Standings

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Playoff Schedule

Playoff Recap

In the AFC Wildcard Playoffs, on Saturday the 15th January 2022, number 4 seed Cincinnati Bengals defeated Las Vegas Raiders, the number 5 seed, 26-19 in the first game in NFL playoff history where both teams made at least four field goals. On Sunday the 16th number 3 seed Buffalo Bills finally showed numberv 6 seed New England Patriots who owned the AFC East in the 2021 season with a 47-17 victory thanks to Eirball’s Season MVP (Most Valuable Player) Josh Allen becoming the first Bills quarterback in playoff history to have 5 pass touchdowns and no interceptions inj a game. On Monday the 17th Kansas City Chiefs, the number 2 seed advanced to the Divisional Playoffs thanks to a 42-21 defeat of number 6 seed Pittsburgh Steelers. Kelce became first ever player in NFL history to have a pass Touchdown, reception touchdown and 100 plus receiving yards in a playoff game. Reference: [53]

In the NFC Wildcard games the #2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated #7 Philadelphia Eagles 31-15 as M Evans became the first player in Tampa Bay history to have at least 100 yards receiving and 1 or more touchdowns in a playoff game. #3 Dallas Cowboys went down 17-23 to old rivals #6 San Francisco 49ers who had their first postseason road win in Dallas in team history (previously 0-2). On the Monday, the Los Angeles Rams thrashed the Arizona Cardinals 34-11 in quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first career playoff win. Reference: [53]

In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, #4 Cincinnati Bengals advanced to the Championship Game with a 19-16 win at #1 Tennessee Titans in the Bengals first road playoff win in history (0-7 coming into game). In another close encounter #2 Kansas City Chiefs defeated #3 Buffalo Bills 42-36 despite the Bills’ G Davis becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era with over 200 reception yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game. Reference: [54]

The NFC Divisional Playoffs provided two shocks as the #6 San Francisco 49ers downed #1 Green Bay Packers 13-10 with a G Gould Field Goal from 45 yards as time expired. In the second game, the #4 Los Angeles Rams spoiled Tom Brady’s attempts to finish his career with an eighth Super Bowl ring as they too needed a Field Goal in the last seconds to defeat the #2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27, thanks to M Gay’s 30 yard attempt. Reference: [54]

In the AFC Championship Game Cincinnati Bengals E McPherson kicked a 31 yard field goal as time elapsed to give the #4 Cincinnati Bengals a 27-24 victory at #2 Kansas City Chiefs.

The NFC Championship Game was also decided by a late Field Goal as the #4 Los Angeles Rams won 20-17 at home to the #6 San Francisco 49ers thanks to a M Gay 30 yard attempt with 1:46 remaining.

Super Bowl Preview

Super Bowl XLI starts on Sunday Night 11:30 pm Irish time in SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles in what is virtually a home game for the Los Angeles Rams versus the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are 0-2 in Super Bowls and Los Angeles Rams are 1-3 in Super Bowls with their one victory coming in 1999 as the St. Louis Rams Reference: [60]

Super Bowl XIV 1980 – Pittsburgh Steelers 31 Los Angeles Rams 19 (20 January 1980, Pasadena, California)

Super Bowl XVI 1981 – San Francisco 49ers 26 Cincinnati Bengals 21 (24 January 1982, Pontiac Michigan)

Super Bowl XXIII 1988 – San Francisco 49ers 20 Cincinnati Bengals 16 (22 January 1989, South Florida)

Super Bowl XXXIV 1999 – St. Louis Rams 23 Tennessse Titans 16 (30 January 2000, Atlanta, Georgia)

Super Bowl XXXVI 2001 – New England Patriots 20 St. Louis Rams 17 (3 February 2002, New Orleans, Louisiana)

Super Bowl LIII 2018 – New England Patriots 13 Los Angeles Rams 3 (

Reference: [60-61]

Super Bowl LVI

Week 1 Schedule

Week 1 Recap

The West was best in Week 1 with all eight teams in both the American Football Conference and National Football Conference winning their opening games. Denver Broncos defeated New York Giants 27-13, leaving the Broncos with a .683 Week 1 winning percentage since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the best in the NFL. Head Coach Sean McVay is now 5-0 in Week 1 games with the Los Angeles Rams after their 34-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, while the Cleveland Browns are now 1-21-1 since 1999 in Opening games after the Kansas City Chiefs won their encounter 33-29. San Francisco 49ers won 41-33 at Detroit Lions, the most they have scored in a Week 1 Road Game in team history. The Arizona Cardinals also set a team history record with their 38-13 victory over Tennessee Titans, with the game being the first in Cardinals history that multiple Wide Receivers had 2 or more touchdowns in a single game. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Indianapolis Colts 28-16 to go 12-1 in their last 13 games which started at 10 AM Eastern time. Quarterback D. Carr passed to Z. Jones in overtime to lead the Las Vegas Raiders to a 33-27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Rounding out the West’s Week 1 dominance was the Los Angeles Chargers, winning 20-16 at Washington Football team under new Head Coach B Staley’s first game in charge.

In other games Tom Brady broke yet another record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-29 win at home against Dallas Cowboys, giving Brady 15 Week 1 wins, the most by a Quarterback since at least 1950. Houston Texans defeated Jacksonville Jaguars 37-21 thanks to three interceptions, equalling their entire interception haul of 2020. Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Jets 19-14 thanks to C McCaffrey’s fifth game in his career with 80 plus yards in both rushing and receiving. Miami Dolphins defeated New England Patriots 17-16 thanks to J Waddle’s 60 plus receiving yards and touchdown, becoming only the second player in Dolphins history to do so on their debut. J Winston tied his career best with five touchdown passes as New Orleans Saints had a comprehensive 38-3 win over Green Bay Packers. Philadelphia Eagles had a similar big win over Atlanta Falcons, 32-6 thanks to J Hurts 264 passing yards, three touchdowns and 64 rushing yards. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 23-16 at Buffalo Bills going 5-1 in last six road games versus Buffalo. Cincannati Bengals’ E McPherson hit a 33-yard Field Goal as time expired in overtime to give the Bengals a slender 27-24 win at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Week 1 Reference: [35]

Week 2 Schedule

Week 2 Recap

In the AFC East the Patriots attained their first win of the season when defeating the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey 25-6. It was New England’s 11th straight victory versus the Jets. The Buffalo Bills joined them on 1-1 after destroying the Miami Dolphins 35-0 at Hard Rock Stadium, in the largest shutout win in the NFL since the third week of 1992. The Bills reached the Super Bowl that year. The Dolphins dropped to 1-1. In Inter-Division AFC match-ups the Denver Broncos improved to 2-0 in the AFC West with a 23-13 win at Jacksonville, as the Jaguars fell to 0-2. The Las Vegas Raiders joined the Broncos on 2-0 in the AFC West as they triumphed 26-17 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh versus the Steelers. QB Carr having a third 350+ pass yards and 2+ pass TDs in straight games. The Steelers fell to 1-1 with the loss. The Cleveland Browns joined Pittsburgh on 1-1 in the AFC North with a 31-21 victory over Houston, as the Texans fell to 1-1 in the AFC South. Meanwhile in Baltimore the Ravens joined the Browns and Steelers on 1-1 with a close 36-35 victory versus Kansas City as the Chiefs were another team to lose to an 0-1 team in week 2 after winning in week 1.

