Play.
Darrel Williams dives in for a touchdown.
Patrick Mahomes connects with a wide open Darrel Williams for a touchdown. There is a time and a place.
4:30 PM
In the first week of the season, the Chiefs defeated the Raiders 48-9, with Patrick Mahomes throwing for four scores. The Seahawks' offense got a spark in the form of running back Rashad Penny and they scored 33 points on the Texans. The Saints beat the Jets by three points.
Baltimore lost to Cleveland despite a late push to make it close, as quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered an ankle injury. The Dallas defense made big plays to help it narrowly beat Washington and bring a division title a little closer. The Vikings held on to beat the Steelers and keep their playoff hopes alive, despite the fact that the game was closer late in the fourth quarter.
The reporters of the NFL Nation are reacting to the questions. They look at the bigger picture with their current team confidence rating, a 0-10 grade of how they feel about a team's outlook coming out of the week. Let's get to it.
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Dallas 27, Washington 20
The Cowboys.
The Cowboys were going to win against the Washington Football Team. He never imagined it would be this way. The Cowboys were up 27-8 at the end of the third quarter and 24-7 at the beginning of the fourth, but they were able to hold on for a 27-20 victory. A stagnant offense nearly let down a dominating defense. The quarterback was picked off twice, one of which was returned for a touchdown to cut the game to one score. Left tackle Tyron Smith and right tackle La'el Collins were both injured and ejected from the game. The defense had to keep going. Randy Gregory's sack and forced turnover of WFT quarterback Kyle Allen with 2:24 to play was as important as Gregory's first-quarter pick of Taylor Heinicke that turned into a Cowboys touchdown. The sack/fumble of Heinicke was led by Linebacker Micah Parsons. The Cowboys have 27 turnovers on the season, which is second in the NFL. The Cowboys are in a good position to win the division with four games to play, but they might not be as convincing as they would like.
Can the Cowboys be a contender with this offense? The running game was better but not as exciting as it could have been with Tony Pollard missing. The case could be made that three other passes could have been picked. There is no rhythm to the unit going on for more than a month. They scored one touchdown on six red zone trips, and that was one part of the offense that remained good during this lull. The Cowboys have four games left. If they want to be taken seriously, it has to happen quickly.
The confidence rating of Archer was 8.7, up from 8.4. If the offense had a decent day, it could have bumped up to 9.0. The offense needs to function at a high level, even though the defense is playing at a higher level than anyone could have expected. The Cowboys are good enough to win the division.
The next game is at the Giants on Sunday. The time is later.
Washington.
Washington's defense made the game interesting late. It's a solid unit that plays well and gives the team a chance. Washington's offensive flaws were exposed. The unit lacks the strength to win with a strong rushing attack. Taylor Heinicke left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury after playing his worst game. He was off target multiple times. Washington will remember this game when it ponders its quarterback situation. During the four-game win streak, Heinicke played well, but Sunday wasn't all about him. Heinicke has played better, but Washington needs a strong run game to maximize him.
Is Washington also banged up? The team has been banged up for a while, but it's gotten worse, and now it's worth wondering what it has left for the final four games. Terry McLaurin left the game with a concussion. J.D. McKissic missed the last two games because of a concussion. The team is without their top three centers. The top three healthy defensive ends missed the game. It's possible that James Smith-Williams andCasey Toohill will return next week. Washington's ability to bounce back has been a key factor in its return to the playoffs. It still has a spot in the playoffs. It can't afford many others to get hurt, so it will need some players back.
Keim's confidence rating was down. It's not about anything other than health at this point with Washington, and it keeps losing key players. At some point, the attrition makes a big difference.
The next game is at the Eagles. The time is later.
Seattle 33, Houston 13.
The Seahawks.
The case for the lead running back for the rest of the season was made by Rashaad Penny, if he can stay healthy. In the best performance of his career,Penny ripped off touchdown runs of 32 and 47 yards. Even though Alex Collins was back from his one-game absence, he started and led Seattle's running backs with 17 touches. One of the most regrettable personnel decisions the Seahawks have made under coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider has been to pickPenny 27th overall over Nick Chubb. Last week, he had 62 yards on 11 touches. If he can stay healthy, he's starting to look like their best back.
Is Russell Wilson back? Wilson is starting to look like himself as opposed to the version who struggled with accuracy and made a few bad decisions after finger surgery. He missed a throw that was behind the goal line, and another that was behind the goal line. His first three games back were nothing like that. Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett on some vintage plays, including a 55 yard moon ball for the first of his two touchdown passes. His decision making was good and he often took what was there as opposed to forcing deep throws. Even though their playoff chances are still slim, the best reason to think the Seahawks can make something of their final four games is if Wilson is back. They were at 2.1% entering Sunday.
