The end is near.
All good things have to come to an end … or if you’re a team that’s been struggling all year, all bad things.
The 2023 NFL season comes to an end Sunday night in Miami and when it does, 14 teams (seven from the AFC, seven from the NFC) will qualify for the playoffs. As for the other 18 teams? They’ll be clearing out lockers, looking for new coaches, free agents and new general managers, making changes that will improve their lot from this past season.
As far as the 14 teams that will fight for the right to either get their first Lombardi or obtain another one, the playoff period is a time unlike no other. Instead of you lose, you next game’s next week, it’s you lose and your next game is NEXT year. Think of the playoffs as musical chairs. As long as the music goes on, everyone’s got a chance.
It’s when the music stops and people are scrambling for chairs is when things get interesting.
Win.
Advance.
Lose.
Next game is next year.
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS: While some teams have already clinched either a division title or a playoff spot, there are still some spots that are open. This week, there are several scenarios that will either make things clearer or cause more confusion than a mouse in a Burlesque show (apologies to Foghorn Leghorn!). Here are week 18’s scenarios.
AFC
CLINCHED: Baltimore (13-3) – AFC North division title, number 1 seed, lone first-round bye and homefield advantage; Kansas City (10-6) – AFC West division title; Cleveland (11-5) – playoff berth; Miami (11-5) – playoff berth
Buffalo (10-6) at Miami (11-5); Sunday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
Buffalo clinches AFC East division title with:
Buffalo win
Buffalo clinches playoff berth with:
Buffalo tie OR Buffalo loss or tie OR Jacksonville loss or tie OR Houston-Indianapolis tie
Houston (9-7) at Indianapolis (9-7); Saturday, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
Houston clinches AFC South division title with:
Houston win + Jacksonville loss or tie
Houston clinches playoff berth with:
Houston win OR Houston tie + Jacksonville loss + Pittsburgh loss or tie
Indianapolis (9-7) vs. Houston (9-7); Saturday, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
Indianapolis clinches AFC South division title with:
Indianapolis win + Jacksonville loss or tie OR Indianapolis tie + Jacksonville loss
Indianapolis clinches playoff berth with:
Indianapolis win OR Indianapolis tie + PIT loss or tie
Jacksonville (9-7) at Tennessee (5-11); Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS
Jacksonville clinches AFC South division title with:
Jacksonville win OR Jacksonville tie + Indianapolis-Houston tie
Jacksonville clinches playoff berth with:
Jacksonville tie + Pittsburgh loss or tie OR Pittsburgh loss + Denver loss or tie + Houston-Indianapolis doesn’t end in tie
Miami (11-5) vs. Buffalo (10-6); Sunday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
Miami clinches AFC East division title with:
Miami win or tie
Pittsburgh (9-7) at Baltimore (13-3); Saturday, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN/ABC
Pittsburgh clinches playoff berth with:
Pittsburgh win + Buffalo loss OR Pittsburgh win + Jacksonvile loss or tie OR Pittsburgh win + Houston-Indianapolis tie OR Pittsburgh tie + Jacksonvile loss + Houston-Indianapolis doesn’t end in tie OR Jacksonville loss + Denver win + Houston-Indianapolis doesn’t end in tie
NFC
CLINCHED: San Francisco (12-4) – NFC West division title, number 1 seed, lone first-round bye and homefield advantage; Detroit (11-5) – NFC North division title; Dallas (11-5) – playoff berth; Los Angeles Rams (9-7) – playoff berth; Philadelphia (11-5) – playoff berth
ATLANTA (7-9) at New Orleans (8-8); Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS
ATLANTA clinches NFC South division title with:
ATLANTA win + Tampa Bay loss
Dallas (11-5) at Washington (4-12); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on FOX
Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:
Dallas win OR Dallas tie + Philadelphia tie OR Philadelphia loss
Green Bay (8-8) vs. Chicago (7-9); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
Green Bay clinches playoff berth with:
Green Bay win OR Green Bay tie + Seattle loss or tie + New Orleans loss or tie OR Green Bay tie + Seattle loss + Tampa Bay loss OR Green Bay tie + Seattle tie + Tampa Bay loss or tie OR Minnesota loss or tie + Seattle loss + Tampa Bay loss OR Minnesota loss or tie + Seattle loss + New Orleans loss
Minnesota (7-9) at Detroit (11-5); Sunday, 1 p.m. on FOX
Minnesota clinches playoff berth with:
Minnesota win + Green Bay loss + Seattle loss + Tampa Bay loss OR Minnesota win + Green Bay loss + Seattle loss + New Orleans loss
New Orleans (8-8) vs. ATLANTA (7-9); Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS
New Orleans clinches NFC South division title with:
New Orleans win + Tampa Bay loss or tie OR New Orleans tie + Tampa Bay loss
New Orleans clinches playoff berth with:
New Orleans win + Seattle loss or tie + Green Bay loss or tie OR New Orleans tie + Seattle loss + Green Bay loss
Philadelphia (11-5) at New York Giants (5-11); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on CBS
Philadelphia clinches NFC East division title with:
Philadelphia win + Dallas loss or tie OR Philadelphia tie + Dallas loss
Seattle (8-8) at Arizona (4-12); Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on FOX
Seattle clinches playoff berth with:
Seattle win + Green Bay loss or tie OR Seattle tie + Green Bay loss + Tampa Bay loss or tie OR Seattle tie + Green Bay loss + New Orleans loss or tie
Tampa Bay (8-8) at Carolina (2-14); Sunday, 1 p.m. on FOX
Tampa Bay clinches NFC South division title with:
Tampa Bay win OR Tampa Bay tie + New Orleans loss or tie
Tampa Bay clinches playoff berth with:
Tampa Bay tie + Seattle loss + Green Bay loss or tie
SEVEN FROM SUNDAY: Here’s a look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Thursday, December 28, Saturday, December 30 and during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time windows on Sunday, December 31, the 17th week of the 2023 season.
Baltimore, who defeated Miami 56-19, secured its first AFC North division title since 2019 and clinched the number 1 seed, the AFC’s only first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Ravens improved to 13-3, their second season in franchise history with 13 wins (2006).
San Francisco defeated Washington 27-10 and in combination with losses by Detroit and Philadelphia in Week 17, clinched the number 1 seed, the NFC’s lone first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
The 49ers, with quarterback Brock Purdy (4,280 passing yards), running back Christian McCaffrey (2,023 scrimmage yards), wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk (1,317 scrimmage yards) and Deebo Samuel (1,085 scrimmage yards) and tight end George KittleE (1,022 scrimmage yards), are the fourth team in NFL history with a 4,000-yard passer and four players each with 1,000-or-more scrimmage yards in a season, joining Indianapolis (2004), ATLANTA (1995) and Houston Oilers (1990). The 49ers – with McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Samuel and Kittle – is the first team in NFL history with a running back, two wide receivers and a tight end each with 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season.
Kansas City defeated Cincinnati 25-17 and clinched their eighth-consecutive AFC West division title, surpassing the Los Angeles Rams (seven consecutive NFC West titles from 1973-79) for the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history. Only New England (11 consecutive AFC East titles from 2009-19) has a longer streak. The Chiefs secured a playoff berth for the ninth-consecutive season, tying New England (nine seasons from 2002-10) and Dallas (nine from 1975-83) for the second-longest streak of playoff appearances in NFL history. Only New England (11 seasons from 2009-19) has a longer streak. Kansas City has at least 10 wins in nine consecutive regular-seasons, tied with Indianapolis (nine seasons from 2002-10) for the third-longest streak of 10-win seasons all-time. Only New England (17 seasons from 2003-19) and San Francisoc (16 seasons from 1983-98) have longer streaks.
Cleveland defeated the New York Jets 37-20 on Thursday – clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2020.
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Giants 26-25 and clinched a playoff berth for the third time in the past four seasons.
Pittsburgh defeated Seattle 30-23, for its ninth win of the season and secured a 20th-consecutive season with a .500-or-better record, surpassing New England (2001-19) for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Only Dallas (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) has a longer streak. Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin has led Pittsburgh to a .500-or-better record in each of his 17 seasons as the team’s head coach and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer George Halas (16 consecutive seasons from 1933-42 and 1946-51) for the third-longest streak of consecutive .500-or-better seasons by a head coach in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Landry (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) and Bill Belichick (19 consecutive seasons from 2001-19) have a longer streak.
Arizona, which entered Week 17 with a 3-12 record, overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Philadelphia (11-5), 35-31. It marked the first time that a team defeated an opponent that entered the week with at least eight more wins since Week 18 of the 2021 season [Detroit (2-13-1) defeated Green Bay (13-3)].
Week 17 of the 2023 marked the first time in NFL history that there was an offensive touchdown, defensive touchdown, kickoff-return touchdown and punt-return touchdown each of at least 90 yards in the same week (Cowboys’ Cee Dee Lamb – 92-yard touchdown reception; Eagles’ Sydney Brown – 99-yard interception-return touchdown; Patriots’ Jalen Raegor – 98-yard kickoff-return touchdown; Giants’ Guner Olszewski – 94-yard punt-return touchdown).
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 18 of 21 attempts (85.7 percent) for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions for a 158.3 rating, the highest attainable mark, in the Ravens’ Week 17 win. Jackson has three career games with a 158.3 passer rating (minimum 15 attempts in each game), tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner as well as Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger for the most such games in NFL history and is the second quarterback in NFL history with two career games of at least five touchdown passes and a 158.3 passer rating, joining Ben Roethlisberger. Jackson also had five touchdown passes and a 158.3 rating in Week 1 of the 2019 season.
Jackson has four career games with at least five touchdown passes, the third-most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (six games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (five) have more.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy passed for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 124.7 rating in the 49ers’ Week 17 win. Purdy has 4,280 passing yards this season, surpassing Jeff Garcia (4,278 passing yards in 2000) for the most single-season passing yards by a quarterback in 49ers franchise history and he has 10 games with a passer rating of 120-or-higher, surpassing Russell Wilson (nine games) for the most such games by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history. Purdy has eight games with a passer rating of 120-or-higher this season and is the fifth player ever to record a passer rating of 120-or-higher in eight-or-more games in a season, joining Aaron Rodgers (10 games in 2020), Tom Brady (eight in 2007), Philip Rivers (eight in 2008) and Matt Ryan (eight in 2016).
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, who has 2,023 scrimmage yards this season and had 2,392 scrimmage yards in 2019 with Carolina, is the third player in NFL history to record at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season for two franchises, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts) and Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts).
Kittle, who has 1,020 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions this season, is the fourth tight end since 1990 with three seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions, joining Travis Kelce (six seasons), Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (four) and Rob Gronkowski (four). Kittle also reached the marks in 2018 and 2019.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns and wide receiver Stefon Diggs had four receptions in the Bills’ 27-21 win over New England. Allen has 15 rushing touchdowns this season, tied with Jalen Hurts (15 rushing touchdowns in 2023) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season in NFL history.
Allen is the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games, joining Justin Fields (six consecutive games in 2022), Joshua Dobbs (five in 2023), Kyler Murray (five in 2020) and Cam Newton (five games in 2021) and has 12 games with a rushing touchdown this season, the most such games by a quarterback in a season in NFL history.
Diggs has 100 receptions this season and became the third player ever with at least 100 receptions in four-or-more consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (four consecutive seasons from 1999-2002). Diggs has 803 receptions in 135 career games, surpassing Andre Johnson (137 games) and DeAndre Hopkins (137) as the fifth-fastest player to reach 800 career receptions in NFL history. Only Antonio Brown (126 games), Keenan Allen (127), Julio Jones (127) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (131) reached the mark faster.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 245 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions for a 109.1 rating in the Chiefs’ Week 17 win. Mahomes has 4,177 passing yards this season and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players ever with at least 4,000 passing yards in six of their first seven seasons.
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua had five receptions for 118 yards in the team’s Week 17 win. Nacua has 101 receptions this season, tied with Anquan Boldin (101 receptions in 2003) for the second-most receptions by a rookie in history. Only Jaylen Waddle (104 receptions in 2021) has more.
Nacua has 1,445 receiving yards this season and surpassed Justin Jefferson (1,400 receiving yards in 2020) for the third-most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. Only Bill Groman (1,473 receiving yards in 1960) and Ja’Marr Chase (1,455 in 2021) have more and he is the fifth rookie in history with at least 100 receiving yards in seven games, joining Bill Groman (nine games in 1960), Odell Beckham Jr. (seven in 2014), Haroln Hill (seven in 1954) and Justin Jefferson (seven in 2020).
Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill had six catches for 76 yards in Week 17. Hill – who has a career-high and franchise-record 1,717 receiving yards this season and had 1,710 receiving yards last season – is the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons. Hill – who has 112 receptions this season, 119 receptions in 2022 and 111 receptions in 2021 – is the third player ever to record at least 110 receptions in three consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (2013-15) and Wes Welker (2007-09).
