So a bizarre NFL regular season mostly devoid of any obviously dominant teams in either conference (well, the Seahawks, arguably, could be regarded as dominant, based on what they do and how far they go in the postseason) comes to an end. Fittingly, it was a bizarre regular week finale, as well.
The Buccaneers finally ended their losing streak on time to briefly by beating the Panthers in the NFC South. Yet in a game involving two franchises whom had long ago been eliminated from the playoffs, the Bucs still lost the NFC South to the Panthers. The Bears lost to the Lions while trying to clinch the second overall seed in the NFC, but the Eagles also lost at home to Washington. So they remain at two and three. The Ravens saw their placekicker miss a chip shot which he almost never misses, and that cost them the AFC North title in Pittsburgh. The Packers back into the playoffs having suffered four straight losses. The Chargers pulled their starters and seemed not to place much emphasis on avoiding the lowest AFC seed against Denver, and the Broncos were able to get the win which gives them the top overall seed in the AFC, as well as that precious playoff bye week.
Plus, there was plenty else which happened.
Let's take a look:
Atlanta 19, New Orleans 17 - Two of the suddenly hottest teams in the league squared off in a game that should largely have been meaningless, but wasn't. Yes, both the Panthers and the Bucs watched this game with avid interest. A Saints win would give the Bucs the division title, while a Falcons win would give it to the Carolina Panthers. It was a tight game until the Saints nearly had a pick six. Atlanta had to settle for a field goal, but then held on defense and got another field goal to go up 19-10. New Orleans was able to get a touchdown late to make it interesting, but were unable to follow up. Victory for the Falcons, their fourth straight to end the season, and the elusive NFC South title goes to the Panthers. My pick: Accurate
NY Giants 34, Dallas 17 - Big Blue had not beaten Dallas in a long time. Sooner or later, that was bound to end. But as a fan of the G-Men, it seems strange that Big Blue got hot in the final two weeks, when it no longer really matters and, also, when they might have robbed themselves of the opportunity to "earn" the number one overall seed. They handily beat the 'Boys, finally, and finish the season 4-13, while Dallas ends with a disappointing 7-9-1 record to end the 2025 season on the first weekend of 2026. My pick; Inaccurate
Jacksonville 41, Tennessee 7 - Now, this is the way you kind of expect a top tier team headed for the playoffs and needing a win for a chance at a division title and/or higher seed would play. Indeed, the Jaguars more than took care of business on their end. They dominated, never leaving anything to chance. There was no question that they were in control of this one since they broke a 7-7 tie and scored the first of what would be 24 unanswered points in the second quarter, making it 31-7 by halftime. They cruised the rest of the way, and looked impressive doing it. My pick: Accurate
Houston 38, Indianapolis 30 - The Texans certainly did not have a great day, defensively. On a day when they had to win to keep their division title hopes alive (there was no way to know for sure that the Jaguars would win), Houston had likely their worst single defensive performance of the season on this day. Still, their offense was good enough to earn the win, which preserves the fifth overall seed in the AFC. They are still going to be a very tough challenge for anyone they face, and that means that the Steelers will likely have their hands very full next weekend when facing the Texans.. My pick: Accurate
Minnesota 16, Green Bay 3 - If I was a Packers fan, it would make me a bit nervous that this team will enter the playoffs having not won a single game since early December. Losing four straight before the postseason begins usually is not a good sign at all. That said, this game meant nothing to Green Bay, as they rested their starters on the road against the Purple and Gold. The Vikings have now won four straight to close out the season, and they surely have to wonder what might have been had one or two early season games gone the other way. Still, an impressive way to close out the season for the Vikings, not so much for the Pack. My pick: Accurate
Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 18 - The biggest news from this particular game Myles Garrett set the single season sacks record, nabbing his 23rd sack of the season, surpassing Michael Strahan and JD Watts, who were tied for the most ever with 22.5. Otherwise, the Browns managed a fairly impressive road win in Cincy to close out their dismal regular season with a rare win to end the season at 5-12. The Bengals, meanwhile, finish with a 6-11 record. My pick: Inaccurate
