There’s an expression: if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, does it make any noise? My high school quote was a variation of that, saying that when a tree falls in the woods but nobody is there to hear it…I do.
Anyway, that phrase occurred to me this week because now that the NFL season is winding down, I started to think about what it means to be a winner or loser at this point in the season. For instance, all of the losing teams are always losers, and many of the players on those teams are losers. The same is true with winners. But it doesn’t necessarily make it noteworthy.
For instance, this week, the Raiders, Browns, Jets, Bears, Patriots, and Jaguars all lost…but who cares? Really, other than those fanbases, none of those losses are noteworthy. Maybe the Jaguars epic 52-6 loss to the Lions should be the final nail in Doug Pederson’s coffin, but for the rest of those teams, their seasons are over.
There are five teams who lost this week that have real playoff implications and hurt their chances dramatically.
LOSERS:
Cincinnati Bengals:
One of the biggest losers this week is the Bengals. Despite Joe Burrow throwing for 356 yards and three TDs, and the combo of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase catching 16 passes for 223 yards and those three Burrow TDs, it wasn’t enough. The Bengals lost another heartbreaking game, and even though they aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, stick a fork in them. At 4-7, they’d have to win out…and hope.
Atlanta Falcons:
The division should be gift-wrapped for the Falcons, but they just keep losing games. They are still one game in the loss column ahead of a depleted Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, but they have now lost two in a row and only sitting at 6-5. Not only did they lose, but they were embarrassed against the Broncos in Denver. Kirk Cousins was bad. He only threw for 173 yards with an interception. And their vaunted running game only managed 50 yds.
Kansas City Chiefs:
The Chiefs have been dancing threw the raindrops all season. They had trailed in seven of their nine wins leading up to this game, and Patrick Mahomes has looked mortal for much of the season. They just could not overcome an early interception and a two-score deficit this time. Mahomes threw two interceptions, and Travis Kelce only caught two passes. They will surely right the ship next week in Carolina.
San Fransisco 49ers:
The 49ers are the most curious team in the league at this point. Every time it seems they are back, they fall back and lose. They were all set to take flight and start their run towards the playoffs. But another inexplicable loss at home has them back at 500 with the Seahawks and Rams. And if the playoffs began today, they’d be out. Although Brock Purdy completed 75% of his passes, he barely cracked 150 passing yards and threw an interception. And Christian McCaffrey isn’t his old self yet, only combining for 106 total yards and again not finding the endzone.
Washington Commanders:
On Thursday, the Commanders lost a tough divisional game against the Eagles, only able to put up 18 points. Jayden Daniels was a very pedestrian 22-32 with 191 passing yards. He threw an interception and only rushed for 18 yards. And their offense only gained a total of 284 yards. It will be interesting to see how they finish their last six games of the season. Currently, they are perched with the No. 7 seed in the NFC…and although not many predicted they’d be a playoff team this year, at this point, if they fall short, it will be a huge disappointment.
With so much parity in the league, the positive ramifications for winning teams this week are huge. These teams were all big winners this week.
WINNERS:
Buffalo Bills:
The biggest winners of the week were the Bills. They defeated the Chiefs and are in line for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They are 9-2 while the Chiefs are sitting at 9-1, but the head-to-head victory could very well put the AFC championship game in Buffalo. Josh Allen looked like the league MVP, especially in the pivotal fourth-quarter drive that culminated with his 23-yard run on fourth and two. It was a gutsy call to go for it and a gutsy play by Allen. They were the first team in a while that played to win and not, not lose. They rushed for over 100 yards and put up 30 points, which are both very rare occurrences against the Chiefs defense.
Denver Broncos:
Don’t look now, but the Broncos are 6-5 and the no.7 seed in the AFC. QB Bo Nix is nosing Jayden Daniels out of the Rookie of the Year contest and has definitely made it a two-player race. On Sunday, he was a ridiculous 28-33 for 307 yards and four TDs. Sean Payton is proving again to be a QB whisperer, and we may be seeing the second coming of Drew Brees.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers again have shocked the world…they just keep winning. The victory over the Ravens has nearly sealed the AFC North for them. They are now 8-2, while the Ravens are two games behind them in the loss column. Somehow, they just find a way. If I were to tell you Russell Wilson wouldn’t lead the team into the endzone, and they’d be held to only FGs, there is no way you’d believe it if I told you they won…but they did. Kicker Chris Boswell was a perfect six for six, accounting for all of their points.
Seattle Seahawks:
The Seahawks won a huge game in San Fransisco that seemingly saved their season. At 5-5, they are still on the outside looking in, but they are only one game behind the Cardinals for the division. Their only path is to win the division, and at 4-6, it would have been tough sledding the rest of the way. Geno Smith didn’t throw a TD but he managed the game well. Both of their TDs were on the ground, and their defense did just enough to hold off the Niners.
Los Angeles Rams:
The Rams went cross country in a must-win game against the Patriots. It turned out to be a walk in the park in a “get right” game. Matthew Stafford threw for four TDs and the team looked solid in all facets. Stafford hooked up with Cooper Kupp coming out of halftime for a 68-yard TD, and they never looked back. At 5-5, they are in the mix in the NFC West.
Detroit Lions:
The Lions win when Jared Goff throws five interceptions, of course, they win when he’s playing like Jared Goff. It was never close…even before game time. They defeated the Jaguars 52-6. Goff threw for 412 yards and four TDs. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 144 yards and another three TDs. This team is looking like the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.
Indianapolis Colts:
Last week, I said if you ever were going to make prop bets for someone, it would be this week with Anthony Richardson’s return. He threw for 272 yards and a TD pass. He also ran for two more TDs. And he completed passes to nine different receivers. His biggest issue has been his inaccuracy, but on Sunday, he completed 66% of his passes.
Philadelphia Eagles:
On Thursday, the Eagles dispatched the Washington Commanders like they were their little brothers. They are now 8-2 and clearly in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. They have been a sneaky under-the-radar team all season. The Chiefs, Lions, and now Bills have been getting all the hype and attention, but the Eagles have the pedigree to get back to the Superbowl. Jalen Hurts scored yet another tush push TD, but this week, Saquon Barkley got his own, too. All season, I’ve been concerned that at some point, Barkley would get upset that Hurts was vulturing all his work. All season, he seemingly ended up on the one-yard line, with Hurts driving it home on the next play. This week, Barkley got the job done himself. He rushed for 146 yards and two TDs.