There was the rescheduling of numerous games. It was a rough few days for a bunch of division leaders, hence numerous changes to the NFL Power Rankings.
It will wind up being a week in which games will be played on five different days. By the time you get around to get reading this, there will still be four contests on tap – a pair of Monday and two more on Tuesday.
As for the clubs that took the field on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, a few of them were at or near the top of the NFL Power Rankings. It’s safe to say that some shuffling has gone on.
Darrell Bevell is the team’s interim head coach after the organization opted to part ways with controversial Urban Meyer after 13 games. The team hosted the rival Texans in a clash of 2-11 teams.
And the Jaguars would drop their sixth consecutive game as rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked three times and the Jacksonville offense totaled only 296 yards and one touchdown. The Jaguars also dropped to 0-5 within the division this year.
The last time the franchise reached the playoffs was 2016. Now the Giants have lost at least 10 games for the fifth consecutive game after a sloppy loss to the NFC East-leading Cowboys.
Mike Glennon was back behind center for Joe Judge’s club and he had his issues. He threw for only 99 yards, was picked off three times and the team never found the end zone all day. The Giants sacked Dak Prescott three times but also gave up 125 yards on the ground.
The team with the second-worst defense in the league in terms of yards allowed and one that allowed the most points in the NFL looked to cool off the rejuvenated Miami Dolphins. Robert Saleh’s squad jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead and by game’s end turned over Miami three times – including a pick six of Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins’ defense kept the Jets’ offensive unit in check (228 total yards) and sacked Zach Wilson six times.
The Texans began the season with a win over the Jaguars, meaning the club was in position to sweep their AFC South rival for the fourth consecutive year. Rookie Davis Mills committed the only turnover of the game via an interception.
But he also threw for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both scores to wide receiver Brandin Cooks. He finished with seven catches for 102 yards. All three of Houston’s win this season are within the division.
It was a reunion of sorts for the Panthers as they clashed with one-time defensive coordinator Sean McDermott and the Bills. Quarterback Cam Newton also knew what he was dealing with in Buffalo’s defense and he had his issues. He ran for 71 yards and one score.
But he completed only 18 of his 38 throws for 156 yards, was sacked four times and fumbled twice (none lost). He also served up an interception as Matt Rhule’s team was rolled again.
The Lions hosted the Cardinals looking to hand the NFC West leaders their first road loss of 2021. Dan Campbell’s club came up with its best performance of the season and made it look easy.
Quarterback Jared Goff’s familiarity with the Arizona defense was certainly a factor. He finished the afternoon throwing for 216 yards and three scores. Craig Reynolds ran 26 times for 112 yards while the Detroit defense frustrated Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray.
Originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, the Silver and Black’s encounter with the Browns at Cleveland was postponed until Monday afternoon. The Raiders were hoping to get back on track after dropping their last two games.
All told, Las Vegas owned a 1-5 mark in their last six outings after opening the season with five wins in their first seven outings. And once again, a shaky Raiders’ defense is in the midst of another fade late in the season.
Bears’ head coach Matt Nagy has had his share of success against the rival Vikings. The team owns a 5-1 mark vs. Minnesota dating back to his hiring in 2018. Unfortunately for the team’s current sideline leader, he is in the midst of his first losing campaign with the franchise.
The Bears have really yet to play a complete game this season, rookie quarterback Justin Fields has suffered through growing pains and the Chicago defense has disappointed.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 19: Kyle Pitts #8 of the Atlanta Falcons completes a catch over Ambry Thomas #20 of the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of the game at Levi’s Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Falcons made their way to San Francisco for the second time in three years. Arthur Smith’s team would squander an early opportunity but still owned a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. And the game was tied at 10-all with four minutes to go before halftime.
But it was mainly all Niners the rest of the way. Quarterback Matt Ryan was under duress throughout the afternoon, was sacked three times and took his share of hits.
The Purple Gang was looking to get to the .500 mark on the season and had some extra time to prepare for its first clash of the season with the rival Bears. But this has not been a good match-up for the Vikings as of late as the team has dropped five of its last six meetings with their longtime divisional adversary.
Green Bay clinched the NFC North title on Sunday so it’s the wild card route for Kirk Cousins and company. Can they put it all together?
A downer in the Pacific Northwest. It’s been a long year for a team that’s used to being in the playoff chase. But the Seahawks have won their last two games and are still in the postseason mix (barely).
Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense has had its issues and he and backup Geno Smith have been sacked a combined 39 times. After 14 weeks of play, no team in the NFL has allowed more total yards and more passing yards than Carroll’s club.
The perplexing Broncos took a 7-6 record into a key clash with the Bengals and a win could have gone a long way towards reaching the playoffs in the congested AFC. But Vic Fangio’s club managed just 10 points and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of the game in the second half.
Enter Drew Lock, who would throw a 25-yard TD pass to Tim Patrick in the third quarter to give Denver a brief 10-9 lead. But the Broncos never scored again.
A 2-5 start has morphed into four wins in their last six games. Nick Sirianni’s squad is one game under .500 but the Eagles have scored more points (337) than they have allowed (291). Second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts has been resourceful and rookie wideout Devonta Smith has enjoyed some big moments.
These Birds have laid a few eggs this season but the defense has been a pleasant surprise. And a win over Washington would be a big step forward.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would lead the Saints into Tampa on Sunday night as head coach Sean Payton was out (COVID-19). The team owned a 6-0 lead at halftime and had sacked Tom Brady three times before intermission.
New Orleans finished the game with only 212 total yards but they never allowed the NFC South leaders to sniff the end zone. And the Saints are now back at the .500 mark via a pair of consecutive victories.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 19: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine #15 of the Tennessee Titans is stopped on fourth down by Joe Haden #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth quarter to end the game at Heinz Field on December 19, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Mike Tomlin’s team had a little extra time to prepare for the first-place Titans. But the Steelers trailed 13-3 after two quarters. But Keith Butler’s defensive unit pitched a shutout in the second half while Pittsburgh came up with 16 unanswered points – including a one-yard TD sneak by Ben Roethlisberger.
Tomlin’s offense totaled only 168 total yards. But the Steelers came up with four takeaways and a crucial fourth-down stop in the closing seconds.
The Dolphins not only had a chance to complete another season sweep of the rival Jets, Brian Flores’ team could make it six wins in a row and reach the .500 mark. Miami was limited at running back but got a huge outing from veteran Duke Johnson.
He carried 22 times for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The ‘Fins overcame a 10-0 first-quarter deficit, as well as three turnovers (including 2 interceptions by Tua Tagovailoa) to even their record in ’21.
The last time the Browns were on the field, they were busy holding on for a two-point victory over the rival Ravens. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak to Baltimore and evened the team’s divisional record at 2-2.
Scoring points has been a problem for Kevin Stefanski’s team as of late and a porous Raiders’ defense could be just what the doctor ordered. Originally slated for Saturday evening, the Browns will host Las Vegas on Monday night.
Ron Rivera’s club comes off a 27-20 home loss to the Cowboys and wound up getting a few extra days to prepare for a trip to the City of Brotherly Love. For the first time in 2021, Washington clashes with the Eagles – a team Rivera’s squad swept a year ago.
Of course, the Football Team is in the midst of a five-game stretch where they face only their NFC East rivals. The challenge on Tuesday will be stopping the league’s top-ranked running game.
Thanks to a win at Kansas City in Week 3, the Bolts were in position to sweep the Chiefs for the first time since 2013. Justin Herbert threw for 236 yards and two scores (1 interception) and also ran for a touchdowns.
The Bolts also gashed the Chiefs’ defense for 192 yards on the ground. But Brandon Staley’s team was 2-of-5 on fourth-down and left points on the field. And his defense had no answers for Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter and OT.
The team allowing the second-most passing yards in the league hosted Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Tyler Huntley would make his second start as Lamar Jackson was nursing an ankle injury. He threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes and Baltimore owned a 14-7 second-quarter lead.
But Green Bay would eventually own a 31-17 advantage. The Ravens would narrow the gap to one point but a failed two-point conversion again led to defeat.
The Niners looked to make it six wins in their last eight games as they hosted the Falcons. The team fumbled away the opening kickoff but kept Atlanta off the scoreboard. After the teams were tied at 10-10 late in the second quarter, Kyle Shanahan’s team outscored their guests a combined 21-3 the rest of the way.
Jeffery Wilson rushed for 110 yards and one TD, wideout Deebo Samuel ran for another score and Jimmy Garoppolo was not sacked.