Hill, who has 710 receptions, 10,057 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions since entering the NFL in 2016, is the second player in NFL history with at least 70 receptions, 10,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions in his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.
Additional notes from Week 17 include:
Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns with one interception for a 121.2 rating in the Browns’ 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday. Flacco became the first player in NFL history to record at least 250 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of his first five games with a team and
became the second player ever to record at least 300 passing yards in four of his first five games with a team, joining Brian Hoyer (four of his first five games with Chicago in 2016).
Dallas wide receiver Cee Dee Lamb had 13 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 20-19 win over Detroit on Saturday.
Lamb has 122 receptions for 1,651 receiving yards this season, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (111 receptions and 1,603 receiving yards in 1995) for the Cowboys single-season franchise records in receptions and receiving yards.
Lamb has four games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards this season (Weeks 8-10 and 17), tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Tim Brown (1997), Calvin Johnson (2012) and Jerry Rice (1995) as well as Antonio Brown (2017) and Tyreek Hill (2022) for the most such games in a season in NFL history.
Lamb joined Michael Thomas (six games in 2019) as the only players with six games of 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had six receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta had seven receptions for 84 yards on Saturday. St. Brown has 308 career receptions and surpassed Christian McCaffrey (303 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a player in his first three career seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Jefferson (324 receptions) and Michael Thomas (321) have more.
LaPorta has 81 receptions this season, tied with Keith Jackson (81 receptions in 1988) for the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history. LaPorta has 860 receiving yards this season and surpassed Charlie Young (854 receiving yards in 1973) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961), Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021), Jeremy Shockey (894 in 2002) and Keith Jackson (869 in 1988) have more.
Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams had 13 receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns in Week 17. Adams has eight career games with at least 10 receptions, 125 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, surpassing Antonio Brown (seven games) for the most such games in NFL history and he has 17 games with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (17 games) for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (27 games), Randy Moss (26), Marvin Harrison (22) and Don Hutson (18) have more.
Jacksonville linebacker Josh Allen recorded three sacks in the Jaguars’ 26-0 win over Carolina. Allen – who had three sacks in Weeks 1, 4 and 17 and had 2.5 sacks in Week 12 – is the second player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 2.5 sacks in four games within a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor (four games in 1986).
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Below are among the milestones that can be reached in Week 18 of the 2023 NFL season:
Rushing quarterbacks (Josh Allen & Jalen Hurts)
Houston (C.J. Stroud)
Young quarterbacks with 4,000+ passing yards
Miami (Tyreek Hill)
Dallas (CeeDee Lamb)
Las Vegas (Davante Adams)
L.A. Rams (Puka Nacua)
Detroit (Sam LaPorta)
Jacksonville (Evan Engram)
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts each have 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for the most by a quarterback in a season in NFL history. In total, quarterbacks have rushed for 112 touchdowns this season, marking the third season all-time with at least 100 rushing touchdowns by quarterbacks, joining 2020 (126) and 2022 (105).
The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in a season in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON/RUSH TDs)
Josh Allen, Buffalo (2023/15)*
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia (2023/15)*
Cam Newton, Carolina (2011/14)
*Entering Week 18
Allen has a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games and on Sunday night in Miami, he can become the second quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in six consecutive games, joining Justin Fields (six consecutive games in 2022).
Allen ranks second among quarterbacks all-time with 53 career rushing touchdowns, trailing only Newton (75 rushing touchdowns). Hurts ranks fourth with 41 rushing touchdowns and, with two rushing touchdowns in Week 18 at the New York Giants, can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (43 rushing touchdowns) for the third-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history.
Additionally, with two rushing touchdowns, Hurts would become the first quarterback all-time with multiple rushing touchdowns in five games in a season.
The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history:
PLAYER – RUSH TDs
Cam Newton – 75
Josh Allen – 53*
Steve Young – 43 (HOF)
Jalen Hurts – 41*
Jack Kemp – 40
*Active
Allen enters Week 18 with 3,947 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes. On Sunday night, he can join Drew Brees (nine consecutive seasons from 2008-16) as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes in four consecutive seasons.
Allen has 42 combined passing and rushing touchdowns this season and had 45 combined touchdowns in 2020. With three touchdowns in Week 18, he can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with at least 45 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Tom Brady (2007 and 2021), Patrick Mahomes (2018 and 2022), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2004 and 2013) and Aaron Rodgers (2011 and 2020).
Allen has 165 touchdown passes since entering the NFL in 2018 and, with three touchdown passes this week, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (167 touchdown passes) for the third-most by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (196 touchdown passes) and Patrick Mahomes (192) have more.
The players with the most touchdown passes in their first six seasons in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM – PASS TDs
Dan Marino, Miami – 196 (HOF)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City – 192
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis – 167 (HOF)
Josh Allen, Buffalo – 165*
*In sixth season
With a win on Saturday night against Indianapolis, Houston, led by first-year head coach Demeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, can become the first team with a rookie head coach and qualifying rookie quarterback to make the postseason since the 2012 Indianapolis (2012 – Chuck Pagano and Andrew Luck).
Stroud has 3,844 passing yards this season and on Sunday he can become the fifth rookie all-time to reach 4,000 passing yards.
The rookies with the most passing yards in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – PASSING YARDS)
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis (2012 – 4,374)
Justin Hebert, Los Angeles Chargers (2020 – 4,336)
Cam Newton, Carolina (2011 – 4,051)
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay (2015 – 4,042)
C.J. Stroud, Houston (2023 – 3,844)*
*Entering Week 18
Stroud has six games with at least 300 passing yards, tied for the most in the league this season. With 300 passing yards in Week 18, Stroud will surpass Andrew Luck (six games in 2012) for the second-most 300-yard games ever by a rookie. Only Justin Hebert (eight in 2020) has more.
Stroud enters Week 18 with a 99.0 passer rating and can join Dak Prescott (104.9 rating in 2016), Robert Griffin III (102.4 in 2012) and Russell Wilson (100.0 in 2012) as the only qualifying rookie quarterbacks with a passer rating of 100-or-higher.
Two quarterbacks age 25 or younger – Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa (4,451 passing yards, age 25) and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy (4,280, age 24) – have already reached 4,000 passing yards this season while five other quarterbacks age 25 or younger – Houston’s C.J. Stroud (3,844, age 22), Green Bay’s Jordan Love (3,843, age 25), Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (3,803, age 25), Washington’s Sam Howell (3,793, age 23) and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence (3,736, age 24) are within 300 passing yards of the 4,000-yard mark entering Week 18.
The 2023 season can become the first season in NFL history with five-or-more quarterbacks age 25 or younger each registering at least 4,000 passing yards in the same season, surpassing the 2020 season (four quarterbacks).
The 2023 season can also become the first season in NFL history with four-or-more quarterbacks age 24 or younger each recording at least 4,000 passing yards in the same season, surpassing the 2018 (three quarterbacks) and 2012 (three) seasons.
Miami wide receiver Ttreek Hill leads the NFL with a career-high 1,717 receiving yards and is the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons.
With 118 receiving yards in Week 18, Hill can surpass Antonio Brown (1,834 receiving yards in 2015) for the fifth-most receiving yards in a season in NFL history. With 83 receiving yards, he would become the seventh player all-time to reach 1,800 receiving yards in a season.
The players with the most receiving yards in a season in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEIVING YARDS)
Calvin Johnson, Detroit (2012 – 1,964)(HOF)
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (2021 – 1,947)
Julio Jones, ATLANTA (2015 – 1,871)
Jerry Rice, San Francisco (1995 – 1,848)(HOF)
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (2015 – 1,834)
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota (2022 – 1,809)
Tyreek Hill, Miami (2023 – 1,717)*
*Entering Week 18
Hill has 710 receptions for 10,057 yards and has 82 scrimmage touchdowns (75 receiving, seven rushing) in his first eight career seasons. In Week 18, he needs:
Three receptions to surpass TORRY HOLT (712 receptions) and BRANDON MARSHALL (712) for the fourth-most receptions by a player in his first eight career seasons in NFL history.
Ninety-one receiving yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (10,147 receiving yards) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a player in his first eight seasons in NFL history.
Two scrimmage touchdowns to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison (83 scrimmage touchdowns) and Terrell Owens (83) for the third-most scrimmage touchdowns by a wide receiver in his first eight seasons all-time.
Entering Week 18, Hill ranks second in the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions while teammate Raheem Mostert leads all players with 18 rushing touchdowns. Miami can join Dallas (2014 – Dez Bryant and DeMarco Muray) as the only teams since 1970 with the league’s leader in touchdown receptions and rushing touchdowns in the same season.
Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb leads the NFL with 122 receptions this season, ranks second with 1,651 receiving yards and tied for third with 10 touchdown receptions. Last week, he became the sixth player all-time with four games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Tim Brown (1997), Calvin Johnson (2012) and Jerry Rice (1995) as well as Antonio Brown (2017) and Tyreek Hill (2022).
With eight receptions in Week 18, Lamb can become the sixth player in NFL history with at least 130 receptions in a season, joining Michael Thomas (149 receptions in 2019), Cooper Kupp (145 in 2021), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (143 in 2002), Antonio Brown (136 in 2015) and Julio Jones (136 in 2015).
The players with the most receptions in a season in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEPTIONS)
Michael Thomas, New Orleans (2019 – 149)
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (2021 – 145)
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis (2002 – 143)(HOF)
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (2015 – 136
Julio Jones, ATLANTA (2015 – 136)
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas (2023 – 122)*
*Entering Week 18
With three receptions this week, Lamb can become the fourth player all-time with at least 125 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Antonio Brown (2014 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (2002) and Cooper Kupp (2021).
The players with at least 125 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions in a season in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON, RECEPTIONS/RECEVING TDs)
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (2021, 145/16)
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (2015, 136/10)
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (2014, 129/13)
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Indianapolis (2002, 143/11)(HOF)
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas (2023, 122/10)*
*Entering Week 18
Lamb has 5,047 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2020 and with 42 receiving yards in Week 18, can surpass Torry Holt (5,088 receiving yards) for the fourth-most by a player in his first four seasons.
Lamb has nine career games with at least 10 receptions and can join Michael Thomas (18 games) and Christian McCaffrey (10) as the only players with at least 10 such games in their first four seasons in NFL history.
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,445 receiving yards this season and ties for eighth with 101 receptions. Last week marked his seventh game with at least 100 receiving yards, tied for the second-most such games by a rookie in NFL history.
With four receptions at San Francisco, Nacua will surpass Jaylen Waddle (104 receptions in 2021) for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history.
The rookies with the most receptions in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEPTIONS)
Jaylen Waddle, Miami (2021 – 104)
Anquan Boldin, Arizona (2003 – 101)
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (2023 – 101)*
*Entering Week 18
With 29 receiving yards, Nacua will surpass Bill Groman (1,473 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a rookie all-time and with at least 100 receiving yards on Sunday will join Groman (nine games in 1960) as the only rookies all-time with eight games of 100-or-more receiving yards.
The rookies with the most receiving yards in history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEIVING YARDS)
Bill Groman, Houston Oilers (1960 – 1,473)
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati (2021 – 1,455)
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (2023 – 1,445)*
*Entering Week 18
In 2023, 10 players have already eclipsed 100 receptions, with Las Vegas’ DaVante Adams (98 receptions) and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase (95) representing the two closest players to reaching the mark in Week 18. If two more players reach 100 receptions, 2023 would become the first season in NFL history with 12-or-more players each having 100-or-more receptions, surpassing the 2018 season (11 players).
With two receptions in Week 18, Adams would become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in four consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18), Stefon Diggs (four from 2020-23) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (four from 1999-2002).
Adams has 867 receptions since entering the NFL in 2014 and with three receptions can surpass Torry Holt (869 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a player in his first 10 seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (927 receptions) and Brandon Marshall (882) have more.
Detroit rookie tight end Sam LaPorta leads all tight ends with nine touchdown receptions, ranks tied for fourth with 81 receptions and sixth with 860 receiving yards this season.
LaPorta can become the third rookie tight end in NFL history to record at least 10 touchdown receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (12 touchdown receptions in 1961) and Rob Gronkowski (10 in 2010).
The rookie tight ends with the most touchdown receptions in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – TD RECEPTIONS)
Mike Ditka, Chicago (1961 – 12)(HOF)
Rob Gronkowski, New England (2010 – 10)
Sam LaPorta, Detroit (2023 -9)*
Junior Miller, ATLANTA (1980 – 9)
*Entering Week 18
With one reception, LaPorta will surpass Keith Jackson (81 receptions in 1988) for the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
The rookie tight ends with the most receptions in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEPTIONS)
Keith Jackson, Philadelphia (1988 – 81)
Sam LaPorta, Detroit (2023 – 81)*
Jeremy Shockey, New York Giants (2002 – 74)
*Entering Week 18
With 40 receiving yards, LaPorta will become the third rookie tight end all-time with at least 900 receiving yards, joining Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021).
