| A helpful look from Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com at where things stand after three of Week 17’s 16 games. The Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC on Christmas Day. Here’s how the rest of the playoff picture looks after Thursday night of Week 17: NFC Playoff PictureDIVISION LEADERS 1. Detroit Lions (13-2): Clinched a playoff berth.2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3): Clinched a playoff berth.3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6): Could clinch the NFC West as soon as Sunday with a win and some help.4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7): Own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buccaneers. WILD CARDS5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2): Clinched a playoff berth, still in contention for the No. 1 seed.6. Green Bay Packers (11-4): Getting swept by the Lions and losing to the Vikings takes them out of NFC North contention, even though they’re 11-1 otherwise.7. Washington Commanders (10-5): Stayed alive in the NFC East by beating the Eagles. OUTSIDE LOOKING IN8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7): Stayed alive with win over Bears.9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7): Loss to the Cowboys knocked them out of playoff position, for now. AFC Playoff PictureDIVISION LEADERS 1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1): Clinched the No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.2. Buffalo Bills (12-3): Clinched the AFC East.3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5): Clinched a playoff berth.4. Houston Texans (9-7): Clinched the AFC South and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. WILD CARDS5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): Clinched a playoff berth.6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6): Have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos.7. Denver Broncos (9-6): The loss to the Chargers hurt, but they’re still on the cusp of a wild card berth. OUTSIDE LOOKING IN8. Indianapolis Colts (7-8): Slim wild card hopes.9. Miami Dolphins (7-8): Even slimmer wild card hopes.10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8): The slimmest of wild card hopes. And some clinching scenarios: AFC Denver clinches a playoff berth with:Denver win at Cincinnati Saturday Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England Patriots (3-12); Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network Chargers clinch a playoff berth with::Chargers win at New EnglandorMIA loss or tie + IND loss or tie NFC Detroit clinches NFC North division title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage with: DET win + MIN loss Philadelphia clinches NFC East division title with:Philadelphia win over Dallas Or WAS loss Atlanta clinches NFC South division title with:ATL win + TB loss Washington clinches a playoff berth with:WAS win orTB loss Los Angeles Rams clinch NFC West division title with:LAR win + LAR clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over SEA(Note: LAR clinches strength of victory over SEA with 4 or more wins from the following teams: MIN, BUF, SF, WAS, CIN, CLE) Some percentages ESPN NFL.com NY TimesLions earn #1 seed 76.4% 74%Rams win NFC West 81.1% 86% 89%Falcons win NFC South 50.5% 57% 50%Broncos make playoffs 75.1% 75% 75% If the Broncos lose to the Bengals on Saturday, they go down to 59% per NFL.com |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOOn the last play of Chicago’s 10th straight loss, QB CALEB WILLIAMS threw his first interception of this horrible stretch. Mike Gianakos of ClutchPoints.com: The woeful Chicago Bears couldn’t get their offense in gear in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The two teams combined to score nine points in the game but Seattle came out on top, 6-3. One week after Caleb Williams tied the franchise record with his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season, the rookie quarterback fell just short of another historic accomplishment. Williams threw his sixth pick of the season and his first since Week 6. The interception broke an impressive streak. Had Williams finished the game without throwing a pick, he would have become only the third quarterback ever to go 10 straight games with 20+ pass attempts and no interceptions, according to Bears reporter Adam Hoge on X. Tom Brady and Derek Carr are the only QBs to pull off the feat. With the Bears trailing by three late in the fourth quarter, Williams led a drive into Seahawk’s territory. Chicago only needed a field goal to tie the game but instead of attempting a long kick from Seattle’s 40-yard-line on 4th and 10 with 20 seconds remaining, the Bears went for it. The Seahawks pass rush was instantly in Williams’ face as he backpedaled and lobbed the ball up for grabs in the middle of the field where it was promptly picked off by cornerback Riq Woolen. While he was unable to join Brady and Carr in an exclusive club, Williams did add to his league-leading sack total Thursday night. The first-year passer absorbed seven more sacks in Week 17. He’s now been sacked 67 times so far this season as the Bears lost their 10th straight game and fell to 4-12. Scott Kacsmar puts in context how unusual it is to lose in succession without the fuel of interceptions. @ScottKacsmarThe no INT streak ends. But the losing streak continues for Chicago. Almost doubled this record though. Crazy stuff. Most consecutive losses without throwing an interception in NFL history 1. 