104th season, final regular season weekend recap

[racepug]

BAL 10 – 17 PIT – in a game where the Ravens had nothing to play for the ‘Stillers’ completed the season sweep of their division rivals and kept their playoff hopes alive with this road win.

Indy 19 – 23 HOU – the Texans gutted out the win against their division rivals on the road and punched their ticket to the playoffs as a result.

CIN 31 – 14 CLE – the Bengals outlasted the Browns in a game that was for nothing more than state bragging rights.

'N'awlins' 48 – 17 ATL – the Saints put an end to the Falcons playoff hopes in this one and kept their own playoff hopes alive with the emphatic win.

TEN 28 – 20 JAX – the last place Titans prevented the Jaguars from winning the division and also from making the playoffs with this win.

CAR 0 – 9 T.B. - the Buccaneers won the N.F.C. South with this narrow victory over the 2-win Panthers.

DET 30 – 20 MIN – the Lions got their 2nd win over the Vikings in 3 weeks and maintained the possibility that they’d get the #2 seed in the conference playoffs.

N.E. 3 – 17 the NYJ – the Jets end a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots in what might be Bill Belichick’s last game as H.C. of N.E.

G.B. 17 – 9 CHI – with the win the Packers grab the last playoff spot in the N.F.C. and eliminate both the Saints and the Seahawks in the process.

the LAC 12 – 13 K.C. - in another game with little importance the Chiefs eked this victory out on a last-minute FG.

the NYG 27 – 10 PHI – the ‘Iggles’ limp into the playoffs on a sorry 1 – 5 skid to end the regular season.

WAS 10 – 38 DAL – the Commanders are NOT able to send their hated arch-rivals into the playoffs on a losing note as the N.F.C. entry based in TX claims the division title and the #2 seed in the conference playoffs on the last weekend of the regular season.

the LVR 27 – 14 DEN – in an otherwise meaningless game the Raiders sweep the Broncos and keep them from finishing with a winning record this season.

ARZ 20 – 21 SEA – the Seahawks pull the win out thanks to a late 2-pt. conversion and a last-second FG miss by the Cardinals (their 2nd miss of the 4th quarter) but miss the playoffs thanks to G.B.'s win over ‘Da Bears.’

SFO 20 – 21 the LAR – in a game with no real importance the Rams ended a regular season losing streak against the 49ers that stretched back to 2018.

MIA 14 – 21 BUF – the Bills shut the Dolphins out in the 2nd half and came through in the last league game of the regular season to secure their 4th A.F.C. East title (and the #2 seed in the conference playoffs) in a row!

[Brian wolf]

Congratulations to Rudolph, Stroud, Love and Mayfield for leading their teams to huge wins to get into the playoffs.

Winning seasons for Smith in Seattle, Lawrence in Jax and Carr in NO but disappointing years considering the talent on those teams.
Yes, a bad finish for the Jags but Lawrence showed toughness trying to play through injuries, it will only help him in the future. Minshew and Browning went beyond expectations helping their teams win.

Will Fields stay with the Bears, and what about Garopollo, Tannehill, Wilson, Trubisky, Jones, Dobbs and other QBs? Will they be changing teams? Will the Cards keep Murray, the Vikings Cousins?

Who will obtain Derrick Henry? With Smith fired in Atlanta, could he come back to the Titans and rebuild their awful offensive line?
Henry needs to go to a team that can challenge for a title, the Titans wont offer him enough money ...

[JameisBrownston]

This was an awful NFL season. Nothing interesting ever seemed to happen, and when it did, it didn't last. Joe Flacco finally becoming ELITE, and that being basically the story of the year, perfectly encapsulates what the season was as a whole: a meme. Not expecting much better from the playoffs, but at least it can't be worse than 2018.

[racepug]

This was an awful NFL season. Nothing interesting ever seemed to happen, and when it did, it didn't last. Joe Flacco finally becoming ELITE, and that being basically the story of the year, perfectly encapsulates what the season was as a whole: a meme. Not expecting much better from the playoffs, but at least it can't be worse than 2018.

I can't disagree with you on that. What a "meh" N.F.L. season. From K.C. looking mostly ordinary coming out of the gate to PHI's late-season collapse and from DEN giving up 70 points in one game to CAR winning a mere two games (and both on literal last-second FGs, at that) not much stood out this year and what little did was mostly bad. If ever there was a season in which I think it would've been perfectly justified to have the playoffs be nothing but the S.B., this is that season.

[Brian wolf]

NFL seasons since 2015 have been bad but the postseason always saves the year as one team rides a storyline to a championship. With wagers riding high, will Vegas get some upsets or will the best teams line up accordingly and decide on the field, for an exciting finish before March?

Fun Postseason Storylines

Could Clev with Flacco play Jackson and the Ravens in Baltimore?

Mahomes and the Chiefs visiting the Bills with Allen in Orchard Park?

Detroit going back to Dallas? Philly visiting SF?

*Edited ...

*I think the Rams could only meet SF in the championship game if GB upsets Dallas.

[racepug]

NFL seasons since 2015 have been bad but the postseason always saves the year as one team rides a storyline to a championship. With wagers riding high, will Vegas get some upsets or will the best teams line up accordingly and decide on the field, for an exciting finish before March?

Fun Postseason Storylines

Could Clev with Flacco play Jackson and the Ravens in Baltimore?

Mahomes and the Chiefs visiting the Bills with Allen in Orchard Park?

Detroit going back to Dallas? Philly visiting SF?

*Edited ...

*I think the Rams could only meet SF in the championship game if GB upsets Dallas.

You don't even have to speculate! You've already got, in the first round: Tyreek Hill going back to Kansas City, Mike McCarthy's team being visited by the team he used to coach, and Matthew Stafford going back to the city where he used to be quarterback. Fun!

[JameisBrownston]

I'm pulling for obviously my Bucs on the NFC side, and Cleveland in the AFC for the Flacco story. I think we can beat an extraordinarily flat Philly, and honestly can't wait to play them. After that is going to be a monumental struggle though, facing someone like Detroit or Dallas in the div round. Rooting for those teams to lose in round 1 so we get LAR or GB.

[Brian wolf]

JS ... If the Bucs look flat and lose to Philly, do you think Bowles could get fired? I think the job could be appealing to Vrabel

[JameisBrownston]

JS ... If the Bucs look flat and lose to Philly, do you think Bowles could get fired? I think the job could be appealing to Vrabel

I'd love Vrabel. Think he's much better than Toad Bowels, who should be demoted back to DC. I wouldn't want to see Canales go though, he did wonders with Baker this year.

[Brian wolf]

And Carroll is basically out in Seattle ... how much he advises the new coaching regime remains to be seen. With the talent on the team and a good runner in Walker, an ideal situation to bring in Harbaugh and challenge the 49ers ...