49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel didn’t conceal from it in the course of the offseason, admitting what a handful of his teammates had been certainly considering: With no wholesome quarterbacks, the 49ers had been successfully enjoying a person down in final 12 months’s NFC Championship Sport towards the Eagles in Philadelphia.
In different phrases: they by no means obtained a good shake. That made the 31-7 loss more durable to swallow.
Eleven months later the 49ers returned to Lincoln Monetary Discipline and pummeled the defending convention champs 42-19, additional muddying the NFC playoff image whereas reminding the remainder of the league simply how daunting a crew Kyle Shanahan’s group might be when at its finest.
“All of the video games are the identical, however we perceive how good that crew is,” Shanahan stated after the win, referring to the Eagles. “We perceive their report, and that at all times makes it a little bit bit greater.”
So, then, was the assertion. The 49ers are going to be a troublesome out in January. Or February.
The win moved the 49ers, now 9-3, to inside one recreation of the conference-leading Eagles (10-2) with 5 to play. Each the Cowboys and Lions are 9-3, as properly, establishing a four-team race for the convention’s high seed and lone bye.
GO DEEPER
NFL playoff image: Can 49ers surge previous Eagles to snag No. 1 seed in NFC?
In New Orleans, the Lions raced forward 21-0 earlier than the primary quarter was over, then practically coughed up the lead within the second half. Ultimately, Detroit edged the Saints 33-28 to stay in agency command of the NFC North and on monitor for the franchise’s first dwelling playoff recreation since 1994.
However don’t depend out the Packers simply but. At 6-6, Matt LeFleur’s crew is among the hottest in soccer, and at present within the seventh spot within the NFC playoff image.
The 6-6 Falcons proceed to guide the eminently winnable NFC South after a less-than-convincing 13-8 win towards the Jets. However the Bucs and Saints (each 5-7) someway aren’t out of this.
As for the AFC, Patrick Mahomes performed his first recreation at Lambeau Discipline on Sunday evening and left with a 27-19 loss that knocked the Chiefs out of the highest seed.
Each the Texans and Colts stored their wild-card playoff hopes alive with last-second wins.
In Washington, Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill stayed on monitor for historical past as Miami embarrassed the reeling Commanders, 45-15.
In Pittsburgh, a disgusted Mike Tomlin summed up his crew’s afternoon thusly: “That was a horrible day on the workplace.” The Steelers coach didn’t see a factor he preferred in a humiliating 24-10 loss to the lowly Cardinals. Making issues worse: Pittsburgh’s beginning quarterback, Kenny Pickett, exited at halftime with an ankle damage and may very well be out for a number of weeks, additional hampering the Steelers’ bid for a playoff spot.
Joe Flacco’s debut with the Browns began with a 24-yard landing throw and ended with a 36-19 loss to the Rams. Cleveland’s not solely dropping quarterbacks however dropping video games, and the Browns’ playoff odds are getting longer.
Right here’s what stood out from Sunday of Week 13:
The NFC playoff race simply obtained attention-grabbing
13 weeks into the season, San Francisco now owns the 2 most spectacular wins of the 12 months: It routed the Cowboys 42-10 at dwelling in Week 5, then dominated the Eagles 42-19 on the street Sunday night.
This recreation was testy from the beginning, with gamers from either side — and even Eagles coach Nick Sirianni — exchanging phrases earlier than kickoff, then greater than as soon as in the course of the recreation. Among the many most heated moments arrived halfway via the third quarter, when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw tossed Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith down arduous on the sideline, drawing a flag and inciting a heated response from the Philly sideline, together with from Eagles safety chief Dom DiSandro. After Greenlaw and DiSandro shouted at one another, and Greenlaw aggressively pointed his finger in DiSandro’s face, each had been ejected.
“I simply can’t consider somebody not concerned in a soccer recreation can taunt our gamers like that, and put their fingers in our man’s face,” Shanahan stated later.
DiSandro exited the sector to an ovation from the Philly followers.
