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TOUCHDOWN! Jets 0-14 Dolphins 8:41, 1st quarter
De’Von Achane rumbles in for a 13-yard score. Looking bleak already for the Jets.
TOUCHDOWN! Jaguars 7-7 Colts 4:312, 1st quarter
Jonathan Taylor hits back with a goal line run.
TOUCHDOWN! Ravens 3-7 Steelers 7:13, 1st quarter
Aaron Rodgers! He fakes the pass and scampers out to the left and in for the one-yard touchdown! That play was set up by a beautiful throw and catch to DK Metcalf on a 52-yard bomb.
It’s GOOD! Bills 3-7 Bengals 1:55, 1st quarter
Cinci get the stop as Josh Allen is shut down on a keeper at 3rd & Goal. Matt Prater kicks the 26-yard chip shot.
What could have been had Ty Johnson not slipped on a snowdrift.
Bills 0-7 Bengals 3:55, 1st quarter
Buffalo miss out on a touchdown as Ty Johnson stumbles in the snow! He was home free. Handily the runner still put the Bills in the red zone poised to strike.
TOUCHDOWN! Buccaneers 7-7 Saints 7:57, 1st quarter
The Saints are pegged back quickly with a sharp seven-play drive capped by a short pass that Bucky Irving takes to the house for the 24-yard score. Fire the cannons!
It’s GOOD! Ravens 3-0 Steelers 10:58, 1st quarter
Tyler Loop boots one from 36 yards to give the Ravens an early lead in the battle for the AFC North.
TOUCHDOWN! Jaguars 7-0 Colts 10:39, 1st quarter
Travis Etienne shoots up the middle for a three-yard touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN! Bills 0-7 Bengals 6:44, 1st quarter
As the TDs are raining down elsewhere, the Bengals are still grinding upfield on the Bills and convert one of their own! Over eight minutes and on 3rd and 1 they run it up the gut with Perine to get the 1st & Goal. They give it to Chase Brown on the next carry who bundles home from five yards with a lot of help from his friends on the offensive line. 14 plays where they expertly exploited the tough, snowy conditions.
TOUCHDOWN! Browns 0-7 Titans 9:51, 1st quarter
Cam Ward hits Elic Ayomanor for a 14-yard touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN! Vikings 7-0 Commanders 11:03, 1st quarter
JJ McCarthy gets off to a flier (what a relief!) with an 18-yard strike to Josh Oliver.
TOUCHDOWN! Jets 0-7 Dolphins 12:51, 1st quarter
Miami take the lead thanks to a short pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle from three yards out.
TOUCHDOWN! Buccaneers 0-7 Saints 12:23, 1st quarter
Devin Neal scores with a three-yard rush to give New Orleans the lead.
Bills 0-0 Bengals 12:30, 1st quarter
The Bills force a 3rd down on the opening set and Joe Burrow makes his first attempt in the swirling snow. Tee Higgins moves the chains with a 10-yard catch then does so again with another grab in the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain.
Snowball fight, anyone? Joe’s up for it. 6pm strikes, here we go!
For the quarterback minded among you there is an aerial aestheticist’s dream between Buffalo and Cincinnati on the way. The reigning MVP v the Heisman winner. The cannon v the laser. Josh Allen v Joe Burrow. If shootouts were grown in a lab … this would be the test-tube lovechild of the O.K. Coral and Independence Day. I think. Bills v Bengals, sod the playoffs, is happening … now!
And it’s a snow game, what more could you ask for?
The drama doesn’t stop in Maryland. Over in the AFC South there is another battle for top spot popping off between the Jaguars and Colts. Both are 8-4 so a loss is a touch less damaging to the loser’s wildcard dreams than for their brothers in the north though maybe best to keep rolling and take hold of home-field advantage today.
Jacksonville have been a minor revelation after some mid-season wobbles with four wins from their past five while Indianapolis, the NFL’s early season darlings, are struggling with two wins from their past five.
The oddsmakers have the Colts still favoured to win. Maybe they have been watching the Floridian weather forecast. Rain is predicted so having a superior running back, aka Indy’s Jonathan Taylor, could decide this one.
Preamble
Here we go football universe, it is week 14 and things are officially getting rather lively in the playoff race. The AFC North is already hosting what is close to a title decider between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. They share top spot in the division on 6-6. A losing record this late is just not form worthy of earning a wildcard so as De La Soul once said the Stakes Is High … much like in most of the other seven matchups (sorry Minnesota) starting at 2pm CST/1pm EST/6pm GMT (home teams listed first):
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(4-8) Atlanta Falcons v Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
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(6-6) Baltimore Ravens v Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
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(8-4) Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
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(3-9) Cleveland Browns v Tennessee Titans (1-11)
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(8-4) Jacksonville Jaguars v Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
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(4-8) Minnesota Vikings v Washington Commanders (3-9)
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(3-9) New York Jets v Miami Dolphins (5-7)
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(7-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New Orleans Saints (2-10)
So how devastating is a loss for either Baltimore or Pittsburgh? The nerds at NFL.com have the Ravens soaring to an 81% chance of making the postseason with a win and 36% with a loss. The Steelers build to 61% with victory while clunking to 16% if they lose. The message is clear for both: beat the old enemy and take control of your destiny.
The form book certainly gives Baltimore the edge despite their five-game winning streak coming to a crashing halt last week. Pittsburgh are in much deeper trouble with only two wins in their past seven games. What should give the Steelers hope is that a five-game run that featured wins over the moribund Dolphins, Vikings, Browns and Jets ended when Lamar Jackson and company met a true test from Joe Burrow. If the Steelers defense can get close to matching the five sacks and three interceptions that stunned Indianapolis in week nine then the Ravens will likely crumble. If!
What is easier to prognosticate is that with these rivals out of form in parts, struggling with injuries (there are 20 total players on the report) or just bad in the case of Aaron Rodgers’ offense then this dustup is not going to be pretty. Exactly as it should be in December. What are the hive minds thoughts, feel free to send me a prediction if you’d be so kind, I am going for Ravens 24-17 Steelers.
