THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2025 Week 18 Recap

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

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Saturday afternoon game. The 8-8 Panthers defeated the 7-9 Buccaneers two weeks ago. Initially this was billed as whoever wins this game wins the NFC South with the loser out of the playoffs. That has been modified. The Buccaneers with a loss are absolutely out. The Panthers can lose and still win the division as long as Atlanta also wins. If the Panthers and Atlanta both lose, the Buccaneers win the division. Home field matters very little in this series. The Buccaneers have melted down since a 6-2 start. Todd Bowles, who might be a Black Monday casualty, tried to blame Baker Mayfield. The Buccaneers were trying to win the NFC South for the 5th straight year. In pouring rain, the Buccaneers went straight to work from their own 25. Irving ran for 9 and 3. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 13. Irving ran for 6, 2, and on 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 41, 4. Mayfield ran for 9. Mayfield hit Cade Otton for 10 and again for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 13. Yet a pass to a wide open receiver in the end zone saw the ball got right through the receiver’s hands. Chase McLaughlin hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Buccaneers after the first quarter.

The Buccaneers had all the momentum in the second quarter when Mayfield was intercepted by Rozeboom. Rozeboom returned the interception 20 yards to the Tampa Bay 19. Bryce Young went to McMillan for 11 and to Tommy Tremble for an 8 yard touchdown. The Panthers were within 10-7. While driving for the tying field goal on 3rd and 6 just past midfield, Young was intercepted with 1:51 left in the half. That led to a 36 yard McLaughlin field goal and a 13-7 Buccaneers halftime lead. The rain subsided, in the second half, but the defenses dominated. Ryan Fitzgerald’s 54 yard field goal try for the Panthers was no good as the third quarter was scoreless. A horrendous defensive pass interference call on the Panthers allowed McLaughlin hit from 48 early in the fourth quarter to make it 16-7 Buccaneers. The Panthers got a good drive going  and reached a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 20. Dave Canales then lost his mind and went for an ill-advised flea flicker. It blew up spectacularly when the running back slipped while trying to lateral the ball back. The Buccaneers recovered the fumble with 11 minutes left in regulation. A 38 yard McLaughlin try to pad the lead was blocked. Yet the Panthers still needed 2 scores and had only 5 minutes to do it. 

The Panthers were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 8 from the Tampa Bay 48. Under heavy pressure, young stayed in the pocket and fired a desperation bomb to Tetairoa McMillan for a 40 yard gain. Two plays later Young threw a jump ball and Jalen Coker came down with it for the touchdown to get the Panthers right back in it down 16-14. Only 2 1/2 minutes remained. The Panthers still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. The hard rain had returned. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 35 with 2:12 left. Mayfield rolled out on a naked bootleg and hit Otton for a 20 yard gain as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Now the Buccaneers could take the clock down to under 30 seconds. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 41 with 1:11 left, Todd Bowles was not taking any chances. A safe run gained 2 yards. An attempt to draw the defense offsides didn’t work as the delay of game penalty meant 4th and 9. The Buccaneers set up to punt wit 26 seconds left as the Panthers put all 11 men on the line for a desperation punt block. The punt died at the Carolina 3 yard line with 16 seconds left. The Panthers needed a miracle to reach long field goal range with 18 seconds left. A completion gained only 18 yards. With 3 seconds left from their own 21, Needing 79 yards, the hook and laterals gained only about 15. 

Call it Pewter Power, Buc Ball or ugly ball, but the Buccaneers got the win. Both teams were 8-9, but the NFC South Division was still not clinched by anyone. 7-9 Atlanta played on Sunday. Atlanta was eliminated from playoff contention. If Atlanta won, there would be a 3-way tie atop the division. The Panthers would win the division tie-breaker and the Buccaneers would be out. If Atlanta lost, there would be only a 2-way tie atop the division. The Buccaneers would win the tie-breaker and the Panthers would be out. After spending Saturday in a rainstorm, both teams spent Sunday indoors watching television. On Sunday, Atlanta won. That meant, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Carolina were all 8-9. Based on the three way tie-breaker, despite winning this game, the Buccaneers were out. The Panthers despite the loss were the NFC South champions. 16-14 Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers was the Saturday night game. This is why we watch football. The 13-3 Seahawks faced off against the 12-4 49ers for all the marbles. The winner takes the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. The loser is a Wildcard who has to play road playoff games. In Week 1, the 49ers went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks 17-13. The Seahawks began at their own 30 and moved to a 1st and goal at the one. Remember a decade ago when the Seahawks refused to hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch? New decade new coach new quarterback, new running back, same head-scratching call. Rather the just go smash mouth, a pass play was called. Sam Darnold was sacked for an 11 yard loss. For some reason Mike MacDonald gambled on 4th and goal at the 4. Darnold threw incomplete. After 7 1/2 minutes, the offense came up snake eyes. Yet the Seahawks have  defense playing as well as the vaunted Legion of Boom. The defense held and a defensive facemask penalty on the punt return gave the Seahawks the ball back at the San Francisco 35. On 3rd and 2, Charbonnet got the first down and the 27 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. 

Early in the second quarter, Jason Myers missed a 47 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. Kyle Shanahan went for it on 4th and 1 from the Seattle 39 rather than try a 57 yard field goal. Purdy threw incomplete as the play was well-defended. Myers hit from 45 to make it 10-0 Seahawks wit 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. Eddie Pineiro hit from 48 with one minute left in the half to get the 49ers on the board. The Seahawks had 115 yards rushing in the first half while the 49ers had only 60 total yards. Despite being dominated statistically, the 49ers were only down 10-3 at the intermission. The defenses dug in as the third quarter was scoreless. Myers hit a 31 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to give the Seahawks breathing room up 13-3. That drive was helped along by a give-up run on 3rd and 17 that gained 19 yards. The 49ers moved from their 30 to a 2nd and goal at the 6. Brock Purdy’s pass was slightly tipped, but still should have been caught by Christian McCaffrey. Instead it bounced off of McCaffrey’s hands and was intercepted by Thomas at the Seattle 3 yard line. 

The Seahawks then ground the exhausted 49ers defense into dust. Needing 2 scores, Kyle Shanahan took all 3 of his timeouts on defense with 4 minutes left. The Seahawks moved 94 yards in 16 plays and took 8 minutes off the clock. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 3, Mike McDonald played it safe. Yet to the shock of everyone, Myers doinked the 26 yard field goal try off the left upright no good. The 49ers were alive, but barely. On 4th and 6 from their own 24 with 1:55 left, Darnold got belted by two separate defenders and threw incomplete. Darnold took 3 knees to end it. Both quarterbacks were efficient. The difference was the Seahawks running the ball a whopping 39 times for 180 yards, over 4 1/2 yards per carry. The Seattle defense held the 49ers to only 53 rushing yards.

The win was sweet vindication for Darnold. Last year Darnold led Minnesota to a 14-2 record and a Week 18 showdown at 14-2 Detroit for all the NFC marbles. A close game for three quarters, Minnesota got blown out in the fourth quarter. They lost the top seed, were relegated to a road Wildcard playoff game, and got bounced in the first round. Minnesota considered Darnold expendable, but they fell off a cliff this year to a losing record. This year Darnold got the big Week 18 road win. The Seahawks are the top seed with home field throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. The 49ers fell to the five seed. If the Rams win on Sunday, the 49ers fall to the six seed. The Rams won, and the 49ers became the six seed. 13-3 Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans — The Colts are eliminated. The 11-5 Texans are one game back in the AFC South. They are currently the five seed and would play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If they win their regular season finale and Jacksonville loses, Houston wins the division tie-breaker and moves up to the three seed with a home playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. Philip Rivers re-retired after 3 games. Although he was 0-3, he played quite well for a 44 year old man. 3rd stringer Riley Leonard started for the Colts. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Leonard went bombs away to a wide open Alec Pierce for a 66 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Colts lead. Fairbairn hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Texans within 7-6. Jonathan Gannon called a successful fake punt from his own 29 yard line that led to a 50 yard Blake Grupe field goal to make it 10-6 Colts.

The Texans began the second quarter at their own 18. CJ Stroud went to Stover for 9. Stroud found Hutchinson for 33. On 3rd and 1 from the Indianapolis 24, Marks gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Indianapolis 16, Marks gained 5. Stroud hit Higgins for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Texans. The Colts soon faced 2nd and 15 from their own 24. Leonard went back to pass and a defender hit the ball. In trying to bring the ball back to himself, Leonard lost his grip on the ball. 25 years too late for some fans, the Tuck Rule no longer exists. Unlike Tom Brady, Riley Leonard did not get the call. This was ruled a fumble, and it was recovered by the Texans all the way at the Indy two yard line. Stroud got around the right end on the next play for a 20-10 Texans advantage. 

The Colts took over at their own 8 with 4 minutes left in the half. Leonard went to downs for 30. Defensive pass interference brought 30 more yards. Leonard hit Pittman for 16. On 

 3rd and goal at the 8, Leonard hit Alec Pierce for the touchdown to get the Colts within 20-17 with 90 seconds left. That was enough time for Fairbairn to hit from 29 to have the Texans up 23-17 at halftime. The Colts began the third quarter at their own 35. Leonard hit Jonathan Taylor for 11 and then went deep to Pierce for a 53 yard gain down to the one. Leonard got the last yard o put the Colts back on top 24-23. 

Then came the field goals as the lead kept changing hands. Fairbairn hit from 43 and Grupe answered from 39. In the fourth quarter Fairbairn hit from 44 and Grupe answered from 22 as the Colts had the lead 30-29 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 12 seconds left, Fairbairn came in for a 43 yard try. The 8th lead change of the game had the Colts up 32-30 Ashton Dulon should have taken a knee on the ensuing kickoff to set up the Colts at their own 35 with 12 seconds left. Instead Dulin tried to make something happened. He got talked at his own 25 and left only 5 seconds. There would not be another field goal try from Grupe. Instead it was tie for the hook and laterals. That became a comedy of errors leading to big man with football, as the ball bounced to Togiai, who rumbled 17 yards through people for a touchdown the other way. The Texans fell short of the divisions but earned the five seed Wildcard with road playoff games. The Colts announced after th game that ownership was not firing anyone, and that the coach and general manager would return in 2026. 6 field goals by Fairbairn were the difference. 38-30 Texans 

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants — Both teams are eliminated.  The Giants with a loss and a Raiders win and other help could regain the top pick in the Draft. They currently have the second pick. The Cowboys with a win can avoid a losing season. The Giants will have a new coach next year. An early Cowboys fumble led to a 45 yard Sauls field and a 3-0 Giants lead. Brandon Aubrey hit from 22 for the Cowboys and Sauls connected again from 35 for a 6-3 Giants lead. Kevontae Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards to the Giants 11. On 2nd ad 13, Jaden Blue became the most popular Blue since “Old School.” The 14 yard touchdown run had the Cowboys up 10-6 after the first quarter. In a season gone wrong for the Cowboys, 

Dak Prescott has been a bright spot. He had a chance to be the first Cowboys quarterback ever to lead the league in passing. For a franchise that had Roger Staubach, Danny White, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo, that is pretty impressive. Yet Brian Schottenheimer, with input from Jerry Jones of course, did not want to risk an injury to their franchise quarterback. Prescott was sent to the bench as Joe Milton played the second half. When Prescott eft the game, he led the league in passing. However, action later in the day was widely expected to see other quarterbacks surpass him. 

In the second quarter the Giants moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Dallas 3. A run got blown up for a 3 yard loss. Sauls hit from 23 to have the Giants with 10-9. The Cowboys moved 65 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Brian schottenheimer gambled on 4th and 2 from the Giants 4. Prescott threw incomplete as the Cowboys came up snake eyes with 2:49 left in the half. Singletary gained 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 25, Jaxson Dart hit Greg Olszewski for 11. On 2nd and 21 after an offensive penalty, defensive unnecessary roughness gave the Giants the yards back and a new set of downs. Dart hit Olszewski for 8 and 23. On 3rd and 16 from the Dallas 29 after a sack Dart was about to be sacked again. As he was going down he somehow shoveled a pass to Bellinger, who weaved through traffic for a ridiculous touchdown and a 16-10 Giants lead at the half.  The Giants got it back in the third quarter at their own 38. Tracy ran for 15. Dart hit Olszewki for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 13, Dart hit Tracy for the touchdown. Interim Coach Mike Kafka went for 2 and went to the bag of tricks. Singletary threw the halfback option pass to Darrius Slayton successfully. Interim coaches have nothing to lose, as the Giants led 24-10. 

Things got worse for the Cowboys when Aubrey’s 52 yard field goal try was no good. The Giants moved to the Dallas 35, ad a field goal would put them up by 17 and make it a 3 score game. Instead. the Giants fumbled the ball away. The Cowboys took over and Mafah ran like a bad Mafah. Shut your mouth. He ran for 8, 5 and 3. Brian schottenheimer went for it on 4th and 1 from the Giants 47. Milton got around the end for a 23 yard gain. Milton went to Mafah went for 10. Defensive pass interference added 13. Mafah got the last yard on the first play of the fourth quarter to cap the 10 play, 69 yard, 5 minute drive and get the Cowboys within 24-17. Sauls tacked on a 30 yard field goal with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation to give the Giants some breathing room up 27-17. On the next play from scrimmage, Milton was intercepted to set up the Giants at the Dallas 33. Tracy ran for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 12, the Dallas defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 1, Tracy gained 6. Singletary ran for  6 yard touchdown to ice the game with 6 minutes left. with the win, the Giants eliminated themselves from contention for the top pick in the Draft. The Giants end the season on a 2 game win streak and the Cowboys finish with a losing season. 34-17 Giants

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals. — Both teams are eliminated. Both coaches could become Black Monday casualties. Myles Garrett needs one more sack to set the all time single season NFL record. An early sack of Shedeur Sanders forced a fumble to set up the Bengals at the Cleveland 29. Joe Burrow went to Tee Higgins for 21. Burrow hit Brown for a 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Bengals led 6-0. The Bengals got it back at their own 30. and moved straight down the field. On 1st and goal at the 7, Burrow had his pass tipped and intercepted by Devon Bush, who raced the other way. Bush appeared to run out of gas with Garrett along side him. Bush practically begged Garrett for a block, and Garrett obliged. Bush made it to the end zone for the 97 yard interception return touchdown. Instead of trailing 13-0, the 14 point swing had the Browns up 7-6 after the first quarter. Early in the second quarter the Bengals faced 1st and 10 at their own 41. A short completion saw the ball punched out. Sam Webb picked up the fumble and returned it 47 yards the other way to pay dirt. Two defensive touchdowns had the Browns up 14-6. Who needs offense?

