We are rounding the final turn in the NFL regular season. Four teams across the NFL have now clinched playoff spot, but there’s still a lot left to be determined in the final three weeks. Baltimore, San Francisco, Dallas, and Philadelphia have punched their tickets. It seems like 50% of the the rest of the league is either 8-6 or 7-7, leaving some incredibly tight wild card and division races. The negative part of this season is that there has been a lot of mediocre football. The positive is that due to that mediocre football we now have multiple survival of the fittest races for only a few playoff spots. Buckle up!
Bills Run Wild on Dallas, Knocking on Door of Playoff Picture
It has been a year of inconsistent play for the Buffalo Bills. A team that felt like they were one of the Super Bowl favorites entering the past couple of seasons looked like their quest for the postseason in 2023-24 was unlikely at times. With the Dallas Cowboys in town, a team that just obliterated the Philadelphia Eagles, it would have seemed like a lock for Buffalo to lose a game in which Josh Allen was 7-15 throwing the ball for just 94 yards and a touchdown. Instead, the Bills found a way to pound the rock on the way to a dominating 31-10 win.
It was a James Cook and Buffalo defense show on Sunday. Cook, the second year running back rushed for 179 yards and one touchdown, while also providing a receiving touchdown. Cook’s implementation into the offense, particularly the passing game since Ken Dorsey’s firing, has played a massive part in Buffalo’s rise in the AFC standings. The Bills sit just outside of the final wild card seed with a 8-6 record and back to back wins against Kansas City and Dallas.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Dak Prescott had a major argument to be the favorite for the NFL MVP award. After facing Buffalo, that is certainly no longer the case. The Bills held Prescott to just 134 yards passing and one interception. The Cowboys posted just 195 yards combined.
Buffalo will wrap up the season with games at Los Angeles to play the Chargers, home against New England, and a regular season finale in Miami. For the past couple of weeks it doesn’t like it is too extreme to state that Buffalo is the hottest AFC team in the league. With back to back wins against Kansas City and Dallas, Buffalo is playing much better football than they did earlier in the season.
This season has had it’s limitations when it comes to teams playing consistently well. Between many injuries and just poor play, it is refreshing to see a team healthy and playing up to their potential. It has been awhile since people could believe that this Buffalo team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but if you are another AFC team this is not a version of the Bills you’d want to play in the postseason.
Purdy and McCaffrey Put on MVP Performances
The more weeks that pass the more it feels like the San Francisco 49ers are the heavy favorite to reach Super Bowl LVIII and win their sixth title. With their 45-29 win over Arizona on Sunday, the Niners won their sixth straight game and continued to eliminate any remembrance of their midseason three game losing streak.
With dominating wins this season over Dallas, Jacksonville, and Philadelphia it’s not about defeating a poor Arizona team, but how they did it. San Francisco is so talented across the board that they can win a multitude ways. On any given week the game’s best player could be Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or Greg Kittle. That’s not even mentioning a defense that features Nick Bosa and Chase Young.
This week it was pure domination by both Purdy and McCaffrey. Purdy has proven to be more than the game manager the Niners always seemed to have needed. He was on fire Sunday, throwing for 242 yards and four touchdowns, spreading the ball around to the Niners endless weapons. McCaffrey was obviously one of those weapons, leading the team in receiving yards with 72 yards and two touchdowns. C-Mac also provided his usual steady rushing attack to the tune of 115 yards and a touchdown, proving once again why he is the most talented and versatile back in the NFL.
The 49ers also got in on the scoring party as well. Charvarius Ward returned a Kyler Murray interception for a touchdown in the first quarter.
In a season with minimal consistent MVP caliber performances and the Niners playing high level football for a majority of the season, it’s only right that both Purdy and McCaffrey are in the award talks. Both have been incredibly consistent and are the biggest reasons for San Francisco’s success. With Dak Prescott likely playing himself out of the MVP conversation on Sunday, it would seem that the two Niners would be on the short list for the award with Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts. Personally, I believe the whole Niners offense doesn’t function the same without McCaffrey and that’s why he’s the more deserving player, but one can’t question that both have earned the right to be in the conversation.
