Lions](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fdldtecbgai7g1.jpeg) and then the 3-11 Browns who would love nothing more than to play spoiler to the Steelers as they were eliminated from playoff contention after week 14. Thing is…they can’t; Pittsburgh could lose both of those games and the AFC North would still come down to the week-18 [Ravens game in Pittsburgh](https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine/_/results/401772949~1~401772612~2~401772613~1~401772801~2~401772802~2~401772803~2~401772910~2~401772911~2~401772912~2~401772934~1~401772913~1~401772914~2~401772805~1~401772806~1~401772804~1~401772824~1~401772710~2~401772711~2~401772622~2~401772951~2~401772953~2~401772807~1~401772808~2~401772809~2~401772915~1~401772916~2~401772952~2~401772954~1~401772950~2~401772917~1~401772935~2~401772825~2~401772955~1~401772956~1~401772957~2~401772958~1~401772959~1~401772960~1~401772961~1~401772962~2~401772963~2~401772964~1~401772965~2~401772966~1~401772967~1~401772968~2~401772969~1~401772970~1). Even if Baltimore wins their next two…which is not a sure thing since that’s the Patriots and Packers who both have a lot left to play for…they still have to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh to win the North in a game that will certainly be flexed to Sunday Night Football week 18. Death, taxes, dishes, and Mike Tomlin again dragging Pittsburgh into the playoffs. The Steelers control their own destiny late in the year once more and it’s really hard not to get your hopes up at least a little after a dominating win like that. Can Rodgers play that well in Detroit one last time? Find out on next week’s episode of [“Do we love Mike Tomlin or hate him?”](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F0pxms7gp0i7g1.png%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc80831c5f956034ab7424ee4beff1487a0179cdf)
15. | [](/BAL) | Ravens | +5 | 7-7 | Zero was the them of the game this week. 0 degrees, 0 points, and 0% chance remaining for a Bengals' playoff berth. Strong possibility there's zero life left in Zac Taylor's coaching tenure as well. It's fitting that in a topsy-turvy NFL season the AFCN remains as consistent as ever with a bruised and bloodied Harbaugh/Tomlin led black, purple, and yellow mess battling to the very end.
16. | [](/IND) | Colts | +1 | 8-6 | More late-game coaching malpractice from Steichen & Co. sank what would've been one of the craziest regular-season upsets in NFL history. You kept us in the game, ~~Uncle~~ Grandpa Phil. And for that, we thank you. Already can't wait for round 2 on *Monday Night Football*.
17. | [](/CAR) | Panthers | -3 | 7-7 | This fucking team never ceases to amaze me. After losing to the Saints after a HUGE win against the Packers earlier in this season, the Panthers had another opportunity to play the Saints and get their revenge. Coming off another HUGE win, this time against the Rams, the Panthers had a bye week so they had two weeks to plan for the Saints. This game was one of the biggest games in recent Panther history as it would have paved a smooth lane to a playoff berth but THEY FUCKING LOST TO THE SAINTS AGAIN! AGAIN!!!! Two weeks to prepare for the last place divisional opponent that was a huge game and they came up short.. AGAIN! This fucking team pisses me off to no end. The offense wasn’t anything memorable. Bryce with another underwhelming performance but he was not the reason they lost. The defense looked AWFUL and gave up multiple 8-10 yd passes in crucial moments. The game ended in a targeting hit on the Saints QB from the rookie safety Ransom and the Saints kicked a game winning FG with two seconds left. The targeting hit showcased why the rule of QB sliding while they are a normal ballcarrier sucks but the rule is the rule I guess. We are joke of team. The Panthers have improved and are growing culture as well an identity, so that is obviously great, but this current team is pathetic with the consistency they don’t have. Win one and then look like one of the worst teams in the league. Then beat one of the best teams in the NFC and then lose a massive game against a team they

