Just 32 games remain in the 2018 Regular season and it seems like there is more to play for than in previous years. Several divisions are still up for grabs and more than half the playoff spots are still to be determined. Plenty of questions could have been answered but a handful of upsets not only left made some of these situations murkier than before. Even with so many questions left unanswered, there are still our five weekly takeaways from the third last weekend of regular season action.
1 – All to Play For Out West
Not one AFC division has been clinched yet and it looks like the West race will go right down to the wire thanks to the Chargers huge win on Friday. Anthony Lynn’s brave decision to go for a two-point conversion instead of settling for a potential tying extra point brought his Chargers level with the Chiefs at 11-3. The Chiefs still have the tiebreaker advantage if both were to finish with the same record but a tough trip to Seattle awaits next week and they need to win out to stay ahead of a Chargers side that has a test of its own next week.
2 – Sunday Morning Football Rules
We could really get used to waking up on a Sunday morning with NFL on the TV. It’s not going out on a huge limb to say the more games we get to watch live the better but it was fun watching Baker Mayfield and the Browns go into the imposing Broncos stadium and keep their playoff hopes alive. While this will never be a regular occurrence thanks to the College season taking up most Sunday mornings, we can enjoy this while it lasts. On the plus side, we do get another double serve of Sunday morning football this weekend, so if there is any last minute Christmas shopping that needs to be done, do it Saturday!
3 – Rodgers Run Against the Bears Ends
It’s been a rough season for Green Bay falling well short of expectations but at least they had the joy of making the Bears miserable, at least before this weekend. Aaron Rodgers had a remarkable 16-4 record as a starter against the Bears and had not lost in Chicago since 2010 (he did of course miss last season’s game). While their playoff ambition was all but mathematically over going into this game, they at least had the chance to make life tough for their rivals.
Chicago came from $12 outsiders to win the division and to do claim the division against their arch nemesis would have made it even sweeter. The Bears now have to turn their attention to the playoffs and finishing as the highest possible seed heading into January’s tournament. With a San Francisco team that has not given up just yet up next, the Bears can’t celebrate their division title for too long, especially with a first round bye now a realistic possibility.
4 – Steelers Break the Brady Hoodoo
With a three game losing streak, their season in the balance and an opponent they have not fared well against in the past coming to town, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a win in the worst possible way. Having just seen Baltimore pick up a win over Tampa, the Steelers risked falling out of the playoff picture entirely with a loss against a quarterback who has beaten them on 11 out of 13 occasions and had some of the best performances of his career against them. When it mattered most though, the Steelers defence stood up and delivered, holding the Patriots to just 10 points, their equal lowest score of the season. Things don’t get much easier for the Steelers though, as they have to travel to New Orleans next week to face a side fighting for homefield advantage in the NFC.
5 – Nick Foles to the Rescue Again?
Did anyone else get a sense of déjà vu on Monday when the Eagles blew out the Rams? In 2017, Nick Foles took over for an injured Carson Wentz and helped his team to win that game. He then went on a magical postseason run, culminating in a Super Bowl title and MVP award. This season, he came in with the Eagles playing the Rams in the Coliseum (again) and Foles once again stepped up with a contribution that was slightly bigger than last season’s one. It’s a big ask expecting him to catch fire and go on another run this year, but could you feel confident backing against him? A playoff berth is not out of the question and if they get in, nothing can be ruled out.