam Howell throwing a 16 yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to make it 6-0 Commanders. Joey Slye had a miserable game and missed the extra point. Later in the first quarter Slye missed a 39 yard field goal try. The Commanders moved from their own 33 to a 1st and goal at the 2 to start the second quarter. A run lost 3 yards. Howell was then intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Yet Dak Prescott had an even more miserable game. On 3rd and 6 from his own 24, Prescott was intercepted by Kendall Fuller, who returned the pick 29 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 Commanders lead. Slye missed another field goal from 52 which is why the Commanders were up by 13 rather than 20-0. 

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Cowboys took over at their own 23. Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for 6 and 6, to Dalton Schultz for 7, and to michael Gallup for 10. On 3rd and 10 just past midfield, Prescott went to Schultz for 12 and TY Hilton for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 26, Prescott gained 9. Mike McCarthy went for it on 4th and 1 form the Dallas 17. Prescott gained 2. Prescott hit Lamb for a 15 yard touchdown. Brett Maher missed the extra point, but with 6 seconds left in the half, the Cowboys were only down 13-6. Yet the second half was all about Ron Rivera’s defense. In the third quarter the Commanders eventually took over at their own 41. Howell went to Jahan Dotson for 22 and again for 20. Patterson ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. Howell ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 20-6 Commanders after three quarters. Slye hit fourth quarter field goals of 29 and 22 to complete the scoring. Had the Cowboys won, it would not have helped them since Philadelphia also won. The Cowboys will enter the playoffs as a Wildcard as Ron Rivera awaited his Black Monday fate. 26-6 Commanders

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos — The Broncos are awful. The 10-6 Chargers started the game locked into the five seed Wildcard due to Baltimore losing earlier in the day. The Chargers could and should have rested their starters. Instead, Brandon Staley, who thinks the rules don’t apply to him, played his starters most of the way in a meaningless game. The Chargers began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Justin Herbert went deep to Keenan Allen for 30 and to Carter for 11. Austin Ekeler gained 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 14, Herbert went to Allen for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The Broncos after a touchback saw Latavius Murray gain 8 and 3. On 2nd and 7 from their own 43, Wilson’s short pass lost 5 yards. Yet roughing the passer meant a 15 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Chargers 34, interim coach Jerry Rosburg went for it. Wilson got the deuce. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 26, Murray gained 5. Jerry Jeudy got around the end for 13. Murray ran for a 2 yard touchdown to culminate the 13 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive to make it 7-7. 

A field position game had the Chargers getting it back and facing 3rd and 11 at their own 46. Herbert went to Williams for 18.  The second quarter began with the Chargers facing 3rd and 2 at the Denver 28. Herbert hit Allen for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 8, Ekeler gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Gerald Everett for the touchdown. The 12 play, 53 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 14-7 Chargers. The Chargers fumbled on their next possession to give the Broncos a short field just past midfield. On 2nd and 4 from the Chargers 14, a run lost a yard and Wilson then threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit from 33 to get the Broncos within 14-10. With 1:08 left in the half the Chargers took over at their own 37. They quickly moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Denver 30. Herbert threw incomplete twice. Cameron Dicker hit the 48 yard field goal. The Chargers led 17-10 with only 26 seconds left in the half. 

What happened next was inexcusable. Wilson threw a short pass to Murray that went for 15. Wilson then went bombs away to Jeudy for a 57 yard gain. Wilson then threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Eric Tomlinson for a 17-17 tie at the intermission. The Broncos began the third quarter with all the momentum facing 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Edmonds gained 23. Jeduy added 14 and Edmonds gained 6 more. Wilson went to Badie Tyler for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Broncos. On the next Denver series Wilson was intercepted to give the Chargers a short field at the Denver 46. On 2nd and 5 from the Denver 18, Ekeler gained nothing and Herbert threw incomplete. Dicker hit from 36 to get the Chargers within 24-20. The Chargers got the ball at their own 12 and moved to the Denver 40. After an incompletion, Herbert went to Carter for a 25 yard gain. Yet just as the Chargers were on the verge of taking the lead, Carter fumbled and the Broncos recovered at their own 11 as the third quarter ended.

The Broncos began the fourth quarter facing 1st and 15 at their own 6. Murray gained 16. On 3rd and 10 from their own 24, Wilson went deep to Swain for 52. Wilson then went to Cortland Sutton for a 20 yard touchdown and a 31-20 Broncos lead with 11:15 to play in regulation. Brandon Staley finally took his head out of his hide and took Herbert out of this meaningless game. Chase Daniel came in and the Chargers immediately went 3 and out. Yet the Chargers got a break when the Broncos fumbled the punt and the Chargers recovered at the Denver 29. Daniel hit Palmer for 10, Allen for 4, Carter for 7, and Allen again for a 3 yard touchdown. Daniel went to Palmer for the 2 point conversion. With 6 minutes left in regulation, the Chargers were within a field goal. After each team went 3 and out, the Broncos were pinned at their own 4 yard line with 3:14 left. The Chargers had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. Murray ran for 21. Jeudy added 12. Murray gained 9. At the 2 minute warning on 3rd and 1 from his own 46, Wilson got the tough yard. Although the Chargers still had 2 timeouts, Brandon Staley decided not to use them. It was better to get the game over with. Because of Staley playing his starters, receiver Mike Williams and defender Joey Bosa left the game injured. Time will soon tell if this strategy blows up in Staley’s face. The Chargers are in the playoffs. The Broncos begin searching for a coach. 31-28 Broncos

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks — The Rams are done for the year. The 8-8 Seahawks needed to win and have Green Bay lose to make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard. Early on this game belonged to the kickers. An interception of Geno Smith on the first play from scrimmage led to a 22 yard Mayy Gay field goal and a 3-0 Rams lead. Jason Myers responded from 37 for the Seahawks. Myers hit again from 36 to make it 6-3 Seahawks. In the second quarter Gay hit from 45 for a 6-6 game. After over 26 minutes of defensive football, the Rams faced 3rd and 6 from their own 17. Baker Mayfield went deep to Van Jefferson for 35. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 48, Mayfield went to Tyler Higbee for 17. Powell gained 15. Tutu Atwell ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 13-6 Rams at the half. The Seahawks in the third quarter faced 2n and 11 from their own 11. Smith hit Parkinson for 15 and DK Metcalf for 23. Kenneth Walker gained 15. Smith went to Tyler Lockett for a 36 yard touchdown and  13-13 game. 

The Rams moved from their own 19 to a 3r and 5 at the Seattle 19. Mayfield threw incomplete. Gay hit from 38 to make it 16-13 Rams. In the fourth quarter the Seahawks from their own 14 moved 82 yards in 16 plays and over 7 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the one, Walker got stopped for no gain. On 3rd and goal Walker was blown up for a 3 yard loss. Myers hit from 22 for a 16-16 game with 2:19 left. The Seahawks got it back at their own 20 with 56 seconds left. With 3 seconds left, Myers came in for a 46 yard try to win it. The kick doinked off the right upright no good. This game was headed to overtime. After the Seahawk punted in overtime, the Rams had 2nd and 15 at their own 21. Mayfield went deep and had Jefferson open. Yet the ball was underthrown and Diggs made a leaping interception. The Seahawks took over at their own 36. Smith hit Lockett for 17 and Walker for 20. Walker gained 2, 8, one and 2. With 4 1/2 minutes left in overtime on 3rd and 7 from the Rams 14, Pete Carroll took no chances. Myers came in for the 32 yarder to redeem himself and win the game. Myers was good. The Seahawks would make the playoffs if Detroit won at Green Bay in the regular season night finale game. As for the Rams, Sean McVay was contemplating his future only one year after winning the Super Bowl. There is no way on earth he would be fired, but he may want to step away for a year to recharge his batteries. At age 36, he will have plenty of options whatever he does. Pete Carroll is twice his age and running around like a young kid ready to coach as long as possible. The Seahawks got their miracle. Detroit went into green Bay and won. The Seahawks are in the playoffs. 19-16 Seahawks, OT

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — The Cardinals are a mess. The 12-4 49ers entered as the two seed. They needed a win and a Philadelphia loss to gain the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the first round bye. With nothing to lose, Kliff Kingsbury went to his bag of tricks on the second play from scrimmage. Blough lateraled, and the ball was lateraled back to Blough. Blough then went bombs away to AJ Green for a 77 yard touchdown and a 6-0 Cardinals lead. The extra point was no good. After a touchback, Christian McCaffrey ran for 9. Mister Irrelevant Brock Purdy hit kyle Juszczyk for 26. Purdy ran for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 21, Purdy went to McCaffrey for the touchdown and a 7-6 49ers lead. In the second quarter an interception of Blough was returned by Gipson 12 yards to the Arizona 18. On 3rd and 2, the defense encroached. Elijah Mitchell ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 49ers. After a touchback, Blough went to McBride for 23. On 3rd and 14 rom their own 44, Bough went to Corey Clement for 17. On 3rd and 11 from the San Francisco 29, Blough went to McBride for just enough. Clement ran for 3, 5, and the one yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Cardinals were only down 14-13. After that the 49ers turned out the lights.

The 49ers took over at their own 34. Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 22. McCaffrey ran for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 25, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 7 and Deebo Samuel for 9. Purdy went to George Kittle for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 49ers with 19 seconds left in the half. After a third quarter touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 20. After a sack, the 49ers faced 3rd and 17 from their own 38. A give up run by McCaffrey gained 19. Mitchell got around the end for 37 and then ran for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 28-13 49ers. An interception of Blugh meant a short field for the 49ers at the Arizona 34. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 6, Purdy was sacked. Robbie Gould hit from 27 to make it 31-13 49ers. 3 plays later Blough was sacked and fumbled. Another short field had the 49ers at the Arizona 28. On 3rd and 2, Purdy hit Kittle for 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Purdy hit Kittle for the touchdown. 24 unanswered points in a 15 minute span turned a tight game into a blowout. Because Philadelphia won, the 49ers were denied the top spot. Mike Shanahan’s squad is still the two seed. Kliff Kingsbury awaited his Black Monday fate. 38-13 49ers

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday night regular season finale play-in game. At one point the Lions were 1-6 and the Packers were 4-8. Left for dead, both teams entered 8-8. The Lions needed to win and have Seattle lose.  Seattle won their game earlier in the day so the Lions by kickoff knew they were eliminated from playoff contention. They could still play spoiler. The Packers were win and in or lose and out. Yet in Green Bay, the Lions have only won twice in the last 30+ years, in 1991 and 2015. Yet Dan Campbell started with a surprisingly bad decision. He has a pinball offense and a sieve defense. The Lions won the coin toss. Why on earth would he defer and let red hot Aaron Rodgers start first? Bill Belichick loves that “double up at the half” nonsense. Just because he does it doesn’t mean the other 31 coaches should do it. It’s dumb. Nevertheless, the first half belonged to the defenses and the field goal kickers. Mason Crosby hit from 22 for the Packers. Matt LaFleur gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 32 and lost a yard. Mike Badgley hit from 37 for a 3-3 game. Crosby hit from 49 and in the second quarter form 48 to make it 9-3 Packers. Badgley missed from 46. The Packers from their 36 to the Detroit 24 but fumbled the ball away. The Lions took over at their own 15 with 1:15 left in the half and moved to a 3r and 3 at the Green Bay 30 with 2 seconds left. A mindless defensive personal foul before the kick could be attempted moved the ball 15 yards closer. Badgley hit from 33 as the Lions trailed 9-6 at the half. In the third quarter Crosby from 53 hit the crossbar and had it bounce backward no good. 