2024 Bears – 9 games2. 1994 Oilers – 5 games2. 2018-19 Jets – 5 games2. 2021-22 Broncos – 5 games This is crazy. Matt Eberflus is gone, but the Bears late game clock and play management continues to confound. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com does a good job of explaining what went on: Thomas Brown became the Bears’ interim head coach when Matt Eberflus was fired following disastrous game management decisions at the end of a Chicago loss. On Thursday night, Brown had some questionable decisions of his own on the Bears’ final drive. With the Bears trailing 6-3 and facing fourth-and-inches with 2:14 left in the fourth quarter, they lined up to go for it but were flagged for a false start. That brought up a fourth-and-5, and Brown sent the punting team out. But Brown then called a timeout and sent the offense back on the field to convert the first down. The Bears picked up the first down, but burning a timeout late in a close game is never a good look from a head coach. Brown was asked after the game why there was confusion from the Bears about whether they should punt or go for it. “It wasn’t confusion at all, I just changed my mind,” Brown said. “I changed my mind and said Let’s go for it now and sent the offense back on the grass.” Whether confusion or changing his mind, the result was Brown blowing a timeout at a time in the game when the Bears should have been conserving their timeouts. The good news for the Bears was that they converted the fourth-and-5 after sending the offense back on the field, and then drove into long field goal range at the Seahawks’ 40-yard line. Unfortunately, after an incomplete pass the Bears wasted yet another timeout while the clock was stopped. Brown said he just wanted to get the right play call in. “Just being able to have cleaner communication, getting out of the huddle, snap the ball faster,” Brown said. “We didn’t want to waste plays. Have a timeout from a delay of game standpoint, so that was the whole reason for burning a timeout.” The Bears’ drive ended with four straight passes after getting the ball to the 40-yard line, the last of which was intercepted on fourth down, ending the Bears’ chances. Brown was asked why he didn’t trust his kicker to make a 58-yard field goal, but he said he thought the long end of field goal range was a 52- to 55-yard field goal so he had to go for it. Brown was also asked why the Bears didn’t run the ball to try to get a few more yards to get into field goal range, and he said his play calling was based on the way the Seahawks were playing zero coverage. Brown’s answers didn’t inspire a lot of confidence that he understands how to properly manage a late-game situation the way a head coach needs to. The Bears will soon be searching for a head coach who can do what neither Eberflus nor Brown did, and put Caleb Williams into a better position to win in those situations. More from Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic: The Bears offense struggled under coordinator Shane Waldron, so he was fired. The late-game management wasn’t working under head coach Matt Eberflus, so he was fired. Then on the night after Christmas, the Bears scored three points, gained 179 yards of offense, mismanaged the final minute, saw their rookie quarterback get sacked seven more times and showed a national television audience how bad things have gotten. “It’s tough to go out like that to end the year at Soldier (Field),” tight end Cole Kmet said. “It’s been a long year. It’s been a long, tough year. Tough to see it end like this for being at Soldier. Just tough overall. Definitely not the season that we envisioned coming in here.” Kmet said the Bears “weren’t detailed enough” and that the players didn’t do a good enough job on a short week. That could’ve been seen in the operation on offense when Williams was right up against the play clock throughout the night, so much so late in the game that Brown had to take a timeout with the clock stopped with 37 seconds left. It appears clear that Brown won’t be making those decisions for Chicago in 2025. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: If it wasn’t already clear that Bears interim coach Thomas Brown won’t be the Bears permanent head coach, a comment made Thursday by G.M. Ryan Poles makes it crystal clear. Via ESPN.com, Poles addressed the team’s slow offensive starts during a pregame appearance on ESPN 1000. “I believe it stems back from training camp,” Poles said. “It’s just some of the things that either weren’t addressed, they weren’t detailed enough, whatever that is.” Brown was a part of the coaching staff that allowed those issues to emerge and fester. Despite the short-term bump in the offense following the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Bears haven’t done nearly enough. |
