RADIO
NFC Contender #1: Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia finished strong in a 27-13 win over the Steelers in which they shut Pittsburgh out in the second half. They worked around Saquon Barkley getting bottled up and dealing with a minor undisclosed injury thanks to Jalen Hurts pushing through the fractured finger on his non-throwing hand.
Hurts completed 25-of-32 passes for 290 yards and a pair of TDs after A.J. Brown pointed out that the passing game was underutilized. They’re now tied with Detroit at the top of the NFC with 12-2 records and the Lions’ injuries open the door for Philly to snag the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage.
The Eagles end the regular season against all of their NFC East friends, facing Washington, Dallas, and the Giants. A 15-2 record is well within reach.
NFC Contender #2: Detroit Lions
Detroit tried its best to keep pace with Josh Allen in peak form but fell short in the 48-42 loss. Jared Goff threw for nearly 500 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions as Amon-Ra St. Brown neared 200 receiving yards.
The deficit was 21-14 at the half but Buffalo scored twice and rode that 35-14 lead to the final whistle. Injuries remain the central theme of Detroit’s woes. Defensive tackle Alim McNeil tore his ACL and DB Carlton Davis III broke his jaw, with news that David Montgomery injured his MCL and won’t return this season.
This team has already eaten several key injuries, especially to its defense, and we may have reached a breaking point. We’ll see how they adjust down the stretch against the Bears, 49ers, and Vikings.
NFC Contender #3: Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota notched a comfortable 30-12 victory over the Bears on Monday night to pull into a 12-2 tie with the Lions atop the AFC North. The Vikes have now won seven straight as Detroit keeps getting dinged by injuries.
All facets of their game seem solid but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to secure the division. They’ll face either a hobbled Geno Smith or Sam Howell next week before games against the Packers and Lions, which will settle the 2024 NFC North. Can they sweep the schedule and possibly snag the No. 1 seed in the conference?
NFC Contender #4: Green Bay Packers
Green Bay dominated the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football and has a playoff position all but locked up (>99% per NFL Next Gen Stats). Josh Jacobs is running well and Romeo Doubs had two grown-man touchdowns, with all of that early turbulence in the rear-view mirror.
They should beat the Saints next week before a big test against the Vikings in Week 17 and finishing versus the Bears. The No. 6 seed would likely yield a game against Tampa Bay or the winner of the NFC West.
NFC Contender #5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite several injuries on defense, Tampa Bay rallied in the second half to blank the Chargers and force 10 QB hits on Justin Herbert in a 40-17 victory. Baker Mayfield continues to make magic happen with the iconic Mike Evans and the ascending Jalen McMillan. Bucky Irving looked healthy and formed a dynamic duo with Rachaad White out of the backfield.
They’re now 8-6 and finish against the Cowboys, Panthers, and Saints. Those are winnable contests but all three teams are scrappier than their records suggest. The Bucs cannot fall into a tie with Atlanta because the Falcons own the tiebreak thanks to two head-to-head wins.
NFC Contender #6: Los Angeles Rams
One week after the Rams offense carried the defense in a win over Buffalo, the defense stepped up in a 12-6 victory over the 49ers. No touchdown was scored in a bad-weather affair where San Francisco was held to under 200 total yards. Joshua Karty drilling all four field-goal attempts is good to see as the Rams jump into control of the NFC West following Seattle’s loss on Sunday night.
The Rams’ overtime win in November gives them the current tiebreak with both teams at 8-6. They’ll play each other again in Week 18, where a Seattle win could force the divisional record to come into play. The Rams are 3-1 with a game against Arizona in Week 17 before the Seattle Week 18 date.
Matthew Stafford and company will hope to simply ice the division and end the year with a six-game win streak given how well the team has played of late.
NFC Contender #7: Washington Commanders
Washington eked out a win over New Orleans in a game they should’ve dominated, but it came down to a strange game-clock error and failed two-point conversion by the Saints. Down 20-13, the Saints drove into the red zone but had no timeouts. A catch near the goal line with nine seconds left was followed by an incorrect stoppage of four seconds that may have seen time expire before Spencer Rattler spiked it.
