| After Week 15, Gregg Rosenthal had this to say – @greggrosenthalI am sad to report there is not much to these wild card races with three games left Is he right about the NFC (we’ll hold the AFC until after the critical game for the fringes between Miami and Pittsburgh): If The Season Ended Today In The NFC: NFC ConfLA Rams West 11-3 6-3Chicago North 10-4 6-3Philadelphia East 9-5 7-3Tampa Bay South 7-7 5-5Seattle WC1 11-3 6-3San Francisco WC2 10-4 8-2 Green Bay WC3 9-4-1 7-2-1Detroit 8-6 5-5Carolina 7-7 5-4Dallas 6-7-1 3-6-1Minnesota 6-8 4-5 If it was just straight seeding by record – the NFC West would have the top three seeds. Last year, the NFC North did something similar and went 0-3 in the playoffs. Nerding The NFL: @NerdingonNFLThe 2025 NFC West is only the second division since 2002 with three teams at 10+ wins through their first 14 games (other was 2024 NFC North) Who do you see winning this division? As to the Wild Card – the Lions are the closest thing to a contender. If they can sweep – Pittsburgh, at Minnesota, at Chicago – they get to 11-6 Either Chicago or Green Bay will get a 5th loss this week If it’s Chicago, the Lions would be tied at worst with the Bears at 11-6 and have the head-to-head sweep tiebreaker. And Chicago has a big Week 17 game with the 49ers in there as well. If it’s Green Bay that loses, the Packers would have to sweep Baltimore and Minnesota to stay ahead of Detroit The NFL’s computer model has the Lions still at 41%. ESPN.com says 37%. The Athletic/New York Times model is not a optimistic at 25%.- – -Ten years from now will “college football” be a full-fledged “professional” rival of the NFL with players hanging around through multiple “graduate degrees” Don’t laugh: @MLFootball🚨🚨THIS IS INSANE🚨🚨 CFB SUPERSTAR JEREMIAH SMITH IS MAKING MORE MONEY THAN #SEAHAWKS SUPERSTAR JAXSON SMITH-NJIGBA JEREMIAH SMITH NIL SALARY: $4.2 MILLION JSN Salary: $3.6 Million… Smith also makes more than Brian Thomas, Ladd McConkey, Zay Flowers, and Puka Nacua It’s not like the NFL players cited were undrafted free agents either – four of them drafted in top 34. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASWere the Cowboys doing anything to violate or circumvent NFL rules with use of a walike-talkie? Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com had no problem dreaming up a way that might be so: During Sunday night’s Vikings-Cowboys game, NBC’s cameras captured an image of Cowboys owners Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones, watching the action from their suite. Stephen was speaking into a walkie-talkie. Beyond the jokes it inspired (some funny, some not), the situation sparked obvious speculation: Who was Stephen talking to? Via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com, Stephen Jones explained the situation during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Jones said that he uses it for injury updates from the press box and other “important updates” from around AT&T Stadium. The situation raises questions because of the NFL rule that prohibits in-game communication with sideline personnel during games. In 2015, then-Browns G.M. Ray Farmer was suspended four games and the team was fined $250,000 for texts sent by Farmer to an assistant coach and another employee on the sideline regarding strategy and use of personnel. That’s not an issue in this case, based on the explanation given by Stephen Jones. And while there’s no reason to dispute the accuracy of his version of the events, would anyone admit to using a walkie-talkie or other device to engage in communications that may not be allowed? Text messages can be preserved and reviewed. A walkie-talkie is a low-tech way to create no paper trail. Absent simultaneous evidence showing that someone on the sideline had the other walkie-talkie, there’s no digital smoking gun. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINAJoseph Person of The Athletic feels the Panthers lost Sunday’s game, not that the Saints won it. Carolina Panthers players can talk all they want about not blowing an opportunity. They can complain about the calls that New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough got, and the ones that Panthers third-year QB Bryce Young didn’t. They can correctly point out that their goal of winning an NFC South title still remains intact. But let’s be clear: By getting swept by the last-place Saints after an excruciating, 20-17 loss Sunday at the Caesars Superdome, the Panthers absolutely choked on a chance to grab the upper hand in a division that nobody wants to win. By blowing a 10-point second-half lead, the Panthers (7-7) fell back into a tie for first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and continued their confounding trend of following up big