In the NFC East the Washington Football Team won by a single point versus New York Giants as they improved to 1-1. The Giants remained winless. The Philadelphia Eagles joined WFT on 1-1 with a loss at home to San Francisco as the 49ers improved to 2-0 in the NFC West. In the NFC South two Division games saw the Carolina Panthers improve to 2-0 with a 26-7 win in Charlotte versus the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Tom Brady passing for 4+ pass TDs in 4 straight games, (tied second longest streak since 1950) also moved to 2-0 with a 48-25 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons who lost for the second week running. In an NFC North match-up the Green Bay Packers got their first win of the season with a 35-17 victory at Lambeau Field versus the Detroit Lions, who lost their second straight. The Arizona Cardinals joined the Rams and 49ers on 2-0 in the NFC West as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a single point (34-33), handing the NFC North team their second loss of the season.

In Inter-Conference games the Rams narrowly won 27-24 at Indianapolis as Los Angeles moved to 2-0 in the NFC West and a tie with the 49ers for first place, and the Colts dropped to 0-2. The Chicago Bears improved to 1-1 in the NFC North with a 20-17 victory at home to Cincinnati Bengals who fell to 1-1 in the AFC North. Tennessee Titans (AFC South) joined Seattle Seahawks (NFC West) on 1-1 in another game where an 0-1 team defeated a 1-0 team as they triumphed 33-30 at Lumen Field in Seattle. The loss meant the Seahawks were now the only team to have lost a game in the NFC West. The Dallas Cowboys moved to 1-1 in the NFC East with a 20-17 victory in Los Angeles versus the Chargers who fell to 1-1 in the AFC West. Week 2 Reference: [36]

Week 3 Schedule

Week 3 Recap

In an all-AFC South game the Tennessee Titans moved to 2-1 and sole possession of the Division leadership with a 25-16 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts who dropped to 0-3. In another Division match-up in the AFC West the Los Angeles Chargers improved to 2-1 as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, winning 30-24, and in the AFC North the Cincinnati Bengals won 24-10 at the Pittsburgh Steelers to improve to 2-1 and a three-way share of the Division lead, while the Steelers fell to 1-2. In AFC Inter-Division match-ups the Denver Broncos continued on winning ways as they won for the third straight game, defeating the New York Jets 26-0, who fell to 0-3. Broncos share the AFC West lead with Las Vegas Raiders who defeated Miami Dolphins 31-28 to secure their first 3-0 start to a season since 2002 when they made it to Super Bowl XXXVII. The Dolphins dropped to 1-2.

In the only Division match-up in the NFC in Week 3, the Dallas Cowboys improved to 2-1 and handed the Philadelphia Eagles their second loss of the season, 41-21 in the Monday Night Game (Tuesday Irish Time). The Dolphins secured sole ownership of the NFC East lead with the win. In NFC Inter-Division games, the Atlanta Falcons won 17-14 in New Jersey at the New York Giants, in a battle of two winless teams. The Minnesota Vikings got their first victory of the season at home in U.S. Bank Stadium with a 30-17 defeat of Seattle Seahawks and in the other NFC West-NFC North match-up the Green Bay Packers drew level with the San Francisco 49ers on 2-1 after winning 30-28 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The win put the Packers in the lead on their own in the NFC North. Meanwhile the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-24 to improve to 3-0 and a share of the NFC West lead with Arizona. the Buccaneers suffered their first loss since Week 12, 2020 in the process.

In a big week for Inter-Conference games the Carolina Panthers of the NFC South improved to 3-0 with a 24-9 win at Houston Texans who lost their second of the season; the Cleveland Browns improved to 2-1 and a share of the AFC North lead with a 26-6 defeat of the Chicago Bears at home in FirstEnergy Stadium, dropping the Bears to 1-2; the Baltimore Ravens won 19-17 at Detroit Lions thanks to an all-time NFL record game-winning 66-yard field goal by J. Tucker – the Ravens improved to 2-1 as the Lions fell to their third straight defeat; the New Orleans Saints (2-1) improved to 2-1 with a 28-13 defeat of New England Patriots (1-2); the Arizona Cardinals continued their winning start to the season with a 31-19 win at Jacksonville which dropped the Jaguars to 0-3; the Buffalo Bills had a second big-scoring victory in a row as they thumped the Washington Football Team 43-21 at Highmark Stadium, improving to 2-1 and sole ownership of the AFC East lead in the process as WFT fell to 1-2. Week 3 Reference: [37]

Week 4 Schedule

Week 4 Recap

Buffalo Bills took a two-game lead in the AFC East with a commanding 40-0 defeat of Houston Texans. Miami Dolphins lost their third straight 17-27 to the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots their second straight falling 17-19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Sunday Night Game. With the New York Jets getting off the ground with their first win 27-24 over Tennessee Titans, all three of the teams behind the Bills in the AFC East were 1-3.

Cleveland Browns (14-7 versus Minnesota Vikings), Cincinnati Bengals (24-21 versus Jacksonville Jaguars) and Baltimore Ravens (23-7 versus Denver Broncos) all won in the AFC North to go 3-1. It was the Browns and Ravens third wins in a row. Meanwhile Pittsburgh Steelers, after opening the season with a win, lost their third straight 17-27 to Green Bay Packers.

In the AFC South Division Indianapolis Colts picked up their first win with a 27-17 victory at Miami Gardens over the Dolphins. The other three AFC South teams all lost, with Tennessee Titans falling to 2-2 with their loss to the Jets, but remaining in the Division lead after Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) lost to Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans big loss (40-0) at Buffalo.

The AFC West saw Denver Broncos (7-23 versus Baltimore Ravens) and Las Vegas Raiders (14-28 at Los Angeles Chargers in the Monday Night Game) losing their first games after three-straight wins. Joining themm on 3-1 after their victory over the Raiders were the Chargers. The Kansas City Chiefs kept in touch with a 42-30 at Philadelphia over the Eagles to go 2-2.

In the NFC East the Dallas Cowboys won their third straight to go clear at the top on 3-1 after defeating the Carolina Panthers 36-28. There were also wins against NFC South teams for Washington Football Team (2-2) 34-30 versus Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants – their first victory of the season 27-21 versus New Orleans Saints. Philadelphia Eagles meanwhile lost their third straight to drop to 1-3 after their 30-42 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The NFC North saw Green Bay Packers pick up their third victory in three weeks with a 27-17 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers to go clear at the top. Minnesota Vikings fell to 1-3 with a 7-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns while in an all-NFC North clash the Chicago Bears (2-2) handed the Detroit Lions their fourth straight loss with a 24-14 victory in Soldier Field.

Atlanta Falcons (30-34 versus Washington Football Team), New Orleans Saints (21-27 versus New York Giants) and Carolina Panthers (28-36 versus Dallas Cowboys) all lost to NFC East opposition. With Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeating Tom Brady’s old team the New England Patriots 19-17 in the Sunday Night Game the Bucs joined Carolina on 3-1 at the top of the Division, while New Orleans fell to 2-2 and Atlanta to 1-3.

