NFL 2018-19 Regular Season Finale Weekend Review

The final weekend in the NFL definitely promised to be interesting, and it delivered. There were teams that needed to finally clinch division titles, like the Ravens and the Texans and the Chiefs, and there were teams like the Patriots and Rams and Chiefs (yes, the Chiefs were in both categories). The two Pennsylvania teams, the Eagles and the Steelers, were hoping that luck was on their side, and they would qualify for the playoffs. Then, there was a de facto playoff game in Tennessee, between the Titans and the Colts.

What a weekend! 

So, let's take a closer look at all of the games, particularly the ones with playoff ramifications:

New England Patriots 38, N.Y. Jets 3 - Well, this was more like it for the Patriots. They had not looked particularly good all season long, although they managed to win a weak division where every other team, other than New England, was a losing one this season. But the Pats had looked less than their usual stellar selves, as well. But this win was a necessary one. They needed to win this one in order to secure the second seed, and get that much-needed playoff bye. Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, and the Patriots defense crushed the inept Jets offense. New England not only got the win that they needed, but got a statement win, signifying that they appear to be playing their best as they enter the playoffs. They are especially tough to beat at home in New England, and they will play their next game in two weeks from the comforts of home. Watch out! My pick: Accurate

Dallas 36, N.Y. Giants 35 - Not sure why Dak Prescott was in this game for so long, or why the Cowboys would risk his health when they were locked into the fourth seed. That was a brave decision, and it worked out for Jason Garrett, I guess. But Prescott played, and played extremely well, throwing four touchdown passes. The game was symbolic for the G-Men, who fought hard to keep up and came close to pulling off a win in the end, but fell short of managing a comeback win. The Cowboys solidify their record a bit more this season, but this game really meant nothing to them. It could have been disastrous had a starter, particularly Prescott, suffered an injury. My pick: Inaccurate

Atlanta 34, Tampa Bay 32 - A very exciting game for both teams to end the season on. This was far too little and much too late for Atlanta, but for what it is worth, they do get the win, and looked good doing it. The Falcons battled back from an early deficit to keep it close and, ultimately, to pull off a solid win. They ended the season with a few good wins to help boost their morale, although this season can hardly be seen as anything but a disappointment for them. As for Tampa Bay, this season opened up with tremendous promise, but ends with an all-too familiar disappointment as they head off to the off-season. My pick: Inaccurate

Carolina 33, New Orleans 14 - The good news for the Panthers is that they won and snapped their horrendous losing streak. The bad news is that they did it against the Saints back-ups, and not against the dangerous team that has dominated the NFC, particularly in the second half of the season, and earned the NFC's number one ranking entering the postseason. Yes, New Orleans did the wise things and pretty much sat their starters, even though they have a playoff bye. But that is smart, not risking any injuries or anything. They were locked into the number one seed, after all, and so they had nothing to gain and nothing to lose. So, this was pretty much as expected.. My pick: Accurate

Detroit 31, Green Bay 0 - Zero. Bagel/ Nada. Shut out and blown out at home to the Lions, a team going nowhere, and a team that the Packers used to own, especially up in Lambeau Field. Plus, Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion. A nightmare end to a disappointing season for the Pack. It does not get much worse than this for Green Bay. This was just a terrible way to end the season. As for the Lions, this was a big victory that sends them off on a very positive note for the coming off-season. They had their ups and downs this season, but ultimately, the playoffs were nowhere to be found. Still, this must feel good, managing to shut out the Packers in Green Bay. The hex is most definitely over! My pick: Inaccurate

Buffalo 42, Miami 17 - In a game that really did not matter much in the grand scheme of things, the Dolphins looked like they were playing with some pride and keeping up with Buffalo for a good while. They fought back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter to tie it by halftime. But then, the roof caved in. The Bills just completely took over the game, which became a route. The result was an ugly, but symbolic, loss for Miami, who still had playoff hopes not too long ago. Now, they are in turmoil. For Buffalo, this was a solid win in a season when many expected them to be much, much worse, so this bodes well for them. Josh Allen had a monster day, throwing for three touchdowns and running for 95 yards and two more touchdowns. My pick: Accurate