wins and good mojo with bad losses and head-scratching decisions. As they try to snap a seven-year playoff drought, the Panthers keep making things hard on themselves. It’s their way. “It’s the growing nature of when you’re trying to build a winning culture. It’s not gonna happen overnight. We are in a position now where we have to go make it happen overnight,” offensive lineman Austin Corbett said. “We’ve got Tampa coming in, and we’ve gotta go do it. There’s no other option. If you want to win, make it to the playoffs, host a home playoff game, it starts right now.” Had they not given away the game against the Saints (4-10) with miscommunication in the secondary on New Orleans’ game-tying drive and a season-high 11 penalties (for 103 yards, also a season worst), the Panthers could have clinched their first division crown since 2015 by beating the Bucs next weekend in Charlotte. Instead, they lost a chance to finish with a better division record than Tampa Bay (they’re both 2-2), which is the second tiebreaker. The Panthers can still win the South by sweeping the Bucs (the two close the regular season in Tampa). If the two split, a Panthers win over Seattle coupled with a Bucs loss to Miami in Week 17 would get it done. So, far from over. The road just became tougher. “We didn’t let a real good opportunity slip away,” defensive lineman Derrick Brown said in responding to a question phrased as such. “We’ve still got everything in front of us. That was the easier way, to take it today and go win next week. But we still got the same stuff in front of us, so that’s what we’re gonna focus on.” The Panthers entered as 2.5-point favorites and seemed to be in control in the fourth quarter, leading 17-10 and having driven into Saints territory. But on fourth-and-1 with 11 minutes remaining, Dave Canales passed up a 53-yard field goal attempt from Ryan Fitzgerald, who could have made it a two-score game. Instead, Canales called a run for Chuba Hubbard, who was stopped for no gain. “I couldn’t pass up on fourth-and-inches right there,” Canales said. “I trust my guys to get that done. We’ve been really successful in those situations. The Saints beat us on that play.” Chris Olave beat them on several plays later in the fourth quarter. Held to one catch the first 3 1/2 quarters, the Saints’ No. 1 receiver pulled in four receptions on the Saints’ 78-yard tying drive. Olave capped the march by beating cornerback Jaycee Horn on a 12-yard touchdown on a slant route. Horn went to the Pro Bowl last season and is the leading vote-getter among corners in the fan voting this year. But he’s had trouble checking Olave, who caught a long touchdown against Horn in the Saints’ Week 10 win in Charlotte. Horn and No. 2 corner Mike Jackson declined to speak with reporters after the game. Canales didn’t have a problem with the defensive calls when Olave took over, blaming the issues on miscommunication. “We’re gonna have to look at the film and make sure we get to the bottom of what happened on those,” he said. “These are base calls. These are core calls that we know, that we trust the guys to execute.” With the score tied, Young converted a third-and-10 with an 11-yard scramble on the ensuing drive. Some players questioned whether officials should have flagged Saints safety Jonas Sanker on the play. Cameron Jordan earlier shoved Young out of bounds on another unpenalized play, which prompted a retaliation by left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who was flagged. The Panthers were talking about those non-calls because of what happened on the Saints’ game-winning drive, when rookie safety Lathan Ransom’s hit on a sliding Shough resulted in a 15-yard penalty that set up Charlie Smyth’s 47-yard field goal. With the Saints near midfield but out of timeouts with 12 seconds left, Shough spotted the Panthers’ prevent look, which included no interior linemen, and ran a draw up the middle for 4 yards. Ransom’s penalty tacked on another 15, plus stopped the clock with nine seconds left. “I kind of maybe sold it a little bit because I know we didn’t have any timeouts,” said Shough, who left for a play after the hit. “So I mean, it definitely hurt, but I was good.” Shough’s admission likely will further tick off Brown, who already didn’t like the flag. “I think it was a BS call. It’s one of those ones where he did it all day, he slid late,” said Brown, who also was penalized for a hit on Shough. “So I don’t know what they want us to do.” “I think it should be up for discretion,” Brown added. “Not every single time he gets it, it’s like, ‘Let’s make the call.’ None of them were vicious. I just don’t understand it. But it is what it is.” Ransom said he was trying to fight for every yard to keep the Saints from getting into field goal range. “When he’s running, I’m just thinking stop him as fast as I can,” Ransom said. “But he’s a quarterback, so I’ve gotta be aware of the situation, let him slide.” |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYThree weeks still to go – and Kansas City’s great run has come to an end (perhaps temporarily) with another loss and a crushing injury. Nate Taylor of ESPN.com: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Chargers, a result that ended Kansas City’s playoff hopes. Mahomes underwent an MRI after the game that confirmed the injury. He and the Chiefs are now exploring surgical options, according to the team. “Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes wrote on social media. “And not going to lie, [it] hurts. But all we can do now is [trust] in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you, Chiefs kingdom, for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I [will] be back stronger than ever.” Mahomes was hurt with less than two minutes remaining in the game. In an effort to rally the Chiefs, he scrambled out of the pocket, rolling to his right while he was chased down by defensive end Da’Shawn Hand. Once Mahomes planted his left foot and threw the ball away for an incompletion, his left knee buckled. After he fell to the turf, Mahomes immediately grabbed his left knee and winced in pain. After the game, the atmosphere inside the Chiefs’ locker room was sorrowful; many of the veterans knew their leader had suffered the worst injury of his nine-year career. “I just hugged him, man,” pass rusher Chris Jones said. “That’s my brother. We’ve been through so much. We love Pat.” Mahomes is expected to have surgery in the coming days. He will miss the team’s offseason program, and his availability for the start of next season is in question. Mahomes, 30, had managed to stay free of long-term injuries during his NFL career. In 2019, while executing a quarterback sneak, he dislocated his right kneecap but missed just two games — the longest absence of his career — and later that season led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. In the 2020 playoffs, Mahomes returned from a concussion and played through turf toe in his left foot, an injury that required surgery that offseason. And his most heroic moment playing through pain was in the 2022 postseason, when he led the Chiefs to another Super Bowl victory while dealing with a high right ankle sprain. “A lot of greats have done it,” Mahomes said in January 2023 of playing through injuries. “I think it’s just about being a competitor. You want to be out there, especially in these games.” Even before Mahomes’ injury, the Chiefs were going to need to address several areas of their roster this offseason: a lackluster pass rush, a running game that has lacked production and a tight end group that might need to replace Travis Kelce if he retires. But that priority list now will have to include quarterback; the team doesn’t have another currently under contract for the 2026 season. In the past five years, coach Andy Reid has valued having a veteran be Mahomes’ backup. The team could look to add such a player in free agency to at least operate the Chiefs’ offense through the offseason program, training camp, the preseason and even early into the regular season. Kelce, 36, is in the final year of his contract. He shared last month that he plans to decide whether to return to the Chiefs by early March, before NFL free agency begins. Kelce’s favorite teammate is Mahomes, and the tight end declined to chat with reporters after Sunday’s game. “Sorry guys, it’s not the time,” Kelce said. “I’ll catch you guys during the week.” On the fifth snap after Mahomes exited, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew threw an ill-advised intermediate pass intended for Kelce that was intercepted by Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., ending the Chiefs’ comeback chances and their hopes of reaching the postseason for an 11th consecutive season, which would have tied the longest streak in NFL history. “I felt very comfortable to go in and execute the offense,” Minshew said. “I hate that situation. I hate that I couldn’t deliver and get us a win and keep our [playoff] hopes alive.” Notable Chiefs Streaks Snapped in 2025 * 10 Consecutive playoff appearances, tied for the second-longest streak all time * 10 Consecutive 10-win seasons, snapping the third-longest streak after 2003-19 Patriots (17 straight) and 1983-98 49ers (16 straight) * 9 Consecutive division titles, snapping second-longest streak (2009-19 Patriots, 11) * * 7 Straight conference championship appearances, snapping second-longest streak since 1970 (when conferences were created) after 2011-18 Patriots’ run of 8 straight It seems somewhere more