In the NFC West the surprising Arizona Cardinals moved to 4-0 and the leagues only 100% record after defeating the Los Angeles Rams, also previously undefeated, 37-20. Seattle Seahawks joined the San Francisco 49ers on 2-2 with a 28-21 defeat of the 49ers in Santa Clara. Week 4 Reference: [38]

Week 5 Schedule

Week 5 Recap

In the big game of the week for fans of the NFL in Ireland, Atlanta Falcons moved to 2-3 in the NFC West with a 27-20 defeat of the New York Jets (1-4, AFC East) at Tottenham Hotspur FC’s ground at White Hart Lane in London in a welcome return of the NFL International Series.

Elsewhere in the AFC East Buffalo Bills won their fourth straight to move to 4-1 at the top of the Division as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3, AFC West) 38-20 in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday Night. New England Patriots also won to stay two games behind the Division leaders with a close 25-22 win at Houston over the Texans (1-4, AFC South).

Baltimore Ravens (4-1) won their fourth straight in the AFC North with a 31-25 victory at home to Indianapolis Colts (1-4, AFC South) on Monday Night to go clear at the top of the Division and the Pittsburgh Steelers won their second game of the season to move to 2-3 after defeating the Denver Broncos (3-2, AFC West) 27-19.

Tennessee Titans (3-2) were the only team to pick up a win in Week 5 in the AFC South as they went two games clear at the top with a 37-19 defeat of the still winless Division rivals Jacksonville Jaguars.

Likewise in the AFC West the Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) were the only team to pick up a win as they won a close high-scoring game 47-42 versus the Cleveland Browns (3-2, AFC North) to also go clear at the top of the Division.

Dallas Cowboys won their fourth straight in the NFC East to go 4-1 as “America’s Team” won big 44-20 versus Division rivals New York Giants (1-4). Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) stayed two games back in the Division with a close 21-18 victory at Charlotte over the Carolina Panthers (3-2, NFC South).

In the NFC North Green Bay Packers (4-1), Chicago Bears (3-2) and Minnesota Vikings (2-3) all won: Packers 25-22 versus Cincinnati Bengals (3-2, AFC North); Bears 20-9 at Las Vegas Raiders (3-2, AFC West) and Vikings 19-17 versus Detroit Lions at home in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as the Lions lost their fifth straight game to remain winless.

Carolina Panthers were the only team to lose in week 5 in the NFC South as Tampa Bay Buccaneers took over sole possession of first place with a big 45-17 defeat of Miami Dolphins (1-4, AFC East) as Tom Brady passed for over 400 yards and five touchdowns for the first time in his career. The New Orleans Saints (3-2) kept pace with the Bucs with a 33-22 win at Washington Football Team (2-3, NFC East).

For the second straight week there were two Divisional games in the NFC West. On Thursday Night, The Los Angeles Rams moved to 4-1 with a 26-17 defeat of the Seahawks (2-3) in Lumen Field in Seattle, but the Arizona Cardinals remained one game ahead as they went to 5-0 with with a 17-10 defeat of San Francisco 49ers (2-3) in State Park Farm in Glendale. Week 5 Reference: [39]

Week 6 Schedule

Week 6 Recap

In the second game of the NFL International Series in London, the Jacksonville Jaguars (“Union Jags” as British fans were calling them) – designated home team for the series – finally won their first game of the 2021 season with a 23-20 victory over Miami Dolphins (AFC East), also 1-5 after the defeat. The win put the “Union Jags” on 1-5 in the AFC South.

All three teams playing in Week 6 in the AFC East lost, and in the AFC North three of the four teams won, as the Division leaders Baltimore Ravens moved to 5-1 with a resounding 34-6 win over the AFC West leaders Los Angeles Chargers (4-2). Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) heaped more misery on the winless Detroit Lions with a 34-11 win at Ford Field in Michigan. Pittsburgh Steelers also picked up a win to move to 3-3 as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks (2-4, NFC West) 23-20 in Overtime.

In the AFC South Tennessee Titans (4-2) stretched their lead at the top of the Division standings to two games with a 34-31 win over AFC East leaders Buffalo Bills (4-2).

The Las Vegas Raiders (4-2) and the Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) both won in the AFC West in the tighest Division race at this point of the season. The Raiders won 34-24 in Empower Field at Mile High to leave the Denver Broncos at 3-3 in the Division, and the Kansas City Chiefs joined Denver on 3-3 with a 31-13 win at FedEx Field against Washington Football Team (2-4, NFC East)

In the NFC East the Dallas Cowboys continued their winning streak, moving three games clear on 5-1 as their three division rivals all lost. The Cowboys won 35-29 at the Patriots (2-4, AFC East) in Gillette Stadium with 35 yard receiving touchdown in overtime the difference between the teams.

Green Bay Packers also won their fifth straight in the NFC North to move to 5-1 as the Wisconsin team won 24-14 at Soldier Field in a Division match-up with their closest challengers Chicago Bears (3-3) in the oldest rivalry in the NFL. Minnesota Vikings joined the Chicago Bears on 3-3 with a 34-28 win in Overtime at the Carolina Panthers (3-3, NFC South).

In the NFC South Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) put some light between themselves and the chasing group with a 28-22 victory at Philadelphia Eagles (2-4, NFC East). With New Orleans Saints (3-2) and Atlanta Falcons (2-3) both having a bye week the Bucs were the only winners in the Division in Week 6.

Arizona Cardinals (6-0) and Los Angeles Rams (5-1) continued to streak ahead of their opponents with the Cardinals winning 37-14 at the Cleveland Browns (3-3, AFC North) and the Rams defeating the New York Giants (1-5, NFC East) 38-11v at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The wins put them four and three wins respectively ahead of the San Francisco 49ers (2-3, on a bye week) and the Seattle Seahawks.

The previous weeks’ London game teams the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets as well as the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers were all on a bye week. Week 6 Reference: [40]

Week 7 Schedule

Week 7 Recap

New England Patriots (3-4) closed the gap on division leaders Buffalo Bills (4-2) in the AFC East with a whopping 54-13 victory at home to division rivals the New York Jets (1-5). Buffalo were on a bye week.

Cincinnati Bengals had a pivotal moment in their season as they took over the AFC North division lead on 5-2 after defeating the Baltimore Ravens, also 5-2, 41-17 in the Bengals biggest ever margin of victory over the Ravens in franchise history. Cleveland Browns (4-3) stayed in touch with the leaders after a close 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos (3-4, AFC West – fourth straight loss). Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3) were on bye week.

Tennessee Titans (5-2) won their third straight at the top of the AFC South as they thrashed the Kansas City Chiefs (3-4, AFC West) 27-3 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Indianapolis Colts (3-4) stayed two games behind with a 30-18 victory at the San Francisco 49ers in Levi’s Stadium, dropping the 49ers to 2-5 in the NFC West. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) were on a bye week after playing in London the previous week.

In the AFC West the Las Vegas Raiders were the only team to gain a victory, 33-22 versus Philadelphia Eagles (2-5, NFC East) at home in Allegiant Stadium. The win put the Raiders clear at the top of thew division after the Los Angeles Chargers were on bye week.

New York Giants claimed their second win of the season with a 25-3 victory at home to Carolina Panthers (3-4, NFC South) to join the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team on 2-5 in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys, despite a bye week, increased their lead at the top of the division to 3.5 games.

