Madness continues to strengthen its control of the NFL.
When the Cardinals lost to the Rams at home in a football game on Monday night, when we reached mid-December, it created a completely unique setting for the NFL standings. In four weeks, we tied for three points in the best record of the AFC and NFC. According to ESPN, this is the first time this has happened in the 14th week since the conference was established in 1970.
This traffic congestion has now spread to almost the entire NFL. Of the 32 teams in our league, 26 teams either make the playoffs or are out. This is an outrageous level of equality that makes exercises like Power Rankings feel hopeless and may even be insane.
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Note: The up/down arrows reflect the changes in the NFL power rankings in Week 14.
The bad news for NFC: When their offense is deadly, you have a chance to play against the Packers. The past three weeks have witnessed the return of the unstoppable Green Bay offense that defined most of the last season for the defending (and future) NFC North Championship. As Aaron Rogers kept talking about his toe injuries getting worse, his performance got better and better. The defending MVP performed well on Sunday night against the Bears. Since the 11th week, he has made 10 touchdown passes with zero interceptions, with a completion rate of just under 70%. It adds up to the best and most complete team in the NFL.
Tom Brady owns the bill. There is always, always will... But things on Sunday have become very dangerous. The Pirates established a 24-3 halftime lead before the collapse in the second half, which required a red zone stand to enter overtime. After the Tampa Bay defense finally stopped the rampage Josh Allen in overtime, Brady took care of the rest. The 700th touchdown pass in his career was a perfect spiral pass to the open Breshad Perriman, who entered the end zone unscathed in the 58-yard winner's game. Brady now leads 107-1 in games where his team leads 21 or more at any time, and the Buccaneers are only one step behind the Packers in the race for the NFC No. 1 seed.
The Cardinals' troubles at home surfaced again, losing to the Rams 30-23 disappointingly on Monday night. As the best players in Los Angeles stepped up to make up for the loss of Jaylen Ramsey, several top stars in Arizona were not ready for the challenge. Kyler Murray made a physical and mental error, DeAndre Hopkins made a critical error in Game 4 and was largely neutralized, and the Cardinals No one in his defense came forward to make a game-changing game, because Matthew Stafford has repeatedly taken the Rams down and off the court. In this way, Arizona fell from the NFC's No. 1 seed to the No. 3 seed, and the lead over Los Angeles was reduced to only one game in the division and four games left. fasten your seatbelt.
For offense, this is a wrong start to the season, but maybe it will become a driving force for a significant increase. The Chiefs scored 35 points in the first half against the Raiders and won 48-9. It was a necessary laugh. They had a match with the Chargers in the football game on Thursday night. A huge division showdown. The offense played the most efficient game of the season, winning the battle in the frontcourt and avoiding the two biggest problems: turnovers and turnovers. For a team with a total offensive distance of 372 yards, the final score may be a bit misleading, but the Chiefs decided the game and did not destroy themselves at any time. Progress.
Bill Belichick was highly regarded for his decision to put Mac Jones on the ice in Orchard Park and start his running race in extreme weather conditions, but the Patriots took it out before the bye in Week 14. The Bills team, because the defense once again played a key role. New England has the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense (only 15.4 points allowed per game) and third in total defense (310.0 yards allowed per game). During the team's seven-game winning streak, the stats were even better: opponents averaged just over 10 points per game, and the Patriots caused at least one turnover in every game. In January, Belichick may have the only defense in football that can be counted as a true difference maker. This may prove to be advantageous.
There is so much talk about that Sean McVay's team is "too weak" to keep up with the NFL elite. It was a bit scary at the end, but the Rams performed well in the 30-23 defeat of the Cardinals. This game can not only change the NFC West, but also change the balance of power in the conference as the playoffs approach. Los Angeles' performance was particularly impressive, as it was reported shortly before kickoff that Jalen Ramsey would be absent from the game after entering the reserve/COVID-19 roster. The Rams persevered because their other stars appeared: Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Cooper and Odell Beckham Jr. all made key contributions to the victory. As a result, Los Angeles has once again become part of a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Cowboys defense is an important machine in Sunday's victory over the Washington football team. The defensive end Randy Gregory returned to the lineup and played two major games, an acrobatic interception led to a Dallas touchdown, and Kyle Allen's strip bag won in the fourth quarter. Micah Parsons (Micah Parsons) also continued to develop on the basis of his heinous rookie season, and one of his turnovers led to a touchdown. The offense of Dark Prescott and Dallas is still in a strange horror, but the Cowboys almost blocked the NFC East by showing that their power on the side of the ball exceeds the wattage of the stars. No wonder Mike McCarthy felt so confident.
