Nothing is over, but the picture is definitely becoming clearer. After 14 weeks of activities, several questions still need to be answered.
During this football Sunday, several starting quarterbacks fell in battle, several teams that were thought to be contenders continued their fall, while others made a late surge.
Some teams that caused the surprise continue to defy observations, while others seem to be short of magic.
Here are some over-the-top reactions to the 14th Sunday of the NFL season.
Chiefs playoff streak is over
In Kansas City, the Chiefs’ hopes of making the playoffs dwindled when the Texans’ top-ranked defense neutralized Patrick Mahomes and his teammates, handing Kansas City (6-7) its worst record in 13 games since 2012.
After this loss, the odds are not in favor of the Chiefs. Too often, Patrick Mahomes hasn’t found enough teammates who can help him lead the team to a much-needed victory against the Texans’ excellent defense. Despite missing four linemen, Mahomes still played well enough to give the Chiefs a chance in the fourth quarter. But Kareem Hunt, Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce dropped passes at critical times. Kelce’s missed pass in the fourth quarter led to Mahomes’ third interception, ending any chance the Chiefs had for a comeback.
Is the historic association between Mahomes and Kelce in its final stages? The answer will come from the tight end once the season is over. In the short term, a victory against the Chargers is absolutely vital next Sunday if the Chiefs are to maintain a slim chance of survival.
The Bills will end up ahead of the Patriots
The Patriots had their bye week this week, so the Bills’ win on Sunday cut New England’s lead in the division by a half-game and left Buffalo two games behind with four games remaining. The Bills lost to the Patriots in Buffalo earlier this season, so a Pats win next week would allow New England to secure the division title due to the tiebreaker.
The Patriots have won 10 games in a row. The Bills have won five of their last seven games and certainly have the experience advantage this time of year. Next week’s duel between the two rivals will certainly be the most anticipated of Week 15.
Even if the Bills won, the percentages would still largely favor the Patriots. Let’s assume the Bills win all of their games and finish 13-4 overall, 4-2 in their division and 11-3 in games against common opponents. The Patriots would still need to win only one of their last three games, all of which pit them against teams currently with a negative record. Unless the Patriots finish the season on a 1-3 or 0-4 streak, next week’s game probably won’t have any bearing on who wins the AFC East, I’m sorry to say. The Bills still need to beat New England to stay in the draft race, but they’ll need a miracle or two to extend their division title streak.
The Colts are in trouble… for a long time
On Sunday, the Colts lost in Jacksonville, like every year. Seriously, they haven’t won there since 2014, and they play there every season. But the circumstances of this defeat seem much more serious than usual. This loss caused the Colts to lose their first place in the AFC South; they are now 8-5, a game behind the first-place Jaguars and tied with the Texans who beat the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon during the first quarter. The Colts’ incredibly promising season took a hit, as they lost three games in a row and four of their last five. Their last four duels of the season are, in order, in Seattle, at home against the 49ers, at home against the Jaguars and at Houston. As they say in good Quebec, “it won’t be easy!” “.
Indianapolis could very well lose its final four games, finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs altogether, especially if they have to rely on rookie quarterback Riley Leonard. Jones was playing so well this season that there was talk of signing him to a long-term contract. But with this Achilles injury looking like a worst-case scenario, his availability for next season could be in question.
And with Jones getting the job because 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson Sr. hasn’t performed as expected, the Colts find themselves back at square one at quarterback and without a first-round selection in the next two drafts to fix it. A month ago, Indy was leading the conference. Life can change very quickly.
The Steelers are REALLY better than the Ravens
Mike Tomlin’s Steelers earned a 27-22 victory in Baltimore on Sunday, allowing them to regain first place in an AFC North division that no one seems to want. Pittsburgh is now 7-6, one game ahead of the second-place Ravens and three games ahead of the Bengals, whose season is on borrowed time after their loss Sunday at Buffalo.
No one in the AFC North has a positive point differential for the season, and only Pittsburgh has a positive record. The Steelers face Miami on Monday Night Football next week, then travel to Detroit in Week 16 and Cleveland in Week 17, before finishing at home with a rematch against the Ravens in Week 18. If the Steelers finish 2-2, or even 1-2-1, Tomlin will go on one of the most remarkable runs in coaching history. He’s in his 19th season as Steelers coach and he’s never finished with a negative record.
Tomlin always finds a way to get through it, even if the team isn’t particularly good. However, they are excellent at taking advantage of other teams’ mistakes and accepting wins when they are offered to them. They got lucky Sunday in the fourth quarter when they got a video review overturn on what appeared to be an Isaiah Likely touchdown reception that would have given Baltimore the lead, but that’s their way of doing things. The Steelers put themselves in a position to win narrowly and when things go wrong for their opponent. So I’m not telling you that this Steelers team and its 42-year-old quarterback are going to qualify for the Super Bowl. But 9-8? 10-7? How could you be surprised at this point?
And for the Ravens, their season seems all but over after two straight home losses to their AFC North rivals, even though ESPN Analytics estimates the Ravens still have a 31% chance of qualifying. With seven losses under their belt, the Ravens have no guarantee of being able to qualify for the playoffs by winning all of their remaining games, which is already a tough challenge given that three of their final four games will be away from home.
Worth a look