In the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers had also built up a large lead overr their rivals. With nearest challengers Minnesota Vikings on a bye week the Packers increased their lead in the division to 3.5 games also with a 24-10 win at Lambeau Field over the visiting Washington Football Team (2-5, NFC East) to put the small town team on 6-1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1), New Orleans Saints (4-2) and Atlanta Falcons (3-3) all won in week 7 in the NFC South. The Buccaneers by a massive 38-3 margin over the Chicago Bears (3-4, NFC North); the Saints by 13-10 over the Seattle Seahawks (2-5, NFC West) in a much closer game and the Atlanta Falcons were even narrower winners (30-28) over the Miami Dolphins (1-6, AFC East).

The Arizona Cardinals won their seventh straight to start the season for only the second time in franchise history (1974 was the other time). The founder members of the NFL thrashed the Houston Texans (1-6, AFC South) 31-5. The Los Angeles Rams continued to keep pace however, winning 28-19 at SoFi Stadium in downtown L.A. versus the struggling Detroit Lions (0-7, NFC North).

The Buffalo Bills (4-2, AFC East), Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3, AFC North), Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5, AFC South), Los Angeles Chargers (4-2, AFC West), Dallas Cowboys (5-1, NFC East), and Minnesota Vikings (3-3, NFC North) all had a bye week in Week 7. Week 7 Reference: [41]

Week 8 Schedule

Week 8 Recap

Buffalo Bills (5-2) with a 26-11 defeat of division rivals Miami Dolphins (1-7); New England Patriots (4-4) winning 27-24 at the Chargers (4-3, AFC West) in L.A. and New York Jets (2-5) shock 34-31 victors in Cincannati over the Bengals (5-3, AFC North) all won in Week 8 in gthe AFC East.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) were now on a three-game winning streak in the AFC North with a 15-10 win at division rivals the Cleveland Browns (4-4) to close the gap to division leaders Baltimore Ravens (5-2), who were on a bye week, to one game.

Tennessee Titans (6-2) won their fourth straight in a 34-31 Overtime victory at division rivals the Indianapolis Colts (3-5) to increase their lead at the top of the AFC South to three games. It was a crucial win for the Titans and put them in a commanding position for the division title.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) were on a bye week in the AFC West but remained on top after the Chargers (4-3) loss. The Denver Broncos (4-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) both won to make the AFC West the tightest division race to call. The Broncos defeated Washington Football Team (2-6, NFC East) 17-10 to snap a four-game losing streak and in the Monday Night Game the Chiefs downed the New York Giants (2-6, NFC East) 20-17 with a Field Goal with 1:07 left to play.

Dallas Cowboys (6-1) stretched their winning streak to six games with a last-minute 20-16 victory at the Vikings (3-4, NFC North) in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) remained 3.5 games behind the Cowboys in the NFC East with a 44-6 win at the hapless Detroit Lions (0-8, NFC North). It was the Eagles largest road win since Week 10 1981 – 41 years previously.

In the NFC North Green Bay Packers moved to 7-1 with their seventh win in a row, handing the Arizona Cardinals (7-1, NFC West) their first loss of the season in the Game of the Week on Thursday Night. They were the only team to win in the NFC North in Week 8, stretching their lead over their nearest rivals the Minnesota Vikings to 3.5 games.

In the NFC South division leaders Tampa Bay (6-2) lost to New Orleans Saints (5-2) 27-36 at Caesars Superdome in Louisiana in a crucial division match-up. In the second division match-up in the NFC South in Week 8 Atlanta Falcons (3-4) dropped to last place in the division going down 13-19 to Carolina Panthers at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia.

The NFC West saw a change of fortunes with the Arizona Cardinals (7-1) losing for the first time in the 2021 season. The Los Angeles Rams joined them on 7-1 by defeating the Houston Texans (1-7, AFC South) 38-22 at NRG Stadium in the East Texas city. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) and Seattle Seahawks (3-5) both got back to winning ways, the 49ers with a 33-22 win at Chicago Bears (3-5, NFC North) and the Seahawks 31-7 at home versus the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6, AFC South).

The Baltimore Ravens (5-2, AFC North) and Las Vegas Raiders (5-2, AFC West) both had a bye week. Week 8 Reference: [42]

Week 9 Schedule

Week 9 Reference: [43]

Week 9 Recap

New England Patriots (5-4) moved into contention for the AFC East division title with a 24-6 victory at Carolina Panthers (4-5, NFC South) following the Buffalo Bills (5-3, AFC East) shock 6-9 loss at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6, AFC South). In a batttle of two 1-7 teams, the Miami Dolphins (2-7, AFC East) won 17-9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens versus the Houston Texans (1-8, AFC South). Indianapolis Colts (4-5, AFC South) won 45-30 in a high-scoring encounter with the New York Jets (2-6, AFC East) to round out the AFC East versus AFC South match-ups in Week 9.

In the AFC North all four teams were now on winning records and in line for a Playoff spot as Cleveland Browns (5-4) and Baltimore Ravens (6-2) got back to winning form with big wins over Cincinnati Bengals (41-16 in Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati) and 34-31 versus Minnesota Vikings (3-5, NFC North) respectively. The Bengals loss, a tough one to take at home in the Ohio derby, dropped them to 5-4 in the AFC North. Pittsburgh Steelers meanwhile won their fourth straight with a close 29-27 triumph at Heinz Field in Pennsylvania versus the Chicago Bears (3-6, NFC North).

Tennessee Titans won their fifth straight, staying three games clear of the Colts in the AFC South after a 28-16 win at the Los Angeles Rams (7-2, NFC West), only the Rams’ second loss of the season.

In the AFC West Los Angeles Chargers (5-3), Denver Broncos (5-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) all won to keep up the pressure on Las Vegas Raiders (5-3) who lost 16-23 in a shock result to the New York Giants (3-6, NFC East). The wins for the Chargers, 27-24 at Philadelphia Eagles (3-6, NFC East) – Denver Broncos, 30-16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas versus the hometown Dallas Cowboys (6-2, NFC East)- and Kansas City Chiefs, 13-7 at home to Green Bay Packers (7-2, NFC North), all helped AFC West teams who had a bad October get back on track for the playoffs. The Wins over the Cowboys (on a six-game winning streak) and Packers (ending a seven-game winning streak) were particul suprises in a weekend of shocks.

Washington Football Team (2-6, NFC East) and Detroit Lions (0-8, NFC North) were both on a bye week, otherwise there was no change in the NFC North as all three teams playing Week 9 lost.

In the NFC South the Atlanta Falcons (4-4) got back into contention for the playoff spots with a crucial 27-25 win at New Orleans Saints (5-3) in a division match-up. Division leaders Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) were on a bye week.

Arizona Cardinals went back out in front in the NFC West with a 31-17 victory at San Francisco 49ers which improved the Cards to 8-1 and saw the 49ers drop back to 3-5. With Seattle Seahawks not playing and Los Angeles Rams losing the Arizona side increased their advantage over the rest of the teams in the NFC West.

Washington Football Team (2-6, NFC East), Detroit Lions (0-8, NFC North), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, NFC South) and Seattle Seahawks (3-5, NFC West) all had a bye week. Week 9 Reference: [43]

Week 10 Schedule

Week 10 Reference: [44]

Week 10 Recap

With the 2021 season enetring the second half Buffalo Bills (6-3) and New England Patriots (6-4) both won in the AFC East with the Bills thrashing fellow AFC East rivals New York Jets (2-7) 45-17. The Patriots kept up the pressure on the Bills with a a thrashing of their own: 45-7 at home to playoff rivals Cleveland Browns (5-5, AFC North).