should for sure beat. This sucks. Here is the rollercoaster bullshit that’s been happening all season and now the path to winning the division, along with going to the playoffs, has gotten that much more difficult. The Panthers have the Bucs in Charlotte next week and if they want to play post-season football, this is a must win. The Panthers and Bucs are fighting for the NFC South title and if we lose next week, we are out of contention thanks to losing to the fucking Saints.. AGAIN!! This team is shocking in both positive and negative ways. They better wake up if they want this division title. An exciting few weeks coming up but next week is as big as it gets. Keep Pounding.
18. | [](/TB) | Buccaneers | -1 | 7-7 | 🎶 Hanging with my Buc bros, watching dirty birds play ball. We seen Kyle Pitts scorin', we ain't know what that ѕhit mean. Then we start ragin' at everything that we had seen. That's when Kirk Cousins tore us to shreds, Cousins tore us shreds. Kirk Cousins tore us to shreds, Cousins tore us to shreeeeeds / And I know the Panthers 'bout to judge me now. And I know the Saints 'bout to judge me now. Started off when we lost to Rams. Started off when he did that call. Told Todd Bowles: "leave everybody". (Please, bro, leave everybody...) People tell me to let things be. I don't think they understand, that I'm not attracted to his D (His job is not making me gay) / Football don't help me, it just put me in a trance. I'd rather watch "Euphoria" than Bowles' man-to-man. Told him, "Please leave me, 'cause I don't need you by my side". As long as you do leave me, then we'll probably be alright. And that one time that we lost hard, I didn't get no sleep that night. And that one time that we lost hard it took ten percs to get high. Ten percs to get hiiigh, pray that we don't die. But if we die, we'll see you at the draft. Two pints at the RayJay, please leave, just go, Bowles. Please go on a vacay, leave the world behind. 🎶
19. | [](/DAL) | Cowboys | -- | 6-7-1 | Well, its draft season. Matt Eberflus is a football terrorist. Shut down the starters, see if the rookies and depth guys have any value. All reasonable reactions to the game. The "good news" is that both first round picks are trending the same direction for wildly different reasons. Schottenheimer has shown that he has what it takes to be a head coach, but he needs to work on his situational play calling and his game management, both things that come with time. Eberflus needs to be shot in to the sun.
20. | [](/MIN) | Vikings | +3 | 6-8 | Don't look now but after a historically bad start, JJ McCarthy is tied with Josh Allen for the third-best EPA/play over the last couple weeks. Over those two weeks, the Vikings have scored on nearly 75% of non-kneeldown drives, and scored a TD on over half. Sure, small sample size against not-the-best defenses, but it's enough of a glimmer of hope to scratch QB off the Vikings' tippy-top needs -- at least for now. The Cowboys moved the ball fairly well against Flores' defense, getting into scoring position an impressive eight times, but the Vikings bent but did not break much, surrendering just two touchdowns. With the Vikings out of the playoffs, these last few games will be for pride, and with Greenard heading to season-ending IR, the young players like Dallas Turner, McCarthy and Jalen Redmond will get a chance to give the Vikings some hope heading into the long offseason.
21. | [](/KC) | Chiefs | -6 | 6-8 | I'm not entirely sure what you're supposed to type in a week like this. This season has been an absolute disaster of Biblical proportions. Every single thing that could go wrong has gone wrong. Coaching looks lost, Pat looks rough, the running backs are mediocre, the d-backs can't cover the middle of the field, and the defensive line is abysmal. Guys are dropping like flies, and of course the single worst possible thing that could happen did, Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in a mostly irrelevant game late in the year. I don't have numbers on this, but it would be interesting to see how many google searches for

"How long does it take for a quarterback to come back from an ACL tear" happened on Sunday/Monday. I graduated college in 2012, and for the first time since I've truly been in my adult life I don't have a ton of hope toward my favorite sports franchise. Some of that is a knee jerk reaction to this season and all the negatives that have come with it, but with a bad cap situation, a lot of aging superstars and now QB1 very likely missing time next season it feels like we may be waiting until 2027 before this ship can be righted. The sole positives at this point are that the Chiefs will almost certainly have the best draft position they've had since Andy's first season. At this point it feels like the hopes and dreams of the 26 Kansas City Chiefs are falling on the shoulders of medical professionals and Brett Veach.
22. | [](/MIA) | Dolphins | -1 | 6-8 | Get rid of Tua Tagovailoa by any means necessary and sign Kyler Murray on a minimum deal next year
23. | [](/ATL) | Falcons | +1 | 5-9 | The Falcons overcame a 3rd and 28 and a 14-point 4th quarter deficit for the first time in team history. The Patriots blew a 21-point lead for the first time since 1978. 1+9+7+8 = 28-3. [The curse has been lifted](https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1pklaf3/highlight_a_distraught_mike_evans_repeating_its/).
24. | [](/CIN) | Bengals | -2 | 4-10 | Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make; you can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won't know for twenty years. And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce. And they say there is no fate, but there is: it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain, wasting years, for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right. And it never comes or it seems to but it doesn't really. And so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along. Something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel whole, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is I feel so angry, and the truth is I feel so fucking sad, and the truth is I've felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long I've been pretending I'm OK, just to get along, just for, I don't know why, maybe because no one wants to hear about my misery, because they have their own. Well, fuck everybody. Who Dey.
25. | [](/NO) | Saints | +1 | 4-10 | Kellen Moore's offense is starting to turn on in New Orleans. Tyler Shough and Devaughn Vele have shown grit and determination; in a season where it could be expected for the team to give up, the roster keeps punching. That grit is winning over the fanbase - especially when it's beating divisional opponents who are not as cool, tough, fun, exciting and have a terrible Spotify Wrapped. The Saints' NFC South division opponents have all holes in their socks, their sunglasses don't suit their facial structure and y'know what? Their collard greens are inferior. Also it's starting to look like the Falcons will finish last in the division.
26. | [](/WAS) | Commanders | +1 | 4-10 | The only potential this season can offer the Commanders is the opportunity for moral victories. A win over the similarly floundering Giants may serve as proof that the team has some talent and some players who should come back next season, but the Commanders still look like their record. And with Jayden Daniels staying off the field for the rest of the season, one can really only see the next 3 weeks as a time to evaluate talent for next season. This troubled squad faces its two more competent division rivals in the Eagles and Cowboys for the next 3 weeks. Every possibility is they will get trounced, but at least it won't really hurt since it doesn't

