Twas the week before Thanksgiving, and madness struck like lightning bolts. No NFL team was safe from chaos, not even the Colts. (Huh, I could have been the next Dr. Seuss or work in the Haunted Mansion.) All rhyming aside, we sure had an up and down week. Some matchups were pretty good, some pretty meek (okay, I haven’t completely stopped rhyming…it’s hard). We did have four teams spared from this week’s events: the Broncos, Dolphins, Commanders, and the hometown Chargers (who probably needed it the most). Let’s look at what happened this week (before I start rhyming again…).
BILLS 19 – TEXANS 23
See, this is what I meant by madness! HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Houston Texans, without star quarterback CJ Stroud, managed to pull off an incredible upset over the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen may have thrown for more yards than Texans backup QB Davis Mills (253 to 153 yards), but Mills threw two touchdowns while Allen threw two interceptions. The Texans are a fascinating case: they have the best defense in the NFL despite their missing pieces on the offensive side of the ball. Their next game will be interesting as they play the Colts next Sunday, but which Colts will they play: the Colts that dominated the league in the beginning of the season, or the weakling Colts we saw this week? As for the Bills, the time has come to panic. Their defense was already a problem, now their vaunted offense is sputtering. They better think of something fast or lose their playoff spot. They play the Steelers next Sunday.
VIKINGS 6 – PACKERS 23
And this is why I said not all the games were exciting. In what should have been a great matchup between hated division rivals, we got the Green Bay Packers dominating the Minnesota Vikings. Emanuel Wilson deserves the credit for the Packers, rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns. If the Packers can get healthy and stay healthy, they have a shot for a run in the playoffs. They play the Lions in the early Thanksgiving Day game. As for the Vikings, they have a big JJ McCarthy size problem. He hasn’t developed well at all, and now the Vikings’ chances are pretty slim to make the playoffs. Whether McCarthy is the starter next season is in serious question, especially now since McCarthy is in concussion protocol. The Vikings have a tough matchup next Sunday against the Seahawks.
JETS 10 – RAVENS 23
Talk about a complete 180! The Baltimore Ravens have come back from near death and have themselves a playoff spot for now thanks to their win over the New York Jets. Derrick Henry is starting to look more like his old self, rushing for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Admittedly, the Ravens’ offense has not been like it has in the last few seasons, but the defense has really picked up the slack. Five straight wins not only puts them back above .500 but also puts them in first place in their division (at least for now). They’ll play the Bengals in the primetime Thanksgiving Day matchup. As for the Jets, I actually liked Tyrod Taylor’s performance. Yes, it falls short of what the Jets need to win games but just remember that the Ravens’ defense has been red hot lately. So, take what the “experts” say about the lack of Jets’ offense with a grain of salt. They’ll play the Falcons next Sunday.
STEELERS 28 – BEARS 31
HOLY MOLE HOLES! What a great game! Despite their best efforts, the Pittsburg Steelers couldn’t hang on, and the Chicago Bears remains on top of their hotly contested division, the NFC Central. This was a very good game from Caleb Williams, who completed 19 of 35 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears’ offense, defense, and special teams may not always click right away, but they seem to be able to get the job done when push comes to shove. The Bears will play next in the Black Friday matchup on Prime Video against the Eagles. Under normal circumstances, the odds would be stacked against the Bears…but the Eagles’ recent troubles give the Bears some hope. As for the Steelers, this does not look good. Not only has the quarterback play been in serious decline (both with and without Aaron Rodgers), but the Raven’s victory also puts the Steelers on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. The season isn’t over yet, but…if I may quote my favorite film franchise…I’ve got a bad feeling about this (I know, you readers are surprised I’m quoting Star Wars and not Stevie Nicks, right?). The Steelers play the slumping Bills next Sunday.
PATRIOTS 26 – BENGALS 20
This was a close game, too close for comfort, but the New England Patriots fought off the Cincinnati Bengals to remain on top of the AFC. Drake Maye managed to outduel veteran Joe Flacco, passing for 294 yards compared to Flacco’s 183 yards (both threw one touchdown and an interception). The Patriots’ victory came at a cost as their offensive line took a beating. I doubt I need to point out how crucial it is that the Patriots protect Maye’s blindside, or else Maye will fall back into his bad habit of quickly throwing into trouble. The Patriots will next play the Giants on Monday Night Football. As for the Bengals, time seems to have run out on their playoff chances. Although they haven’t been mathematically eliminated yet, their chances aren’t very hopeful. Even the announcement that Joe Burrow will play in their next game won’t bring much to their minuscule chances. The Bengals next play the Ravens in the primetime Thanksgiving Day matchup.