The Browns hardly lost any ground however in a bad week for AFC North teams as Baltimore Ravens (6-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) both lost and Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1) could only tie with Detroit Lions (0-8-1, NFC North), the Lions first game all season they did not lose.

In the AFC South the Tennessee Titans (8-2) won their sixth straight – the longest active winning streak – as they squeaked by New Orleans Saints (5-4, NFC South) 23-21. Indianapolis Colts (5-5) remained three games behind the Titans with a 23-17 victory at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving their divisional rivals on 2-7.

Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) took over sole ownership of the AFC West lead with a 41-14 defeat of Las Vegas Raiders, dumping the Raiders to 5-4. Patrick Mahomes earned Eirball’s Player of the Week Award for Week 10 with his 406 passing yards, 5 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions and a 127.6 Passer Rating.

In the NFC East all three teams playing won after losing their previous game. Dallas Cowboys (7-2) thrashed Atlanta Falcons (4-5, NFC South) 43-3 to remain on course for the Divisional title. Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) enhanced their outside chances of a playoff place with a 30-13 triumph at Denver versus the Broncos (5-5, AFC West). New York Giants (3-6) were on a bye week while the shock of the week was Washington Football Team’s 29-19 victory at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaners (6-3, NFC South).

Green Bay Packers looked comfortable for the NFC North Divisional title after a 17-0 shutout of Seattle Seahawks (3-6, NFC West), and the Minnesota Vikings (4-5) got back in contention for the playoffs with a 27-20 defeat of the Chargers (5-4, AFC West) at SoFi Stadium in L.A. The Chicago Bears (3-6) were on a bye week and Detroit Lions (0-8-1) made the sports headlines with a 16-16 tie versus Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1, AFC North), thus preventing a repeat of their 0-16 season – the only one in NFL history.

Carolina Panthers increased their playoff chances enormously with a huge 34-10 defeat of Arizona Cardinals (8-2, NFC West) in Glendale. The win put the Panthers on 5-5 and being the only NFC South team to win in Week 10 it gave them a shot at the Division title.

In the NFC West the San Francisco 49ers (4-5) likewise were the only team to win in Week 10 with a shock 31-10 defeat of the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) who are now 0-5 versus 49ers Garoppolo in the Quarterback’s career. The Rams thus passed up another opportunity to catch Division leaders Arizona Cardinals (8-2).

Houston Texans (1-8, AFC South), Cincinnati Bengals (5-4, AFC North), New York Giants (3-6, NFC East) and Chicago Bears (3-6, NFC North) each had a bye week. Week 10 References: [44]

Week 11 Schedule

Week 11 Reference: [45]

Week 11 Recap

With both teams battling to save the season, the Miami Dolphins came out on top defeating the New York Jets 24-17 for their third win in a row to improve to 4-7. The Jets season looked all but over as the New Yorkers fell to 2-8. The story of the week, however, in the AFC East was New England Patriots’ (7-4) rise to the top, with a 25-0 shutout win over Atlanta Falcons (4-6, NFC South) giving the Massachusetts-based team a five-game winning streak, the longest active winning streak in the NFL. Buffalo Bills (6-4) surrendered the top spot with a 15-41 loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts (6-5, AFC South)

The Patriots took over from the Tennessee Titans as the team with the longest streak after the Shock of the Week saw the Titans six-game winning streak come to an end 13-22 at home to the Houston Texans in an AFC South division match-up. The deadly rivalry between the two teams since the Oilers moved to Nashville, via Memphis in 1996, and were replaced by the Texans for the 2002 season, did not fail to deliver the fireworks as the Texans won for just the second-time in 2021 and handed the Titans only their third loss. Jacksonville Jaguars, like the Texans on 2-8, looked out of contention after going down 10-30 to the San Francisco 49ers in TIAA Bank Field in Florida. Indianapolis Colts, however, with their third win in succession, closed the gap on the Titans to two games, Jonathan Taylor of the Colts gaining Eirball’s Player of the Week Award for his 5 touchdowns and 200+ scrimmage yards, only the fifth person in the Super Bowl Era to achieve that feat in a single game.

In the AFC North all four teams continued on winning records as Baltimore Ravens (7-3), Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) and Cleveland Browns (6-5) all won. Pittsburgh dropped to last place on 5-4-1 after a 37-41 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers (6-4, AFC West) on Sunday Night in L.A. The Ravens downed the Chicago Bears (3-7, NFC North) 16-13; the Cincinnati Bengals won 32-13 at the Las Vegas Raiders (5-5, AFC West) and the Cleveland Browns struggled to defeat the Detroit Lions (0-9-1, NFC North) 13-10.

The AFC West, another tough division to call, with no team on a losing record, saw Kansas City Chiefs win their fourth straight to move to 7-4 and top spot in the division, with a 19-9 win over Dallas Cowboys (7-4, NFC East) in Missouri. LA Chargers’ 41-37 win over Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night improved the team to 6-4. Denver Broncos remained on 5-5 with a bye week.

Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Chiefs meant Philadelphia Eagles closed the gap to just two games as the Pennsylvania side won 40-29 at Lincoln Financial Field versus the New Orleans Saints (5-5, NFC South). With the Cowboys now on 7-4, the Eagles on 5-6 and Washington Football Team on 4-6 following a 27-21 win at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina versus the Carolina Panthers (5-6, NFC South) the division title was now not as certain to go to Texas as was the case a couple of weeks previously.

In the NFC North the only team to win in Week 11 was Minnesota Vikings, who kept the Packers at bay, winning 34-31 in Minneapolis. The win meant the Vikings closed the gap to the North Wisconsin team to three games at the top of the NFC North Standings, with Minnesota on 5-5 and Green Bay on 8-3. A victory for Green Bay would have meant just one more game to the division title flor the “Cheeseheads”, so known for the Dairy farming Wisconsin is famous for. The Lions were eliminated from the Division title race after losing to the Cleveland Browns.

The NFC South title race looked more like Tampa Bay’s to lose as they won their third straight, 30-10 on Monday Night versus the New York Giants in Raymond James Stadium to go 7-3. With the New Orleans Saints (5-5) losing their third straight, and Carolina Panthers (5-6) and Atlanta Falcons (4-6) the odds favoured another division title for Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers Quarterback.

In the NFC West Arizona Cardinals improved to 9-2 following a 23-13 win at Seattle in what was the first time in Seahawks’ (3-7) Quarterback Russell Wilson’s career that he lost three straight games during the regular season. The San Francisco 49ers I(5-5) kept an outside chance of a playoff place alive with a 30-10 win at the Jaguars. The Los Angeles Rams remained on 7-3 with a bye week.

Denver Broncos (5-5, AFC West) and Los Angeles Rams (7-3, NFC West) were both on a bye week. Week 11 Reference: [45]

Week 12 Schedule

Week 12 Reference: [46]

Week 12 Recap

In the two traditional Thanksgiving Games (Fourth Thursday in November) in Detroit and Dallas, the Detroit Lions (0-10-1) were handed their tenth loss of the season in a 14-16 defeat by division rivals the Chicago Bears (4-7) and the Dallas Cowboys (7-4) suffered another hiccup on their attempts to secure the NFC East division crown as they went down 33-36 at home to the Las Vegas Raiders (6-5, AFC West) who got their playoff chances back on track.