From their own 43, Williams gained 13. Jared Goff then went bombs away to Raymond for 43 yards down to the one. Williams got in for the game’s first touchdown and a 13-9 Lions lead. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 24. Rodgers hit Allan Lazard for 6. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Rodgers gained 2. Rodgers then went bombs away to Watson for a 45 yard gain. Rodgers went back to Lazard for a 13 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter the Packers led 16-13. The Lions took over at their own 25 one minute into the fourth quarter. Goff hit St. Brown for 14. Williams gained 11 and 8. Goff hit Swift for 9. On 4th and 2 from the Green Bay 25, a field goal try would only be 43 yards. Instead it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. Goff hit Chark for 3. Swift gained 11. On the next play a completion only gained 2 yards, but a mind-numbingly stupid defensive personal foul resulted in disqualification. First, Swift was hit in the head with a forearm and stayed down. That should have drawn a penalty but did not. When the medical trainer tried to examine Swift, Walker shoved the medical trainer from behind. It was dumb, and it was right to disqualify Walker. On 3rd and goal at the one out of the shotgun, Williams got into the end zone. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Lions up 20-16 with 6 minutes left in regulation. The Packers took over at their own 21. On 3rd and 10 from their own 33, Rodgers threw a bomb right before getting blasted. Kirby Joseph returned the interception 23 yards to the Green Bay 45. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Lions had a chance to ice the game. 

With everyone expecting a run, Goff went to St. Brown for 11. Then it was ground and pound. Williams gained 9. On 2nd and 1 from the Green Bay 25, the defense jumped. Yet Dan Campbell refused the first down yardage. It seemed crazy but he gambled that they could get the yard anyway and force the Packers to burn a timeout. Williams got the yard. Offensive holding meant 2nd and 17 from the Green Bay 31. Rather than call conservative runs, Dan Campbell went psychotic bold with a hook and lateral. Goff hit St. Brown, who lateraled to Swift for a net gain of 14 yards. On 3rd and 3, Williams gained only 2. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 15 with 1:15 left, a field goal would put the Lions up 23-16 and force the Packers to try and tie the game. No. This was Dan Campbell gamble time. He risked it all. Rather than run, Goff lined up in a no back set…an empty backfield. This was insane. Goff fired over the middle to Chark for 9 and a first down. Goff took a knee. The Lions finished 9-8 but lost the tie-breaker to Seattle and were out of the playoffs. After 3 straight 13 win seasons and NFC North titles, the 8-9 Packers on their home field were knocked out of the playoffs. For only the 3rd time in 30+ years, the Lions went into green Bay and won. They swept the Packers. This was a Dan Campbell win. 20-16 Lions

The Wildcard Playoff games are set:

AFC: 

7) Miami Dolphins at 2) Buffalo Bills

6) Baltimore Ravens at 3) Cincinnati Bengals

5) Los Angeles Chargers at 4) Jacksonville Jaguars

1) Kansas City Chiefs: Bye week

NFC:

7) Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers at 2) San Francisco 49ers

6) New York Giants at 3) Minnesota Vikings

5) Dallas Cowboys at 4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1) Philadelphia Eagles: Bye week     

NFL 2022 Week 18 Prequel

With much love to Damar Hamlin, the final weekend of the 2022 NFL regular season is upon us. My other columns offered the Week 17 Recap, the 2022 black Monday Coat Firing Predictions, the NFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations, and the complete and total mess that is the AFC Playoff Permutations and combinations.

Thank God Mr. Hamlin is slowly getting better. He is still in critical condition. His GoFundMe page to deliver toys to needy children has raised over 7 million dollars.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive

Mr. Hamlin’s horrific injury has been covered in great detail.

To avoid redundancy, this column will only focus on the specific matchups this week. 

To quote John Randall and Mike Singletary, “This is when the big dogs come out!”

Saturday, January 7, 2023, 4:30pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-7 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The 13-3 Chiefs with a win would have at least a 1/2 game lead in the race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Earlier this year in Kansas City, the Raiders took a 17-0 lead before the Chiefs stormed back for a 31-30 win when the Raiders 2 point conversion try failed. Jarrett Stidham showed promise in his debut, but the Raiders have no defense. Their secondary is awful. They have no home field advantage in Las Vegas. Patrick Mahomes will torch the Raiders defense. The Raiders lose games in gut-wrenching fashion, and the Chiefs have everything to play for. The Raiders have nothing to play for. Chiefs win but fail to cover

8pm

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-6 1/2) — The 7-9 Titans and 8-8 Jaguars have a do or die matchup. The winner takes the AFC South and hosts a playoff game on WildCard Weekend. If the Titans lose, they are out. If the Jaguars lose, they would need a miracle to make the playoffs as a Wildcard. The Titans 7-3 start was followed by a hail of injuries and five straight losses. The Jaguars were expected to compete next year but Doug Pederson has them ahead of schedule. Trevor Lawrence is improving and Ryan Tannehill is injured. Malik Willis will not get it done. The Titans are just too beat up. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 8, 1pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-4 1/2) — The 8-8 Buccaneers clinched the NFC South and are locked into the four seed. They will host a Wildcard Weekend playoff game. The Falcons are done for the year. Normally this would be a game for the Buccaneers to rest their starters, but Tom Brady will probably want to play. He needs a win in this game to avoid his first losing season. Neither team is that special, so a close game is possible. Upset special, Buccaneers win outright

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (-7) — The Bills will play inspired football now that they know Damar Hamlin is on the mend. The home field is normally a major advantage in Buffalo, but this time the emotion will be like nothing ever seen in that stadium. The 12-3 Bills with a win and a Kansas City loss could get home field throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the Bills finish 1/2 a game behind KC, the league could move a potential AFC Title Game to a neutral site rather than in Arrowhead. The Patriots at 8-8 get the seven seed Wildcard with a win, but a loss most likely knocks them out. Last year in the playoffs the Bills had a “perfect game,” scoring a touchdown on all 7 drives. Josh Allen is better than Mac Jones. Go with the home field and the emotion. Bills cover

Minnesota Vikings (-5 12) at Chicago Bears — The 12-4 Vikings bungled away their chance last week to stay in contention for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are now the three seed bu could move up to the two seed based on other results. The Bears have a talented quarterback but little else. If the Bears lose and Houston wins, the Bears would get the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The game will not be a blowout, but the Vikings will rebound. Vikings win but fail to cover

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-7) — The 10-6 Ravens have lost 3 straight with Lamar Jackson injured. They are the five seed Wildcard and cannot fall lower than the six seed. This had the potential to be an AFC North showdown, but now that is not the case. The cancellation of last week’s Monday Night Football game leaves the Bengals at 11-4. They have clinched the division and art currently the three seed. They cannot finish lower than that. If the Bengals win this game and Kansas City and Buffalo both lose, the Bengals would still be 1/2 a game back of KC but could make a legitimate case for the top seed. At the very least, that would be enough to get the AFC Title Game moved out of Arrowhead to a neutral site. The Ravens win by winning and playing defense, but without Jackson this is a mismatch. Joe Burrow has enough weapons to put this game away, but not easily. Bengals win but fail to cover

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-2 1/2) — The worst game of the day has to be played. Both coaches could get fired on Black Monday. The Texans are guaranteed the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with a loss. If the Texans win, they can still get the top Draft pick as long as Chicago also wins.  

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-1) — The Jets were 7-4 but have lost 5 straight games and at 7-9 are out of the playoffs. The Dolphins were 8-3 and have also lost 5 straight. Yet at 8-8 the Dolphins can still sneak into a the playoffs with a win and some help. Tua Tagovailoa has battled injuries all year. The Jets have given up on Zach Wilson. Both teams have a good defense. The Jets are reeling. The Dolphins will win and get the help they need to sneak and make the playoffs. Dolphins cover 

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-3 1/2) — Both teams are out of the playoffs. They have good defenses, especially the Saints. This might be the last game for both coaches. Go with the home field. Saints win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2 1/2) — Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season with the Steelers. They battled back this year from 2-6 and 3-7 to get to 8-8. With a win and a ton of help, the Steelers make the playoffs. With a loss they are our. The 7-9 Browns are done for the year. Nobody gets more out of less than Mike Tomlin. With everything to play for, the Steelers will win the Pittsburgh way with hard-nosed running and defense. Steelers cover

4pm

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-14) — Both teams are in the playoffs. The 9-6-1 Giants are locked into the six seed Wildcard and may rest their starters. The Eagles started 13-1 but have lost 2 straight with Jalen Hurts injured. A win gives the Eagles the NFC East crown, home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. A loss and a Dallas win would have the Eagles tumble all the way to the five seed Wildcard. Hurts wants to play. He needs to be healthy, but getting the bye week would make life much easier. The Eagles could beat the Giants starters. They will have zero problem with the Giants backups. Eagles cover

Dallas Cowboys (-5 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Commanders are eliminated from the playoffs in what could be Ron Rivera’s last game coaching them. The 12-4 Cowboys right now are a five seed Wildcard. If the Cowboys win and the Eagles lose, the Cowboys would win the NFC East. With other help, the Cowboys could end up with the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs. The Commanders are not getting good quarterback play. The Cowboys have an explosive offense, but the Commanders defense is not that bad. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Denver Broncos — The Broncos are one for the year. The 10-6 Chargers are in the playoffs with little room for movement. They are the five seed but with a loss and a Baltimore win could fall to the six seed. Brandon Staley could rest starters given that there is very little difference between the five and six seeds. Yet indications are the starters are playing. The Broncos have a good defense but no offense. The Chargers have Justin Herbert and other explosive weapons on offense along with a decent defense. The Chargers will handle business. Chargers cover 

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-6 1/2) — The Rams are done for the year. The 8-8 Seahawks with a win and a Green Bay loss can make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard. With a loss, the Seahawks are out. Pete Carroll gets younger by the year and has revitalized Geno Smith. The Rams are just too injury riddled. Their whole team is depleted.. Seahawks cover

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-14) — The 4-12 Cardinals are a mess and Kliff Kingsbury could be fired after this game. The 12-4 49ers right now are the two seed. With a win and a Philadelphia loss, the 49ers would snatch the top seed in the NFC with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Brock Purdy has been the surprise of the year. The 49ers have a nasty defense. This game could be over by halftime. 49ers cover

8pm

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-4 1/2) — Both teams are 8-8. The Lions rebounded from a 2-6 start while the 4-8 Packers have won 4 straight. This is a do or die game. The Packers with a win are in the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard. The Lions with a win and a Seattle loss also would get the seven seed Wildcard. Whoever loses this game is automatically out. The Lions have an explosive offense but little defense. Aaron Rodgers has been lights out. The Lions virtually never win in Green Bay. They won there in 1991 and again in 2015. Betting against Rodgers in this type of regular season is foolish. Also, the Lions are built for dome weather, not cold weather. Go with the weather, the home crowd, and Rodgers being better than Jared Goff. Packers cover

LOS ANGELES, January 4, 2023 — The first 17 weeks of the 2022 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 plenty of possibilities. 