The rookie tight ends with the most receiving yards in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEIVING YARDS)
Mike Ditka, Chicago (1961 – 1,076)(HOF)
Kyle Pitts, ATLANTA (2021 – 1,026)
Jeremy Shockey, New York Giants (2002 – 894)
Keith Jackson, Philadelphia (1988 – 869)
Sam LaPorta, Detroit (2023 – 860)*
*Entering Week 18
Jacksonville tight end Evan Engram leads all tight ends with a career-high 104 receptions entering Week 18. With six receptions this week, he can become the fourth tight end in NFL history with at least 110 receptions in a season, joining Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018), Travis Kelce (110 in 2022) and Jason Witten (110 in 2012).
The tight ends with the most receptions in a season in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – RECEPTIONS)
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia (2018 – 116)
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (2022 – 110)
Jason Witten, Dallas (2012 – 110)
Mark Andrews, Baltimore (2021 – 107)
Darren Waller, Las Vegas (2020 – 107)
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (2020 – 105)
Evan Engram, Jacksonville (2023 – 104)*
*Entering Week 18
All the games in week 18 are rematches from earlier in the season, which means that the teams that won their first meeting want to prove that the first time was not a fluke, while the losers want revenge. As was the case for the Opening Weekend, all 16 games this weekend (even the really bad ones!) are going to be DRILL WORTHY! (For those of you that know what The Drill is, you are excused. Everyone else, pay attention. We don’t want any rookie mistakes here, k?) After you go to the 9:30 mass on Sunday (the 4:30 vigil mass on Saturday counts as a Sunday mass attended, people! Don’t make us send the nuns after you! If we do, it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OVER!), head to your favorite store (a trip to Wal Mart, Target, K-Mart or Costco counts) and get the vittles and the beverages (soda, beer, wine, coffee, et al… if you live in a state that allows the purchase of the items in question) and invite the co-workers, the neighbors (including that really cute kindergarden teacher that knows what to do with a cover-2 defense) and your cousin Connie (remember her? She’s the one that’s been married twice that’s just turned 63 last June and dates a 47-year old ex-Marine, who’s now the principal at the high school in your town. She’s also the one that ate an entire Oreo cheesecake, two bags of Cool Ranch Doritos, two bacon cheeseburgers with blue cheese and chugged two 2-liter Cokes at your Super Bowl party last year and didn’t gain a pound. You look at her and say to yourself, “what the hell?”)
Having said all that, here are the Saturday and Sunday picks for week 18.
Pittsburgh (9-7) at Baltimore (13-3), 4:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN/ABC. The first game of week 18 takes place in Charm City as the Baltimore Ravens, winners of the AFC North and the top seed in the AFC, takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Both clubs were winners last week.
The Steelers, in the hunt for a playoff spot, led Seattle 17-14 at the intermission at Lumen Field last Sunday, then held off a late Seahawks rally to come away 30-23 winners in the land of Grunge, Salmon and Starbucks. Steelers RB Najee Harris led all rushers with 122 yards and a pair of TDs as Pittsburgh outrushed Seattle 202-88 (Seattle was led by Kenny Walker with 53 yards and a TD); Mason Rudolph (sack) threw for 274 yards, while Geno Smith (sack) 290 yards and a TD to Jaxon Smith-Njigba; Pittsburgh’s Gerald Pickens led all receivers with 131 yards on seven catches, while D.K. Metcalf led Seattle with 106 yards on five catches. Both Pittsburgh and Seattle had issues with third down tries (the Steelers were 6 of 13, Seattle was 3 of 9) and time favored the Pittsburgh, who went 2 of 3 on fourth down and ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 37:33 to Seattle’s 22:27.
Baltimore erased a 10-7 deficit against Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins, took a 28-13 lead with them to the intermission, then floored the gas and outscored the Dolphins 28-6 in the final 30 minutes of play at M&T Bank Stadium, coming away 56-19 winners to take the number one spot in the AFC. Jackson would use a pair of TD passes to Zach Flowers (75 yards) and the first of two TD passes to TE Isaiah Likely (35 yards) to take the lead for keeps. Jackson and Lively would hook up again in the third quarter on a 7-yard TD toss before Tagovailoa and RB De’Von Achne connected on a 1-yard TD toss early in the final quarter. After that, the Ravens would score the last 14 points of the contest unchecked as Jackson and Patrick Ricard connected on a 4-yard TD toss and Melvin Gordon ran a score in from seven yards out late in the contest.
D’Achane led all rushers with 107 yards but Baltimore (led by Gus Edwards’ 68 yards and a TD) outrushed the ‘Fins 160-154; Tagovailoa (three sacks, two interceptions) threw for 237 yards with TD passes to D’Achane and Jeff Wilson, while Jackson (sack) threw for 321 yards and five TDs, two to Likely, without an interception (Flowers led all receivers with 106 yards on three catches). Baltimore on third down was 4 of 7 (they were perfect in their only fourth down attempt) and the Ravens ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 30:23, while Miami, holding on to the pigskin for 29:37, went 6 of 15 on third down, 2 of 4 on fourth down.
The two clubs met in Pittsburgh in week five and the Steelers erased a 6-3 halftime deficit at Acrisure Stadium by scoring 14 fourth quarter points unchecked to take a 17-10 win in the Steel City. Pittsburgh used a pair of Chris Boswell field goals and a 41-yard TD pass from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens in the final 15 minutes of play to take the lead, then held off a late Baltimore rally to take the win. Edwards led all rushers with 48 yards as Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 125-87; Jackson (four sacks, interception) threw for 236 yards, while Pickett (three sacks) threw for 224 yards and the Pickens TD (Pickens led all receievers with 130 yards on six catches). Baltimore and Pittsburgh were having issues on third down tries (the Ravens, 0 of 2 on fourth down, was 5 of 14 on third down tries, while the Steelers were 6 of 15) and time was actually the ally of Baltimore, who kept the ball for 30:14 to Pittsburgh’s 29:46.
In the week five contest in the Steel City, Baltimore was favored by 2 1/2 and the Steelers covered, winning by 7 but the 41 1/2 over/under stayed intact, as the two clubs merged for 27 points. In the Saturday afternoon meeting in Charm City, the Steelers are favored by 3 with a 38 over/under. For the Ravens, their hay’s in the barn and they already know they don’t have to play another game for two weeks once this contest is done. As for the Steelers, they’re in survival mode and need to win and get help along the way and the last time Pittsburgh won in Charm City was in 2021, when they left M&T Bank 16-13 winners last year. Ravens cover the 3 in Charm City and takes the win at home.
Houston (9-7) at Indianapolis (9-7), 8:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN/ABC. A pair of 9-7 teams, fighting for the AFC South title, meet in the Hoosier State as Houston and Indianapolis meet at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both teams were winners at home last Sunday.
The Texans led 20-3 Tennessee at the break, holding the Titans to a 53-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired, then used a pair of Kai Fairbairn field goals in the second half to come away 26-3 winners at NRG Stadium. Houston held Tennessee to 53 yards on the ground, tallying 111 yards of their own in the win. C.J. Stroud (sack) threw for 213 yards with a TD pass to TE Brevin Jordan, while Will Levis (sack) left the game early, tallying 16 passing yards, with backup qb Ryan Tannehill (five sacks) throwing for 168 yards. Tennessee struggled on third down, going 1 of 12, while the Texans didn’t do much better at 3 of 11 (the Titans were 2 of 4 on fourth down) and time was on the side of Houston, who kept the ball for 33:11 to Tennessee’s 26:49.
The Colts and Minshew took a 14-3 lead at the intermission with them against Las Vegas at Lucas Oil last Sunday, then held off a late Raiders rally, keeping their playoff hopes alive with their 23-20 win in the Hoosier State. Using a 5-yard TD run by Jonathan Taylor and a 58-yard TD pass from Minshew to WR Alec Pierce (after Raiders K Daniel Carlson connected on a 40-yard field goal), Indianapolis took the 11-point lead with them to the break, then used a pair of Matt Gay field goals to push that lead to 10 with 7:34 left in the contest. Carlson and Gay would trade field goals late in the quarter before Aiden O’Connell and DaVonta Adams would connect on a 1-yard TD toss with 43 seconds left to bring the Silver and Black to within three. The Raiders then proceed to attempt an onside kick, which the Colts recovered and Indianapolis ran out the clock to take the win.
Taylor led all rushers with 96 yards and the TD as the Colts outrushed Las Vegas (led by Zach White’s 71 yards) 134-84; Minshew (sack) threw for 224 yards and the Pierce TD, while O’Connell (two sacks) threw for 299 yards and a pair of TDs to Adams (Adams led all receivers with 126 yards on 13 catches, neither QB threw an interception). Third down tries were an issue for both clubs; the Raiders were 5 of 15 (they were perfect in both fourth down attempts), while the Colts were 6 of 13 (Indianapolis on fourth down found success in their only try of the contest) and time was the ally of the Raiders, who kept the ball for 33:44 to the Colts’ 26:16.
They met in Houston in week two and the Colts left NRG Stadium 31-20 winners in the Lone Star State. The Colts led 28-10 at the intermission and despite being outscored 10-3 in the final 30 minutes of play, took control of the contest. The Colts outrushed Houston 126-52 with Zack Moss leading all rushers with 88 yards and a TD; Stroud (six sacks) threw for 384 yards and a pair of TDs to Malik Collins and Tank Dell; while Anthony Richardson (35 rushing yards, two rushing TDs) threw for 65 yards before leaving the contest and being replaced by Garner Minshew, who threw for 171 yards and a TD to TE Kylen Granson (Collins led all receivers with 146 yards on seven catches, while Dell chipped in with 72 yards on seven catches). Indianapolis did reasonably well on third down tries (6 of 12) and kept the ball for 25:02, while the Texans were the real rulers of the clock, holding the ball 34:58, going 9 of 19 on third down, 2 of 2 on fourth down.
In the week two contest in the Lone Star State, the Colts were favored by 1 vs. Houston and the Texans covered, winning by 9 and both teams clearly beat the 40 over/under with 51 points. Vegas likes the Colts again and once again, the boys and girls in Sin City have made the home team a 1-point favorite with a 47 over/under. The winner gets to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the loser is done for 2023. Houston’s last win in the Hoosier State prior to the week two win was in 2022, when they left Lucas Oil Stadium 32-21 winners. As for the Colts, their last win over the Texans came in 2021, when they went to NRG Stadium and shut out the Texas 31-0 as part of a series sweep that year (Indy won the first meeting that season by a final of 31-3). Houston completes the sweep of the series, taking the win in the Hoosier State and covers the 1.
ATLANTA (7-9) at New Orleans (8-8), 1 p.m. on CBS. They meet again and this time, it’s in the Big Easy. Atlanta and New Orleans, NFC South rivals meet in New Orleans with a possible playoff berth on the line as the two clubs open Sunday afternoon action. The Falcons are looking to recover from their loss in the Windy City, while the Saints return home with a win at Tampa Bay under their belts.
Atlanta could never get themselves on track against Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears at snowy, windy Soldier Field, falling to Da Bears 37-17 last Sunday. Atlanta, watching their playoff hopes get smaller, trailed 21-7 at the break and would get themselves as close as 14 points but could not get any closer.
Bears RB Khalil Hebert led all rushers with 124 yards and a TD as Chicago outrushed Atlanta 192-134 (Bijan Robinson led Atlanta with 75); Taylor Heinicke (two sacks, three interceptions, rushing TD) threw for 163 yards and a TD to Tyler Allgeier (Allgeier led Atlanta with 75 yards receiving on one catch), while Fields (three sacks, rushing TD) threw for 268 yards and a TD to D.J. Moore (Moore led all recievers with 159 yards on nine catches). Atlanta on third down went 4 of 13 (on fourth down, the Falcons were unsuccessful in their only fourth down try) and kept the ball for 22:46, while Da Bears ruled the clock, holding the ball in hibernation for 37:14, going 6 of 13 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down.
New Orleans ruined Tampa Bay’s plans for clinching the NFC South in front of the home crowd at Raymond James Stadium, taking Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers 23-13 in the Sunshine State. New Orleans led 17-0 at the break and took a 20-0 lead into the final 15 minutes of play when Mayfield and WR Trey Palmer ended the Saints’ bid for a shutout, connecting on a 22-yard TD with 7:50 left in the contest. After a 38-yard field goal by Saints K Blake Grupe, Tampa Bay would close out the scoring in the contest, as Mayfield and Chris Goodwin connected on a 47-yard TD toss with 97 seconds left to play but missed the two-point try.