| DETROITHaving won a state championship in his first season as a coach, QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER unretires to conspire with Ben Johnson. Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has come out of retirement and signed with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, weeks after he coached his high school alma mater to a state championship. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Bridgewater’s return does not mean the team is disappointed with current backup quarterback Hendon Hooker. Bridgewater said last week that he wanted to return to the NFL after coaching Miami Northwestern Senior High School, his alma mater, to the Class 3A Florida High School Athletic Association state title earlier this month. “My team knows that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship and then Coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. We’ll see how it plays out,” he told NFL Network’s “The Insiders” last week. A source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday that Bridgewater has received NFL coaching inquiries in recent weeks but that he wants to try to win a championship as a player before entertaining those opportunities. Bridgewater, 32, spent last season as the Lions’ backup quarterback behind starter Jared Goff. Campbell said that he has been in contact with Bridgewater “for a while” and that re-signing him was always a possibility because of Bridgewater’s leadership and familiarity with the system. The Lions organization has a tremendous amount of trust in Bridgewater and has followed him throughout his high school coaching journey this year. “It just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence, somebody that’s great for our team, he’s great for the position,” Campbell said. “Doesn’t mean we’re disappointed in Hooker. That’s not what this means. It just means this gives us somebody that’s played a lot in the NFL. We’re getting ready for the playoffs, and so it’ll be good to get him back in the fold with us.” The Lions have continued to develop Hooker, who has “improved,” according to Campbell. Hooker has learned under Goff after becoming the Lions’ highest-drafted quarterback since Matthew Stafford went No. 1 in 2009. Hooker was selected as the 68th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. However, Campbell said he feels that the addition of Bridgewater is “great” for the team, not only on the field, but in practices, as well, with his friendly demeanor and many years of experience that fit well with players. “This does not mean that Hooker is out. That’s not what this means. If it comes to that, Hooker’s going to play for us, but Teddy probably will, too,” Campbell said. “So, I understand what it looks like, but it’s just a different world that we’re getting ready to walk into, and we felt like this was the right thing to do.” Goff said “it’s cool” to have Bridgewater back on the team. “I’m glad I have him back here, state champ Teddy Bridgewater is what we call him now, but yeah, he’s a valuable asset to our team and I love having him in the quarterback room and he’s great to have around,” Goff said. After retiring, Bridgewater was hired by Miami Northwestern in February, tasked with turning around a program that went 4-6 the previous season. Miami Northwestern went 12-2 this season, outscoring its opponents 262-12 in five playoff games. It finished the season on a 10-game winning streak. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASWR CEEDEE LAMB is done for the season. Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com: The Cowboys announced on Thursday that wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will miss the final two games of the 2024 season to start the recovery process of his injured shoulder. The full statement from the organization reads as follows: “Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb’s shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as “Out” for the remaining two games of the season. He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery.” Lamb, who has been playing through an AC sprain in his shoulder since Week 9, will now undergo a rehabilitation process that is not expected to require surgery, and one that should lead to a full recovery. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said earlier this week that when it came to whether Lamb wanted to continue battling the pain in the Cowboys’ last two games of the season, that the ball was in Lamb’s court. “We will leave it up to the player,” Jones told 105.3 the Fan on Tuesday. “Obviously, we will also listen to the medical staff, but we will leave that up to [Lamb].” Following the Sunday night victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys practice on Tuesday and had Christmas Day on Wednesday off, a slight difference from their usual schedule of being off on Tuesday and practicing Wednesday through Friday. Because of that, Thursday was a big day in determining where Lamb was at health wise. “I think that’s really what today is for, that’s one of the things that we need to work through today…” McCarthy said. “We’re going to need more time to sort through that.” Wednesday’s DNP designation was the first for Lamb since December 5 and he’s never gone back-to-back days as a non-participant. Usually, Thursday is the practice day where he’ll be upgraded to limited or sometimes even become a full participant. Now, that won’t be the case. Lamb hasn’t shied away from admitting he’s playing while very banged up, and now gets the chance