Rely it among the many few highlights for the house crowd: This was a methodical beatdown that noticed Shanahan and the 49ers flex their appreciable muscle. He was dialed in as play caller, and his offense scored touchdowns on six consecutive drives, three by Samuel, who waved goodbye to the Eagles followers greater than as soon as. The protection allowed simply 19 factors, the Eagles’ lowest output since Week 6.
“Should you don’t come out and play your finest recreation towards the blokes that they’ve and the coaches that they’ve, it’s going to appear like that,” Sirianni stated.
San Francisco’s midseason three-game dropping streak? Lifeless. Buried. Historical past. This crew is each bit among the many Tremendous Bowl favorites, and will very properly, by the top of the season, personal the coveted high seed within the NFC and the first-round bye that comes with it.
NFC playoff image via 13 weeks
| Workforce | Total | Conf. File | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
10-2 |
6-1 |
|
|
2 |
9-3 |
7-1 |
|
|
3 |
9-3 |
6-2 |
|
|
4 |
6-6 |
4-4 |
|
|
5 |
9-3 |
6-3 |
|
|
6 |
6-6 |
6-3 |
|
|
7 |
6-6 |
4-3 |
|
|
8 |
6-6 |
4-4 |
|
|
9 |
6-6 |
5-4 |
Brock Purdy, who was knocked out of that NFC Championship Sport in January, was as soon as once more wonderful, throwing for 3 landing passes and a passer ranking of 148.8, the fourth time he’s performed that this season. Solely Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011) have performed that in a season in NFL historical past.
Love, Packers maintain it rolling
Jordan Love is on a tear. So are the Packers.
The final 5 video games for Inexperienced Bay’s quarterback: 11 touchdowns, simply two interceptions, and most significantly, 4 wins.
And with that, the Packers will not be solely alive within the NFC playoff image, however at present within the remaining wild-card spot, a staggering flip of occasions from the place they had been a little bit over a month in the past. Keep in mind: Inexperienced Bay started the 12 months 2-5, the franchise’s worst begin since 2005.
They’re now 6-6 following Sunday evening’s 27-19 win towards the Chiefs. And looking out forward, the Packers gained’t see one other crew that at present has a profitable report the remainder of the way in which.
Trailing by eight with 79 seconds left, Mahomes led a wild remaining drive that noticed Isiah Pacheco tossed for punching on a play that was in the end overturned, a blatant move interference penalty that was missed and an unsuccessful Hail Mary that drew loads of contact, as properly. However in the end, the Packers escaped. Matt LeFleur stays excellent, 16-0, as Inexperienced Bay’s head coach within the month of December.
It was simply Mahomes’ fourth profession loss in December, a defeat that knocks the Chiefs (8-4) out of the highest seed within the AFC playoff image. They now path the Dolphins, Ravens and Jaguars, who every have three losses. Jacksonville performs host to Cincinnati on Monday evening.
AFC playoff image via 13 weeks
| Workforce | Total | Conf. File | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
9-3 |
6-2 |
|
|
2 |
9-3 |
6-3 |
|
|
3 |
8-3 |
6-2 |
|
|
4 |
8-4 |
6-1 |
|
|
5 |
7-5 |
5-3 |
|
|
6 |
7-5 |
5-3 |
|
|
7 |
7-5 |
5-3 |
|
|
8 |
7-5 |
4-3 |
|
|
9 |
6-6 |
3-5 |
|
|
10 |
6-6 |
3-5 |
Texans, Colts place themselves for giant end
It’s been 11 years since a crew with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback made the postseason, and that was a storybook season in Indianapolis in 2012, with high choose Andrew Luck and interim coach Bruce Arians guiding the Colts to 11 wins whereas Chuck Pagano battled leukemia in an area hospital.
The streak may very well be in jeopardy this season if the Texans maintain enjoying like this. With their 22-17 win towards the Broncos on Sunday, DeMeco Ryans’ group has gained 5 of its final seven and is firmly within the AFC playoff image for the primary time in 5 years.
It begins with their sensational rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who now leads the league in passing yards (3,540), the third-most by a rookie in league historical past via 12 video games, trailing solely Patrick Mahomes (3,912) and Luck (3,596).