Houston 20, Jacksonville 3 - Now, at least the Texans got the job done in this one. They had to win in order to clinch the division title, and to their credit, they got it done. Granted, the Jaguars are hardly a powerhouse kind of a team, but this situation could potentially have been dangerous for Houston. After all, the best they could hope for at home against Jax was to meet expectations and beat them convincingly, which they did. Now, they ave the division title, and the third seed in the AFC playoffs. It might not have been what they wanted weeks ago, but it was what was on the table, and it was better than losing and seeing another team, the Colts, win the division instead. But Houston hardly looks like they are as elite as they looked earlier this season, when they enjoyed a franchise-best nine game win streak. As for the Jaguars, the went from having won the division title and an AFC Championship Game finalist last season, to being a last place, losing team this season. All the bears that went their way last year seemed to go against them this year. They probably are glad to put this season behind them, and well should be. My pick: Accurate

L.A. Rams 48, San Francisco 32 - The Rams had to win to keep their elite status and playoff bye. A loss would have given Chicago the second seed, and would have meant that the Rams would have to play next weekend in the Wildcard Game. Assuming that they would have won, they would then have had to travel to Solider Field - in January - and face the same Bears team that shut them down just weeks ago. So, yes, this was an important win, even if it came against a weaker division rival. The 49ers started winning some towards the end, but their season felt doomed when they got off to a sluggish start, and then lost their starting quarterback. This game went as expected, for the most part. My pick: Accurate

Kansas City 35, Oakland 3 - Kansas City had been the most consistent team in the AFC all season, and appeared to be the top team in the conference from the beginning. Then came the shocking loss to the Chargers, followed by the loss in Seattle, and it seemed like the Chiefs were choking at the most inopportune time. But KC took full advantage of both home advantage and a weak opponent yesterday, jumping all over the Raiders early and often, and piling on the points. They were not going to have a letdown. They had a chance to wrap up home field advantage, and they took care of business and left no doubts. They earned the number one seed. Whether or not they can ride that all the way to the Super Bowl is another matter. But this Chiefs team was one of the best offenses in recent memory. Patrick Mahomes had one of the most incredible seasons that any quarterback has ever had, becoming only the second quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards and throw at least 50 touchdowns in the same season (Manning in 2013 did the same). Mahomes joined Manning and Brady as the only quarterbacks to have thrown 50 touchdown passes in the same season, and both of those other guys led their teams to the Super Bowl in the seasons that they achieved that feat. That is not to say that Mahomes will lead his team to the promised land, but it is a good sign. Clearly, Mahomes is the real deal, and the Chiefs earned that number one seed this season.  My pick: Accurate

Chicago 24, Minnesota 10 - Here we got again. For a second year in a row, the Vikings found themselves heartbroken, as the Eagles did what they needed to do to advance, and Minnesota failed to do what they needed to do. Of course last year, the Vikings failed against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. This time, they failed against the Bears, while watching the Eagles thoroughly take care of business in Washington. The end result is the same, though. Philly moves on, and Minnesota goes home earlier than they wanted to. The loss to the Eagles last year was an embarrassing blowout in Philly, where the Vikings were completely outclassed. This time, it was right in their home, and against a familiar divisional rival, the Bears. Still, the Vikings failed to get much of anything going. Their defense did not have an awful day, like they did last season against the Eagles, but they were not able to stop Chicago when it mattered most. But where the Vikings really let their fans down was with that offense, which was supposed to be one of the most explosive units in the league. They sure did not look like it in this game. There was Kirk Cousins, the $84 million dollar man, arguing with Adam Thielen on the sideline. Seeing that alone showed you all that you needed to know about the Vikings offensive struggles this season. I'll be honest: I never understood why Cousins became one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league. To my mind's eye, he is probably the fourth best starting quarterback in his division of four teams, and there are plenty of other quarterbacks out there not in the NFC North who are better, and have proven themselves more. Tom Brady. Drew Brees. Eli Manning. Philip Rivers. Quite a few others, frankly. So why did Minnesota pay him so damn much? Are they regretting it now. I would bet dollars to donuts that they are. This was a disaster for the Vikings, who never should have missed the playoffs, or even been in the position of having to win this final regular season game to get in. Clearly, they have a lot to work on in the off-season, which started early for them this year. As for the Bears, they earned the number three seed, and played extremely well in this game, and pretty much all season. They should be a good, solid team for years to come!  My pick: Inaccurate

