| If The Season Ended Today in the AFC: AFC W-L Conf Last Week p’off statusKansas City West 15-1 9-1 1 1st seedBuffalo East 13-3 92 2 2nd seedBaltimore North 11-5 7-4 5 3rd or 5th seedHouston South 9-7 7-4 4 4th seedPittsburgh WC1 10-6 7-4 3 3rd, 5th or 6th seedLA Chargers WC2 10-6 6-5 WC2 5th or 6th seedDenver WC3 9-7 5-6 WC3 55 (-21%)Miami 8 8-8 6-5 9 28 (+20%)Cincinnati 9 8-8 5-6 10 17 (+10%) The DB is quoting playoff probabilities from NFL.com, but we’re not sure they take into account the fact that the Chiefs will be coasting. Surely, Denver’s chances of winning that game at home with a playoff spot on the line are higher than 55% – and that’s before you account for the possibility (admittedly slim) that Miami and Cincinnati both lose. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com sums up the four things that are still at stake (without mentioning some seeding juggling): Next Sunday night’s game between the Lions and Vikings may be the most consequential game on the Week 18 schedule, but it is far from the only one that will impact the playoff picture. Saturday’s games will determine who wins the AFC North as well as whether the Bengals will have any chance of advancing to the postseason. If they beat the Steelers, they will be alive on Sunday and the Ravens will be the division champions. The Ravens will also take the crown by beating the Browns while a Steelers win and a Ravens loss will make Pittsburgh the AFC North champions. The winner of the AFC North will be the third seed in the AFC. The Chiefs are No. 1, the Bills are No. 2 and the Texans are No. 4. If the Bengals win, they’ll need the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs and the Dolphins to lose to the Jets in order to advance. A Broncos win makes them a wild card team while the Dolphins get the spot with a win and a Denver loss. Atlanta’s loss on Sunday night means the Bucs will win the NFC South by beating the Saints. The Falcons will get the title with a win and a Bucs loss while losses by both teams will mean Tampa advances. For example, the Rams need to win to lock in the 3rd seed. Tampa Bay also remains in contention for the No. 3 seed. They are just one game behind the Los Angeles Rams (10-6) and have a superior conference record. Therefore, if the Buccaneers win the division and end up tied with the Rams (NFC West winners) in terms of winning percentage, they would take the No. 3 seed. |
| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITEric Woodyard of ESPN.com on Detroit’s aggressive approach to 4th down: Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell didn’t flinch. A thrilling Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers had come down to the final moments. Facing a fourth-and-1 with 43 seconds remaining and the score tied at 31, Campbell’s Lions held the ball on the Green Bay 21-yard-line. The Packers, who had exhausted their final timeout two plays before, were holding out hope that quarterback Jordan Love would have enough time to get the offense in field goal range — or better — after a likely chip-shot field goal attempt by Campbell’s Lions on the next play. Conventional wisdom said Detroit, who wound down the clock before calling a timeout, should kick a field goal. Campbell had other plans. What came next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Quarterback Jared Goff took the snap, tripped on one of his offensive linemen, and, while falling to the ground, barely reached the ball to running back David Montgomery, whose 7-yard gain set up Jake Bates’ winning 35-yard field goal as time expired. It was Detroit’s fifth fourth-down attempt of the game — and its fourth conversion. For most teams, this level of risk would be extraordinary. For Campbell’s Lions, it’s business as usual. Since his arrival in 2021, the Lions have gone for it on fourth down at the highest rate in the NFL (31.3%). That aggressiveness hasn’t wavered, even after criticism for two failed fourth-down calls in last season’s NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, whom they visit for a rematch Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN, ESPN+). Campbell’s bold philosophy remains the backbone of Detroit’s identity, a mindset forged through preparation and unwavering trust in his coaches and players. “When you’re in it with these guys, and you’ve been around them long enough …,” Campbell said as he named coaches and players after the win against the Packers. “There’s been enough time on task with those guys … that I felt good, and I felt like we’d find a way. “You’d love to say that if you’re going to do that, you’re going to convert every one of them, but that’s not the reality. … There is risk with it, but I felt like with our guys, it wouldn’t be as big of a risk as it may appear to be.” The Lions say successful conversions exact a toll on the opposing defense, physically and psychologically. Fourth-down plays have also been nerve-wracking moments for Detroit’s players, especially those new to the team. But over time, they’ve learned to adapt and relish the opportunity. “It’s cool with me as long as it gives us another chance to keep scoring and get the ball, I’m with it,” Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs told ESPN. “Pretty much I think if it’s like fourth-and-5 and under, I think we’re pretty much gonna go for it. I do that on the (Madden) game so I ain’t got no problem with it.” CAMPBELL HAS EARNED the nickname “Dan Gamble” in Detroit for his trademark aggressiveness. Heading into Week 17, the Lions have the most fourth-down attempts (144) in the NFL since Campbell took over in 2021. They have converted 55.6% of them (80-for-144), which is 10th best in the league over that span. His penchant for rolling the dice showed early. Four games into his tenure, his winless Lions controversially passed up two field goal attempts — on a fourth-and-5 from the 5-yard line with the team trailing 14-0 on their second possession, then again on a fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter — in a 24-14 Week 4 loss at the Chicago Bears. Campbell, whose team finished 3-13-1 that season, was unapologetic. “I don’t regret any of them,” Campbell said during the postgame news conference. Campbell hasn’t changed as the Lions’ record improved. Tied at 38 with 1:47 remaining in a Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Chargers last season, instead