But it surely stretches additional. Ryans has his complete crew enjoying properly. It was Houston’s protection that got here up with the deciding play late within the fourth quarter Sunday, when security Jimmie Ward picked off Russell Wilson in the long run zone with 9 seconds left to seal the win — Wilson’s third interception on the day. One other Texans rookie, Will Anderson, had his finest recreation as a professional, hitting Wilson 4 instances, sacking him twice and tipping a fourth-quarter move that ended up within the fingers of Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., one among two picks he had within the recreation.
The one draw back for Houston: standout rookie receiver Tank Dell went down with a damaged fibula within the first half and didn’t return; he’s headed to injured reserve and performed for the 12 months, a league supply instructed The Athletic.
One other AFC playoff contender stayed sizzling in Nashville because the Colts pushed their win streak to 4 with a 31-28 additional time victory towards the Titans. For Indianapolis, it’s the longest win streak since 2018, which additionally occurs to be the final time the Colts swept the Titans.
As of this level, the Colts (7-5) personal the ultimate AFC wild card spot by advantage of a Week 2 win towards the Texans, who are also 7-5, however the groups meet once more in Week 18.
Tyreek Hill on tempo for historical past
Take a minute to understand what Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins (9-3) are doing on offense this season:
» Hill is on tempo for the primary 2,000-yard receiving season in NFL historical past. The 1,481 he’s piled up are probably the most by a participant 12 video games right into a season within the Tremendous Bowl period. Solely 4 others — Charlie Hennigan (1961), Elroy “Loopy Legs” Hirsch (1951), Lance Alworth (1965) and Calvin Johnson (2012) — had greater than 1,400 at this level. Presently, Hill is on monitor to complete with 2,098 yards.
» Hill has 16 profession video games with at the least 150 receiving yards, tied with Corridor of Famer Jerry Rice for the second-most for a participant in his first eight seasons. Solely Alworth (17) had extra. He’s additionally the fifth participant in league historical past to have 5 or extra in a single season, becoming a member of Rice (1995), Tim Brown (1997), Antonio Brown (2017) and Roy Inexperienced (1984).
» Miami can also be one among three groups within the Tremendous Bowl period with 25 passing touchdowns and 22 dashing scores 12 video games right into a season, becoming a member of the 1998 Denver Broncos and 1975 Buffalo Payments.
Commanders, Jets, Patriots proceed skidding, however how far?
The wheels are falling off in Washington.
A bit of over a month after buying and selling two defensive starters in Montez Sweat and Chase Younger, and every week after firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the Commanders suffered their second consecutive embarrassing loss, this time 45-15 to the Dolphins at dwelling.
Nothing’s working. Toss of their Thanksgiving day loss to the Cowboys, and the Commanders have been outscored 90-25 in consecutive weeks.
“While you spot 21 factors to an excellent soccer crew, you’re gonna battle,” Rivera stated, referring to the 24-point gap the Commanders discovered themselves in earlier than halftime.
Rivera’s seat appears to be getting hotter by the minute. His crew, as soon as 2-0, has now dropped 4 in a row and is 4-9. It’s not arduous to see the brand new possession group, led by Josh Harris, wanting to begin contemporary in 2024 after lacking the playoffs for a 3rd consecutive season.
The Jets, who fell 13-8 to the Falcons on Sunday, may make Aaron Rodgers’ bid to return this 12 months a moot level. New York (4-8) has misplaced 5 in a row and benched one other quarterback, Tim Boyle, in a recreation it failed to attain a landing. To this point, the Jets have scored simply 10 touchdowns all season — the fewest by any crew via 12 video games in at the least three many years.
In the meantime, their AFC East counterpart, the Patriots, slogged via one other ugly loss in ugly circumstances in Foxboro, dropping 6-0 to the Chargers. It was the NFL’s lowest-scoring recreation for the reason that Jaguars beat the Colts by the identical rating in 2018.
A minimum of they made some historical past alongside the way in which: The Patriots turned the primary crew for the reason that 1938 Chicago Cardinals to lose three in a row regardless of permitting 10 factors or fewer in every loss.
(Picture: Rob Carr / Getty Photos)
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