The playoff picture is starting to take shape.
We have our first batch of eliminated teams, our first clinched division, and a whole boatload of tiebreakers on the horizon. After one more week of byes, it’ll be time for teams and fans to hunker down for the final stretch. Here’s how the teams shake out as we move into Week 14:
1- Detroit Lions
On the longest winning streak, the Lions pass the eye test while boasting the league’s highest point differential.
Thanksgiving’s second-half scare against the Bears was mildly concerning, and their injuries are also starting to pile up a little. With games against the Packers and Bills coming up, Detroit’s real season starts now.
2- Buffalo Bills
Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘wagon’ as a vehicle for transporting goods or another purpose.
The Buffalo Bills are a wagon. They transport the goods of footballs into the endzone and wins into the standings. They’ve already clinched their division, and Josh Allen is as close to being an MVP as ever.
3- Philadelphia Eagles
Not far behind the two teams ahead of them, Philadelphia has survived a potential Nick Sirianni crashout and thrived because of it.
The rollercoaster ride this team has been on for the past three years has hardened their resolve, and they’re playing exceptionally cohesive football, especially on defense. They’re currently eyeing that No. 1 seed in the NFC.
4- Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had been playing with fire all season at the end of games.
Then they lost to the Bills, and people thought it would be their wake-up call to build bigger leads. Then they said, “Hold my beer,” and tightrope their way to nail-biting wins against the Panthers and Raiders. With Buffalo breathing down their neck, they better hope they can keep up the act.
5- Pittsburgh Steelers
A loss to the Browns in the snow was a bit of a hiccup, but higher powers were at the behest of Jameis Winston in that game.
Pittsburgh taking out their other two division rivals in two very different games is what’s more notable for Pittsburgh. They get a chance to enact revenge on the Browns this week before an end-of-season gauntlet.
6- Minnesota Vikings
Remember the 2022 Vikings team that went 13-4 with a -3 point differential that everyone called frauds? That lost to Daniel Jones in the first round of the playoffs? Like that team (11-0 in one-score games), the 2024 Vikings are 7-1 in one-score games. However, this team boasts a +78 point differential, and we can attribute the one-score record to Kevin O’Connell, not Kirk Cousins.
7- Green Bay Packers
Dismantling the 49ers and Dolphins at Lambeau was exciting for the Green Bay faithful. The Packers haven’t lost a true road game yet this year. They will need that to hold up with the games that are coming up in Detroit, Seattle and Minnesota.
8- Baltimore Ravens
Losses to the Steelers and Eagles in the past three weeks have exposed Baltimore in ways they don’t seem ready to handle. Justin Tucker’s fallout appears to be the most glaring issue, as he missed two field goals and an extra point in the loss.
9- Denver Broncos
The Broncos can double their projected win total from the beginning of the season. They would have to go 3-1 down the stretch to do so, but a Week 14 bye should get them right for their four massive AFC showdowns as they make their playoff push.
Consider us Bo’Lievers.
10- Los Angeles Chargers
Jim’s four-game win streak was snuffed by his brother John in the Harbaugh Bowl. In a short week, LA traveled to Atlanta and was gifted a win by Kirk Cousins. A team as run-heavy as the Chargers is already missing J.K. Dobbins, and allowing five sacks to a Falcons team that had ten going into the day is not a great sign.
11- Washington Commanders
Washington got back on track against Tennessee, essentially putting the game out of reach by the end of the first quarter. Questions remain about Kliff Kingsbury’s ability to coordinate an offense in the second half of the season, but for now, he has quieted the doubters.
12- Seattle Seahawks
Leonard “Big Cat” Williams has arrived for the Seahawks.
The DE was acquired via trade from the Jets before last season and signed a three-year extension with Seattle this offseason. In the past two games, he has 4.5 sacks, and in Week 13, he had a blocked kick and a 90-yard pick-six to help spark a comeback against the Jets. Seattle has won three in a row and is feeling the momentum as they lead the division.
13- Houston Texans
The lowest ranked above-.500 team, the Texans have been in a bit of a tailspin recently.