of kicking a field goal, Campbell kept his offense on the field on a fourth-and-2 from the Los Angeles 26-yard line. Goff then found tight end Sam LaPorta for 6 yards and kneeled three times before Riley Patterson kicked a game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired. “For us, it’s traditional now. It’s what we do,” Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “But, being on this team for so long, you’re used to it. It’s the way we play football. … You already know before the game what the mindset’s gonna be. So it’s never a surprise going into any game. It’s fun.” The approach can take some getting used to, however. Veteran guard Graham Glasgow wasn’t in Detroit for Campbell’s first two seasons. The Lions’ third-round pick in 2016 rejoined the team as a free agent in 2023, after three seasons in Denver. He said the fourth-down decisions caught him by surprise at first, but now his heart pounds a little less in those moments. “We had one versus the Jaguars earlier this year where I was like, ‘All right, we’re gonna just take the points’ and we went for it, we got it and scored the touchdown and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,'” Glasgow told ESPN. “It really kind of demoralizes the defense. They think they’re gonna get you off the field and then they don’t and then it’s a whole ‘nother set of downs so that’s tough on them.” CAMPBELL’S APPROACH ON fourth downs presents unique problems for Lions opponents. It makes the defense play extra snaps, which takes a physical and mental toll. But, perhaps more unseen, it also affects the way the opposition must prepare. On film, seeing the Lions go for it is no surprise at this point. But San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner said Campbell’s approach forces defensive players to retrain their brains from the traditional patterns of a defensive series. Instead, they must view each Lions possession as having an extra down. “You do have to prepare your mind for that and just make sure you’re aware of that,” Warner, who said Campbell “lives and dies” by fourth downs, told ESPN last week. “Because if you went out there thinking that it’s just going to be three plays and you’re out on the fourth-and-1, fourth-and-2, and you get surprised with it, then obviously you’re going to be in for a heck of a game.” The mental trick is not just a way for individual defenders to stay focused during each series. The Lions’ aggressiveness on fourth downs makes their play calls more difficult to predict on third downs. Heading into the weekend’s games, Campbell’s team has run the ball on third-and-medium — defined as between 4 and 6 yards — at the league’s third-highest rate, which, opponents say, makes their potent offense even trickier for defenses to decipher, knowing the run is still in play in situations in which teams tend to pass. “It does change up what the thought process would be on third down,” Warner said, “because are they going to try to get the first down on third down? Are they trying to just get it to a fourth-and-manageable? Which is a little bit of a different way to go about it.” “It’s similar to when you go against Philly and how good they are at the tush push,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Just understand that when it’s third-and-4, it’s almost like it’s second-and-4 because they’re going to go for it on fourth and anything less than that.” Ultimately, Shanahan added, the result of Campbell’s gambles is an opposing defense kept thoroughly on its toes whenever Detroit has the football. “Dan, with how aggressive he’s been, you’ve got to understand that anywhere on the field, whether it’s trick plays, whether it’s going for it, whether it’s special teams plays, everything is up. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it hurts and same thing for the opposing team.” CAMPBELL STOOD BY his two failed fourth-down attempts in the Lions’ 34-31 NFC title game loss to San Francisco last January. The first came on a fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 28-yard line as Detroit led 24-10 with 7:03 left in the third quarter. The attempt resulted in an incomplete pass from Goff to wide receiver Josh Reynolds, Detroit’s fourth-leading pass-catcher throughout the regular season. On the second, Goff threw another incomplete pass, this time to St. Brown on fourth-and-3 at the San Francisco 30-yard line with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lions trailing 27-24. They were two highly scrutinized plays in a game that Detroit ultimately surrendered a 17-point halftime lead, but Campbell afterward expressed no remorse about opting not to kick field goals. “I don’t regret those decisions,” he said. Though the results of the plays — and the loss — haven’t altered Campbell’s aggressive approach, the experience has changed the way he has prepared the Lions for similar situations this season. Since the beginning of training camp, Campbell has heightened the team’s focus on its attention to detail and executing while under pressure, particularly on fourth downs. “This whole year, he’s been preparing this club for these types of moments … like fourth-and-1 where we were all excited when it happened and when it went down because we understand what we’ve been prepared to do,” Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said. “Coaches, players, administration, everybody, we’re on the same page so we understand what’s going on.” Campbell says by consistently putting players in pressure situations during practice, they become mentally ready to perform when it matters most in games. “You put them in it, and we’ve been doing that now going on four years, really. And it’s like anything else, it’s baby steps,” Campbell said. “You’ve got to work your way to it and you’ve got to gain a confidence, and the only way you gain confidence in those situations is by being under fire and doing it in real time, so you start it in practice, you begin to figure out who you can depend on, who’s going to show up for you in crunch time, and then you get in the games and you — those guys start making plays.” As a result, for the team, fourth down has become the next down, it’s not, as Campbell says, “Oh crap, this is fourth down.” “In those situations, it’s ‘gotta-have-it’ and a lot of guys are locked in. I feel like everybody has really good attention to detail about,” Glasgow said. “And, while also at the same time, in some regards, it’s kind of just another play. We prepare a lot for those situations and it’s really cool to know that that’s been working so far for us this season.” Whenever Campbell takes his next gamble — whether it’s this week or in the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance — his fearless style has earned buy-in from everyone in the organization. “When you look at Dan Campbell, you see a guy who’s very comfortable in his own skin. He’s not afraid to go away from the norm and deal with the consequences, good or bad, from it,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “And I know everyone in this league, they always say, ‘Be yourself, be you.’ Especially when you get a head job, and I think he’s embodied that to a tee.” |
