It’s do or die for lots of NFL groups within the final complete generation of the common season. Later the Dallas Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals on “Monday Night Football,” handiest 4 weeks of pageant stay.
The playoff image has began to come back into focal point. The Kansas Town Chiefs, Buffalo Expenses and Detroit Lions have already punched their price tag to the postseason. In the meantime, 4 groups (the Pristine York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pristine England Patriots) have already been eradicated.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles and Lions effort to increase their category leads. In the meantime, the NFC South and NFC West have neck-and-neck battles on their fingers. Wild-card races stay crowded, and margins for error are rising thinner and thinner by way of the hour.
Listed below are 5 of probably the most compelling storylines for Past 14 of the NFL season. (In finding the total agenda right here.)
1. Kirk Cousins’ go back to Minnesota
Later six seasons because the handsomely paid ($185 million totally assured) creation quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins left the North within the offseason to signal a four-year, $180 million oath with the Atlanta Falcons. On Sunday, he returns to U.S. Cupboard Stadium, the place he’ll aim to assistance the Falcons snap a three-game dropping streak and stay within the working for the NFC South identify.
Cousins, who garnered Professional Bowl honors thrice in Minnesota age serving to the Vikings to 2 playoff appearances, ranks 6th within the NFL with 3,052 passing yards this season. He has struggled, on the other hand, right through this skid, throwing six interceptions and deny touchdowns. He advised journalists that he and his group effort to “get back up off the mat and get going” this hour. The Falcons (6-6) want a victory to fend off the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who’ve received two directly, also are 6-6 and hope to win their fourth directly category identify.
GO DEEPER
Kirk Cousins’ go back to Minnesota method greater than the Vikings are announcing
Beating the Vikings represents a lofty job for Atlanta. Minnesota has received 5 directly and boasts an competitive protection that leads the NFL with 18 interceptions. The Vikings even have held foes to only 18.3 issues according to competition (5th fewest) age racking up 39 sacks (fourth maximum) and 24 general takeaways (join for moment). In the meantime, Cousins’ alternative, Sam Darnold, is directing an effective offensive assault and has thrown six landing passes and deny interceptions within the final 3 weeks. Catching Detroit for the NFC North supremacy can be tricky, however the Vikings and Inexperienced Bay Packers are in scorching pursuit of moment position within the category. (Falcons at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Jameis Winston (Negative. 5) and the Browns celebrated a snowy win over the Steelers on Nov. 21. (Ken Blaze / Imagn Pictures)
2. Browns-Steelers rematch
Two weeks in the past, the last-place Cleveland Browns shocked the AFC North-leading Steelers 24-19 in a blustery, snow-covered Thursday night time showdown. The Browns received in spite of going 1 of 10 on 3rd ailing and turning the ball over thrice. However Jameis Winston, who had already pressed for time for a landing early within the fourth quarter, directed a nine-play, 45-yard scoring power capped by way of a Nick Chubb landing with 57 seconds left to raise his group.
Now those two meet once more, this year in Pittsburgh, the place Mike Tomlin’s group will glance to actual revenge age including to its category supremacy. Pittsburgh is coming off an authoritative victory at Cincinnati. A win would give the Steelers their 7th victory within the final 8 video games and lend some cushion between the two of them and Baltimore, which is on a bye this hour. Russell Wilson is coming off his absolute best competition as a Steeler, throwing for 414 yards and 3 touchdowns towards the Bengals. It used to be the second-highest passing general of Wilson’s occupation and his 3rd 400-yard year.
GO DEEPER
QB year for all 32 NFL groups: Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and alternative smart questions
At this level, achieving the playoffs is also unattainable for 3-9 Cleveland. However the Browns would really like not anything greater than to brush the rival Steelers. Progressed ball safety is most probably some of the keys to victory for Cleveland. The Browns had been lucky that dropping the submit combat didn’t translate to defeat within the first competition as opposed to the Steelers. On the other hand, 3 handovers (together with two select sixes) crippled them final hour in a loss to the Denver Broncos. (Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
3. Power emerging in NFC West
Two weeks then the Seattle Seahawks pulled off a hard-fought, 16-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals to tug forward within the race for the NFC West identify, the groups meet once more. This year, the Cardinals host the Seahawks with the purpose of snapping a two-game dropping streak then that Seattle loss and a 23-22 defeat at Minnesota. Seattle has received 3 directly to beef up to 7-5 age perched lonely atop the category. A Cardinals victory, on the other hand, would give each groups 7-6 information and arrange a a very powerful four-game homestretch of the season.