LA Rams 37, Arizona 20 - Los Angeles had dropped two straight games, compromising their seeding in the NFC playoffs. But with a chance to at least solidify their fifth seed, they left no doubt in this game against the Cardinals. Arizona was competitive until the third quarter, but the Rams offense caught fire, and their defense clamped down on the Cards, earning a blowout win and, with it, the fifth overall seed, wit a 12-5 mark to end the 2025 season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, finish the season at 3-14.. My pick: Accurate
Las Vegas 14, Kansas City 12 - The Raiders earned a rare win against a seriously diminished Kansas City squad. The Chiefs, of course, were nothing like the team we had grown used to them being in recent seasons. Still, Las Vegas is hardly a consistent winner themselves, having entered this game with 10 straight losses. But that came to an end with a narrow win to close out their season at 3-14. KC, meanwhile, ends the season at 6-11, and there is a sense of impending changes to come for the Chiefs. My pick: Inaccurate
New England 38, Miami 10 - With a chance to capture the top overall seed in the AFC if they won and the Broncos lost, New England left no doubts in this one. The Dolphins never seem to play well in the cold, and a January game in Foxboro does not inspire confidence. So the Pats crushed the Fins, although they still have to settle for the number two seed since Denver won. nevertheless, an impressive performance by the Patriots. My pick: Accurate
Detroit 19, Chicago 16 - Detroit stunned the Bears by jumping ahead, 16-0, in this one. Yet the resilient Bears battled back and actually managed to tie this one. After all, the second overall seed in the NFC was at stake, and the Bears had not rested their starters, wanting to clinch that second seed. Yet, it was the Lions who got a very late field goal on the game's final play to clinch a largely meaningless, symbolic win, completing the season sweep of Da Bears. Still, the Bears were lucky with the Eagles losing, and back into the second overall seed. However, you have to wonder how solid they are when losing a game like this with their starters playing and with something important on the line just before the playoffs start. My pick: Inaccurate
Washington 24, Philadelphia 17- When asked whether or not he regretted sitting out the starters for this one, Eagles head coach Nick Sirriani said that he did not. But you have to wonder. To be fair, they needed some help, but then got some when the Bears were stunned by the Lions at Soldier Field, opening up the possibility that the Eagles could be the second overall seed in the NFC. Instead, they largely had their best players watching on the sideline as the Commanders took this one. The Eagles will have to settle for the third overall seed, and will host the 49ers in the Wildcard next weekend. My pick: Inaccurate
Buffalo 35, NY Jets 8 - Man, it was nice to see the Bills wearing those red helmets and looking as they had back in the 1990's. I like the white helmets, too, but admittedly prefer those red helmets. They also played like those Bills as well, the ones who dominated the AFC for four straight seasons and were among the winningest teams of the nineties. They took care of business, and had the game well in hand before Gang Green finally managed to score their first and only points in the fourth quarter. A fitting goodbye to a historical stadium, as the Bills will now prepare to move to the new stadium literally across the parking lot from the old one, which is set to be demolished in March of 2027. My pick: Accurate
Denver 19, LA Chargers 3 - This game became predictable once you heard that the Chargers would be resting their starters. Sure enough, the Broncos, who needed to win to capture the top overall seed in the AFC, pretty much dominated the game. They did not score a ton of points, but coupled with a solid defensive effort that limited the Chargers to just a field goal, it was more than enough. My pick: Accurate
Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh 26, Baltimore 24 - Baltimore's offense looked fluid and ready early in the game. They had a rhythm and were moving the ball and scoring points. Then, the Steelers defense tightened up, and it became a back and forth kind of a game. Ultimately, it came down to a missed field goal from what usually is a sure thing by Ravens placekicker Tyler Loop, giving the Steelers the AFC North division title. My pick: Inaccurate
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