| MINNESOTAAfter reading this from Kevin Patra of NFL.com it’s hard to imagine QB SAM DARNOLD walking away from the Vikings and the Vikings letting him walk. After thwarting a division rival to move to 14-2 and set up a winner-take-all showdown in Detroit in Week 18, Minnesota Vikings teammates waited for Sam Darnold to get to the locker room before water-bombing the quarterback and heroically lifting him in the air. “It was just mayhem,” Darnold said of the postgame locker room scene following a 27-25 win over Green Bay. “I think I blacked out when Aaron Jones grabbed me and lifted me up.” “I didn’t know what to do with my hands in that situation — so, Ricky Bobby style,” Darnold joked, referencing the 2006 film Talladega Nights, via the team’s website. “It was an interesting moment, but a fun moment, to be embraced by your teammates like that. “That was pretty special.” Darnold was pretty special on Sunday afternoon. The quarterback generated a career-high 377 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception. It marked his sixth game with three-plus pass TDs in 2024; he had four such games in his six previous seasons. The 27-year-old quarterback has tortured defenses, showing the ability to avoid pressure and make the right reads. When Justin Jefferson was slowed early Sunday, Darnold spread the ball around, finding Jalen Nailor (5/81/1), Jordan Addison (6/68/1) or T.J. Hockenson (5/68) until the top receiver broke loose for a game-high 92 yards on eight catches. Darnold hit eight different targets against Green Bay. “I’m so happy for Sam,” Jones said. “Outside of these walls, nobody really believed in him, nobody really gave him a chance, but he’s proven everybody wrong, and I’m just so happy for him.” Darnold has 12 games with multiple pass TDs in 2024 (second-most in the NFL behind Joe Burrow), tied for the most in a season in Vikings history (Kirk Cousins, 2020 and 2021). His 13 games with a 100-plus passer rating are tied for the second-most in a single season since 1950 (only behind Aaron Rodgers’ 2020 MVP season). “Just to see how he’s ultimately been able to maximize everything about his opportunity, our football team loves him for it,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I’ve had an absolute blast coaching him.” O’Connell showed his trust in the veteran quarterback. With the game on the line, the coach called three passes for his quarterback, getting Darnold out of the pocket. An incomplete pass could have aided a Packers improbable comeback. Instead, Darnold calmly completed all three, including Cam Akers going low on the final pass to pick up a first down that sealed the win. “We can be aggressive, but he’s still going to be a great decision-maker,” O’Connell said. “He’s playing quarterback at a very, very high level.” Darnold’s high-level play has the Vikings on the precipice of the No. 1 seed. A win in Detroit next Sunday, and Minnesota can celebrate with more than just H2O. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSThe Giants lost in the draft by breaking a 10-game losing streak. Jordan Raanan ofESPN.com: Even when the New York Giants win these days, it comes at a cost. The Giants fell out of pole position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft with a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. With a week of games still to play, the No. 1 pick in the draft currently belongs to the New England Patriots (3-13), with the Giants falling to No. 4 — behind the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans — after their third win. Strength of schedule serves as the tiebreaker for the draft, and the Patriots currently have the easiest slate. The quarterback-needy Giants have the hardest schedule of the group. “That’s why you have a [general manager], all those assistants and scouts,” offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. The Giants entered Sunday with a 57% chance of finishing with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, according to ESPN Analytics. It would have ballooned to 86% with a loss. Instead, it dipped to 5%. The Patriots, meanwhile, are now the heavy favorites at over 78% to land the top pick. The Giants would have been in prime position to draft a quarterback had they lost their final two games against the Colts and at the Philadelphia Eagles. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are projected to be the top quarterbacks selected and have been linked to the Giants throughout the season. New York general manager Joe Schoen has been to Colorado and Miami on multiple occasions this year. “I don’t got nothing to say about that,” said wide receiver Malik Nabers, who increased the hype by playing catch with Sanders in the streets of New York in recent weeks. “The draft will be the draft.” Projected 2025 NFL Draft OrderThe current projected order for the top five picks of the 2025 NFL draft heading into the final week of the regular season. Pick, Team Rec.1. Patriots 3-132. Browns 3-133. Titans 3-134. Giants 3-135. Jaguars 4-12 |
