Major Movement:
Packers
The Packers need a bit to happen for them to clinch a first round by. The Saints have the tiebreaker, and based on the schedule, HypeMike looks destined for a wildcard matchup next week. Nevertheless, they will be the team nobody wants to play round 1.
Patriots
The Patriots haven’t lost a game since week 8 and they were on a 6 game winning streak before this week’s loss against the Buffalo Bills. Mac Jones threw three interceptions in this game and this was the first game of the season where he threw more than two touchdowns. Next week’s matchup against the Jets is for the division, it’s all about what wants it more.
Saints
I am not sure what happened this past week as the Saints seen their winning streak snapped by Cammy and the Buccaneers. Perhaps we set the bar a bit too high on the Saints Super Bowl potential? I am not as confident as I was last week.
Chiefs
Will Kansas City sit their starters this week? They are still playing for the number one spot and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but we’ve seen quarterbacks go down often this season and Patrick Mahomes is not a guy you want to lose in a game that has little meaning in comparison to the potential risks.
Seahawks
Seahawks enter week 18 with ‘a win and you’re in’ game against the Cardinals. It is needless to say the playoffs have unexpectedly started a week early for Zstar as they limp to the finishing line losing 2 of their last 3 games.
Bills
This was a must win game for the Bills this week and they will be looking for a clean sweep of the Miami Dolphins next week to clinch themselves a playoff berth. It wasn’t a pretty win this week, but Dalton Kincaid has been an absolute stud for the Bills this season. Despite his suspension, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards this week and leads the team in that category.
Jets
Don’t look now, but the New York Jets have the potential to be the number one seed in the AFC with a win over the Patriots next week. The Jets have won their last three games by one score, so they know how it feels to play high pressure football and come away with the victory. This is exactly the type of atmosphere their going to need to perform well in starting next week.
Texans
Houston is another team that has potential number one overall stakes and they have the easiest path to acquire it. A win puts them in the driver’s seat, but they’ll still need a few teams to lose, but playing against a Indy team that has won just 5 games seems like a warm-up game in comparison to what lies ahead in the playoffs.
Rams
I am still trying to gauge if the Rams are serious contenders in the NFC. One week I think so, and the next I second guess myself. Stenson Bennett was solid in the blowout win against the Giants, but will he be able to play at the same level against the top tier teams come playoff time?
Falcons
Week after week, Nef continues to shock the PML world. I will be the first to admit, I didn’t think he had this in him. Hes making more and more believers by the week. With a win against the Saints this week, Nef secures a season 1 playoff berth. Can the miracle run continue?
Dolphins
The Dolphins have strung together two wins and are desperately trying for the turkey. Similar to the Titans, Miami has to win this week, but they’ve already been defeated this season by the Buffalo Bills. De’Von Achane is 191 yards shy of reaching 2,000 rushing yards, so expect the Dolphins to use him as the center of their offensive attack this week.
Bears
Sound the alarms in Chicago. After being upset by the Falcons this week, the possibility now looms that Jefe and the Bears will be on the outside looking in when the wildcard schedule is announced. Definitely didnt see this coming after showing so much fight all season. Jefe will have to win against the Packers without Breece Hall, and hope the Falcons drop their game to the Saints.
Broncos
Denver is 3-2 in the division and likely to finish 4-2 after next week’s matchup versus the Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos took advantage of a banged up Los Angeles team this week and are absolutely one of the hottest teams heading into the off-season. Denver’s rebuild is almost complete if they can continue to play at a high level.
49ers
It hasn’t been pretty this season but the 49ers are getting it done week after week. They have a big divisional game week 18 that will ultimately decide the division winner. I did predict the 49ers as a Super Bowl contender pre-cycle, but the confidence level in that has decreased significantly.
Chargers
You have to feel awful for Justin Herbert. He was on stride to be the MVP in PML, but between his two game suspension and missing multiple games due to injury, it appears he’s going to fall just short of that achievement and the Chargers are heading into the playoffs with Joe Flacco at the helm.
Cowboys
The Cowboys were once 9-1-1 and we were all floating the idea that Drama may have a Super Bowl run in him. That has since flatlined as they now seem like the 1st round matchup many are setting their sights on.