Henderson's confidence rating increased from 3 to 3.4. Beating up on a two-win team doesn't tell us much, but another solid performance from Wilson andPenny is worth something.
The next game is at Rams. The time is later.
Play.
After finding daylight and turning on the jets for a second touchdown of the game, RashaadPenny was able to score his third touchdown of the game.
Texans.
Quarterback Davis Mills may be an improvement over Tyrod Taylor, but the Texans' offense still isn't good enough. Mills completed his first 14 pass attempts against the Seahawks, the most consecutive passes completed to start a game by a rookies since 1991, and the most by any player in Texans history. The Texans did not score in the second half after Mills completed 19 of his next 35 passes. Ka'imi Fairbairn set a franchise record with a 61-yard field goal in the first half. His previous longest was 55 yards.
What does this mean for the Texans' options at running back? The Texans' running game took a hit on Sunday after Rex Burkhead left the game with a groin injury. Houston's only healthy running back was Royce Freeman, after David Johnson was added to the COVID-19 list on Sunday morning. The team averaged 2.5 yards per rush with the 15 yards on 11 carries that Freeman ran for. The Texans will have to find another option to add to the group that ranks last in Football Outsiders' DVOA if the injury to Burkhead keeps him out of Sunday's game in Jacksonville.
Barshop's confidence rating was down. The Texans lost by 20 points against a team that came into the game with four wins.
The next game is at the Jags on Sunday. The time is later.
Baltimore 22, Cleveland 24.
They are called the Browns.
The up-and-down Browns jumped back into the race for the division title with a ragged victory over the Ravens. The first three quarters were dominated by the Browns. The defense of Cleveland came through with a stop on the final fourth-down play. Cleveland is only one game behind the Ravens in the race for the playoffs.
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Will the offense turn the corner? Cleveland has scored 17 points only once. The Ravens were able to hang around without Lamar Jackson because the Browns failed to top 17 points again. Coming off a week of rest, quarterback Baker Mayfield was sharper, and the Browns had some moments on offense. Cleveland's playoff push seems primed to fall short unless this offense can reach another level.
Trotter's confidence rating went up. The war of attrition is starting to favor the Cleveland team.
The next game is against the Raiders. The time is later.
The Ravens.
Tyler Huntley isn't Lamar Jackson, but he doesn't flinch. It would have been easy for the Ravens to fold when Jackson left. Huntley threw for 270 yards and ran for 45 yards. Baltimore scored over 20 points for the first time in over a month.
Is the Ravens' season over? The severity of Jackson's ankle injury was unknown by the end of the game, and Baltimore still has a good chance of winning the division. The Ravens will have a hard time winning games the rest of the season if Jackson is out for a period of time. The Baltimore Ravens face a tough end-of-season schedule with games at home against the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens have been over the top all season despite having 23 players on injured reserve. The Ravens had the top seed in the playoffs. It's hard to see Baltimore making a run to the playoffs without Jackson.
His confidence rating was down from 7.5. The Ravens need at least two more victories to make the playoffs. Baltimore might be favored in only one of its remaining four games.
The next game is against the Packers. The time is later.
The New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Jets.
The Saints.
Thank goodness for him. The Saints running back returned from a four-game absence to provide some desperately needed juice with 145 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The passing offense was not great, but the defense was great as New Orleans stopped a five-game losing streak. The Saints will face an enormous challenge next Sunday night at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but could be favored in their final three games.
How tight is Taysom Hill's grip on the job? It probably didn't get any tighter or looser Sunday, even though he did put a nice exclamation point on the victory with his 44-yard touchdown run in the final minutes. Hill, who is playing through a mallet finger injury on his right throwing hand, was good enough as a passer in this game, completing 15 of 21 passes for 175 yards with zero turnovers. It was a fairly dull performance against the worst defense. The Saints will need more of a spark down the stretch.
Triplett's confidence rating increased from 4.1 to 4.5. The passing offense is a concern, but the Saints are getting better. They should have their full starting 11 back on defense by next week. Don't sleep on how good that unit is.
The next game is Sunday at 8:20 p.m. The time is later.
Play.
The Saints ended a five-game losing streak with a 30-9 victory over the Jets.
The Jets.
