Game of the week: Green Bay (9-4-1) – Chicago (10-4)
Another week wrapping up the NFL postseason brings a new look at the Super Bowl contenders. Jacksonville vs. Denver, yes please. Baltimore vs New England bingo. Pittsburgh – Detroit, hmm… OK. Still not satisfied? The strange lights of Saturday night in the NFC North should play a part in the sepia-toned matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Bears. Green Bay Packers on Soldier's Field. A win for either and a loss in Detroit would confirm a playoff berth, while a Bears win would move them closer to clinching the division (even with a loss, the Packers would still be ahead in seventh place). The gaping hole left by Micah Parsons in Green Bay's defensive line may have Chicago fans shifting to the expectation that their Bears can make a deep playoff run if home field advantage is in their favor.
What Green Bay needs to do to win Dominate possession time. The longer Green Bay keeps the ball on offense, the better, as they now try to adjust to the huge hole left in their passing game. Parsons placed on injured reserve.. Confidence should remain high that quarterback Jordan Love and company, with as much possession as possible, will continue to climb the scoreboard to make up for any defensive weakness despite the miss against Denver last week. Love showed familiar struggles with two interceptions. However, this pick should be chalked up to the Broncos' pressure on him at a career-high 52%, rather than a regression in Love's game. The season as a whole was brilliant, especially his deep ball to Christian Watson, who easily avoided a serious injury at Mile High. Add to that a matchup skewed in Green Bay's favor with Josh Jacobs bruising his back, averaging over 90 yards in the last three games, with Chicago's so-so run stopping, and the Packers have the offensive firepower to sweep the Bears aside.
What does Chicago need to do to win? There's no escaping how one-sided this rivalry has been over the past 15 years. Since 2010, Green Bay is 27-5 against Chicago in the regular season, while only two of the Bears' five wins have come at Soldier Field. Ancient history, so why does it matter when Chicago leads 10-4? Well, the 0-2 start after a 52-21 loss to Detroit felt familiar: Another lost season was on the way. Meanwhile, it was anything but Ben Jonson clearing away the rubble of many years of failure. Guard Caleb Williams is still a work in progress, but is no longer a stopper of progress under an attack-minded head coach. Progress is what will give Chicago a huge win on Sunday. Johnson needs to take every positive from a second-half comeback that fizzled at Lambeau Field, leaving the Packers 28-21 winners. Tire the wounded Packers defense with the impressive tandem of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangaya, open up the game and keep the Packers guessing. It could get ugly and Williams could mess up his lines here and there, but Johnson showed he has the know-how and tools to record a seismic victory.
Sunrise: Buffalo
Claiming a win over New England puts Buffalo on the brink of clinching a postseason berth. The scenario is simple: a victory over Cleveland and Indianapolis' loss to San Francisco do their job. A win on Sunday and a much less likely Houston loss to Las Vegas would also work. In reality, they will succeed either way, so the win/lose gymnastics are unnecessary. While Buffalo's run to the playoffs has been unremarkable, it's how they've revived themselves thanks to Josh Allen's consistent returns that's been remarkable. Allen's six touchdowns, relying on finely tuned connections with his tight ends rather than less-than-star receivers, have returned the Bills to status as a powerhouse team. That being said, they still have an outside chance of leading the Patriots to the AFC East title while reaffirming that no team or leadership is too strong for the Bills to overcome. Only the Denver Broncos have consistently projected an aura of invincibility this season, but as it stands, would you write Allen off in the championship game against Bo Nix? At its worst, it's a coin toss game. The biggest plus for Allen is that he won't be facing Patrick Mahomes this January. No old wounds. No reminders that the Chiefs own you when it matters. Just a common sense vision to bring Buffalo's first Super Bowl title back.
Fall: Carolina
Neither Tampa Bay nor Carolina seem able to handle the pressure of even making the playoffs after both snatched defeat and kept the division entirely within the jaws of victory. The Bucs squandered a 28-14 lead to the Falcons early in the final quarter, while Carolina went scoreless early in the third quarter, squandering a 17-7 lead over the out-of-control Saints. Carolina will be kicking itself after losing a chance to win and an opportunity on Sunday against…you guessed it, Tampa Bay. A win would still give them a great shot at the title. But if you can't beat the Saints with two weeks rest after a seismic win over the current No. 1 seed in the NFC, then perhaps the die has been cast for the Buccaneers to take control from here.
Race for pick #1
The downward sprint continues as the damned Tennessee, Las Vegas and Cleveland Chimeras are tied at 2-12. Based on last week's performances, the Raiders and Browns are likely to suffer losses at the end of the season. Vegas has no hope no matter who starts at quarterback against Houston on Sunday. If the Eagles can pull off a shutout, the Texans' tough defense could easily handle Kenny Pickett or Geno Smith. Cleveland welcomes Buffalo to town. This is rowing. But what difference does seven days make? NFLTennessee hosts the Kansas City Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes after putting up a decent showing in a loss to the 49ers. QB Cam Ward of the Rookie Titans may be quietly seeking a blowout win over the Fallen Giants to maintain control of the offense next season.
Season ends today
AFK 1) Denver 12-2; 2) New England 11-3; 3) Jacksonville 10-4; 4) Pittsburgh 8-6; 5) Los Angeles Chargers 10-4; 6) Buffalo 10-4; 7) Houston 9-5. Bubble: Indianapolis 8–6
NFC 1) Seattle 12-3; 2) Chicago 10-4; 3) Philadelphia 9-5; 4) Tampa Bay 7-7; 5) LA Rams 11-4; 6) San Francisco 10-4; 7) Green Bay 9-4-1. Bubble: Detroit 8-6