Titans
This was a heartbreaking loss for Titans fans because they are now on the outside looking in and will need a miracle to make the playoffs. They need a victory in week 18 and a lot of help. They’re facing off against a Jacksonville team that they;ve already beaten this season, so getting the win shouldn’t prove too tall of an order.
Cardinals
Cardinals have an opportunity to play spoiler on their own division mate this week. They’ve dropped 2 in a row now after showing some fight midway through the season. The Cardinals are definitely one of the teams to keep an eye on for next season with the draft and the emergence of several key players this season.
Eagles
The Eagles are winning games as they look to head in season 2 with some confidence. Could the NFC East be the Eagles division next year? The way one team is ascending and the other is descending, it is a realistic possibility the division is not the time share we all thought it was going to be early in the season.
Buccaneers
Cammy and the Buccaneers are another team many expect to make a jump next season for playoff contention. They pulled out an impressive victory against the Saints snapping their 8 game win streak. Hats off to that, because I pinned the Bucs as huge underdogs in that one.
Steelers
The Baltimore Ravens have an opportunity of a lifetime in playing spoiler and keeping their division rival out of the playoffs this week. Pittsburgh understands what is at stake for them.. A playoff berth and a division title. Expect them to protect the ball and bring the pressure against Lamar Jackson this week.
Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence is expected to play the entire game in week 18 against the Titans with zero restrictions on his downfield passing. The Jaguars are looking to play spoiler and keep the Titans out of the playoffs. Lawrence has a positive touchdown to interception ratio and that’s in part to his ability to protect the ball the latter half of the season.
Vikings
The Vikings showed no signs of life against the Packers last week. Will this be Wimmy’s fate all cycle? There is a chance he may once again be the odd-man out in not only the division next season, but a very crowded NFC conference. We will see if the roster moves are enough to save the Vikings cycle.
Colts
The losing streak in Indy is finally over, but I don’t think he’s going to end this season on a streak. Houston may possibly sit their starters, but CB has to go in the off-season and really concentrate on a strategy that helps his team get back into the win column.
Lions
We had a short discussion today regarding Jared Goff and his future with the Lions. Why can’t he be the starter for the rest of the cycle? Not certain the direction Fallen will go in this off-season, but Goff has some solid attributes to effectively manage the Lions offense. This will be one to keep an eye on.
Browns
Four game losing streaks are never ideal, especially when you have the division lead. Mali was the projected favourite to win the division and now it’s looking as if he’s going to miss the playoffs altogether. Cleveland’s cap scenario worsens as the franchise moves from year to year, so the time was now for the Browns.
Raiders
KingMike is insistent that he is still playing high caliber PML football. It’s just that his quarterback hasn’t been on the same page and has been throwing to the other team more often than his own receivers. Understanding that Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t feeling very confident, the Raiders elected to bring in rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell midway through the game and he came in and threw three interceptions and helped the Raiders lose another game.
Bengals
I really thought that Goose would have been a bit more competitive with the Bengals, especially in this division but he has some pieces to build around for in the future. He had a marquee win this season over the Houston Texans and that’s something to be proud of because the potential is there for the Bengals.
Giants
Daniel Jones threw 7 interceptions in a blowout loss to the Rams. Yes, 7 with 0 touchdowns to go with it. With that, he will more than likely end the season as the leader in interceptions and will probably be holding a clipboard and become one of the league’s best and most expensive backup quarterbacks.
Commanders
Since the 72pt loss, Vet is actually playing teams closer than expected. The offense however continues to struggle as they have now entered the bottom 2 in overall offense. The offensive roster has holes that definitely will be addressed in the off-season.
Panthers
It seems the Panthers will be sending the Bears the second overall pick, or possibly 1st depending on the Ravens/Steelers game. This will go down as one of the most depressing future 1st deals only second to Chris Jones going to the Steelers for what turned out to be the 1st overall pick.
Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens can play spoiler or they can enhance their team for the future with a loss and by trading the number one overall selection. Arod already beat Curt this season, but the stakes are higher than ever for both teams. The Ravens had a very good opportunity to win this week against the Dolphins, but they couldn’t clutch the game out.
