NFL Highlights: Key Plays & Results

At the top of the American

The Denver Broncos confirmed their crowning achievement in the American Conference by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 19-3. Given their tiebreaker advantage, they will happily enjoy a week off in the first playoff round. This means that the New England Patriots remain in second place, despite their identical record of 14-3. Mike Vrabel’s men will also welcome the Chargers in the curtain-raiser. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix signed his 24^e victory in two seasons in the Goodell circuit. He and Russell Wilson are the only quarterbacks to have so many wins at the start of their careers since 1950. It was a weekend where many teams preferred to spare their best players, and Jim Harbaugh was no exception by giving some of his teammates, including Justin Herbert, the day off. Trey Lance was the starting quarterback for the Chargers. He completed less than 50% of his passes for 136 yards and 1 interception.

The year of the Bills?

The Buffalo Bills ended their season by stomping the New York Jets by a score of 35-8 in what was the final game at Highmark Stadium; they will begin the next season in a brand new amphitheater. Buffalo’s big guns saw very little action during this low-stakes duel. Josh Allen played only one game, the first of the game, to extend his streak of consecutive starts to 135, including the playoffs, the longest streak for an active player. The quarterback was then able to appreciate Mitch Trubisky’s four touchdown passes against an abominable defense. James Cook had only two short carries (15 yards) to finish the campaign with 1,621 yards. He thus became the first Bills player to finish first in rushing yards in the NFL since OJ Simpson in 1976. The Jets set a record for mediocrity in the storied history of the NFL by becoming the first team to have no interceptions during an entire season. You have to do it! It’s number 15^e consecutive season without playoff games for the New Yorkers. The Bills will have the opportunity to go all the way. For the first time in his career, Allen will begin the elimination phase without worrying about the presence of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and his sworn enemy Patrick Mahomes, against whom he lost his four duels. Will this time be the right one for the eight-year veteran? Buffalo will face Jacksonville in the first round.

Elsewhere in the American

The Jacksonville Jaguars confirmed their title of the American Conference South division by crushing the unfortunate Tennessee Titans 41-7. Trevor Lawrence threw for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns. His counterpart Cam Ward injured his right shoulder when he scored his team’s only touchdown; Brandon Allen took over. The Jaguars saw Cam Little make the second longest field goal in NFL history, a distance of 67 yards. And guess who owns the record? To himself. The man with the remarkable foot accomplished a 68-yard strike last November. The Jags’ victory therefore means that the Houston Texans remain in second place in the division despite their 38-30 victory against the Indianapolis Colts. Still on the kicker theme, Ka’imi Fairbairn made six field goals and contributed to 20 of the Texans’ 38 points. Houston is the first team to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons after identical 0-3 starts. She will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first playoff round. The Colts became the first NFL team to finish a season below .500 after starting it with an 8-2 record. If the match between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals had no collective stakes, it did for Myles Garrett. The Browns defensive end broke the single-season sack record of 22.5, which was co-held by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt, with his 23^e sack in the fourth quarter.

Les Panthers champions

The Tampa Buccaneers saw their dreams shattered when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints 19-17. Todd Bowles’ men were hopeful after defeating the Carolina Panthers the day before. But they had to count on the help of the Saints to confirm their championship in the South division of the National Conference, the only possible avenue for a place in the playoffs. By virtue of the Falcons’ victory, it was the Panthers who won the division championship due to their tiebreaker advantage. It must be admitted that the Bucs were heading towards their loss. They started the season with a 6-2 record and finished with a poor 2-7 record. They notably lost to the Saints, Falcons and Panthers in recent weeks. That said, the misfortune of some is the happiness of the Panthers, who move to the next stage for the first time since the 2017 season. We will therefore have a team with a losing record (8-9) at the start of the winter dance. Their next match will not be easy, as they will cross swords with the dangerous Los Angeles Rams (11-5) and a certain Matthew Stafford, who completed the schedule with 46 paid passes against only 8 interceptions. Quick tip: don’t bet your mortgage on the Panthers.