than possible, maybe even probable, that Sunday was the last game for the great tandem of QB PATRICK MAHOMES and TE TRAVIS KELCE. Christian Arnold of the New York Post: Could this be the end of the duo of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce? Retirement talks have swirled around Kelce this year as he’s played his 13th NFL season, and the question came back to the surface after Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee on Sunday in the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers. While Mahomes promised to return to the field “stronger than ever,” it’s unclear how long and how cautious the Chiefs will be with his return, and at 36 years old, Kelce’s time in the league is dwindling. Kelce, who is in the final year of his contract, did not speak with reporters following the 16-13 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. “It’s not the time. I’ll catch you guys during the week,” he told reporters in the locker room. The duo has connected on more than 700 passes, over 8,000 yards and 120-plus touchdowns while winning three Super Bowls together. Kelce did address the idea of his retirement last month, speaking with media members ahead of a game against the Colts. Patrick Mahomes left devastated by torn ACL to end his Chiefs season: ‘Don’t know why this had to happen’He said at the time that his decision about retirement wouldn’t come until after the season. “Seeing my brother go through it and seeing — I don’t know, how the league works … I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not, and vice versa,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they have draft picks and free agency opens,” Kelce continued, “and they can go out there and fill the roster appropriately. All of that will be after the season. I won’t think about it until then.” However, that thinking may have shifted with his longtime friend and teammate now sidelined for an unknown length of time, and the Chiefs now missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Before Mahomes’ injury, the Chiefs’ quarterback found Kelce for five receptions against the Chargers. Kelce, who is preparing to wed fiancée Taylor Swift, finished the game with seven catches for 70 yards. Mike Sando of The Athletic sees a path back: 1. The Chiefs lost more than a game Sunday. They also lost their future Hall of Fame quarterback. Did they gain a rare opportunity? Brace yourself for incessant debate over whether the Chiefs’ dynasty is dead. Sure, Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL at about the same point in his career (regular-season start No. 111, compared to No. 126 for Mahomes; both in their ninth season), and he dominated into his 40s. But these are very different players. What if Mahomes, who turned 30 in September and led Kansas City in rushing through Week 6, can no longer move as well? What if Kansas City never adequately replaces aging stars Travis Kelce and Chris Jones? What if 67-year-old coach Andy Reid, suddenly facing a very different immediate outlook for the team he has coached since 2013, doesn’t stick around as long as he otherwise might have? Lots can change, and fast. “I do think some of the magic from Mahomes is gone, and that is something that really helped them win a lot of games — the fear of Mahomes getting the ball late,” an exec from another team said Saturday, before Mahomes’ injury. “They are going to have to earn that back.” The gloom will subside eventually. What happens if Kansas City, a 16-13 loser at home to the Chargers on Sunday, leverages a top-10 pick in the 2026 draft for one or more impact players? That’s an opportunity dynastic teams rarely get without trading up. The Chiefs, now 11th in the draft order, must maximize what projects most likely as a pick in the early teens. When the Chiefs claimed their most recent Lombardi Trophy to cap the 2023 season, they met my criteria for a dynasty: • Win three or more Super Bowls over five or more seasons• Post the NFL’s best winning percentage from their first to last Super Bowl-winning seasons• Reach the conference championship game more than half the time during the dynasty Applying that criteria to Super Bowl-era teams left the Chiefs in elite company with the 1974-79 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1981-94 San Francisco 49ers and 2001-18 New England Patriots. Those teams consistently drafted late in the round, making it tougher for them to land elite players through the draft. Below, we see that these teams’ three highest draft choices during their dynasties averaged 23rd for the Steelers and 26th for the Chiefs, with Pittsburgh picking in its assigned draft slots and Kansas City moving up only slightly for two of its top three choices. The Chiefs need to upgrade their roster