| PHILADELPHIAGetting RB SAQUON BARKLEY to 2,000 yards in Week 17 was clearly a goal for the Eagles braintrust. Now, will they let him go for 105 more yards for the season rushing record in Week 18 against his former team? Tim McManus of ESPN.com on the hard decision: – Eagles running back Saquon Barkley on Sunday became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. The accomplishment came in the fourth quarter of a 41-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys that clinched the NFC East Division title for the Eagles. “Being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some I grew up watching, definitely means a lot,” Barkley said, donning an NFC East champion hat for the first time in his career. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do that without this team. You can’t be great without the greatness of others.” The coaching staff kept Barkley in the game in the fourth quarter despite Philadelphia holding a big lead. He was handed the ball on five straight plays, the last of which was a 23-yard scamper down the left side that put him over 2,000 yards. Barkley trotted to the sideline and received a pat on the head from lineman Mekhi Becton and a hug from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Coach Nick Sirianni then called a timeout, allowing the rest of his teammates to swarm Barkley and offer their congratulations while the fans broke into “MVP” chants. “It’s a testament to him, coming to another team, first year, a lot of expectations. He’s truly a super-talented football player, a great teammate,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “I was happy for him.” Barkley was replaced in the lineup by Kenneth Gainwell after surpassing the 2,000-yard mark. Barkley finished with 167 yards on 31 carries. He is now just 101 yards from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105 yards). Now the question becomes: With the division wrapped up and the chances slim of capturing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, will he have a chance to chase Dickerson in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants? Sirianni will have to weigh allowing Barkley the chance to capture the rarest of records versus ensuring his health heading into the postseason. “I always have to do what’s right for the football team to reach our goals of what we need to do,” Sirianni said. “I’ve got a lot to think about.” Johnson’s stance was that the group had accomplished its goal of surpassing 2,000 yards and suggested the starters should rest Week 18 under the philosophy that it’s “better to be safe than sorry.” Left tackle Jordan Mailata, meanwhile, said he will “push for” the starters to play against New York even if the game has no meaning in terms of playoff seeding, though he sounded unsure whether Sirianni would go for it. “It’s an opportunity to make history,” Mailata said. “We never really spoke about the Giants next week, but we just had the feeling that if we don’t go for it today, we might sit out. We don’t know. Coach hasn’t really said anything yet. We’ll see.” Barkley said he’ll be fine with whatever Sirianni decides. “Whatever his decision is, I’m all for it,” Barkley said. “If his mindset is, we’ll go out there and try it, I’ll go out there and try it. If his mindset is, let’s rest and get ready for this run, I’m all for that, too … I came here to do something special. Breaking a record is special but I want a banner up there. I think we all do.” With the win, the Eagles completed their first season sweep of the Cowboys since 2011. This is the 20th straight season the NFC East does not have a repeat champion, which is the longest streak in NFL history. Philadelphia accomplished the feat while operating with its No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks at the controls. Kenny Pickett got the start for Jalen Hurts, who suffered a concussion against the Washington Commanders last week. Pickett, a New Jersey native who grew up cheering for the Eagles, had a strong performance (10 of 15, 143 yards, 2 total touchdowns) but was playing through injured ribs and had to exit the game after a couple of hard hits during the opening series of the second half. “I’m good. I’ll be all right,” Pickett said. “Came in with a little bit of an injury. We’ll do some more tests to see how it looks, but I’ll be OK.” Tanner McKee, the 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, received the bulk of the first-team reps Friday so Pickett could rest, Johnson said. McKee made the most of his opportunity, going 3-of-4 for 54 yards with 2 touchdown tosses. The Eagles (13-3) reached 13 wins for just the fourth time in franchise history. The other three times (2004, 2017, 2022) they went to the Super Bowl. |
| WASHINGTONIn the wake of the overtime win that put them in the playoffs, John Keim of ESPN.comcollects endorsements for QB JAYDEN DANIELS: As Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, still wearing his burgundy uniform, sat down at a table for his postgame news conference, he smiled and said something that shouldn’t have surprised anyone after watching his playoff-clinching performance Sunday night. “I’m tired,” he said. “But I’m happy.” Carrying a franchise to the playoffs and its best season in years can do that to a rookie. But that’s what Daniels has done: His 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz in overtime gave Washington a 30-24 win against the Atlanta Falcons and clinched a playoff spot. “He just willed it,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said of Daniels. Daniels threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 127 yards. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least two touchdowns, throw for at least 200 yards and run for at least 65 yards in three consecutive games. He now has 25 touchdown passes on the season. Daniels converted three fourth downs, as well, one with his legs and two with his right arm — including a 7-yard scoring pass on fourth-and-2 in the first quarter. All of those yards and touchdowns were needed Sunday evening. And because Daniels did what he did, Washington (11-5) has won 11 games for the first time since the 1991 season, which was the last time the franchise won the Super Bowl. The Commanders currently hold the No. 6 seed and can clinch that spot by winning at the Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season finale or if the Green Bay Packers lose at home to the Chicago Bears. Washington last made the playoffs in 2020, and it hasn’t won a postseason game since the 2005 campaign. But the Commanders will enter full of confidence thanks to Daniels, as well. “We just freaking win,” said punter Tress Way, who joined the team in 2015 and is the longest-tenured Commander. “I mean, we have 11 wins. What? … It does help when you have No. 5 on your team. That dude’s pretty freaking good.” Washington won only four games last season but hired general manager