That’s our assessment of the 2022-2023 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 is fairly cut and dry. The AFC Playoff picture is a total mess due to reasons far bigger than football. Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin had a heart attack this past Monday night when the Bills played the Cincinnati Bengals. He is in a hospital fighting for his life. We all pray Mr. Hamlin gets better quickly. He is still unable to speak and is still in critical condition. However, as of Thursday, doctors said his condition was improving. His first written question to doctors was “Did we win the game?” Unaware the game was canceled, the doctor smartly and beautifully replied, “You won the game of life.”

Mr. Hamlin had a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds to buy toys for underprivileged children. His goal was to raise $2,500. In the 3 days after his life-threatening injury, over $7 million was raised. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive

This staggering show of love was also in addition to a very classy display by the home fans in Cincinnati. Bengals fans joined with Bills fans outside the hospital to pray for him.

While nothing is more important than life and death, this is a column about football. The cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game has thrown the entire AFC playoffs into complete chaos and turmoil. Both teams along with the Kansas City Chiefs had a legitimate chance at home field throughout the playoffs. The Chiefs are 13-3. The Bills are 12-3. The Bengals are 11-4. Had the Bills won, they would be 13-3 and own the tie-breaker over the Chiefs. Had the Bengals won, they would be 12-4. If they won their last game and the Chiefs lost, the Bengals would have the tie-breaker over the Chiefs. Home field advantage throughout the playoffs means a first round bye. That is a big competitive advantage.

Additionally, The Bengals may by default win the AFC North Division over the Baltimore Ravens, who are 10-6. Had they Bengals lost on Monday night and dropped to 10-5, their showdown this coming week could have been for the division crown. Now it seems the Ravens will automatically be relegated to the Wildcard.

None of these teams will publicly complain about being “cheated” out of a division title or home playoff game for fear of being seen as a monster. Again, life and death is more important. Nevertheless, the NFL is looking at possible compromises, including moving the AFC Title Game to a neutral site. 

With all respect to Mr. Hamlin, this is a football column. The rest of this column will be devoted to the football games themselves. 

Seven of the eight AFC Week 17 games have playoff implications.

In the AFC, at least two of the four divisions have already been clinched. Assuming the league does not reverse itself, the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game means a third AFC division is clinched. Yet the top seed is wide open. So is the final Wildcard spot.

The Cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game creates an unprecedented situation. Each of those teams will have played only 16 games while the Chiefs will have played 17 games. So the Chiefs may finish with the best record by 1/2 a game and still not automatically get the first round bye. The league will have to sort this out.

Now for the AFC Playoff picture.  

1.) Kansas City Chiefs (13-3):

The Chiefs clinched the AFC West and are currently the one seed by default.  If they win but Buffalo also wins, the Chiefs will still lead by 1/2 game. This is the league nightmare scenario where the If they win, the location of the AFC Title Game and first round bye will be a mess. If the Chief win and Buffalo loses, the issue is moot. The Chiefs undisputedly retain the top seed with home field throughout the playoffs. If the Chiefs lose, they can retain the top seed as long as Cincinnati, and Buffalo lose. 

If the Chiefs lose and Buffalo wins, then the Chiefs absolutely fall to the two seed. They would host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Chiefs and Buffalo both lose and Cincinnati wins, Cincinnati would still be 1/2 game back. This could result in the neutral site location for the AFC Title Game. The Chiefs cannot fall below the two seed. 

2.) Buffalo Bills (12-3):

The Bills clinched the AFC East lead and right now are the two seed. They would host a game on Wildcard weekend. If the Bills win and Kansas City loses, the Bills are the undisputed top seed with home field advantage and a first round bye. If the Bills and Kansas City both win, the league will probably move the AFC Title Game to a neutral site. If the Bills and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, then things get really hairy. The Bills would probably at that point drop to the three seed. 

3.) Cincinnati Bengals (11-4): 

The Bengals clinched the AFC North by default and are currently the three seed. They would host a game on Wildcard weekend. If the Bengals win, and Buffalo loses, the Bengals move up to the two seed. If the Bengals win and Buffalo and Kansas City both lose, the Bengals would be 1/2 game back in the race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The AFC Title Game could be held at a neutral site. If the Bengals lose, they are locked into the three seed. They cannot fall lower.

4.) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8): The Jaguars have a one game lead in the AFC South but have not clinched anything. They control their own destiny. If they beat Tennessee in the regular season finale, they win their division. They would be the four seed and host a Wildcard Weekend playoff game. If they lose to Tennessee, they lose the division tie-breaker. They could still make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard but would need a ton of help. New England, Miami and Pittsburgh would all have to lose. If the Jaguars lose and any one of those three teams wins, the Jaguars are out.

5.) Los Angeles Chargers (10-6):

The Chargers have clinched a playoff Wildcard. They are currently the five seed. No matter what, they will be on the road for their Wildcard Weekend playoff game. If they win next week or if Baltimore loses, the Chargers retain the five seed. They cannot go higher than the five seed. If the Chargers lose and Baltimore wins, the Chargers drop to the six seed. They cannot fall lower than the six seed.

6.) Baltimore Ravens (10-6):

The Ravens have clinched a playoff Wildcard. They are currently the six seed. No matter what, they will be on the road for their Wildcard Weekend playoff game. If they win next week and the Chargers lose, the Ravens move up to the five seed. They cannot go higher than the five seed. If the Chargers win or the Ravens lose, the Ravens remain the six seed. They cannot fall lower than the six seed.

7.) New England Patriots (8-8): 

The Patriots have not clinched anything but they control their own destiny. If they win their regular season finale, they clinch the seven seed Wildcard and play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. They can finish no higher than the seven seed. The Patriots can lose their finale and still make the playoffs as the seven seed, but would need a miracle. Miami, Pittsburgh and Tennessee would all have to lose. If the Patriots lose and any one of those teams win, the Patriots are out. 

Outside looking in: 

Tennessee Titans (7-9):

The Titans are one game back in the AFC South. They control their own destiny, and their situation is cut and dry. If they win their regular season finale, they win the AFC South and the four seed. They would host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Titan lose their finale, they are out. 

Miami Dolphins (8-8) — The Dolphins can only make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard if they win their regular season finale and New England loses. If the Dolphins lose or New England wins, the Dolphins are out.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) — The Steelers have the longest shot. They can make the playoffs as the seven seed Wildcard if they win their regular season finale and Miami and New England both lose. If the Steelers lose or either Miami or New England wins, the Steelers are out.

Here are the seven AFC games with playoff implications:

Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (6-10)

Cleveland Browns (7-9) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) 

Baltimore Ravens (10-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)

New York Jets (7-9) at Miami Dolphins (8-8)

Tennessee Titans (7-9) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) 

New England Patriots (8-8) at Buffalo Bills (12-3)

Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)

Predictions:

1.) Chiefs 14-3

2.) Bills 13-3

3.) Bengals 12-4

4.) Jaguars 9-8

5.) Chargers 11-6

6.) Ravens 10-7

7.) Dolphins 9-8

Out — Pittsburgh 9-8, New England 8-9, Tennessee 7-10

Wildcard Round:

7.) Dolphins at 2.) Bills

6.) Ravens at 3.) Bengals

5.) Chargers at 4.) Jaguars

Divisional Round:

4.) Jaguars at 1.) Chiefs

3.) Bengals at 2.) Bills 

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

QUESTION: Where the heck is the AFC Title Game being played?

The home field will matter. 

Patrick Mahomes is still the best player in the NFL, certainly in the AFC. Walrus Andy Reid has too many weapons on offense and a much improved defense. The Bills and Bengals both have great defenses and great quarterbacks. They both have a defense better than that of the Chiefs. The Bills and Bengals both beat Kansas City in the regular season. The Bengals did so at home while the Bills went into Arrowhead and won. 

On a neutral field, the Bills and Bengals can beat the Chiefs. The Bengals shocked the Chiefs last year in Arrowhead in the AFC Title Game. The Bills were 13 seconds away from shocking the Chiefs last year in Arrowhead in the Divisional round.

Yet this Chiefs team has so much speed and so much playoff experience. If they get the AFC Title Game at home for the fifth straight year, they will not be denied this time. The Bills and Bengals might be so emotionally drained from the Damar Hamlin tragedy and a playoff rematch that leaves the winner bloodied before facing Kansas City.

Unless they have to go on the road to face Buffalo or Cincinnati, the Chiefs will again win the Lamar Hunt Trophy known for their late owner and founder.

Additional prediction: The Chiefs will win it all in a rematch of the Super Bowl they won three years ago.

eric

NFL 2022 Black Monday 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 2022 Black Monday Coach Firing Carousel

The 2022 regular season coaching carousel saw three coaches fired during the season. The Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule after he started his third year 1-4. Steve Wilks is the interim coach. The Denver Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett after less than one season. He was dismissed after Week 16 with the team 4-11. Jerry Rosburg is the interim coach. Frank Reich in his fourth year was fired at the midpoint with his team 3-4-1. Jeff Saturday is the interim coach. 

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 2022 Black Monday Coach Firing predictions.

Black Monday firings that are necessary:

Denver Broncos: 

What should happen:

Jerry Rosburg is just a placeholder. The Broncos new ownership is the Walmart family with more money than they could spend in one lifetime. The Broncos already have a very good defense. They need someone to salvage Russell Wilson. They will spend into the stratosphere on a big name hire to excite the fan base.  

What will happen:

Rosburg is gone through no fault of his own. 

