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Philadelphia passed its way to victory over Pittsburgh, and everything was suddenly OK again in Eagleland. Last week's drama did admittedly feel spicy at first, but the heat wore off pretty fast for me. Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown did their best to douse any narratives about off-field acrimony by connecting eight times for 110 yards, a touchdown and that, Brown explained, was intended "." Got it. DeVonta Smith silenced anyone questioning his health or role in the offense, giving Philly a true two-headed monster again. It’s nice to know that Saquon Barkley doesn't have to deliver a sonic boom every week. The league's leading rusher can have a relatively quiet day (65 rushing yards on 19 carries), and the Eagles can still roll -- against a good defensive team, to boot. Even with Hurts' first-quarter fumble, he and Brown were dialed in early and often. This is a really good football team that can hang with -- and beat -- anyone out there. 

The Bills have now beaten the 13-1 Chiefs and the 12-2 Lions and have topped the 30-point mark for eight straight games. As is true of Detroit, but to a lesser degree, Buffalo's season could end up hinging on how healthy the defense is when the playoffs roll around. The Bills also have a lot of work to do if they are to steal the top seed in the AFC to earn a first-round bye. Then again, there's always the Josh Allen counterargument: that the quarterback might just be good enough to blowtorch opponents into submission, defense be damned. In two consecutive contests, the Bills' D has been run over, with the secondary being in particularly rough shape. But Allen nearly brought Buffalo back the first time and never trailed in the second. He's your MVP until further notice, and he might give the Bills the best chance to win a Super Bowl, now or ever.

The Chiefs finally secured their first comfy win in a couple months, and then news dropped that Patrick Mahomes is considered week to week with an ankle injury. That's certainly a notable development for a team in a strong (though not unassailable) position as the AFC's top seed. The Bills still need to make up ground, but they close out the season with games against the Patriots (twice) and Jets. The Chiefs face three teams that are all in the playoff mix (vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos) -- and they will potentially be without Mahomes for one or more of those. That puts the target squarely back on Steve Spagnuolo's defense, in my opinion; if K.C. is going to hold steady down the stretch, that's the unit that must play its best ball. Sunday was a great start, with the Chiefs pressuring Jameis Winston relentlessly, but there are tougher tests ahead. It'd be unfair to knock Kansas City down this pecking order without more information, especially given this team's history of making people like me look stupid. Still, this is going to be a tough little patch. 

Really, the one thing that Detroit couldn't afford was another round of defensive injuries -- and then the Lions came out of their loss to Buffalo with significant ones suffered by DT Alim McNeill (torn ACL), CB Carlton Davis (fractured jaw) and CB Khalil Dorsey (fractured leg). The attrition hit a breaking point against the nuclear Bills offense, which is why you saw Dan Campbell declare an onside kick down 10 points with 12 minutes left. It wasn't the wrong call. The Lions were not winning that game without stealing a possession somewhere down the stretch, and as it was, they ended up falling by failing to recover the final onside kick in the waning seconds while down six points. The hope now is that they can somehow get three or four defenders back to plug some holes on that side of the ball. Then again, the news that running back David Montgomery is for the season with a torn MCL might loom just as large. This thing is falling apart at the seams, and it's sad to see.

The defense set the tone in the first half with two turnovers on downs and a strip sack by Jonathan Greenard that sent a tremor through U.S. Bank Stadium, and the offense scored after all three stops, giving Minnesota the 13-0 halftime lead. Chicago kept hanging around in spite of the mistakes, as Sam Darnold threw a second-quarter pick and found himself in a third-quarter funk. But Darnold ripped a beautiful pass to Justin Jefferson to set up the Aaron Jones touchdown, and the Vikings cruised from there. This was another statement victory against a team Minnesota dawdled around against (and almost lost to) in Chicago. It was also the Vikes' seventh straight win, giving them more positive momentum heading into the tough final slate: at Seattle, vs. Green Bay, at Detroit. With Detroit ailing and the top seed still within reach, Minnesota's confidence has to be soaring.

