2019 NFL power rankings, Week 12: Falcons rolling, Texans rolled
Previous: . Detroit Lions. 28. team. 50. . 3-6-1
Recap: Losers of five of their last six contests, the Lions hosted the unpredictable Dallas Cowboys. And veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford would not be around for the second consecutive week. And following a fumble via Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott, Matt Patricia’s team got on the board via a five-yard TD run by Bo Scarbrough. And a second-quarter touchdown run by quarterback Jeff Driskel helped stake the team to a 14-10 second-quarter lead. But inevitably, Detroit’s defense was helpless against Dak Prescott and a Dallas’ attack that rolled up 509 total yards by game’s end. Driskel finished with 209 yards through the air and a pair of scores in the Lions’ latest losing effort.
Next Week: The Lions make their way to FedExField for the first time since 2013 looking to extend their winning ways in the series. From 1968-97 and including two playoff clashes, Detroit dropped 18 straight games to the Washington Redskins. Now dating back to 2009, the Men from Motown have won the last four meetings.
Playoff hopes: Patricia’s club continues to sink deeper into the NFC North basement and a club that opened 2-0-1 after three games is now 1-6 in its last seven outings. While the team has shown it can score points regardless of who is at quarterback, stopping the opposition has been the Lions’ undoing in the midst of a disappointing year.
Previous: . New York Jets. 27. team. 30. . 3-7
Recap: Off a seven-point win over the New York Giants, Adam Gase’s club faced an NFC opponent for the second straight Sunday as the team traveled to Washington to face the Redskins. And now make it two straight wins for the Green and White, who scored 34 points for the second straight week. There were a pair of turnovers but quarterback Sam Darnold overcame one interception on the afternoon and threw for 293 yards and four scores. The Jets’ defense held the ‘Skins to 54 yards on the ground and 225 total yards while sacking rookie signal-caller Dwayne Haskins six times. All told, each of the Jets’ three victories this season have come vs. the NFC East.
Next Week: The Green and White plays host to the Silver and Black for the first time since 2014 as these club clash for the fifth time in seven seasons. The last time these clubs met, the Jets came up short, 45-20, in the Bay Area two years ago. Worth noting that the home team has won the last five meetings in this series dating back to 2011.
Playoff hopes: The Jets continue to chase two teams in the AFC East and the fact that the club owns a 0-4 record within the division doesn’t bode well for a team that hasn’t shown that it is really capable of stringing some wins together in the conference. There have been some slight signs of progress but this is far from a dependable club.
Next: Nos. 26 and 25