The NFL continues to offer thrilling motion each week, questioning which groups are literally going to compete in Super Bowl LXIX in New Orleans. The Buffalo Bills made their assertion to signify the AFC in that Super Bowl by scoring 48 factors on the Detroit Lions whereas the Philadelphia Eagles continued to roll by thrashing the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The MVP race is heating up too, as Josh Allen threw for 362 yards and ran for 68 yards with 4 complete touchdowns and Lamar Jackson threw for 290 yards and 5 touchdowns. Saquon Barkley can be on tempo for two,000 dashing yards and the Eagles preserve successful.
As the Sunday slate in Week 15 involves a detailed, the overreaction pot is flowing with takes. Which of those overreactions are really overreactions, in comparison with that are actuality?
Lions won’t get the No. 1 seed within the NFC
Overreaction or actuality: Overreaction
Sunday’s loss to the Bills was a blow to the Lions having important leeway over the Eagles and Vikings for the No. 1 seed, however Detroit nonetheless controls its personal future for the highest seed within the convention. The Lions maintain the conference-record tiebreaker over the Eagles, so Sunday’s loss did not have an effect on that state of affairs. Detroit additionally holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota by advantage of the Lions’ victory over the Vikings earlier this yr (Minnesota faces the Bears on Monday night time).
There is not purpose to fret for the Lions shedding the No. 1 seed but, however the margin for error is gone. The Lions should win out to lock up the No. 1 seed with how the Eagles are enjoying (they’ve Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants remaining) and the Vikings aren’t slipping up both (the have the Bears, Seahawks, Packers and Lions left).
Based on their schedules, the Eagles are a much bigger risk to the Lions for the No. 1 seed. Detroit has to lose a convention sport and Philadelphia should win out, however that margin of error is gone after the loss to Buffalo.
Josh Allen locked up his MVP award
Overreaction or actuality: Overreaction
Allen has been making his case to earn his first MVP award after one other excellent efficiency in Sunday’s win over the Lions. has put up 340+ passing yards, 60+ dashing yards, 2+ passing touchdowns and a couple of+ dashing touchdowns in back-to-back video games (the one different participant to ever have a stat line like that for one sport was Steve Young in 1991), showcasing how historic his run has been.
Allen additionally had his second straight season with 25 passing touchdowns and 10 dashing touchdowns whereas turning into the one participant because the merger with six-plus passing touchdowns and six-plus dashing touchdowns in a three-game span (and this does not embody his receiving landing). He additionally has not been sacked, dedicated a fumble or thrown an interception throughout the stretch.
So why would not Allen have the MVP award locked up after main the Bills to 48 factors off a Lions protection that was permitting 15.8 factors per sport over the previous 4 weeks? Lamar Jackson has thrown 34 landing passes to 3 interceptions this season, mixed together with his 743 dashing yards and three scores. Saquon Barkley continues to be on tempo for two,000 dashing yards as properly.
Allen is the frontrunner for MVP (and will get the award via 15 weeks), however he did not wrap it up but. The Bills’ simple end (Patriots, Jets, Patriots) considerably favors Allen down the stretch.
The AFC has its seven playoff groups
Overreaction or actuality: Reality
For the AFC groups that had an outdoor likelihood on the playoffs, this week was not very type to them. The Dolphins (6-8) fell to the Texans whereas the Colts (6-8) might have made the Broncos’ pash to the playoffs tougher. Instead, the Dolphins and Colts are two video games behind the Chargers (8-6) for the ultimate playoff spot.
The Broncos (9-5) basically locked up their playoff berth with their win over the Colts whereas the Ravens (9-5) are additionally a win away from sealing a playoff berth. The Chargers play the Broncos in Week 16, however end with the Patriots (3-11) and Raiders (2-11). The different wild-card spot will go to Los Angeles.
The Colts, Dolphins, and Bengals (6-8) haven’t got a shot on the playoffs with three weeks to play. The AFC has their seven playoff groups, because the battle for seeding issues extra within the residence stretch.
Packers proved they will beat good groups
Overreaction or actuality: Overreaction
A convincing victory over the Seahawks on the highway is what the Packers wanted after a tricky loss to the Lions, however Green Bay nonetheless wants extra convincing to be thought-about a Super Bowl contender. Jordan Love has confirmed he can win playoff video games on the highway and the Packers protection has allowed fewer than 20 factors in 4 of the final 5 video games.
Against groups with 10+ wins, the Packers are 0-4 this season (misplaced twice to Lions and as soon as to Eagles and Vikings). Sunday’s win over the Seahawks was the Packers’ fourth in opposition to a workforce that’s at present .500 or higher, however Green Bay hasn’t overwhelmed the elite groups but.
This doesn’t suggest Green Bay cannot win a championship, however there will likely be doubts till it beats a type of 10-win groups. The Packers have a tune-up in opposition to the Vikings in Week 17 and will get one other shot at one of many elite groups within the convention in the event that they deal with enterprise within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs.
The Eagles haven’t got a passing downside
Overreaction or actuality: Reality
Jalen Hurts solely wanted a sport to place the doubts concerning the Eagles passing sport to relaxation, because the Eagles quarterback threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s win over the Steelers. Hurts completed with a 125.7 passer ranking and accomplished 78.1% of his passes.
Hurts focused A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith a complete of 23 occasions, because the duo mixed for 19 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Brown and Smith had been the primary Eagles duo to have 100+ receiving yards, a receiving touchdowns greater than 5 catches in a sport since Brent Celek and DeSean Jackson in 2009. Brown had his season excessive in catches and targets only one week after he stated “passing” was what the offense wanted to enhance on.
The Eagles rushed for simply 131 yards and Saquon Barkley solely completed with 65 (and had 3.4 yards per carry). Philadelphia simply proved what it already knew — that the Eagles can win in a mess of how.
There is not any passing downside on the Eagles. Hurts is multi-dimensional, which is why he wins as continuously as he does (now 46-19 as a beginning quarterback). He’s nonetheless quarterback throwing the soccer, proving that side of his sport is sweet sufficient when the sport plan requires it.