The Bengals took over at their own 21. Brown ran for 19. Burrow went to Chase for 21. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 30, Joe Flacco came in for one play. Zac Taylor was not going to risk an injury to Burrow on a quarterback sneak in a meaningless game. Flacco gained 2 as the crowd went wild. After 18 seasons, Flacco, who turns 40 next week, has not said whether he will return for a 19th season. Burrow came back in and threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Higgins. McPherson’s miserable day continued as he missed the extra point The Bengals trailed 14-12 at halftime. Szmyt hit a 27 yard field goal to have the Browns up 17-12 after three quarters. 

With 5 minutes left in regulation, Burrow was sacked by Garrett. The record was set. While it appeared Burrow went down without being touched, the pocket did collapse. This was not Brett Favre diving for Michael Strahan. It was a close call, but Favre’s game was locked up. The Bengals were trailing and trying for a win. Burrow would not taking a dive, and Cleveland has a good defense. Garrett was in the history books. Yet Garrett then went to the sideline and was mobbed by teammates. The Browns were celebrating his individual statistical accomplishment, but the game was not over. 

The Bengals punted but got the ball back at their own 39 with 2:40 left. On 3rd and 2 Burrow hit Chase for 11. Burrow found Higgins for 17 and Chase for 21. Burrow hit Chase for a 4 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left, the Bengals had the one point lead. Zac Taylor went for two and Burrow threw incomplete. Instead of leading 21-17, the Bengals only led 18-17. The exhausted Cleveland defense broke. Now their inept offense had to do something. The Browns soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 29, Shedeur Sanders hit Bond for 13. Sanders hit Sampson for 9 and Jerry Jeudy for 11. With 3 seconds left, Szmyt came in for a 49 yard field goal try. On the final play of the regular season for both teams, Szmyt was good. Garrett’s sack record was totally sweet rather than bitter sweet. Both coaches awaited Black Monday. The Browns ended the season with consecutive wins. Zac Taylor survived Black Monday but Kevin Stefanski did not. 20-18 Browns

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons — Both teams are eliminated but the NFC South Division crown and trip to the playoffs oddly hinges on this game. If the Saints win this game, Tampa Bay wins the division tie-breaker. If the Falcons win this game, they move into a 3-way tie atop the division. The Falcons again are eliminated because they lose all tie-breakers. Yet their win would 

mean Carolina wins the division tie-breaker. It would not be a Saints-Falcons game without a blocked punt, but this was hardly Steve Gleason drama. This time it was the Falcons blocking the  

punt to give them 1st and goal at the 5. After an offensive penalty, Kirk Cousins hit Drake London for a 15 y yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. In the second quarter, Smyth missed a 56 yard field goal that would have gotten the Saints on the board. Zane Gonzalez hit a 40 yard second quarter field goal to make it 10-0 Falcons. 

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Tyler Shough went to Austin Estime for 19 and to Bettis for 22. On 3rd and 16 from the Atlanta 26, a very questionable defensive pass interference call meant a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Shough got around the end for the touchdown to get the Saints within 10-7 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Gonzalez hit from 51 in the third quarter to make it 13-7 Falcons. The Saints moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Estime got stopped for no gain. Kellen Moore went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Shough found a wide open Austin for the touchdown. Yet offensive pass interference nullified the score. Smyth hit the 29 yard field goal to get the saints within 13-10 after three quarters. Gonzalez hit from 38 with 11 minutes left in regulation to have the Falcons up 16-10. 

The Saints moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Atlanta 20. Looking for the lead, though was intercepted by Alford, who returned it 59 yards. Gonzalez hit a 38 yard field goal with 3 minutes left to give the Falcons breathing room up 19-10. The saints took over at their own 35 needing 2 scores. Shough quickly went to Bettis for 26 and again for 12, and to Bell for a 16 yard touchdown. The Saints were within 2 with 1:11 to play. The onside kick failed. Despite winning and being in a 3-way tie atop the division, it didn’t matter. Atlanta knocked out Tampa Bay and handed Carolina the pathetic NFC South division. The Falcons ended with four straight wins while the Saints may have found their quarterback of the future. Yet the strong finish did not sway. Arthur Blank. He did not even wait until Black Monday. His Sunday night massacre took out coach Raheem Morris, General Manager Terry Fontenot, and even team President Rich Mckay. 19-17 Falcons

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings are eliminated. The Packers have locked up the seven seed and cannot move higher, so they are expected to play their backups. Will Reichard hit an early 43 yard field goal and again from 25 with 3 minutes left in the half to make it 6-0 Vikings. The Packers punted on 4th and 24 from their own 8 to set the Vikings up at their own 41. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 47, McCarthy hit Jalen Naylor for 26. McCarthy went to Sims for 18. CJ Ham, perhaps playing his final game with the Vikings after 8 seasons, scored the one yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Vikings. A useless second half saw Reichard hit again from 35 with 4 minutes left in regulation. At that point the Vikings had 363 yards of offense and the Packers had 65. Vikings defensive standout Harrison Smith left the game to a standing ovation shortly afterward. After 14 seasons, all with the Vikings, the man with 39 interceptions and 6 Pro Bowls is calling it a career after the game On the final play, Matt Lafleur kicked a field goal to avoid the shutout. 16-3 Vikings 

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Titans are eliminated. The Jaguars have clinched a playoff spot and are one game up in the AFC South. They are currently the three seed. They would play a game at home on Wildcard weekend. If the Jaguars win their regular season finale and either Denver or New England loses, the Jaguars would move up to the two seed. If the Jaguars win and both Denver and New England lose, the Jaguars would vault to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the Jaguars lose, they can keep the three seed as long as Houston also loses. Yet if the Jaguars lose and Houston wins, the Jaguars lose the tie-breaker and the division. They would fall to the five seed Wildcard and play road playoff games. 

The Jaguars began facing 4th and 28 at their own 13. The Jaguars punted and the Titans took over at their own 42. On 3rd and 10, Cam Ward went deep to Ayomanor for 39. Ward then went to Pollard for 12. Ward ran around the end and just got past then pylon for a 7 yard touchdown. The Titans led 7-0 but Ward hurt his shoulder on the play and left the game. Sometimes a bad team can go on the road shock a good team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. Goliath beat up David and stole his lunch money. 

The Jaguars took over at their own 33. Lawrence went to Thomas for 22. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 28, Lawrence threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside to give the Jaguars the first down. On the next play, Lawrence went deep to Washington for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Brandon Allen came in for Ward. The Jaguars began the second quarter at their own 18. Lawrence found Strange for a pair of 11 yard gains. Lawrence hit Jakobi Meyers for 17. Defensive pass interference added 25. Lawrence hit Strange for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Jaguars. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 18 from their own 45. Allen fired a completion over the middle to Johnson. Problem: Johnson plays defense for the Jaguars. Johnson made his way to the sideline for a 59 yard interception touchdown return and a 21-7 Jaguars advantage. The Jaguars got it back and faced 2nd and 12 at their own 12. Lawrence went to Washington for 29 and to Strange for 9. Tuten ran for 12. Lawrence hit Washington for 8 and Mundt for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 5 Lawrence went to Morris for the touchdown. The Jaguars led 28-7. Cam Little already holds the NFL record with a 68 yard field goal made earlier this season. So 67 was a piece of cake. He buried it dead center for a 31-7 Jaguars lead. For some reason, league rules meant the second half could not be canceled. Little hit a 52 yard field goal late in the third quarter. Tuten ran for a 5 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to complete the blowout. The Jaguars wrapped up the AFC South and the three seed but did not move higher. 41-7 Jaguars

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills — The Jets are eliminated. The Bills have clinched a Wildcard and will play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. As of now they are the seven seed. If they win their regular season finale and the Chargers lose, the Bills move up to the six seed. If the Bills win and the Chargers and Houston both lose, the Bills rise to the five seed. Yet Sean McDermott decided to rest his starters anyway. Mitchell Trubisky started pl place of Josh Allen. The Bills began at their own 20. James Cook ran for 10 and 5. Davis ran for 4, 3, and on 3rd and 2 from midfield, 17 and 9 more. Trubisky hit Dawson Knox for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. he Bills got it back at their own 16. Trubisky hit Davis for 21 and Kincaid for 18. With their kicker injured, Sean McDermott had to pass up field goals and extra points. On 4th and 4 from the Jets 34, Trubisky hit Latu for 7. On 3rd and 20 from the Jets 37, Trubisky hit Johnson for 14 with a defensive facemask adding 12 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 6, Johnson took the Wildcat snap and ran for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills. The Bills got it back just shy of midfield. Trubisky hit Davis or 18 and Gilliam for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 2, Trubisky hit Davis for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Bills at the half. The second half was unnecessary. An 11 play, 5 minute, 54 yard drive led to 4th and goal at the 2 in the third quarter. Trubisky hit Davs for the touchdown and Coleman for the 2 point conversion to make it 29-0 Bills. Trubisky hit Johnson for a 6 yard fourth quarter touchdown to make it 35-0 Bills. The Jets got one garbage touchdown in a garbage season. The Jets will have the second pick in the Draft. Aaron Glenn survived black Monday. The Bills moved up to the six seed. 35-8 Bills

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — The Cardinals are eliminated. The 11-5 Rams stunning loss at Atlanta dropped them from the five seed to the six seed. Yet the five seed would be traveling to a warm weather city to play a weaker team while the six seed will be playing in a cold weather city against a very good defense. If the Rams lose their regular season finale, they remain the six seed. If they win and San Francisco loses, the Rams win that tie-breaker and move back up to the five seed. Either way they will play a road playoff game on Wildcard weekend. They cannot move higher than the five seed. An early fumble led to a 34 yard Harold Mevis field goal for the Rams.  Ryland answered from 45. In the second quarter Mevis hit from 42 and Ryland countered from 56 for a 6-6 ballgame. 

The Rams got it back at their own 26. On 3rd and 1, Stafford hit Kyren Williams for 4. Stafford found Colby Parkinson for 9 and Puka Nacua for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 16, Stafford hit Higbee for 10. On 4th and goal at the 2, Stafford went to Nacua for the yard touchdown to make it 13-6 Rams at the 2 minute warning. Mevis tacked on a 40 yard field goal to end the half with the Rams up 16-6. Yet just when it seemed this was going to turn into a blowout, the game changed.

The Cardinals took over in the third quarter soon faced 3rd and 26 from their own 11. Demercado gained 18. Jonathan Gannon gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 8 from his own 29. Haack went to Demercado for 28. On the next play Jacoby Brissett went deep to Wilson for a 43 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Cardinals were back in it down 16-13. The Cardinals got it back at their own 24. Brissett hit Carter for 11. Carter gained 9 and one. Brissett hit Higgins for 10. Brissett went to Wilson for 20 and to Deguara for a 7 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Cardinals led 20-16 and were smelling upset. The Rams were trying to avoid 3 straight kisses to end the regular season.

The Rams took over at their own 30. Stafford hit Nacua for 9. Corum ran for 8 and caught a pass from Stafford for 10. Stafford went to Higbee for 21 and to Parkinson for a 21 yard touchdown as the Rams led 23-20 after three quarters. The Rams got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 43. Nacua gained 13 and Williams added 22. Stafford hit Higbee for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Rams with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Rams got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 28. Corum gained 2 and then ripped off  21 yard run. Nacua dded 11 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 22, Williams gained 3. Stafford hit Nacua for 17. Stafford hit Parkinson to complete the 12 play, 81 yard, 5 minute drive and salt the game away. The Rams did move up to the five seed. Stafford finished as the 2025 NFL passing leader wit over 4,700 yards passing yards, 150 yards more than his closest competition. The Cardinals on Black Monday declded that  Jonathan Gannon was Jonathan Gone-on. 37-20 Rams  

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos – This was supposed to be a winer take all battle for the AFC West crown. Yet with the Chargers stumbling at home last week, this game lost some meaning. The Chargers have clinched a Wildcard and will play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. As of now they are the six seed. If they win their regular season finale and Houston loses, the Chargers move up to the five seed. If the Chargers lose and Buffalo wins, the Chargers fall to the seven seed. They may even play backups. The 13-3 Broncos have to play their starters. They control their own destiny and have clinched the AFC West, breaking the Kansas City streak of nine straight seasons. The Broncos are currently the one seed. If the Broncos win their regular season finale, they clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. if the Broncos lose, they still keep the top seed if New England and Jacksonville both lose. If the Broncos lose and New England or Jacksonville wins, the Broncos fall to the two seed. If the Broncos lose and New England and Jacksonville both win, the Broncos fall to the three seed.

