It never fails…again, I am one week too early. All season I have been saying Dan Campbell would cost the Lions in a pivotal game in a pivotal moment. Last week, I finally relented and jumped on his and the Lions bandwagon. I proclaimed him coach of the year.
Then, with 12 minutes left in the game on Sunday against the Bills, it happened. Down by 10 points and very much in the game, he inexplicably went for an on-side kick. Not only did the Bills recover, but they almost ran it back for a TD. It was irrelevant, though, since the ball went all the way to the 5-yard line and they scored shortly after, making it a 17pt game. Going from a two-score game to a three-score game was too much for the Lions to overcome.
This isn’t to say they would have won if Campbell had just kicked off, but they were able to claw back to within six pts, losing 48-42. Now they are sitting with two losses, the same as the Vikings and the Eagles. Not only will this loss potentially cost them the no.1 seed, but it could cost them the division and a home playoff game.
By far, they were this week’s biggest losers…here are a few others:
The NFL: The NFL has the ability to flex games at this time of year. How could they not only put one dog of a game on Monday Night but actually put two awful games on? Maybe at the start of the year, a Vikings/Bears matchup looked good, but the Bears are a complete dumpster fire. They surely could have moved that game out.
And then there’s the Falcons/Raiders game. This never seemed like a good idea. In a week that had the Bills playing the Lions, having the Falcons and Raiders on in primetime was avoidable.
New England area football fans:
The entire country was treated to an amazing game that saw Josh Allen all but lock up the MVP award for the Bills as they outlasted the Lions 48-42. However, due to television agreements with local teams, New England was contractually obligated to show the Patriots/Cardinals game in New England. Not that New England area fans are losers, but in this case, they 100% lost out.
San Fransisco 49ers:
Put a fork in them; they are done. They are now the 11th-seeded team in the NFC with less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins:
Miami had another tough loss, losing to the Texans 20-12. For such a vaunted offensive attack with so many weapons, too often this year, the Dolphins have looked out of sorts. With less than a 10% chance of getting to the postseason, Mike McDaniels’s job could be in jeopardy…maybe Bill Belichick jumped at the North Carolina job too soon.
Los Angeles Chargers:
This was the first game this season that the Chargers really looked outmatched and downright bad. They are still clinging to the no.7 seed and realistically make it to the playoffs, but losing 40-17 in December is not a great way to head into January.
Indianapolis Colts:
With the Chargers losing, the Colts loss to the Broncos wasn’t season-ending. They are still in the eighth spot in the AFC, with a 10% chance of making the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers lost to a better team. The Eagles are looking more and more like a team heading to the Super Bowl. They easily dispatched the Steelers 27-13.
Seattle Seahawks:
With the loss to the Packers, the Seahawks not only lost their grip on the NFC West division lead, they now find themselves outside of the playoff picture with the no.8 seed. Their playoff chances are down to 36%.
Nearly all of the winning teams are on this list this week, with 15 of them on it. Just about every win helped get them closer to the playoffs or more firmly hold onto their playoff chances.
Four teams have secured playoff spots in the AFC, and three of them were in the winner’s circle this week.
The Chiefs, Bills, and Texans all won and will be going to the postseason.
The biggest winner by far is the Bills. Although they are two games behind the Chiefs, two of their last three games are against the Patriots. And Patrick Mahomes has a high ankle sprain suffered against Cleveland this week in their win against the Browns. And let’s not forget that the Bills defeated the Chiefs in their matchup and hold the tiebreaker if they can somehow get back to even with them.
Here are the rest of the big winners this week:
Houston Texans:
This has been a down year for CJ Stroud, yet with three weeks to go, they have already secured the division title and home playoff game. Maybe they’ll be able to rest players over the next month heading into the playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams:
If you read any of my stuff, you know how much I like the Rams. They have been my sleeper team all season and have said that if they can actually secure a playoff spot, they’ll be dangerous. They’ve now won seven out of nine games and leading the NFC West.
Washington Commanders:
The Commanders are coming off a precarious 1pt win against the Saints 20-19. Games like this will toughen them up for the playoffs if they can get there. They currently have a 78% chance of making it through and sitting with the seventh seed. They are sitting at 9-5, one game ahead of the 8-6 Seahawks.
Cincinnati Bengals:
The Bengals have such a dynamic offense it would be a shame if they don’t make it to the playoffs, but at the moment, they only have a 5% chance of getting in…and it’s mostly due to self-inflicted wounds. Losing to the Patriots on opening week is inexcusable.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Ravens are still only the fifth seed in the AFC, still behind the Steelers. But the Steelers loss, coupled with the Ravens victory, only puts them one game behind. The Ravens are the better team, but Bill Parcells always said, you are what your record says you are. Their path becomes much harder as a wildcard team.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys are back to 6-8 and could still pull out a winning season. They have less than a 1% chance of getting to the postseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Buccaneers completely routed the Chargers 40-17 and are sitting with the no.3 seed in the NFC. At 8-6 they don’t seem like they’ll get through to make a deep playoff run, but they do have championship pedigree on the team.
Denver Broncos:
After their 31-13 victory against the Colts, HC Sean Payton may have jumped Dan Campbell as front runner for coach of the year. What he is doing with this team, led by rookie QB Bo Nix is nothing short of remarkable. At the start of the year, I said I really liked this Nix/Payton fit…but I never expected a 9-5 record and the no.6 seed.
Arizona Cardinals:
After losing four in a row, the Cardinals had a get-right game against the Patriots…and they got right, at least for one game. They are the no.10 seed in the NFC with a 13% chance of getting to the postseason after their 30-17 win against the Patsies.
Philadelphia Eagles:
What more can be said about this team, they are seemingly on a mission. They easily defeated fellow division leader and cross-state rival. They defeated the Steelers 27-13, and could very well secure the no.1 seed and first-round bye in the NFC.
Green Bay Packers:
Do not sleep on this Packers team. Although they will only be a wildcard team, they have been playing really solid football. They easily handled a motivated Seahawks team, 30-13. If the playoffs began today, they’d have the no.6 seed and have a really tough draw going to Philadelphia.
Minnesota Vikings:
By far, the Vikings are the best 12-2 wildcard team in history. They have the same record as the Lions, and play them in a few weeks. They basically have control of their fate. If they win out, they secure the division, no.1 seed, and first-round bye.
Atlanta Falcons:
With their 15-9 win against the Raiders last night, they still have a fighting chance in the NFC South. They currently have the no.9 seed and, at 7-7, still only find themselves one game behind the Buccaneers. They currently have a 36% chance at making the postseason…one wonders where they’d be if they selected Bill Belichick to lead them this year.