matter. At least that's what exhausted, jaded Washington fans will tell themselves for yet another season that stopped mattering before Thanksgiving.
27. | [](/ARI) | Cardinals | -2 | 3-11 | I’ve addressed how awful this Cardinals team is. An interesting note is that when Jonathan Gannon was brought it, he was supposedly a defensive guru, leading those Eagles teams. He and Nick Rallis impressed on that side of the ball in years 1 & 2 of his regime, while grossly underachieving on the offensive side. Now, the Cardinals are looking like the worst defense in the NFL. Teams easily hang 40+ on us, and it turns any RB into prime Adrian Peterson. This seems like the nail in the coffin for Jonathan Gannon’s job as HC. On the bright side, Trey McBride is 100% the best TE in the NFL. He is now at/over 100 receptions, 1000 yards, and 10 TD on the season, becoming the first EVER TE to do that through 14 games. Let’s just hope his superstardom isn’t wasted in Arizona like it was for Larry Fitzgerald.
28. | [](/NYJ) | Jets | -- | 3-11 | We're kind of running out the clock here in NYJ land, but last week I wrote "If Steve Wilks doesn't get fired, this isn't a serious coaching staff." This week Steve Wilks gave up 48 points to the Jaguars and got fired. Anyway, if the Jets don't draft a franchise QB this off-season and turn the franchise around, this isn't a serious coaching staff.
29. | [](/NYG) | Giants | -1 | 2-12 | The transformation from exciting underdog team to depressing bad team for this Giants team has been a tough one to watch. On the bright side, Abdul Carter finally showed up on the stat sheet this past weekend against the Commanders. On the not so bright side, Darius Slayton reverted to his brick hands form and helped seal an L for the Giants. While it's hard to fully blame Kafka given the situation he was thrust in, it's also hard to justify keeping someone that loses every game in their interim phase. Especially when playing against a 3-10 team with a backup QB at the helm. Kafka and the Giants get their next chance to prove themselves against the Vikings on Sunday.
30. | [](/CLE) | Browns | -- | 3-11 | Watching this game at home was bad enough. [Imagine being there in -10 degree weather.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ28FcRePAo) Sanders fell apart, the Browns barely scored three points, and all we've got going in Garrett breaking the sack record. The Browns will host the Bill next week in what is sure to be complete mess of a game.
31. | [](/TEN) | Titans | -- | 2-12 | The Titans played against a team levels above their capabilities on Sunday in a 37-24 loss to the 49ers. The 49ers held the ball for most of the game, when the Titans offense was on the field their offense just couldn’t keep up. Cam Ward had 2 touchdowns and Jeffery Simmons moved into a 4th place tie for team TD receptions this year.
32. | [](/LV) | Raiders | -- | 2-12 | I’m not one of the older members of our fanbase. I didn’t get to see the Super Bowl wins from Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagans administration, and I don’t really remember much of Gannon and Gruden(1.0). But I do have the ultimate pleasure of remembering Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks, Josh McCown and the corpse of Dante Culpepper, JaMarcus and Jason Campbell, Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor. Matt McGloin too, I think? I also remember a 9-year starter in Derek Carr for better or worse. I’m not going to list the what I think is close to 10 different Quarterbacks that have started for us since Derek was sent home in ’22. There are many people in our fanbase that want an O-lineman picked with our first round pick this year, and I get that. We only have 1 proven starter on our line and Kolton’s not getting any younger. Not to mention our current group would have trouble with a peewee teams pass rush. But if I have to spend another season watching Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett try to lead this team my inbox is going to get flooded with Reddit Cares. During halftime on the analyst panel Gronk said playing this raiders team is like putting Neosporin on a cut. And he’s

right. You won’t be good every year in this league but it’s a different level of embarrassment to be the league’s “Get right” team no matter the match-up.