Wil Lutz hit a 24 yard first quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Lance was intercepted by McMillan, who returned the pick 45 yards away fo the game’s only touchdown. The Broncos led 10-0. Cameron Dicker hit a 30 yard field goal for the Chargers to end the half, but the second half belonged to Lutz and the Denver defense. Lutz hit field goals of 25 in the third quarter and from 41 and 23 in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. Neither offense reached the end zone. The Broncos won ugly and maintained the top seed. The Chargers are the seven seed. If the Chargers win their road Wildcard game, they would return to Denver for the Divisional round in a rematch. This time, both teams would have their starters. 19-3 Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams are eliminated. Before this game kicked off, the Giants had won. Win or lose, the Raiders were guaranteed the top Draft pick. They now had every incentive to end the season with a win. Pete Carroll may be a Black Monday casualty. A loss would make this the worst Raiders team in franchise history in terms of 15 losses. They come in having lost 10 straight. Travis Kelce may be retiring after the game. Patrick Mahomes is out injured. The Raiders were playing without Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers. Yet the Raider Nation still had hope for a win because Geno Smith and his league leading interceptions were also out injured. Third stringer Chris Oludokan started for the Chiefs and was sacked on the third play of the game. Yet Kenny Pickett picked up where Smith left off and threw an interception 3 minutes into the game. A horrendous first half saw the Chiefs gain 84 total yards and the Raiders gain 81. What was amazing was that the Chiefs had 6 penalties for 40 yards and the Raiders had ZERO penalties for ZERO yards. Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard first quarter field goal. Daniel Carlson hit second quarter field goals of 32 and 23 for a 6-3 Raiders halftime lead. Butker hit from 41 for a 6-6 tie with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. Carlson leveled a 55 yard field goal with 13 minutes left in regulation to give the Raiders a 9-6 lead.

A great punt by AJ Cole pinned the Chiefs at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 6, Tyree Wilson got around the edge and belted Buechele in his own end zone. The safety gave the Raiders an 11-6 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders had the lead and were getting the free kick. They actually had a ray of hope to get a win. The Raiders fumbled the free kick and the Chiefs recovered at the Raiders 21. The Raiders just give games away. Somehow the defense got an inspired stand. Butker hit a 47 yard field goal, but the Chiefs still trailed 11-9 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Raiders needed their pathetic offense to give their defense one chance at rest. That was just too much to ask. Unable to run, O’Connell threw an incompletion to let the Chiefs preserve a timeout. Then O’Connell was sacked. The Chiefs took over at their own 26 with 2:23 left. What happened next was inevitable. It has happened all year. The offense did nothing and the exhausted defense broke. Buchere uncorked a bomb just before getting belted and Malcolm Hollywood Brown caught ti for a 51 yard gain. The Raiders were going to blow another game. 

With 1:50 left and the Raiders out of timeouts, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 3 at the Raiders 16. A first down would let the Chiefs run out the rest of the clock and kick the short 34 yard field goal on the final play. Yet rather than just run the ball, Buckle went backward and was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Butker came in for the 41 yard field goal. As expected, the kick was good. The Chiefs led 12-11. Yet the Raiders still had one minute left. The Raiders took over at their own 32, but their inept offense was expected to fail as usual. Instead, O’Connell fired a 21 yard completion to Mayer. Yet a pair of incompletions had the Raiders facing 4th and 5 from the Kansas City 42 with 12 seconds left. Carlson’s longest ever field goal was 57 yards. This one was from 60. The Raiders needed a miracle. Carlson blasted it. Good! The kick was good! The Chiefs had 8 seconds, but the hook and laterals failed. For the Raiders, the 10 game losing streak was over. They beat their hated rival despite neither team scoring a touchdown. Pete Carroll celebrated with everybody.. The win would end up bittersweet. Carroll was fired on Black Monday, one and done. The upside is that the Raiders got the win and still have the top pick in the Draft. This game was hideous, yet the Raiders got it done. As Al Davis said, “Just win baby!” They did. 14-12 Raiders 

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — The Dolphins are eliminated. Mike McDaniel may be a Black Monday casualty. The Patriots clinched the AFC East, breaking the Buffalo streak of five straight seasons. The Patriots are currently the two seed and would play a home playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Patriots win their regular season finale and Denver loses, the Patriots move up to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the Patriots lose and Jacksonville wins, the Patriots fall to the three seed. The Patriots began at their own 30. Raimondre Stevenson ran for 9 and then ripped off a 56 yard gain. Henderson ran for a 5 yard touchdown as 3 plays and less tan 2 minutes had the Patriot up 7-0. The Dolphins took over at their own 35 and moved 57 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. McDaniels went for it on 4th and 1 from the New England 8. Quinn Ewers threw incomplete. Drake Maye hit Boutte for 11. On 3rd and 6 from his own 30, Maye gained 7. Maye went deep to Chism for 35. Henderson gained 13 and 5. Stevenson took the wildcat snap for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Patriots after one quarter.

The Dolphins took over at their own 35 in the second quarter. Ewers went to Washington for 19. Washington ran for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 3, Gordon gained 2. Ewers went to Washington for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 14-7. The game got ugly. Mike Vrabel gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 40 unsuccessfully. The Dolphins fumbled the ball right back. Borrgales had a 38 yard field goal try for the Patriots blocked. Riley Patterson hit a 52 yard field goal as the Dolphins were only down 14-10 with 28 seconds left in the half. 

The was enough time for Borregales to bury a 59 yard field goal to end the half with the Patriots up 17-10. In the second half the Patriots turned out the lights. A third quarter interception of ewers had the Patriots at their own 20. Maye went to Hunter Henry for 29. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 42, Stevenson gained 20. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 15, Maye went to Stevenson for the touchdown to make it 24-10 Patriots. The Patriots got it back t their own 37. Maye went to Henry for 16. Stevenson ran for 6 and then for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Patriots. The Patriots got it back just sh you midfield in the fourth quarter. Maye went deep to Stefan Diggs for 34. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 10, Maye gained 8. Henderson got the 2 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. Mike McDaniel survived Black Monday. The Patriots held the two seed but did not get the top seed. 38-10 Patriots 

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles — One year after reaching the NFC Title Game, the Commanders are eliminated. The 11-5 defending champion Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are currently the three seed. The top seed is out of reach. If the Eagles win their regular season finale and Chicago loses, the Eagles rise to the two seed. They cannot be lower than the three seed and no matter what are hosting a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. Given the chance to move up a notch, Nick Sirianni made the curious decision to rest his starters. Tanner McKee started in place of Jalen Hurts. The Commanders were down to third string quarterback Josh Johnson. A scoreless first quarter saw the Commanders mount a whopping 17 play, 79 yard, 10 minute drive. Somehow Jake Moody doinked a 24 yard field goal try off the right upright no good as the Commanders came up snake eyes. 

The Eagles took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 1 form his own 40, McKee went deep to Devonta Smith for 27 on the last play of the first quarter. The second quarter began with McKee hitting Jahan Dotson for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 15, McKee went to Calcaterra for the touchdown and the 7-0 Eagles lead. The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 38. Johnson went to Terry McLaurin for 25. Rodriguez ran for 12. On 3rd and 9 from the Philadelphia 24, defensive pass interference meant a 23 yard gain down to the one. Rodriguez got the yard to tie the game 7-7. The Eagles drove deep in the final minute of the half but McKee was intercepted. That allowed Moody to hit a 56 yard field goal to end the half with the Eagles up 10-7. A third quarter Johnson fumble set up the Eagles at the Washington 28. On 3rd and 8 McKee hit Covey for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Bigsby got around the end for the touchdown to make it 14-10 Eagles. Jake Elliott hit a 39 yard field goal to have the Eagles up 17-10 after three quarters.

The Commanders took over in the fourth quarter at their own 35. Johnson hit Bates for 11. Croskey-Merritt ran for 8 and 3. Johnson ran for 9. Defensive pass interference added 29 down to the one. A false start followed by another defensive pass interference call made it 1st and goal at the one again. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Johnson hit Bates for the touchdown. The game was deadlocked 17-17 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Commanders got the ball back one minute later at their own 23. Another defensive pass interference call meant a 32 yard gain. Rodriguez gained 11 and caught a pass from Johnson for 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Philly 11, Johnson got around the end for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the one, Johnson again got around the left end and got in. The Commanders had the 7 point lead with 2 1/2 minutes left. 

The Eagles moved from their own 35 to a 4th and 3 at the Washington 31 with 80 seconds left. McKee  threw incomplete. The Eagles took their timeouts on defense and less than 30 seconds went off the clock. The Eagles took over at their own 28 with 53 seconds left. Yet on 4th and 17 with 16 seconds left, McKee threw incomplete. The Eagles remained the three seed. Chicago also lost, which meant the Eagles may have won and grabbed the two seed had they just played their starters. If the Eagles and Chicago both win their Wildcard home games, they would play each other in the divisional round. Instead of being in Philadelphia, that game would be in Chicago. Nick Sirianni has taken the Eagles to two Super Bowls. They are the defending champions. Yet his decision to bench his starters was still puzzling. 24-17 Commanders

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — One year after going 15-2, The Lions are eliminated. Their former offensive coordinator in his very first season as a head coach turned around the Bears. The Bears have clinched the NFC North and are currently the two seed. The top seed is out of reach. If the Bears lose their regular season finale, they can still remain the two seed if Philadelphia also loses. If the Bears lose and Philadelphia wins, the Bears fall to the three seed. They cannot be lower than the three seed and no matter what are hosting a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. Jake Bates hit field goals of 34 in the first quarter and 30 in the second quarter for a 6-0 Lions lead. The Lions then faced 4th and 1 at their own 33. Again, it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. It may have been a buff, but the defense encroached. Jared Goff then hit Amra St. Brown for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 45. Goff went to t. Brown for 30. Goff hit Gibbs for the Lions only touchdown and a 13-0 Lions lead. Bates missed from 53 to end the half but hit from 25 in the third quarter. The Lions led 16-0 after three quarters. All year the Bears had played like garbage for long stretches only to have a cardiac fourth quarter comeback. 

The Bears took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 4. Caleb Williams hit Burden for 10 and again for 13. Williams went deep to Walker for a 25 yard touchdown. Ben Johnson went for 2 and Monangai got in to get the Bears within 16-8 less than one minute into the fourth quarter. The Bears got it back at their own 12 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Williams hit Loveland for 9. On 3rd and 10 from their own 22, Williams hit Cole Ket for 19. Williams hit Swift for 8 and Loveland for 27. Williams hit Loveland for a one yard touchdown. Johnson again went for 2 and Williams hit Ket successfully. With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied 16-16. The Bears were going to do it again. The Lions moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 25 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Intentional grounding set up 1st and 20. Then Goff was intercepted. Yet this time the Beats could not capitalize. The Lions got it back at their own 37. Gibbs ran for 9. Goff went to St. Brown for 26. Bates came in for a 42 yard field goal try to win it with 2 seconds left. Bates was good. The Lions finished the year with a winning season. The Bears were lucky to keep the two seed given that Philadelphia for some reason played backups and also lost. 19-16 Bears

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers is the regular season finale Sunday night game.This is why we watch football. The 8-8 Ravens and 9-7 Steelers have a simple situation. The winner captures the AFC North and hosts a Wildcard game. The loser is out of the playoffs. For much of the last 20 years, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin have fielded teams that are mirror images of each other. These teams win with hard nosed running and defense. To quote stone Cold Steve Austin, this game is going to be a bare-fisted slobberknocker. Home field is irrelevant. This is a last man standing war of attrition. The Steelers won 27-22 in Baltimore in Week 14. The rematch will be just as intense to close out the 2025 nFL regular season. As great as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are, the Ravens may be out of gas after willing themselves to get this far after a 1-5 start. Aaron Rodgers three years ago needed to win one game at home to make the playoffs. Instead, it was his final game in Green Bay as he was bounced out of the playoffs. The talent favors the Ravens, but  Tomlin keeps  confounding everyone. If it comes down to a field goal, trust Chris Boswell in any weather elements in that stadium. With everything on the line, expect TJ Watt to play.

The Ravens began at their own 15 and went right to work. On the first play from scrimmage, King Derrick Henry ripped off a 47 yard gain, although an illegal blindside block on Baltimore took back some of it. On 3rd and 1 from midfield Lamar Jackson gained 5. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 38. Rather than move the chains, Jackson went for it all and found a wide open Walker for a 38 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Ravens lead. After that the defenses dug in. In the second quarter Tyler Loop hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Ravens. 

Chris Boswell leveled a 57 yard field goal to have the Steelers on the board. In the last 3 minutes of the half the Steelers moved from their own 9 to a 1st and goal at the one with 2 seconds left. Rather than take the field goal, Mike Tomlin gambled. Kenneth Gainwell got the carry and was blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss. The Steelers began the third quarter at their own 33. Warren ran for 9 and 3. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Aaron Rodgers hit Pat Freiermuth for 14 and Adam Thielen for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 2, a run got stopped cold for no gain. Mike Tomlin went for it again on 4th and 1. This time Hayward took the Wildcat snap and got the tough yard. Hayward took another Wildcat snap and got the last yard as the game was deadlocked 10-10. Jackson was then intercepted to give the Steelers a short field at the Baltimore 34. On3 rd and 2 from the Baltimore 7, Rodgers threw incomplete. This time Tomlin played it safe. Boswell hit the 25 yard field goal. After three quarters, the Steelers led 13-10. This was the exact defensive head-knocker fans expected. Yet in the fourth quarter the game completely shifted and had fans wondering what happened to both vaunted defenses. 