The offense slowed down in the second half of Sunday's win at Seattle, but the 1-2 punch of Josh Jacobs and Jordan Love was too much for the Seahawks to handle early on. Jacobs has been a terrific fit for the Packers after many questioned them going big at the position in free agency. He adds a physical tone to the offense that complements the array of other playmakers. The aerial game was clean and fluid, producing four plays of 21-plus yards to four different pass catchers. Romeo Doubs had two terrific touchdowns, his first two in more than two months. Jayden Reed rebounded from a blanking last week to average 7-plus yards per touch. It was also a good game for Green Bay's emerging defense. That unit might have had its hands full against the Lions, but the Seahawks were putty for the Packers -- with or without Geno Smith at QB. I keep saying it, but this team remains dangerous.

There was a brief moment in the second quarter when New York cut Baltimore's lead to 14-7, evoking flashbacks of losses to the Raiders and Browns earlier this season. Such thoughts were quickly dispelled. The Giants are not a good team, and the Ravens very much are one, even if their weekly knack for racking up penalties is becoming a bit silly. That's really the one obvious thing, outside of a rare Lamar Jackson dud, that could stop this group in the playoffs. Derrick Henry had a light game, work-wise, and Baltimore still rolled. Jackson was exceptional again and likely would be the league's MVP favorite if not for Josh Allen -- and the fact that Jackson took home the hardware last season. Sunday was child's play for him after the early fumble. Getting Rashod Bateman back in a featured role was also a nice development.

This was one of those "How bad was it really?" losses. Pittsburgh clinched a playoff spot and can still win the AFC North this Saturday in Baltimore. Yeah, the offense really struggled, but the Steelers were George Pickens. That's fair and worth noting. Then again, I spent the week lumping these guys in with the upper tier of teams, and the offensive health of a squad that belongs there shouldn't be so wholly dependent on one receiver. Plus, a defense considered by some to be one of the league's best was humbled more often than not. The Eagles threw the ball all over the field Sunday and still owned time of possession despite not running that well. That -- plus the suffered by T.J. Watt -- left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth heading into the big one against the rival Ravens.

The Broncos notched a tough-minded win over the Colts, fighting back from a two-score deficit to run them out of the stadium in the second half, but it was no artful performance. Three fourth-quarter touchdowns were the difference, with the defense contributing one. That was much-needed, because Bo Nix threw three interceptions -- all when he wasn't under pressure -- and averaged 3.9 yards per pass attempt. scored a TD with just over five minutes left in the first half, and the Broncos put together a touchdown drive that ended with just over five minutes remaining in the game. In between those possessions, they netted 74 yards of offense. Nix has shown good poise more often than not as a rookie, but Sunday was not his finest hour. The Broncos badly need to add some fuel to this offense with the season winding to a close.

Leading 17-0 well into the third quarter with the Saints' starting QB for the day , the Commanders went into a shell. They grew conservative on offense, settling for one more field goal and missing another try. Throughout the day Sunday, they killed themselves with negative plays -- totaling eight sacks, five runs for negative yardage and nine penalties -- and ultimately nearly gave up the game. Washington also was too all or nothing offensively, undercutting big gains with lost yards. Jayden Daniels found some early rhythm and was accurate with his throws, but the sacks kept adding up. A playoff spot is there for the taking, and the Commanders keep playing with their food. Coming off their Week 14 bye, they looked sharp early and fizzled late, and their postseason credentials are certainly in doubt. This coming Sunday brings a telltale showdown with the red-hot Eagles, which could reveal whether the Commanders are capable of making noise in the playoffs -- assuming they do, in fact, get in.

The run game has seemingly been a boom-or-bust component this season, and Sunday was the latter, as Joe Mixon was bottled up. The two longest runs came from Dare Ogunbowale on a fake punt and Tank Dell on an end-around. Nonetheless, the fake was a huge momentum-turner, and the defense took care of business by forcing four Tua Tagovailoa turnovers (say that five times fast). That was enough to hold off a desperate Dolphins team and clinch the AFC South title. That means a home playoff game, but ideally, the Texans would try to keep winning to avoid the No. 4 seed, which would currently pit them against the Ravens in the opening round. The problem is, the Texans go to Kansas City and then host Baltimore in the next two games. Not only can they not afford to take the foot off the gas, but the road is a pretty darned tough one.