New Orleans outrushed Tampa Bay 108-57 with Saints RB Jamaal Williams leading all rushers with 58 yards (Alvin Kamara chipped in with 45 before leaving the contest with an injury); Carr (sack) threw for 197 yards with TDs to Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson (Johnson led all receivers with 90 yards on eight catches), while Mayfield (two sacks, two interceptions) threw for 309 yards with the Palmer and Goodwin TDs. Third down tries in the Sunshine State was an issue with both teams last Sunday; New Orleans was 8 of 18, Tampa Bay was 2 of 8 (the Buccaneers were successful in the only fourth down attempt in the contest) and the Saints ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 36:38, while the Buccaneers held on to the ball for 23:22.
They met in the Big Peach in week 12 and Atlanta broke a three-game losing streak against their NFC South rivals, taking the Saints to the woodshed 24-15 in the Big Peach at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta, holding the Saints to five Blake Grupe field goals, took a 14-9 lead with them into the intermission and never looked back. In the process of taking first place back in the NFC South, Atlanta erased a 3-0 deficit early in the first quarter when Jessie Bates picked off Derek Carr and turned it into a 92-yard interception return for a TD, taking the lead for keeps. Bijan Robinson would later pick up the first of his two TDs on a 10-yard run to make it an eight-point contest before Grupe put the Saints to within five on a 41-yard field goal late in the first half.
Grupe would make it a two-point contest with a 45-yard field goal late in the third quarter before Robinson and Derrick Ridder connected ona 26-yard TD toss to lead by nine. After Grupe (who would miss from 54 yards) connected on a 39-yard field goal halfway through the final quarter, Atlanta’ Younghoe Koo would ice the contest away, sending Falcons fans home happy with a 39-yard field late in the quarter.
Robinson led all rushers with 91 yards and the rushing TD as Atlanta outrushed their NFC South rivals 228-148 (Alvin Kamara led the Saints with 69 yards); Ridder (interception) threw for 168 yards and the Robinson TD catch, while Carr (sack, interception) threw for 304 yards (New Orleans’ Chris Olave led all receivers with 114 yards on seven catches, Drake London led Atlanta with 91 yards on five catches). Atlanta on third down went 4 of 8, on fourth down they were 0 of 1, while keeping the ball for 28:26, while the Saints, who ruled the clock and held the ball for 31:34, went 6 of 14 on third down.
In the week 12 contest in the Big Peach, the Falcons were 1-point favorites and they would cover, winning by 9 but the two teams missed the 41 1/2 over/under, tallying 39 points. In the rematch in the Big Easy, which could give one of them the NFC South title, the Saints are favored by 4 with a 41 1/2 over/under. Atlanta’s last win in the Big Easy came in 2021, when they left New Orleans 27-25 winners and broke their three-game losing streak against their NFC South rivals in their last meeting. The winner of this one could win the NFC South or get a playoff spot. Atlanta may not get the playoff spot but they take the win in the Big Easy, covering the 4.
Tampa Bay (8-8) at Carolina (2-14), 1 p.m. on FOX. Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield make their way to Charlotte and Bank of America Stadium to take on a struggling Carolina team that would love nothing more to ruin the season for the Buccaneers. Both clubs took losses in the Sunshine State last week.
Carolina watched Jacksonville, without the services of Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) pitch a shutout, falling to the Jaguars 26-0 at EverBank Stadium Sunday afternoon in the Sunshine State. Keeping the struggling Panthers off the board, the Jaguars used three Brian McManus field goals in the first half to lead 9-0, then floored the gas in the second half, using a pair of Travis Etienne TDs and a McManus field goal to close out the scoring in the contest.
Etienne easily led all rushers with 102 yards and the two rushing TDs as Jacksonvile, holding Carolina to 57 yards, would tally 178 yards themselves. Panthers qb Bryce Young (six sacks, interception) threw for 112 yards, while Jacksonville backup qb C.J. Beathard threw for 178 yards without a sack or an interception. Carolina was a dismal 1 of 13 on third down, 3 of 6 on fourth down and kept the ball for 26:31, while the Jaguars ruled the clock, keeping the pigskin for 33:29, while going 7 of 16 on third down, 1 of 1 on fourth down.
Tampa Bay’s chances of winning the NFC South fell through as New Orleans ruined the Buccaneers’ plans in front of the home crowd at Raymond James Stadium, taking Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers 23-13 in the Sunshine State. New Orleans led 17-0 at the break and took a 20-0 lead into the final 15 minutes of play when Mayfield and WR Trey Palmer ended the Saints’ bid for a shutout, connecting on a 22-yard TD with 7:50 left in the contest. After a 38-yard field goal by Saints K Blake Grupe, Tampa Bay would close out the scoring in the contest, as Mayfield and Chris Goodwin connected on a 47-yard TD toss with 97 seconds left to play but missed the two-point try.
New Orleans outrushed Tampa Bay 108-57 with Saints RB Jamaal Williams leading all rushers with 58 yards (Alvin Kamara chipped in with 45 before leaving the contest with an injury); Carr (sack) threw for 197 yards with TDs to Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson (Johnson led all receivers with 90 yards on eight catches), while Mayfield (two sacks, two interceptions) threw for 309 yards with the Palmer and Goodwin TDs. Third down tries in the Sunshine State was an issue with both teams last Sunday; New Orleans was 8 of 18, Tampa Bay was 2 of 8 (the Buccaneers were successful in the only fourth down attempt in the contest) and the Saints ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 36:38, while the Buccaneers held on to the ball for 23:22.
They met in the Sunshine State in week 13 and Tampa Bay prevailed 21-18 at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay led 7-3 at the intermissoin in the Sunshine State before Carolina took the lead on a 1-yard run by Chubba Hubbard. Tampa Bay would respond, taking the lead back for keeps, using a 75-yard TD pass from Mayfield to Mike Evans and a 19-yard run by Goodwin to lead by 11 before Hubbard would score again on another 1-yard run with 5:02 left to trail by three. Carolina would have one last shot of either tying the contest or taking the win, getting the ball back with 3:31 left but got themselves no closer than their 40-yard line when Young was picked off by Antoine Winfield Jr. to end the threat. Tampa Bay then proceeded to run out the clock and take the win at home.
Hubbard led all rushers with 104 yards and the two TDs as Carolina outrushed Tampa Bay (led by Rachaad White’s 84 yards and a TD) 133-128; Mayfield (sack, interception) threw for 202 yards and the Evans TD (Evans led all receivers with 162 yards on seven catches), while Young (four sacks, interception) threw for 178 yards. Third down tries in the Sunshine State were lacking for both teams (Carolina was 3 of 15, Tampa Bay 6 of 15) and on fourth down, the Panthers, who ruled the clock and kept the ball for 33:42, went 1 of 3 on fourth down, while Tampa Bay kept the pigskin for 26:18.
Tampa Bay in the week 13 contest in the Sunshine State was favored by 5 1/2 but the Buccaneers won by three. As for the 37 over/under? The two clubs took care of that, tallying 41 points. Tampa Bay’s favored by 5 1/2 again in the Tar Heel State but the over/under’s now 37 1/2. Carolina wants to ruin Tampa Bay’s hopes of winning the NFC South and they’re playing with house money. Tampa Bay, who last won in Charlotte in 2021 by a final of 32-6, wants no part of that plan and are putting the Panthers on notice. Tampa Bay wins the South by being finer in Carolina, taking the win and covering the 5 1/2.
Cleveland (11-5) at Cincinnati (8-8), 1 p.m. on CBS. A battle of Buckeye State teams gets underway along the shores of the Ohio River as Cincinnati hosts Cleveland at PayCor Stadium. The Bengals, bounced out of the playoffs, hope to make things less than pleasant for the visiting Browns in the regular season finale.
Cleveland took a 34-17 lead at the half against the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! at Cleveland Browns Stadium last Thursday night and took a 37-20 win along the shores of Lake Erie. After Joe Flacco and Jerome Ford opened the scoring for Cleveland early in the first on a 7-yard TD toss, Trevor Siemian and Bree Hall tied things up on a 21-yard TD pass of their own. Cleveland then proceeded to score 21 points unchecked to take the lead back and for keeps, using a 7-yard run by Kareem Hunt, a 31-yard interception return for a TD by Ronnie Hickman and an 8-yard TD from Flacco to Elijah Moore to lead by 20 with 6:15 left before the break. After LB Jermaine Johnson picked off Flacco, returning the ball 37 yards for a TD, Flacco and Ford would go back to work, connecting on a 50-yard TD toss with 85 seconds left before the break.
Although Hall led all rushers with 84 yards, Cleveland outrushed GangGreen 127-107 (Ford led the Browns with 64 yards on the ground); Flacco (sack, interception) threw for 309 yards with the two Ford TDs and a TD to Moore, while Siemian (two sacks, interception) threw for 261 yards and the Hall TD (Cleveland TD David Njoku led all receievers with 134 yards on six catches). Cleveland, who clinched their first playoff spot since the Clinton administration, went 5 of 10 on third down tries (the Browns on fourth down were 0 of 1) and kept the ball for 28:09, while GangGreen actually ruled the clock and kept the ball for 31:51, going 6 of 16 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs erased a 17-13 deficit at the break at GEHA Stadium at Arrowhead, scoring 12 second half points on four Harrison Butker field goals, then holding off a Bengals rally in the closing minutes of their contest to take a 25-17 win over Cincinnati, eliminating the Bengals from the post-season. Kansas City took a 7-3 lead on an 8-yard TD pass from Mahomes to Isaiah Pacheco late in the first quarter before Bengals RB Joe Mixon and backup QB Joe Browning connected on a 7-yard TD toss early in the second quarter. Browning would take matters into his own feet, scoring on a 1-yard run late in the second before Butker closed the gap with the first of his six field goals from 43 yards out with 35 seconds. Butker’s foot would help the Chiefs chip away at the Bengals, connecting with the field goal that would give the home team the lead at the start of the fourth quarter, then added two more, including a 26-yarder that sealed the win for the Chiefs, who stopped the Bengals’ attempt to tie the contest and perhaps send it into overtime.
Pacheco led all rushers with 130 yards as the Chiefs outrushed the Bengals (led by Mixon’s 65 yards) 132-104; Mahomes (two sacks) threw for 245 yards with the Pacheco TD (Chiefs WR Rashee Rice led all receivers with 127 yards on five catches), while Browning (six sacks) threw for 197 yards with the TD to Mixon (neither qb threw an interception). The Chiefs on third down had their struggles, going 3 of 12 but had success in their only fourth down attempt and held the ball for 25:43, while the Bengals ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 34:17, going 8 of 16 on third down, 1 of 3 on fourth down.
They met along the shores of Lake Erie in week one and the Browns would prevail, holding the Bengals to a McPherson field from 42 yards out in the third quarter to take a 24-3 win. After a scoreless first quarter, the Browns took a 10-0 lead into the intermission, using a 42-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins and a 13-yard run by Deshaun Watson to score the first points of the contest and take the 10-point lead to the break. After McPherson’s field goal in the third, Hopkins would connect on a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth and Watson would hook up with TE Harrison Bryant for a 3-yard TD toss to seal the contest away.
Cleveland’s Nick Chubb easily led all rushers with 106 yards as Cleveland, holding the Bengals to 75 yards on the ground (Cincinnati was led by Mixon’s 56 yards), while tallying 206 yards of their own. Watson (three sacks, interception, rushing TD) threw for 154 yards and the TD to Bryant, while Joe Burrow (two sacks) threw for 82 yards. The Bengals on third down? 2 of 15 (they were 0 of 1 on fourth down). As for the Browns on third down? Not much better, going 4 of 14. As far as the clock was concerned, the Browns ruled the clock and kept the ball for 35:50 to Cincinnati’s 24:10.
In the first meeting in week one along the shores of Lake Erie, Cincinnati was favored by 2 and the Browns easily covered, winning by 21. The 47 1/2 over/under stayed in check as the two clubs combined for 27 points. Cincinnati’s favored again, this time by 4 with the over/under at 40. Already in the post-season, Clevland has won six of the last seven meetings in the series with Cincinnati’s last win coming last year at PayCor by a final of 23-10. Make that seven of eight. Browns cover the 4 in the Buckeye State and march into the post-season with the win.
Minnesota (7-9) at Detroit (11-5), 1 p.m. on FOX. A pair of NFC North rivals square off in the Motor City as Minnesota takes on NFC North champion Detroit at Ford Field. Both clubs are coming off losses in last week’s action.
Green Bay went into US Bank Stadium last Sunday night, took a 23-3 lead with them to the break and took the Vikings to task, coming away 33-10 winners in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The Packers scored the first 10 points of the contest unchecked, using a 34-yard field goal by Anders Carlson and a 33-yard TD pass to Jaylen Reed from Jordan Love to give them the lead they would never relinquish. Vikings K Greg Joseph would give the Vikings their first points of the half, connecting on a 54-yard field goal, then Green Bay would score twice before the intermission, with Love scoring on a 2-yard run, then connecting with Reed on a 25-yard TD pass before the intermission.
