TOP
No.1 The comeback of the Buffalo Bills
In the best slot game of the 19 Italian games, the New England Patriots start the game against the Buffalo Bills by playing complete football bordering on perfection, rendering the visitors’ attack and defense totally ineffective. NE takes a 21-0 lead and closes the first half on 24-7_ from there, an epic comeback by the Bills, who don’t miss a beat and score 21 consecutive points before suffering another pass from the unstoppable TreVeyon Henderson (148 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns); Allen, Cook & Co., however, are not there and sign the definitive advantage with the running back’s third touchdown of the day. The defense also shows itself, with the key stop that puts the point to the game and gives the Bills a fundamental victory (also from a division perspective), NE the third defeat of the season. Consider that the Patriots had a 124-1 record at home with a lead of at least 21 points… until week 15.
No.2 Trevor Lawrence certainly among the Top with 6 total TDs
The Jacksonville Jaguars win again (fifth success in a row), scoring 48 and remaining firmly among the best performers in the AFC in this last period, which is also the most decisive. And when Jacksonville runs well, it also and above all does so for Trevor Lawrence, who on Sunday outdid himself by throwing 5 (!) touchdowns to 3 different receivers and scoring another thanks to one of his runs. The New York Jets are certainly not the most fearsome opponent for the attacks of the other 31 teams, especially after the departure of Sauce Gardner, but the Jaguars seem truly relentless. Now, with a record that reads 10-4, the Playoffs chances are really high. And you know, sometimes in the post season a month of good form is enough to be able to think big…
No.3 Obviously, Philip Rivers
Everything is unpredictable: you move forward, you collect progress, joys, failures and so on and so forth, and things change around you. Precisely for this reason, finding ourselves at the end of 2025 and seeing the great Philip Rivers back on the pitch seems like a mistake in writing our film of life… no, it’s all true! Given the quarterback emergency, the Indianapolis Colts recalled the now 44-year-old and he responded, throwing for 120 yards, 18 out of 27 completes, 1 touchdown and an interception. We know, it’s not a great statline and the Colts lost again, but considering he barely knew his teammates’ names, had no idea about the team’s playbook and even a hint of nostalgia…well, you’ll forgive us if you find his name here.
#4 Kyle Van Noy and the Baltimore Ravens defense
The brilliant play of the week (not the most spectacular: forgive us, Patrick Surtain, for not having talked in more detail about your interception against Green Bay) is signed by Kyle Van Noy, who in the important victory of his Ravens against the Cincinnati Bengals not only intercepts Joe Burrow, already not an easy task (even if the QB made it easier than usual…), but decides to carry out a handoff to his teammate Alohi Gilman to bring the ball back into the opponent’s goal after 96 heroic yards. There’s a bit of rugby in football, and there’s also a good sign for Ravens fans as they see the defense reemerge after a less-than-perfect season.
FLOP
N.1 Shedeur Sanders
When a great defense clashes with one of the most struggling attacks of recent years, here are the results: the Chicago Bears annihilate the Cleveland Browns 31-3 and the presumed quarterback of hope Shadeur Sanders finishes with some good plays, many forgettable ones and 3 bad interceptions, which earn him a passer rating of 30.3. Of course, not that we still expected anything from Cleveland and coach Kevin Stefanski, but perhaps this is a bit excessive. The only major objective in the Browns’ sights is the record for sacks in a season which Myles Garrett, now at 21.5, could surpass by reaching 23.
N2. I Kansas City Chiefs
Returning to the topic of life progress related to Rivers… after 10 years, the Kansas City Chiefs will not take part in the Playoffs. The defeat of the red and whites against the Los Angeles Chargers is decisive, but not only that: the team has played a season that is simply not up to par, starting from the first weeks up until now: there has never been continuity, no clear line and few references on the field, and, even if you are one of the most memorable dynasties in the recent history of sport, sometimes it may not be enough. The cycle is not over, mind you: it doesn’t take much to revitalize the team, but this year it went, rightly, like this.
N.3 Accidents
What made the week bitter was the pair of anterior cruciate ligaments that forced two superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons to say goodbye to the season and the fans. Mahomes’ is obviously the symbol of his team’s downfall, given that among other things it arrives at the decisive moment of the game, less than 2′ from the end and with the Chargers ahead by only 3 points. Parsons then gets hurt without contact, but with a lot of regret for the Packers, who were already in trouble with injuries (and in a hypercompetitive NFC) and who could now throw all hope into the deposit for next season.
✍️Alessandro Di Marzo for L’intercetto.it
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