There was a lot of action in week 13 of the NFL, starting from the three Thanksgiving games and going all the way into a Monday Night Thriller at CenturyLink Field last night. Today, we are here to unpack and review it all.
THE GOOD
The First Seeded Baltimore Ravens: We all knew that, under Lamar Jackson, the Ravens were a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. However, nobody could have expected this sheer amount of success delivered. In a rainy standoff against the top seeded San Francisco 49ers, Jackson and company came out victorious. They played excellent defense, and it is looking like it will be impossible to shut down the run game. The Ravens have defeated every team in the top four of the AFC except for Kansas City. They might be the Super Bowl favorite right now.
The NFC Playoff Picture: My god, NFL fans will be in for a treat this season. Currently, the NFC playoff picture is completely stacked(outside of the NFC East, more on them later). After the Seahawks' victory last night, Seattle improved to 10-2, good for second in the conference. However, their win knocked the ALSO 10-2 49ers to fifth place. There are five extremely good teams in the NFC that all can say that they are true contenders. There is a very good possibility that the divisional round features Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Jimmy Garoppolo all leading teams with more than eleven wins.
The Pittsburgh Steelers: After losing Ben Roethlisberger to injury at the beginning of the year, and losing both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell in the offseason, if you told me that the Steelers were in the drivers seat for a playoff spot I would have called you crazy. And yet, here we are. The Devlin Hodges led Steelers are sitting at 7-5 and in the sixth seed of the AFC playoff picture. While they do have some competition on their heels(namely the 7-5 Titans), Pittsburgh has all the opportunity to make the playoffs. They consistently win games in the ugliest fashion(see: 16-10 to the Bengals), and yet, the formula is working.
THE BAD
The Nick Foles Experiment: This offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Philadelphia hero Nick Foles to a lucrative contract to try and help the Jags in their Super Bowl pursuit. Foles suffered a collarbone injury in week one, and was replaced by fan favorite Gardner Minshew. Minshew played extremely well in relief and, by the time, Foles was healthy, there were some questions surrounding whether or not Foles should return to the starting role. Foles was given the job, and wow was it ugly. Since his return, Jacksonville has been blown out by Indianapolis, Tennessee, and most recently, Tampa Bay. During this game, coach Doug Marrone finally decided to put Minshew back in. Foles is certainly a trade candidate this upcoming offseason, and the Jaguars have to decide what to do with their quarterback situation in the future.
The Eagles, Panthers, and Jets: Over the course of this season, three things have been clear. The Dolphins are tanking, the Redskins are tanking, and, most importantly, the Bengals are tanking(maybe bungling is a better word). There is no way in which the Eagles, Panthers, and Jets all manage to lose to them. Somehow, the Eagles lost a shootout to Miami 37-31, Carolina failed to convert at the goal-line again, and lost to Washington 29-21, and the Jets were blown out by Cincy 22-6. The Bengals now officially cannot go 0-16, but are still in the driver's seat for the first pick. The Panthers are as good as eliminated from the playoffs. The Eagles, well....
THE UGLY
THE NFC LEAST: What is this division. Why does it exist? The NFC East has to be the worst division in football history. Nobody has won it back to back yet, and this year, there is a real chance that a team without a winning record gets the title. Dallas is currently leading the division at 6-6, but are playing horribly. "Coach" Jason Garret has done nothing whatsoever, and it is finally starting to get on the nerves of owner Jerry Jones. The Eagles have an awful offense that moves slower than a snail, and the Redskins and Giants are the Redskins and Giants. There is actually a scenario where Washington, sitting at 3-9, makes the playoffs(they'd have to win out, Dallas would have to lose out, and Philly would have to lose to everyone except Dallas in week 16). The entire division will likely come down to the Philly vs. Dallas game, and hopefully that one us at least slightly entertaining.
Some Thoughts on other Happenings this week:
1. The Panthers fired Ron Rivera after their loss to the Redskins. It was a great run for "Riverboat" Ron, and the Panthers nearly won it all in 2015. He will certainly find a job elsewhere(Dallas, maybe).
2. Kirk Cousins is now 0-8 on Monday Night Football. Truly an unlucky guy. Hopefully those primetime woes don't come back to hurt him come playoff time.
3. Tom Brady was visibly mad at all of his receivers on Sunday Night, even appearing to say "I'm done with Dorsett" at one point. Perhaps the Pats will consider bringing back Antonio Brown...
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