With 11 minutes left, the Ravens took over at their own 29. Jackson went to Bay Flowers for 15. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Jackson went bombs away to Flowers for the touchdown and the 17-13 Ravens lead with 8:42 left in regulation. Loop hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Steelers at their own 40. Warren ran for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 36, Rodgers went deep to Freiermuth for 31. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Gainwell got around the end for the touchdown and the 20-17 Steelers lead with 3:49 left. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 36. Jackson again went for the deep bomb to a wide open Flowers for a 64 yard touchdown. With 2:20 left, the Ravens were back on top 24-20, The Steelers took over at their own 35. Rodgers hit Austin for 16 Thielen for 8, and Gainwell for 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 26, Rodgers went for it all and hit Austin for the touchdown. Touchdowns on 4 consecutive possessions, 2  by each team, turned a slugfest into a track meet. Yet each team kept scoring too early. Nearly one minute still remained. 5 lead changes in the second half including 4 in the fourth quarter alone led to an insane finish.

The craziness started with Boswell. His extra point got picked up by the Heinz Field wind and was blown wide no good. In front of a shocked home crowd, the Steelers led by 2 points instead of 3. The Ravens with a field goal would win it. A 41 yard kickoff return had the Ravens already at their own 47 with a full 47 seconds left. Rodgers sat on the sideline in disbelief, helpless to do anything. Boswell had his head in his hands unable to watch. With 21 seconds left, the Ravens were down to their last gasp, facing 4th and 7 at midfield. Former kicker Justin Tucker held the NFL record 66 yard field goal until this year. Yet he was cut from the team due to a sex scandal. This kick was from 68, and Loop was a rookie. So John Harbaugh went for the first down. Jackson threw high to Isaiah Likely between 2 defenders, and Likely made a leaping catch and hung on to the ball for a 26 yard gain. Jackson took one knee to center the ball for Loop. With 2 seconds left, Loop came in for a 44 yard try. He was a perfect 20 for 29 on the season under 50. The entire playoff fate of both bitter rivals came down to one kick. Loop knew as soon as he hit it. No Good! He missed it! This was not wind. He just hit a brick wide right. 

Kickers Loop and Boswell both fought back tears, Loop out of agony and Boswell out of relief. Years from now, nobody will remember that Boswell missed the extra point. He was bailed out. As for Loop, he entered kicker hell with Gary Anderson, Scott Norwood, Norwood’s alter ego Ray Finkle and Finkle’s other ego Lois Einhorn. Outside of Pittsburgh, fans who watched this instant classic had to feel awful for Loop. Humans fail. That is what makes us human. Loop had the misfortune of failing in front of millions of people. To his credit, he calmly answered all media questions in the locker room. John Harbaugh to his credit comforted Loop. The cliche about one play not deciding a game is true. The Baltimore defense gave up a 10-0 lead when they were dominating and twice failed to protect a fourth quarter lead. Jackson refused to answer questions about his future, explaining that he was  stung by the loss and thinking only about that. The Ravens are out. The Steelers are the AFC North Champions and hosting a Wildcard playoff game. This game was every bot as good as the classics that involved Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ben Roethlisberger. Again, this is why we watch football. This was a heartbreaking but spectacular finish to the final game of the 2025 regular season. 26-24 Steelers

The 2025-2026 NFL Playoffs are set.

AFC: 1) Denver Broncos have the bye week off.

7) Los Angeles Chargers at 2) New England Patriots.

6) Buffalo Bills at 3) Jacksonville Jaguars.

5) Houston Texans at 4) Pittsburgh Steelers.

NFC: 1) Seattle Seahawks have the bye week off.

7) Green Bay Packers at 2) Chicago Bears. 

6) San Francisco 49ers at 3) Philadelphia Eagles.

5) Los Angeles Rams at 4) Carolina Panthers.

 RANKING THE 10 NEWEST JOB OPENINGS

• 1.) Venezuela President

Pluses: Absolute Power, plenty of money, wide talent pool, oil

Minuses: Most of the people think football is soccer.

The pick: It takes a power-mad dictator to run a dictatorship. Jerry Jones should buy Venezuela and install fellow dictator Jimmy Johnson as coach.

• 2.) Pittsburgh Steelers

Pluses: Very stable and patient organization.

Minuses: Unsettled quarterback situation, impatient and unforgiving fan base.

The pick: Give Mike Tomlin a lifetime contract including a tiny slice of ownership. Reject his resignation. Or, drive your most hated Baltimore enemy crazy by hiring John Harbaugh.

• 3.) New York Giants

Pluses: Franchise quarterback ad running back in place.

Minuses: Quarterback plays reckless, sports media brutal.

The pick: Antonio Pierce played for the Giants. He’ll instill toughness.

• 4.) Baltimore Ravens:

Pluses: All world quarterback, all world running back, normally stable organization.

Minuses: Close to none. 

The pick: John Harbaugh. Owner Steve Bisciotti should confess to smoking crack and vow to enter rehab. Firing Harbaugh is insanely stupid. Barring that, drive your most hated enemy in Pittsburgh crazy by hiring Mike Tomlin. 

• 5) Atlanta Falcons

Pluses: Two competent quarterbacks, all-world running back. Matty Ice lacks the experience but has the gravitas to succeed as team President. 

Minuses: Unknown general manager.

The pick: This team has gone to the dogs. One guy with ties to the Falcons who can work with quarterbacks and now has compassion for dogs in Michael Vick.

• 6.) Las Vegas Raiders

Pluses: Top draft pick, 10 overall draft picks, decent defense, tons of cap space, solid running back

Minuses: Horrendous offensive line, part-time team President who’d rather be an announcer.

The pick: John Harbaugh. Mark Davis should kidnap Harbaugh (non-violently) and refuse to let him leave an undisclosed location until he is in Silver and Black. Drop a Brinks truck in his lap if necessary. Harbaugh should be plan A, B and C.

Otherwise, get the band back together. Bring back Chucky. If Billy Martin can get 5 chances, Jon Gruden can get 3. Get Derek Carr out of retirement for one year to mentor Mendoza.

• 7.) Tennessee Titans

Pluses: Franchise quarterback, high draft pick.

Minuses: A roster bereft of talent.

The pick: Bring back the glory years. Get favorite son Jeff Fisher to come back.

• 8.) Cleveland Browns

Pluses: Solid defense led by Myles Garrett

Minuses: Volatile quarterback situation

The pick: Deion Sanders. The Browns have not been interesting since Jim Brown. Deion may end up a train wreck, but it would never be boring.

• 9.) Arizona Cardinals

Pluses: Relatively warm weather.

Minuses: Everything else, including a roster bereft of talent and terrible ownership.

The pick: Favorite son Larry Fitzgerald or backup favorite son Kurt Warner.

            `0.) Miami Dolphins

Pluses: Warm weather, South Beach, best party city in America

Minuses: Partying is not conducive for football, roster bereft of talent, terrible absentee ownership.

The pick: Secretary of State Marco Rubio shot down rumors that he was being considered. Miami is such an exciting city but has such a boring football team. One man can make the Dolphins interesting again, whether they win or not: Michael Irvin.

• 11.) Minnesota Governor

Pluses: Great state for football.

Minuses: Market may forbid second team besides Vikings, huge budget deficit, no cap space.

The pick: Assuming Kevin O’Connell can’t break his contract, go with Craig T. Nelson. Former Minnesota State Screaming Eagles Coach Hayden Fox won a National Championship.

eric

NFL 2025 Week 18 Prequel

Saturday, January 3, 2025, 4:30pm

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2 1/2) — The 8-8 Panthers defeated the 7-9 Buccaneers two weeks ago. Initially this was billed as whoever wins this game wins the NFC South with the loser out of the playoffs. That has been modified. The Buccaneers with a loss are absolutely out. The Panthers can lose and still win the division as long as Atlanta wins. If the Panthers and Atlanta both lose, The Buccaneers take the division. Home field matters very little in this series. The Buccaneers have melted down since a 6-2 start. Todd Bowles, who might be a Black Monday casualty, tried to blame Baker Mayfield. The Panthers have the better defense and the momentum. The Buccaneers are trying to win the NFC South for the 5th straight year, but go with the team playing better football. Upset special, Panthers win outright

8pm

Seattle Seahawks (-1 1/2) at San Francisco 49ers — This is why we watch football. The 13-3 Seahawks face off against the 12-4 49ers for all the marbles. The winner takes the NFC West and the top seed in the NFC with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. The loser is a Wildcard who has to play road playoff games. In Week 1, the 49ers went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks 17-13. As great as the Seahawks are playing, especially on defense, Brock Purdy has more offensive weapons than Sam Darnold. Upset special, 49ers win outright

Sunday, January 4, 1pm

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans (-10 1/2) — The Colts are eliminated. The 10-5 Texans are already a wildcard. With a win and a Jacksonville loss, the Texans win the AFC South and would have a playoff game at home. The Texans have a great defense. Go with the team that has everything to play for. The Colts are an injured mess that started 7-1 and then went 1-7. The Philip Rivers experiment seems to have ended before the final game as Riley Leonard gets the start. Texans cover

Dallas Cowboys (-4 1/2) at New York Giants — Both teams are eliminated. The Cowboys have the better offense while the Giants got a rare win last week against the only team more wretched than them and playing backups. Jaxson Dart has shown enough promise to justify a closer game, especially against a porous Dallas defense. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (-7 1/2). — Both teams are eliminated. The Browns are playing for Myles Garrett to break the sack record. Both teams might be playing to save their coach’s job. Joe Burrow is playing, and his offense against the stout Cleveland defense is the chess match. Yet the Browns beat Pittsburgh last week, which is their Super Bowl. The Bengals should roll at home. Bengals cover

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (-3) — Both teams are eliminated, yet playing decent football indecent weeks. Tyler Shough may be the Saints answer at quarterback. The Falcons stunned a good Rams team. Kirk Cousins might be playing his final game in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson is still all world. Home field rarely mattes in this series, and the Saints have a decent defense. This could go down to the final play, but the Falcons are a confident bunch of after last week. Falcons cover

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-6 1/2) — The Vikings are eliminated. The 9-6-1 Packers are locked into the seven seed Wildcard and will play road playoff games as long as they stay in the playoffs. Since they cannot move higher, the Packers may rest their starters. The Vikings have had a rough season, but their starters can beat the Green Bay backups. Vikings cover

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-12 1/2) — The Titans are eliminated. The 12-4 Jaguars have a ton to play for. They are currently the three seed with a home playoff game. If they win and either Denver or New England loses, the Jaguars move up to the two seed. If the Jaguars win and both Denver and New England lose, the Jaguars rocket to the top seed with home field throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. On the flip side, if the Jaguars lose and Houston wins, the Jaguars lose the AFC South tie-breaker and the division. The Jaguars in that scenario tumble all the way to the five seed Wildcard and would play a road playoff game. The Jaguars have everything to play for and are playing like it in ha king won 6 straight. The Titans lack the talent to compete. Jaguars cover

4pm

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-7) — The Jets are eliminated. The 11-5 Bills stumbled at home last week on the final play of the game against Philadelphia. That means their 5 year reign is AFC East champions is over. The Bills are a Wildcard and will play road playoff games. Currently the seven seed, they may decide to rest players even though they could move up one seed. The Bills will be enraged after losing a one-point heartbreaker at home against Philadelphia. This is another game of one team with everything to play for against a team lacking talent. Bills cover

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-7 1/2) — The Cardinals are eliminated. The 11-5 Rams stunning loss at Atlanta dropped them from the five seed to the six seed. If they win and get help, they could go back up to the five seed. Either way, they are playing a road playoff game. Yet the five seed would be traveling to a warm weather city to play a weaker team while the six seed will be playing in a cold weather city against a very good defense. This is also yet another case of an angry good team coming off a tough loss in the Rams against an untalented team that ay fire their coach on Black Monday in the Cardinals. Expect the Rams offense to explode and get their frustrations out. This game could be over by halftime. Rams cover

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos (-12/2) — The 11-5 Chargers home loss to Houston knocked them out of their division race. They are currently the six seed. They choose to rest their starters despite the chance to move up or down one seed. The Chargers will play a road playoff game no matter what. The 13-3 Broncos have a clear mission. They have already clinched the AFC West. If they win this game, they maintain the top seed in the conference with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If they lose and either New England or Jacksonville wins, the Broncos fall to the two seed. If the Broncos lose and New England and Jacksonville both win, the Broncos fall to the three seed. They would have to host a Wildcard playoff game rather than get the week off. The Broncos are playing starters and the Chargers are playing backups. Trey Lance is filling in for Justin Herbert. Yet the chargers defense is good enough to prevent a blowout. Broncos win but fail to cover

Kansas City Chiefs (-5 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams are eliminated. After 9 straight AFC West crowns, 5 Super Bowls including the last 3, and 3 Super Bowl wins, the Chiefs are for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era out of the playoffs with a losing season at 6-10. The 2-14 Raiders with a loss will have the most losses in a season ever in franchise history. The Raiders would also be guaranteed the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders have put Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby on injured reserve, leading to accusations of tanking. The RaIders were blown out last week at home by the previously 2-13 Giants. Pete Carroll may be a one and done Black Monday coaching casualty. Travis Kelce may retire after this game. Geno Smith has been ruled out, which means the Raiders might actually be trying to win. If the Raiders were truly tanking, they would play Smith. For some reason, the Raiders play better against the Chiefs in Kansas City than at home. After their listless home performance against the Giants, it is hard to give the Raiders the benefit of the doubt, even against a wounded Chiefs team. Chiefs cover

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-11 1/2) — The Dolphins are eliminated. Mike MacDaniel could be a Black Monday coaching casualty, but the odds are he stays. The 13-3 Patriots are currently the two seed with a home playoff game. They have already clinched the AFC East. If they lose and Jacksonville wins, the Patriots fall to the three seed. Conversely, if they win and Denver loses, the Patriots grab the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a first round bye.As great as the Patriots are playing, Quin Ewers is no ordinary backup. He has played well enough to trust him for a garbage touchdown to beat the high spread. Patriots win but fail to cover

