Play.
The Lions won the first game of the season.
The Lions are down the Vikings as time expires. (0:32)
4:30 PM
The Cowboys got back on track against the Saints on Thursday night, and the rest of the week was dominated by theNFC powerhouses. Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes for the Bucs, while theCardinals enjoyed getting Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins back. The top spot in the conference was maintained by Arizona. The biggest news of the early window was the Lions' first win of the season, which came on a last-play touchdown pass.
The Colts' defense was impressive, shutting out the Texans and making a move in the South. TheChargers piled on points and forced a pair of turnovers against theBengals. The Eagles looked good in a win over the Jets, while the Dolphins got a win against the Giants.
The reporters of the NFL Nation are reacting to the questions. They look at the bigger picture with their current team confidence rating, which is a 0-10 grade of how they feel about each team's outlook coming out of the week. Let's get to it.
Jump to a match.
ARI-CHI.
The NYG-MIA is in India.
The Dallas-NO is called the PHI-NYJ.
Detroit 29, Minnesota 27.
The Lions.
Dan Campbell was finally able to celebrate after the last-second touchdown pass by the Rams. Detroit hadn't won a game in the regular season or preseason in nearly a full calendar year. The Lions took a 20-6 lead at the half, but the Vikings took a 27-23 lead with 1:45 left, but the Lions fought back with a 75-yard drive to win it. The Lions wouldn't need to win a moral victory on this day. Campbell dedicated a game ball to the Oxford, Michigan, community, where a shooting at Oxford High School claimed the lives of four students. The Lions wore helmet decals and T-shirts as a tribute to the victims.
Can the Lions build on this win? Yes, for sure. The Lions had plenty of moral victories this season, and it's easier to build off an actual win. Detroit played hard and kept teams close, but against a Vikings team fighting to stay in the playoffs, they found a way to win.
Woodyard's confidence rating went up from 2 to 3. The Lions got their first win, but it's not the right time to hold a parade in the Motor City. The team played their best game of the season on Sunday and still has a lot of holes. The win was needed.
The next game is at Broncos on Sunday. The time is later.
The Vikings are a team.
This loss felt inevitable, yet it was inexcusable. Minnesota did everything it could to keep the Lions in the game, but they were able to score on the final play of the game. The Vikings were in control of the game with 1:50 remaining, but lost it 14 plays later on a touchdown by the Rams. Minnesota did everything it could to lose this game, but it was a strange defensive game plan that let Goff off the hook from the very start. The game might have been different if Minnesota had gotten Jefferson involved earlier in the game. The Vikings brought their D-plus game to Detroit to beat a bad team.
Are the Vikings close to making changes to their staff? Is it possible that Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf want to change the direction of the franchise? The Vikings were embarrassed by a team with an 0-10-1 record, and one that had a 20-6 lead at halftime. Two questionable two-point play calls failed and the Wilfs saw passes sail well short of the sticks all day. The Lions finished 2-for-11 on third down. They saw the wrong game plans on offense and defense. The question is whether Minnesota's owners will make changes to their coaching staff or front office in December or the summer.
The confidence rating for Cronin was 4, down from 6. Pittsburgh is coming to town Thursday night. If the Vikings lost another game, they would fall to 5-8 and be out of the race for the No. 7 seed.
The next game is against the Steelers. The time is later.
The Atlanta 17 was defeated by the Tampa Bay 30.
The team is called the Buccaneers.
Tom Brady attempted 51 passes this season, which is a deviation from the run-first approach of the Bucs. Chris Godwin set a single-game franchise record with 15 catches, and the quarterback threw four touchdown passes. Two of Brady's first scores came on passes to Leonard Fournette and Cam Brate. The longest run play the Bucs have given up all season was taken on a pitch that was taken 39 yards by Cordarrelle Patterson. Mike Davis scored on the 17-yard run. The defense got five sacks, with two coming from Vita Vea.
How does Sunday's win affect the playoffs? The Packers were on a bye week, but they would win the tie-breaker because they have a better conference record. Only the top two seeds are guaranteed home-field advantage until the conference finals, with only the top seed getting a first-round bye. The scoring differential between home and road games is minus-2.33 this year, so the Bucs could benefit from playing at home.