The Niners and their MVP candidates will get a big opportunity to make a big statement when they play Jackson and the AFC leading Baltimore Ravens in Christmas Day primetime football next week. The game will feature the best two teams between both conferences, MVP candidates on both sides, and a legitimately realistic Super Bowl matchup. It’s already shaping up to be a great Christmas.
Seattle Stuns Philly for Eagles Third Straight Loss
The City of Brotherly Love might be about ready to tear itself apart after Monday Night’s showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks. After two straight abysmal weeks, Philadelphia looked like they were about to get back in the win column, but they will have to wait another week after Drew Lock hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown with 28 seconds left to give Seattle their first and final lead of the game. Seattle would hold on for the 20-17 home win.
Philadelphia didn’t necessarily play well (something that is a common trend of this team regardless of wins or losses), but was in control of the game for almost the entirety of the matchup. The Eagles held Seattle to just 297 yards of total offense, but two turnovers by Philadelphia and the inability to convert on third downs in the second half ended up costing the defending NFC champions.
The two Philadelphia touchdowns came on the heels of Jalen Hurts who had a mediocre day passing, but did rush for 82 yards to go with his two rushing touchdowns. Seattle did shutdown Hurts passing ability though, holding him to just 143 yards and forcing two interceptions, including the game clinching play.
That game clinching interception is also worth questioning Hurts about. With only 13 seconds remaining and two timeouts from the Philly 45 yard line, the Eagles only needed about 15 yards for Jake Elliott to attempt a game tying field goal, but Hurts took a deep shot to A.J. Brown that was picked off at the Seattle 17 yard line. A curious passing decision considering the game situation.
As much as the Seattle defense kept the Seahawks in the game, much credit goes to the play of Drew Lock and Kennth Walker III down the stretch. Walker was running angry throughout the game and picked up 86 yards and one touchdown. Lock struggled in moments, but ultimately made the beautiful 29 yard touchdown pass over the Philadelphia defense to win the game. That pass may have just saved the Seahawks playoff hopes with Seattle having three remaining games against teams in which a win is attainable.
The biggest attention will still go to Philadelphia who is sliding at the worst time. The Eagles felt like a lock to return to the NFC Championship Game, but after losing to three potential NFC playoff teams in three consecutive weeks, every game prediction for Philadelphia moving forward should be written in pencil as opposed to pen.
Detroit Gives Denver a Saturday Slaughtering
For the first time in 30 years, Detroit Lions fans can finally sniff a division crown. Detroit has never won the NFC North, with their last division championship coming in 1993 when they won the now non-existent NFC Central. The Lions took one emphatic step towards that long awaited division title on Saturday when they trounced the Denver Broncos, 42-17.
A scoreless and competitive first quarter turned into an old fashioned ass kicking in the second quarter when Detroit exploded for 21 points behind passing touchdowns by Jared Goff to Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Those would be three of the five touchdowns Goff would throw on the day.
Although Denver would find 17 points of their own in the second half, the Lions offense would double their first half 21 points to bury Denver and never let them get any closer than an 14 point deficit. Detroit’s two dynamic rookies, Gibbs and Laporta, would find the end zone each for a second time. Both have looked like future stars at their positions, with Laporta already looking like a top three tight end in an NFL where Mark Andrews’ season is over and Travis Kelce has lacked some of the big games football fans are accustomed to seeing. The Lions obliterated the Broncos in total yards, 448-287.
Detroit will now play two games against division rival Minnesota and one final big test at Dallas before they prepare for their postseason run. With a win in any game, the Lions will clinch that NFC North title. The one thing that Detroit has lacked has been the ability to win games against some of the NFL’s best teams, but the dominance against Denver gives hope that they are still improving with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season.
For Denver, a season that looked lost and then found is now back to slipping away again. Denver had won five in a row, but has now lost two of three games and sits in 11th place in the AFC. As much as it may seem like a season without any additional hope, Denver’s final three games are all winnable as they take on New England, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas. If Sean Payton’s team can salvage some of the play from their five game win streak, a 10-7 record likely gets Denver in the playoffs.