But New Orleans was given life and scored on the next play. The “ball don’t lie” camp was vindicated as the two-point conversion failed and Washington won. That said, the Commanders should’ve trounced the Jake Haener-Rattler combo but they couldn’t ever pull away.
Their 9-5 record keeps them in that No. 7 seed but remaining games against the Eagles, Falcons, and Cowboys will all be competitive. Would 9-8 be enough or would that allow another NFC West team to sneak in?
NFC Contender #8: Seattle Seahawks
Seattle blew their division lead with a poor showing on Sunday night, where Geno Smith suffered a leg injury, and his availability for next week is in question. Sam Howell looked overwhelmed, completing 5-of-14 passes for 24 yards with an INT while succumbing to pressure.
The offensive line is not good enough to support an inexperienced QB, let alone with the blitz-happy Vikings on deck. That’s a tough task even for a healthy Smith, but Howell would make that very tricky. They’ll hope to get him back and enter Week 18’s date against the Rams with a chance to take the division.
NFC Contender #9: Atlanta Falcons
To say the Falcons beat the Raiders would be an overstatement, as they merely survived them by a 15-9 margin on Monday night. Bijan Robinson ran for 125 yards while the defense and special teams units put in serious work to cover up a lack of confidence in the passing game.
Kirk Cousins completed his first four pass attempts and connected with Drake London for a 30-yard touchdown, but he’d go 7-for-13 for 61 yards and an interception throughout the rest of the game. Following the win, HC Raheem Morris said Cousins has “got to play better.”
The Falcons must keep winning and need Tampa Bay to drop a game in order to retake the NFC South. Many are wondering whether Michael Penix Jr. is better suited for the task.
NFC Contender #10: Arizona Cardinals
Arizona took advantage of their matchup with the Patriots with a 30-17 win despite Kyler Murray and the passing offense not looking sharp again. But James Conner averaged nearly seven yards a carry with two TDs and the defense stood tall with zero third-down conversions allowed.
They should be able to defeat Carolina next week before a must-win game against the Rams in Week 17. Then there would be an outside chance that winning against San Francisco in Week 18 would snag the division.
AFC Contender #1: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo followed up last week’s shootout loss with another display of firepower in a 48-42 win over the Lions. The score got close but Buffalo felt in control throughout the majority of the contest. While it’s a great statement against an NFC favorite and Josh Allen has upped his MVP-caliber play of late, the questions on defense and at kicker linger.
Tyler Bass made all six extra points and sunk two field goals, but also missed a 24-yard attempt. Defense and special teams have to approach the caliber of the offense’s play to make a comfortable postseason push. The Bills finish with two games against the Patriots and one against the Jets so they’re largely in cruise control.
AFC Contender #2: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs finally secured a multi-score victory by soundly defeating Cleveland, with the defense forcing Jameis Winston to the bench before the game was up. However, few were celebrating the W as Patrick Mahomes was limping around after getting rolled up on.
Initial reports say it is a mild high-ankle sprain and his status is week-to-week. The 13-1 Chiefs have a two-game buffer over the current No. 2 seed Bills so perhaps they use Carson Wentz against the Texans next week.
A road date with Pittsburgh in Week 17 will be a true playoff test and then they finish at Mile High Stadium against the Broncos. There’s no easy game left but ensuring Mahomes is healthy should be the top priority.
AFC Contender #3: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh battled well against Philadelphia in the first half to a 17-13 deficit at the half. But they would score zero points in the second half as the offense screeched to a halt. No rusher could get going, with Najee Harris leading the team at 14 yards. Russell Wilson misses George Pickens dearly, completing just 14 passes for 128 yards.
The defense did well to contain Saquon Barkley and force Jalen Hurts to beat them, but A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith did just that. T.J. Watt also suffered a low-ankle sprain, but Mike Tomlin expressed optimism for his availability come Saturday’s game against the Ravens. But they desperately need Pickens against teams like Philly who can stonewall the run.