New England Patriots (8-4) won their sixth straight, 36-13 versus Tennessee Titans (8-4, AFC South) to remain in front in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills (7-4) got back on track with a 31-6 win at New Orleans to give the Saints (5-6, NFC South) their fourth loss running. Miami Dolphins (5-7) and New York Jets (3-8) both won thus keeping their mathematical chances of reaching the playoffs alive. For the Dolphins it was their fourth straight win, and came at the expense of the Carolina Panthers (5-7, NFC South) by a score of 33-10. The Jets defeated fellow 2-8 strugglers coming into the game, the Houston Texans, 21-14.

In the AFC North wins for the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) versus division rivals Cleveland Browns (6-6) on Sunday Night at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland by a score of 16-10; and Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) by 41-10 at home in Paul Brown Stadium versus the fourth-placed AFC North team, the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5-1) put a small gap between the top two and the vanquished in week 12, in what were crucial games in the division.

With all four teams in the AFC South losing, there was no change. In the AFC West Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) were on a bye week, but stayed one game ahead of all three other rivals on 6-5 after the Denver Broncos downed the Los Angeles Chargers 28-13 and Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Cowboys in the Thanksgiving match-up in Dallas.

With the Cowboys (7-4) losing their second in a row on Thanksgiving and the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) also losing, Washington Football Team moved back into contention on Monday Night with a 17-15 defeat of Seattle Seahawks (3-8, NFC West) which put WFT on a 5-6 record also. New York Giants also picked up a win and some hope with a 13-7 victory at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford versus division rivals the Eagles. It was a must-win game for the Eagles if they were to capitalise on the Cowboys second-straight loss.

In the NFC North Green Bay Packers (9-3) got back to winning ways with a 36-28 defeat of Los Angeles Rams (7-4, NFC West) in Wisconsin. With the Chicago Bears (4-7) winning at Detroit on Thanksgiving and Minnesota Vikings (5-6) losing to the 49ers the division title looked likely to go to Green Bay.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) moved three games clear at the top of the NFC South with a 38-31 win at the Indianapolis Colts (6-6, AFC South). Atlanta Falcons (5-6) gave their playoff chances a shot in the arm with a win at the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9, AFC South), but New Orleans Saints, also 5-6, lost their fourth straight and the Carolina Panthers fell to 5-7 with a big loss to the streaking Miami Dolphins.

In the NFC West the Arizona Cardinals (9-2) were on a bye week, and the San Francisco 49ers (6-5) took advantage of the Rams’ loss to the Packers to move to within one game of their California rivals, triumphing 34-26 versus the Minnesota Vikings at Santa Clara. The 49ers had now won three straight while the Rams and Seahawks had both lost three straight, putting what seemed a hopeless cause for San Francisco a few weeks earlier on its head. Deebo Samuel (49ers) gained the Eirball Player of the Week Award after becoming the first Wide Receiver in the Super Bowl Era to score two Rushing Touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs (7-4, AFC West) and Arizona Cardinals (9-2, NFC West) were on a bye week. Week 12 Reference: [46]

Week 13 Schedule

Week 13 Reference: [47]

Week 13 Recap

With the playoffs looming the New England Patriots (9-4) had a big win (20-14) over the Buffalo Bills (7-5) on Monday Night to go two games clear in the AFC East. The Baltimore Ravens (8-4) slipped up to the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1) losing 19-20 at Heinz Field in Western Pennsylvania to open up the AFC North race. In the AFC South Tennessee Titans (8-4) were on a bye week and Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) wn their fifth straight in the AFC West 22-9 at home to the Denver Broncos (6-6, AFC West).

Playoff hopefuls the Cincinnati Bengals slipped to (7-5, AFC North) with a 22-41 loss to Los Angeles Chargers (7-5, AFC West). Indianapolis Colts (7-6, AFC South) won 31-0 at the Houston Texans in their first road shutout since Week 14 1992 when they won 6-0 at the New England Patriots [Reference: 57]. Cleveland Browns (6-6, AFC North) were on a bye week. Las Vegas Raiders (6-6, AFC West) lost 15-17 to Washington Football Team (6-6, NFC East) in Allegiant Stadium. Miami Dolphins (6-7, AFC East) won their fifth in a row, defeating the New York Giants (4-8, NFC East) 20-9.

Among teams with little chance of making the playoffs in the AFC the New York Jets (3-9, AFC East), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10, AFC South) and Houston Texans (2-10, AFC South) all lost with the Jaguars and Texans eliminated.

Division leaders in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys (8-4) won 27-17 at the slumping New Orleans Saints (5-7, NFC South) who had now lost five straight games. The NFC North title was Green Bay’s to lose as they moved four games clear of Minnesota Vikings (5-7) despite not playing as the Vikings lost 27-29 at Ford Field in Michigan to a Detroit Lions team which won its first game of the season to move to 1-10-1. The NFC South likewise looked to be heading to Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers (9-3) opened up a four game gap over nearest rivals the Saints and Falcons, both 5-7, after a 30-17 win at Atlanta. The Arizona Cardinals (10-2) and Los Angeles Rams (8-4) both won in the NFC West in what was the tightest division race in the NFC. The Cardinals won 33-22 at the Chicago Bears (4-8, NFC North) and the Rams won 37-7 against Jacksonville Jaguars in SoFi Stadium in L.A.

San Francisco 49ers (6-6) run was broken at three wins by the Seattle Seahawks (4-8) in the NFC West, while other hopefuls Washington Football Team (6-6, NFC East) won their fourth straight with a 17-15 defeat of Las Vegas Raiders. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7, NFC East) won 33-18 at New York Jets in New Jersey to move into a playoff spot following losses for Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons (all 5-7) and a bye week for Carolina Panthers (also 5-7).

The New York Giants (4-8, NFC East) and the Chicago Bears (4-8, NFC North), seemed to be out of the running following their losses, and despite winning Seattle Seahawks (also 4-8, NFC West) needed a miracle to go through to the playoffs. Detroit Lions kept their mathematical hopes alive with a last-second victory over Minnesota Vikings for their first win of the season, but at 1-10-1 it was unlikely they would qualify.

Eirball’s Player of the Week honours went to Amon-Ra St. Brown for his game-winning 11-yard touchdown reception as time expired to give the Detroit Lions their first win of the season.

Cleveland Browns (6-6, AFC North), Tennessee Titans (8-4, AFC South), Green Bay Packers (9-3, NFC North), and Carolina Panthers (5-7, NFC South) all had a bye week. Week 13 Reference: [47]

Week 14 Schedule

Week 14 Reference: [48]

Week 14 Recap

AFC East Division leaders New England Patriots remained two games in front on 9-4 despite a bye week as the Buffalo Bills lost at Tampa Bay. Tennessee Titans got back to winning ways after two losses with a 20-0 shutout victory over Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium to go to 9-4, also two games up in the AFC South. The Titans allowed the fewest rushing yards (8) in team history. Baltimore Ravens lost for the second week in a row, falling to 8-5 after a 22-24 loss to Cleveland Browns (7-6), meaning all four teams in the AFC North were still in with a chance at the Division crown. The AFC West leaders Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) won their sixth in a row with a comprehensive 48-9 defeat of Las Vegas Raiders.