Adam Peters and Quinn to rebuild the team. Quinn said he did not view this as a rebuild, preferring the word “recalibration.” But with Daniels, the word appeared to become something closer to “accelerated.” He quickly established himself with teammates because of his work habits and on-field ability. “It comes down to having a really good quarterback in this league,” Ertz said. “And from the moment I got here, seeing Jayden out there, I continually said this guy isn’t someone that’s going to be good, he’s good now. “And when you have that position situated in this league, you have a chance. This organization is in a great spot for years to come.” It was the third game in a row Washington won on the final play from scrimmage: The Commanders held off a 2-point conversion attempt to top the New Orleans Saints; Daniels threw a touchdown pass to cap a rally from 14 points down to fell the Philadelphia Eagles; and then Sunday night’s adventure took place. Daniels also beat the New York Giants in Week 2 with a late drive for a field goal and the Bears in Week 7 on a Hail Mary. Against the Falcons, Daniels led the 70-yard winning drive, which began with a false-start penalty, by running for 42 yards and throwing for 32. “He’s the most mature rookie I’ve ever been around. He exudes a quiet confidence,” Ertz said. “He’s not a rah-rah guy. We all know how good he is and how much confidence we have in him. He doesn’t need to say anything.” Washington signed Ertz and linebacker Bobby Wagner in the offseason to provide leadership. It inked linebacker Frankie Luvu to make big plays. But the Commanders also have received key contributions from wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who has 43 receptions on the season, including eight Sunday night. Those players joined a franchise that has endured plenty in recent years — and decades. Washington hadn’t had a winning season since 2016. The NFL then Congress investigated the organization for what was termed a toxic work culture under previous owner Dan Snyder. The Commanders made way more news off the field than on it. But Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris in July 2023, and after a 4-13 season, the Commanders embarked on a franchise makeover. “To go through what this team has the [previous] three years, it’s special,” said fourth-year tight end John Bates. “We just got a team that doesn’t flinch. It’s really a special deal.” After the win, Washington safety Jeremy Reaves brought his girlfriend, Mikaela Worley, down to the field, where he proposed in front of a wall of cameras. She said yes. The entire night proved to be meaningful for him. After all, he has been with the franchise since 2018. “It’s an awesome feeling to be on the other side of things,” Reaves said. Wagner played for a number of good squads while with the Seattle Seahawks, winning one Super Bowl while losing another. He signed a one-year deal with Washington in the offseason to reunite with Quinn, his defensive coordinator for two years while with the Hawks. As the Commanders went through camp, Wagner felt a bond developing. “You saw that grow throughout the season,” Wagner said. “When you get a lot of guys confident and believing in one another, it makes the team scary.” Barring a wave of upsets, the Commanders have finished their home season – and their ticketholders got an epic return over expectations. Washington was 7-2 at home with last second wins over the Giants, Bears, Eagles and Falcons. The other three home wins – over Cleveland, Tennessee and Carolina – were feel-good beatdowns while the two losses were one-score defeats to Dallas and Pittsburgh. A missed PAT in the final minute cost Washington a win over the Cowboys. Washington scored at least 20 points in every home game but 1, and that was the Hail Mary win over Chicago. Last year, Commanders fans suffered through a 1-7 home season – a win in the opener with Arizona, then 7 straight losses. They only scored more than 20 points in one home game and 6 of the 7 losses were by at least 12 points. What an epic turnaround for Commanders investors.- – -Adam Schefter with some inside info on TE ZACH ERTZ’s big night: @AdamSchefterZach Ertz’s game-winning touchdown catch that clinched a wild-card spot for the Commanders also was his sixth TD catch of the season, triggering a $250,000 bonus. Ertz made $250K for that catch, another $250K for going over 600 receiving yards this season, and another $250K for catching 60+ passes this season — all of which he accomplished Sunday night. Talk about a great night: Ertz caught the game-winning TD pass, made $750K in incentives, passed Ozzie Newsome to move into 9th place all-time for tight-end receiving yards. and it all happened on his mother Lisa Ertz’s birthday.– – -Ben Standig of The Athletic with some bookkeeping for Daniels: According to the NFL, he became the fifth rookie quarterback since 1950 with a 10-plus-point comeback in back-to-back starts. Daniels became the first quarterback in NFL history with at least two touchdowns, 200-plus passing yards and 65 or more rushing yards in three straight games, per Commanders PR. The achievements don’t stop there. The thrilling rookie quarterback began soaring in a Week 2 comeback win over the New York Giants, with the offense scoring field goals on every drive. Zip past his professional breakout performance on “Monday Night Football” in Cincinnati, a bonkers game-winning Hail Mary touchdown over the Bears in Week 8, or last week’s crazy comeback over the division-winning Eagles. Everything led to Sunday’s magic. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTACoach Raheem Morris on leaving two timeouts in his pocket at the end of regulation: Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris said calling a timeout after a key first-down catch late in the fourth quarter with the score tied Sunday night “could have” been a better decision than running a hurry-up play. The Falcons had to settle for a 56-yard field goal attempt from Riley Patterson, who is only in his second week with the team. Patterson’s kick came up short as time expired, the game went to overtime and the Commanders won, 30-24, on a game-ending Jayden Daniels 2-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz. “In hindsight, it could have been a good decision or a better decision to take that timeout, but I wanted to have the opportunity to move up there,” Morris said. “You always second-guess those things, you can always second-guess those motives. You can always go back and look at it and see if you can get it snapped a little bit quicker.” On the Falcons’ final drive in regulation, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 25-yard first down to the Falcons’ 44-yard line with around 34 seconds left. Rather than calling a timeout — and Atlanta had two left — Morris kept the clock running. On the next play, Penix threw an incomplete pass to Mooney with 17 seconds left. Morris said he “probably could have” stopped the clock after the Penix completion to Mooney, but was hoping to “save that timeout.” “I thought we could get to the line of scrimmage and run our operation a little faster there,” Morris said. Penix then threw incomplete to wide receiver Drake London before a pair of penalties by the Commanders move the Falcons to the Washington 38 with 2 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Patterson’s missed field goal attempt. Patterson’s career long was 53 yards. He has been with the Falcons since Week 16 when Younghoe Koo went on injured reserve due to a hip injury. “You can say, we can call a timeout right there, but you can say I catch the ball, go down the sideline and go score,” Mooney said. “Either way. Whenever something negative happens, you look back and be like, ‘Oh, we should have hit this.’ You can just have a negative with any situation.” |
| CAROLINAJust two years ago, QBs BAKER MAYFIELD and SAM DARNOLD each started six games for a Panthers team that finished the year 7-10. Both were gone by the start of 2023, with nothing coming back in return. With a week to go in 2024, only three QBs have passed for 4,000 yards AND 35 TDs. PASS YARDS TDsJoe Burrow 4641 42 Baker Mayfield 4279 39 Sam Darnold 4153 35 Steve Reed of The AP: Two years ago, the Carolina Panthers had Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold on their roster. They deemed neither player good enough to be their franchise QB. The Panthers cut Mayfield late in the 2022 season and Darnold was allowed to walk in free agency a few months later after neither experienced much success in Carolina. Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in 2018, has since rebounded in a big way and is on the verge of leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a second straight NFC South title since joining the team, putting up Pro Bowl-caliber stats with 4,279 yards passing and 39 touchdowns. Darnold, drafted two spots below Mayfield, has found a home in Minnesota, where he’s thrown for 4,153 yards and 35 TDs and has the Vikings (14-2) on a nine-game win streak and in contention for the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Mayfield’s near-flawless 359-yard, five touchdown performance in a 48-14 rout of the Panthers and Darnold’s 377-yard, three-TD outing in a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday serve as stark reminder of just how badly Carolina messed up with its inability to develop either QB and failure to put the right people around them to aid in their development. Mayfield seems to remind the Panthers every chance he gets. He’s 4-0 vs. Carolina since his departure. Most of the folks from 2022 are no longer around to blame. Then-head coach Matt Rhule was fired early that season and interim head coach Steve Wilks did not return for 2023. General manager Scott Fitterer, who was responsible for acquiring both QBs via trades (only to let them get away) was fired after three unsuccessful seasons. Desperate for QB stability, the Panthers moved on from the Mayfield-Darnold era by trading up eight spots in the draft to get Alabama’s Bryce Young No. 1 overall in 2023. To facilitate that deal, the Panthers gave up wide receiver D.J. Moore and four draft picks, including one that would become the first overall pick in 2024. The reality is Carolina’s failures in realizing what they had in Mayfield and Darnold may have set the organization back a long time. The Panthers will miss the playoffs in 2024 for a seventh straight season, and given the current state of the organization there is a strong possibility that streak will continue. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDIt would appear that as the NFL parceled out the two Saturday games to ESPN, the Worldwide Leader took game expected to be the most lopsided in the NFL in recent years to get the spicy Bengals-Steelers clash. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com provides bulletin board material (are there still bulletin boards?) for two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski: The NFL is starting Week 18 in Baltimore, where the Ravens are expected to blow out the Browns. In fact, the Ravens are 18-point favorites, which is the biggest point spread in the NFL this season. The last time the NFL had an 18-point spread was in 2021, when the 7-0 Cardinals were 18-point favorites over the 1-6 Texans. (The Cardinals won 31-5.) The last time the NFL had a spread of more than 18 points was in 2020, when the 7-1 Chiefs were 20-point favorites over the 0-8 Jets. (The Chiefs won 35-9.) Prior to this week’s Browns-Ravens game, the biggest spread in the NFL this season was also for the Ravens, in Week 15 when they were 16.5-point favorites over the Giants. (The Ravens won 35-14.) Ideally, nationally televised games in Week 18 would be competitive matchups between playoff contenders, but often that’s not the case. This season, we could be in for some ugly blowouts in Week 18, starting with the first one. |