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-7) — The Commanders are eliminated. The defending champion Eagles are 11-5. Yet the team they beat in last year’s NFC Title Game has fallen off of a cliff due to injuries. The Eagles are currently the three seed and will host a playoff game. If they win and Chicago loses, the Eagles move up to the two seed. The Commanders are an injured mess and the Eagles defense is carrying their offense. Eagles cover

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (-2 1/2) — The Lions are eliminated. The 11-5 Bears have already clinched the NFC North. They are currently the two seed. However, if they lose and Philadelphia wins, the Bears drop to the three seed. Either way, the Bears will be playing their first playoff game at home. Ben Johnson would love to put the final dagger in his former team this season. The Bears have quieted virtually all of the doubters, just as the Lions did three years ago. The Lins will bounce back next year, but this is the year for the Bears to show what they can do, especially on defense. They will be angry after a tough loss at San Francisco that went down to the final play. Bears cover

8pm

Baltimore Ravens (-3 1/2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — This is why we watch football. The 8-8 Ravens and 9-7 Steelers have a simple situation. The winner captures the AFC North and hosts a Wildcard game. The loser is out of the playoffs. For much of the last 20 years, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin have fielded teams that are mirror images of each other. These teams win with hard nosed running and defense. To quote stone Cold Steve Austin, this game is going to be a bare-fisted slobberknocker. Home field is irrelevant. This is a last man standing war of attrition. The Steelers won 27-22 in Baltimore in Week 14. The rematch will be just as intense to close out the 2025 nFL regular season. As great as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are, the Ravens may be out of gas after willing themselves to get this far. Aaron Rodgers three years ago needed to win one game at home to make the playoffs. Instead, it was his final game in Green Bay as he was bounced out of the playoffs. The talent favors the Ravens, but this is one of those games where Mike Tomlin confounds everyone. If it comes down to a field goal, trust Chris Boswell in any weather elements in that stadium. With everything on the line, expect TJ Watt to play. Steelers cover

NFL 2025 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 2025 Black Monday Coach Firing Carousel:

The 2025 regular season coaching carousel saw two coaches fired during the season. The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan. The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll. 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 2025 Black Monday Coach Firing predictions.

Black Monday firings that are necessary:

New York Giants: Mike Kafka

What should happen:

Mike Kafka is just a placeholder. The Giants may go for a big name. The team needs a quarterback whisperer who will unleash Jaxson Dart. 

What will happen:

Kafka is gone. 

Tennessee Titans: Mike McCoy

What should happen: Mike McCoy is also just a placeholder. The Titans need to develop rookie quarterback Cam Ward. This team also needs a quarterback whisperer.

What will happen: McCoy is gone. 

Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon

What should happen: In 3 years, Gannon has gone 15-35. That is just terrible. While Kyler Murray has been injured, the Cardinals have made no improvements since Gannon took over.

What will happen: Gannon is gone-on. 

Deserve to stay but will be fired:.

Pete Carroll: The Raiders have no offensive line and a quarterback in Geno Smih who makes too many dumb decisions. The big issue is the offensive line. It takes time to build a roster. Pete Carroll is a proven winner. Based on his entire body of work, he deserves better. Sadly, the Raiders keep recycling coaches in a never-ending rebuild. Forget Tom Brady. He can either be an announcer or an active de facto general manager, but not both. It would be utterly foolish to make Carroll the fool guy, but the Raiders have been foolish for far too long. 

Deserve to stay and will stay:

New York Jets: Aaron Glenn: Again, it takes time to build a roster. The Jets need a quarterback and more. Aaron Glenn is a Bill Parcells disciple. Parcells won 3 games in his first season before becoming a legend. Aaron Glenn is a leader of men. It would be a terrible mistake to saddle him with a terrible roster and t hen throw him under the bus. Woody Johnson is a fairly patient owner. Glenn will survive. 

Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel: This innovator has not forgotten how to coach. His offense hung a whopping 70 points on a good Denver team last year. Tua Tagovailoa has regressed, but much of that is due to injuries. McDaniel wanted to give Quinn Ewers a shot, and the team was vindicated by that decision.Tagovailoa will be gone after the season. Stephen Ross should realize that his coach is not the problem. Give the Dolphins a speedy wide receiver to replace or complement Tyreek Hill. The team has not quit on him, so he should survive. 

Could go either way: 

Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski

What should happen: He ended the Browns curse by going into Pittsburgh and whipping them in the playoffs before barely falling to Kansas City. Then the ownership ran Baker mayfield out of town and brought in Deshaun Watson. Now they are saddled with Shedeur Sanders. While sanders is not Spergin Wynn or Johnny Manziel, he is  not Otto Graham either. The Browns have a slid defense. Wit better quarterback play, they can be competitive. 

What will happen: Flip a coin. In a close call, give the coach one more year. Yet Jimmy Haslam might throw Stefanski under the bus to take the heat off of his own bumbling as owner.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles:

This may seem odd given that the Buccaneers have a shot at winning their fifth straight NFC South Championship. Todd Bowles is a very good defensive coordinator. Yet this year his offense collapsed after a 6-2 start. The problem is Bowles wins just enough games to survive but does not seem to be able to get a team with talent to the next level. This Buccaneers team is loaded on offense, and they have regressed since Bruce airman’s retired so Bowles could take over. Keep in mind that the division is terrible, so wining it is not much of an accomplishment. 

What will happen:

If the Buccaneers make the playoffs, Bowles isn’t going anywhere. If the Buccaneers collapse against a weak Carolina team in their finale and miss the playoffs, his ground might be shakier.  He may be gone next year unless he can finally make a deep playoff run with a talented roster, but that should have been this year.

Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor: Taylor keeps getting a free pass due to injuries to Joe Burrow. To be fair, a stubborn refusal to invest in a good offensive line falls on ownership. Yet Taylor may have worn out his welcome by squandering some of Burrow’s years. Burrow is entering his prime. With a healthy Burrow, the Bengals are explosive on offense. The defense is not what it was in past year.Owner Mike Brown is a notorious cheapskate, so he may keep Taylor out of expediency. With a healthy Burrow next year and Kansas City possibly on the decline, the Bengals will be out of excuses. Taylor may get some sympathy for holding a roster without Burrow together, but next year the Bengals have to make a deep playoff run for him to continue. 

Give them lifetime contracts: 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin

The man has never had a losing season.

Baltimore: John Harbaugh: 

He overcame a 1-5 start due to a team wracked by injuries, including Lamar Jackson.

Both of these coaches face a do or die regular season finale. The loser misses the playoffs. Either way, both the Rooneys and steve Bisciotti should thank the football gods that they lucked into the platinum standard of coaches. Players come and go and these guys keep winning. Just sign them to lifetime contracts and be done with it. The Steelers fans who grumble about Tomlin need their heads examined. 

eric

NFL 2025-2026 NFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

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

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

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

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

The AFC Playoff picture is also fairly straightforward. 

NFL 2025-2026 AFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

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

Now for the NFC Playoff picture. 

1.) Seattle Seahawks (13-3): The Seahawks control thrown destiny. The Seahawks have clinched a playoff spot but nothing more. Right now they are the top seed. They are one game up in the NFC West. Next week they have a regular season finale winner-take-all showdown at San Francisco. If the Seahawks win, they win their division and retain the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. If they lose, the Seahawks drop to the five seed and play a road game on Wildcard Weekend. 

2.) Chicago Bears (11-5): The Bears have clinched the NFC North and are currently the two seed. The top seed is out of reach. If the Bears lose their regular season finale, they can still remain the two seed if Philadelphia also loses. If the Bears lose and Philadelphia wins, the Bears fall to the three seed. They cannot be lower than the three seed and no matter what are hosting a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend.

3.) The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are currently the three seed. The top seed is out of reach. If the Eagles win their regular season finale and Chicago loses, the Eagles rise to the two seed. They cannot be lower than the three seed and no matter what are hosting a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend.

4.) Carolina Panthers (8-8): The Panthers control their own destiny. The Panthers are one game up in the NFC South, but they do not hold the tie-breaker and have not have clinched anything. They control their own destiny. They have a Week 18 regular season finale showdown at Tampa Bay. If the Panthers win, they win the NFC South and the four seed. They would host a Wildcard playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Panthers lose, they still win the division if Atlanta wins. If the Panthers and Atlanta both lose, the Panthers lose the division tie-breaker and are out. 

5.) San Francisco 49ers (12-4): The 49ers control their own destiny. The 49ers are one game back in the NFC West. They are currently the five seed. Next week they have a Week 18 division showdown against Seattle. If the 49ers win, they win the division and conference tie-breakers and vault up to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the 49ers lose, they can remain the five seed as long as the Rams also lose. If the 49ers lose and the Rams win, the 49ers fall to the six seed. Unless the 49ers win, they are on the road for their playoff game on Wildcard weekend. 

6.) Los Angeles Rams (11-5): The Rams have clinched a Wildcard and are currently the six seed. Although they are only one game back in the NFC West, they lose the key tie-breakers. The division and the top seed are out of reach. They are currently the six seed. If they lose their regular season finale, they remain the six seed. If they win and San Francisco loses, the Rams win that tie-breaker and move up to the five seed. Either way they will play a road playoff game on Wildcard weekend. They cannot move higher than the five seed. 

7.) Green Bay Packers (9-6-1): The Packers are locked into the seven seed. They have clinched a Wildcard and will be playing only road playoff games for as long as they last. They can rest their starters.

On the outside looking in:

8.)  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9): The Buccaneers control their own destiny. The Buccaneers are on the outside looking in. They are one game back in the NFC South. They have a regular season division showdown at home against Carolina. The Buccaneers only have one path to the playoffs. If they win and Atlanta loses, the Buccaneers win the division tie-breaker and are the four seed. If the Buccaneers win but Atlanta also wins, the Buccaneers lose the tie-breaker and are out. Obviously if the Buccaneers lose, they are out. 

Here are the five NFC games with playoff implications:

Carolina Panthers (8-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

Arizona Cardinals (3-13) at Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

Washington Commanders (4-12) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

Seattle Seahawks (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers  (12-4) 

Detroit Lions (8-8) at Chicago Bears (11-5) 

Predictions:

1.) 49ers 13-4

2.) Bears 12-5 

3.) Eagles 12-5

4.) Panthers 9-8 

5.) Seahawks 13-4

6.) Rams 12-5

7.) Packers 9-7-1 (They may rest their starters)

Out: Panthers 8-9

Wildcard Round: 

7.) Packers at 2.) Bears

6.) Rams at 3.) Eagles 

5.) Seahawks at 4.) Panthers

Divisional Round:

7.) Packers at 1.) 49ers

6.) Rams at 5.) Seahawks  

NFC Title Game: 5.) Rams at 1.) 49ers

On paper the Rams have the slightly better offense and the 49ers have the better defense. Home field means noting in this series. The road team frequently wins. Kyle Shanahan seems to have Sean McVay’s number. The Rams on their best day can beat anyone, but the 49ers are their toughest competition. Even the Rams team that won it all in 2021 was dominated by the 49ers for much of the game before basically being gifted the win. The 49ers will be the more rested team, needing only one game to get to this game. The Rams have a brutal playoff path. They may be exhausted by the time this game comes up. The 49ers will hold up the George Halas NFC Championship Trophy but lose again in the Super Bowl

eric 

NFL 2025-2026 AFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

The first 17 weeks of the 2025 NFL regular season are in the history books. Week 18 is here.

This week football jargon not used for 51 weeks is said over and over. We learn who controls their own destiny and who needs help making the playoffs. Some years it seems almost everybody has a shot at the playoffs. This year the AFC playoff picture has very few possibilities.

That’s our assessment of the 2025-2026 AFC playoff permutations and combinations.

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

The NFC playoff picture also has very few possibilities.

NFL 2025-2026 NFC Playoff Permutations and Combinations

Six of the eight AFC Week 18 games have playoff implications, but mainly in terms of seeding. Six of the seven playoff spots have been clinched. Two of the four AFC Divisions have been clinched.

Now for the AFC Playoff picture. 

1.) Denver Broncos (13-3): The Broncos control their own destiny. The Broncos clinched the AFC West, breaking the Kansas City streak of nine straight seasons and are currently the one seed. If the Broncos win their regular season finale, they clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the first round bye. if the Broncos lose, they still keep the top seed if New England and Jacksonville both lose. If the Broncos lose and New England or Jacksonville wins, the Broncos fall to the two seed. If the Broncos lose and New England and Jacksonville both win, the Broncos fall to the three seed.

2.) New England Patriots (13-3): The Patriots clinched the AFC East, breaking the Buffalo streak of five straight seasons. The Patriots are currently the two seed and would play a home playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Patriots win their regular season finale and Denver loses, the Patriots move up to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the Patriots lose and Jacksonville wins, the Patriots fall to the three seed.

3.) Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4): The Jaguars have clinched a playoff spot and are one game up in the AFC South. They are currently the three seed. They would play a game at home on Wildcard weekend. If the Jaguars win their regular season finale and either Denver or New England loses, the Jaguars would move up to the two seed. If the Jaguars win and both Denver and New England lose, the Jaguars would vault to the top seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. If the Jaguars lose, they can keep the three seed as long as Houston also loses. Yet if the Jaguars lose and Houston wins, the Jaguars lose the tie-breaker and the division. They would fall to the five seed Wildcard and play road playoff games.

