by As the regular season draws to a close, every Friday we’ll look at a game that could affect the playoff race, along with the teams that are rising and falling. And, so we don’t neglect the teams as well, we’ll see which teams will be chasing the No. 1 pick. 1 next year.
Game of the week
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) v Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
Story of the season: Sometimes the obvious choice is the right choice. The 10-2 Eagles meeting the 9-3 Cowboys in Dallas will help decide the No. 1 seed. If the Eagles bounce back from last week’s humiliation their soft schedule puts them in the driving seat for redemption the rest of the way, but lose and the race is wide open. The sharpest subplot is how linebacker Shaquille Leonard choosing to sign with the Eagles over the Cowboys will push this tight rivalry. As Cowboys owner Jerry Jones put it, this is a “unique time.” Dallas is angry, Philadelphia is distracted, sparks are going to fly.
What the Eagles must do to win: “Please be sure that all members of the game day team understand that their role is not to be involved in game day changes,” read a memo to teams Wednesday regarding Philadelphia’s head of security being fired from the 49ers’ win. This is what can happen if the coach of his team shows his rival team trash talk about them, says take it personally and then can’t help but run his mouth at the opposition before the start. Even poor Dom DiSandro tries to pick a fight with another linebacker. Nick Sirianni has to accept that, although he works successfully on such a strong emotional level, considering that his team is a set of 53 Michael Jordans and that they will immediately respond well to such an intense and naive atmosphere against the best. Sirianni seems to have an inferiority complex that needs to be dialed back, because his team just isn’t. Coach aggressively but as you call plays in the game, instead of punting distractedly on fourth and two when two scores down. On the field, the defense must show up after a display made by the tepid receiver Jauan Jennings looks like Deebo Samuel Jr. The coverage of CeeDee Lamb will be a challenge but stop another avalanche on the ground as linebacker Zach Cunningham can return on the starting lineup. . But Leonard, who cited Sirianni’s time as the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator as a reason to get involved, get in the game early and often to establish your strong suit. Let the snub simmer and fade, then show why he chose you, don’t tell.
What the Cowboys need to do to win: Simply put, the Cowboys need to get their best performance yet from a very good but not great season. The record against their NFC rivals reads badly after the 49ers were embarrassed and lost to the Eagles. They need to take their focal point away from shutout receiver AJ Brown, throw a blanket over him and make sure the safety is always on hand as well so when he does inevitably snap, he doesn’t do too much damage. On offense, he worked to target the Eagles’ hobbled secondary for the 49ers so Mike McCarthy should be planning ways for Dak Prescott to shine but the quarterback also needs to improvise, some of the moments are the best of the star’s season came when he escaped the pocket and looked down deep for CeeDee Lamb and company. But it’s Lamb (on pace for 1,700 yards this season) who has the athleticism to carry a defense that looked awful against San Francisco and now has the league’s second-most shutouts up at 27.
Risers and fallers playoff race
Rising: Green Bay Packers (6-6, currently No. 7 in NFC)
The Packers cemented their status as a serious threat to ruin the playoffs with their dominant win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Jordan Love’s continued growth at quarterback was a key factor. He drove the Packers in front from the start and never let up as his once unpredictable play had precision and a chance to go with the fireworks. The Chiefs’ powerful defense tried to knock him out of position but he avoided pressure like a veteran in the pocket, giving him time to harmonize with receiver Christian Watson to devastating effect. His transition from winner to loser shows in the stat line: 843 yards passing and eight touchdowns in three straight wins. Matt LaFleur’s patience has paid off in putting his team in the NFC’s final wild card game as it stands at 6-6 and is unlikely to get out of here as the Packers still have no streak of a winning record. have at the moment.
Falling: Kansas City Chiefs (8-4, currently No. 3 in the AFC)
Green Bay and Kansas City like overnight ships. While the former enhanced their playoff credentials, the latter killed their shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Christian Watson’s day, specifically his second touchdown, showed just how weak the Chiefs’ offense was – how Patrick Mahomes would impact a tall, powerful route runner who could stretch the field and get a contested ball. Travis Kelce is still on hand though and he needs a lot more balls against the Buffalo Bills to help them quickly flip the game in their favor. However, a rare lack of composure set in. The Bills will zero in on winning at all costs with their season on the line, a focus that could lead to mental mistakes like Green Bay did. Mahomes seemed needlessly frustrated with the lack of pass-in calls against the Packers but, when he was finally judged to have overstepped the mark, he made a bad throw and was intercepted. A drive that could have resulted in the first go-ahead of the night, with five minutes to go, went as his pass went over an unsuspecting Skyy Moore and into the arms of Keisean Nixon. It wasn’t as important but it wasn’t as crucial as the ejection of Isiah Pacheco with a minute left as he carried the offense on his back. It would help to clear the errors gradually and quickly.
Race for the No. 1 pick
With the Carolina Panthers showing little to no improvement after the departure of Frank Reich, it’s safe to assume that the New Orleans Saints will keep the Chicago Bears locked up for next year’s top draft pick, while still winning the NFC South on the table but the motivation. could be a bigger factor to avoid an embarrassing season-ending defeat. Elsewhere, we have the 4-8 New York Jets. A five-game losing streak has them picking at No. 6 at the moment but has the potential to go much higher. Aaron Rodgers is not returning, Tim Boyle has been mercifully released, Zach Wilson is returning as a starter and a friend in the building claims he is “reluctant” to do so and Brett Rypien has been signed as a potential fifth signal caller of the season. . This mountain of self-made chaos means the Texans are winning and it’s hard to fathom the Dolphins leading to a potential pick around No. 3, can Wilson save Rodgers from a rookie QB hanging in the shadows?