Las Vegas Raiders: 

What should happen:

Josh McDaniels is an unmitigated disaster. The Raiders set an NFL record by blowing five double digit leads. The defense is a mess. The secondary cannot stop anyone. That has been a problem long before McDaniels, but he has not fixed the problem. The real problem with McDaniels is that he has learned nothing from 12 years ago when he flamed out in Denver. He destroyed Derek Carr and then blamed Carr for the offensive woes. McDaniel refuses to run the ball in obvious running situations, such as in the fourth quarter with a lead. He prefers finesse to smash mouth and he is failing. He is prepared to gut the team when he is the problem. 

What will happen:

McDaniels has owner Mark Davis wrapped around his finger. McDaniels is only one year into a four year contract, and Davis does not want to eat three years worth of salary given that Davis is already on the hook for some of Jon Gruden’s money. Unlike Denver’s ownership group, Davis does not have money to burn. His father Al Davis was enamored with players but not coaches. Mark Davis is the reverse. McDaniels is staying.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

What should happen:

Todd Bowles is a very good defensive coordinator. He is not a good head coach. He had a losing record in four years with the Jets. He took a playoff team under Bruce Arians and saw the offense regress badly even with Tom Brady. It took a couple of Brady miracles to will this team to an 8-8 record, the worst in Brady’s 23 seasons. Brady remarkably has not regressed. The problem is Bowles does not know offense. Also, firing him would be a powder keg given the NFL’s struggle to hire minority coaches. Bowles is an admirable man. He has refused to make his race an issue. The problem is that he was selected for the job by Arians because of his race. Arians was determined to hire a minority head coach. The goal is admirable but Bowles is not the best minority candidate. Tom Brady may want out of Tampa, which would have the entire organization starting over.

What will happen:

Bowles stays. The Buccaneers did eke into the playoffs. This will earn Bowles one more year, with or without Brady. He will probably be gone next year unless he can finally make a deep playoff run with a talented roster. 

Los Angeles Chargers 

What should happen:

Some would say it is crazy to fire Brandon Staley after not one but two winning seasons. One of the rules is not to fire a coach after a winning season. Last year the Chargers finished 9-8 and this year they are 10-6 and playoff-bound. Yet unless the Chargers make a deep playoff run, firing Staley would not be crazy. He takes too many ridiculous chances on 4th down deep in his own territory. It’s one thing to be bold. It’s another to be foolhardy. The Chargers also have very high expectations. They have a phenomenal quarterback and some play-makers on defense. An early playoff exit could expose him.

What will happen:

Staley stays. He will be on the hot seat unless the Chargers make a deep playoff run next year. Yet firing him at this stage with the team winning 10 games would be risky. 

Indianapolis Colts:

What should happen:

Saturday was a shocking interim hire given that he had never coached a pro or college game before. He was a studio analyst after his playing career ended. He described himself as a “leader of men.” After an emotional win in his debut, the Colts have lost 7 straight. They even sent an NFL record by blowing a 33-0 third quarter lead. 

What will happen:

Saturday is gone. The Rooney Rule requires minority candidates to be interviewed, and Saturday has just not shown that his tremendous skills as a center translate into the ability to coach. 

New Orleans Saints:

What should happen:

Dennis Allen is a terrific defensive coordinator who is not a head coach. He had a terrible record coaching the Raiders, although to be fair that roster was being deconstructed and reconstructed. Yet Jack Del Rio came in the next year and turned things around. Allen has been devastated by injuries to his quarterbacks.  

What will happen:

Allen will be given another year to see what he can do with a healthy Jameis Winston. If the team is healthy next year, Allen will be out of excuses. His coaching seat will be white hot.

Deserve to stay but will be fired: 

None.

Deserve to stay and will stay:

Carolina Panthers: Steve Wilks:

The players fight hard for him. The Panthers rebounded from a terrible start to the season under Matt Rhule to the brink of the playoffs. Wilks only went 2-14 in his lone season with the Cardinals, but he deserves in Carolina what he never got in Arizona: A chance to turn things around. The trends are positive. The Panthers have a good defense. Sam Darnold might be salvageable. Either way, Wilks deserves a chance to turn the Panthers into his team. His expertise is defense, so he needs to show he can build an offense. 

Closest of calls:

Arizona Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury: 

The Cardinals began 10-2 last year before stumbling down the stretch and flaming out in the playoffs. This year they dropped from 11-6 to 4-12. Kyler Murray has been injured for parts of the year and has serious maturity issues. Yet Murray also has a fat guaranteed contract. If they cannot coexist, Kingsbury is gone. It is quite possible that NFL defenses have figured out Kingsbury’s offensive system. That frequently happens to college coaches unable to make the leap. Yet The 10-2 start in 2021 should be worth something. Give Kingsbury one more year to see if he can turn it around. The Cardinals were way too hasty in firing Steve Wilks and need to have some stability. If the Cardinals do not rebound next year, Kingsbury will be gone. He deserves to stay one more year.

Houston Texans: Lovie Smith:

The Texans last year won only 4 games. This year they are the worst team in the league and won only two games.  Yet the Texans just stunned Tennessee on the road and gave two of the toughest teams in the league in Dallas and Kansas City a real fight. Lovie Smith took the Bears to the Super Bowl. He was not given nearly enough time to turn the Buccaneers around, which was a mistake. The team fired David Culley last year after one season. Firing Smith after one season would be another dumb move. His defense fights hard. He does not have a top level quarterback. He deserves time to build an offense. This is a close call only because the Texans have made impetuous moves in recent years.

Washington Commanders: Ron Rivera:

This should not be a close call at all. Rivera is a very good coach and a fine leader of men. He is well respected in the community. He represents everything that is right about football. He even led the team last year while battling cancer. He does have to figure out the quarterback situation. Turning from Taylor Heinecke to Carson Wentz was a gamble that backfired on Riverboat Ron. The Commanders were 7-5-1 and in the playoff race before three straight losses knocked them out. The only reason he could be out is because the Commanders are dysfunctional front office mess. Owner Dan Snyder is finally selling the team, and a new owner might want a new coach. Rivera is the only thing respectable about management in DC. If he gets thrown under the bus, he will have other teams immediately trying to snap him up.  

Eating our words:

Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor

In his first year, Taylor was 2-14. In his second year the Bengals improved to 4-11-1. Taylor was put in the category of “deserves to be fired but will stay.” Last year, with a healthy Joe Burrow, the Bengals were 10-6 and AFC North champions. They went to the Super Bowl and almost won it all. This year they have a very good shot at repeating as AFC North champs. They even have an outside shot at home field advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The critics (myself included) were wrong. Taylor can coach. This is old news from last year, but the error was so great it deserves to be repeated one more time. 

Lifetime contract to silence the critics:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin

Tomlin is not on any list of coaches being fired. However, in the past, he has been. That speculation needs to end permanently. In 15 years, Tomlin never had a losing season. This year the Steelers are 8-8. Their last game will tell if that streak continues. Yet with Ben Roethlisberger retired and Kenny Pickett a rookie, the Steelers started 2-6 and 3-7. Again, Tomlin turned them around. He wins with hard-nosed running and defense. The Rooney family should let him stay as long as he wants. At this point, they probably will. They are smart, patient owners, and their loyalty has been rewarded. Tomlin is as good as they get on and off the field. He is another guy who represents the best of football.

eric

LOS ANGELES, January 4, 2023 — The first 17 weeks of the 2022 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 three teams. Everything else is a fight for seeding among teams that have already clinched playoff berths.

This brings my assessment of the 2022-2023 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 a total mess due to reasons far bigger than football. Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin had a heart attack this past Monday night when the Bills played the Cincinnati Bengals. He is in a hospital fighting for his life. More details about his situation will be dealt with in the AFC Playoff column. For now, this column only deals with the NFC. We all pray Mr. Hamlin gets better quickly. 

Now on to football itself, which can be a respite from the pain the real world brings. 

Six of the eight NFC Week 18 games have playoff implications.

In the NFC, three of the four divisions have already been clinched. Yet plenty is is up for grabs. The top seed is open. So is the final Wildcard, where three teams are fighting for the last spot.

Now for the NFC Playoff picture. 

1.) Philadelphia Eagles (13-3):

The Eagles currently have the best record in the conference and are the top seed. They have clinched a playoff spot but nothing else. They control their own destiny. If they win next week, they clinch the NFC East, the top seed, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a bye week. If they lose and Dallas wins, the Eagles lose the tie-breaker and fall all the way to the five seed. They would play a road game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Eagles and Dallas both lose, the Eagles still clinch the NFC East. If the Eagles, Dallas and San Francisco all lose, the Eagles still win the top seed. If the Eagles and Dallas both lose but San Francisco wins, the Eagles would fall to the two seed and play a home game on Wildcard Weekend. 

2.) San Francisco 49ers (12-4):

The 49ers have clinched the NFC West and are currently the two seed. If they win next week and Philadelphia loses, the 49ers move into the top spot with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. If the 49ers lose and Minnesota wins, the 49ers fall to the three seed. They cannot fall lower than the three seed.

3.) Minnesota Vikings (12-4):

The Vikings have clinched the NFC North and home field throughout the playoffs. Right now they are the three seed. They can finish no lower than the three seed. If they win next week, San Francisco loses, and Philadelphia wins the NFC East, the Vikings can move up to the two seed but no higher. If the Vikings win next week, San Francisco loses, but Dallas wins the NFC East, the Vikings stay at the three seed. The Vikings lose tie-breakers to both NFC East teams, so the top seed is out of reach. The Vikings will be hosting a game on Wildcard Weekend. 

4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8):

The Buccaneers have clinched the NFC South and are locked into the four seed. The only reason they might not rest their starters is to avoid the ignominy of Tom Brady having his first ever losing season. 

5.) Dallas Cowboys (12-4):

The Cowboys are one game back in the NFC East and are currently the five seed. They cannot finish lower than that. If they win next week and Philadelphia loses, the Cowboys win the tie-breaker and clinch the NFC East to move up to the two seed. If the Cowboys win and Philadelphia and San Francisco both lose, the Cowboys move all the way up to the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs with a first round bye. 

6.) New York Giants (9-6-1):

The Buccaneers have clinched a Wildcard and are locked into the six seed. They might rest their starters in the regular season finale.  

7.) Green Bay Packers (8-8):

The Packers have not clinched anything. They can only make the playoffs as a Wildcard. Yet they control their own destiny. If they win next week, they clinch the seven seed. They can be no higher. Any Wildcard game they play would be on the road. If they lose, the Packers are out.

On the outside looking in:

8:) Seattle Seahawks (8-8):

The Seahawks are on the outside looking in. They can only make the playoffs as a Wildcard. Their only hope is to win next week and have Green Bay lose. If that happens, the Seahawks clinch the seven seed. They can be no higher. Any Wildcard game they play would be on the road. If they lose, the Seahawks are out.

9.) Detroit Lions (8-8)

The Lions are on the outside looking in. They can only make the playoffs as a Wildcard. Their only hope is to win next week and have Seattle lose. If that happens, the Lions clinch the seven seed. They can be no higher. Any Wildcard game they play would be on the road. If they lose, the Lions are out.