4.) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7): The Steelers control their own destiny. The Steelers are one game up in the AFC North and are currently the four seed. The Steelers have only one path to the playoffs. The regular season has a showdown between the Steelers and Baltimore. If the Steelers win, they win the division. They cannot move higher than the four seed and would host a playoff game on Wildcard weekend. If the Steelers lose, they lose the tie-breaker and are out of the playoffs altogether.

5.) Houston Texans (11-5): The Texans are one game back in the AFC South. They are currently the five seed and would play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If they win their regular season finale and Jacksonville loses, Houston wins the division tie-breaker and moves up to the three seed with a home playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. 

6.) Los Angeles Chargers (11-5): The Chargers have clinched a Wildcard and will play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. As of now they are the six seed. If they win their regular season finale and Houston loses, the Chargers move up to the five seed. If the Chargers lose and Buffalo wins, the Chargers fall to the seven seed.

7.) Buffalo Bills (11-5):  (11-5): The Bills have clinched a Wildcard and will play a road playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. As of now they are the seven seed. If they win their regular season finale and the Chargers lose, the Bills move up to the six seed. If the Bills win and the Chargers and Houston both lose, the Bills rise to the five seed.

Outside looking in: 

8.) Baltimore Ravens (8-8): The Ravens control their own destiny. The Ravens are one game back in the AFC North and have a showdown with Pittsburgh. If the Ravens win in Week 18, they win the tie-breaker and grab the division and the four seed. They would host a playoff game on Wildcard Weekend. If the Ravens lose, they are out.

Here are the AFC games with playoff implications:

Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

Miami Dolphins (7-9) at New England Patriots (13-3)

Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) at Denver Broncos (13-3)

Indianapolis Colts (8-8) at Houston Texans (11-5)

New York Jets (3-13) at Buffalo Bills (11-5)

Tennessee Titans (3-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)

Predictions:

1.) Broncos 14-3

2.) Patriots 14-3

3.) Jaguars 13-4

4.) Steelers 10-7

5.) Texans 12-5

6.) Bills 12-5

7.) Chargers 11-6

Out — Baltimore 8-9

Wildcard Round:

7.) Chargers at 2.) Patriots

6.) Bills at 3.) Jaguars

5.) Texans at 4.) Steelers 

Divisional Round:

6.) Bills at 1.) Broncos

5.) Texans at 2.) Patriots

AFC Title Game: 6.) Bills vs 2.) Patriots

All the pressure is on the Bills. The Bills will never have an easier road to the Super Bowl than this despite being on the road. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are all sitting at home. The Broncos and Patriots are young, inexperienced teams. The Jaguars might be their toughest test. It is the Bills who will hold the Lamar Hunt Trophy as the AFC Champion. This time, wi everyone from Jack Kemp to Tim Russert watching in heaven, the Bills Mafia will finally get to see their team hold up the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

eric

 NFL 2025 Week 17 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders was the Thursday Christmas morning game. Both teams were done for the year. With Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota injured, third string quarterback Josh Johnson started for the Commanders. The Cowboys began at their own 22. On 3rd and 6, Dak Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain. Davis ran for 21. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 26, Prescott went to George Pickens for 19. Prescott went to Ferguson for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Commanders moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3, but Johnson was sacked. Jake Moody hit a 29 yard field goal to get the commanders on the board. 

The Cowboys took over at their own 35. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Defensive pass interference added 7. Davis ran for 16. Prescott hit Pickens for 19. The second quarter began with Brian Schottenheimer gambling on 4th and 2 from the Washington 23. Prescott went to Tolbert for 4. Schottenheimer gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Washington 10. Williams got the yard. Williams ran for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 17 play, 65 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive to make it 14-3 Cowboys. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 3 yard line and made it look easy. Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 11. On 3rd and 11 from their own 14, Prescott uncorked a bomb to Kevontae Turpin for an 86 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Cowboys were cruising 21-3.

The ensuing kickoff was short of the landing zone, giving the Commanders the ball at their own 40. Deebo Samuel ran for 29. A defensive horse collar penalty added 15. Corskey-Merritt ran for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Commanders within 21-10. Brandon Aubrey hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 24-10 at the half. The Commanders took over in the third quarter at their own 28. One play and 10 seconds was enough for risky-Merritt to burst free for a 72 yard touchdown run. just like that, the Commanders were within 24-17. Then the field goal kickers took over. Aubrey hit from 52 and Moody responded from 23 to get the Commanders within 27-20. In the fourth quarter Aubrey missed from 58 but hit from 51 to give the Cowboys breathing room up 30-20 with 4 minutes  left. Needing 2 scores, Moody hit from 51 to get the Commanders back within 7 just before the two minute warning. The Commanders needed a defensive stop. With the Cowboys facing 3rd and 1 at their own 36, Prescott hit Pickens for 21. With 10 seconds left on 4th and 1 from the Washington 34, Prescott gained 3 to end it. 30-23 Cowboys

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings was the Christmas Thursday afternoon game. The Vikings were done and the Lions were all but done, needing to win out and get help after losing last week in heartbreaking controversial fashion on the final play. Two years ago the Lions had nothing to play for and hit a Green Bay team with everything to play for in the mouth. This year the Lions had everything to play for. A first quarter fumble gifted the Vikings the ball at the Detroit 16. Aaron Jones ran for 9, 2, 4, and on 3rd and goal from the one, the yard for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. In the second quarter the Lions mounted their drive of the year. A mind-blowing 19…yes, 19…plays. They moved 80 yards and took 10…yes, 10…minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 16 from their own 14, Jared Goff went  to TeSlaa for 28. On 3rd and 9 from their own 43, Goff went to Amra St Brown for 13. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 8 and 6. On 3rd and 15 from the Minnesota 35, Goff went to st Brown for 23. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 3, it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble.Montgomery got the carry, initially appeared stopped, got a late surge, and then got blasted by 2 defenders. Montgomery appeared to be just short but officials ruled  he got the first down by less than the nose of the football. On 4th and goal at the 4, Campbell refused to kick a field goal. Goff fired over the middle between two defenders and TeSlaa made a leaping catch, hit the ground hard, and somehow held on to the ball. The game was tied 7-7 at the half.

 The Lions in the second half turned the ball over on 3 straight possessions. Two third quarter interceptions of Goff led to Will Reichard field goals of 52 and 56 for a 13-7 Vikings lead. In the fourth quarter Goff was sacked and fumbled. Midway through the fourth quarter the Lions took over at their own 45. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Minnesota 30. Goff threw incomplete twice. On 4th and 8 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the time Dan Campbell decided to play it safe. Bates hit the 48 yard field goal to get the Lions within 13-10. The Lions defense had played well all game, and now they needed a stop. Instead, Jordan Addison took a pitchout and raced down the right sideline for a 65 yard touchdown. Replay showed that Addison was knocked out at the one yard line. somehow, the officials blew it and kept the touchdown. Given that the Lions entire season was on the line, better officiating would have been nice. The Vikings led 20-10. With 3 minutes left in desperation mode on 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 43, a shotgun snap was fumbled. Goff fell on it and had it ripped out of his hands by Van Ginkel while Goff was on the ground. Although Goff had it, somehow the officials awarded the ball to the Vikings. Reichard tacked on a 42 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The Lions are 8-8 and eliminated from contention. While the officiating was awful, the Lions turned the ball over 6 times. That is what did them in. 23-10 Vikings

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Christmas Thursday night game. The Chiefs had won the AFC West 9 straight times, made 5 Super Bowls including the last 3, and won 3 super Bowls. For the first time in a decade, The Chiefs have been eliminated from division contention, eliminated from playoff contention, and entering with a losing record of 6-9. Mahomes and backup Gardner Mnshew were out injured, so the Chiefs started 3rd string quarterback Chris Oladukon. This was expected to be Travis Kelce’s final home game before retirement.The 12-3 Broncos had a one game lead in the division and the conference. The Broncos reached a 3rd and 6 from the Kansas City 9 on they opening drive. Bo Nix threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. On their next series an interception of Nix had the Chiefs at the Denver 35. On 3rd and 6, Oladukon hit Kelce for 11. Walrus Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Denver 11. Karim Hunt gained 5. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Oladukon hit Smith for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Chiefs. Lutz hit from 30 to end the half and Butker responded from 53 in the third quarter for a 10-6 Chiefs lead.

The Broncos took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Nix hit Adam Trautman for 11. On 1st and 20 from their own 47, Nix hit Cortland Sutton for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 22, Nix hit Franklin for 3. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 10. Nix got the yard. Nix then ran for a 9 yard touchdown to have the Broncos up 13-10 after three quarters. the 14 play, 72 yard drive took 10 minutes off the clock. The Chiefs got a break when a 44 yard punt return had them at the Denver 45. Butker hit from 47 to tie the game 13-13 midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos took over at their own 35 and slowly bled much of the clock down. At the 2 minute warning, the Broncos faced 4th and 2 at the Kansas City 9 yard line. A field goal would be a chip shot 26 yarder but would leave the Chiefs plenty of time to try and tie or win it. A failed attempt to go for it would be catastrophic. Sean Payton lined up to go for it. It may have been a bluff to get the Chiefs to jump. In front of a devastated home crowd, they did. 

The Chiefs had not committed a penalty all night. Yet at the worst possible time, their defensive star Chris Jones committed the killer infraction. On 3rd and goal at the one, Nix rolled out and fired to Harvey in the end zone. The Broncos led by 7 with 1:45 left. The Chiefs had one timeout. The Chiefs got a major break when an injury to a Denver defender gave the Chiefs an extra clock stoppage. With 25 seconds left the Chiefs had moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 22. The Chiefs then took a delay of game to make it 3rd and 8. Oladukon threw incomplete. On 4th and 8 with 20 seconds left, OLadukon went to the end zone and threw high and incomplete. The Chiefs now for the first time in the Mahomes era have double digit losses at 6-10. Th Broncos survived to get to 13-3. A win next week would guarantee he Broncos home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Sean Payton with the win became only the second coach in NFL history along with Bill Belichick to hav at least five 13-win seasons. 20-13 Broncos

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers was the Saturday afternoon game.  Last year in the playoffs, the Texans eliminated the Chargers when the Houston defense intercepted Justin Herbert 4 times. This year the 10-5 Texans and 11-4 Chargers are each one game out in their respective divisions, with the Chargers also one game back in the conference. The Texans began at their own 16. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 1, Stroud went bombs away to Higgins for a 75 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Texans lead. The Texans got the ball back at their own 28. Stroud hit Higgins for 18 and Hutchinson for 11. Stroud then threw another touchdown bomb, this time to Noel for 43 yards and a 14-0 Texans lead. 

The rest of the first half was a mini blunder bowl. A second quarter interception of Stroud had the Chargers deep, but they settled for a 27 yard Cameron Dicker field goal. The Chargers drove deep again. A Justin Herbert pass inside the opposing 10 yard line bounced off of the receiver’s fingers and was intercepted at the goal line. Yet Stroud was then intercepted again, only for the normally reliable Dicker the kicker to miss a 32 yard chip shot. Despite 3 trips to the red zone, the Chargers got only 3 points. In the third quarter Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 42 yard field goal for a 17-3 Texans lead. 

The Charges got the ball at their own 36 and finally found signs of life. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 17. On 3rd and 14 from his own 44, Herbert ran forward, banged over tough defender Darryl Stingley Jr., and ended up with a 28 yard gain. On rd and 6 from the Houston 12, Herbert appeared to be sacked. with a man all over him trying to pull him down, Herbert somehow willed an 8 yard completion to Johnston. Herbert found a wide open Gadsden for a one yard touchdownDespite being dominated, the Chargers only trailed 17-10 after three quarters. Yet Houston’s defense clamped down. Fairbairn hit a 44 yard field goal with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation to give the Texans breathing room up 20-10.

The Chargers took over at their own 25. Herbert went deep to Ladd McConey for 31, the first time McConkey had even been targeted all game. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 40, Herbert was sacked. However, illegal contact on the defense gifted the Chargers a new set of downs. Herbert then found Gadsden for 25. Hampton took a handoff up the gut for a 5 yard touchdown. Yet Dicker’s nightmarish game continued when he missed the extra point. The Chargers trailed by 4 with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Texans took over at their own 26. Stroud went to Nico Collins for 19. The Chargers took their final timeout with the Texans facing 3rd and 9 with 2 1/2 minutes left. One first down would end the game. Stroud was buried and sacked, but a killer defensive illegal contact penalty gave the Texans an automatic first down. Marks ran for 8 and 3 and Stroud took a couple knees. Both teams are 11-5. The Texans overcame an 0-3 start. The Chargers will be a wildcard, since their division and the conference are now out of reach. The Texans with some help can still win their division. 20-16 Texans

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers was the Saturday night game. The 7-8 Ravens were on life support. They needed to win and out and get help to make the playoffs. The 9-5  Packers were in the playoffs but needed to win out and get help to win their division. With Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love both out injured, backups Tyler Huntley and Malik Willis got the starts. The Ravens began at their own 25. Huntley hit Mark Andrews for 9. Derrick Henry ran for 12, 4 and 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Green Bay 25, Huntley hit Andrews for just enough. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 11, Henry ran for 8 and then the 3 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Ravens up 7-0. The Packers took over at their own 31 and struck quickly. Willis went deep to Romeo Doubs for 40. Willis then went deep to Watson for a 39 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. 

The Ravens took over at their own 26. Huntley went to IsaIah Likely for 7 and 9, Huntley hit Bay Flowers for 13. Henry ran for 7 and 5. Henry then ran for 3, 9, 5, and on 3rd and goal at the one, the one yard touchdown. The 13 platy, 74 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 14-7 Ravens. Matt LaFleur gambled on 4h and 1 from his own 34. Josh Jacobs got stopped cold for no gain. Tyler Loop hit a 22 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Ravens. The Ravens held the ball for 20 of the first 23 minutes and ran 33 plays to only 6 for the Packers. The Packers then fumbled, leading to a Loop field goal from 34 for a 20-7 Ravens lead.