Laine's confidence rating went up from 8 to 10. Even though the defense gave up a couple of big plays, the return of Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting, along with the five-sack performance, evokes more confidence in the defense.
The next game is against the Bills. The time is later.
Play.
Tom Brady threw two of his four touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski.
The Falcons.
The lack of a run game has been one of the biggest inconsistencies this season for the Falcons. Progress would be stifled the next week. Atlanta seems to have found more consistency on the ground with the season coming to a close. A lot of that is due to the fact that the team's main back is Cordarrelle Patterson, who had 78 yards on 13 carries. Mike Davis, who was expected to be the Falcons' No. 1 back, has found a secondary role and had three rushes for 29 yards. It was one thing when Atlanta ran well against Jacksonville. The Falcons were able to do it against the best run defense in the league. This was the first time in a long time that the Falcons have rushed for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games.
How can the Falcons limit the pressure on Matt Ryan? Matt Ryan has been sacked 10 times in the past three weeks, including a season-worst five Sunday, but the overall season numbers don't look bad. The majority of those came from the interior of the offensive line. The rotation of center between Matt Hennessy and Drew Dalman is because of the issues on the offensive line. Dalman had a pair of snaps that went awry, including one at the goal line in the first half that helped stall a drive and led to a field goal. This team has given up at least one sack in every game but one this season, and has struggled to protect Ryan, who has taken at least one sack in four of the last five years.
There was no change in the confidence rating. The Falcons team that played decent but didn't have enough to win is what happened.
The next game is at the Carolinas on Sunday. The time is later.
The L.A. Chargers defeated the Cincinnati Reds.
They call them the Chargers.
Sometimes a team with the fewest mistakes wins the game, other times it's a team with a lot of mistakes who recovers best. That's what happened on Sunday. It was the first time in over a year that the Los Angeles Clippers turned it over on three straight drives. Austin Ekeler had his first career game. The quarterback was sacked four times. Joey Bosa was injured with a head injury. The game was still won by the Chargers.
Here's how the playoffs looks at the moment and what might happen in the future.
Who is currently in the playoffs?
The Playoff Machine is a program on the ESPYS.
The Football Power Index is a measure of standings.
How did they do it? Campbell recovered a rare Joe Mixon fumbled and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown to help turn a two-point game into a two-possession game.
Smith's confidence rating went up. They came into this stadium and won, which may have huge playoff implications.
The next game is against the Giants. The time is later.
The Cincinnati Bengals.
The opportunity to build some serious momentum in its playoff push was wasted in a loss to the Chargers. The opportunity to win three straight games was acknowledged by the coach earlier in the week. The injury-depleted roster came close to digging out of a 24 point hole, but Cincinnati couldn't cobble together a three game win streak.
Is the Bengals going to be healthy enough to make the playoffs? Cincinnati was one of the healthiest teams in the league. Chidobe Awozie and Logan Wilson were both knocked out of the game. Joe Burrow injured his pinkie. Those are key positions that will have big implications. Cincinnati can't afford to have Burrow go down or be hampered the rest of the way.
The baby's confidence rating is down. The injury problems of Cincinnati are more concerning than the loss that hurts the playoffs.
The next game is against the 49ers. The time is later.
Arizona 33, Chicago 22.
They are the Cardinals.
Kyler Murray is back. After missing three games with a high left ankle injury, the quarterback looked like he had been there before in Sunday's game against the Bears. There were a few things that the Cards needed to clean up in their win in Chicago, but Sunday was the best they've looked after a bye this season.
The No. 1 seed will have to answer what will stand between them. Not much. The team and coaching staff have taken significant strides over the past two seasons, and the win over the Bears shows that. That will bode well, and likely prevent a meltdown down the stretch, as Murray looked like the Murray of old in his return. The Rams and Cowboys are the most difficult games on Arizona's remaining schedule. Arizona is playing like a team in line for the top seed in the playoffs, which means home field advantage until the Super Bowl.
Weinfuss' confidence rating went up. There were some small issues coming off the bye that Arizona needs to clean up before getting into the thick of the home stretch, but an improvement was justified because of the win.
The next game is against the Rams. The time is later.
Play.
The ball was snared by James and he got into the end zone with his left hand.
The Bears.