| PITTSBURGHWhile the Chiefs seem likely to rest their starters to aid the Broncos, the Bengals don’t seem to be getting any such break from the Steelers. Myles Simmons ofProFootballTalk.com: By the time the Steelers kick off against the Bengals on Saturday night, they’ll know if they’re still in contention for the AFC North crown. Should Baltimore beat Cleveland in Saturday’s first game, then the Ravens will clinch the division. That means, in theory, Pittsburgh could rest its starters with just the risk of losing a seed in the conference’s playoff positioning. But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t seem to want to go that route when asked about it during his Monday press conference. “I haven’t pondered that at all, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said when asked if he’d potentially rest starters if the Ravens win. “That might be a thought for later in the week. But as I mentioned, I think it’s significant how we go into this tournament. So, I doubt that I’ll be in that mentality that you mentioned.” Tomlin had mentioned that he wanted to get the stench of the last game off of the club earlier on in his presser. But the Steelers have also lost their last three games — falling to the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs since defeating Cleveland on Dec. 8. The head coach said he felt “really good” about how the team responded to being back in the building on Monday. “We were very transparent about what needs to be done and our course of action in an effort to create it,” Tomlin said. “But, again, I think we show mentality with our urgency and how we work. And so I’m excited about getting back on the grass tomorrow and starting the process. But, some bright eyes, some rested faces. Felt real good about what we were able to get done in a classroom-type setting this morning.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISZak Keefer of The Athletic on the Colts’ embarrassing loss and big decisions ahead: If you can’t beat the team with the worst record in football, you don’t deserve a spot in the dance. Sunday’s loss to the Giants was an utter embarrassment for the Colts, one of the worst in recent memory for a franchise that has underachieved for the better part of five seasons. This was an especially dark day for Gus Bradley’s defense, which allowed Drew Lock and the Giants to pile up 389 all-purpose yards. The Giants entered Sunday having scored 32 points all of December — that’s three games — then lit the Colts up for 45 in one afternoon. It’s the most the franchise has scored in a game in nine years. “It’s embarrassing. It’s disappointing. We got just flat-out beat,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “The performance that we put out defensively, beyond unacceptable. And you can’t play like that if you plan on being a playoff team.” That makes four straight seasons the Colts have missed the postseason, six since their last playoff victory and 10 without a division title. Coach Shane Steichen, who led the Colts to within one win of an AFC South crown with backup Gardner Minshew under center for most of last season, couldn’t back up his impressive debut. His offense looked stale, and only late in the year did he find something of a groove with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched midseason and struggled to find consistency even after he returned. Richardson has started just 15 of a possible 33 games in two seasons and has yet to prove he’s a long-term answer at the position. The Colts have some decisions to make. Does Steichen return? “I control what I can control,” he said after the loss in New York. Does Bradley? “I love Gus,” Steichen said Sunday. “Obviously (today) we’d all love to be better.” What about general manager Chris Ballard, who is eight seasons into his tenure and has yet to produce a division winner? Owner Jim Irsay, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet of late, will have to decide what he wants the future of his franchise to look like. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDThe first overall pick in 2025 has fallen to the Patriots. If they are not the third consecutive team in that slot to win Sunday at home against the coasting Bills, Chris Trapasso offers three options for them with that pick: In the last two weeks, the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft has gone off the rails. The Raiders have won back-to-back games, the Giants dropped 45 points on the Colts in a Week 17 victory, and the Patriots have consecutive losses. Of course, the 3-13 Browns and Titans are in the running entering the final week of the season, but after their totally discombobulated 40-7 loss to the Chargers, let’s explore the three main options for New England if it indeed stays put and secures the No. 1 overall pick at the conclusion of this regular season. 1. Trade DownUnless a team is selecting a quarterback who checks all the boxes said team looks for in a passer, I genuinely believe trading down should be the first option to explore for a club with the No. 1 overall pick. With Drake Maye, New England will be looking elsewhere whenever it selects in Round 1, and despite flashes from Maye and the entire team throughout the 2024 season, this is still a 3-13 club entering Week 18 — clearly there are massive holes to be filled to properly build around the quarterback they took at No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft. Having rights to the first player in a given draft is the ultimate luxury, and oftentimes another team will pay exorbitantly to obtain that ability. And for a rebuilding club, the most vital element to said rebuild is extra draft selections, particularly early ones. If the Patriots could slide a few spots down the board while netting a 2025 second and third, a 2026 first, and another Day 2 pick, it’s a course of action they absolutely need to consider. Simply being the first team to make a selection is enticing and easy. But nothing can kickstart a roster reconstruction than more draft capital that becomes youthful, inexpensive labor for four seasons. As for pinpoint trade-down partners and draft-board locales, the Jaguars, currently at No. 5, would be ideal. That’d theoretically provide the Patriots the most compensation and they’d almost assuredly be able to pick Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who emanates Tee Higgins-Drake London vibes on film. We haven’t seen a team move out of the No. 1 pick since 2016, when the Titans moved all the way back to No. 15 to allow the Rams to select Jared Goff. A few years later, the Rams made the Super Bowl. Tennessee soon thereafter jumped up to No. 8 for right tackle Jack Conklin, and landed defensive tackle Austin Johnson, Derrick Henry, and future All-Pro safety Kevin Byard with the extra selections it received in the trade. Not too bad. Ron Wolf, the father of Patriots executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf, was no stranger to draft-day trades, so I’m assuming Eliot will have a trade back on his mind if the Patriots get the No. 1 overall pick, and it should be strongly contemplated from every possible angle with every possible team, given the state of this Patriots roster. 