Here are the NFC games with playoff implications:

Minnesota Vikings (12-4) at Chicago Bears (3-13)

Dallas Cowboys (12-4) at Washington Commanders (7-8-1)

Arizona Cardinals (4-12) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4) 

Los Angeles Rams (5-11) at Seattle Seahawks (8-8) 

New York Giants (9-6-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

Detroit Lions (8-8) at Green Bay Packers (8-8) 

Predictions:

1.) Eagles 14-3 (The Giants may the rest their starters)

2.) 49ers 13-4 

3.) Vikings 13-4

4.) Buccaneers 9-8 (assuming they play their starters)

5.) Cowboys 13-4

6.) Giants 9-7-1 

7.) Packers 9-8 

Out: Seahawks 9-8, Lions 8-9

Wildcard Round: 

7.) Packers at 2.) 49ers

6.) Giants at 3.) Vikings

5.) Cowboys at 4.) Buccaneers

Divisional Round:

5.) Cowboys at 1.) Eagles

3.) Vikings at 2.) 49ers

NFC Title Game: 2.) 49ers at 1.) Eagles

The Eagles are a very shaky top seed, especially if Jalen Hurts cannot come back from injury. They are very beatable and could flame out in the Divisional Round. The 49ers have the most complete team in the NFC because of their nasty defense. The Cowboys have an explosive offense but at Philadelphia in the cold weather, the Eagles with Hurts would have the advantage. The Buccaneers and Packers barely made it, but do you want to bet against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers?  The Packers are red hot but the one team that has tormented them the last few years is the 49ers, especially because of their defense. 

Because of that defense the 49ers will host the George Halas NFC Championship Trophy and reach the Super Bowl. Bringing home the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be very tough. The top AFC teams all match up well with them.

eric

NFL 2022 Week 17 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans was the Thursday night game. The 11-4 Cowboys got a big emotional win over top seeded Philadelphia last week. The Titans started 7-3 but have since lost 5 straight. Ryan Tannehill is on injured reserve now and the Titans started 3rd string quarterback Joshua Dobbs. This was his first NFL start. The Cowboys took over at their own 45. Dak Prescott went to Dalton Schultz for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 37, Prescott went to TY Hilton for 7. Defensive pass interference added 14 more. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 4, one, and then the one yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 60 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys moved from their own 35 to a 3rd and 1 at the Titans 15. Elliott got the carry but lost 3 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Brett Maher hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cowboys.

The rest of the half was ugly as a pair of Prescott interceptions led to a pair Randy Bullock field goals from 37 and 29 to get the Titans within 10-6. In the third quarter the Cowboys faced 3rd and 4 at their own 17. Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 13. Defensive pass interference aded 9. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Elliott gained 4. On 3rd and 19 from their own 43, Prescott went bombs away incomplete but drew a 51 yard defensive pass interference call. On the next play Prescott went to Schultz to cap the 10 play, 89 yard drive and make it 17-6 Cowboys. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 33. Dobbs went to Burks for 21. Haskins ran for 12. On 4th and 2 from the Dallas 26, Mike Vrabel went for it and Haskins got just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 20, Dobbs hit Robert Woods for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 7, Dobbs hit Woods for the touchdown. The 14 play, 71 yard, 7 minute drive had the Titans right back in it only down 17-13 after three quarters.

The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Prescott went to Hilton for 28. A roughing the passer call to start the fourth quarter added 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 18, Prescott hit Davis for 5. Prescott went to Schultz for a 10 yard touchdown to culminate the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 24-13 Cowboys with 12 minutes left in regulation. After that the Dallas defense clamped down. Maher tacked on a 45 yard field goal for the Cowboys with 6 1/2 minutes left. Dobbs was then intercepted. The Titans got it back and with 3:45 left faced 4th and 15 at the Dallas 47. Dobbs threw incomplete and the Titans lost their 6th straight to drop to 7-9. They still have a shot at winning their division, but they will need help. They even have a very outside sot at home field advantage. The Cowboys at 12-4 are in playoff mode.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of bad teams played. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Atlanta 10. James Conner gained 7, but offensive holding nullified the gain and killed the drive. The 14 play, 55 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive was capped by a 38 yard Matt Prater field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. JJ Watt, who announced his retirement after the end of this season, jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Tyler Allgeier gained 5. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 37, Allgeier gained 9. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 19, Arthur Smith went for it. Allgeier gained 14 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 10 minutes off the clock and put the Falcons up 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The Falcons got it back at their own 11 and immediately fumbled the ball away. The Cardinals took over at the Atlanta 8. Two plays later Blough hit McBride for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cardinals. The Falcons after a touchback moved 66 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 9, this time Arthur Smith’s gamble saw Ridder throw incomplete. The Cardinals punted on 4th and 6 from their own 14. The Falcons blocked the punt and took over at the Arizona 5. One play later, Cordarelle Patterson got in to make it 14-10 Cardinals with 1:47 left in the half. The Cardinals moved from their own 20 to the Atlanta 18. Only 2 seconds remained, Prater hit from 36 to end the half with the Cardinals within 14-13. In the third quarter a punt pined the Cardinals at their own one yard line. They moved 81 yards in 11 plays. On 2nd and 8 from the Atlanta 18, Blough threw incomplete twice. Prater hit again from 36 to make it 16-14 Cardinals.

The Cardinals got it back at their own 15 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 44 early in the fourth quarter. Kliff Kingsbury went for it and Clement got stopped for not gain. The Falcons from that spot moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Arizona 9. Ridder threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 27 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 17-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 32. Consecutive offensive penalties killed the drive. Kliff Kingsbury gambled on a 57 yard field goal try. Prater delivered to put the Cardinals up 19-17 with 5 minutes left. After a touchback, Patterson ran for gains of 7 and 22. Ridder hit London for 10. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 27, Ridder hit Pruitt for 14. With one minute left, the Falcons fced 3rd and 2 at the Arizona 5. If the Cardinals got a top, they could get the ball back with maybe enough time for one or two plays. Instead, Allgeier gained 3. The Falcons took the clock down to 2 seconds. Koo’s field goal try from 21 yards out was good. 20-19 Falcons

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions — The 7-8 Lions stumbled last week but needed only a win over the lowly Bears to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Bears began with 3rd and 9 from their own 26Justin Fields ran for 8 with defensive holding adding 5 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Cole Kmet took the direct snap and handed it to Fields, who got around the end for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 13, Fields went to Kmet for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Jared Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 28. Dan Campbell went for it on 4th and 4 at the Chicago 35. Goff went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 34 yard gain down to the one. Goff hit Wright for a 2 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Fields broke free for a 60 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Fields was sacked. Cairo Santos hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears after the first quarter. After that, the Lions took over.

After a touchback Williams gained 14. Goff went deep to DJ Chark for 28. The second quarter began with Deandre Swift running for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 37. Williams ripped off a pair of 7 yard gains. Goff hit Williams for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 27, Goff gained 2. Goff went to raymond for 9 and to Wright for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Lions. After a touchback, he Bears took over at their own 48. Fields was hit and fumbled. The Lions recovered at midfield. With 17 seconds left in the half the Lions faced 4th and 1 at the Chicago 4. This time Dan Gamble decided no to gamble. mike Badgley hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 24-10 Lions. The Lions began the third quarter facing 3rd and 18 from their own 17. Swift ran for a 35 yard gain and Williams ran for 40 more. Williams ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 8. Goff went to Chark for 28 and St.. Brown for 11. Swift gained 9. Goff went to Raymond for 16 and to Swift for a 21 yard touchdown. The 92 yard drive meant a 38-10 Lions lead after three quarters. The Lions added a fourth quarter field goal as 34 unanswered points kept the Lions alive in the playoff race. 41-10 Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — The 7-8 Jaguars fought back to tie reeling Tennessee atop the AFC South. With Tennessee having lost on Thursday, the Jaguars with a win would take a lead in the AFC South. The Texans only won twice all year, but one of those wins was last week at Tennessee. The Texans moved from their own 26 to a 4th and 1 at their own 45. Despite failing to convert on 3rd and 1, Lovie Smith gambled in his own territory. Despite Davis Mills starting, Jeff Driskel came in for this play and got stopped cold. With a short field, Trevor Lawrence went to Christian Kirk for 13. Travis Etienne gained 9 and 4. Lawrence hit Jones for 14. Hasty ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 38. Etienne immediately ripped off a 62 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Jaguars. Two plays later, Mills was sacked and fumbled. Campbell recovered it and returned it 12 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 21-0 Jaguars lead. In the third quarter the Jaguars faced 2nd and 13 at their own 22. Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. Lawrence hit Evan Engram for 16 and Jones for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 36, Lawrence hit Hasty for 11. Lawrence went Jones for 15. Conner ran for the 3 yard touchdown as the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 28-0 Jaguars. Each team added a field goal to complete the scoring. Up by 28, Doug Pederson benched Lawrence to keep him healthy for a big game next week. If the 8-8 Jaguars beat Tennessee next week, the Jaguars win the AFC South. 31-3 Jaguars

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — The 12-3 Chiefs are tied with Buffalo for the conference lead but do not hold the tie-breaker. To keep pace, they needed only to beat a terrible Broncos team that lost by 37 last week and finally put Nathaniel Hackett out of his misery. The Chiefs began facing 3rd and 2 a their own 43. Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 4. Walrus Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Denver 44. Mahomes hit Kelce for 10, McKinnon for 11, and Moore for 18. Pacheco ran for a 5 yard touchdown. Andy Reid for some reason tried a fake 2 point conversion try that failed as the Chiefs led 6-0.The Broncos moved from their own 21 on a 14 play, 49 yard, 7 minute drive. On 2nd and 6 from the Chiefs 30, Russell Wilson threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 6-3 in the second quarter. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Chiefs fumbled a punt and the Broncos recovered at the Chiefs 16. One play and 5 seconds later, Wilson got around the end for the touchdown and the 10-6 Broncos lead.

After a touchback, Mahomes went to Toney for 27. Mahomes then went to McKinnon for 28. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 15, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. Mahomes hit McKinnon for 4 and again for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Chiefs. The Chiefs recovered a fumble late in the half but missed a field goal to end the half. In the third quarter the Broncos took over at their own 37. Latavius Murray gained 5, 7, 19 and 5. Wilson went to Okwuegbunam for a 25 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos led 17-13 and were smelling upset.