Week 16 Game Watchability Rankings
16. Commanders vs Jets: At this point in the season if you are one of the lowest rated games it simply means you have two teams that are out or nearly out of any playoff picture. New York and Washington fit that bill as both of these teams are wrapping up atrocious seasons that they can’t forget about soon enough.
15. Cardinals vs Bears: Another game that won’t feature any playoff teams, Arizona and Chicago have seen better seasons. Chicago has actually played much better recently, challenging a good Cleveland team this weekend. Arizona is in the final games of the season in which they will need to asses their team and most importantly, Kyler Murray, as they will have a high pick in a draft class loaded with quarterback prospects.
14. Packers vs Panthers: Green Bay had a great opportunity to work back into the playoff picture after their Monday Night Football loss to the New York Giants. The Packers let that opportunity slip away with a horrific defensive performance and loss to Tampa Bay at home. With so many 6-8 and 7-7 teams in the NFC, all hope is not necessarily lost for Green Bay, but they cannot lose another game and even that may not make a difference. Green Bay will face a Carolina team who found their second win of the season. Carolina won a 9-7 game against Atlanta so take that for what it’s worth.
13. Patriots vs Broncos: Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos have now lost two of three games after winning five in a row. The Broncos will have three winnable games down the stretch to try to work their way from 11th place up to a wild card berth. Game one starts with the New England Patriots at home. Bill Belichick is one of the few coaches outside of Payton who has likely driven themselves more mad this season. With just three wins and a chance still at the number one overall pick, it’s almost a certainty that Caleb Williams or Drake Maye will be wearing a Patriots jersey next season.
12. Seahawks vs Titans: Seattle was on the brink of nearly kissing their playoff chances goodbye when Drew Lock raised them back from the dead on Monday Night Football. Seattle is right back on the doorstep of the NFC playoff window behind Los Angeles and Minnesota. Considering neither the Rams or Vikings can be trusted, Seattle has a great opportunity when they travel to play Tennessee. The Titans offense has been brutal. Will Levis has had moments, but the offense still runs through Derrick Henry and when he’s shutdown like he was against Houston, Tennessee has virtually no where to go.
11. Giants vs Eagles: For weeks, Philadelphia got by with ugly football to the tune of a 10-1 record. It seems the Eagles lack of improvement on the season has finally caught up to them in the form of a three game losing streak, including Monday night’s collapse to Seattle. Now the Eagles will have their first opportunity to feast on the New York Giants. They will play New York in two of three games and hopefully build some confidence back as they prepare for a postseason run that may not last as long as once expected.
10. Bills vs Chargers: Unless you are a fan of one of the other AFC teams competing for the playoffs, most football fans should be cheering for this version of the Buffalo Bills to clinch a playoff spot. After dismantling Dallas, Buffalo has won three of four and looks like one of the best teams in a competitive AFC that seems to lack an elite level team. With Brandon Staley out and Justin Herbert’s season over, a win in Los Angeles against the Chargers should be all in a day’s work for this Bills team that is playing their best football of the season.
9. Raiders vs Chiefs: Las Vegas followed up their shutout loss to Minnesota by dropping 63 points on the Chargers and finalizing the firing of Brandon Staley. Unfortunately the Raiders have virtually no shot at a playoff bid, but they can play spoiler to a beatable (yes, I said it) Kansas City Chiefs team. This is the most vulnerable Chiefs team we’ve seen with Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has receivers he can’t trust, Travis Kelce looks like he’s starting to fall back to the rest of the tight end pack, and Kansas City just doesn’t have that unstoppable force feeling like they’ve had in the past few years. With Kansas City nearing a playoff berth, now is the time for the Chiefs to fine tune their offense…if they can.