Playoff Hopefuls Los Angeles Chargers (8-5, AFC West) won 37-21 versus New York Giants; Buffalo Bills (7-6, AFC East) lost 27-33 at Tampa Bay; Cincinnati Bengals (7-6, AFC North) lost 23-26 at home to the San Francisco 49ers; Cleveland Browns (7-6, AFC North) won 24-22 versus Baltimore Ravens in a crucial AFC North match-up for both teams; Indianapolis Colts (7-6, AFC South) had a bye week; Denver Broncos (7-6, AFC West) had a big 38-10 victory over Detroit Lions; Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1) lost at Minnesota 28-36; Miami Dolphins (6-7, AFC East) had a bye week; and Las Vegas Raiders (6-7) were defeated heavily by Kansas City Chiefs (9-48)

Out of the running in the AFC were New York Jets (3-10, AFC East), who lost 9-30 at home to New Orleans Saints; and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans (both 2-10 in the AFC South) who lost 0-20 to the Tennessee Titans and 13-33 to Seattle Seahawks respectively.

In the NFC, Divisional leaders Dallas Cowboys (9-4, NFC East) won 27-20 at Washington, snapping the Football Team’s four-game winning streak. The Green Bay Packers all but wrapped up the NFC North title on 10-3 after a 45-30 defeat of division rivals, Chicago Bears 45-30. It was the most combined points in the oldest match-up in NFL history since Week 7, 1955, when the Bears won 52-31 at Chicago. Reference: [58]. Likewise in the NFC South, Tampa Bay stayed four games clear as the Buccaneers defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-27 for their fourth straight win. The NFC West was up for grabs after Los Angeles Rams defeated Arizona Cardinals in State Farm Stadium, Glendale 30-23 in the Monday Night Game of the Week. The win left Arizona on 10-3 and the Rams on 9-4.

NFC Playoff hopefuls Los Angeles Rams had that big win over NFC West leaders Arizona Cardinals to move to 9-4; San Francisco 49ers (7-6) 26-23 win in Cincinnati moved them into second in the WildCard race; meanwhile there were five teams on 6-7 following wins for Minnesota Vikings (36-28 versus Pittsburgh Steelers), New Orleans Saints (snapping a five-game losing streak with a 30-9 victory at Detroit); and Atlanta Falcons (29-21 at division rivals Carolina Panthers); Philadelphia Eagles were on a bye week, and the Washington Football Team’s loss to the Cowboys (20-27). Seattle Seahawks (5-8, NFC West) had a big win (33-13) at Houston to sneak back into the playoff race, but Carolina’s loss at home to the Falcons was a big blow for the 5-8 Panthers.

Chicago Bears (4-9, NFC North) lost 30-45 at Green Bay and New York Giants (4-9, NFC East) lost 21-37 at the LA Chargers, although both had a slim chance and Detroit (1-11-1) were eliminated following their 10-38 defeat at Denver Broncos.

Dalvin Cook, running back with the Minnesota Vikings earned Player of the Week from Eirball for his 27 rush, 205 yards, 2 Touchdown display in the Vikings 36-28 win versus Pittsburgh Steelers.

Week 14 Reference: [48]

Week 15 Schedule

Week 15 Reference: [49]

Week 15 Recap

Green Bay Packers (11-3, NFC North) were the first team to be certain of a playoff place when winning the NFC North division title with a tight 31-30 victory at Baltimore Ravens (8-6, AFC North). It was the Ravens’ third loss straight, and handed Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) the momentum in the division with a 15-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. New England Patriots (9-5, AFC East) lost 17-27 at Lucas Oil Stadium to Indianapolis Colts, being dragged back to the chasing pack as a result with both Buffalo and Miami winning. Likewise the Colts (8-6, AFC South) victory brought them within touching distance of the Tennessee Titans (9-5, AFC South) who lost 13-19 at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1, AFC North), who were also back in with a shot at a division title.

Another team to throw away a division lead were Arizona Cardinals (10-4, NFC West) who were beaten 12-30 at Detroit by the Lions (2-11-1, NFC North) who secured only their second win of the campaign. Los Angeles Rams drew level with the Cardinals on wins with 20-10 defeat of Seattle Seahawks (5-9, AFC West) at SoFi Stadium, which all but ended Seattle’s playoff hopes. The NFC South division race was still mathematically open after Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4, NFC South) lost 0-9 at home to New Orleans Saints (7-7, NFC South). It was the first time QB Tom Brady was shutout since Week 15 2006 at Miami Dolphins and gained the entire New Orleans Saints defense the Eirball Player of the Week Award. Bucking the trend of division leaders slipping up were the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4, AFC West) and Dallas Cowboys (10-4, NFC East) who both won their games in Week 15 – the Cowboys 21-6 at the New York Giants (4-10, NFC East) and the Chiefs 34-28 at Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, AFC West) in overtime.

Division title hopefuls Los Angeles Chargers (8-6, AFC West) lost to the Chiefs 28-34 in overtime. With Buffalo Bills (8-6, AFC East) winning 31-14 versus the Carolina Panthers (5-9, NFC South), Miami Dolphins (7-7, AFC West) winning their sixth straight in a 31-24 victory over the New York Jets (3-11, AFC East) moving into contention and Cleveland Browns (7-7, AFC North) losing 14-16 to Las Vegas Raiders (7-7, AFC West) at home in FirstEnergy Stadium, the AFC playoff race was hotting up. Denver Broncos (7-7, AFC West) were 0-4 versus AFC North in the 2021 season after losing 10-15 to the Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High.

San Francisco 49ers (8-6, NFC West) made almost certain of a playoff place with a 31-13 victory over Atlanta Falcons (6-8, NFC South) who were still in with a chance despite the loss in a crucial game for them. The Philadelphia Eagles (7-7, NFC East) and Minnesota Vikings (7-7, NFC North) both won their second straight game – the Eagles 27-17 at home versus Washington Football Team (6-8, NFC East) on a rare Tuesday Night Game, and the Vikings on Monday Night in a 17-9 win at Chicago Bears (4-10, NFC North).

Carolina Panthers (5-9, NFC South) lost their fourth straight, Seattle Seahawks (5-9, NFC West), Chicago Bears (4-10, NFC North) and New York Giants (4-10, NFC East) – the latter two losing their third running – looked out of the race, although still mathematically in with a shot at the playoffs. Eliminated after Week 15 were the New York Jets (3-11, AFC East), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12, AFC South) who had a 16-30 loss to fellow AFC South strugglers Houston Texans (3-11) and Detroit Lions (2-11-1) who had a massive shock victory over NFC West leaders Arizona Cardinals.

Week 15 Reference: [49]

Week 16 Schedule

Week 16 Reference: [50]

Week 16 Recap

Buffalo Bills (9-6, AFC East) won their second straight, 33-21 at the New England Patriots (9-6, AFC East) in Foxborough to hand the Patriots their second loss running. In another match-up between the top two teams in a division, Cincinnati Bengals (9-6, AFC North) triumphed 41-21 versus Baltimore Ravens (8-7, AFC North), who had now lost their fourth straight and were in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Josh Allen (Buffalo) earned joint Eirball Player of the Week honours for becoming the first player in NFL History to pass for 100+ Touchdowns and rush for 20+ Touchdowns in a season. He shared the Eirball honour with Joe Burrow of Cincinnati who passed for 525 yards, the fourth most yards in a game since 1950.