Packers RB Aaron Jones led all rushers with 120 yards on the ground as Green Bay held Minnesota to 67 yards of rushing, while tallying 177 of their own in the Twin Cities. Love threw for 256 yards with three TDs, including the two to Reed without a sack or interception, while Nick Mullens (sack) threw for 113 yards and a TD to TE Johnny Mundt (Packers WR Bo Melton led all receivers with 105 yards on six catches with a TD). Green Bay on third down did well, going 9 of 14 (they were 0 of 1 on fourth down) and ruled the clock by keeping the ball for 37:32, while the Vikings, who held the ball for 22:28, went 3 of 10 on third down, 0 of 2 on fourth down.
They met in the Twin Cities two weeks ago on Christmas Eve and Detroit won the NFC North for the first time since 2016, holding off Minnesota 30–24 at US Bank Stadiium last Sunday. Leading 17–14 at the break, the Lions watched as Minnesota took a 21–17 lead early in the third quarter on a 6-yard TD pass from Nick Mullins to K.J. Osborn before they reclaimed the lead on a 1-yard TD toss from Goff to Aman-Ra St. Brown late in the quarter. Lions RB Jeremy Gibbs would give the Lions an eight-point lead early in the final quarter before Greg Joseph’s 26-yard field goal with 5:19 left in the contest would put Minnesota closer than the Lions would have liked. After a Detroit punt late in the fourth quarter, Minnesota would get the ball back with 2:23 left and Lions fans would hold their breath literally and figurately, as their NFC North rivals moved the ball all the way to Detroit’s 30-yard line, when Mullins’ pass to Justin Jefferson was picked off by Ifeatu Melifonwu to end the threat, giving the Lions the road win and the NFC North title.
Holding the Vikings to 17 yards rushing in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Detroit ran for 143 yards with Jahmyr Gibbs easily leading all rushers with 80 yards and a pair of TDs (teammate David Montgomery chipped in with 55 yards and a rushing TD); Goff (sack) threw for 257 yards with the St. Brown TD (St. Brown led Detroit with 106 yards on 12 catches), while Mullens (four sacks, four interceptions) threw for 411 yards and a pair of TDs (including one to Jefferson, who led all receivers with 141 yard on six catches). Detroit did well on third down (6 of 12) and fourth down (2 of 2) and ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 38:22, while Minnesota, keeping the ball for 21:38, went 3 for 9 on third down, 0 of 1 on fourth down.
Detroit comes back to the Motor City after their heart-breaking 20-19 loss to Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday night. The Lions trailed 7-3 at the intermission, then took a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter on a 3-yard run by David Montgomery. The lead did not last all that long as Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey tied things up on a 51-yard field goal late in the period. Lions K Matt Badgley, who opened the contest’s scoring with a 41-yard field early in the first, gave Detroit the lead back on a 30-yard field goal. Dallas proceeded to score 10 fourth quarter points unchallenged, as Prescott and WR Brandon Cooks connected on an 8-yard TD toss and Aubrey booted a 43-yard field goal to lead by seven with 1:41 left in the contest.
Detroit would then go on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that used 78 seconds of clock, pulling themselves to within one when Goff and St. Brown connected on an 11-yard TD pass. Detroit then called a timeout and decided that instead of going for the tie, they would go for the two-point conversion to take the lead and possibly the win. That’s when things went haywire for the Lions. T Dan Skipper reported in as an eligible reciever but Goff’s two-point try went to Taylor Decker, who caught the pass for the conversion. Detroit had thought they had the lead but Decker was penalized for illegally touching the pass, which pushed the ball back five yards. Detroit tried again for the two and Goff’s pass to St. Brown was incomplete but this time Dallas was flagged for being offside, which gave the Lions another chance and that chance failed when Goff’s pass to TE James Mitchell fell incomplete. Detroit then tried an onside kick, which Dallas recovered, sealing the win for the Cowboys.
Montgomery led all rushers with 65 yards and the TD as the Lions outrushed Dallas (led by Tony Pollard’s 49 yards) 125-61; Goff (sack, two interceptions) threw for 271 yards and the St. Brown TD, while Prescott (three sacks, interception) threw for 345 yards and two TDs (one to Cee Dee Lamb, who led all receivers with 227 yards on 13 catches and the other to Cooks, St. Brown led the Lions with 90 yards on six catches). Detroit on third down went 4 of 13 (on fourth down, the Lions were 2 of 3) and they would keep the ball for 30:36, while Dallas, holding the ball for 29:24, went 7 of 14 on third down tries.
Detroit in the week 16 Twin Cities contest was favored by 2 1/2 and covered, winning by 6 and both clubs covered the 46 over/under, tallying 54 points. Detroit’s favored again in the Motor City, this time by 4 with the over/under 44 1/2. Minnesota’s last win in the Motor City? 2020, when they went to an empty Ford Field because of COVID restrictions and came away 37-35 winners. For the Lions, their hay’s in the barn and they can finish no worse than the three seed in the playoffs and they know they’ll be at home next week. For the Vikings, they want revenge from their loss to their NFC North rivals in the Twin Cities on Christmas Eve afternoon. ROAR LIONS ROAR! Detroit covers the 4 and takes the win in the Motor City.
New York Jets (6-10) at New England (4-12), 1 p.m. on FOX. A pair of struggling AFC East/AFL teams meet in Foxboro as the New York Jets come to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots. Both teams took road losses last week.
Cleveland took a 34-17 lead at the half against the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! at Cleveland Browns Stadium last Thursday night and took a 37-20 win along the shores of Lake Erie. After Joe Flacco and Jerome Ford opened the scoring for Cleveland early in the first on a 7-yard TD toss, Trevor Siemian and Bree Hall tied things up on a 21-yard TD pass of their own. Cleveland then proceeded to score 21 points unchecked to take the lead back and for keeps, using a 7-yard run by Kareem Hunt, a 31-yard interception return for a TD by Ronnie Hickman and an 8-yard TD from Flacco to Elijah Moore to lead by 20 with 6:15 left before the break. After LB Jermaine Johnson picked off Flacco, returning the ball 37 yards for a TD, Flacco and Ford would go back to work, connecting on a 50-yard TD toss with 85 seconds left before the break.
Although Hall led all rushers with 84 yards, Cleveland outrushed GangGreen 127-107 (Ford led the Browns with 64 yards on the ground); Flacco (sack, interception) threw for 309 yards with the two Ford TDs and a TD to Moore, while Siemian (two sacks, interception) threw for 261 yards and the Hall TD (Cleveland TD David Njoku led all receievers with 134 yards on six catches). Cleveland, who clinched their first playoff spot since the Clinton administration, went 5 of 10 on third down tries (the Browns on fourth down were 0 of 1) and kept the ball for 28:09, while GangGreen actually ruled the clock and kept the ball for 31:51, going 6 of 16 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down.
New England opened the contest with a 98-yard kickoff return by KR Jalen Reagor but the Bills overcame that and scored 20 first half points unchallenged and held off a late New England rally and came away 27-21 winners at Higmark Stadium. Buffalo took the lead on a 1-yard run by Allen after Tyler Bass’ 35-yard field put the Bills on the scoreboard. After a second Bass field goal, New England qb Brad Zappe was picked off by CB Rasul Douglas, who returned the ball 40 yards to give the Bills a 13-point lead. Zappe would make up for his error, scoring on 17-yard run with 9:44 to go before the intermission. Once again, Allen would take matters into his own feet early in the third quarter, scoring on a one-yard run to put the Bills up by 13. Patroits RB Ezekiel Elliott would put New England to within six with 11:01 left in the contest on a 6-yard run , narrowing the gap. New England would get the ball back with 6:41 left in regulation but went three and out and punted the ball back to the Bills. Buffalo made sure the Patriots would never see the ball again with 5:02 left as they ran out the clock, forcing New England to burn their time outs and take the win in upstate New York.
Buffalo outrushed New England 127-103 with James Cook leading the way with 49 yards of rushing, while Elliott led the Patriots with 39 yards; Allen (44 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, sack, interception), threw for 169 yards, while Zappe (three sacks, three interception, rushing TD) threw for 209 yards (Bills TE Dalton Kincaid led all receivers with 87 yards on four catches). Neither team had a conversion on fourth down in the contest; on third down, the Bills were 7 of 15 and were ballhogs, keeping the pigskin for 35:52, while New England, in keeping the ball for 27:08, went 4 of 10 on third down.
They met in week three in East Rutherford and the Patriots left Met Life Stadium 15-10 winners. New England led from start to finish, taking a 10-3 lead with them to the intermission and sealed GangGreen’s fate with 2:19 when QB Zack Wilson was sacked in the end zone for a safety. Ezekiel Elliott led all rushers with 80 yards as the Patriots outrushed New York 157-38; Mack Jones threw for 201 yard and a TD to TE Pharoah Brown, while Wilson (three sacks) threw for 157 yards (neither Jones or Wilson threw an interception). Neither club did much for their fan bases to cheer about on third down tries (New England went 8 of 19, the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! went 2 of 14) and on fourth down, GangGreen was 1 of 2 and kept the ball for 28:08, while the Patriots ruled the clock by holding on to the ball for 31:52.
In the week three contest in upstate New Jersey, New England was favored by 2 1/2 and covered, winning by 5. The 36 1/2 over/under stayed untouched as the clubs merged for 25 points. In the rematch, which means little to either team, the Patriots are favored by 1 1/2 points with a 34 over/under. Both teams are bad and there’s no denying it. As for the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!? Their last win in the series came in 2015, when they needed overtime in the Meadowlands to come away 26-20 winners. New England has all but owned GangGreen and that’s not changing anytime soon. New England covers the 1 1/2 and takes the win in Foxboro.
Jacksonville (9-7) at Tennessee (5-11), 1 p.m. on CBS. The defending AFC South champs make their way to Music City to face off against a 5-11 Tennessee Titans team that would love nothing more than to ruin Jacksonville’s playoff hopes.
Even without the services of Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), Jacksonville pitched a shutout at home against a struggling Carolina Panthers team, taking a 26-0 win at EverBank Stadium Sunday afternoon in the Sunshine State. The Jaguars used three Brian McManus field goals in the first half to lead 9-0, then floored the gas in the second half, using a pair of Travis Etienne TDs and a McManus field goal to close out the scoring in the contest. Etienne easily led all rushers with 102 yards and the two rushing TDs as Jacksonvile, holding Carolina to 57 yards, would tally 178 yards themselves. Panthers qb Bryce Young (six sacks, interception) threw for 112 yards, while Jacksonville backup qb C.J. Beathard threw for 178 yards without a sack or an interception. Carolina was a dismal 1 of 13 on third down, 3 of 6 on fourth down and kept the ball for 26:31, while the Jaguars ruled the clock, keeping the pigskin for 33:29, while going 7 of 16 on third down, 1 of 1 on fourth down.
Held to a 53-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired in the first half, Tennessee could never get themselves on track against Houston, trailing 20-3 at the break, then watched as the Texans used a pair of Kai Fairbairn field goals in the second half to come away 26-3 winners at NRG Stadium. Tennessee was held to 53 yards on the ground, while the Texans would wind up tallying 111 yards of their own in the win. C.J. Stroud (sack) threw for 213 yards with a TD pass to TE Brevin Jordan, while Will Levis (sack) left the game early, tallying 16 passing yards, with backup qb Ryan Tannehill (five sacks) throwing for 168 yards. Tennessee struggled on third down, going 1 of 12, while the Texans didn’t do much better at 3 of 11 (the Titans were 2 of 4 on fourth down) and time was on the side of Houston, who kept the ball for 33:11 to Tennessee’s 26:49.
They met in the Sunshine State in week 11 and the Jaguars prevailed 34-14 at EverBank Stadium. Jacksonville took a 13-0 lead with them to the break, then went on cruise control in the final 30 minutes of play in the Sunshine State, outscoring Tennessee 21-14 in the period with Lawerence taking matters into his own feet, scoring a pair of rushing TDs in the contest.
Eitenne led all rushers with 52 yards as Jacksonville outrushed the Titans 128-92; Lawrence (sack, two rushing TDs), threw for 262 yards and connected with Calvin Ridley on two TD passes (Ridley led all receivers with 103 yards), while Levis (two sacks) threw for 158 yards and had TD passes to DeAndre Hopkins and Jeffrey Simmons. Third downs in the week two meeting were nothing to write home about (Tennessee 2 of 7, Jacksonville 4 of 12) but the two clubs (Jacksonville 3 of 4, Tennessee 1 of 1) did well on fourth down and time was on the side of Jacksonville, who kept the ball for 36:26 to Tennessee’s 23:34.
Jacksonville in the week 11 contest in the Sunshine State was favored by 6 1/2 and covered the spread, winning by 20 and both clubs took care of the 40 over/under, tallying 48 points. Vegas likes Jacksonville as 3 1/2-point favorites in the Music Citiy with a 40 1/2 over/under. Tennessee wants nothing more than to ruin Jacksonville’s playoff chances and hopes of repeating as AFC South champs and the last time Tennessee beat Jacksonville was in the 2021 season, when they shut out the Jaguars 20-0 in Nashville. For Jacksonsville? They want to see those plans go out the window. Jacksonville covers the 3 1/2 in Music City and repeats as AFC South champs with the win.