8. Colts vs Falcons: From here on out every game features two teams that are either currently in the playoffs or in the hunt to be in the playoffs. Indianapolis continues to hold the final wild card place in the AFC after a massive win against Pittsburgh. Atlanta once held the lead in the NFC South, but the Falcons have lost five of seven games. Atlanta may be only one game out of their divisional race, but with games against Indy, Chicago, and New Orleans, their best route to the playoffs would be to win out and hope teams in front slip up at least one time. The loser of this game will likely see a big hit to any postseason hopes.
7. Saints vs Rams: This could eventually be a playoff eliminator match up. With both New Orleans and Los Angeles having records of 7-7 and the Saints sitting right behind the Rams for the final playoff spot, this is essentially a playoff game. The Rams offense continues to be one of the sneaky good units in the NFL when they have Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams healthy. The Derek Carr thing hasn’t worked in New Orleans like many had hoped, but the Saints are still right in a division race as well as the wild card hunt. Losing this one may cost them both races.
6. Bengals vs Steelers: Is Jake Browning becoming a thing? When Joe Burrow’s season ended it felt like Cincinnati’s would with him, but Browning has played well enough to win three straight games and move the Bengals into the second wild card spot. This past weekend, Browning led a 14 point fourth quarter comeback against Minnesota. Browning and the Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to play a desperate Steelers team. The Steelers are currently the only AFC North team not in the playoff picture. Pittsburgh has lost three straight with their last win coming against Cincinnati in Browning’s first start after Burrow went down.
5. Lions vs Vikings: Detroit will have an opportunity to clinch a divisional title for the first time in 30 years if they can defeat Minnesota in Minneapolis. The Lions offense put on a clinic on Saturday with great games from their two rookie studs, Sam Laporta and Jahmyr Gibbs. Minnesota will be returning home after a classic Vikings style loss, blowing a fourth quarter lead and losing in overtime to Cincinnati. Regardless of whether it’s Nick Mullens or Josh Dobbs, the Vikings have not be able to find a reliable quarterback since the Kirk Cousins injury.
4. Jaguars vs Buccaneers: A battle between the two lesser division leading teams in Florida. Jacksonville and Tampa Bay are no Miami, but both still sit atop their divisions. Jacksonville has now lost three games in a row. Just a few weeks ago, a playoff berth seemed like a near lock, but with both Indianapolis and Houston on their heels, they are no longer safe. Tampa Bay is in their own tight race in the NFC South. The Bucs hold the tie breaker over New Orleans and have a one game lead over Atlanta. One of the many games this week with a lot on the line.
3. Browns vs Texans: Cleveland continues to find ways to win games and have found some quarterback consistency behind Joe Flacco. They will get a hungry Houston team who is currently the first team out of the playoffs, but with the Texans only a game back of the Browns, a win could cause some major shuffling in the AFC. With virtually no wild card contending teams safe, this is a must win for both teams.
2. Cowboys vs Dolphins: Just when we are giving the Dallas Cowboys their roses they get their butt’s kicked by Buffalo. It’s games like these that make Dallas tough to believe in. They will get a quick redemption game against another AFC East team in the Miami Dolphins. This could be an absolute shootout in Miami. Will the Dallas defense be able to stop the Dolphins offense?
1. Ravens vs 49ers: As we near the end of the regular season, Baltimore and San Francisco might be the two teams in the NFL who have played most consistently well throughout the entire season. This very well could be a Super Bowl preview. Baltimore hasn’t completely avoided the injury bug this season, but are far more healthy than past years and have the wins to prove it. The Niners are red hot again with both Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey in the MVP race. This game is a holiday gift for football fans.
The Brewball NFL Power Rankings
- San Francisco 49ers (11-3)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (9-5)
- Miami Dolphins (10-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)
- Buffalo Bills (8-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
- Detroit Lions (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (9-5)
- Houston Texans (8-6)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6)
- Denver Broncos (7-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (7-7)
- Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- New Orleans Saints (7-7)
- Green Bay Packers (6-8)
- Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
- Chicago Bears (5-9)
- Tennessee Titans (5-9)
- New York Jets (5-9)
- New York Giants (5-9)
- Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- New England Patriots (3-11)
- Carolina Panthers (2-12)