The up-and-down rookies season went in the wrong direction in Sunday's 30-9 loss to the Saints. He was not good. He completed only 19 of 42 passes for 202 yards. He only had 86 yards after three quarters. The irony? He had his first complete game without an intercept. The Jets wanted to see the No. 2 overall pick build on last week's encouraging performance, but he was out of sync from start to finish. He didn't complete a pass to a starting outside wide receiver for the first 55 minutes. One of them was benched because of dumb penalties. Wilson was surrounded by backups at every skill position because of injuries. The Jets' leading players were out. The game could have been called "The Replacements". Ty Johnson dropped three passes in the first quarter. Wilson didn't get much help. Transcendent players can rise above that. Wilson isn't close to being that kind of player.
Is the Jets close to being a playoff team? Yes, technically. Aastic pause. The Jets were eliminated. The first team in 2020 to meet that fate was eliminated a year ago. That's progress, right? Enough jokes. The longest active slump in the league is tied for the longest in the history of the Jets. They didn't make the playoffs in their post-Super Bowl years. This is worse because of the era of parity, with free agency and quick fixes. There are no quick fixes for the Jets.
Cimini's confidence rating was 2, down from 2.5. The longest active streak in the league was extended by the Jets. It's as bad as it's ever been.
The next game is at the Dolphins on Sunday. The time is later.
Kansas City 48, Las Vegas 9.
The Chiefs.
The perfect way to prepare for their biggest game of the season was by blowing out the Raiders. They had a relatively stress-free game going into Thursday night's game against the Bolts. The Chiefs were able to get many of their key players out of the game before it ended. It should allow them to be as rested as possible. The win over the Raiders was the sixth in a row for the Chiefs.
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Can the Chiefs get the top seed in the playoffs? They will play like they did against the Raiders. The offense came to life as the defense continued to control the game. The bigger question is if they would get the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs would need at least one loss by the two teams to happen.
Teicher's confidence rating went up from 8 to 10. Even if it was against the Raiders, a win like that doesn't affect the confidence level.
The next game is at the Chargers. The time is later.
The Raiders.
That's over. Las Vegas has not been the same since the bye week, so let's be clear: the Raiders are still alive in the playoffs. The Raiders fell 48-9 in a game that they were behind by 35 points at halftime. The Raiders became the first team to lose four turnovers in a game this season, and one of them was returned for a touchdown by Josh Jacobs. The Raiders have nothing left to play for, and based on how little they showed against the Chiefs, not even that is a sure thing.
Did anyone on the Raiders' roster show up? Yes, Hunter Renfrow. The most humble Raider had the biggest day with tight endDarren Waller missing his second straight game since suffering back and knee injuries on Thanksgiving. Renfrow had a career-best 13 catches.
The confidence rating for Gutierrez was 3.5, down from 5.5. The Raiders' 42-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was their worst loss in the rivalry, and a complete change is in the works.
The next game is at the Browns on Saturday. The time is later.
Atlanta 29, Carolina 21.
The Falcons.
The Falcons wanted to be playing meaningful football in December, and here in Charlotte, in the middle of the month, was a chance to do that. Atlanta would remain in the conversation for a playoff spot if it won. It would make more sense to play more for 2022. The Falcons did what they have done best this season: They won on the road, which gave them a chance to make the playoffs, and in doing so, ensured they'll at least get through December playing games that will give them a chance. Next week, the Falcons head to San Francisco. Today's win gave us another chance to move closer to a long-shot playoff spot.
Is the Falcons' run game legit? You can say yes at this point. Atlanta has topped 100 yards rushing in three straight games for the first time since the end of the year, and they are led by Cordarrelle Patterson. The Falcons showed a balance in their run game. Mike Davis has looked like the back the team signed him to be over the past two weeks. Qadree Ollison found a role with limited carries, after finally being signed to the 53-man roster Saturday. The three have become what Falcons head coach Arthur Smith has been looking for, a multi-pronged rushing attack that can cause stress.
The confidence rating of Rothstein was 4, up from 3.6. Atlanta is still a possibility for the playoffs despite a loss earlier this season.
The next game is at 49ers. The time is later.
Play.
The Saints ended a five-game losing streak with a 30-9 victory over the Jets.
The panthers.
Carolina isn't a playoff team and the quarterback for the future isn't CamNewton. The talent isn't there in theNFC and the panthers are in the discussion for the playoffs. Newton was a great feel-good story for a week, but he's 0-3 as the starter and has lost 11 straight with the Carolinas. The talent around him is not good. At 32, DavidNewton can't carry a team anymore.
Is Matt Rhule on the hot seat? It's not good for job security to have three straight losses and two wins in the past 10. Rhule tried to fix one problem, but the problem continued for the rest of the season. Rhule might be on a short leash with owner David Tepper if the Panthers lose out and finish with a 5-12 record. The team needed to show improvement.