Seattle (8-8) at Arizona (4-12), 4:25 p.m. on FOX. Gino Smith and the Seattle Seahawks make their to the desert to take on Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Seattle looks for a playoff spot as a Wild Card, while the Desert Angry Birds want to be the spoilers of the Seahawk party.
A Seahawks rally in the fourth quarter fell short as the Seahawks, looking to make the playoffs, trailed Pittsburgh 17-14 at the intermission at Lumen Field last Sunday, falling to the Steelers 30-23in the land of Grunge, Salmon and Starbucks. Steelers RB Najee Harris led all rushers with 122 yards and a pair of TDs as Pittsburgh outrushed Seattle 202-88 (Seattle was led by Kenny Walker with 53 yards and a TD); Mason Rudolph (sack) threw for 274 yards, while Smith (sack) 290 yards and a TD to Jaxon Smith-Njigba; Pittsburgh’s Gerald Pickens led all receivers with 131 yards on seven catches, while D.K. Metcalf led Seattle with 106 yards on five catches. Both clubs had their issues with third down tries (the Steelers were 6 of 13, Seattle was 3 of 9) and time favored the Pittsburgh, who went 2 of 3 on fourth down and ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 37:33 to Seattle’s 22:27.
Arizona pulled off a huge upset in the City of Brotherly Love against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles as Cardinals RB James Conner scored on a 2-yard TD run with 32 seconds left, then held off the Eagles to come away 35-31 winners at Lincoln Financial Field. The Desert Angry Birds trailed 21-6 at the intermission, then scored 15 third-quarter points unchallenged to tie things up going into the final 15 minutes of play. Hurts would connect with TE Dallas Goedert on a 9-yard TD toss to take the lead back. Arizona responded when Murray and Michael Wilson connected on a 5-yard TD pass with 5:26 left in the contest to re-tie the contest at 28-28. Philadelphia would take the lead back again on a 43-yard field goal by Josh Elliot before the 2-minute warning. Arizona then got the ball back with 2:33 left and used a 7-play, 70-yard drive that used 2:01 of clock for Conner to score the game-winner. Philadelphia got the back with 32 seconds left in regulation, hoping to pull off the win. The Eagles would get themselves as close as their 49-yard line, when Hurts was picked off by S Joey Blount to end the contest.
Conner led all rushers with 128 yards and the game-winning TD as the Desert Angry Birds outrushed the Eagles 211-91 (Philadelphia was led by D’Andre Swift with 61 yards). Murray (sack, interception) threw for 232 yards and three TDs (including the TD pass to Wilson), while Hurts (interception) threw for 167 yards and three TDs (two to Julio Jones, the other to Goedert). Arizona on third down went 5 of 10, while the Eagles were 4 of 9; on fourth down, both clubs had success (the Desert Angry Birds were 2 of 2, while the Eagles were successful in their only fourth down attempt) and time was the ally of Arizona, who kept the ball for 39:39 to Philadelphia’s 20:21.
Arizona and Seattle met in the land of Grunge, Salmon and Starbucks and the Seahawks were 20-10 winners at Lumen Field in week seven. A close contest at the outset with Seattle leading 14-10 at the intermission in the Pacific Northwest turned into a runaway for Seattle as they used a pair of Myers field goals in the final 30 minutes of play to take the win. Even though Arizona outrushed Seattle 127-115, Seahawks RB Kenny Walker led all rushers with 105 yards. Smith (two sacks, interception) threw for 219 yards, throwing TDs to Smith-Njigba (who led all receivers with 63 yards) and Jake Bobo. With Murray injured, Arizona put Josh Dobbs (four sacks) under center, throwing for 146 yards. Arizona on third down went 5 of 13 (they were 0 of 3 on fourth down) and the Desert Angry Birds would hold the ball for 29:28, while the Seahawks were rulers of the clock, keeping the ball for 30:32 and went 7 of 13 on third down.
In the week seven contest in the land of Grunge, Salmon and Starbucks, Seattle was favored by a touchdown and covered with their 10-point win but the 46 1/2 over/under was safe, as the two NFC West rivals combined for 30 points. Seattle’s favored again and this time, the boys and girls in Vegas like the Seahawks as a 3-point favorite in the desert with a 47 1/2 over/under. Arizona’s last win over Seattle came in the Pacific Northwest in 2021 by a final of 23-13. The Desert Angry Birds would love nothing more than ruin Seattle’s hopes for a Wild Card spot. Seattle says they have other plans. Seahawks cover the 3 in the desert and takes the win on the road.
Chicago (7-9) at Green Bay (8-8), 4:25 p.m. on CBS. It’s late afternoon football from the land of cheese, beer and Bratwurst as Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears travel to Lambeau Field to take on Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. Both clubs were winners in last week’s play.
Chicago led Atlanta from start to finish at a snowy windy Soldier Field last Sunday as Fields and Da Bears came away 37-17 winners in the Windy City. Chicago, in full control throughout the contest, led 21-7 at the break and would not allow the Falcons to any closer than a two-touchdown lead in taking the win.
Bears RB Khalil Hebert led all rushers with 124 yards and a TD as Chicago outrushed Atlanta 192-134 (Bijan Robinson led Atlanta with 75); Taylor Heinicke (two sacks, three interceptions, rushing TD) threw for 163 yards and a TD to Tyler Allgeier (Allgeier led Atlanta with 75 yards receiving on one catch), while Fields (three sacks, rushing TD) threw for 268 yards and a TD to D.J. Moore (Moore led all recievers with 159 yards on nine catches). Atlanta on third down went 4 of 13 (on fourth down, the Falcons were unsuccessful in their only fourth down try) and kept the ball for 22:46, while Da Bears ruled the clock, holding the ball in hibernation for 37:14, going 6 of 13 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down.
Green Bay went into US Bank Stadium last Sunday night, took a 23-3 lead with them to the break and took the Vikings to task, coming away 33-10 winners in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The Packers scored the first 10 points of the contest unchecked, using a 34-yard field goal by Anders Carlson and a 33-yard TD pass to Jaylen Reed from Jordan Love to give them the lead they would never relinquish. Vikings K Greg Joseph would give the Vikings their first points of the half, connecting on a 54-yard field goal, then Green Bay would score twice before the intermission, with Love scoring on a 2-yard run, then connecting with Reed on a 25-yard TD pass before the intermission.
Packers RB Aaron Jones led all rushers with 120 yards on the ground as Green Bay held Minnesota to 67 yards of rushing, while tallying 177 of their own in the Twin Cities. Love threw for 256 yards with three TDs, including the two to Reed without a sack or interception, while Nick Mullens (sack) threw for 113 yards and a TD to TE Johnny Mundt (Packers WR Bo Melton led all receivers with 105 yards on six catches with a TD). Green Bay on third down did well, going 9 of 14 (they were 0 of 1 on fourth down) and ruled the clock by keeping the ball for 37:32, while the Vikings, who held the ball for 22:28, went 3 of 10 on third down, 0 of 2 on fourth down.
They met in the Windy City in week one and the Packers left Soldier Field 38-20 winners over Da Bears. Green Bay led 10-6 at the break, then floored the gas in the final 30 minutes of play, outpacing Chicago 28-14 in the period. Chicago managed to outrush Green Bay 122-92 as Fields led all rushers with 59 yards. Love (sack) threw for 245 yards and three TDs, two to Romeo Doubs, the other to Jones, while Fields (four sacks, interception) threw for 216 yards and a TD to Darnell Mooney (Jones led all receivers with 86 yards on two catches). Green Bay on third down went 9 of 16, while Da Bears were 3 of 13, both clubs were 1 of 2 on fourth down and Da Bears actually ruled the clock and kept the ball for 30:43, while Green Bay clung to the pigskin for 29:17.
In the week one contest in the Windy City, Green Bay covered the 1-point spread (Da Bears were favored) and both teams took care of the 42 over/under, tallying 58 points. Green Bay’s favored in the land of cheese, beer and Bratwurst as 2-point favorites with a 43 1/2 over/under. The winner could very well wind up in the post-season as a Wild Card, while the loser is done. Chicago’s last win over Green Bay came in 2018, when Da Bears were 24-17 winners at Soldier Field. GO PACK GO! Green Bay covers the 2 by taking the win in the land of cheese, beer and Bratwurst.
Denver (8-8) at Las Vegas (8-8), 4:25 p.m. on FOX. A pair of AFL/AFC West rivals, eliminated from the post-season, meet again in Sin City as Denver travels to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. The Broncos come in with a win at home under their belts, while the Silver and Black return home after a close loss in the Hoosier State.
Denver held off a late Los Angeles Chargers rally last Sunday in the Mile High City, taking a 16-9 win over the Bolts at Empower Field at Mile High. The contest at first was a battle of field goal kickers as Denver’s Wil Lutz gave his team the lead late in the first quarter on a 32-yard field goal, only to have Chargers k Cameron Dicker tie things up with a 36-yard field goal late in the second quarter. Denver would take the lead for keeps with 6:37 when backup QB Jarrett Stidham (taking over for the benched Russell Wilson) and WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey connected on a 54-yard TD, which was the only time that either club would be in the end zone. Lutz would put some distance between the Broncos and the Chargers, connecting on a 43-yard field goal with 1:53 left before the intermission. Lutz and Dicker traded field goals in the second half, with Dicker connecting on a 52-yard field try with 77 seconds left in the contest. Hoping to tie the contest or win it outright, Dicker attempted an onside kick, which Denver recovered, allowing the Broncos to run out the clock and take the win.
Denver outrushed the Chargers 101-86, with Chargers RB Austin Elker leading all rushers with 46 yards; Stidham (two sacks) threw for 224 yards and the Humphrey TD, while Easton Stick (sack), taking over for Justin Hebert, threw for 220 yards (Chargers WR Alex Erickson led all receivers with 98 yards on seven catches, neither man threw an interception). Third down tries were not much to write, call or text home about in the contest in the Rocky Mountains (the Chargers were 2 of 11, Denver 7 of 17) but on fourth down, both teams did well (Los Angeles was 1 of 2, while Denver had success in their only fourth down attempt) and the Broncos ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 33:46 to the Chargers’ 26:14.
Las Vegas watched as the Colts and Garner Minshew took a 14-3 lead at the intermission with them at Lucas Oil last Sunday, then held off a late Raiders rally, keeping their playoff hopes alive with their 23-20 win in the Hoosier State. The Colts used a 5-yard TD run by Jonathan Taylor and a 58-yard TD pass from Minshew to WR Alec Pierce (after Raiders K Daniel Carlson connected on a 40-yard field goal), taking the 11-point lead with them to the break, then used a pair of Matt Gay field goals to push that lead to 10 with 7:34 left in the contest. Carlson and Gay would trade field goals late in the quarter before Aiden O’Connell and DaVonta Adams would connect on a 1-yard TD toss with 43 seconds left to bring the Silver and Black to within three. The Raiders then proceed to attempt an onside kick, which the Colts recovered and Indianapolis ran out the clock to take the win.
Taylor led all rushers with 96 yards and the TD as the Colts outrushed Las Vegas (led by Zach White’s 71 yards) 134-84; Minshew (sack) threw for 224 yards and the Pierce TD, while O’Connell (two sacks) threw for 299 yards and a pair of TDs to Adams (Adams led all receivers with 126 yards on 13 catches, neither QB threw an interception). Third down tries were an issue for both clubs; the Raiders were 5 of 15 (they were perfect in both fourth down attempts), while the Colts were 6 of 13 (Indianapolis on fourth down found success in their only try of the contest) and time was the ally of the Raiders, who kept the ball for 33:44 to the Colts’ 26:16.
Denver and Las Vegas met at Empower Field at Mile High in week one and the Raiders prevailed 17-16. The Silver and Black trailed Wilson and the Broncos 13-10 at the break, played a scoreless third quarter, before Lutz gave the home team a six-point lead with 8:54 left in the contest on a 24-yard field goal. Las Vegas would then go on a six-play, 75-yard drive that used 2:20 of clock when Jimmy Garoppolo and WR Jakobi Meyers connected on a six-yard TD toss to take the lead for the first time in the contest. Denver got the ball back with 6:34 left in the contest and went three and out, punting the ball back to the Raiders.
It would be the last time Denver would see the ball as Las Vegas ran out the clock and forced Denver to burn their remaining timeouts to take the win. Neither club touched the 100-yard barrier in the season opener but Denver somehow managed to outrush Las Vegas 94-61; Wilson (two sacks) threw for 177 yards with TD passes to Sutton and Humphrey, while Garoppolo (interception), threw for 200 yards with a pair of TD to Meyers (Meyers led all receivers with 81 yards). Both clubs were 5 of 11 on third down tries in the contest, the Raiders had success in the only fourth down try of the contest, with Denver ruling the clock, keeping the ball for 32:08 to Las Vegas’ 27:52.