aggressively. This lost season gives them a better chance through a higher pick. Steelers dynasty: 1974-79Drafts: 1975-80 • 21st: LB Robin Cole (1977): 127 starts with Steelers• 22nd: DB Ron Johnson (1978): 62 starts• 26th: DB Dave Brown (1975): 0 starts Notes: The Steelers selected all three in their own draft slots. The NFL expanded from 26 to 28 teams in 1976. Brown started 203 games for Seattle and Green Bay. 49ers dynasty: 1981-94Drafts: 1982-95 • 7th: DL Bryant Young (1994): 208 starts• 10th: WR J.J. Stokes (1995): 66 starts• 16th: WR Jerry Rice (1985): 224 starts Note: The 49ers traded up a combined 40 spots to select these players. Patriots dynasty (2001-18)Drafts: 2002-19 • 10th: LB Jerod Mayo (2008): 93 starts• 13th: DL Ty Warren (2003): 92 starts• 17th: OT Nate Solder (2011): 95 starts Note: The Patriots acquired all three picks via trade. Chiefs dynasty (2019-TBD)Drafts: 2020-TBD • 21st: CB Trent McDuffie (2022): 56 starts• 28th: WR Xavier Worthy (2024): 25 starts• 30th: DE George Karlaftis (2022): 57 starts Note: The Chiefs acquired the 29th pick in the 2022 draft as part of the Tyreek Hill trade, then moved up eight spots to select McDuffie. They moved up four to select Worthy. The 49ers and Patriots were more aggressive in acquiring higher picks. That is how their top three picks averaged 12th. The Patriots traded Drew Bledsoe for Buffalo’s 2003 first-round pick (used for Warren). They traded their 2007 first-rounder (No. 28) to the 49ers for a 2008 first (No. 7, before New England traded back three spots) and a fourth-rounder used to acquire Randy Moss. They traded Richard Seymour for the Raiders’ 2011 first-rounder (used for Solder). Those moves reflected prime Bill Belichick maneuvering. The 49ers moved up 12 spots in the first round of the 1985 draft to select future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice at No. 16. They moved up eight spots to select another future Hall of Famer, Bryant Young, seventh in 1994. A year later, the 49ers moved up 20 spots to No. 10 for receiver J.J. Stokes, who started 66 games for them but was not a dynamic player. The Chiefs started their dynasty by boldly trading up for Mahomes in 2017. The best pick they recouped from the Tyreek Hill trade (No. 29 in 2022) helped land McDuffie, a 2023 first-team All-Pro corner, but did not begin to replace the dynamism Hill once brought to the offense. Beyond McDuffie, the picks helped the Chiefs land Rashee Rice and others, including Darian Kinnard, Skyy Moore and Keondre Coburn — not as much as Kansas City surely hoped. It’s going to take bolder maneuvering for the Chiefs to resume a dynasty that is now on pause, at the very least. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISQB PHILIP RIVERS did enough in Seattle to earn a 2nd start on Monday night. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: The second game of the Philip Rivers reunion tour will be broadcast to a national audience. Colts coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Monday that Rivers will start the Week 16 Monday night game against the 49ers. The game has massive ramifications for the 8-6 Colts, who started 7-1 and have lost five of six games. They gave the Seahawks a run for their money on Sunday, losing 18-16 after taking a 16-15 lead with 47 seconds to play. Rivers, in his first game since the 2000 wild-card playoffs, completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was sacked once. The Colts are currently the No. 8 seed in the AFC postseason field. If the Colts fail to qualify, they’ll be the sixth team since the merger to start 7-1 or better and miss the playoffs — and the first to do so since the league expanded the tournament to seven teams per conference. |
| JACKSONVILLECynics might say that QB TREVOR LAWRENCE needs to do something like this Sunday against a real team – but still the numbers versus the Jets Sunday are impressive. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: No player in NFL history has done what Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence did in Sunday’s win over the Jets. Lawrence had a historic stat line, completing 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions, and also running the ball five times for 51 yards and a touchdown in a 48-20 victory. With that effort, Lawrence became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, five touchdown passes and one touchdown run in a game. Lawrence has had an up-and-down career since entering the NFL as one of the most hyped draft prospects of all-time when the Jaguars chose him first overall in 2021. But this year the Jaguars are 10-4 and in first place in the AFC South, and Lawrence will have an opportunity to show in January that he has become the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOAfter leading an impressive comeback against the mighty Patriots, QB JOSH ALLEN was thinking about his favorite teammate. Anna Lazarus Caplan of People.com: Josh Allen is crediting Hailee Steinfeld for his winning ways! The Buffalo Bills quarterback — who announced with his wife on Friday, Dec. 12 that they are expecting a baby — led his team from 21 points down to beat the New England Patriots on Sunday, Dec. 14. Of course, Steinfeld wasn’t on the field, but Allen shared that her impact on his life played a role in the dramatic win. “I love my wife, she’s my favorite teammate,” Allen, 29, said after the game, when he was asked about whether the baby news — and that of Bills’ tight end Dalton Knox also becoming a father last week — was extra motivation. The breaking baby news was also not exactly that for the signal-caller. “I’ve known for a long time, so it’s not that crazy to me,” Allen told the media following the 35-31 win. “You know it’s a really cool, special moment in my life and my wife’s.” The couple — who were married in May in a Santa Barbara, Calif. wedding attended by family and friends, including his Bills teammates and Curb Your Enthusiasm alum Larry David — announced their baby news jointly on social media. Steinfeld also shared the pregnancy news in her Substack newsletter, sharing a round-up of her 29 favorite moments from the past year in honor of her 29th birthday. At the end of her list, the Sinners star included a video which announced her pregnancy. The actress could be seen posing in the snow with her pregnant belly out as Allen kissed her stomach. They could then be seen smiling and posing together as the star wore a sweater that read “Mother.” When the video concluded, it panned out to reveal the two holding hands in front of a tiny snowman. The Bills’ come-from-behind victory on Sunday was not the team’s first such win this season. Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! In September, they pulled off a major comeback to beat the Baltimore Ravens — and, at the time, Allen called out fans who left Highmark Stadium before the game was over. “Our team didn’t quit,” Allen said on the field after their 41-40 win. “I mean, I think there’s people that left the stadium, that’s okay, we’ll be fine but, have some faith next time.” Allen told reporters afterwards that the comeback victory for the Bills “took everybody” on the field. “I’m just proud of our team for staying in it,” the quarterback said at the time. “No one on the sideline blinked. I mean, down 15 points, whatever we were with five, six minutes left.” |
| NEW YORK JETSDC Steve Wilks has been fired. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com: Mired in one of the worst defensive seasons in franchise history, the New York Jets fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Monday, ending his tenure after only 14 games. Coach Aaron Glenn, in his first staff shake-up, named defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Chris Harris the interim coordinator. Harris will call the plays for the final three games, with the defensive-minded Glenn assisting him during the week in game-planning. “Listen, I just thought that from last week going to this week, the improvement wasn’t there and I thought it was time to make a change,” Glenn said on a Zoom call with reporters. “I’m going to make the decision that’s best for this organization at all times, and it’s my job to make sure I continue to evaluate everything that’s going on,” he continued. “That’s my job as the head coach, and I just thought this was the time for me to make that decision.” The move comes one day after a 48-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who scored on eight of their first nine possessions. The Jets (3-11) have allowed 82 points in the past two games, the highest back-to-back total since 2021. The Jets, a top-four defense (yards allowed) in each season from 2022 through 2024, have underachieved this season. They’re 30th in scoring, 20th in yards allowed and 28th in EPA (expected points added). The most damning statistic: The defense has only two takeaways and no interceptions. On Sunday, the Jets tied the 2024 San Francisco 49ers for the longest streak in NFL history without an interception: 14 games. Just last week, Glenn said he believed in Wilks, and he indicated after Sunday’s game that he had no plans to strip Wilks of his playcalling duties. As it turned out, he went one step further, dismissing him. Glenn said he made the decision late Sunday night and informed Wilks on Monday morning. “I want to see consistent improvement. I want to see structure that’s consistent,” Glenn said. “I want to see play that’s consistent and I want to see the character — the culture of this football team come