The Colts enjoy the advantage of being late, and now everything is in front of them, back to back against the Patriots and Cardinals. The combined record of these two teams is 19-7, and Indianapolis has a chance to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the most critical two weeks of the season. A lot has been said about the Colts' poor record against excellent opponents, but their last three losses-against the Ravens, Titans and Buccaneers-were all games where the Indians led or tied in the fourth quarter. If the Colts learn how to end the game, there will be no upper limit for their season.
The Chargers ushered in a terrible Giants team into their building on Sunday and took care of business-a welcome development for a team that has been struggling to maintain stability this season. Justin Herbert (Justin Herbert) performed well again, for the second week in a row with Jalen Guyton (Jalen Guyton) for wonderful touchdown touchdowns, and became the first in NFL history to play every time in the first two seasons. A QB of 30 touchdown passes in all seasons. Things are getting serious now: on Thursday night, the Chargers welcomed the Chiefs to SoFi Stadium, a great opportunity to make the AFC West interesting. These Herbert-v.-Mahomes events should be billed during the prime time of each season.
The Bills are threatening their losing streak of the season, but Josh Allen reminded the world on Sunday that this team is not without hope. The quarterback had his team back-to-back in the second half against the Buccaneers, leading the Buffalo team to score four times to eliminate the 24-3 halftime deficit and force overtime. The Bills faltered on both sides of the ball in overtime, but the team's performance against the defending champion in the second half showed great potential still lurking. Allen became the third player in NFL history to throw 300 yards and sprint 100 yards in the same game. In a frustrating season, he is still the X factor of the AFC.
George Kittle is the great terminator in history. In other words: Kittle received 13 times in Sunday’s wild overtime victory over the Bengals, scored 151 yards and scored a touchdown, becoming the first in NFL history to receive more than 150 yards in The close end who scored a touchdown in a back-to-back game. Jimmy Garoppolo and Brandon Aiyuk won with dramatic touchdown passes and placed San Francisco in the playoffs with four games left, but Kittle is still Kyle Shanahan’s most important asset. When Kittle is in the lineup, Niners can beat anyone. Remove him from the combination, they are ordinary.
Good news came one after another on Sunday: First, there were reports that Derek Henry (foot surgery) could return to the game as early as week 18. Then there was Julio Jones, his own return lineup must have taken a deep breath of relief from the troubled quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Finally, and most importantly, the Titans won a football match for the first time in nearly a month. The video of the Jaguars being eliminated 20-0 is unlikely to be shipped to Guangzhou, but this victory is absolutely necessary because Mike Vrabel’s team hopes to survive the injury quagmire and lock in another AFC South Champion title and promote the No. 1 seed.
The Bengals have graduated from the league goal mat and become an interesting team with potential. But what's next? The one they are the consistent winners? This continues to evade Zach Taylor's group. Cincinnati roared to force overtime after being 14 points behind in the second half, and then took a 3-point lead in overtime, but watched the defense lose to the 49ers 26-23. After the game, Taylor had to answer some questions about why he played conservatively once Joe Burrow and the passing game rushed into the goal range in overtime. When asked the same question, Jamal Chase gave a convincing answer: "Shoot," he said. "Good question, buddy. Good question."
Jaylen Waddle's outstanding rookie season has been somewhat hidden. But let's give it some highlights with the help of NFL Research: In the past four games, the first round of the draft requires 16 catches to break Anquan Boldin's rookie catch record (101 in 2003). Bet you don't know! How about it: Wardle has received 8 or more passes in 6 games this season, tied with Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014, which is the most rookie game of this type since at least 1950. Bolding and Beckham are the superstar companies you want to join.
In the end it became very scary, but the Browns defense got the last stop it needed against the Ravens to avoid disaster and put Cleveland in a good position to truly win the AFC North. Considering all the struggles Cleveland has had in this frustrating season, this seems like a crazy idea, but in a department without any really strong teams, things are getting better. Nevertheless, the problem still exists: the Browns almost lead by 21 points, largely because the offense is still stuck in the quagmire, and Baker Mayfield is at the center position. Mayfield told reporters after the game that his injured body felt much better after seeing him in the 13th week, but Cleveland was still turned away in the second half with an offensive distance of less than 300 yards. If Baker does not play well, the Browns will be familiar.