to rest and recover. “My shoulder is out of whack. I’m not even gonna lie to you,” Lamb said after the Cowboys’ win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. “I’m just out there battling and doing what I gotta do.” With Lamb out the rest of the year, his teammates know how big of a loss it is and that he’s already more than proven himself as a player. “He might be the best player that I’ve seen with my own eyes, he just loves the game of football,” Micah Parsons said. “I don’t think anyone should ever question how much CeeDee brings to the team or his factor.” Parsons added that Lamb is “QB-proof,” and can find a way to succeed with any quarterback getting him the ball. “I’ve seen him get 1,000 (yards) with Andy Dalton. I’ve seen him get 1,000 with Dak Prescott. I’ve seen him get 1,000 with Cooper Rush.” Parsons said. “You give grace to all these other wide receivers and say they’re not producing because they don’t have their quarterback. CeeDee has shown time and time again that he can do it with anybody throwing him the ball.” Cooper Rush, Lamb’s quarterback right now, is aware of how different things would be without his top weapon on the field. That said, he’s confident in the depth in the wide receiver room going forward without him in the final two games. “Hard to replace that kind of production, but there’s guys ready, we’ve got guys,” Rush said. “A good, deep room. Very good receiver room, a bunch of smart dudes that are chomping at the bit to go play.” In his fifth NFL season, Lamb has filled up entries into the history books, including becoming the first player in Cowboys history to record 1,000 yards in four of his first five season in the NFL. In Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay, Lamb also passed Jerry Rice for the fourth-most scrimmage yards by a receiver in their first five seasons. Unmentioned in the article, is that Lamb also got 100+ catches for the 3rd straight season in his 15 games. He finishes at 101-1,194-6 TDs. |
| PHILADELPHIAQB JALEN HURTS is concussed at the moment. Brooks Kubena of The Athletic: The Philadelphia Eagles know there’s a strong possibility their penultimate regular-season game against the Dallas Cowboys could be soon billed as the Backup Bowl. Jalen Hurts, who suffered a concussion against the Washington Commanders last week, was not present during the media viewing of Thursday’s practice. The Eagles took Wednesday off for Christmas. If they had practiced, Hurts would’ve been sidelined, too, according to the team’s injury report estimation. No Eagles player this season has missed two practices while in concussion protocol and played in that week’s game. It is a reliable trend for an unpredictable process. Nick Sirianni expressed confidence on Monday that Hurts could play without practicing, but the head coach rarely discloses injury-related information. Patterns suggest that Hurts, who’s started in 33 straight regular-season games, may be sidelined with the Eagles (12-3) needing a win or tie (or a Washington Commanders loss or tie) to secure their second NFC East title in three years. DeVonta Smith (Buccaneers), Mekhi Becton (Bengals), Darius Slay (Ravens) and Reed Blankenship (Panthers) all missed one game after being sidelined the entirety of that week’s practices. Starting right tackle Lane Johnson only participated in a limited Friday session in Week 4, which earned him a questionable designation, before ultimately being ruled out hours before kickoff against the Buccaneers. Sydney Brown’s recovery timeline outlined the best-case precedent for Hurts. The backup safety sustained a concussion on the opening kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned with limitations last Thursday, was cleared Friday, then resumed his special-teams role on Sunday against the Commanders. Hurts must clear the same five-phase protocol. It starts with symptom-limited activity, shifts to aerobic exercise, football-specific exercise, non-contact training drills and, finally, full football activity. Until Hurts reaches the fifth phase, the fifth-year quarterback is essentially limited only to mental reps. It’s not out of the question for Hurts to play without practicing, if cleared. He’s 15 games into a playbook that features familiar concepts against a team the Eagles are playing a second time. But offensive coordinator Kellen Moore admitted there’s still credence in going with the guy who’s practiced all week. “Reps are always valuable,” said Moore, himself a former backup quarterback. “Anytime we can invest in reps and experience, there’s a huge advantage. We understand these things happen. I think our guys know how to adjust and handle these situations, and we’ll be ready to make whatever comes out of it.” The Eagles invest in backup quarterbacks for this very reason. Backup Kenny Pickett, acquired from the Steelers in an offseason trade, supplied patchwork play that should’ve been enough to hold onto a two-score lead against the Commanders. He was unable to transcend sloppy special teams play and dismal defense in a sudden appearance. Coaches and teammates, including A.J. Brown, complimented Pickett’s performance on short notice. They have a deeper sense of trust in Pickett when given a full week to prepare. Still, the Eagles have created a contingency