In the contest in the Rocky Mountains in week one, Denver was favored by 3 1/2 points and while the Raiders won, it was by one point. As for the 44 over/under? It stayed safe, as the two clubs combined for 33 points. The Raiders in the rematch are favored by 2 1/2 with the over/under 38. Denver’s last win in the series came in 2019 by a 16-15 final in Denver. The Silver and Black has won the last seven meetings in the series and the Broncos want to put a stop to that. Denver may not cover the 2 1/2 but they take the win in Sin City.
Kansas City (10-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-11), 4:25 p.m. on CBS. The defending Super Bowl champs and Patrick Mahomes make their way West for a late afternoon showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes and the Chiefs erased a 17-13 deficit at the break at GEHA Stadium at Arrowhead, scoring 12 second half points on four Harrison Butker field goals, then holding off a Bengals rally in the closing minutes of their contest to take a 25-17 win over Cincinnati. Kansas City took a 7-3 lead on an 8-yard TD pass from Mahomes to Isaiah Pacheco late in the first quarter before Bengals RB Joe Mixon and backup QB Joe Browning connected on a 7-yard TD toss early in the second quarter. Browning would take matters into his own feet, scoring on a 1-yard run late in the second before Butker closed the gap with the first of his six field goals from 43 yards out with 35 seconds. Butker’s foot would help the Chiefs chip away at the Bengals, connecting with the field goal that would give the home team the lead at the start of the fourth quarter, then added two more, including a 26-yarder that sealed the win for the Chiefs, who stopped the Bengals’ attempt to tie the contest and perhaps send it into overtime.
Pacheco led all rushers with 130 yards as the Chiefs outrushed the Bengals (led by Mixon’s 65 yards) 132-104; Mahomes (two sacks) threw for 245 yards with the Pacheco TD (Chiefs WR Rashee Rice led all receivers with 127 yards on five catches), while Browning (six sacks) threw for 197 yards with the TD to Mixon (neither qb threw an interception). The Chiefs on third down had their struggles, going 3 of 12 but had success in their only fourth down attempt and held the ball for 25:43, while the Bengals ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 34:17, going 8 of 16 on third down, 1 of 3 on fourth down.
A late Chargers’ rally fell short as Denver held off Los Angeles last Sunday in the Mile High City, taking a 16-9 win at Empower Field at Mile High. The contest at first was a battle of field goal kickers as Denver’s Wil Lutz gave his team the lead late in the first quarter on a 32-yard field goal, only to have Chargers K Cameron Dicker tie things up with a 36-yard field goal late in the second quarter.
Denver would take the lead for keeps with 6:37 when backup QB Jarrett Stidham (taking over for the benched Russell Wilson) and WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey connected on a 54-yard TD, which was the only time that either club would be in the end zone. Lutz would put some distance between the Broncos and the Chargers, connecting on a 43-yard field goal with 1:53 left before the intermission. Lutz and Dicker traded field goals in the second half, with Dicker connecting on a 52-yard field try with 77 seconds left in the contest. Hoping to tie the contest or win it outright, Dicker attempted an onside kick, which Denver recovered, allowing the Broncos to run out the clock and take the win.
Denver outrushed the Chargers 101-86, with Chargers RB Austin Elker leading all rushers with 46 yards; Stidham (two sacks) threw for 224 yards and the Humphrey TD, while Easton Stick (sack), taking over for Justin Hebert, threw for 220 yards (Chargers WR Alex Erickson led all receivers with 98 yards on seven catches, neither man threw an interception). Third down tries were not much to write, call or text home about in the contest in the Rocky Mountains (the Chargers were 2 of 11, Denver 7 of 17) but on fourth down, both teams did well (Los Angeles was 1 of 2, while Denver had success in their only fourth down attempt) and the Broncos ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 33:46 to the Chargers’ 26:14.
The two teams met at Arrowhead in week seven and the Chiefs prevailed 31-17. Mahomes and the Chiefs broke a 3–3 tie at the end of the first quarter, take a 24–17 lead at the break and take a 31–17 win at GEHA Field at Arrowhead. Los Angeles had a chance to pull themselves to within seven with 1:17 left in regulation but Justin Hebert’s pass intended for Keenan Allen was picked off by Bryan Cook to end the threat.
The Chargers outrushed their AFC West/AFL foes 139–68 with Joshua Kelly leading the rushers with 75 yards and a TD; Mahomes (sack, interception) threw for 424 yards and four TDs (one to Travis Kelce, who led all recievers with 179 yards and a TD), while Hebert (five sacks, two interceptions) threw for 259 yards and a pair of TDs (one to TE Gerald Everett; Joshua Palmer led the Charger recieving corp with 133 yards). The Chargers on third down? 6 of 14; they were 1 of 1 on fourth down and kept the ball for 28:20, while the defending Super Bowl champs ruled the clock, holding on to the pigskin for 31:40, while going 6 of 11 on third down.
In the week seven contest in the Show-Me State, the Chiefs were favored by 6 and covered, winning by 14 but the two clubs did not cover the 52 over/under, tallying 48 points. In the rematch on the West Coast, the Chargers are favored by 1 over Kansas City with a 35 1/2 over/under. The Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West, so their hay is pretty much in the barn. As for the Chargers? They want to play spoiler, knowing they’re playing with house money (the Chargers’ last win over Kansas City came in 2021, when they took a 30-24 win at Arrowhead). Chiefs prevail by taking the win and covering the 1 on the West Coast.
Philadelphia (11-5) at New York Giants (5-11), 4:25 p.m. on CBS. Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts makes the nearly two-hour trip down I-95 in hopes of winning the NFC East as they take on the New York Giants at Met Life Stadium. Both teams were losers at home in last Sunday’s play.
Arizona pulled off a huge upset in the City of Brotherly Love against Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles as Cardinals RB James Conner scored on a 2-yard TD run with 32 seconds left, then held off the Eagles to come away 35-31 winners at Lincoln Financial Field. The Desert Angry Birds trailed 21-6 at the intermission, then scored 15 third-quarter points unchallenged to tie things up going into the final 15 minutes of play. Hurts would connect with TE Dallas Goedert on a 9-yard TD toss to take the lead back. Arizona responded when Murray and Michael Wilson connected on a 5-yard TD pass with 5:26 left in the contest to re-tie the contest at 28-28. Philadelphia would take the lead back again on a 43-yard field goal by Josh Elliot before the 2-minute warning. Arizona then got the ball back with 2:33 left and used a 7-play, 70-yard drive that used 2:01 of clock for Conner to score the game-winner. Philadelphia got the back with 32 seconds left in regulation, hoping to pull off the win. The Eagles would get themselves as close as their 49-yard line, when Hurts was picked off by S Joey Blount to end the contest.
Conner led all rushers with 128 yards and the game-winning TD as the Desert Angry Birds outrushed the Eagles 211-91 (Philadelphia was led by D’Andre Swift with 61 yards). Murray (sack, interception) threw for 232 yards and three TDs (including the TD pass to Wilson), while Hurts (interception) threw for 167 yards and three TDs (two to Julio Jones, the other to Goedert). Arizona on third down went 5 of 10, while the Eagles were 4 of 9; on fourth down, both clubs had success (the Desert Angry Birds were 2 of 2, while the Eagles were successful in their only fourth down attempt) and time was the ally of Arizona, who kept the ball for 39:39 to Philadelphia’s 20:21.
The Giants’ hopes of upseting Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams fell short as Mason Crosby’s 56-yard field goal try late in the game sailed wide right, giving the Rams the 26-25 win at Met Life Stadium last Sunday. The Rams took a 14-10 lead with them to the break and would lead by as much as 10 before Giants QB Tyrod Taylor and WR Darius Slayton connected on an 80-yard TD pass but missed the extra point. Crosby would later put the Giants to within one early in the final 15 minutes of play, connecting on a 32-yard field goal before Rams RB Kyren Williams scored on a 28-yard run. The Giants made it one-point contest with 3:27 left when KR Gunner Olszewski returned a punt 94 yards for a TD and would get the ball back with 68 seconds left in the contest, trailing by a single point. Starting from their 35-yard line, the Giants would position themselves to what would have been the game-winning score and moved the ball to the Rams’ 36-yard line, where they would set up for the game-winning kick, which sailed wide to the right, giving the Rams the win.
Williams, with three TDs, led all rushers with 87 yards on 20 carries as the Rams and Giants each rushed for 105 yards. Stafford (four sacks, two inteceptions) threw for 317 yards and a TD to Cooper Kupp, while Taylor (six sacks, interception) threw for 319 yards and the TD to Slayton (who led all receievers with 106 yards). The Rams on third down went 2 of 8, 0 of 1 on fourth down and ruled the by holding the ball for 30:11, while the Giants, holding the ball for 29:49, went 5 of 16 on third down, 1 of 3 on fourth.
They met two weeks ago in the City of Brotherly Love and the Eagles came away from Lincoln Financial Field 33-25 winners. The Eagles led 20-3 at the intermission before the Giants scored 15 third quarter points unchallenged, using a 7-yard TD run by Saquan Barkley and a 76-yard interception by Adoree Jackson and a 2-point conversion by Barkley before the Eagles scored 13 fourth-quarter points of their own unchecked to seal the contest. Swift led all rushers with 92 yards and a TD (Barkley led the Giants with 80 yards) as the Giants were outrushed by Philadelphia 170-106. Taylor (interception) threw for 133 yards and the Slayton TD pass (Slayton led all receivers with 90 yards), while Hurts (sack, interception, rushing TD) threw for 301 yards and the Smith TD. The Giants on third down were 4 of 14 on third down but did well on fourth down (3 of 5) and kept the ball for 25:22, while the Eagles were rulers of the clock and kept the ball for 34:38, going 8 of 15 on third down, 2 of 2 on fourth down.
Philadelphia in the Christmas Day contest in the City of Brotherly Love was favored by 10 1/2 and while the Eagles did take the win, they wound up winning by 8. The two teams did manage to cover the 44 over/under, tallying 58 points. In the rematch in upstate New Jersey, the Eagles are favored by 6 with a 45 1/2 over/under. The Eagles already know they’re in the post-season but want to play a game at home next week, while the Giants are playing with house money and really have nothing to lose should they upset Philadelphia. FLY EAGLES FLY! Philadelphia may not cover the 6 but they take the win in upstate New Jersey.
Los Angeles Rams (9-7) at San Francisco (12-4), 4:25 p.m. on FOX. Clinching the top spot in the NFC, the San Francicso 49ers and Brock Purdy close out the regular season in Wine Country as they host Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Both California teams, playoff bound, picked up huge wins last week.
Stafford and the Rams dodged a major bullet against the New York Giants as Giants K Mason Crosby’s 56-yard field goal try late in the game sailed wide right, giving the Rams the 26-25 win at Met Life Stadium last Sunday. The Rams took a 14-10 lead with them to the break and would lead by as much as 10 before Giants QB Tyrod Taylor and WR Darius Slayton connected on an 80-yard TD pass but missed the extra point. Crosby would later put the Giants to within one early in the final 15 minutes of play, connecting on a 32-yard field goal before Rams RB Kyren Williams scored on a 28-yard run. The Giants made it one-point contest with 3:27 left when KR Gunner Olszewski returned a punt 94 yards for a TD and would get the ball back with 68 seconds left in the contest, trailing by a single point. Starting from their 35-yard line, the Giants would position themselves to what would have been the game-winning score and moved the ball to the Rams’ 36-yard line, where they would set up for the game-winning kick, which sailed wide to the right, giving the Rams the win.
Williams, with three TDs, led all rushers with 87 yards on 20 carries as the Rams and Giants each rushed for 105 yards. Stafford (four sacks, two inteceptions) threw for 317 yards and a TD to Cooper Kupp, while Taylor (six sacks, interception) threw for 319 yards and the TD to Slayton (who led all receievers with 106 yards). The Rams on third down went 2 of 8, 0 of 1 on fourth down and ruled the by holding the ball for 30:11, while the Giants, holding the ball for 29:49, went 5 of 16 on third down, 1 of 3 on fourth.