The Bears quarterback had a rough day, thanks in part to him, his receivers and the defense of the Cards. In Sunday's loss, he threw four picks up, tying his career high. One was for sure the fault of the quarterback, two went off the hands of his teammates and the other was an incredible play by the defensive lineman. The Bears were too large of a deficit to overcome, as a result of the 23 Arizona points that were led by the picks of Dalton.
How many games could the Bears win? The Bears could win three more games, with two against the Vikings, one against the Packers, and one against the Giants remaining on the schedule. The Bears would end the season at 7-10 if they could finish that stretch. Would that be good enough for Nagy to keep his job?
There was no change in the confidence rating from last week. The Bears played well. They challenged the best team in the league for most of the game.
The next game is at the Packers. The time is later.
Philadelphia 33, New York Jets 18.
The Eagles.
The performance of quarterback Gardner Minshew is going to create quite a stir in Philadelphia. He was 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 Minshew was in control and maneuvered well. With a bye coming up, there will be debate over whether he has earned another start. The expectation is that Hurts will get his job back once he heals his ankle. The sports-talk phone lines will burn up.
McShay's rankings are: Kiper's is:
The first mock draft of the future by Reid.
The draft order is Who's No. 1?
More coverage and full rankings.
Are the Eagles back in the playoffs? Goedert set a career high with 105 receiving yards and had his first multi-touchdown game as a pro, while Sanders finished with 144 total yards. It's encouraging, but it's fair to wonder how much of Goedert's career day was tied to Minshew. The ankle appeared to be injured down the stretch. The Eagles' playoff chances went from 25% to 30% after the win. They'll be in the mix the rest of the way with one of the easiest closing schedules.
McManus' confidence rating went up. Let's not get carried away because it was the Jets. The Eagles should win more than they lose the rest of the way.
The next game is against Washington. The time is later.
The Jets.
Wilson led touchdown drives on the Jets' first three possessions, overcoming his first-half demons. Wilson had a fourth-quarter pick on an overthrow, but perspective is important. Wilson, the key to the franchise's future, took a couple of baby steps. He wasn't afraid in the first quarter. He had a knee injury last week, but there was no residual effects. Wilson ran for another touchdown and threw two short ones. Why was this so important? Wilson had the lowest first-quarter QBR since 2000. He played well enough to beat the Eagles, but his defense was terrible.
Was the Jets' defense surprised by Minshew? It looked like it. The Jets looked unprepared for Minshew and the Eagles' passing attack. The Jets were prepared for Hurts, who was scratched due to an ankle injury. The Eagles scored on their first seven possessions and they failed to adjust. Minshew was nearly flawless. Everyone knows the Jets are talent deficient, but there was no excuse for this. The coaching staff expected one thing and got another.
Cimini's confidence rating was 2.5, down from 4. The Jets have had six consecutive losing seasons and have had three different head coaches. When does it stop?
The next game is against the Saints. The time is later.
Indianapolis 31, Houston 0.
The Colts.
It wasn't pretty but the Colts did what they were supposed to do and beat the Texans. The Colts reached their bye week with a relatively healthy team and are now at.500. They will have two weeks to prepare for the most pivotal stretch of their season with back-to-back games against New England and Arizona, teams that are likely headed to the playoffs, awaiting them on the other side of the bye. The Colts need to win three of their final four games to make the playoffs. Three of the four opponents had a winning record. The Buffalo team has a winning record this season.
Is Jonathan Taylor capable of 2,000 yards rushing? Not likely. Taylor has over 1,300 rushing yards with four games left in the season. He will need to average 163 yards over the final four games to become the seventh running back to reach that milestone. In 13 games this season, Taylor has topped 163 yards rushing twice.
The confidence rating for Wells was unchanged from last week. The Colts were supposed to beat the Texans, but they didn't because they weren't a good team.
The next game is against the Pats. The time is later.
Play.
Jonathan Taylor took the ball in for his second short-yardage touchdown of the game after the ball was handed off to him.
Texans.
Quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills have struggled, but the Texans haven't put them in a position to succeed. Taylor played well in Houston's first two games before he injured his left hamstring, but he hasn't been effective since. He has been unable to protect the football, but he has had to play with poor protection and without impact players beyond wide receiver Brandin Cooks. It has been clear all season that the Texans lack the talent to compete with the best in the NFL, but Sunday showed once again that they are not just a quarterback away from winning in the NFL.