Down 17-10 after turning the ball over at midfield in the second quarter, the Buccaneers ultimately went on to outscore the Chargers 30-0 in the final 35 minutes of the game. It was a stunningly good offensive showing, with Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans turning in a vintage performance by hooking up nine times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Jalen McMillan also has come on strong, with three TDs in his past two games, carving out a role in this offense late in his rookie season. The Buccaneers beat the Commanders, Lions and Eagles in September, but this was their first statement victory against a quality opponent since the opening month of the season. Don't forget about these Bucs now. They have a lead in the NFC South race and suddenly have won four straight, including three on the road.

Holding a 17-10 lead with just over five minutes left in the second quarter on Sunday, the Chargers fell on a Bucs fumble, and the game appeared to be tilting in their direction. From that point on, Tampa outscored L.A. 30-zip. The Bolts have had some unbelievably poor halves this season, but they absolutely crumbled after halftime in this one and were completely out of it midway through the fourth quarter. It was a hard fall for this team, which has now dropped three of the past four games and appears to be treading water -- at best -- even with a pretty darned good grasp on a playoff spot. A few weeks ago, the Chargers looked like the kind of first-round opponent no division winner wanted to face in the postseason. Now the defense has been humbled, and a flatlining Justin Herbert is dealing with a left ankle injury heading into a big game against Denver with seeding on the line. 

In a five-day span, the Rams won games by two points at home and six points on the road, and in the most disparate ways you could ever dream up: one perfect-conditions offensive showcase, one bad-weather field-goal fest. No matter. The Rams are well-coached, and they can win games in a variety of ways now. They've proven it. Seattle's loss to the Packers dropped the Seahawks below the Rams in both the official Playoff Picture odds and in the unofficial eye test. The Rams just look like a more dangerous team right now, especially if Geno Smith's injury is concerning or lasting. The 'Hawks-Rams debate could be settled in Week 18, when the teams face off at SoFi Stadium. But it also won’t be shocking to me if the Rams are significantly favored heading into that game.

Even with four straight wins coming into Sunday night, the Seahawks had to know their margin for error wasn't terribly large. The loss to the Packers was tough enough, but Geno Smith suffering a knee injury was the coup de grâce. If Smith is out for any stretch of time, Seattle could be done. The ‘Hawks already have a loss to the Rams and have the harder schedule down the stretch. The NFC West title could come down to the Week 18 rematch between Seattle and Los Angeles, but it might already be decided by then, too. Sam Howell struggled in Smith's place, and the Seahawks couldn't run the ball consistently against the Pack. The offense wasn't in great shape prior to Smith getting hurt, with the blocking a particularly thorny issue. The defense offered little resistance vs. Green Bay. This roller-coaster season hasn't ended, but that sick feeling is starting to kick in with these final few twists and turns.

The Cardinals still have a shot to get in, but it likely requires three straight wins to close out the regular season and another slip-up along the way by the Rams (outside of the Week 17 game vs. the Cards in Los Angeles). When Kyler Murray couldn't find Marvin Harrison Jr. consistently, despite almost hooking up with him twice on potential touchdowns, the Cardinals pivoted to Greg Dortch and James Conner on offense. That pair helped add some juice to the offense after it had settled for three field goals, briefly keeping the door open for a Patriots comeback. Murray had a turnover-free game, which was a positive development, but the Cardinals still need more from him.

Don't read into the move up, which is more of an indictment on the other teams in this range than a credit to Atlanta. Kirk Cousins ended a four-game TD-less streak -- and snapped an accompanying four-game losing streak -- but he was clearly limited Monday, and the Falcons knew it. He threw an interception on his first snap of the second half, and the Falcons barely threw it after that. The run game was working most of the night, and Atlanta's defense and special teams earned points against Las Vegas, but the Falcons just couldn't finish off the Raiders. This ultimately led to a few nervous moments late, when ex-Falcons QB Desmond Ridder uncorked a pair of potential game-winning Hail Mary passes. On the second one, Jessie Bates III corralled the ball for a pick, finally putting the game away. Desperate for a win and facing the two-win Raiders without Maxx Crosby, the Falcons crawled out of Vegas like many others have before: happy to be alive. It was ugly as all get out, and Cousins inspired little confidence on Monday night, but Atlanta can still get into the postseason tournament.