While the division is close to locked up, a painful loss to the Titans was an untimely blemish, and last week’s game against the Jaguars was dominated by Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence. The defensive captain is suspended for the next three games.
14- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has clawed their way back to relevancy.
After dropping two shootouts to Atlanta and four total in a row, they somehow find themselves tied for the division lead. The return of Mike Evans and emergence of Bucky Irving to go along with the consistency of Baker Mayfield have made Tampa tantalizing.
15- Arizona Cardinals
The weight of a division lead might have gotten to Arizona.
With the pressure on, they dropped two games on the road to the Seahawks and Vikings. If he wants to change his end-of-season stigma, Kyler will have to dig his little legs deep into the turf.
16- Miami Dolphins
Miami is healthy and a good football team right now.
They just still can’t play in the cold. The next three weeks should suit them fine, but games at Cleveland and New York won’t be fun to end the season if they’re still with any chance of a playoff berth.
17- Los Angeles Rams
The Rams don’t have the zip everyone hoped they’d have when they got healthy.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have been inconsistent, but they’ve still churned out a 5-2 record in their last seven games. If they make it out of the division race, no one ever wants to face Sean McVay in the playoffs.
18- Atlanta Falcons
Another disaster is brewing in Atlanta.
In the last three games, the Falcons lost to a freshly Dennis Allen-free Saints team, were demolished by the Broncos, and lost one of the most winnable games they’ll ever have against the Chargers, thanks to four interceptions from Kirk Cousins. Is it Michael Penix time?
19- Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson, while still inconsistent, is looking better.
His bipolar nature has shifted from play-to-play to drive-to-drive. He put together two game-winning performances in the clutch the past two weeks, including a powerful run to score a two-point conversion to win against New England.
20- Cincinnati Bengals
Imagine how angry Bengals’ offensive players must be with their defense. The Bengals are 0-3 in the last three weeks despite scoring 34, 27 and 38 points.
21- Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are fun and could be in the mix for a division title if a few balls bounced their way.
Bryce Young has finally regained his confidence, learned the playbook, and is making the sorts of out-of-the-pocket plays we were accustomed to seeing him make at Alabama. The laughingstock of the league has turned a corner.
22- Chicago Bears
Despite a six-game losing streak, the Bears have finally fired Matt Eberflus, and they should start to see their fortune turn around a bit.
In the last three games, they lost to each of their divisional opponents by no more than a field goal. A coach with a sound mind should make up for that difference in the clutch.
23- San Francisco 49ers
Wrap it up in the Bay.
San Francisco has finally succumbed to another season of disaster on the injury front. Christian McCaffery gave it a valiant effort to be the spark the team needed down the stretch, but it cost him a PCL. With third-string Isaac Guerendo now starting and a still brutal schedule down the stretch, it’s time to call it quits on the Niners.
24- Dallas Cowboys
Two wins in a row might be the worst thing that could’ve happened to the Cowboys. Why? Because Mike McCarthy might just save his job…
25 – New Orleans Saints
Now that they’ve lost Taysom Hill for the year, the Saints might have run out of Rizzi magic. The interim head coach bump is suitable for a couple of wins, but the Saints are still devoid of top-end talent, and heart can only take a team so far.
26 – Cleveland Browns
Jameis Winston is football. The clips, the throws, the interceptions. He’s the embodiment of the sport and should always be playing for a team at all times.
27 – New England Patriots
While they’re eliminated from playoff contention, Drake Maye has been an average-above-average QB since being named the starter. He’s an exceptional runner and has given the New England faithful a reason to believe in moving forward.
28 – New York Jets
Somehow not eliminated from the playoffs yet, the Jets found another fun way to lose again last week.
In the first quarter, they were gifted two fumbles and a punt return touchdown, but the aforementioned Leonard Williams pick-six to get the scoring going for Seattle was the signal that let everyone know the Jets would end up losing the game. Let Rodgers walk, please.
29 – Tennessee Titans
The win against the Texans showed the Titans have some grit and some fight. But the beatdown to the Commanders reminded us why they’re not a good football team.3
30, 31, 32 – Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars
Any order you like. The basement of the league. Who do Shedeur and Travis want to play for?
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