Baker Mayfield is not hopeless
After a stint to forget with the Panthers, quarterback Baker Mayfield left North Carolina to try to bounce back with the Rams, deprived of injured Matthew Stafford.
His first match with Los Angeles? An unlikely victory against the Raiders during which Mayfield took on the hero’s costume. Baker was at the heart of the big comeback made by Los Angeles, notably releasing a 98-yard drive in the last two minutes punctuated by a touchdown from Van Jefferson.
We didn’t expect much from Baker Mayfield given his lackluster performance in Carolina this season (6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 7 games), but he at least managed to prove one thing this week: he is not A desperate case.
The Lions are a credible candidate for the Playoffs
At the end of October, Detroit had a record of six losses in seven games and the word “Playoffs” was not even part of the lexical field of Dan Campbell’s team. It is now December 12, and the Lions can legitimately dream of the playoffs.
Well launched by rookie receiver Jameson Williams, author of a 41-yard touchdown for his first career reception (he has just returned from a ruptured knee ligament), Detroit dominated the Vikings – division leaders NFC North – to claim a fifth victory in six meetings.
Formidable offensively, cheeky and full of confidence, the team led by a great Jared Goff is one of the most dangerous in the NFC today. The Lions now have a 6-7 record and are just behind the Commanders (7-5-1), Giants (7-5-1) and Seahawks (7-6) in the Playoff race. Knowing that they have a rather favorable schedule for the end of the season (@ Jets, @ Panthers, Bears, @ Packers), Campbell’s men have a real shot to play.
FYI, Detroit has been waiting for the Playoffs since the 2016 season.
In NFC, there are the Eagles and then the others
In recent weeks, we have tried to find fault with the Eagles, we have tried to find teams that could potentially undermine Philadelphia’s dominance in the NFC, but the more we advance the more it seems that the formation of Jalen Hurts evolves in a separate dimension.
The Eagles made a new show of force yesterday against the Giants: 48 points scored, 6 touchdowns, 217 passing yards, 253 rushing, 7 sacks, all for a 12th victory in 13 games. When we see that at the same time the Cowboys were almost humiliated by the Texans, that the Vikings fell in Detroit and that San Francisco must manage without Jimmy Garoppolo, we wonder who will be able to get them.
As a symbol, Philadelphia is the first team officially qualified for the next Playoffs.
The Titans are lucky to play in the AFC South
Clearly, things are not going well with the Titans.
Between the turbulence behind the scenes (the general manager was fired this week), the numerous injuries affecting the workforce and a third loss in a row against Jacksonville, Mike Vrabel’s men are really in trouble, so much so that they were whistled by their own public yesterday.
The good news in the middle of it all? The Titans are still playing in the AFC South division, where it’s possible to make the Playoffs even as a losing team like Tennessee (7-6 record). The Jaguars (5-8) and Colts (4-8-1) are left behind, the Texans (1-11-1) deserve to be relegated, so first place seems assured for Derrick Henry’s teammates.
We console ourselves as best we can.
Being able to qualify for the Playoffs with a negative record should be prohibited
Like the Titans, Tom Brady’s Buccaneers have the chance to play in a weak division, they who are first in the NFC South with a negative record (6-7). They are therefore virtually qualified for the Playoffs while a team with a positive record like Seattle (7-6) is not.
What put the following debate on the table: should the division winners automatically qualify for the playoffs?
To keep the intensity and the importance of the division matches, we want to answer yes, but we would add a condition: if the leader has a negative balance, we cancel the automatic ticket for the Playoffs and we distribute it to the most deserving team.
The 49ers “have a quarterback”
Already very clean last week when he had to take the place of Jimmy Garoppolo, the rookie quarterback of the 49ers (last choice of the 2022 Draft) Brock Purdy shone for his first tenure in the NFL, moreover against GOAT Tom Brady who had never lost to a debuting quarterback.
16/21 passing, 185 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 turnovers, quarterback rating of 134.0, and a big 35-7 victory in the end. In short, a dream Sunday for Purdy, and full of hope for the 49ers who are now on six straight wins.
“We have a quarterback. I’ve always had a lot of faith in him, but obviously it’s the NFL and you have to perform. That’s what he did, brilliantly,” 49ers defender Nick Bosa said after the game.
Brock Purdy takes down Tom Brady in his first career NFL start 💪 pic.twitter.com/uIfl9zGsxM
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 12, 2022
Never bury Justin Herbert and the Chargers
The loss to the Raiders last week was very difficult for the Chargers to swallow, but Justin Herbert and his teammates responded with panache this Sunday by winning 23-17 against Miami.
Facing the dangerous Dolphins, Los Angeles was not only very solid defensively despite several notable absences in the back line (safety Derwin James, cornerback Bryce Callahan), but above all Herbert won his duel of young quarterbacks against Tua Tagovailoa . With 367 yards and 1 touchdown (at 39/51), the Chargers pitcher even made history by setting a new record for the most yards thrown in the pass after three NFL seasons (13,056).
Result, at the time of these lines, it is indeed Los Angeles which finds itself on the last qualifying spot for the Playoffs in AFC.
The Broncos will not go to the Playoffs (how did we already know?)
The Denver Broncos have been eliminated from NFL postseason contention. pic.twitter.com/eV0X3HNlU1
—ESPN (@espn) December 12, 2022
Playing with… two quarterbacks, that’s Texans football
Worst team in the NFL this season, Houston has nothing left to play except the first choice of the next Draft. So why not try things out of the ordinary?
In the Texas derby against the Cowboys yesterday, coach Lovie Smith alternated between Davis Mills (16/21 passing, 175 yards) and Jeff Driskel (4/6, 38 yards and 1 touchdown, 7 carries for 36 yards) at the quarterback position, with the aim of bringing confusion to the opposing camp. And it rather worked, Houston playing perhaps its best game in attack and passing very close to a huge achievement in Dallas (27-23 defeat).
“I liked what we did today. We used our best options. We now have to come to a conclusion,” said Lovie Smith after the match.
Can’t wait for the sequel (or not).
The end of the beautiful stories?
The Giants, Jets and Seahawks were among the teams that weren’t expected much before the start of the season. And then they managed to surprise their world to become real candidates for the Playoffs. But the further we advance towards the playoffs, the more the task seems to be complicated for these surprise teams.
Seattle has let three of its last four games slip away, including one against the Panthers at home yesterday, the Giants haven’t won in a month, and the Jets have just lost two straight games (and four losses in six games) to the first time this season.
Which of these teams will find the resources to snatch their ticket in the Playoffs?