EDITOR'S UPDATE: The Falcons announced Tuesday evening that rookie Michael Penix Jr. will replace veteran Kirk Cousins as the team's starting quarterback going forward.

You couldn't produce more night-and-day performances than the 49ers did in Weeks 14 and 15. Determined and dominant against the Bears, sloppy and punchless against the Rams -- all in a span of five days. Nonetheless, the big picture reveals the bigger truth, after four losses in five games: It was just never San Francisco’s season. Injuries were the biggest story. But the 49ers also underachieved at times, with the Chicago game a stark reminder of that. After all, you can't say the Niners were healthy for that one, really. They technically were more healthy against the Rams, getting Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw back from injury, and they still lost. Adding insult to the injury debate was De'Vondre Campbell's refusal to play, which led to even more armchair evaluation about the health of the team -- as well as a three-game suspension for the linebacker. That post-Bears afterglow sure was fleeting.

Their playoff chances are in the single-digit percentages after their second straight road loss, and it's easy -- and fair -- to start with the play of Tua Tagovailoa. He was at least partially responsible for all four of his turnovers in Houston, which was really the difference in the one-score loss to the Texans. He's been mostly very good, having thrown only one interception in the previous seven games since returning from injury, but Sunday was a tough one. That said, the Dolphins' run game was also a mess, and it has been for more than a month. One of the biggest problems Miami’s had during this seesaw season has been the inability to play a strong three-phase game, a shortcoming which reared its ugly head again in Week 15. The defense was mostly very good, but the offense had trouble moving the ball with any consistency -- or even hanging on to it.

Josh Allen probably will win MVP, and Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley seem to have their share of supporters in the race. But should Joe Burrow be considered a stronger candidate for the award? He once again was terrific in the win over the Titans, even with two picks, outweighing the turnovers with his spectacular playmaking. Look, the Bengals' season is lost and all that, and Sunday's game in Nashville was, let's face it, a bit silly. The most painful part of Cincinnati's campaign, though, has been watching Burrow reach or approach career-best numbers in nearly every major category. If Cortez Kennedy and Justin Fields can earn MVP votes while playing on two- and three-win teams in 1992 and 2022, respectively, then Burrow deserves far more than that. Are the Bengals more or less likely to try to keep Tee Higgins this offseason, knowing how good Burrow is with Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase together while also knowing how much help the defense needs? That's the debate right now.

When you look at the Cowboys, what do you see? Do you see a team that has won three of its past four games, showing some mental and physical toughness over the past month? Or do you see the big picture, with the Cowboys clinging to hopeless playoff chances in a lost season? There were elements of both teams in the win at Carolina. Rico Dowdle continued his late-season ascent with another strong performance, and the Cowboys showed some grit in a short week on the road, coming off a brutal loss to the Bengals. Dallas' defense continued to show some life, generating six sacks and four turnovers -- the Cowboys now have 10 takeaways over their past four games. There's only so much to get excited about here, though, especially knowing there is a chance Dallas could win out and still miss the postseason, with Week 14's disaster being a big reason why.

Since moving to 4-3 with a Week 7 victory over Miami, the Colts have won last-minute nail-biters over the Jets and Patriots while losing five games by a combined 57 points. Sunday was a pick-your-poison defeat. Indianapolis came out of halftime with a 13-7 lead and immediately forced a Denver turnover less than two minutes into the second half. Incredibly thereafter, the Colts had three lost fumbles (one a lateral run back for a TD), two turnovers on downs and an interception -- and they punted three times for good measure. The Jonathan Taylor fumble -- on what should have been a 41-yard touchdown run -- was inexcusable. But we're also running out of justification for Anthony Richardson's struggles. He threw two interceptions for a second straight game and completed just 17 of his 38 passes against Denver. Richardson has finished above 50 percent completions in just one game that he has started and finished this season. That's why the Colts are in bad shape for the playoffs, having missed a golden opportunity Sunday.