The Chiefs took over at their own 35. From midfield, Mahomes hit Juju Smith-schuster for 11 and Marques Valdes-Scantling for 22. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mahomes went to Bell for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 20-17 Chiefs. One play after a touchback, Wilson was intercepted by Sneed, who returned the pick 25 yards to the Denver 17. Mahomes went to Pacheco for 9 and to McKinnon for a 3 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 27-17 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Murray gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 7 more yards. On 4th and 7 from the Chiefs 40 midway through the fourth quarter, the Broncos were down to their last gasp. Under heavy pressure Wilson was intercepted, but defensive illegal use of hands meant 1st and 10 for the offense. Wilson went to Jeudy for 7, Saubert for 8 and Okwuegbnuam for 16. Wilson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 3 with 6:14 to play. The Broncos got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 2 at their own 45 with 1:20 to play needing only a field goal to tie the game. Wilson was sacked. The 13-3 Chiefs with a win next week will have a shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 27-24 Chiefs

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — The Dolphins were cruising toward the playoffs at 8-3 before collapsing and losing 4 straight to fall to 8-7. The would still make the playoffs by winning their last 2 games. Yet with Tua Tagovailoa injured, Teddy Bridgewater got the start. The 7-8 Patriots with a loss would be out but with a win this and next week would be in the playoffs. The Patriots faced 3rd and 5 from their own 24. Mac Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain. Jones went deep to Thornton for 24. and Jakobi Meyers for 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 16, Jones threw incomplete but defense holding meant another first down. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 7, Jones went to Thornton for the touchdown. The 10 play, 81 yard drive made it 7-0 Patriots.

The Dolphins soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Mike McDaniel lined up to go for it but a false start killed the try. Yet on 4th and 6, the Patriots ran into the punter. That made it 4th and 1. McDaniel attempted to gamble again and this time Wilson gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Bridgewater hit Wilson for 13. Bridgewater went to Tyreek Hill for 19 and Mike Gesicki for 14. On the first play of the second quarter Hill ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Dolphins missed a chance to take the lead when a 51 yard field goal try by Jason Sanders was no good. A field position game in the third quarter gave the Dolphins a short field at the New England 41. Bridgewater went to Jalen Waddle for 23. Wilson ran for 9. Bridgewater hit Raheem Moster for a 2 yard touchdown as the Dolphins led 14-7 on the road.

The Patriots moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 6 at the Miami 32. A false start killed the drive. Nick Folk hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 14-10. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 24. Bridgewater was intercepted by Kyle Duggar, who returned the pick 39 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Patriots led 16-14 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Bridgewater was injured on the play. 3rd string quarterback Skylar Thompson played the rest of the game. The Patriots took over at their own 11 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 16, to Rhamondre Stevenson for 5, and Jakobi Meyers for 25. Stevenson gained 8. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 27, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones went to Meyers for the touchdown. The 11 play, 89 yard, 5 minute drive had the Patriots up 23-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Dolphins turned it over on downs, but then the Patriots did as well. The Dolphins took over at their own 39 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Thompson hit Gesicki for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 61 yard drive to get the Dolphins within 2 with one minute left. Yet the onside kick failed. Both teams are 8-8. The Dolphins 5th straight loss means they need to win and get help to make the playoffs. The Patriots control their own destiny. Win next week and they are in. 23-21 Patriots

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants — The Giants at 8-6-1 would make the playoffs with a win at home over the lowly Colts. The Colts moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Giants 5. Jeff Saturday decided not to gamble. Chase McLaughlin hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. In the second quarter the Giants exploded. From their own 29, Saquon Barkley ran for 5, Matt Breida added 8, Barkley gained 5 more, and Jones added 5. The Giants kept running to start the second quarter as Barkley gained 7 and 19. After 7 straight runs, Jones hit Isaiah Hodgins for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Jones hit Richie James for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 36. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, Jones went to Bellinger for 10. Jones ran for 13. Jones went back to Bellinger for 24. Jones went to Hodgins for a 6 yard touchdown. After a touchback the Colts soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 46. Nick Foles was intercepted by Landon Collins, who returned it 52 yards to pay dirt and a 21-3 Giants lead.

The Giants got it back at their own 39 with 46 seconds left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 18 with 14 seconds left. Jones threw incomplete twice. Graham Gano hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 24–3 Giants at the half. The Giants immediately fumbled in the third quarter, but the Colts went nowhere and missed a field goal. The Giants took over at their own 38. Jones went to James for 28 and Bellinger for 8. Jones ran for an 18 yard touchdown. 31 unanswered points had the Giants cruising up 31-3. The Colts managed a 16 play, 68 yard, 8 1/2 minute touchdown drive, but ball control power football is not helpful when you’re down by 28. The Giants moved 70 yards and Jones ran for a 10 yard touchdown with 12 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. The 9-6-1 Giants under 1st year head coach Brian Daboll are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. 38-10 Giants

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles — The 13-1 Eagles were cruising toward home field advantage throughout the playoffs before stumbling last week at Dallas. Jalen Hurts was out for the second straight week. Gardner Minshew played well in that losing effort and got the start again. They needed to beat a 6-9 Saints team on life support. After a touchback, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went right to work, hit Chris Olave for 16. On 3rd and 4 from their own 47, Dalton went to Johnson for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 36, Dalton went to Olave for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 19, Prentice gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Philly 10, Taysom Hill only gained one. Dennis Allen gambled on 4th and 2. Hill gained 8. Hill got the last yard as the 15 play, 75 yard, 9 minute drive made it 7-0 Saints. Dennis Allen’s defense was suffocating. In the second quarter Wil Lutz hit a 54 yard field goal. The Saints got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Hill lost a yard. Lutz hit from 20 as the Saints took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms in front of a stunned home Philadelphia crowd.

In the third quarter the Eagles moved from their own 9 to a 2nd and 2 at the Saints 26. A run lost a yard. On 3rd and 4, Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 28 yard touchdown. Yet offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Jake Elliott drilled a 56 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 13-3. The Eagles got it back at their own 4 yard line. Minshew hit Smith for 12 and 6. Minshew then went deep to AJ Brown for a 78 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Eagles were within 13-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the defenses dug in. The Eagles faced 4th and 1 at midfield with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Kevin Sirianni went for it. Minshew kept it and got stopped for no gain. The Eagles got it back at their own 9. From his own 11, Minshew’s swing pass was intercepted by Marshon Lattimore, who strolled 12 yards into the end zone for the touchdown dagger with 5 1/2 minutes left. Despite the win, the Saints were eliminated from the playoffs due to other results on the day. Despite 2 straight losses, the 13-3 Eagles still win the NFC East and clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win next week. A loss could send them all the way down to the Wildcard spot. 20-10 Eagles

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 7-8 Buccaneers took on the 6-9 Panthers. A Buccaneers win would give them the NFC South crown. A Panthers win and a win next week would make the Panthers NFC South champs. In 23 years, Tom Brady has never had a losing season. After a touchback, Sam Darnold on the first play fro scrimmage went deep to DJ Moore for 26 yards. Darnold went to Smith for 11. On 2nd and 5 from the Tampa 23, Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards. Darnold went to Tommy Tremble for a 17 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Panthers lead. The Buccaneers wasted a 14 play drive when Ryan Succop missed a 53 yard field goal in the second quarter. The Panthers took over at their own 43. Darnold hit Marshall for 14. On 4th and 3 from the Tampa 36, Steve Wilks went for it. Darnold hit Moore for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa 24, Darnold went to Moore for the touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Panthers led 14-0.

The Buccaneers would face 3rd and 5 from their own 25. Brady went to Chris Godwin for 12. The Panthers defense had been suffocating for 27 minutes, but one big play turned the game around. Brady went bombs away to Mike Evans for a 63 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers were within 14-7 with 2:10 left in the half. The Buccaneers took over at the Carolina 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 4, Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit from 22 to get the Buccaneers within 14-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Buccaneers from their own 2 yard line moved 90 yards in 15 plays and 7 over minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 8, Brady threw incomplete twice. Succop’s 26 yard field goal try was blocked as the Buccaneers again came up empty. The Panthers took over at their own 9. Donta Foreman ran for 6 and 7. Darnold went deep to Moore for 47. On 1st and 20 from the Tampa 41 after offensive holding, defensive holding meant a new set of downs. Darnold went to Moore for 14. The first three quarters were quiet. The fourth quarter was wild and began with Darnld hitting Smith for a 19 yard touchdown and a 21-10 Panthers lead.

After a touchback, the Buccaneers struck quickly. Defensive pass interference meant 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from their own 43 Brady went deep again to Evans for a 57 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Patriots were within 21-16. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 8. Brady went to Godwin for 11 and 8 and to Leonard Fournette for 11. Brady went to Russell Gage for 21, to Cade Otton for 12, and to Evans yet again for a 30 yard touchdown. This time Brady hit Godwin for the 2 point conversion to make it 24-21 Buccaneers. With 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Panthers faced 1st and 10 from their own 13. Darnold was sacked and fumbled. The Buccaneers recovered at the Carolina 6. Two plays later Brady ran for a one yard touchdown. The extra point failed but 20 unanswered points made it 30-21 Buccaneers with 1:58 left. After a touchback, the Panthers quickly moved to a 2nd and 15 at the Tampa 31. Needing 2 scores with one minute left, Steve Wilks went with the field goal. Eddie Pineiro hit from 49, but the onside kick failed. The Panthers are out of the playoffs. The 8-8 Buccaneers clinched the NFC South. Brady is playoff bound again even if he ends up with a loss next week and a losing season. Darnold was 23 of 37 for 341 yards,3 touchdowns and one interception, but Brady was 34 of 45 for 432 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. 30-24 Buccaneers

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders — The 7-7-1 Commanders came in having lost 2 straight and barely alive in the playoff race. All they needed to do was at home beat the lowly Browns. After benching Taylor Heinecke last week, Ron Rivera decided to start Carson Wentz this week. A first quarter interception of Wentz gave the Browns the ball at the Washington 36. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 19, Deshaun Watson threw incomplete. Cade York hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. Commanders moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 40. Riverboat Ron went for it and Williams got stopped for a one yard loss. Wentz threw another interception but the Commanders got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their own 13, Robinson gained 5. On 3rd and 2 from his own 26, Williams gained 12. On 3rd and 17 from their own 31, Went hit Jahan Dotson for 20. Robinson gained 9 and 4. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 32, Wentz hit Logan Thomas for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 11, Wentz hit Thomas for 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, Robinson got stopped. Riverboat Ron went for it again with 21 seconds.left in the half. Wentz got in. This was drive of the year. 21…yes, 21…plays. 96 yards. 11 1/2 minutes. The Commanders led 7-3 at the intermission.