together.” The Jets are allowing 28.3 points per game, one of the worst marks in franchise history. They’re on pace to finish with 482 points allowed, which would be their second-largest total. It has been a bitterly disappointing season for the Jets, who missed the playoffs for the 15th straight year — the longest active drought in North American sports. This is their sixth straight double-digit loss season. Nevertheless, Glenn’s job is thought to be secure. Under Wilks, the Jets were a blitz-heavy team, but their pass rush disappointed. Glenn said he was “pissed” by Sunday’s performance, in which they had no sacks and only two quarterback hits. The Jets were plagued throughout the season by shoddy tackling and breakdowns in the secondary, resulting in too many uncovered receivers. It was telling that, after Sunday’s game, some of the defensive leaders declined to speak with reporters. One of them was linebacker Quincy Williams, who said, “I have nothing positive to say.” “They were pretty pissed off about the way the defense played,” Glenn said. Wilks inherited nine returning starters from last season’s defense, but three of them were traded earlier in the season: cornerback Sauce Gardner, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and nickelback Michael Carter II. Before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, the defense showed signs of modest improvement. Since then, it has regressed. The Jets shifted into rebuilding mode, as Wilks was charged with integrating rookies and newcomers on the fly — a challenging situation. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| 6 DOUBLE-FIGURE COMEBACKSDevon Henderson and Saad Yousuf of The Athletic document the weekend’s big comebacks: In the NFL, no lead is safe — especially not late in the season. Teams desperate to make the playoffs compete with a never-give-up attitude, as if their seasons are on the line — and often, they are. That sense of urgency was on full display in the league’s Week 15 slate of games. Six teams have already notched wins after trailing by at least 10 points in the week’s matchups, tying the NFL’s record for double-digit comebacks in a single week that was last accomplished in Week 5 of this season. And that’s before the Miami Dolphins visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in a “Monday Night Football” clash. Several teams that found themselves down early on the scoreboards dug deep to extend their postseason hopes; or, for teams like the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons that have already been eliminated from playoff contention, they found ways to win, perhaps out of simple pride. Here’s a breakdown of Week 15’s comebacks and their playoff ramifications: Buffalo Bills 35, New England Patriots 31It appeared this game was going to be a laugher. The Patriots scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions. In that span, the Bills punted three times and had two three-and-outs. But after the Patriots went up 21-0, the Bills went on a 28-3 run (yes, 28-3) to take their first lead of the game at 28-24 in the fourth quarter. The Patriots responded with an electric 65-yard touchdown run from TreVeyon Henderson to retake the lead, but the Bills hit back with a touchdown of their own. That proved to be the winning score, as the Patriots went three-and-out on their next drive and couldn’t convert on a fourth down on their final drive. The win for the Bills helped their playoff chances, as Buffalo is now 10-4 and in the second wild-card spot (they lose the tiebreaker to the 10-4 Los Angeles Chargers). More than that, the Bills prevented the Patriots from clinching the AFC East title and remain in striking distance in the division at just one game back with three games to go. The Bills have the fourth-easiest remaining schedule while the Patriots have the seventh-easiest. For the Patriots, the loss put them behind the Denver Broncos in the race for the No. 1 seed in the conference and a first-round bye. Los Angeles Chargers 16, Kansas City Chiefs 13The Chargers closed the door on a dynasty in more ways than one. Down 13-3 with less than 10 seconds left in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chargers were teetering. The Chiefs, playing at home and knowing a loss would likely end their playoff hopes, were in control early before touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to KeAndre Lambert-Smith just before halftime trimmed the Kansas City advantage to 13-10. A dogfight followed in the second half. The Chargers edged ahead 16-13 on a pair of field goals and never relinquished the lead. After the final whistle, the Kansas City loss — along with several other results around the league — eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time since 