Jake Haener took three sacks and threw for 49 yards and a pick in his 13 first-half dropbacks, so the Saints with his team down 14-0. Spencer Rattler, with a little help from Cedrick Wilson's beautiful trick pass, helped bring them back to within an eyelash of beating the Commanders, stopped only by a missed two-point try with no time on the clock. Rattler was better than Haener, no doubt. He's done more with his opportunities than Haener has, and while no one will try to suggest that Rattler becomes the favorite to start in 2025, he's at least put some decent tape out there this season, even with the expected rookie mistakes. There's potential there. The worry is that the Saints have Alvin Kamara down the stretch after another brilliant game. You'd like to see what Rattler can do as the starter while Derek Carr is out, even though the Saints' offense looks pretty shorthanded right now.

Thomas Brown's two games as interim head coach have been pretty rough. The Bears were stopped on downs once on their first drive Monday night, then again late in the second quarter. In between, they sandwiched a strip sack of Caleb Williams and a quick punt. Rookie third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie, who has barely played since October, got his first start at left tackle -- and it didn't go so hot. He allowed Jonathan Greenard a free shot on Williams on the strip sack and later was called for a hold that wiped out a first down, preceding D'Andre Swift getting stuffed on fourth-and-1. Speaking of Swift, he appeared to score a game-changing touchdown in the third quarter, but extra offensive lineman/fullback Doug Kramer forgot to report, and the substitution penalty took the TD off the board, with Chicago eventually settling for a field goal. Another Amegadjie penalty stalled a red-zone drive in the fourth quarter, the Bears took another field goal, and it was pretty much lights out up north. Chicago kept fighting, but the mistakes ultimately dug too deep a hole.

The 2024 Browns have had seven games with Deshaun Watson starting and seven with Jameis Winston starting. With Watson, they averaged 13.4 points and 253.9 yards per game. With Winston, those numbers have gone up noticeably -- to 18.6 and 365.4, respectively. But what also has gone up are the turnovers, by a factor of greater than two. Winston has thrown 12 picks and two lost fumbles, averaging two giveaways a game since taking over, with three more interceptions coming Sunday against the Chiefs. Watson, for all his warts, only turned it over six times in his seven games. Look, it's hardly all on Winston; anyone who watched Sunday's game should know that. The Browns even had trouble lining up properly. But we've come full circle over the past few weeks with the idea that Winston might be the Browns' provisional QB1 next season. With reporting out there that (yikes), Winston might be part of the solution next season, but it's become clear he can't be the solution.

For a few moments in the second half Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams conjured the kind of magic the Jets prayed for when they brought Adams to New York. We know what's become of the Jets since; the season has slipped away. Seeing Rodgers and Adams bludgeon the Jaguars after halftime for connections of 43, 23 and 41 yards, plus a pair of scoring strikes, was bittersweet. The 71-yard TD sling to Adams was vintage Rodgers, and they hooked up on the two-pointer for good measure. The 41-year-old QB even led the Jets in rushing yards, with key scrambles during the furious second-half onslaught. It's hard to imagine New York trying to run it back again next season, so Sunday's flourish was likely just a reminder of what might have been. The defense wasn't very good when Mac Jones wasn't feeding it the ball, and Jeff Ulbrich late in the game. Still, the Jets found a way to hang on for their second win since mid-September.

Dave Canales has said with Bryce Young after the QB took a clear step backward from the steady progress he'd been making, logging a four-turnover, six-sack effort against the Cowboys on Sunday. I think that's the right move. What would benching Young for Andy Dalton achieve now? The Panthers need Young to play as much as possible down the stretch and continue building a rapport with his play-caller and receivers. The pre-halftime connection between Young and Jalen Coker, one of the young receivers worth developing for Carolina, was a great highlight. But the Panthers' run game was a disappointment Sunday, and the defense allowed Dallas to score on four straight drives in the second half, then run out the clock on the last possession. Those issues, along with two second-half turnovers by Young, cost Carolina a chance to end the losing streak.