plan even behind Pickett. Pickett, limited in Wednesday’s practice estimation, injured his ribs after falling awkwardly on a Commanders defender while getting rid of a pass that was initially ruled intentional grounding. Third-stringer Tanner McKee, who fielded a promising preseason, would be taking his first regular-season snap in potential relief of Pickett. The Eagles also signed Ian Book to their practice squad on Thursday. Book, the team’s third-stringer in 2022, will serve as Sunday’s emergency quarterback if Hurts is inactive. Moore is constructing an offensive game plan that’s adaptable to each quarterback. It’s not as “divided” as having completely separate game plans for Hurts and Pickett, Moore said. There are “certain plays,” he said, that are “a little bit more advantageous for certain players.” In other words, the Eagles will have to adjust their zone-read runs and run-pass option plays if they’re playing without the dual-threat Hurts, who ranks third among all NFL quarterbacks with 630 rushing yards in 2024. That would be a significant adjustment. The 2024 offense’s success largely requires an effective rushing attack. Philadelphia’s 36.9 rush attempts per game are the franchise’s most since 1951 (42.4). Sirianni and Moore blended past concepts that featured Hurts as a potential runner (zone reads, RPOs, QB draws) and combined them with the team’s prize free agency signing, Saquon Barkley, who’s already set the franchise’s single-season record for rushing yards and is chasing Eric Dickerson’s league record. Pickett said after the Commanders game that zone-read concepts remained “on the table” after Hurts’ exit. Pickett’s mobility was featured during his rookie season with the Steelers. He rushed 55 times for 237 yards and three touchdowns under former coordinator Matt Canada. Pickett, the No. 20 pick in 2022, rushed for over 200 yards in two of his five seasons at the University of Pittsburgh. Against the Commanders, Pickett averaged 4.3 yards on his three rush attempts, and Barkley rushed for a 68-yard touchdown on Pickett’s first full drive of the game. But Barkley only rushed for 41 yards thereafter. The Commanders tightened their defensive alignment after Hurts exited the game. They only fielded eight defenders or more in the box once during the first quarter, according to TruMedia. In the final three quarters, they packed the box five times — all on first-down situations, twice dropping Barkley for losses during second-half drives. Pickett, snapping from his own 10, managed to unfurl a 45-yard pass to A.J. Brown while facing an eight-man box, but, four plays later, the Eagles punted, and the Commanders scored on the following possession to draw within 21-14. Pickett, who ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine (Hurts ran a 4.59), won’t be a blistering option against the Cowboys. In their first meeting, a 34-6 win in Arlington, Hurts totaled 56 yards at eight yards per carry. At that time, the Cowboys, in their first full game without Dak Prescott at quarterback, were a dysfunctional team surrendering the league’s third-most rushing yards per game. Since then, the Cowboys have supported backup Cooper Rush with a 19th-ranked rush defense during an admirable 4-2 stretch.– – -Coach Nick Sirianni meekly apologizes for taunting TE ZACH ERTZ. Tim McManus of ESPN.com: Eagles coach Nick Sirianni apologized to Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz after their heated exchange Sunday, a league source confirmed. The two met on the field after the Commanders’ 36-33 win over Philadelphia. Apparently not liking the power with which Ertz high-fived him, Sirianni mocked Ertz for having little impact in the game, the source said. Ertz, who was coming off a concussion, had one catch for 12 yards on two targets. Taking exception to Sirianni’s comments, Ertz got in Sirianni’s face. The situation was deescalated by Eagles head of security Dom DiSandro. The incident was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sirianni later called Ertz to apologize, the source said. “I’ll just keep all of my conversations with any guys private,” Sirianni said Thursday. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Zach. Great football player, great person to be around. I really got a lot of respect for Zach and all the good things that he’s done and my relationship with him.” Ertz said Thursday he didn’t want to get into specifics about what happened Sunday. “Nick and I had a great relationship when I was there, and we still have a great relationship. It’s definitely been blown way out of proportion. We spoke. We’re good. There’s no ill feelings on my part and I don’t think there are any ill feelings on his part,” he said. “It’s just something in the heat of the moment that probably got blown out of proportion and maybe a misunderstanding. But him and I are fine. Everyone knows how I feel about that place and that building, but at the same time, I love being here.” Ertz played the first eight-plus years of his career with the Eagles and is one of the most accomplished pass catchers in franchise history. He ranks second in all-time receptions (579) and fifth in receiving yards (6,267). Ertz scored the go-ahead touchdown in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, helping the Eagles capture their only Lombardi Trophy. He played six games under Sirianni during the 2021 season before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in October of that season. A source said there were no real issues between the two during their time together in Philadelphia. Concussion aside, Ertz has been pretty good for the Commanders this season with 55 catches for 538 yards and 4 TDs. Only nine tight ends have more catches than Ertz this season, none of whom play for Sirianni’s Eagles.