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Is Rams-Seahawks the biggest THursday Night Football game in recent memory?

Two 11-3 teams battling this late in the season for the division and 1 seed in the conference.

TNF games usually suck especially this late in the season when they feature one or both teams out of the race or on the fringes.

On paper, is there a bigger matchup in TNF history?

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The Kansas City Chiefs' point differential this season vs last season are eerily similar but with VERY different records

As of today, the Chiefs currently have the 11th best point differential in the NFL at +60 yet are already eliminated from the playoffs. Last year after 14 games, their point differential also ranked 11th in the league at +70, but instead they were 13-1 and the AFC number one seed at the time.

After the first 14 games of the season:

2025 Chiefs: 328 points scored, 268 points allowed, 6-8 record

2024 Chiefs: 329 points scored, 259 points allowed, 13-1 record

Those one score games have come back to bite them this year...

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[HIGHLIGHT] Younghoe Koo converts (3) successful onside kicks in a row vs. the Saints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8p9ie6TcE

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NFL privately admitted to erroneous reversal of catch by Panthers
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-privately-admitted-to-erroneous-reversal-of-catch-by-panthers

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“NFL Was Crying”: Maxx Crosby Says League Forced Him to Remove Shoes Honoring His Daughter
https://www.essentiallysports.com/nfl-active-news-raiders-maxx-crosby-awaits-punishment-as-raiders-de-ignores-nfls-direct-order-against-his-daughter/

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[Caplan] Philip Rivers' NFL Return Means He Snagged 5 More Years of Health Insurance for His Family of 10 Kids
https://people.com/philip-rivers-nfl-return-means-5-more-years-health-insurance-10-kids-11870575

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What happens when an NFL ball goes into the stands? In this case, a lawsuit
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6858943/2025/12/11/nfl-football-stands-lawsuit-jalen-hurts-eagles-giants/

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[Schefter] A major move in Miami: the Dolphins are benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and turning to Quinn Ewers as their new starting QB, per sources.
https://www.espn.com/contributor/adam-schefter/96861610fc054

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Jason Myers is 34 points away from breaking LaDainian Tomlinson's single season points record.
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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill posts cryptic ‘peace out’ after Tua Tagovailoa benching
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/dolphins-wr-tyreek-hill-posts-cryptic-peace-out-after-tua-tagovailoa-benching

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Puka Nacua tried to bring internet streamers into Rams' facility but Sean McVay shut it down
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/12/17/rams-puka-nacua-neon-adin-ross-stream-facility-sean-mcvay/87808925007/

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[Payton] NFL officials told Lions coaches that if Lions receivers pick their nose one more time, they’ll get a penalty for it, seriously, this happened
https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/nfl-officials-told-lions-coaches-that-if-lions-receivers-pick-their-nose-one-more-time-theyll-get-a-penalty-for-it-seriously-this-happened/

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Jordan Arnold (@jordanarnold.me): On a livestream yesterday, Puka both: - Said that the Refs throw flags that they know are bad to brag to their friends in group chats, and - Told Adin Ross that he'd do a "covetous jew" celebration on his next TD score Suspend him tbh
https://bsky.app/profile/jordanarnold.me/post/3ma77ogj5dv2z

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[Pelissero] Mike McDaniel now confirming the news, says Quinn Ewers gives them the best chance to win. Zach Wilson will back him up and Tua will be the emergency No. 3.
https://bsky.app/profile/nflnewsreposterbot.bsky.social/post/3ma7gnplmb22h

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[Dator] Puka Nacua’s Adin Ross appearance results in antisemitic touchdown dance promise
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/puka-nacua-adin-ross-appearance-215452865.html

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[Schefter] The Rams’ team flight that was supposed to be leaving any minute now is expected to be significantly delayed due to an equipment issue with the plane, per sources. The team currently is working on alternative travel arrangements to prevent any further delays getting to Seattle.
https://www.espn.com/contributor/adam-schefter/5292db1a07080

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