“I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in today’s NFL. I don’t see the excellence that I saw in the past.” Those words are an excerpt from a recent interview by legendary quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady pointed to coaching, the development of young players, and rule changes favoring the offense over the defense. I can see the logic of some of Brady’s arguments but the results of Week 12 proved and negated his point. The Giants versus Patriots and the Broncos vs Vikings were two of the worst offensive football games fans have ever seen. The four teams combined for ten turnovers, 13 sacks allowed, and 39 points combined. Those stats indicate the general level of mediocrity among offenses in the NFL. However, a superb game like the one played between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles shows that there has always been a gap in coaching and execution in any era for the best and worst teams in the league. With this in mind, in this article, we answer the three biggest questions after a wild week 12.
1. Who has the Inside Edge to the AFC Number 1 Seed?
The Kansas City Chiefs looked like they were on the ropes at the start of the second quarter when they trailed 14-0 on the road in Las Vegas. The defense looked vulnerable after Josh Jacobs scampered 63 yards for a rushing touchdown. It appeared that their pursuit of the number one was in tatters after a crushing Monday Night home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, once again, Patrick Mahomes reminded the world he is the best quarterback in the league by rallying his team to a resounding 31-3 run to end the game. The Ravens, Jaguars, and Dolphins hoped that the Raiders could somehow win this game as rival teams in the race for the number one seed. The Chiefs’ victory over the Raiders means they are tied with the Jaguars and Dolphins at 8-3, while the Ravens head on their bye at 9-3. I still think the Chiefs have the inside edge to grab the number one seed because they have one of the easiest schedules remaining with their last five opponents at .500 or below. The other three teams must face each other and tough divisional matchups. For instance, the Ravens face the Rams, Jaguars, 49ers, Dolphins, and Steelers. Ouch! Kansas City has hosted the last five AFC Championship games and was the top seed in three of those years, and it appears we are boringly heading to the same script in January.
2. Are the Eagles the most unimpressive 10-1 team in NFL history?
Many critics of the Philadelphia Eagles feel they are a flawed team, and their record will eventually regress to the mean based on their performances. I disagree because this team is proving the exact opposite by showing a championship mentality week after week. It says a lot about this team that when things are not going right in a game, they elevate their play by coming from behind and executing under pressure. In six days, the birds have been challenged by Kansas City and Buffalo Bills and delivered in the clutched. The Eagles trailed 17-7 at halftime in Kansas City with their offense in flux. Yet, Jalen Hurts made the big plays down the stretch, and the defense pitched a shut-out to win 21-17 in the NFL’s most hostile environment. Six days later, by the middle of the third quarter, the team was trailing 24-14 and struggling defensively to slow down the Bills at home. Again, Hurts put his team on his back by going toe-to-toe with Josh Allen in an impressive duel. The team executed under pressure, and Jake Elliot delivered a clutch 59-yard kick to send it overtime. Hurts outplayed Allen in overtime by leading his team to a game-winning touchdown drive while the Bills quarterback failed to connect with Gabe Davis for a touchdown on the games penultimate drive. This team finds ways to win in the face of attrition. The Eagles became the fourth team in history to start consecutive seasons 10-1, and that sample size means they are no fluke. The three previous teams to reach the mark won at least one time title. They will hope that this stat remains consistent in the City of Brotherly Love.
3. Who is the under-the-radar team to challenge for the Lombardi trophy?
This is a bad year for the NFC because I don’t think any teams will challenge the big three teams in the conference: the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Dallas Cowboys. Detroit Lions fell out of the argument after a home loss on Thanksgiving Day to a Green Bay Packers team that has struggled this season. My under-the-radar team from the AFC to contend for the Lombardi is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are 8-3, and yet it feels they are the most overlooked contender in the field. If this were the Patriots, Giants, and Jets, they would lead on every sports network, but they are not a big market team. Doug Pederson has his team playing an aggressive brand of football on offense and defense. Trevor Lawrence is living up to the hype of being the number-one pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Lawrence has completed 67% of his passes for 2,746 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The touchdown to interception ratio may not be impressive, but like Jalen Hurts, he makes the right plays in the clutch. The defense is ranked third against the rush and on third downs, which means they are slowing down teams and doing it when it matters. Josh Allen of the Jaguars is the closer on the unit because, with 12 sacks in 11 games, he is elite in getting after the quarterback. I think the Jaguars could challenge for the Super Bowl because they are a young team getting better