San Francisco bounced back from their Christmas night loss at home to Baltimore and held Washington to 10 second quarter points as the 49ers took down the Commanders 27-10 at FedEx Field last Sunday. The 49ers, the top seed in the NFC Playoffs, used a 38-yard field goal by Josh Moody and a 2-yard TD pass from Purdy to Deebo Samuel to open the scoring in the contest unchecked. Washington responded with 10 points of their own, thanks to a 47-yard field goal by Joey Slye and a 3-yard TD toss from Sam Howell to Terry McLaurin late in the second quarter. The 49ers would take the lead back for keeps with 19 seconds left before the intermission on a 22-yard field goal by Moody for a 13-10 lead, then add to the lead in the final 30 minutes of play, thanks to 2-yard run by Elijah Mitchell in the third and a 17-yard TD pass from Purdy to Brandon Aiyuk in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell led all rushers with 80 yards and the TD and teammate Christian McCaffery chipped in with 64 yards as San Francisco rushed for 184 yards while holding the Commanders to 62 yards. Purdy, without a sack or interception, threw for 230 yards and the two TDs, while Howell (sack, two interceptions) threw for 169 yards and the McLaurin TD (Aiyuk led all receivers with 114 yards on seven catches). San Francisco in the win went 4 of 9 on third down and they ruled the clock by holding the ball for 38:13, while Washington, who kept the pigskin for 21:47, went 3 of 9 on third down (both clubs had one fourth down try without success).
They met in Los Angeles in week two and San Francisco would break a 17-17 tie at the break at SoFi Stadium, taking a 30-23 win. The 49ers took the lead for good in the third quarter, using a 57-yard field goal by Moody in the third quarter and an 11-yard run by Deebo Samuel in the fourth to pull themselves away from the Rams. Later on in the quarter, it would be the kickers taking the stage as Moody and Brett Maher exchanged field goals, with Maher kicking a 38-yard field goal after the game was already in the hand of the 49ers. McCaffery led all rushers with 116 yards and a TD as San Francisco outrushed their NFC West rivals 159-89 (Williams led Los Angeles with 52 yards; Purdy (sack, rushing TD) threw for 206 yards, while Stafford (sack, two interceptions) threw for 307 yards. The 49ers on third down were a somewhat dismal 2 of 9 and kept the ball for 26:49, while the Rams were rulers of the clock, keeping the ball for 33:11, went 7 of 14 on third down, 1 of 2 on fourth down.
In the week two contest, San Francisco, favored by 8 at SoFi Stadium, would win up winning by 7 but the two clubs did take care of the 44 1/2 over/under, tallying 53 points. In the rematch in Wine Country, the 49ers are favored by 3 at Levis’ Stadium with a 42 1/2 over/under. Both numbers make a lot of sense, both teams are in the playoffs. For the Rams, their next game is next week against an opponent to be announced, while the 49ers will have a week off to prep and will be at home for as long as they keep winning. San Francisco covers the 3 in Wine Country and takes the win at home.
Dallas (11-5) at Washington (4-12), 4:25 p.m. on FOX. They still don’t like each other. Forget the records. Forget the fact that one team is in the post-season, while the other struggles in the NFC East basement. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys face off against NFC East rival Washington at FedEx Field. The rivals meet with different agendas in the late Sunday afternoon contest in mind.
Dallas held off a late Detroit rally at Jerry World (AT&T Stadium), taking a 20-19 win over the Detroit Lions and Jared Goff. Detroit led 7-3 at the intermission, then took a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter on a 3-yard run by David Montgomery. Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey tied things up on a 51-yard field goal late in the period to even things up. Lions K Matt Badgley, who opened the contest’s scoring with a 41-yard field early in the first, gave Detroit the lead back on a 30-yard field goal. Dallas proceeded to score 10 fourth quarter points unchallenged, as Prescott and WR Brandon Cooks connected on an 8-yard TD toss and Aubrey booted a 43-yard field goal to lead by seven with 1:41 left in the contest. Detroit would then go on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that used 78 seconds of clock, pulling themselves to within one when Goff and St. Brown connected on an 11-yard TD pass.
Detroit then called a timeout and decided that instead of going for the tie, they would go for the two-point conversion to take the lead and possibly the win. That’s when things went haywire for the Lions. T Dan Skipper reported in as an eligible reciever but Goff’s two-point try went to Taylor Decker, who caught the pass for the conversion. Detroit had thought they had the lead but Decker was penalized for illegally touching the pass, which pushed the ball back five yards. Detroit tried again for the two and Goff’s pass to St. Brown was incomplete but this time Dallas was flagged for being offside, which gave the Lions another chance and that chance failed when Goff’s pass to TE James Mitchell fell incomplete. Detroit then tried an onside kick, which Dallas recovered, sealing the win for the Cowboys.
Montgomery led all rushers with 65 yards and the TD as the Lions outrushed Dallas (led by Tony Pollard’s 49 yards) 125-61; Goff (sack, two interceptions) threw for 271 yards and the St. Brown TD, while Prescott (three sacks, interception) threw for 345 yards and two TDs (one to Cee Dee Lamb, who led all receivers with 227 yards on 13 catches and the other to Cooks, St. Brown led the Lions with 90 yards on six catches). Detroit on third down went 4 of 13 (on fourth down, the Lions were 2 of 3) and they would keep the ball for 30:36, while Dallas, holding the ball for 29:24, went 7 of 14 on third down tries.
Washington watched San Francisco and Brock Purdy bounce back from their Christmas night loss at home to Baltimore, holding the Commanders to 10 second quarter points and came away 27-10 winners at FedEx Field last Sunday. The 49ers, the top seed in the NFC Playoffs, used a 38-yard field goal by Josh Moody and a 2-yard TD pass from Purdy to Deebo Samuel to open the scoring in the contest unchecked. Washington responded with 10 points of their own, thanks to a 47-yard field goal by Joey Slye and a 3-yard TD toss from Sam Howell to Terry McLaurin late in the second quarter. The 49ers would take the lead back for keeps with 19 seconds left before the intermission on a 22-yard field goal by Moody for a 13-10 lead, then add to the lead in the final 30 minutes of play, thanks to 2-yard run by Elijah Mitchell in the third and a 17-yard TD pass from Purdy to Brandon Aiyuk in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell led all rushers with 80 yards and the TD and teammate Christian McCaffery chipped in with 64 yards as San Francisco rushed for 184 yards while holding the Commanders to 62 yards. Purdy, without a sack or interception, threw for 230 yards and the two TDs, while Howell (sack, two interceptions) threw for 169 yards and the McLaurin TD (Aiyuk led all receivers with 114 yards on seven catches). San Francisco in the win went 4 of 9 on third down and they ruled the clock by holding the ball for 38:13, while Washington, who kept the pigskin for 21:47, went 3 of 9 on third down (both clubs had one fourth down try without success).
The two teams met in Arlington at Jerry World (AT&T Stadium) Thanksgiving afternoon and the Cowboys and Prescott took care of the Commanders 45-10. Washington trailed 20-10 at the intermission, then watched their NFC East rivals score their last 25 points of the contest unchallenged in the second half to seal the win in the Lone Star State. Washington somehow managed to outrush Dallas 108-100 but Pollard led all rushers with 79 yards and a TD. Prescott, who did not have a sack or interception, threw for 331 yards and four TDs, distributing TD passes to Cooks, Lamb, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks, while Howell (four sacks, interception) threw for 300 yards (Washington’s Curtis Samuel led all receivers with 100 yards on nine catches). Dallas was 6 of 10 on third down and the Cowboys kept the ball for 23:06, while the Commanders were masters and commanders of the clock, keeping the ball for 36:54, going 7 of 15 on third down, 0 of 3 on fourth down.
In the Thanksgiving Day contest in Arlington, Dallas covered the 11-point spread, winning by 35 and the two clubs took care of the 46 1/2 over/under, tallying 55 points. In the rematch that could give the Cowboys the NFC East title, Dallas is favored by 13 1/2 points with the over/under 48 1/2. The 48 1/2? Reasonable. The 13 1/2? Not so much. Washington’s last win in Landover came last year, when they took down Dallas 26-6. Could history repeat itself? We already know that Dallas is in the post-season party but will they be division champs or Wild Card? HAIL TO THE COMMANDERS! Washington pulls the upset and takes the win in Landover, even though they may not cover the 13 1/2.
Buffalo (10-6) at Miami (11-5), 8:20 p.m. on NBC. It’s for everything. The winner? AFC East Champion. The loser? Could either be in the playoffs or out. AFC East foes Miami with Tua Tagovailio and Buffalo, led by Josh Allen, meet in the Sunshine State in prime time to settle things once and for all. The two clubs had different results in last week’s play.
Buffalo overcame a 98-yard kickoff return by Patroits KR Jalen Reagor, scored 20 first half points unchallenged and held off a late New England rally and came away 27-21 winners at Higmark Stadium. The Bills took the lead on a 1-yard run by Allen after Tyler Bass’ 35-yard field put the Bills on the scoreboard. After a second Bass field goal, New England qb Brad Zappe was picked off by CB Rasul Douglas, who returned the ball 40 yards to give the Bills a 13-point lead. Zappe would make up for his error, scoring on 17-yard run with 9:44 to go before the intermission. Once again, Allen would take matters into his own feet early in the third quarter, scoring on a one-yard run to put the Bills up by 13. Patroits RB Ezekiel Elliott would put New England to within six with 11:01 left in the contest on a 6-yard run , narrowing the gap. New England would get the ball back with 6:41 left in regulation but went three and out and punted the ball back to the Bills. Buffalo made sure the Patriots would never see the ball again with 5:02 left as they ran out the clock, forcing New England to burn their time outs and take the win in upstate New York.
Buffalo outrushed New England 127-103 with James Cook leading the way with 49 yards of rushing, while Elliott led the Patriots with 39 yards; Allen (44 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, sack, interception), threw for 169 yards, while Zappe (three sacks, three interception, rushing TD) threw for 209 yards (Bills TE Dalton Kincaid led all receivers with 87 yards on four catches). Neither team had a conversion on fourth down in the contest; on third down, the Bills were 7 of 15 and were ballhogs, keeping the pigskin for 35:52, while New England, in keeping the ball for 27:08, went 4 of 10 on third down.
Tua and the Dolphins watch Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens erase a 10-7 deficit, took a 28-13 lead with them to the intermission, then floored the gas and outscored the Dolphins 28-6 in the final 30 minutes of play at M&T Bank Stadium, as Baltimore came away 56-19 winners to take the number one spot in the AFC. Jackson would use a pair of TD passes to Zach Flowers (75 yards) and the first of two TD passes to TE Isaiah Likely (35 yards) to take the lead for keeps. Jackson and Lively would hook up again in the third quarter on a 7-yard TD toss before Tagovailoa and RB De’Von Achne connected on a 1-yard TD toss early in the final quarter. After that, the Ravens would score the last 14 points of the contest unchecked as Jackson and Patrick Ricard connected on a 4-yard TD toss and Melvin Gordon ran a score in from seven yards out late in the contest.
D’Achane led all rushers with 107 yards but Baltimore (led by Gus Edwards’ 68 yards and a TD) outrushed the ‘Fins 160-154; Tagovailoa (three sacks, two interceptions) threw for 237 yards with TD passes to D’Achane and Jeff Wilson, while Jackson (sack) threw for 321 yards and five TDs, two to Likely, without an interception (Flowers led all receivers with 106 yards on three catches). Baltimore on third down was 4 of 7 (they were perfect in their only fourth down attempt) and the Ravens ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 30:23, while Miami, holding on to the pigskin for 29:37, went 6 of 15 on third down, 2 of 4 on fourth down.
They met in Orchard Park in week four and the Bills prevailed in that contest, an AFC Divisonal Rematch, 48-20 at Highmark Stadium. The two clubs started the contest tied 14-14 thanks to a pair of D’Achane TDs for Miami and James Cook and Caleb Davis before the home team went on a tear, scoring 17 second quarter points unchallenged with a pair of Allen TD passes to Stefon Diggs and a field goal by Bass to take the lead for keeps, taking a 31-14 lead into the break with them. D’Achane led all rushers with 101 yards and a pair of TD as Miami outrushed the Bills 142-104; Tagovailoa (four sacks, interception) threw for 282 yards and a TD to WR Braxton Berrios; while Allen (rushing TD, two sacks) threw for 320 yards and four TDs, three to Diggs (who led all receivers with 120 yards on six catches) and one to Davis (Jason Waddle led Miami with 46 receiving yards in the loss). Buffalo on third down? 5 of 10; the Bills did not have a fourth down conversion and ruled the clock, holding the ball for 30:22. As for Miami, they kept the ball for 29:38 and was 3 of 10 on third down, 0 of 3 on fourth down.
The Bills in the week four contest in upstate New York were 2 1/2-point favorites and they covered, winning by 20 and the two teams took care of the 53 1/2 over/under, tallying 68 points. In what is a basically “winner takes all” contest in the Sunshine State in prime time, the Bills are favored by 2 1/2 with a 50 over/under. Both of those numbers make a lot of sense. Buffalo’s last win in Miami came in 2021, when they shut out the Dolphins 35-0 (the Bills had won seven in a row before last year’s 21-19 win in Miami). The winner? They’re the AFC East Champions. As for the losers? They could either be in the post-season party or on the outside looking in. As for Miami, their hay’s in the barn and they know that they’re playing more football next week. Miami bounces back from their loss in week four in upstate New York by taking the win and the AFC East, covering the 2 1/2.
atlantaisalotbetterthanmacon 