Tennessee Titans (10-5, AFC South) won 20-17 at San Francisco 49ers (8-7, NFC West) to remain one game ahead of the Colts. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) wrapped up the AFC West title with a 36-10 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1, AFC North).

In the AFC Wildcard hunt were Indianapolis Colts (9-6, AFC South) who defeated Arizona Cardinals (10-5, NFC West); Miami Dolphins (8-7, AFC West) who won their seventh straight for the first time since the last seven weeks of the 1985 regular season – the Dolphins defeated the New Orleans Saints (7-8, NFC South) 20-3; Baltimore Colts (8-7, AFC North) despite losing four straight; Los Angeles Chargers (8-7, AFC West), who blew a great chance with a 21-41 loss at Houston Texans; Las Vegas Raiders (8-7, AFC West) who downed the Denver Broncos (7-8, AFC West) 17-13 in Nevada; Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1, AFC North) despite losing to the Chiefs; and with an outside chance the Broncos (7-8, AFC West) and Cleveland Browns (7-8, AFC North) who 22-24 at the NFC North Champions Green Bay Packers.

Eliminated from the AFC race were Houston Texans (4-11, AFC South) despite their second victory straight, 41-21 versus the Chargers; New York Jets (4-11, AFC East) who had also won, 26-21 versus the still struggling Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13, AFC South), themselves eliminated also.

In the NFC Dallas Cowboys (11-4) wrapped up the NFC East with a huge 56-14 defeat of eternal rivals the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys biggest score since Week 6, 1980 when they defeated San Francisco 49ers 59-14 in Texas Reference: [59]. Green Bay Packers (12-3), already NFC North Champions, won 24-22 at home to the Cleveland Browns. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-4, NFC South) won 32-6 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte versus the Carolina Panthers (5-10, NFC South) to win their first NFC South title since 2007. In the NFC West the slupming Arizona Cardinals (10-5) lost their third straight to fall behind the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) who defeated the Minnesota Vikings (7-8, NFC North) 30-23. It was the Rams fourth successive victory.

The NFC Wildcard race was led by Arizona Cardinals (10-5, NFC West) who despite losing 16-22 at home to the Colts (9-6, AFC South), were guaranteed a playoff spot. Philadelphia Eagles (8-7, NFC East) won their third straight game, 34-10 at the Giants (4-11, NFC East), which officially eliminated the New York team. San Francisco 49ers (8-7, NFC West) despite losing 17-20 at the 10-5 Titans were also in a Wildcard playoff spot. Still in the race were Minnesota Vikings (7-8, NFC North) and New Orleans Saints (7-8, NFC South) who both lost in Week 16 – the Vikings 23-30 at home to the Rams, and the Saints 3-20 at home to Miami. Atlanta Falcons kept their slim hopes alive with a 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Washington Football Team were still in with a vague outside chance despite the huge loss to Dallas.

Eliminated from the NFC race were Carolina Panthers (5-10, NFC South) and Seattle Seahawks (5-10, NFC West) who both lost, Chicago Bears (5-10, NFC North) who defeated the Seahawks 25-24, New York Giants (4-11, NFC East) who lost their fourth straight 10-34 at Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions (2-12-1) who went down 16-20 at Atlanta Falcons.

Week 16 Reference: [50]

Week 17 Schedule

Week 17 Reference: [50]

Week 17 Recap

The AFC East title race would go down to the Final Week after the Buffalo Bills (10-6) defeated the Atlanta Falcons (7-9, NFC West) 29-15 at Highmark Stadium in Upstate New York, eliminating the Falcons in the process. With the New England Patriots (10-6) thrashing Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14, NFC South) 50-10 the two teams were level going into Week 18. The Miami Dolphins (8-8, AFC East) lost for the first time in nine games, 3-34 at the Tennessee Titans (11-5), as the Titans clinched the AFC South title for the second straight season. The AFC North title went to Cincinnati, winning their third straight game to go 10-6 with a close 34-31 victory at home to AFC West Champions Kansas City Chiefs (11-5).

In the wildcard race the Patriots and Bills, whichever does not win the AFC East title in week 18, is guaranteed a Wildcard Playoff place, along with two teams from the following: Indianapolis Colts (9-7, AFC South) who lost at home to Las Vegas Raiders (AFC West), also 9-7 and in the hunt after winning their third straight game; Los Angeles Chargers (9-7, AFC West) who defeated Denver Broncos 34-13; Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7-1, AFC North) who won 26-14 versus the Cleveland Browns; Miami Dolphins (8-8, AFC West) despite their first loss in nine games; and Baltimore Ravens (8-8, AFC North) who lost their fifth straight 19-20 at home to Los Angeles Rams.

Eliminated from the AFC playoff race were: Cleveland Browns (7-9, AFC North) following their 14-26 loss to division rivals Pittsburgh; Denver Broncos (7-9, AFC West) after losing 13-34 to Los Angeles Chargers, also a division rival; Houston Texans (4-12, AFC South) who lost 7-23 at San Francisco 49ers; New York Jets (4-12, AFC East) who went down 24-28 at home to Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14, AFC South) who were thrashed 10-50 by New England Patriots.

The Green Bay Packers (13-3) wrapped up first place in the NFC, gaining Homefield Advantage for the Playoffs and a bye to the Divisional Round with a 37-10 defeat of Minnesota Vikings in Lambeau Field. The NFC East Champions Dallas Cowboys (11-5), lost 22-25 in Arlington to the Arizona Cardinals (11-5, NFC West) who snapped a three-game losing streak to remain one game behind division leaders Los Angeles Rams (12-4), who defeated Baltimore Ravens 20-19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4, NFC South Title winners) won 28-24 versus the New York Jets in New Jersey.

In the Wildcard playoffs, Arizona Cardinals are guaranteed at least a playoff place after theirv 25-22 victory at Dallas Cowboys. They would be joined in the playoffs by two from Philadelphia Eagles (9-7, NFC East) who defeated Washington Football Team 20-16; San Francisco 49ers (9-7, NFC West) who won 23-7 at the Houston Texans; and New Orleans Saints (8-8, NFC South) who defeated the Carolina Panthers 18-10 in Louisiana.

Eliminated from the NFC playoff race were Minnesota Vikings (7-9, NFC North) who were downed 10-37 by the Green Bay Packers; Atlanta Falcons (7-9, NFC South) who lost 15-29 at Buffalo Bills; Washington Football Team (6-10, NFC East) who lost out to division rivals Philadelphia Eagles 16-20; Chicago Bears (6-10, NFC North) who won their second straight game 29-3 versus New York Giants; Seattle Seahawks (6-10, NFC West) who won 51-29 in a high-scoring game versus the Detroit Lions (2-13-1, NFC North) who had also been eliminated; Carolina Panthers (5-11, NFC South) who finished the season 2-11 after starting 3-0 with a loss to New Orleans Saints; and New York Giants (4-12, NFC East) who went down 3-29 to Chicago Bears. Russell Wilson earned Eirball’s Player of the Week after tying with Peyton Manning on 112 wins for the the most wins by a Quarterback in first 10 seasons since 1950 including playoffs.

Week 17 Reference: [51]

Week 18 Schedule