SEAHAWKS 30 – TITANS 24
This was certainly a close call for the Seattle Seahawks as they had to dig deep to hold off a late rally from the Tennessee Titans to win. Cam Ward showed significant improvement despite the loss, passing for 256 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Seahawks are in excellent position to reach the playoffs, despite not leading their division. So long as they don’t commit a high number of turnovers like they did against the Rams. Their next game is this Sunday against the Vikings. As for the Titans, I am genuinely shocked that they are NOT mathematically eliminated yet from playoff contention. But I stand by what I said: Cam Ward showed good improvement. Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time before they are officially eliminated from the playoff race. They may happen in their next game this Sunday against the Jaguars.
GIANTS 27 – LIONS 34 (OT)
I definitely count myself among those that didn’t expect this game to be this close. The Detroit Lions were forced to go to overtime to salvage a win over the sputtering New York Giants. Believe it or not, Jameis Winston won the quarterback duel with Jared Goff. Both quarterbacks threw for two touchdowns and an interception, but Winston had 366 passing yards compared to Goff’s 279 passing yards. The fact that the Lions needed overtime to win does not do their chances of going far into the playoffs any favors. They’re still outside the playoff picture with the 49ers holding the tiebreaker over them. They can get back in with a win over the Packers in the early Thanksgiving Day game. As for the Giants, they have gotten the regrettable honor of being the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention. Their inability to finish games has landed them in this position, and it has cost their defensive coordinator his job as he was fired Monday. The “lame duck” part of the season begins against the Patriots on Monday Night Football.
COLTS 20 – CHIEFS 23 (OT)
I’m not ready to say the Kansas City Chiefs are back after pulling off the overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but it is a step in the right direction. People raved over Patrick Mahomes, and he did throw for 352 yards, but he didn’t throw a touchdown, and he did throw an interception. I read an article where the subheading title was this: “Did this comeback win save the Chiefs’ season?” Now, the excerpt went on to praise the Chiefs’ comeback and how the Chiefs were back to their old selves…but it never answered the question. So, did this save their season? Well…it kept it from falling off a cliff, that’s for sure. But the Chiefs’ position has not improved since the Jaguars, Ravens, and Texans all won. The Chiefs will need more wins and key losses from other teams to get back in the playoff picture. They’ll play a surprisingly hot Cowboys team in the second Thanksgiving Day game. As for the Colts, what happened? This is not the team that dominated the first half of the season. The offense completely disappeared, their chances of getting the number one seed is in jeopardy, and now the Jaguars are right on their tail with the Texans not far behind. (Note: now that I see how tight the AFC South has gotten, it now makes sense why the Titans haven’t been eliminated yet.) They’ll have to fight off the Texans, who now have a blueprint for derailing the Colts’ offense, next Sunday.
BROWNS 24 – RAIDERS 10
Shedeur Sanders finally got the chance to show his stuff as a starting quarterback, leading the Cleveland Browns to victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. It wasn’t exactly a performance to write home about, as Sanders threw for only 209 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Nevertheless, I will follow Sanders’ progress with an open mind since the Browns have named Sanders their starting quarterback. The new look Browns will face off against the 49ers this coming Sunday. As for the Raiders, the winds of change have already started to blow. Chip Kelly is out as the Raiders offensive coordinator, and Head Coach Pete Carroll could be next if he insists on keeping Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. Yes, the offensive line is absolutely abysmal, but Smith hasn’t done a thing to show he’s the franchise guy. The Raiders have two great players in Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, and they don’t want to waste it. They’ll play the Chargers this Sunday.
FALCONS 24 – SAINTS 10
Mercy and fortune finally blew the Atlanta Falcons’ way, as they ended a five-game losing streak by defeating the New Orleans Saints. Kirk Cousins showed he still had some magic left in the tank, throwing for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Now, the Falcons’ chances aren’t very good, but at least their chances went from none to slim. Their next game is this Sunday against the Jets. As for the Saints, they will have a lot of positions to fill this offseason, including wide receiver, quarterback, and probably kicker, too. Blake Grupe is a mess at kicker, and fans let him know it. For now, the Saints will have to soldier on, including this Sunday against the Dolphins.