Well, Brian Thomas Jr. is a star, and Brenton Strange and Parker Washington look like useful players worth developing on offense. Those are among the best things you could say after the Jaguars' thrilling loss to the Jets, although it's also fair to point out that the offense in general has improved since the Week 12 bye, with Mac Jones' devil-may-care style leading to more yards and better production, as well as ample turnover chances for the Jaguars' opponents. Jones' effectiveness drops significantly when throwing deeper than 15 yards downfield, and he was guilty of two deep-ball interceptions Sunday. Then again, the Jaguars had to take their shots, knowing that the secondary remains a complete mess, unable to slow down even the Jets. If there's one problem area that must be addressed this offseason, that's it. The Jags likely need to come away with at least one starting safety and another starting cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell.

Another week, another loss -- and another moment where it felt like head coach Jerod Mayo got himself in trouble with a postgame remark. Down 16-3 in the third quarter, the Patriots drove to the Cardinals' 4-yard line before stalling, and that was basically it. They were stuffed on third-and-1 and then fourth-and-1. In the postgame presser, someone asked Mayo if QB Drake Maye needed to get the ball down there, perhaps on a read-option play. Mayo shot back: "," leading many to believe the head coach was throwing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt under the bus. Mayo his comment on Monday morning, though it’s just another unfortunate incident in a tough first season of the post-Belichick era in New England. Maye woke up the Patriots with some good play in the second half on Sunday, but the excitement over silver linings has worn off in the wake of a fourth straight loss. This team remains in heavy disarray with the offseason closing in.

Is the Will Levis experiment nearing a close? After three straight games of incremental improvement, Levis crashed hard on Sunday, throwing three interceptions, including a pick-six -- his fourth of the year! -- that thwarted a Tennessee comeback attempt midway through the third quarter. Mason Rudolph came in and more than doubled Levis' yardage total over the final 22-plus minutes, kind of keeping the Titans in the game despite recording a pick of his own in the red zone while behind by three scores early in the fourth. It's going to be tough this season -- or next, at least without adding some serious competition. Rudolph might be part of that, but the Titans also have to bring in more talent at QB. Brian Callahan was hired for his acumen with the position, and so far, we've not seen that pay off readily, with Tennessee losing a turnover-and-penalty-plagued game on Sunday because of their distinct disadvantage at quarterback.

The opening drive fell apart quickly after a fourth-down conversion, as an attempted trick play turned into a sack and then Alexander Mattison fumbled the ball away on a third-and-23 draw. That set the mood for the evening, which saw Mattison get taken down for a safety and the Raiders allow their second blocked punt of the season. It wasn't the revenge game Desmond Ridder probably imagined, either. Starting in place of the injured Aidan O'Connell, Ridder was hot and cold but made some big plays, rallying Las Vegas twice late to nearly pull off the comeback. The Raiders played hard until the final whistle, but time and time again, they left yards and points on the field with self-inflicted mistakes. On top of all that, emerging RB Sincere McCormick made a terrific catch then left with an injury. All things considered, the defense really played well without Maxx Crosby, but it was another painful loss all around.

They've lost nine straight games and are one more MetLife Stadium defeat away from the NFL's first 0-9 home record, with the Colts coming to town in Week 17. They're also closing in on the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, running neck and neck with the Raiders in this race to the bottom. The good news, if you're rooting for New York to land the top pick, is that the Giants have the tougher schedule between the two teams down the stretch, starting with this Sunday's game at Atlanta. Who'll start at QB for the Giants in that one? Uhh. Tommy DeVito was knocked out of Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a concussion. With Drew Lock seen last week in a walking boot, Tim Boyle came off the practice squad to execute about as well as you could have hoped for in relief of DeVito, and it still wasn't close to enough. If you want to knock Brian Daboll for how his teams handled other close losses against middle-tier opponents, have at it. But his team had no shot Sunday. The G-Men have been completely outgunned against their best opponents this season, which should be a stark reminder for the offseason of where this team stands -- and has stood for some time.