Taylor Huntley almost led the Ravens to a miraculous victory over the Browns, but the moral victory in December did not make much sense. Baltimore's control of the AFC North was loosened with the second consecutive divisional defeat, and Lamar Jackson's health shrouded everything. John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday that Jackson avoided a terrible high ankle sprain in his loss to Cleveland, and he sounded hopeful that Jackson would play in Week 15. Jackson's presence is necessary because the Ravens are looking for a solution to the offense that has been troubled for weeks. If the quarterback's ankle is injured, whether he can attack the defense with his leg is fair. Baltimore will enter the melting pot of the regular season in its most vulnerable state.
Why can't the Vikings be just normal? This is a simple question, but there is a complicated and perhaps unknowable answer. The Vikings led the Steelers 29-0 at home in the football game on Thursday night with a score of 29-0, but somehow they ended up playing another game, the last game. The Vikings’ defense was attributed to the last leg, but it was clear that Mike Zimmer’s team was influenced by the knowledge that it always brought the opponent back into the game. It has become the DNA of the Vikings, a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it is aging the entire state of Minnesota in the Year of the Dog. Zimmer said: "The team in the first half may be defeated by anyone. The team in the second half may be defeated by anyone."
Tyler Haynik has his moments this season, but when the hot QB has no running games to rely on, Washington's offense often looks mediocre. As the strong forward line of Antonio Gibson and the Cowboys offset the ground offense, Hynek could not move the offense before leaving with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. Terry McLaughlin’s withdrawal from the game due to a concussion didn’t help, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that this kind of offense requires talent infusion to take the next step. Does this include quarterback upgrades? If his body allows, Hynek will get another four games to prove his situation.
Gardner Minshew's excellent start against the Jets attracted national attention, but the story of the Hawks' offensive revival continues to go back to an excellent running offense. The Philadelphia team rushed at least 180 yards in four consecutive games, which was the longest consecutive game for the Eagles since 1950. This is also the NFL's longest consecutive game since the Ravens offense led by Lamar Jackson in 2018. Jackson’s early career arc is obvious. The Hawks are trying to emulate Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts is another fast and athletic quarterback. The passing ability can use some improvements. The Eagles' spiking offense should perform well in the final stages of being fully included in the NFC East.
Well, hello, Rashad Penney. Due to a series of injuries that hindered his trajectory in the NFL, the former first-round draft pick became a forgotten man in Seattle, but if he continues to play like Sunday's game against the Texans, all this will be lost. Forgotten. Peniche opened Houston's defense for 137 yards, rushed for 32 yards and 47 yards, and won 33-13. Although Alex Collins returned to the lineup, he did so. This should tell you that Pete Carroll feels good about riding with Penny, if the 25-year-old's body is capable of this task. . If you look closely, you can see a glimmer of hope for the Seahawks in the NFC playoffs.
The Steelers are like a zombie who doesn't know he is dead. They are hit, they don't seem to be the living anymore, however, they... just... continue... come. Ben Roethlisberger and the revitalized defense almost allowed Pittsburgh to get out of the predicament with a score of 29-0 in the third quarter against the Vikings. As time passed, the potential draw score bounced from Pat Freiermuth's fingertips. Mike Tomlin is not a "moral triumphant" man, but I am sure that some of the coaches express admiration for a clearly flawed team that refuses to quit. In the case of 6-6-1, there is still some way to go in the playoffs, but the rugged schedule makes Tomlin more likely to coach the first team in his career below 0.500.
The Broncos had only 10 players when they first participated in the offense on Sunday. This is a respect and recognition of Demarius Thomas. He is a long-term wide receiver for the Broncos. He died suddenly last week at the age of 33. It was an elegant move for the team, and then went out and completed one of the most complete efforts of the season in a 38-10 victory over the Lions. Denver has some cooking skills in the Mile High backcourt: Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon combined for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns in this victory. This is the type of attack Vic Fangio likes to repeat every week. Of course, not every opponent will be as friendly as the Lions.
Few players are as important to their team as Alvin Kamara is to the Saints. The Pro Bowl running back recovered from missing four games and made waves on the Jets, sprinting for 120 yards, and winning a touchdown with a score of 30-9. Kamara is considered the only real firepower in the offense, lacking a proven playmaker, and counts on Taysom Hill, a quarterback who was not a natural football pitcher before he raised his finger. Hill did not perform well against the Jets, and it was surprising to see how long it would take his rushing ability to integrate into Sunday's offense. The Saints need Hill to be in dual threat mode to survive.
It is almost impossible for the Falcons to be very active in the NFC playoffs. Atlanta forced the Carolinas to make three mistakes — including a key Mykal Walker pick by Cam Newton's 6 mistakes — and finally won 29-21 in Charlotte. The Falcons' 5-2 away record can usually be used as a gold ticket for the playoffs, but the 1-5 record at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium discouraged Arthur Smith's team. Atlanta won on Sunday because it combined these takeaways with a powerful running game-the team sprinted for more than 100 yards for the third consecutive week, and Mike Davis finally looked like a feature addition to Cordarell Patterson .
