Sunday’s late afternoon video games disenchanted regardless of what a promising five-game slate.
The two potential Super Bowl previews didn’t reside as much as the hype because the Buffalo Bills punished the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles cruised in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But we did achieve loads of intrigue in relation to the No. 1 seed in each conferences. The Lions (12–2) and Eagles (12–2) at the moment are tied atop the NFC standings, with Detroit holding the tiebreaker. And the Bills (11–3) stay two video games behind the Kansas City Chiefs (13–1), however management the head-to-head tiebreaker with three video games left within the common season.
That might come into play after Patrick Mahomes sustained a excessive ankle sprain Sunday. Kansas City prevented a worst-case state of affairs as their star quarterback was deemed week-to-week, however it nonetheless places his availability going ahead doubtful. Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned Mahomes is coping with soreness, and Mahomes mentioned he would have gone again in if it have been a playoff sport.
The Chiefs would possibly proceed to play it protected with Mahomes’s ankle harm for now as a result of the playoffs are nonetheless a month away. This received’t be a straightforward resolution, although, with the Bills nonetheless inside putting distance due to their assertion victory in Detroit.
Even the intriguing matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a rout after Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans picked aside a protection that may have been overrated. For some time, it appeared the Indianapolis Colts have been going to provide us one thing to speak about within the late video games, however the Denver Broncos took management within the second half of their matchup to get one step nearer to ending their eight-year postseason drought.
Here’s what we discovered from the not-so-exciting video games in Week 15 that nonetheless shook up the playoff standings.
Lions now not mighty after Josh Allen exposes defensive points
We didn’t obtain the Super Bowl preview we have been promised in Detroit as a result of Josh Allen and his high-scoring offense turned it right into a one-sided affair for three-and-half quarters. The Lions did make a late rally, however the Bills got here away with the ball on the final onside try to seal the 48–42 victory.
Maybe the soccer public mislabeled this Week 15 matchup as a result of there may need been just one championship contender at Ford Field. Sure, that could possibly be considerably of a attain and an overreaction to at least one dangerous sport for the Lions, however it’s honest to not less than say their defensive accidents are regarding. Defensive standout Alim McNeill was carted off the sphere with a knee harm, probably including to Detroit’s whole of 11 defensive gamers on injured reserve.
For weeks, the Lions made it work regardless of the shortage of depth on the defensive aspect. But accidents caught as much as them in opposition to probably one of the best offense within the NFL. Allen, the heavy favourite for MVP, guided the Bills to 3 touchdowns on their first three drives and jumped to a 35–14 benefit within the third quarter. Allen went 23-of-34 for 362 yards and two touchdowns, and added 11 carries for 68 yards and two scores.
Last week, I used to be vital of the Bills’ defensive lapses and head-scratching teaching choices of their loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But Allen and his red-hot offense is likely to be sufficient to beat these two weaknesses, particularly with what they confirmed in Detroit. Buffalo has scored not less than 30 factors in eight consecutive video games, which tied a single-season NFL report.
I’ll attempt my finest to not overreact to at least one sport, however the Bills deserve loads of credit score for shortly bouncing again from the loss in Los Angeles. Allen appears decided to get to the Super Bowl and never enable the protection or coach Sean McDermott to get in the best way. As for the Lions, they need to nonetheless be known as Super Bowl contenders, however it is likely to be higher for them to prioritize well being than to outlast the Eagles for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Lions additionally must take care of the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North title. And the convention is loaded with sleeper contenders, together with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Rams and Buccaneers. The Lions are now not mighty and the NFC is large open.
Mayfield, Evans tell us Chargers’ D is overrated
Evans put himself in robust place to proceed his 1,000-yard receiving streak after punishing a Chargers’ protection that many thought of to be among the finest within the league.
Mayfield and Evans took management of the 40–17 victory after making an emphasis within the second half to push the ball downfield—they linked for a 57-yard landing early within the third quarter to erase a seven-point deficit and later had a 35-yard landing move to provide the Bucs a 13-point benefit. Tampa Bay scored 30 unanswered factors, lighting up the No. 1 scoring protection within the NFL.
Evans completed with 9 catches for 159 yards and one landing. He now has a powerful shot of reaching 1,000 receiving yards in all 11 of his NFL seasons, which didn’t appear possible after Evans missed 4 consecutive video games because of a hamstring harm. The future Hall of Fame wideout has 749 receiving yards with three video games left within the common season.
More importantly, the Buccaneers (8–6) proceed to steer the NFC South and will do loads of injury within the playoffs. Tampa Bay has an entire roster and resembles the workforce that stifled the Lions earlier within the season earlier than the wave of accidents led to a four-game shedding streak. And this model of the Buccaneers is likely to be higher with the emergence of rookie working again Bucky Irving, who recorded 117 dashing yards in opposition to the Chargers.
Los Angeles’s robust defensive numbers may need been deceiving as a result of they benefited from a straightforward schedule earlier than going through higher opponents prior to now month. The Chargers (8–6) additionally had points in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, however not even these offensive items did what the Buccaneers did to L.A. on Sunday. Jesse Minter’s protection allowed a season-high in factors (40) and yards (506) in opposition to a harmful Mayfield–led Buccaneers workforce.