AFC Contender #4: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens toyed with the Giants in a 35-14 victory that no one ever thought was in jeopardy. Some may have been disappointed at Derrick Henry’s underwhelming day as Lamar Jackson did it all himself, throwing for five touchdowns and rushing for another 65 yards. Justice Hill continues to prove valuable out of the backfield and Rashod Bateman caught a pair of touchdowns.
Justin Tucker did not have to attempt a field goal but did sink all five extra points. One hopes Baltimore enjoyed this matchup because it gets tough in the final three weeks against Pittsburgh, Houston, and Cleveland defenses.
AFC Contender #5: Houston Texans
Houston clinched the AFC South thanks to the Colts losing to Denver alongside their gritty win over the Dolphins. The Texans saw Joe Mixon gain just 23 yards on 12 carries while C.J. Stroud went 18-of-26 for 131 yards. Luckily, he found Nico Collins for a pair of TD strikes after the defense and special teams put the offense in a good position.
A well-executed fake punt allowed them to extend the lead from 13-6 to 20-6. The D/ST is reliable but the offense must show more life down the stretch against the Chiefs, Ravens, and Titans if they’re to advance through the postseason.
AFC Contender #6: Denver Broncos
Bo Nix seemingly tried to give Week 15’s game against the Colts away with three interceptions in the first three quarters as Denver found itself down 13-10 going into the fourth. The score could’ve tilted to 20-7 as well but Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball before crossing the plane on a walk-in TD, resulting in a fumbled touchback.
The offense couldn’t get going but a 61-yard punt return by Marvin Mims Jr. resulted in a go-ahead touchdown. The following drive saw Indy attempt a trick play but Nik Bonitto sniffed it out and took a long lateral throw to the house for six. The Colts’ final three drives resulted in another INT and two fourth-down stops.
Denver remains oriented by its defense as Bo Nix brings volatile rookie play. The bottom line is that their playoff odds are 91% per NFL Next Gen Stats. They have a chance to solidify their position over the Chargers with a win against them next week before games against the Bengals and Chiefs to finish the regular season.
AFC Contender #7: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers played a healthy first half before getting rolled by Tampa Bay, losing 40-17 after never having let an opponent top 30 points all season. The Chargers had a 17-13 lead at the half before getting outscored 27-0 in the second.
Justin Herbert absorbed three sacks and 10 QB hits as Tampa often made him uncomfortable. LAC was a whopping 0-for-6 on third down (and 0-for-2 on fourth). The oft-reliable defense gave up over 500 total yards and has looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
They’ll need to rebound against Denver next week if they want a good chance at leapfrogging them out of the No. 7 seed. Luckily, the Colts and Dolphins both lost so LAC’s playoff chances still sit at 88%. They also end with “easy” games against the Patriots and Raiders. But they must show more fight in those contests.
AFC Contender #8: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts gave away control of Week 15’s game through a comedy of errors, with none bigger than Jonathan Taylor’s dropping the ball before crossing the goal line on a would-be 41-yard touchdown. The fumble out of the end zone gave Denver the ball back and ceded a potential 20-7 lead in a game where the defense had heavily limited Bo Nix’s offense.
Poor punt coverage led to an easy Denver score that flipped the lead before a trick play that developed far too slowly led to a Broncos defensive score. Indy could not climb out of the hole in an eventual 31-13 loss. Anthony Richardson once again completed under 50% of his throws and Alec Pierce was lost to a concussion.
Their playoff hopes are not dead at 6-8 thanks to remaining games against the Titans, Giants, and Jaguars, but they’ll need the Chargers to continue spiraling to sneak in with a 9-8 record.
AFC Contender #9: Miami Dolphins
Miami’s offense choked in a winnable game that would’ve been crucial to the playoff push given the Chargers lost to Tampa Bay. But Tua Tagovailoa was limited to short throws (196 yards on 29 completions) that Houston kept under wraps. Tagovailoa’s attempts to push the ball resulted in three interceptions, with each of those drives a potential difference in the 20-12 loss.
Jaylen Waddle suffered a right knee injury and Tyreek Hill only had two catches. Their glimmer of hope lies in winning out against the 49ers, Browns, and Jets, all while the Chargers crash out and the Colts choke against easy opponents. They really needed this win.