The confidence rating forNewton was 3.8, down from 4.4. The team has only won twice in 10 games and the schedule isn't good for that.
The next game is at the Bills. The time is later.
Tennessee 20, Jacksonville 0.
They are the TITANS.
It was no coincidence that the Titans won the game because they got back to the positive side in the turnover column. The defense picked off Lawrence four times, the most he has ever been picked off. Tennessee was able to keep possession even though they only got three points off the turnover. In their two-game losing streak, they had a total of nine turnovers.
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Can a healthy Julio Jones emerge as a threat in the passing game? Jones played a lot for the team. Ryan Tannehill found Jones on four out of six targets. They tried to get Jones the football on a deep post. The pass rush knocked Tannehill off his spot, and he came off his read to Jones. Jones reached 18.9 mph on the play, which was his fastest speed. It seems doubtful that Jones will emerge as the dominant threat that he was with theTitans.
Davenport's confidence rating increased from 7.5 to 8. TheTitans did what they were supposed to do and that was dispose of the lifelessJaguars team. The pass rush helped create two of Tennessee's four turnovers. Four turnovers and only 20 points were the result of the four turnovers by the Titans. The offense was able to move the ball but lacked a dominant player. The eventual return of A.J. Brown and gradual improvement of the health of Julio Jones should help the team down the stretch.
The next game is at the Steelers on Sunday. The time is later.
The Jaguars.
Over the past six games, the Jacksonville's offense has been abysmal. The offensive line struggled in pass protection and committed five penalties, the receivers had two drops, and the Jags managed just 8 yards rushing with two. Lawrence had a career-high four picks. At one point, Shenault and Laquon Treadwell ran into each other. It was the first blanking in franchise history and the fourth in franchise history.
Would sitting benefit Lawrence? Lawrence's development has stopped, and he has not been the same since. He's getting beat every week, and part of that is because he's trying to get something going on offense. If Meyer puts Lawrence on the bench, he will lose the team, but he remains the best chance to win.
DiRocco's confidence rating was unchanged from last week. The offense seems to get worse every week and there's no fixes for either.
The next game is against the Texans. The time is later.
Minnesota defeated Pittsburgh.
The Vikings are a team.
The Vikings shouldn't be too proud of the way they narrowly escaped the Steelers after nearly blowing a 29-0 third-quarter lead. The Vikings put together one good half of football, only to throw it away with penalties and poor execution, as they lost 20 unanswered points. Had Harrison Smith and Xenia Woods not broken up the throw by Ben Roethlisberger to Pat Freiermuth on the final play of the game, we could be talking about the embarrassment of Minnesota allowing the largest regular-season comeback in NFL history.
Are the playoffs still possible? The Minnesota Vikings have a 32.3% chance of making the playoffs according to the data from the FPI. The Vikings play the Bears twice in their final four games, so that should help, even though the Lions proved no opponent should be taken for granted. The Vikings' inability to close out games could doom them against the good teams they have left. The Vikings need to win three of their next four to make the playoffs. The 49ers own the tie-breaker and are currently a half-game behind.
The confidence rating for Cronin was 5, up from 4. Soldier Field is a place of horror for Minnesota. The Vikings have won three games there since the beginning of the year, and have a prime-time game in Week 15.
The next game is at the Bears. The time is later.
The Pittsburgh Steelers.
The battle up front on both sides of the ball was lost by the Steelers, and it had major consequences. Dalvin Cook ran for 205 yards and two touchdown. The Vikings finished with 5.1 yards per rush before contact, which is the fourth time in the past 10 seasons that the Steelers have allowed that many yards before contact. After the game on Thursday, the Pittsburgh defense was the worst in the league, and defensive lineman Cam Heyward said it felt like it had been there for a long time.
Can the team make the playoffs? The group that went in a 29-point hole early in the third quarter had a 10% chance of making the playoffs. The season has been dominated by the Steelers' tendencies. The offense only comes alive once it finds itself at a significant deficit and goes into its no-huddle look, and it often hurts itself with unforced errors and penalties. The defense hasn't been strong enough to consistently stop people. It's not enough to play well in the third and fourth quarters. The playoffs can't be made by the Steelers if they can't play four quarters of smart, efficient football. They haven't shown they can do that.
The confidence rating for Pryor was 2.3, down from 3.5. The outlook for the final four games is bleak, despite another fourth-quarter rally, as the momentum from their win against the Baltimore Ravens was erased Thursday night.
The next game is against theTitans. The time is later.
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