The season ought to be pushing towards a crescendo. Unfortunately, greater than half of the league has already crashed.
Seventeen groups are under .500. Unless just a few of them get scorching late, there will probably be little drama within the ultimate weeks of the season.
The high of the league stays clustered, with loads of seeds nonetheless TBD — together with the all-important No. 1 spot, in each conferences.
Those two races would have been much more attention-grabbing this weekend, if the Bears and the Raiders hadn’t botched fundamental game-management selections that any child who performs Madden can correctly execute.
7-4 Chargers (-2.5) at 6-5 Falcons, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green)
L.A. makes the short-week journey to Georgia to face a Falcons crew that didn’t play in Week 12. Advantage, Atlanta.
The Chargers’ operating sport has taken successful with the knee harm to J.Ok. Dobbins, who’s week to week with an MCL sprain.
The Chargers’ 4 losses have come in opposition to groups with successful information; six of their seven wins have occurred in opposition to groups extra losses than victories.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris stated his crew wants extra play-action on offense. The crew additionally wants extra wins; the Buccaneers are creeping up on the division leaders.
8-3 Steelers at 4-7 Bengals (-3), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle and Charles Davis)
The Steelers have a 12-4 report in opposition to the Bengals since 2016.
Cincinnati emerges from the bye week with a 1-3 report over their previous 4 video games. Six of the Bengals’ seven losses have come in opposition to groups in playoff place.
Still, quarterback Joe Burrow is tied with Lamar Jackson for probably the most landing passes within the league this season, at 27. The final quarterback to steer the NFL in passing touchdowns however not make the playoffs was Russell Wilson with the Seahawks in 2017.
Pittsburgh has its five-game successful streak finish within the snow in opposition to the Browns. Pittsburgh finishes with at Bengals, Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals.
7-5 Texans (-5) at 2-9 Jaguars, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston)
The Texans are 11-2 in opposition to Jacksonville since 2018, however the groups cut up in 2022 and 2023. Houston gained their first 2024 get-together in Week 4.
Many across the league have been surprised by the failure of proprietor Shad Khan to not hearth coach Doug Pederson throughout the bye. There’s a idea in league circles that Khan might need refrained with a view to rating factors with potential 2025 head coach Bill Belichick, who abhors in-season teaching firings.
The Texans have misplaced 4 of six, however they maintain a two-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Colts.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is predicted to start out, after lacking two video games with a left shoulder harm.
6-5 Cardinals at 9-2 Vikings (-3.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Davis and Greg Olsen)
The Vikings return residence for 3 straight video games at U.S. Bank Stadium, culminating in a Monday evening go to from the Bears. Minnesota has gained 4 in a row and swept a three-game street journey (Jaguars, Titans, Bears).
Arizona slipped right into a first-place NFC West tie with the Seahawks, after dropping 16-6 in Seattle. It was the primary time the Cardinals failed to attain a landing all season.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has 14 turnovers, tied for the league lead with Gardner Minshew. Minnesota formally added Daniel Jones to the follow squad on Friday.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Vikings from 2014 via 2017.
5-7 Colts (-2.5) at 3-9 Patriots, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta)
Ten years after #DeflateGate, the Colts and Patriots get collectively in New England. The Colts are nonetheless alive for a wild-card berth at 5-7. The Patriots are cooked at 3-9.
The Patriots have misplaced 4 of 5 at residence; 4 of the 5 video games performed at Gillette Stadium have been determined by one rating.
The Colts stay within the combine for a division title and a wild-card berth, however their path isn’t a straightforward one. They’ve misplaced three of 4 after beginning 4-4.
6-5 Seahawks (-2) at 3-8 Jets, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez)
The Jets return from the bye after extra chaos, beginning with the firing of G.M. Joe Douglas and persevering with with actual questions on Aaron Rodgers’s future with the crew. The excellent news is that he’s off the harm report fully for the primary time since Week 4.
For Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, it’s an opportunity to beat the crew that drafted him in 2013. It will probably be his second begin in opposition to the Jets, and his second begin at MetLife Stadium since leaving New York. In 2023, the Seahawks beat the Giants in New Jersey.
While Smith is having one other stable yr, he leads the league in interceptions, with 12.
3-8 Titans at 7-5 Commanders (-5.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty)
Reality has settled in for the Commanders, who’ve misplaced three in a row and might be in peril of blowing the No. 7 seed within the NFC. The offense averaged 29.2 factors within the first 9 video games. In the final three, the per-game quantity has fallen to 23.7.
Tennessee upset the Texans in Week 12. Quarterback Will Levis had his second sport with a passer ranking above 123 in three weeks. While the Titans have little or no likelihood to make the playoffs, Levis has a possibility over the ultimate six video games to persuade the brand new teaching workers to stay with him in 2025.
5-6 Buccaneers (-6) at 3-8 Panthers, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Chris Myers and Mark Schlereth)
The Buccaneers had 4 speeding touchdowns in Week 12; they beforehand had eight for your entire yr. Running again Rachaad White has scored a landing in 5 straight video games.
The Bucs stay very a lot alive within the NFC playoff image; they path the Falcons by one sport (plus tiebreaker) for the NFC South lead. Tampa Bay trails the Commanders by 1.5 video games for a wild-card berth; Tampa Bay holds that tiebreaker, from Week 1 win over Washington.
Bryce Young is starting to enhance considerably for the Panthers after being benched following Week 2. He had 263 passing yards in a 30-27 loss to the Chiefs final week.
5-6 Rams (-2.5) at 4-7 Saints, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma)
Per week after being shredded for 314 speeding yards (second most in franchise historical past) by the Eagles, the Rams go to New Orleans to face the one-two punch of Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, who had 138 speeding yards in opposition to the Browns on solely seven carries.
The Saints have gained two in a row beneath interim coach Darren Rizzi; they’re solely two video games behind the Falcons within the NFC South.
Rams receiver Demarcus Robison will play regardless of an arrest early Monday for suspicion of DUI.
9-2 Eagles at 8-4 Ravens (-3), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz and Tony Romo)
The sport of the day options two elite groups and 4 MVP candidates. The Eagles, who’ve gained seven in a row, appear to be the sure-fire No. 2 seed within the NFC — with an opportunity to catch the Lions for the highest spot. The Ravens are chasing the Steelers for the AFC North crown.
The high two speeding offenses will collide on this one, fueled by the highest two operating backs within the league, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has 10 speeding touchdowns, and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leads all NFL signal-callers with 599 speeding yards.
The Eagles are 8-0 this season when receiver A.J. Brown performs.
Jackson will get one other likelihood to fatten up one of the crucial spectacular stats within the league — he’s 23-1 in opposition to NFC groups.
5-6 49ers at 9-2 Bills (-7), Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth)
A lake-effect snow warning has been issued within the Buffalo space via 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Bills have gained six in a row; they’re a sport behind the Chiefs for the No. 1 seed within the AFC. (Buffalo holds the tiebreaker.) Buffalo has scored 30 or extra factors in 5 straight video games.
The 49ers have been blown out by the Packers final week. Several key gamers missed the sport on account of harm. At 5-6, the 49ers have already got extra losses than they did in all of 2023.
Christian McCaffrey hasn’t scored in three video games again from an Achilles harm that delayed his debut till November. He’s averaging 3.5 yards per carry.
3-8 Browns at 7-5 Broncos (-5.5), Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)
The Broncos have an opportunity to solidify their playoff prospects in opposition to a crew that possible could be within the playoff combine if it had gone with quarterback Jameis Winston sooner.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has 20 whole touchdowns within the final 10 video games, and solely two interceptions.
Winston signed with the Saints when Broncos coach Sean Payton was in New Orleans. In 2021, Winston was 5-2 in New Orleans earlier than struggling a season-ending ACL tear.