The Packers took over at their own 24. Willis went to Watson for 13, to Doubs for 13, and to Brooks for 11. Willis ran for a 22 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 20-14 with 1:24 left in the half. The Ravens took over at their own 35. Huntley ran for 25. Huntley hit Likely for 11 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Henry ran for a 3 yard touchdown with 10 seconds left to have the Ravens up 27-14. 

The Packers in the third quarter mounted an 11 play, 68 yard, 6 minute drive. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 7, Willis completed a pass for no gain and then ran for only one yard. Brandon McManus hit the 24 yard field goal to get the Packers within 27-17. The Packers got it back and soon faced 2nd and 17 at their own 7. Yet on 3rd and 5, the Baltimore defense jumped offsides. Willis then went deep to Watson for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 45, Willis went deep to Melton for 34. Willis then faked a handoff and scrambled around the right end for an 11 yard touchdown. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Ravens were right back in it down 27-24. 

The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 20. Henry ripped off big gains of 9 and 30. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 35 to start the fourth quarter, Huntley ran for 9. Henry added a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 10, Huntley went to Flowers for the touchdown. The 12 play, 85 yard, 7 minute drive gave the Ravens a 34-24 lead with 10 minutes left in regulation. Needing 2 scores, the Packers drove to the Baltimore 35. Willis got injured on the drive. Third string quarterback Tune came in. Tune threw a pass that bounced off of the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Humphrey. On 4th and inches from the Green Bay 32, John Harbaugh went for it. Andrews lined up at center and the defense bit on the hard count and jumped offsides. With 3:$3 to play, it was a killer penalty. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 31, Huntley scrambled and got just enough. Mary LaFleur unsuccessfully challenged the call, burning a timeout. 

With 2:02 left, the Packers were cooked. Henry put in the dagger as he took a pitchout and raced down the left sideline for a 25 yard touchdown. Both quarterbacks played we.. Willis was 18 of 21 for 288 yards, one touchdown and 0 interceptions. Huntley was 16 of 20 for only 107 yards but also with one touchdown and 0 interceptions. The Baltimore running game gashed the Green Bay defense with a whopping 308 yards on a ridiculous 52 carries, a 6 yards per carry average. Henry was the lead beast running for 216 yards on a monstrous 36 carries, also for a 6 yards per carry average. The Ravens at 8-8 had a simple situation. If Pittsburgh lost on Sunday, Baltimore would play Pittsburgh in a do or die regular season Week 18 finale for the division crown. If Pittsburgh won this Sunday, Baltimore was out and the regular season finale would be meaningless. Pittsburgh lost. Baltimore was alive. Green Bay was already in the playoffs, but the loss put their division out of reach. They are a wildcard and may rest their starters in the regular season finale. 41-24 Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns — The 9-6 Steelers with a win would clinch the AFC North. The Browns are eliminated but Myles garrett needs one more sack to set the single season NFL record. The Browns got the ball back at their own 14. On 3rd and 5, Williams gained 9. Shedeur Sanders went to Harold Fannin for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Browns. Boswell hit second quarter field goals of 44 and 40 to have the Steelers within 10-6 at the midpoint. A brutal second half saw the Steelers take over at their own 20 with 2:16 left in regulation. Aaron Rodgers threw 4 straight incompletions. Szmyt hit a 33 yard field goal to have the Browns up by 7 with 1:40 left. The Steelers moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and goal at the 7 with 30 seconds left. Rodgers threw 3 straight incompletions as the Dawg Pound erupted in celebration. The Steelers now have a regular season showdown against Baltimore. The winner takes the division. The loser is out of the playoffs. The Browns supposedly had nothing from a team standpoint to play for. Nobody told them. Taking? Hardly. This game represented everything right about football. 13-6 Browns

New England Patriots at New York Jets — The 11-4 Patriots are one game up in the AFC East with an outside shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Patriots began at their own 39. Drake Maye went to Stefan Diggs for 12. Raimondre Stevenson ran for 4 and 24. Maye went to Hunter Henry for 13 and to Austin Hooper for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. The Patriots got it back at their own 15. Maye went to Williams for 11. Maye found Chism for 30. Henderson ran for 12 and Stevenson added 11. Defensive pass interference added 18. Stevenson got the last yard for a 14-0 Patriots lead. For some reason, league rules required that the remaining 50 minutes be played. The Patriots got it back at their own 34. Maye went to Diggs for 31. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 29, Maye went to Williams for just enough. On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd and 7 from the Jets 22, Maye went to Stevenson for the touchdown. The Patriots had the ball for 12 minutes to only 3 minutes for the Jets. The Patriots led 21-0 and had more points than the Jets 13 total yards. 

The Jets managed a field goal but the Patriots kept coming from their own 26. Maye went to Diggs for 21. Henderson added 17. Mike Vrabel gambled on 4th and 3 from the Jets 20 in what seemed to be a total lack of respect for an inferior opponent. Maye ran for 11. Vrabel did it again on 4th and goal at the 3 rather than take the easy field goal. Maye hit Diggs for the touchdown to make it 28-3 Patriots. The Patriots got it back at their own 9 yard line with 1:44 left in the half. Maye threw incomplete on 3rd and 6 but roughing the passer gifted the Patriots 15 yards. Maye hit Stevenson for a pair of 7 yard gains. Maye hit Diggs for 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 23, Maye gained 2. Maye hit Henry for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 35-3 Patriots with 30 seconds left in the half. In the third quarter Aaron Glenn tried a fake punt that didn’t work. The Patriots took over at the Jets 47. Maye went to Chism for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 42-3 Patriots. Maye had 5 touchdown passes, so Vrabel decided to teach him a new skill. It was time for Maye to learn how to hold a clipboard. He was benched for all the right reasons as backups finished the game. The J-E-T-S chant of Just End The Season has never been truer. The 12-4 Patriots awaited results of other games. A Buffalo loss later in the day meant the Patriots clinched the AFC East. They are still one game back in the conference chase for home field. The Jets got one garbage touchdown in a garbage season. 42-10 Patriots

New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans — Both teams are eliminated. Joey Slye hit first quarter field goals of 50 and 38 sandwiched around a missed 43 yard try by Smyth for a 6-0 Titans lead. The Titans face 2rd and 1 at their own 45. On the last play of the first quarter, Mullings gained 4. Mike McCoy gambled on 4th and 2 from the New Orleans 43. Ward connected with Okonkwo for the touchdown to make it 13-0 Titans early in the second quarter. 

Smyth nailed a 56 yard field goal to get the Saints on the board. Then came craziness. The Titans faced 1st and 20 at their own 44. Ward went back to pass and was sacked by Chase Young. Young also ripped the ball out of Ward’s hands. Although ward may have already been down, officials ruled the play legal. Young raced for a 33 yard defensive touchdown to have the Saints within 13-10. The Titans then took over at their own 20. Ward hit Van Jefferson for 11. On 3rd and 2 from their own 43, Ward hit Ayomanor for 4. On 3rd and 14 from their own 43, Ward went bombs away incomplete but drew a 50 yard defensive pass interference call. Ward then hit Ayomanor for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Titans.

The Saints faced 3rd and 4 at their own 32 in the third quarter. Tyler Shough hit Chris Olave for 7. Estime ran for 9 and 2. Shough hit Johnson for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 19, Shough went to Olave for the touchdown to have the saints within 20-17. Slye hit from 28 to extend the lead, Smyth blasted one from 57, and Slye blasted one right back from 58 in the fourth quarter to make it 26-20 Titans. 

The Saints took over at 20 with 8:45 left in regulation. Estime ran for 12. Shough went bombs away to Olave for a 60 yard gain. Shough went to Austin for a 10 yard touchdown. Despite being outplayed most of the game, the Saints somehow had a 27-26 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Saints got it back at their own 36 with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 1, Shough went to Johnson for 23. Estime then ran for a 32 yard touchdown to have the Saints up by 8 with 3:44 left. On 1st and 10 from the New Orleans 37, Ward threw 3 straight incompletions and on 4th and 10 was sacked as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Titans took their timeouts on defense as only 23 seconds came off the clock. With 18 seconds left from the New Orleans 43, the Titans had 2 shots at the Hail Mary. The first one fell incomplete and the second one never got off the ground as Ward recovered his own fumble and then threw short incomplete. 34-26 Saints

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — The 11-4 Jaguars are one game up in the AFC South with an outside shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Colts are eliminated. 44 year Old Man Philip Rivers started again for the Colts. The Colts came in having lost 5 straight while the Jaguars entered having won 6 in a row. Blake Grupe hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Jaguars drove right down to the field for a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 17. Liam Cohen opted for a hook and lateral play that backfired and was fumbled away. The Colts took over at that spot. Rivers went to Warren for 13 and to Mallory for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Jacksonville 39, Rivers hit Warren for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 25, Jonathan Taylor gained 6 , 6, 6, 5, and then the 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts in the second quarter.

The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Trevor Lawrence went to Jakobi Meyers for 8 and then 8 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Indianapolis 36, Lawrence went to Strange for 15. Travis Etienne ran for 10 and 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Indianapolis 4, Lawrence got around the end for the touchdown to get the Jaguars within 10-7. In the third quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 19. Lawrence went to Thomas for 17. Dallas gained 17. On 3rd and 10 from the Indianapolis 43, Lawrence went deep to Washington for 37. Lawrence ran for a 6 yard touchdown to have the Jaguars up 14-10. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 39. Rivers went to Downs for 18. Rivers went deep to Pierce for 26. Rivers hit Mo Alie-Cox for a 5 yard touchdown to have the Colts back on top 17-14. Little hit from 34 to tie the game 17-17 after three quarters. Midway through the fourth quarter, an interception of Rivers was returned by Jones 13 yards to the Indy 21. Little hit from 42 to have the Jaguars up 20-17. Little drilled another field goal from 53 with 18 seconds left in regulation to have the Jaguars up by 6. That was enough time for Rivers to throw a Hail Mary that reached the end zone. It was intercepted. The 12-4 Jaguars with a win next week will clinch he AFC South. They have an outside shot at the top conference seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 23-17 Jaguars 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins — The 7-8 Buccaneers can win out and still win the NFC South. The Dolphins are eliminated. The Buccaneers took over at their own 32. Baker Mayfield went to Cade Otton and to McMillan for 8 apiece. Todd Bowles went for it on 4th and 1 from the Miami 44. Tucker gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Miami 39, Mayfield went to McMillan for 18 and 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 5, Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers.

Quinn Ewers, starting in place of the benched Tua Tagovailoa, went bombs away to Theo Wease for a 63 yard touchdown. It was Wase’s first NFL touchdown in his second NFL game that was tied 7-7.

Riley Patterson hit a 29 yard second quarter field goal to make it 10-7 Dolphins. An interception of Mayfield had the Dolphins at their own 24. Devon ache ran for 15. Ewers found Dulcich for 13. wright and Achane each added 7. Ewers went to Achane for 20. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Ewers went to Dulcich for the touchdown to have the Dolphins up 17-7 at the break. A 55 yard field goal try to get the Buccaneers within 7 to end the half was blocked. From 33 in the third quarter, McLaughlin was good. Patterson answered from 31 early in the fourth quarter to have the Dolphins up 20-10. On the next two Buccaneers drives, Mayfield was intercepted and then sacked and fumbled. With 1:50 left the Buccaneers took over at their own 9. They rapidly moved 91 yards as Mayfield hit Mike Evans for a 4 yard touchdown with 50 seconds left. The onside kick failed. Despite the loss, Carolina also lost. Next week the Buccaneers have a showdown with Carolina. If The Buccaneers win, they are in. Lose, and they are out. 20-17 Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers — The 12-3 Seahawks are one game up in the NFC West and in the conference with the inside track for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The 8-7 Panthers with a win next week would win the NFC South regardless of this game. An early defensive slugfest saw Jason Myers hit a 48 yard first quarter field goal and Fitzgerald responded from 35 in the second quarter for a 3-3 bonelock. In the third quarter the Seahawks moved down the field only for Sam Darnold to be intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Yet the very next play saw Chuba Hubbard fumble and the Seahawks recover at the Carolina 21. On 3rd and 9, Darnold went to Barner for 16. On 3rd nd goal at the 2, Zac Charbonnet ran it in for a 10-3 Seahawks lead. Bryce Young was then intercepted by Love, who returned the pick 26 yards to the Carolina 29. On 3rd and 2, Charbonnet ran for 4. Darnold went to Barner for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Seahawks.

The Panthers soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 40. Dave Canales went for it. Young got around the end for an 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, Young hit Hubbard for 8. Rico Dowdle ran for 9 and 4. Young ran for a 10 yard touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers were only down 17-10. They would get no closer. The Seahawks from their own 33 moved 56 yards in 14 plays and took 8 minutes off the clock. Jason Myers hit from 30 to give the Seahawks breathing room up 20-10 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Panthers turned it over on downs to set up the Seahawks at the Carolina 25. Charbonnet did the rest, running for 4, 15, 4, one, and on 3rd and goal at the one, the touchdown to ice the game. The 13-3 Seahawks with a win next week will win the NFC West and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The 8-7 Panthers blew a golden chance to lock up their division. They have a showdown next week against Tampa Bay. If the Panthers win, they are in. If they lose, they are out. 27-10 Seahawks

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals — Both teams are eliminated. The Bengals began with 3rd and 8 at their own 30. Joe Burrow went to Hudson for 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 45, Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 22. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 16, Samaji Perine gained 3. Burrow hit Chase for the 13  yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 72 yard, 6 minute drive to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 21. Burrow went to Higgins for 10. Brown ran for 13. Defensive pass interference added 16. Burrow went to Iosivas for a pair of 12 yard gains. Zac Taylor went for it on 4th and 1 from the Arizona 2. Burrow got the yard for the first down and Perine got the last yard for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bengals led 13-0. 