In the third quarter the Browns took over at their own 37. Watson hit Bryant for 7 and ran for gains of 4 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 46, Watson went to Amari Cooper for the touchdown and the 10-7 Commanders lead. The Browns got it back at their own 16. Nick Chubb gained 9, 7 and 6. Ford gained 9. On 3rd and 9 from their own 48, Watson hit Cooper for 26. On 2nd and 19 from the Washington 35, Watson went to David Njoku for 21. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 13, Watson went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for the touchdown as the Browns led 17-7 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Commanders after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Cleveland 24. A completion by Wentz lost a yard. Joey Slye hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 17-10. After a touchback, Watson ran for 21. On 4th and 1 from the Washington 45, Kevin Stefanski went for it Jacoby Brissett gained 2. Chubb gained 8 and 2. Watson went to Cooper for a 33 yard touchdown with 5 1/2 minutes left to ice the game. Wentz added another interception as both teams were eliminated from contention. 24-10 Browns

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders — All the 11-4 49ers needed to do to keep cruising toward the playoffs was beat a 6-9 Raiders team that was setting itself on fire. The Raiders have blown multiple fourth quarter leads this year The Raiders under 1st year head coach and perpetual egomaniac Josh McDaniels have set an NFL record by blowing 4 double digit leads in one season. McDaniels’s stubborn refusal to run the ball to close out games is why the Raiders keep losing. Despite having the league leading rusher in Josh Jacobs, McDaniels fails to pound the rock. He wears out his own defense instead of the opposing defense. McDaniels decided to blame his own failures on quarterback Derek Carr. McDaniels threw Carr under the bus and benched him for the final 2 games. Carr left team headquarters and will most likely never play for the silver and black again. Carr has bailed out the Raiders many times over his 9 years with the team while the Raiders have had the NFL’s worst defense. Carr holds the franchise records in team history yet somehow McDaniels decided to replace Carr with Jarrett Stidham, who has never started an NFL game before. 

The 49ers somehow managed to be offside on the opening kickoff as the Raiders began at their own 30. Jarrett Stidham on his first play found Foster Moreau for a 20 yard gain. Stidham then went to Jacobs for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 24, Stidham went deep to Darren Waller for the touchdown. The Riders had the quick 7-0 lead. The 49ers took over at their own 33. Christian McCaffrey gained 11 and 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 37, McCaffrey ripped off a 37 yard gain. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for a 2 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. After a touchback, the Raiders moved 74 yard in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, rather than ru the ball, Josh McDaniels insisted on throwing. Stidham threw incomplete. Then on 4th and goal at the one, McDaniels surrendered. Daniel Carlson hit the 20 yard field goal for the 10-7 Raiders lead.

The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. McCaffrey gained 2. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Purdy threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain. Defensive pass interference on the very next play added 12 more yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 30, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 6. Purdy hit George Kittle for 9. Kyle Juszczyk for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Purdy hit Kittle for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it 14-10 49ers. After a touchback, the Raiders moved 73 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. This time on 4th and 1 from the San Francisco 2 yard line, Josh McDaniels did gamble. Giving the ball to Jacobs up the middle was the right call, but Jacobs got stopped cold for no gain. 

The Raiders defense forced a 3 and out and the Raiders got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half with a short field at the San Francisco 44. Stidham hot Jacobs for 7 and Hunter Renfrow for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 8, Stidham gained 4. With 10 seconds left in the half, stidham threw a fade to the end zone for Davante Adams. The best receiver in the league out-jumped the defender and somehow got both feet down inbounds. The touchdown gave the Raiders the 17-14 halftime lead. The third quarter began with the Raiders forcing another 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 16. Stidham immediately fumbled the snap but fell on it. On 3rd and 11, Stidham hit Renfrow for only 4 yards, but a defensive facemask penalty on Fred Warner gifted the Raiders 15 yards and kept the drive going. On 3rd and 4 from their own 40, Stidham rolled all the way to his left. The defense broke contain and Adams got behind the defense. Adams immediately put his hand in the air and Stidham unleashed a bomb just before getting belted. Adams hauled it in for a 60 yard touchdown. After 35 minutes of football, the Raiders had a 24-14 lead. They had out-played the best defense in the NFL. Now the question would be if they could finish a game or if this was more of the same.

After a touchback, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 7, Aiyuk for 5, and McCaffrey again for 15. After offensive holding meant 1st and 20, Purdy hit Jennings for 18. Aiyuk gained 16. McCaffrey ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The 75 yard, 5 minute drive had the 49ers within 24-21. Rather than try and run the ball, Josh McDaniels insisted on throwing.. Stidham threw incomplete and the Raiders were on their way to a 3 and out. The 49ers moved from their own 14 to midfield. Purdy went deep and was intercepted by Amik Robertson. The Raiders took over at their own 18. Stidham went deep to Waller for 24. Jacobs gained 4 and 5. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Stidham gained 3. The Raiders began the fourth quarter with 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 46. The running game was working. Yet for the billionth time this season, McDaniels abandoned the run. Stidham threw deep incomplete. On the next play Stidham went over the middle was intercepted as the Raiders gave the ball right back. 

The 49ers took over with a short field at the Raiders 42. On 2n and 7 from the Raiders 25, Purdy threw incomplete twice. Kyle Shanahan also has a bad habit of abandoning the run with a lead in the fourth quarter, and it has cost him on the biggest stage on multiple occasions. Robbie Gould hit a 43 yard field goal to tie the game 24-24 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders after a touchback managed one first down but then suffered a delay of game penalty for having 12 men in the offensive huddle. 1st and 15 put the Raiders behind the 8 ball and they punted again. The 49ers moved from their own 35 to a 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 6 yard line. Purdy threw incomplete. The Raiders needed a big stop and got it. Yet Gould hit a 24 yard field goal. With 6:44 left, the 49ers led 27-24. Again, the Raiders had blown a fourth quarter lead. Again, the Raiders had blown a double digit lead. 

After a touchback, Stidham went to Moreau for 21 and again for 14. Yet on 1st and 10 from the San Francisco 39, Josh McDaniels again refused to run the ball. Stidham threw incomplete followed by a false start. With 4 minutes left, Carlson came in for a 57 yard field goal try to tie the game. One of the best kickers in the league drilled it for a 27-27 tie. Now it was up to the Raiders defense to get a stop. They could not. After a touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 23 and McCaffrey for a 38 yard gain. With 2 1/2 minutes left the 49ers had 1st and 10 at the Raiders 14. If the 49ers got one more first down, they could take the clock down to near zero and kick a chip shot field goal for a 30-27 win at the gun. It did not come down to that. Jordan Mason got the ball and ran all the way for the touchdown. The 49ers led 34-27, but the Raiders still had 2:17 left to try and tie the game. This was not a brilliant defensive strategy. The Raiders defense is just that awful. Now it was up to a quarterback starting his very first game.

After a touchback, Stidham went to Mack Hollins for 21 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Offensive holding had the Raiders facing 1st and 20 from their own 36. Stidham under heavy pressure then went bombs away just before getting belted. The ball was underthrown but Adams made an acrobatic diving one-handed catch going to the ground. Now the Raiders had 1st and 10 at the Frisco 19. Stidham went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference on Warner meant 1st and goal at the one. This time Josh McDaniels kept it basic. Jacobs banged into the end zone standing up. McDaniels also decided not to go crazy with a 2 point conversion try. Carlson nailed the extra point. The game was tied 34-34. Yet the Raiders left 1:11, way too much time on the clock. 

As expected, the Raiders defense melted down. After a touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for gains of 12, 18 and 11. With 26 seconds left, the 49ers were looking at a 52 yard field goal try. They still had one timeout left, which meant a safe run with a few more yards would be the smart call. Yet Kyle Shanahan refuses to run when he should run. Purdy rolled out to pass and got belted just as he threw. A wounded duck flew in the air and would have been intercepted had any of the Raiders defenders been looking for the ball. Instead, Aiyuk caught it for 11 more yards. The 49ers let the clock tick down to 2 seconds left. Gould came in for a 41 yard field goal try to win it. The Raiders needed an absolute miracle. 

They got one. Gould was wide, no good. This game was going to overtime, where the Raiders were 3-0 on the season. The Raiders won the coin toss. After a touchback, Jacobs ripped off gains of 9 and 6. The Raiders were at their own 40. Jacobs got a third straight carry and got stopped. Yet on 2nd and 10 it would have been perfectly reasonable to give him a fourth straight carry. Yet Josh McDaniels will abandon the run every single time at the slightest hint of adversity. Stidham went back to pass and got hit as soon as he threw the ball. This time it was his wounded duck floating helplessly in the year. The 49ers got a miracle catch on their own. The Raiders did not. Gipson intercepted the ball and returned it 56 yards to the Raiders 3 yard line. At this point Kyle Shanahan took no chances. He had Purdy take a knee just to center the ball. Gould came in for the 23 yard field goal try to redeem himself. Gould was good. The Raiders were out of miracles, out of luck, and out of the playoffs at 6-10. The 12-4 49ers won their 9th straight game and have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs.

The Raiders might be blown to pieces in the offseason. Carr is likely gone. Jacobs is an unrestricted free agent because Josh McDaniels foolishly declined his 5th year option before the season started. Adams may want out because he only came to the Raiders to play with his best friend Carr. Stidham had a good game for three quarters and threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Yet when it mattered, Stidham had 2 killer interceptions, one or two other balls that should have been intercepted, and a fumbled snap. The defense is as awful as ever. The team that made the playoffs last year is dead in the water, going from winning 10 games to losing at least 10. The cause of this destruction is McDaniels, but he seems to be the only one who is safe. He is only one year into a 4 year contract. He will convince Mark Davis that he needs better players, especially at quarterback. Yet Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia all won with Carr. McDaniels has never had a winning season as a head coach. Although this loss was on the first day of 2023, the Raiders are expected to be a mess until McDaniels is fired. The Raiders lost their 5th game when leading by double digits. They lost their 6th fourth quarter lead. McDaniels is all talk, but Al Davis’s motto is “Just win, baby.” McDaniels loses and blames the quarterback. The Raider Nation needs to keep Carr and get rid of McDaniels. If they get this backward, they will remain a backward franchise. 37-34 49ers, OT  

New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks — Both teams came in 7-8 and knowing a loss would eliminate them playoff contention. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll got to face off against their old team. The Seahawks began at their own 27. On the first play of th game, Kenneth Walker ran for a 60 yard gain. On the 3rd play, Smith hit Colby Parkinson for a 12 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Seahawks led 7–0. An interception of Mike White was returned by Diggs 27 yards to the Seattle 37. The Seahawks moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. A run lost 2 yards and Smith then threw incomplete. Jason Myers hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Seahawks. The Jets managed a 44 yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein, but the Seahawks took control in the second quarter. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Smith threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside fr a key first down. Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 8. Smith went deep to Dallas for a 41 yard gain. The second quarter began with Smith hitting Tyler Mabry for a 7 yard touchdown and a 17-3 Seahawks lead. The Jets managed another 44 yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but nothing else. In the third quarter Zuerlein missed from 57. The Seahawks defense clamped down. Myers hit from 31 in the third quarter, missed from 41 in the fourth quarter, and hit from 31 again in the fourth quarter. The 8-8 Seahawks can make the playoffs next week with a win and some help. The 7-9 Jets are out. The Jets once fired Carroll and got rid of Smith. 23-6 Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — The 12-3 Vikings have been cruising toward the playoffs. The Packers were left for dead at 4-8 but then won 3 straight. At 7-8, the Packers were very much alive but would be knocked out with a loss. 3 minutes into the game the Packers suffered a blocked punt. The Vikings had 1st and goal at the one. Kirk Cousins threw incomplete. Dalvin Cook got stopped for no gain and then lost a yard. On 4th and goal at the 2, Kevin O’Connell had seen enough. Greg Joseph hit the 21 yard field goal. The Vikings led 3-0, but this was a victory for the Packers. 13 seconds later the Packers had another special teams situation, but with much better results. Keisean Nixon returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Packers led 7-3 and spent the rest of the game carpet-bombing the Vikings into submission. After the Packers gave it up on downs at their own 45, the Vikings faced 4th and 2 at the Green Bay 37. This time O’Connell gambled, with disastrous results. Cousins was intercepted by Darnell Savage, who returned the interception 76 yards for a touchdown. Without any offensive points, the Packers led 14-3 after the first quarter.