- – -As the Eagles and RB SAQUAN BARKLEY weigh how much to go after Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 yards in a season, the recordholder weighs in. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: Eric Dickerson set the NFL’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards in 1984. He doesn’t see Saquon Barkley blasting past him this year. “I don’t think he’ll break it,” the former Rams running back told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “But if he breaks it, he breaks it. Do I want him to break it? Absolutely not. I don’t pull no punches on that. But I’m not whining about it. He had 17 games to do it? Hey, football is football. That’s the way I look at it. If he’s fortunate to get over 2,000 yards and get the record, it’s a great record to have.” With 1,838 rushing yards, Barkley is 268 away from breaking Dickerson’s record. The Eagles back needs to average 134.0 rush yards per game over his remaining two tilts to break the record. If Barkley comes close in Week 18, much will be made about the extra 17th game played compared to the 16 Dickerson did it in. The former Ram isn’t concerned about that, noting that he had two additional games to pass O.J. Simpson, who went for 2,003 yards in 14 contests. “O.J. Simpson was my favorite player,” Dickerson told Farmer. “He went over 2,000 yards in 14 games. It took me 15 games to get to 2,000. I had one extra game to play. Getting to 2,000 is an accomplishment in itself. I got close to that three other times.” Eight backs have passed the 2,000-yard barrier: Dickerson (2,105), Adrian Peterson (2,097), Jamal Lewis (2,066), Barry Sanders (2,053), Derrick Henry (2,027), Terrell Davis (2,008), Chris Johnson (2,006) and Simpson (2,003). Dickerson noted that he’s not surprised that Barkley is gobbling up more yards after moving from New York to Philly, where the offensive line play is much better. “I like him. But I tend to like big backs. He’s not a big back like I was,” Dickerson said of Barkley. “He’s elusive, he’s tough, he runs hard, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. I think he’s a great player. I always felt like he’d never reach his potential when he was in New York. You could take Emmitt Smith and put him in Cleveland, and he’d have never been the Emmitt Smith we know now…. “Even myself. If you’d have put me in Cincinnati on a bad team, I’d have never been that guy. Because these bad football teams with no blocking, I don’t care how great you are. If you don’t have the guys in front of you, you can’t do it.” The Eagles, who could be without Jalen Hurts (concussion) Sunday against Dallas, are in an interesting spot when it comes to Barkley chasing the record. Last week’s loss nearly locks them into the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Next Gen Stats gives them a 94% chance to be the No. 2 seed and just a 4% chance to be the No. 1 seed — 1% chance to be either the sixth or seventh seed. Given that they likely won’t move their seeding, Philly could rest many starters in Week 18, including Barkley, who leads the NFL in carries (314). That scenario could ensure Dickerson holds onto his record for another year. |
| NFC WEST |
| SEATTLEAfter the ugly win in Chicago Thursday night, the Seahawks are left to root for the Cardinals against the Rams in LA on Saturday. And if Arizona does enable them to play the showdown game against the Rams in Week 18, they will be without RB KENNETH WALKER III. Brady Henderson of ESPN.com: The Seattle Seahawks will be without Kenneth Walker III for their playoff push after placing their leading rusher on injured reserve Thursday. Walker already had been ruled out for the Thursday night game against the Chicago Bears because of an ankle injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He was listed as a nonparticipant in practice all three days this week. Speaking ahead of the game against the Bears on Thursday, Seahawks general manager John Schneider told Seattle Sports 710-AM that Walker is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. To take Walker’s place on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks signed rookie George Holani off their practice squad. Holani served as their third running back behind Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh in what turned out to be a 6-3 win over Chicago. Seattle also elevated cornerback Artie Burns for the game against the Bears. Walker’s third NFL season has been marred by injuries. The 2022 second-round pick missed two games in September after hurting his oblique in the opener and two more in December because of a calf injury. Going on IR will sideline him for a minimum of four games, meaning his season is over unless the Seahawks make a deep playoff run. In 11 games, Walker leads the Seahawks with 573 rushing yards and 153 carries, scoring seven rushing touchdowns. Charbonnet, who will again take over as the team’s No. 1 back with Walker out, entered Thursday with 453 rushing yards on 106 carries and a team-high eight rushing touchdowns in 15 games. With Walker in and out of the lineup this season, the Seahawks rank 30th in rushing yards per game (91.9) and 23rd in yards per carry (4.1). |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYKansas City got to 29 on Christmas Day, but a missed extra point and subsequent missed 2-point conversion cost the Chiefs getting to 30 (much less over 30) for the first time. And none of their opponents have made 31 either. Scott Kacsmar finds a record: @ScottKacsmarMost consecutive games without scoring or allowing more than 30 points since 1940 1. 