The end result of this competition may just advance a ways towards figuring out the end result of this category race and, sooner or later, playoff seeding. For now, the Seahawks have a 42 % anticipation of achieving the postseason, in step with The Athletic’s playoff projections. A win over Arizona would building up their probabilities to 73 %, age a loss would drop their probabilities to 17 %. An Arizona victory would give the Cardinals a 59 % anticipation of achieving the playoffs, however a loss would drop their possibilities of successful the category to eight %. (Seahawks at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.)
4. Some other crown for the Chiefs?
The Chiefs (11-1) have ruled the AFC West, successful the category for 8 directly seasons. They input Sunday night time’s assembly towards the Chargers with a playoff berth already in hand and a possibility to clinch the category as soon as once more with a victory.
That is the second one assembly of the season between those groups. Kansas Town rallied from a 10-point rarity and received 17-10 in Past 4 due to a Samaje Perine landing run with 6:04 left. Related results and late-game heroics have transform a habitual incidence for the Chiefs this season. 9 in their 11 victories had been made up our minds by way of one ranking. So, every other such victory would come as deny miracle.
GO DEEPER
Within the Chargers’ showdown vs. Chiefs: Has the distance narrowed between AFC West competitors?
This competition represents a admirable take a look at for the Chargers, who’ve received 5 in their final six video games — dropping handiest to Baltimore in Past 12 ahead of rebounding towards Atlanta final hour. The Chargers have misplaced six directly video games as opposed to the Chiefs, and then getting blown out by way of every other projected AFC contender within the Ravens, Los Angeles may just achieve a massive level of validation if it wins Sunday.
The Chargers had been lacking defensive stars Derwin James Jr. and go rusher Joey Bosa, in addition to offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, within the final competition towards the Chiefs. LA had a 10-0 first-quarter supremacy ahead of going chilly and getting outscored 17-0 the residue of the best way. Can advanced fitness and classes from the former assembly assistance this 8-4 group recover from the hump this year round? (Chargers at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)
5. Bears’ reaction, 49ers’ battle
In lieu than extend the inevitable, the Chicago Bears fired head professor Matt Eberflus following the last-second meltdown of their Thanksgiving Pace loss to the Lions. Terrible clock control and course by way of the professor helped lengthen Chicago’s dropping streak to 6 video games, with the final 3 defeats coming by way of a blended seven issues.
Now the 4-8 Bears flip to intervening time head professor Thomas Brown, who had taken over as intervening time offensive coordinator following the firing of Shane Waldron then 9 video games. Beneath Brown’s course, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has displayed advanced decision-making and effectiveness. Now Brown, the 38-year-old former working again, will aim to turn out he can assemble the Bears extra aggressive age additionally additional growing Williams into the superstar common supervisor Ryan Poles drafted him to be.
Chicago’s opponent this hour: the walking-wounded San Francisco 49ers, who’ve dropped to 5-7 age on a three-game dropping streak. The fresh defeat proved pricey, because the Niners misplaced working backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason to injured keep. The 35-10 loss to Buffalo additionally gave the impression to nudge Kyle Shanahan’s group one immense step additional clear of its purpose of turning back the Tremendous Bowl to unravel unfinished trade. Mathematically, the 49ers aren’t eradicated, however they have got just a 6 % anticipation of creating the playoffs and path the Seahawks by way of two video games within the NFC West. They’re going to most probably want an undefeated stretch run to earn a playoff price tag.
Can Shanahan punch all the proper buttons and determine the best way to masks all the deficiencies of this battered squad? Or are issues too a ways long gone? Will the Bears obtain a spark beneath brandnew management and roll to victory, or will they enjoy extra of the similar? (Bears at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
(Supremacy photograph: Todd Kirkland / Getty Pictures)