L.A. Chargers 23, Denver 9 - The Chargers needed to win this game for a chance at the division championship. They did it, and won convincingly, even though the Chiefs clearly left no doubt in their game, and took the division title instead. But the Chargers are a solid team, with a tough defense and a veteran leading a dangerous offense. Yes, they lost to Baltimore late in the season, and it cost them a chance at the division championship. Now, the Chargers have to go to Baltimore for the rematch, and it is not going to be easy. But they are a real serious team, and could reverse their fortunes this time around. As for the Broncos, they are a huge disappointment, and have plenty of work once again for a much longer off-season than they wanted or expected. My pick: Accurate

Baltimore 26, Cleveland 24- The Ravens are a dangerous team. They have a wicked tough defense, and a quarterback that poses a threat and hurt or beat you with his legs or with his arm. Lamar Jackson is incredibly fast, and he seems to be able to will his team to get the job done when it is absolutely necessary. He did it yesterday, managing to do just enough to avoid what could have been a devastating defeat, for what also would have been a second year in a row. Instead, Baltimore are the AFC North division champions, and will get to host a playoff game next weekend against the Chargers. At this point, I would not want to have to play the Ravens in the playoffs, because they can be very tough. As for the Browns, they had a wonderful season, one that promises a bright future. That is particularly true for Baker Mayfield, who broke the rookie touchdown pass record with 27 this season. This Browns team is a young and rising power in the NFL, and should be competitive in the near future. But this day belonged to the Ravens, who earned the win, and the division crown that is now theirs.  My pick: Accurate

Philadelphia 24, Washington 0 - Like the Chiefs, the Eagles left absolutely no doubt, taking a lead early, and never allowing Washington to really get into this game. There was never any doubt. The major concern for the Eagles right now is the health of Nick Foles, the QB who led them to the Super Bowl victory last season, as he suffered bruised ribs and is questionable for next week at this point. Still, Philly left no doubts, taking full advantage of the struggles that division rivals Washington are going through, as well as Minnesota's choke job. Now, the Eagles are in the playoffs, and will go to Chicago to face the Bears. Not sure whether they will win or not, but the fact that they got there is impressive, and a testament to their persistence and faith in themselves and their system. For Washington, this was just the miserable end to a once promising season that wound up feeling cursed as the bad luck and injuries just kept mounting.  My pick: Accurate

Pittsburgh 16, Cincinnati 13 - The Steelers struggled a bit, but took care of business when they had to in this one. Still, despite the win, Pittsburgh players and fans stayed on the field to watch the end of the Ravens-Browns game, in the unfamiliar position of routing for the Browns, in hopes that they could pull off the upset and knock off the Ravens, which would give the Steelers the AFC North title. It obviously did not happen, but Pittsburgh played well, and should have reasons to feel confident going into the off-season and hopes for next season. They still have a solid amount of talent, and should be back in playoff contention next season. It just did not work out for them this season. My pick: Accurate

Seattle 27, Arizona 24 - The Seahawks were already in the playoffs, but they wanted to win to secure the fifth seed, and a date with Dallas, rather than a trip to frigid Soldier Field to take on the rising Bears. The Cardinals provided a surprisingly tough test, especially considering they were one of the worst teams in the league this season. But in the end, Seattle managed the win, and earned that fifth seed. Now, they travel to Dallas to meet the 'Boys, with a real chance at advancing. My pick: Accurate

Sunday Night Football

Indianapolis 33, Tennessee 17 - This was the big game, and clearly, I underestimated the mastery that the Colts enjoy over the Titans in this era of Andrew Luck. The Colts took the lead early, and were able to keep the pressure on, ultimately managing a convincing road win at the Titans to punch their ticket into the playoffs. Not sure why the Titans simply cannot manage anything good against the Colts, but that failure proved very costly in this game. Indianapolis becomes the third team ever to recover from a 1-5 start to qualify for the playoffs. The last team to do it was the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs, and they also headed to Houston to play the Texans in the wild card, like the Colts will be doing. They won that in a blowout. Can the Colts repeat that feat, as well?  My pick: Inaccurate