2023-24 Chiefs – 261. 1968-69 Lions – 263. 1976-78 Packers – 233. 2008-09 Redskins – 23 The Bills scored 30 on Kansas City in Week 11. The last time there was a 31+ in a Chiefs game was Chiefs, 31-17, over the Raiders in Week 12 last year (he doesn’t say so but Kacsmar is counting the four low-scoring postseason games to get to his record) If your benchmark is 32+, the Chiefs scored 41 on the Bears in Week 2 last year, so 34 without either team hitting 32+. The last time the Chiefs allowed more than 30 (or 31+) was their Super Bowl WIN over the Eagles at the end of the 2022 season, 38-35. Interestingly, the last three times the Chiefs allowed more than 30 points, they won the game. A 1/2/22 lost to Cincinnati, 31-34, was the last loss in which more than 30 points was allowed. |
| AFC NORTH |
| PITTSBURGHCoach Mike Tomlin is scanning his roster and contemplating changes. Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com: Going back to the fundamentals will be part of how Tomlin looks to reverse course. He is also going to make changes between now and when the Steelers host the Bengals in Week 18. Tomlin alluded to making changes multiple times during Wednesday’s press conference. “You can look at it from a lot of angles,” Tomlin said of his team’s recent struggles. “The bottom line is junior varsity is not good enough. We’ve got to own that. But we’ve also got to look at what it is we need to do different. We’re not going to continue to do the same things and hope for a different result. “That doesn’t seem sharp to me. So we’re going to take a hard look at this. We’ve got a couple extra days before we get back into it. We’re going to take a look at it and make whatever necessary changes we need to make in the totality of this thing, because again, that doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t look good. That’s just the truth and reality of it.” What changes can Steelers fans expect to see? Tomlin will likely make more schematic changes than personnel ones. That’s just the reality of being this late in a season. On offense, one can expect offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to possibly revert back to Pittsburgh’s more ball control approach that helped them get off to a 4-2 start when Justin Fields was under center. The Steelers ran for over 200 yards on Wednesday; they’re more than capable of winning games that way while asking Wilson to do less. If there are personnel changes, they could come on defense. That side of the ball has come unglued in recent weeks after being one of the NFL’s best units before that. Several defensive starters issued damming comments following their last two losses, including Wednesday’s. “There’s got to be a want-to,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said, via the Post-Gazette. “There’s not enough of that right now. It’s that time of the year where we have two guaranteed games left. We’re going to find out who wants it, you know what I mean? Everyone in this room has to want it. That’s the only way we’re going to move on and get better.” Fellow linebacker Patrick Queen offered an example of the unit’s recent struggles, which occurred Wednesday on Patrick Mahomes’ first of three touchdown passes that was a short completion to rookie wideout Xavier Worthy. The Steelers knew what was coming, but they still couldn’t stop it. “We preached it all week. We knew they would put one in the backfield,” he said. “We had a check for it. We got to the check and we just didn’t do our job. It comes down to doing your job.” On the play, it looks as it defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott got stuck between tight ends Noah Gray and Travis Kelce, who ran inside routes in the direction of Queen, who watched as Worthy was wide open in the field. Fitzpatrick eventually got to Worthy, but it was too late. “I can’t explain it,” Queen said of the unit’s recent lack of execution. “It’s just happening. We keep talking about it, and no one is doing anything about it.” While changes are coming, don’t expect one to be made at quarterback despite Wilson’s recent struggles. Wilson has held the pole position over Fields since both quarterback arrived in Pittsburgh during the offseason, and it will likely stay that way for the remainder of the season. That being said, Tomlin clearly doesn’t like what he’s seeing from his team, and that could lead to possible changes that no one other than him saw coming. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THE TWO-HORSE MVP RACEA third MVP for QB LAMAR JACKSON or the first for Bills QB JOSH ALLEN? The oddsmakers and Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com agree that is where we stand. We are coming to the end of one of the more fascinating NFL MVP races we’ve seen in recent memory. After some uncertainty through the early portions of the regular season, two stars have separated from the pack, and are vying for the NFL’s top individual award. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got his shot to shine first in Week 17 on a national stage against the Houston Texans on Christmas, and delivered with a 31-2 victory. As for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, his squad plays host to the New York Jets this Sunday. How is the MVP race shaping up? Let’s take a look at the current odds for the top seven favorites to win NFL MVP, via BetMGM. Player OddsQB Josh Allen, Buffalo -250QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore +160RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia +1400QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions +3000QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City +10000QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati +10000QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota +10000 Lamar JacksonBAL • QB • #8CMP% 67.9Yds 3787TD 37INT 4YD/Att 8.87 Could Jackson win NFL MVP for the second year in a row? Many believe he stole the MVP lead with his win over the Texans. Jackson completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, but also rushed four times for a whopping 87 yards and another score. With that performance, Jackson passed Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback all time (6,110). It was also Jackson’s 13th career game with a 140+ passer rating, good for fifth-most in NFL history. Jackson has accounted for 43 total touchdowns this season, which is tied for the most in Ravens history. He is also now 13-0 in the regular season in Week 15 or later, which is the best mark by a quarterback since 1950. Jackson entered Week 17 ranked top five in passing yards (3,787), passing touchdowns (37), yards per attempt (8.9) and passer rating (120.6). One player who has helped Jackson during this 2024 campaign is running back Derrick Henry. He entered this week ranked second in rushing yards with 1,636, and tied for second with 13 rushing touchdowns. Jackson and Henry have combined for 2,735 rushing yards this season, which is the most by any duo in a season all time. Josh AllenBUF • QB • #17CMP% 63.8Yds 3549TD 26INT 6YD/Att 7.78 Allen entered this year with the most total touchdowns (174) and turnovers (75) in the NFL over the last four seasons. This season, he has 38 total touchdowns compared to just eight turnovers. Allen is close to securing his fifth straight season with 40 total touchdowns. He’s already the only player all time with four straight 40-TD seasons. Allen has 38 total touchdowns, and just 25 sacks/fumbles/interceptions this season (+13 difference). There are only four other quarterbacks since 2000 that have had a +13 difference or better in that department — and every single one of them won MVP (2004 Peyton Manning, 2007 Tom Brady, 2013 Peyton Manning, 2020 Aaron Rodgers). Also consider that many believed the Bills would take a step backward in 2024. Buffalo lost so many contributors on both sides of the ball, including Allen’s top two wide receivers. However, this star quarterback has been able to will his teams to victory. One thing that could end up potentially hurting Allen’s MVP case is Week 18. The regular-season finales are different for the Ravens and the Bills. Baltimore needs a win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 to clinch the AFC North and host a playoff game, while the Bills have already clinched their division — and can’t win the AFC’s No. 1 seed — which belongs to the Chiefs. Jackson is going to play next week, but is Allen? That remains to be seen. Keep in mind he is playing with a broken left hand and has a minor injury to his right arm as well. The Bills’ potential Super Bowl run is more important than Allen winning MVP. |
| BROADCAST NEWSFor every person that was watching an epic battle between the Lakers and Warriors on Christmas Day, nearly five were watching Baltimore’s dreadful beat down of the Texans. The power of the NFL recounted by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: They say there are five stages of grief. NBA legend LeBron James is stuck in denial. James said of the NBA that “Christmas is our day.” It used to be. Now? Definitely not. The NFL has announced that a Nielsen-measured audience of 24.1 million watched Chiefs-Steelers on Netflix. The Ravens-Texans game generated 24.3 million viewers. In contrast, the NBA’s games averaged 5.25 million viewers. So, yeah, Christmas football is here to stay — regardless of the weekday on which December 25 lands. That raises a question that won’t be answered until 2033: What will the NFL do the next time Christmas lands on a Sunday? In past years, the NFL shifted the bulk of the Sunday slate to Saturday, when December 25 fell on Sunday. Maybe, nine years from now, the NFL will fully embrace the day and stage a full slate of games. Complete with a European game to kick things off at 9:30 a.m. ET. |