Broncos close to locks to finish postseason drought
The Broncos (9–5) surpassed the Chargers within the AFC standings after weeks of being considered because the weakest workforce among the many playoff contenders.
Denver is now the sixth seed and nicely positioned to finish its eight-year playoff drought due to a come-from-behind 31–13 victory over the Colts. Now is likely to be an excellent time for the trash-talking Sean Payton to return after many predicted that the Broncos can be in competition for a top-10 draft decide in 2025.
Some even went so far as labeling the Bo Nix first-round draft choice as a attain and potential bust. Many of the Nix doubters have been in all probability itching to say “I instructed you so” when the rookie quarterback was picked off for a 3rd time vs. the Colts. But Nix (20-of-33, 130 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions) was bailed out by his opportunistic protection, which pressured Anthony Richardson and the Colts (6–8) into 5 turnovers.
Nix might want to play higher for the Broncos to grow to be an actual risk within the AFC, however Payton has accomplished lots proper in his second season in Denver. Maybe it’s too quickly for Payton to return to his trash-talking methods—he did get in bother final yr for his Nathaniel Hackett remarks. But Payton and the Broncos can proceed proving the doubters improper by beating the Chargers on Thursday Night Football and clinching a playoff spot in Week 16.
Chiefs ought to shield Mahomes, sit him subsequent week
The Chiefs lastly dominated an opponent, however they left the 21–7 victory in opposition to the Browns with loads of concern for Mahomes.
Kansas City ought to sit Mahomes to keep away from additional harm to his ankle, particularly amid a three-game stretch in 10 days. The Chiefs play the Houston Texans in six days and face the Steelers 4 days after that on Christmas Day. Those aren’t excellent opponents with each groups excelling at dashing the passer. The Chiefs’ offensive line didn’t enable a sack vs. Myles Garrett & Co., however it’s been an inconsistent unit all through the season.
And maybe Mahomes shall be open to the concept. In earlier comparable conditions he normally managed to persuade Reid to let him get again within the sport. Mahomes mentioned he was O.Okay. with lacking the ultimate minutes vs. the Browns due to the double-digit lead and the boldness he has in his protection to shut it out. But he additionally talked about that he has belief in backup Carson Wentz.
The Chiefs are nonetheless battling with the Bills for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, however they’ve respiration room within the standings and may afford to have Wentz begin not less than one sport. It would possibly solely require Kansas City to generate 20 factors in opposition to a Houston offense that has struggled a lot of the season, together with in Sunday’s win vs. the Miami Dolphins.
It wouldn’t be shocking, nonetheless, to see Mahomes robust it out and play Saturday vs. the Texans. NBC and Netflix would like to see that as a result of they’re broadcasting the Chiefs’ subsequent two video games in standalone home windows.
As for some constructive information for Kansas City, the protection continues to play at a excessive stage to brush off a shaky stretch in November. Kansas City has held its previous three opponents (Las Vegas Raiders, Chargers, Browns) to 17 factors or fewer. The back-to-back reigning champions would possibly have to closely lean on their stout protection if Mahomes is pressured to overlook a sport because of his proper ankle harm.
Texans’ protection price highlighting amid uninteresting season for Stroud
The Texans (9–5) won’t be whole playoff pretenders in spite of everything.
Houston lastly gave us one thing to speak about after DeMeco Ryans’s protection pressured Tua Tagovailoa into 4 turnovers through the 20–12 victory in opposition to the Dolphins. The Texans clinched a playoff berth and the AFC South title for a second consecutive season.
Once once more, C.J. Stroud and his offense struggled to provide factors, one of many fundamental the reason why most soccer pundits haven’t given Houston a lot consideration in relation to the playoff panorama. But it’s time to not less than acknowledge that the Texans have the type of protection that might win a playoff sport when the wild-card spherical arrives subsequent month.
Tagovailoa had a misplaced fumble and three brutal interceptions, together with two that have been picked off by standout Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., with the latter sealing the one-score sport for Houston. Tagovailoa has his flaws, however he normally protects the soccer, which highlights how good this Houston protection actually is, holding Miami to 224 whole yards and 52 dashing yards.
But this sport was shut as a result of Stroud (18-of-26, 131 yards, two touchdowns) and his offense have been worse at transferring the ball than Tagovailoa’s unit. The Texans generated simply 181 whole yards, however they not less than produced 10 factors off the Miami turnovers. Wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins mixed for less than 43 receiving yards (Collins did have two touchdowns, although). That sort of manufacturing possible received’t win a playoff sport, even with a house sport and a dominant protection.
But the Texans’ offense doesn’t must be pretty much as good because it was final season to place a scare into one of many wild-card groups subsequent month—if the protection continues to do what it did on Sunday. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter mixed for two.5 sacks in opposition to the Dolphins. (Houston has 45 whole sacks this season.)
As for the Dolphins, this loss possible ends their playoff hopes. They had a late postseason push, however the gap they have been in because of Tagovailoa’s harm was too sizable to beat. It is likely to be a good suggestion for coach Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier to retool the offense as a result of what they’ve been doing the previous three seasons hasn’t led to a lot success in opposition to playoff contenders. Perhaps that is the offseason the place the Dolphins start to wonder if Tagovailoa is able to main a Super Bowl workforce.