JAGUARS 27 – CARDINALS 24 (OT)
HOLY MOLE HOLES! This was one of my favorite games to watch, as the Jacksonville Jaguars improved their playoff standing by defeating the Arizona Cardinals. Travis Etienne Jr. has been on a rampage lately. He rushed for 86 yards while catching three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. I especially like how Trevor Lawrence shook off the mistakes he made to lead the team to victory. With the Colts looking vulnerable, the Jaguars have a chance to seize the AFC South, but they’ll have to beat the Titans next Sunday first. As for the Cardinals, they play teams tough but just can’t get the win. If they can’t hold a lead, this will be a long offseason for them. The Cardinals play next Sunday against the Buccaneers, but they may not have to worry about Baker Mayfield and could win…theoretically.
EAGLES 21 – COWBOYS 24
HOLY MOLE HOLES! By some miracle, the Dallas Cowboys overcame a 21-point deficit to upset the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles! Dak Prescott led the way with 354 passing yards, two touchdowns, but also an interception. The Cowboys are still far from a playoff spot, but at least they survived a tough test to fight another day. Now they’ll have to defeat the Chiefs as they host the second Thanksgiving Day game. As for the Eagles, what in the wide, wide world of sports happened here?! Blowing a huge lead to a team they SHOULD have dispatched easily has suddenly put doubts on their chances to repeat as champions. Not only that, but now they’ve lost the number one seed to their biggest threat: the Rams (remember, the Rams lost to the Eagles because of lousy kicking…which seems to have been fixed). The Eagles must bounce back against the red-hot Bears in the Black Friday game on Prime Video.
BUCCANEERS 7 – RAMS 34
The hometown Los Angeles Rams was the only one of LA’s two teams that played this week as the Chargers had a bye. With so many teams jockeying for the Super Bowl, the Rams needed to make a statement. They did, with a big exclamation mark, by dominating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Matthew Stafford is making a strong case for MVP, completing 25 of 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. What has really been driving this offense has been, not just Stafford, but the one-two punch of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Puka has still reeled off explosive plays while Adams reels in plenty of touchdowns for a lethal combination. The Rams have a good shot at the title; they just have to maintain their momentum. The best thing they can do is not overlook the Panthers next Sunday. As for the Buccaneers, they’re thanking their lucky stars that the Panthers lost the next day. But luck is definitely not on their side as Baker Mayfield was knocked out of the contest in the first half. Sources tell us that Mayfield suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. There is no fracture or structural damage, but his status for next Sunday’s game against the Cardinals is now questionable. The Buccaneers will hold out for hope, because the division race is getting tight.
PANTHERS 9 – 49ERS 20
It definitely wasn’t pretty for Brock Purdy (okay, I’m not quite done with rhyming yet), but the San Francisco 49ers maintained their playoff position by defeating the Carolina Panthers. This was the first time Christian McCaffrey faced his original team, the Panthers, and he showcased his stuff by rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown while making seven catches for 53 receiving yards. Now, I have some concerns. The 49ers have been good despite the constant injuries, but you must remember they have an easier schedule than most teams. Not only that, Purdy’s recent spike in interceptions is a legitimate cause for concern. However, I still think the 49ers are a playoff-worthy team, and they can prove that with a victory on the road next Sunday against the Browns. As for the Panthers, I bet you didn’t know this was the first time they lost a game after winning the coin toss. Fun facts aside, the offense’s inability to capitalize on the takeaways forced by their defense is frustrating. If you can’t convert an opponent’s mistakes into points, it demoralizes the team and makes them lose momentum. That’s not something the Panthers can afford in a tight division race with the Buccaneers. It doesn’t get easier as the Panthers play next Sunday against the current top-seeded Rams.
IN OTHER SPORTS NEWS: WNBA DRAFT LOTTERY
The other big sports news this last weekend was the annual WNBA Draft Lottery. The future of the WNBA is uncertain as the league and the players association are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. But at least for one night, the future looked bright as the top five Draft Picks were selected. This year’s top pick goes to the Dallas Wings, who picked Paige Bueckers last year (what does it say that the WNBA’s top pick usually ALWAYS gets Rookie of the Year…but not the other men’s leagues?).
So, what do the Wings do with this year’s pick? A few centers have been floated as possibilities such as Awa Fam from Spain or Lauren Betts from UCLA. However, and this is the romantic in me, the Wings could reunite Bueckers with her girlfriend and former teammate, Azzi Fudd from UConn.
As for the hometown Sparks, they don’t have a first round pick as they traded it to the Seattle Storm. If they could trade back into the first round, they REALLY need a center.