2. Draft Travis HunterWith win probability between 10-90%, the Patriots defense is 31st in EPA per play allowed. The offense? A touch better at 27th. Both need drastic work despite Maye’s moments of brilliance throughout the season seemingly outweighing big plays from the defense. Fortunately for this scenario, Hunter plays both positions! Now, there is thought in the scouting community that Hunter will mostly play on one side of the ball and receive a package of plays on the other, and there will legitimately be different schools of thought as to where he should play in different front offices across the league. Could the Patriots use a fluid separator with elite-level speed and tremendous ball skills for Maye? Ab-so-lutely. How about a lockdown, instinctive, and versatile cornerback who can take the football away and lay the lumber on outside runs opposite Christian Gonzalez? Yep. From a qualitative perspective, Hunter would seemingly inject energy into the Patriots organization, something that’s clearly been missing since Tom Brady signed with the Buccaneers in 2020. The Heisman winner was every bit as integral as Shedeur Sanders to Colorado’s program going from 1-11 in 2022 to 9-4 with a bowl-game berth this season. There’d be minimal pushback from anyone if the Patriots called Hunter’s name into the league with the No. 1 pick. 3. Draft Will CampbellThe LSU blocker has three-consecutive starting seasons in the SEC and has looked a first-round pick since his freshman season. Across 1,593 pass-blocking snaps, Campbell surrendered a mere 47 pressures for the Tigers in three years. That’s bananas. Watching the Patriots in Maye’s rookie season, the offensive line was a massive problem. Heck, the shoddy blocking unit was likely a key element to Jacoby Brissett starting originally. It’s now conventional wisdom that sacks and sack rate aren’t strictly offensive line statistics, as a quarterback’s ability or lack thereof to get rid of the football plays a major factor. Yet, I’ll confidently assume no one in the Patriots organization would label the team’s offensive line as anything but a liability. As is the case with every first-round selection of an offensive lineman, this pick would be labeled as “safe” and not inspire much fanfare. But it might be the most prudent. Because at the heart of every quality team is a tremendous quarterback and, on a much more low-key level, a sturdy blocking contingent. Nothing against Vederian Lowe, but he’s not the long-term answer at left tackle for the Maye era in New England. Campbell has the athleticism, power, balance, and high-caliber experience in the SEC to be that steady franchise blindside blocker for the next decade for the Patriots. |
| NEW YORK JETSIt’s still early, but the first two known candidates for the Jets job have the initials “RR.” Kari Anderson of YahooSports.com: With the regular season winding down, the New York Jets are finally starting to look around for someone to fill in as head coach. The team is reportedly set to interview two candidates in the coming weeks to replace Robert Saleh, who was fired in October after a 2-3 start. One of the candidates is former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, who is scheduled to interview with the Jets this week, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Rivera coached the Panthers from 2011-2019, and spent four years at the helm with Washington before being fired in 2023. The Jets’ other interviewee is a familiar face: former Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who told 880AM ESPN New York that he expects to speak with the team about the vacancy after the regular season is over. The Jets, who are 4-12 and have long been eliminated from the postseason, will play their final game of the year next weekend against the Miami Dolphins. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim head coach after Saleh was fired. Rivera was a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, winning the honor in 2013 and 2015 after leading the Panthers to 12-4 and 15-1 finishes, respectively. Rivera led his teams to the playoffs five times in 13 seasons across the two franchises; in 2015, he led Carolina to Super Bowl 50, but fell to the Denver Broncos. Ryan, who coached the Jets from 2009-2014 and spent two seasons coaching the Buffalo Bills, led the Jets to two playof appearances at the start of his head coaching tenure. Those appearances were the last time that the Jets made the playoffs; at 14 years, the team holds the longest active postseason drought in professional sports. Ryan has not coached since being fired from the Bills in 2016, instead joining ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown as an analyst in 2017. Although the team has held interviews to replace general manager Joe Douglas, who was fired in November, the Jets had yet to interview anyone for the open coaching position despite firing Saleh in October. The new head coach will have a lot to handle with this Jets team, including what to do about struggling quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says those prospective coaches – and everyone else – would want to know that QB AARON RODGERS is headed elsewhere: The Aaron Rodgers experiment has been a failure for the Jets. He’s been needling ownership of late, possibly hopeful that he’ll be released. The Jets should give him what he wants. Technically, they can’t cut him until the waiver period opens, after the Super Bowl. They should. And they should make it clear that it’s coming. It’s hard to imagine the new G.M. or coach, whoever they might be, wanting to run it back with Rodgers. It’s even harder to imagine Rodgers wanting to return. His concerns about a leaky organization won’t change simply because there’s a new General Manager and head coach. The dysfunction runs all the way up to ownership. Until that changes, the team won’t change much, if at all. He wants out. He wants the Jets to make the move. They could call his bluff and welcome him back. It’s not worth playing games. They need to take charge. Remove the Band-Aid, as produced by Johnson & Johnson. Move on. Move out. Rodgers’s presence is a shining example of the shit show the team has been. If the organization wants anyone to think it’s changing, it will refuse to tiptoe around the delicate genius and tell him, very indelicately, that it’s over. |