The reeling Bills welcomed the struggling Panthers to Orchard Park. Josh Allen and the offense got off to a slow start but the team woke up in the second quarter and took a 17-8 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Allen finished the day with 210 yards and three scores though the air (1 interception) and was sacked four times and fumbled once (not lost). The Buffalo defense sacked Cam Newton four times as the Bills ended a two-game skid.
Off two straight losses, both at home, the Bengals traveled west to take on the Broncos. Zac Taylor’s club was limited to 249 total yards and reached the end zone only once. But that one touchdown was a 56-yard connection from Joe Burrow to Tyler Boyd late in the third quarter and completed the scoring in the game.
The Cincinnati pass rush was at it again as the team came up with three more sacks and held the Broncos to just 292 total yards.
It was a Sunday night clash at Tampa as the Saints and Buccaneers renewed acquaintances for the fifth time since last season. Bruce Arians’ team was blanked in the first half and managed only 124 total yards.
Tom Brady was sacked three times in the first two quarters. And things didn’t get any better after intermission as the Bucs were blanked for all 60 minutes. Brady finished the night with a pair of turnovers and not a single point in a stunning home loss. How revealing it ends up being as far as exposure on how to trounce the Super Bowl champs in the playoffs remains yet to be seen.
Could Frank Reich’s club cool off a Patriots’ team that entered this Saturday night clash with a seven-game winning streak? The answer was yes and once again, running back Jonathan Taylor proved to be the main factor.
He would finish the evening with 29 carries for 170 yards, 67 of those coming on a touchdown run with 2:01 to play. This after Indianapolis owned a 20-0 third-quarter lead and then watched the Pats narrow the deficit to three points.
The Titans headed north to the Steel City for the first time since 2017 and took on the Steelers for the second consecutive year. Last season, Pittsburgh visited Nashville and came away with a 27-24 win.
Things looked good early for the AFC South leaders as they owned a 10-point lead at intermission. But Mike Vrabel’s team finished the afternoon with four turnovers and was blanked in the second half. The defense allowed only 168 total yards.
The leaders in the AFC East took their seven-game winning streak to Indianapolis for a Saturday night clash with the Colts.
But Bill Belichick’s team was pushed around for roughly three quarters and fell behind 20-0. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones would eventually warm up and throw for 299 yards and two scores but also served up a pair of early interceptions. Bill Belichick’s defense allowed 226 yards rushing – 170 to red-hot Jonathan Taylor.
The team came up with a huge 30-23 victory at Arizona last Monday night. And with the Cardinals losing at Detroit on Sunday, the Rams suddenly find themselves in position to tie for the NFC West lead.
Matthew Stafford and the offense was effective in the seven-point victory. But it was Aaron Donald and the defensive front of Sean McVay’s team that proved to be the difference. And the Rams have harassed Seattle’s Russell Wilson throughout his career.
Kliff Kingsbury’s squad headed to Detroit looking to remain unbeaten away from home. More importantly, the Cardinals could clinch a playoff spot with a victory. But the NFC West leaders were down 17-0 at halftime.
The Cards finished with 398 total yards but the team didn’t reach the end zone until there was 4:40 remaining in the game. Kyler Murray threw for 257 yards, one score and an interception. But he complete only 23-of-41 passes.
Mike McCarthy’s team faced another NFC East rival on the road on Sunday. And the Cowboys looked to remain undefeated in the division as they traveled to MetLife Stadium hoping to complete a sweep of the Giants.
Once again, Dak Prescott wasn’t super sharp. He threw for 217 yards and one score but was sacked three times and lost a fumble. But the improving Dallas’ defense forced four more turnovers, including three picks of Mike Glennon.
The Chiefs took their six-game winning streak to Los Angeles for a Thursday night clash with the Chargers. Kansas City had given up just 65 points in their last half-dozen outings but had few answers for Justin Herbert. Andy Reid’s team trailed by seven points with 2:19 to play.
But Patrick Mahomes overcame two turnovers to throw for 410 yards and three scores. Travis Kelce finished with 10 catches for 191 yards and two TDs, the second in overtime.
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Aaron Rodgers and company made their way to Baltimore. A victory would wrap up their third straight NFC North title. Matt LaFleur’s squad trailed 14-7 in the second quarter before Rodgers threw the first of his three TD passes.
He finished the game with 268 yards through the air and the Pack owned a 31-17 lead with 9:26 to play. The Ravens responded with two touchdowns but missed on a two-point conversion try with less than a minute to play.