Things got worse for the Vikings. Jospeh missed a 46 yard field goal. The Packers from their own 36 moved 56 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. On 4th and goal at the 3 in the second quarter, Matt LaFleur lined up to go for it. A delay of game ended the chance. Mason Crosby hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Packers. The Vikings moved from their own 29 to the Green Bay 31. Cousins was intercepted by Amos, who returned the pick 26 yards to his own 40. On 3rd and 1, Aaron Jones got around the end for a 31 yard gain. On 2nd and 11 from the Minnesota 21, Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan for the touchdown to make it 24-3 Packers. With 41 seconds left in the half, more misery for the Vikings saw Joseph miss again from 50. It was Crosby who hit from 56 as the Packers led 27-3 at the half. In the third quarter the Vikings moved from their own 16 to the Green Bay 15. Cousins was sacked and fumbled. The Packers moved 76 yards and Dillon ran for a 2 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 34-3 Packers. One play after a touchback, Cousins was intercepted. A short field at the Minnesota 45 led to 3rd and goal at the 2. Rodgers ran it in to make it 41-3 Packers. A few weeks ago the Vikings made NFL history by coming back from 33 points down. This week down 38, they did manage 2 touchdowns but nothing more. At 12-4 the Vikings are in the playoffs but looking vulnerable. The 8-8 Packers now control their own destiny. If they win, they are in the playoffs. 41-17 Packers

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers — The 9-6 Chargers are in the playoffs and the Rams are out. The Rams from their own 14 moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Yet a run lost a yard and Baker mayfield threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit the 23 yard field goal. The 13 play, 81 yard, 8 minute drive made it 3-0 Rams. After a touchback, Justin Herbert hit Mike Williams for 26. Kelley ran for 12. The second quarter began with Austin Ekeler running for 8. Herbert hit Williams for 19. Ekeler ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and faced 3rd and 7 from their own 13. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 10. Ekeler then broke free for a 72 yard touchdown run and a 14-3 Chargers lead. After a touchback, Mayfield went to Van Jefferson for 16. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Mayfield went to Jefferson for 22. On 3r and 3 from the Chargers 23, Brown ran for the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Rams were only down 14-10. Yet the rest of the game belonged to the Chargers defense.

After a touchback, the Chargers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 22 with 32 seconds left. Herbert threw 3 incompletions. Dicker hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Chargers at the intermission. After a third quarter touchback, Herbert hit Ekeler for 17 and Wiliams for 14. Kelley gained 17 and Ekeler added 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 15, Herbert gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 6, Herbert went to Gerald Everett for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Chargers. The Chargers in the fourth quarter took over at their own 30. Herbert went to Allen for 28. Herbert hit Ekeler for 14 and Allen for 8. Kelley added 8. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Donald Parham for the touchdown with 12 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. The 10-6 Chargers are in playoff form. 31-10 Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. The 7-8 Steelers needed to win this week and next week and get help to make the playoffs and avoid Mike Tomlin’s first losing season. The 10-5 Ravens are in the playoffs but have lost 2 straight without Lamar Jackson. Whenever these teams play, the results are the same: A defensive head-knocker that goes down to the wire, with home field rarely ever mattering. After an opening touchback, the Steelers moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete. The 15 play, 73 yard, 8 minute drive had the Steelers settling for a 21 yard Chris Boswell field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Ravens from their own 27 responded with 15 play, 61 yard, 8 minute drive of their own. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 12 to start the second quarter, Tyler Huntley threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit from 30 for a 3-3 game. With 3 1/2 minutes left in a bone-crushing first half, a 48 yard Boswell field goal try to give the Steelers the lead was no good. The Ravens after a false start faced 1st and 15 from their own 33. JK Dobbins ran for 17, 5 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 41 at the 2 minute warning, Tyler Huntley gained 2. Dobbins gained 12. Huntley gained 9. On 3rd and 16 from the Pittsburgh 22, Dobbins gained 7. Yet defensive unnecessary roughness on the play was a killer. On the next play, with 7 seconds in the half, Huntley hit Likely for the touchdown and the 10-3 Ravens lead at the break. The second half was more defense. Tucker hit from 51 in the third quarter to give the Ravens a 13-3 lead.

Boswell connected from 51 and in the fourth quarter hit a 33 yarder to get the Steelers within 13-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The defenses dug in and the Steelers began their last drive of regulation with 4:16 left at their own 20. On 3rd and 1, Pickett got the yard. Pickett hit Pat Freiermuth for 20 and Steven Sims for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 13, Pickett kept it and with considerable help from his offensive lineman was carried to the first down after initially being stopped cold. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 10, Pickett threw a perfect fade to Najee Harris for the touchdown. The Steelers led 16-13 with one minute left. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to their own 38 with 20 seconds left. Huntley went deep and was intercepted. The only turnover of the game denied Tucker a chance to tie it. The 10-6 Ravens are in the playoffs but have lost 3 straight. Their chance at winning the AFC North took a serious hit. The 8-8 Steelers are still clinging to playoff life. The last 2 weeks, Pickett overcame 10-point second half deficits without a touchdown to throw his only touchdown in the final minute. 16-13 Steelers

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals was the Monday night game. This game was supposed to be about football. The 12-3 Bills were at the 11-4 Bengals. The Bills with a win this and next week would wrap up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bengals with a win would wrap up the AFC North and have an outside shot at home field advantage. Everything was on the line. Yet 9 minutes in, this game all of a sudden became about much more than football. Starting with football, the Bengals after a touchback made it look easy. Defensive pass interference on the first play meant 29 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 37, Joe Burrow gained 2.Burrow then went to Hurst for 21. Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Bills after a touchback moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 3 from the Cincinnati 7, Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass hit a 25 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7-3. The Bengals took over at their own 32. A Joe Mixon run set the Bengals up with 2nd and 3 at their own 39. Although there were still 51 minutes left, the next play would be the final play of the game. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 13 yards to the Buffalo 48. Burrow was tackled by Bills defender Damar Hamlin. After the tackle, both players got up. Then the nightmare unfolded.

A few seconds later out of nowhere, Hamlin collapsed to the ground. The collision between these two players looked routine. There was nothing illegal about the play, just a shoulder to the chest. Hamlin was not breathing. The medical personnel came out to try and get him into the ambulance but he was on the ground for several minutes. After 20 minutes of players praying and sobbing, he was finally put in the ambulance. Yet there was no thumbs up sign or anything encouraging to make the fans cheer. Players have seen brutal injuries. They have seen legs get broken. They have seen players get paralyzed. We all have. Yet here was a player at risk of dying on the football field. This has never happened before. A decade ago, Korey Stringer died in practice. In 1971, Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field and later died that afternoon at the hospital. Yet this was a player at risk of dying right on the spot at the field.

Players were crying and hugging each other. The Cincinnati crowd was stone cold silent. Bills Coach Sean McDermott and Bengals Coach Zach Taylor had serious conversations at midfield as dueling quarterbacks Allen and Burrow hugged each other. At first the game was suspended. The hope was that Hamlin would be ok. Unfortunately, the news was bad. He suffered a heart attack on the field and had to have his heart shocked back into rhythmic beating. He was alive but in critical condition at the Cincinnati Medical Center. He had a tube in his throat to help him breathe.

Both coaches consulted extensively with the players as players from the Bengals went into the Bills locker room to offer support. Meanwhile, the league office in New York was in constant contact with both coaches and the players’ union. The decision was made to postpone the rest of the game. No more football would be played that night. As for when or if the game would be finished, those questions would not be answered Monday night. This game has major ramifications for the playoffs and the inside track to the Super Bowl. Yet Monday night, the only thing that mattered was that Damar Hamlin was fighting for his life. This was not a safety issue. There was no concussion. There was no way to protect a player from this type of situation. It truly was an unprecedented situation. There was plenty of speculation on any other issues Hamlin may have had. Out of respect for his family, this football column will not surrender to the ghoulishness of wild speculation. What matters is that Hamlin lives.

On a positive note, Hamlin’s GoFundMe page exploded with donations and love. In 2020 he began raising money for young children. It was a toy drive. Before the game, he had raised about $2,500. By Wednesday night, donations reached 7 million dollars. Here is the link to that page.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive

While many of the Bills players flew back to Buffalo Monday night, several players stayed in Cincinnati to visit Hamlin at the hospital. Some Bengals players joined them at the hospital. Fans of both teams gathered outside the hospital and prayed.

While the most important issue remained the health of this 24-year-old man, the NFL also had to figure out the logistics of resuming the game without appearing heartless. Because there is a 2-week gap between the Conference Title Games and the Super Bowl, the league had some wiggle room to postpone the entire Week 18 regular season finale schedule of all the games. The league announced on Tuesday that this game would not be continued this week. The league also announced on Wednesday that all Week 18 games would go on as scheduled, including games involving the Bills and Bengals separately. If both of these teams were out of the playoffs, canceling the game would be easy. Yet this is a key game that could determine home field advantage throughout the playoffs. It may be necessary to postpone the Wildcard round. There are no easy solutions. Again, Damar Hamlin’s situation is far more important. Nevertheless, an entire league with billions of dollars on the line needs to figure out how to try and make none of the playoff teams have a competitive disadvantage. By Wednesday night, Hamlin was still in critical condition and needing a ventilator to breathe. He was slightly improving from Monday night but far from out of the woods. The league said they would take care of him financially even though he has not played the required 3 years to vest for his NFL pension. Pray for him. 7-3 Bengals, game suspended, no winner.

eric