Is it time to leave Mills? David Culley said last week that Mills would only play if something happened to Tyrod. The team said that Culley decided to play Mills instead of Taylor after he was evaluated in the medical tent. Culley has said that when Taylor is healthy, the Texans have the best chance to win. There is a chance that Mills is in Houston's plans for the future. It would make sense to get another look at Mills before the Texans make a decision about the quarterback position.
Barshop's confidence rating was down. The Texans opened the season with a win and a loss this week drives the confidence rating down even further.
The next game is against the Seahawks. The time is later.
The Miami Hurricanes defeated the New York Giants 20-9.
The Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa will have a lot of attempts and short, quick passes until the Dolphins develop a more consistent run game. The second-year quarterback completed 30 of 41 passes for a total of 244 yards and two touchdown. He connected on 21 of 24 passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and completed 5 of 12 passes beyond 10 yards. Tagovailoa's numbers would have looked better if the Dolphins had not dropped a few passes. You can't disagree with the results. He put up big numbers in both Week 5 and Week 6 so don't expect it to change as long as this system continues to work.
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Can the Dolphins win? The goal was to get to.500 by the time Miami traveled to New Orleans in Week 16. It is possible that the Dolphins' winning streak lasts through the end of the regular season, as the Saints and Tennessee are looking vulnerable. They are peaking at the right time. If they lost seven of their first eight games, we would call them the hottest team in the league.
Louis-Jacques' confidence rating increased from 8 to 10. If Miami loses to the Jets in Week 15 it will have some explaining to do, as the defense is too good and the offense has been more efficient.
The next game is against the Jets. The time is later.
The Giants.
It doesn't matter who is the quarterback. The Giants' offense is hard to watch. It is borderline incompetent. The offensive line's struggles, the missed throws by quarterback Mike Glennon, and the key drops and communication issues all came from the offensive line. All ugly. A unit that averaged 18.4 points per game could have played for days before hitting that number. The Giants had nine points and 250 yards.
The playoffs are not even a realistic dream scenario. It's time to think about the future. They will get a new general manager in the building. What about the quarterback and coach? The Giants would like to see more from Jones. Even if he does come back from his neck injury, what can he do behind the offense line and with the skill positions empty? Saquon has something to prove. He looks like a shell of himself.
The confidence rating of Raanan was 3.4, down from 4. The Giants are not like the Dolphins. That isn't good.
The next game is at the Chargers on Sunday. The time is later.
Dallas 27, New Orleans 17.
The Cowboys.
The Cowboys needed a win over the Saints to get back on track. Style points did not matter. The Cowboys didn't have a head coach. They had two players and no other coaches. They lost two in a row and three in a row, but still responded. Mike McCarthy was watching from Texas. It wasn't pretty, but the Cowboys improved to 8-4 and extended their lead in theNFC East and kept up the possibility of earning home-field advantage and one of the top three spots in the playoffs.
Is the Cowboys back? The Saints have lost five straight games. This can help build confidence in the Cowboys ability to deal with adversity. The Cowboys have won games this season without McCarthy. They are getting players back from injury, and they are also getting players up to speed on the COVID-19 list. They have young players carrying the load. The Cowboys are in a good position to make a run at the playoffs. If they want to go far, they have to get hot now.
The confidence rating of Archer was up from 7.9 to 8.4. They couldn't run the ball well and it seemed that the quarterback forced some plays, but it was a win. That was all that mattered on Thursday.
The next game is at Washington on Sunday. The time is later.
The Saints.
For a moment, it looked like the Saints might be able to get some life into their offense. When he had to play catchup, he had three of his four picks in the fourth quarter. If stars like Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk return against the Jets in Week 14, the Saints might find new life. They've lost five straight in a season for the first time under Sean Payton.
Will the Saints stick with Hill at quarterback? His foot and finger injuries are not life threatening. Hill's performance is not sugarcoated. He was off target on some passes before he started pressing. If he can start throwing with more accuracy, he can offer some needed juice. He played with a lot of heart and guts. We didn't help him in the first half.
Triplett's confidence rating was 4.1, down from 4.5. Since the Saints should be more competitive next week, there will be a smaller dip. Their playoff chances have plummeted since Week 8.
The next game is at the Jets on Sunday. The time is later.
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