The Cardinals took over at their own 30. Jacoby Brissett went to McBride for 15 and to Carter for 8. Brissett connected to Wilson, who made a spin move. Thanks to miserable tackling, Wilson somehow stayed in bounds and completed the 38 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 13-7. Evan McPherson belted a 56 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Bengals. A 43 yard punt return gave the Bengals the ball back at the Arizona 36. Brown ran for 25. Burrow hit Chase for an 8 yard touchdown t make it 23-7 Bengals. The Bengals just poured it on. They moved 84 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, with Brown running for a 6 yard touchdown. Then the Bengals moved 82 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes, with Brown running for a one yard touchdown. The Bengals led 37-7 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter garbage time, the Cardinals needed 3 or 4 touchdowns and managed only one. 37-14 Bengals

New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders _ This game is the Stupor Bowl. The Raiders and the Giants are both 2-13, having each lost 9 straight games. The loser of this game is most likely to get the number on pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. So why bother trying to win the game at all? Why not just tank?

Because tanking is wrong. It is just plain wrong. It goes against everything i believe in as an American and as a sports fan. It violates my competitive spirit. It violates the integrity of the game.

As the late John Madden said, “The worst thing you could say about somebody is that they lost on purpose…for the sake of football, for the sake of what’s right…you gotta win.”

In 2006 when the Raiders were the second worst team. The Lions were the worst. Then in the final week of the season, with nothing to play for, the Lions won. The Raiders were now the worst and got the number one pick. The Raiders chose quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who was a total bust. The Lions with the second pick chose wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

When the Raiders were winning, they were often accused of cheating. Yet they were never accused of cheating the game itself. No tanking. Not now. Not ever. Just win, baby.

Sadly, the Raiders chose to put Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby on injured reserve, shutting down their best offensive player and their best defensive player. An enraged Crosby insisted he was healthy enough to play. He had been battling a knee injury for 9 weeks but was adamant about playing. He was overruled. The Raiders will deny this was tanking, but John Madden was rolling over in his grave. 

In the first quarter the Raiders moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet then Geno Smith did what Geno Smith does. On 2nd and 7 from the Giants 12, Smith was intercepted by Okereke, who returned the pick 47 yards to the Raiders 44. Singletary ran for 29 and then added the one yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Giants. A short kickoff had the Raiders taking over at their own 41. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Giants 22, Smith was sacked. Daniel Carlson hit the 42 yard  second quarter field goal to get the Raiders on the board. 

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Jaxson Dart gained 7. Dartwent to Hodgins for 8 and to Darrius Slayton for 21. Dart ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Giants. Sauls then tacked on a 32 yard field goal to have the Giants up 17-3 at the midpoint. Sauls hit again from 23 in the third quarter to have the Giants cruising 20-3. 

The Raiders managed a 14 play, 65 yard, 7 minute drive. On 4th and 2 from the Giants 13, Smith hit Thornton for 7. On 4th and goal at the 4, Smith fired over the middle to Tyler Lockett for the touchdown. The raiders were within 20-10, but this game was over. The Raiders were terrible on offense and defense. The only thing left for them was to be terrible on special teams. They quickly obliged for the trifecta. Banks returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to have the Giants up 27-10 after three quarters. Smith threw another interception.  The Giants then pounded the Raiders into dust with a 15 play, 75 yard, 9 minute drive. Dart ran for a 2 yard touchdown end the scoring 34-10. The Giants snapped their 9 game losing streak. The Raiders lost their 10th straight. If the Raiders lose next week, they are guaranteed the number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. 34-10 Giants

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills — The stakes were very high in this potential Super Bowl matchup. The defending champion Eagles were 10-5. They had already clinched the NFC East. They were seeking to move up in seeding. The 11-4 Bills were one game back in the AFC East and in the conference race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With hard rain coming down, the first half was all Eagles. Helped by a 50 yard bomb, the Bills reached the Philadelphia 23 before fumbling the ball alway. After a mad scramble the Eagles recovered the ball all the way at the Buffalo 45. Jalen Hurts went to AJ Brown for 27. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 5, Saquon Barkley gained 3. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles in the first quarter. Both offenses then took long stretches off. Jake Elliott hit second quarter field goals of 47 and 28 as the Eagles took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms. Late in the third quarter the Bills moved to a 4th and goal at the 3. Allen scrambled everywhere and was finally brought down inches short of the goal line. The Bills got the ball back at moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Philadelphia 27. Yet with Allen scrambling for his life, he was sacked for a 17 yard loss. 

Buffalo’s defense was keeping them in the game, and a 28  yard punt return by Shakir set up the Bills at the Philadelphia 46. On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 24, Allen hit Shakir for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 2, a very violent tush push got Allen in the end one. After 55 minutes, the Bills had finally scored. Yet the extra point was blocked as the Bills trailed 13-6. The Eagles weren’t doing much on offense either. Hurts did not complete a pass the entire second half. The Eagles had only 17 yards of total offense in the second half. With 3:20 left, the Bills took over at their own 17 yard line with all 3 timeouts. With 1:51 left, the Bills faced 4th and 10 at their own 29. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio brought the house. A perfectly executed hook and lateral saw Allen fire over the middle to Shavers, who lateraled to Johnson for a 25 yard gain. Allen then went deep to Brandin Cooks for a 36 yard gain that resembled the David Tyree helmet catch. Allen then scrambled with two defenders chasing him and somehow managed to get in the end zone. Yet on further review, the touchdown was reversed. The Bills took their last timeout with 8 seconds left. Everything came down to 4th and goal at the one. Allen’s tush push initially appeared stopped but he was practically lifted over the top for the touchdown. Sean McDermott opted to go for two, risking the entire division on one play. With everything on the line, Allen had an open receiver but overthrew him incomplete. 5 seconds still remained, but the onside kick never had a chance. The 11-5 Eagles still had a shot at the two seed in the NFC while the Bills saw their 5 year reign atop the AFC East end. They will have to win it all as a wildcard. 13-12 Eagles

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. Both teams came in 11-4. The Bears had already clinched the NFC North. The 49ers were one game back in the NFC West. Both teams were one game back in the conference race for home field advantage. The 49ers began the game at their own 24. On the very first play from scrimmage, Brock Purdy had his pass batted in the air and intercepted. Edwards picked up a convoy and returned the interception 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Bears led 7-0 only 15 seconds into the game. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 38. Purdy went to Tonges for 18. McCaffrey ran for 9 and one. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 26, Purdy went to Robinson for 25 down to the one. Purdy hit tones for the touchdown for a 7-7 game only 4 minutes in. 

The 49ers took over at their own 34. McCaffrey ripped off a 41 yard gain. Robinson added 15. Purdy ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 49ers. The Bears took over at their own 23. Caleb Williams went to Buren for 10. Swift ran for 8 and  defensive low block penalty added 15. Williams went deep to Burden for a 35 yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14 after the first quarter. The 49ers took over at their own 25. Purdy went deep to Pearsall for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 37, Purdy ran for 4. Purdy hit Pearsall for 13. McCaffrey gained 16 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 49ers in the second quarter. The Bears took over at their own 35. Monangai ran for 18. Williams went to Monangai for 11. Williams went deep to Loveland for a 36 yard touchdown for a 21-21 game only 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. 

The 49ers took over at their own 28. Purdy hit Tonges for 10. Moore ran for 10. Purdybhit McCaffrey and Pearsall for a pair of 14 yard gains. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 16, McCaffrey gained 7. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Purdy was intercepted. Yet defensive illegal contact nullified the interception. Purdy ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 72 yard, 9 minute drive had the 49ers up 28-21 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Bears began the third quarter at their own 35. Williams went to Smythe for 11. On 3rd and 14 from the San Francisco 46, Williams went to Walker for 19 and to Burden for 24. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Swift got in for a 28-28 game. The 49ers took over at their own 35. Purdy went to Bourne for 25. McCaffrey ran for 4 and 6. Purdy hit Brian Robinson for 6 and Kyle Juszczyk for a 6 yard touchdown to have the 49ers up 35-28 after three quarters. The Bears took over at their own 20. Williams hit Swift for 10. On 3rd and 8 from their own 37, Williams found Burden for 27. Williams hit Walker for 11. On the last play of the third quarter, Ben Johnson gambled on 4th and 5 from the San Francisco 31. Williams hit Loveland for 9. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Swift ran for a 22 yard touchdown. The game was tied for the 5th time at 35-35.  

The 49ers moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Chicago 43. Purdy threw incomplete. Kyle Shanahan decided not to try a 61 yard field goal or go for it. The 49ers punted and the Bears took over at their own 11. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 8, but a Williams completion lost 3 yards followed by an incompletion. After 10 touchdowns, the game had its first field goal attempt. From 29 yards out, Cairo santos was good as the Bears led 38-35 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Purdy went to Tonges for 7. Purdy went to McCaffrey for 18. purdy then went deep to Jauan Jennings for a 38 yard touchdown. The 49ers led by 4 points, but they may have scored too early. 2:15 still remained. The Bears had all 3 timeouts. 

The Bears took over at their own 35. The Bears moved to a 4th and 5 at the Frisco 26. Williams hit Loveland for 13 as the Bears took their final timeout with 25 seconds left. The Bears had 4 shots to get 13 yards. Ben Johnson went to the bag of tricks and called a hook and lateral. The Bears got the first down but the clock was ticking. The Bears raced up to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. The Bears were at the 2 yard line. One play and 2 yards separated both teams from possible home field. Williams escaped a pursuer, rolled to his left, and kept retreating. With a man in his face, he fired to the end zone low and incomplete. The 49ers had survived. The Bears are 11-5. The top seed is out of reach. The 49ers are 12-4 and next week host an NFC West showdown against Seattle for all the NFC marbles. This game was an instant classic, and a playoff rematch would be well worth the price of admission. 42-38 49ers

Los Angles Rams at Atlanta Falcons was the Monday night game. While the top seed was out of reach, the Rams still had a chance to steamroll into the playoffs. The Falcons were eliminated and had nothing to play for. A ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.! The Falcons took over at their own 35. Kirk Cousins went to Sills for 13. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Cousins went to Mooney for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 29, Cousins went to Sills for 20. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Cousins hit Bijan Robinson for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Rams drove to a 3h and 1 at the Atlanta 11. Sean McVay went for it  and Kyren Williams got blasted in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. In the second quarter, Matthew Stafford was intercepted by Bates, who returned the pick 34 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Falcons lead. Stafford tied Brett Favre for the all time lead in interceptions for touchdowns. Stafford went deep again and was intercepted again. With 90 seconds eft in the half the Falcons were pinned at their own 7 yard line. Robinson broke through the line and raced for a 93 yard touchdown and a 21-0 Falcons lead. Mevis hit a 35 yard third quarter field goal for the Rams but Zane Gonzalez answered from 56 to make it 24-3 Falcons.

The Rams tried to make  game of it from their own 35. Stafford went to Williams for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 42, Stafford hit Colby Parkinson for 15. Stafford then went deep to a wide open Ferguson for a 27 yard touchdown to get the Rams within 24-10. Late in the third quarter Gonzalez for a 37 yard field goal try to put the Falcons up by 17. 27-10 would not end the game but it would tighten the screws. Blocked! Gonzalez’s kick was blocked. Jared Verse got the block, got the bounce right to him, and raced the other way for a 76 yard touchdown in front of a shocked home crowd in Atlanta. Instead of being down by 17, the Rams were right back in down 7. The Rams trailed 24-17 after three quarters. The Rams got it back and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Atlanta 33. Stafford fumbled but the defense jumped offside. A 3rd and 3 run gained only one yard. On 4th and 2, Sean McVay passed up a field goal and went for it. Watts jumped the route and raced 75 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown. Yet on further review, Watts stepped out at the Rams 43. Also, a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Atlanta bench on the return moved the Falcons back to their own 42. Instead of a 31-17 lead, the Falcons ended up punting. 

The Rams took over at their own 11. Williams ran for 15. Stafford went to Williams for 21. On 1st and 10 from the Atlanta 41, Stafford went bombs away to Nacua. The perfectly thrown ball beat the double coverage for a spectacular touchdown. Yet offensive holding wiped it off the board. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 33, Williams gained 22. Stafford went to Nacua for an 11 yard touchdown as the Rams tied the game 24-24 with 2:45 left in regulation. It was the biggest Falcons collapse since the Super Bowl 9 years earlier when the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead. Yet the Falcons only needed a field goal to win this game. The Falcons moved from their 35 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 35. Raheem Morris went ultra-conservative and ran Tyler Allgeier into the line 3 straight times for 3 total yards. Gonzalez came in for a 51 yard field goal try for the lead and redemption. This time Gonzalez was good. The Falcons led by 3 with 21 seconds left. The Rams took over at their own 35. On 1st and 10 Stafford had a wide open receiver deep but overthrew him. On 2nd down, a perfectly thrown bomb was dropped due to blatant defensive pass interference that was not called. It was horrendous officiating. Nacua made an acrobatic third down catch in field goal range, but further review showed he bobbled the ball incomplete. On 4th and 10 with 5 seconds left, rather than try the Hail Mary, a shorter pass fell incomplete. The 11-5 Rams are still going to the playoffs but this game was a missed opportunity. 27-24 Falcons