2014 and the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career. Los Angeles Rams 41, Detroit Lions 34The Rams had no answer for Jared Goff, Amon Ra St. Brown and the Lions’ passing attack early in the game. The Lions took a 24-14 lead over the Rams late in the second quarter, but the Rams capitalized on their double-up opportunity. They scored a field goal in 30 seconds to end the first half and tacked on another three points coming out of the third quarter to close the gap to 24-20. The next five drives essentially decided the game. On the Rams’ two drives, Los Angeles scored touchdowns. On Detroit’s three drives, the Lions went three-and-out. The Rams had a 34-24 lead going into the fourth quarter and managed to hang on for the win. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Rams and kept them atop the NFC, while the loss eliminated the Lions’ margin for error, as they sit outside of the playoff picture. They’ve alternated between wins and losses for the last nine games after starting the season 4-1 and own just a 25 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator. Seattle Seahawks 18, Indianapolis Colts 16Philip Rivers’ first touchdown in five years gave the Colts a 13-3 lead over the Seahawks late in the second quarter. The Seahawks came back with a field goal 93 seconds later just before halftime, which was a theme on the night for Seattle. Indianapolis’ offense went stale after Rivers’ touchdown. Their next three drives ended in punts as the Seahawks chipped away with field goals to take a 15-13 lead with 2:27 to play. But Rivers and the Colts finally answered and Blake Grupe nearly became the hero with a go-ahead 60-yard field goal with 47 seconds left. But Seattle got Jason Myers in position for a 56-yard kick with 18 seconds to play and his sixth field goal of the game was enough to get the job done. The game was critical for both teams. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Tennessee Titans and remain on Seattle’s tail at 10-4. The win kept the Seahawks at 11-3, tied with the Rams. Los Angeles currently has the tiebreak with the head-to-head win, which has the Rams atop the division and the conference, but a huge head-to-head matchup looms on Thursday. The Colts’ playoff chances took another hit, as they remain one game back of the Houston Texans for the final wild-card spot. New Orleans Saints 20, Carolina Panthers 17The Saints were already out of playoff contention, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss on Thursday night gave the Panthers a chance to take the lead in the NFC South divisional race heading into the final three weeks of the season. And Carolina seemed to be on its way to doing just that, leading 17-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter in New Orleans. But New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough seems to have Carolina’s number. Both of the most prolific passing performances in Shough’s young career have come against the Panthers. He threw for a career-best 282 yards in a 17-7 victory over Carolina on Nov. 9, then followed it up Sunday when he passed for 272 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown that helped push New Orleans to a 20-17 comeback win. Shough is now 3-5 as a starter, with two of those wins coming against the Panthers. The Saints’ comeback allowed Tampa Bay to stay tied with Carolina atop the NFC South, just in time for the Buccaneers to face the Panthers in a Week 16 contest where the winner will emerge with sole possession of the division lead. Atlanta Falcons 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28The Falcons were also already eliminated from playoff contention and the Bucs looked poised to move a step closer to an NFC South title when they lead 28-14 early in the fourth quarter on “Thursday Night Football.” But Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins, starting in place of the injured Michael Penix Jr., threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in a Falcons win that came down to pride. One of Cousins’ three touchdowns came with 3:34 remaining, to pull Atlanta within two points, down 28-26. A Falcons stop on the next drive set up one last chance for Atlanta with two minutes remaining. Cousins, fifth among active quarterbacks with 32 game-winning drives, led Atlanta down the field to set up Zane Gonzalez’s game-winning, 43-yard field goal. The result initially dealt a blow to Tampa Bay’s division title hopes and set coach Todd Bowles off on an expletive-laced postgame tirade. After the game, the Bucs had dropped down to a 53 percent chance to make the playoffs. But the Saints’ comeback win over the Panthers restored order for Tampa Bay, which now is back up to a 76 percent chance at reaching the postseason. |