It only takes one game from the start of the melee-Josh Jacobs made a mistake in the Chiefs' touchdown-to know what will happen on Sunday. The Raiders appeared in Arrowhead in the most direct way, losing 48-9 on their way to 35-0 in the first half. This was their worst defeat in the history of their 62-year competition with Kansas City. Since the 8th week of goodbye, Las Vegas has a record of 1-5, and another collapse in December may lead to a comprehensive organizational change. That reality should be enough to evoke the necessary urgency, but on Sunday, the Raiders looked very much like a team that just wanted to go home. Where have we met before?
The Internet had a great time with Matt Nagy on Sunday night. His comments to NBC sideline reporters at halftime-"I had a great time"-set thousands for the troubled head coach The Windmill Twitter Dunk Packers won again in the second half. This is a quote from the game that you can only get from someone who knows he is dead: He served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, and on this night, his team will compete with a strong division opponent Fight with a punch. Najib tried to enjoy this moment in the big chair because he seemed to know that it would not belong to him for long. As former Colts coach Chuck Pagano once said: "They can fire you, but they can't eat you." Najib has reached the stage of acceptance.
It's hard to find what the Giants are good at. Quarterback Daniel Jones' offense is not very good-professional veteran Mike Glennon is worse in control. Then there is defense. This is the strength of the team a year ago, but it is a very average unit in 2021. Justin Herbert and the Chargers scored 289 yards, 18 first wins and 24 points in the first half at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. How much of this mess should be placed at the feet of Judge Joe? The second-year coach did not achieve results, but he was also not fully prepared for success.
Cam Newton lawn dart or PJ Walker hospital ball? This is the choice faced by Matt Rhule, whose homemade QB dilemma has swallowed up this Carolina season. The Panthers almost forgave themselves from the NFC playoff pictures. Sunday's home loss to the Falcons was frustrating. Three QB errors and a lot of playing time were two mediocre options for Rhule at the center position. On Monday, Rhule told reporters that it is “possible” for Sam Darnold to recover from a shoulder injury. Decision, decision, decision.
More of the same. On Sunday, the Jets suffered their seventh double-digit loss of the season. This time they lost 30-7 to a mid-level Saints team. This did not fully evoke the glory days of Drew Briss. Memories. The Jets have many problems, but the most prominent is the lack of talent. They don't have any game changers on defense. Without Elijah Moore (legs), Corey Davis (core surgery) and Michael Carter (ankles), their offense would be meaningless. This created a very difficult situation for Zach Wilson, who, like Sam Darnold before him, became difficult to assess due to lack of structure. This organization is full of wheels. It has been in the playoffs for 11 years now, and there is no sign of relaxation.
The afterglow of the Lions’ first victory of the season began to fade with the reality of another defeat on Sunday. Detroit surrendered 184 yards to the Broncos on the ground, and the offense was struggling to create the big picture with D'Andre Swift and TJ Hockenson absent and lost 38-10 with injuries. Jared Goff did not complete a pass of more than 20 yards throughout the game. Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Monday that he "hoped" Swift could return to the game against the Cardinals in Week 15. If not, the immortal Cregrenorz will continue to see a lot of work.
I have a feasible theory that once this whole dirty thing ends on January 9th, the Texans' plan is to have a memory hole for the entire 2021 season. This hypothetical plan ran into a small problem on Sunday when Ka'imi Fairbairn split the post. In the last game against the Seahawks in the first half, he shot 61 yards-this is the Texans. The longest field goal percentage in 20-year history. If the Houston Brass team is willing during the offseason, they can completely restart the machine, but the next Texans Media Guide will not be able to ignore the indelible greatness Fairbairn brought to the world on December 12, 2021.
I don't know if there is a case similar to Urban Meyer in NFL history. A college coach with a legendary resume hopped to a professional player under a big contract and immediately filled the organization with a tsunami of toxicity. Of course, we have seen respected college coaches fail in the league many times before, but Meyer's case is becoming a masterpiece of this particular type-the malfeasance Mona Lisa. With Trevor Lawrence struggling behind the scenes and severe turmoil, Jaguar boss Shad Khan faced a painful decision that seemed unthinkable to him less than 12 months ago.
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Three weeks after entering the 2021 NFL season, Dan Hanzus ranked first in the power rankings. At the same time, the Chiefs fell out of the top five, and the Seahawks continued to decline. View the complete hierarchy.
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