It was apparent how badly the San Francisco 49ers needed this one, how a lot the scars from that afternoon final January remained seared of their minds, a possibility at a Tremendous Bowl berth successfully misplaced the second their beginning quarterback went down 22 snaps into the sport.
49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel didn’t disguise from it through the offseason, admitting what a handful of his teammates have been certainly pondering: With no wholesome quarterbacks, the 49ers have been successfully enjoying a person down in final 12 months’s NFC Championship Recreation in opposition to the Eagles in Philadelphia.
In different phrases: they by no means received 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 workforce Kyle Shanahan’s group might be when at its finest.
“All of the video games are the identical, however we perceive how good that workforce is,” Shanahan mentioned after the win, referring to the Eagles. “We perceive their report, and that all the time makes it a bit of 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 nicely, organising a four-team race for the convention’s high seed and lone bye.
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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. In the long run, 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 workforce is among the hottest in soccer, and presently within the seventh spot within the NFC playoff image.
The 6-6 Falcons proceed to steer the eminently winnable NFC South after a less-than-convincing 13-8 win in opposition to 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 workforce’s afternoon thusly: “That was a horrible day on the workplace.” The Steelers coach didn’t see a factor he favored 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 harm and might 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 NFL Week 13:
The NFC playoff race simply received 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 through the recreation. Among the many most heated moments arrived halfway by way of the third quarter, when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw tossed Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith down onerous 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 have been ejected.
“I simply can’t imagine somebody not concerned in a soccer recreation can taunt our gamers like that, and put their arms in our man’s face,” Shanahan mentioned later.
DiSandro exited the sphere 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.
“In case you don’t come out and play your finest recreation in opposition to the blokes that they’ve and the coaches that they’ve, it’s going to appear like that,” Sirianni mentioned.
San Francisco’s midseason three-game dropping streak? Lifeless. Buried. Historical past. This workforce is each bit among the many Tremendous Bowl favorites, and will very nicely, 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 by way of 13 weeks
| Workforce | General | Conf. Report | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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 Recreation in January, was as soon as once more glorious, 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 preserve 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 should not solely alive within the NFC playoff image, however presently within the last wild-card spot, a staggering flip of occasions from the place they have been a bit of over a month in the past. Bear 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 in opposition to the Chiefs. And looking out forward, the Packers gained’t see one other workforce that presently has a successful report the remainder of the way in which.
Trailing by eight with 79 seconds left, Mahomes led a wild last drive that noticed Isiah Pacheco tossed for punching on a play that was finally overturned, a blatant move interference penalty that was missed and an unsuccessful Hail Mary that drew loads of contact, as nicely. However finally, the Packers escaped. Matt LeFleur stays good, 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 by way of 13 weeks
| Workforce | General | Conf. Report | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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 workforce with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback made the postseason, and that was a storybook season in Indianapolis in 2012, with high decide Andrew Luck and interim coach Bruce Arians guiding the Colts to 11 wins whereas Chuck Pagano battled leukemia in an area hospital.
The streak might be in jeopardy this season if the Texans preserve enjoying like this. With their 22-17 win in opposition to 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 by way of 12 video games, trailing solely Patrick Mahomes (3,912) and Luck (3,596).
Nevertheless it stretches additional. Ryans has his entire workforce enjoying nicely. 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 arms of Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., one in every of 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 scorching in Nashville because the Colts pushed their win streak to 4 with a 31-28 extra time victory in opposition to 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 in opposition to 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. At the moment, Hill is on monitor to complete with 2,098 yards.
» Hill has 16 profession video games with not less than 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 in every of three groups within the Tremendous Bowl period with 25 passing touchdowns and 22 speeding 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.
Slightly 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.
“Once you spot 21 factors to an excellent soccer workforce, you’re gonna wrestle,” Rivera mentioned, 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 workforce, as soon as 2-0, has now dropped 4 in a row and is 4-9. It’s not onerous 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, would possibly 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 workforce by way of 12 video games in not less than three many years.
In the meantime, their AFC East counterpart, the Patriots, slogged by way of 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.
At the least they made some historical past alongside the way in which: The Patriots grew to become the primary workforce for the reason that 1938 Chicago Cardinals to lose three in a row regardless of permitting 10 factors or fewer in every loss.
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(Photograph: Rob Carr / Getty Pictures)
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