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Tag: On Football

  • Rams, Bucs, Packers earn wins on same day in upside-down NFC

    Rams, Bucs, Packers earn wins on same day in upside-down NFC

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    Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers led comeback wins and the Los Angeles Rams dominated Russell Wilson and the Broncos.

    It was a triumphant Christmas for the Buccaneers, Packers and Rams as many figured it would be when the schedule was released in May. The NFC’s top three preseason Super Bowl favorites were expected to be jockeying for playoff positioning Sunday.

    Instead, the Rams (5-10) are trying to avoid the most losses by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Packers (7-8) need help just to make the playoffs. The Buccaneers (7-8) lead the dreadful NFC South with a first-place showdown coming up against Carolina.

    While the NFC is upside down, the AFC has lived up to expectations. The Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (12-3) entered the season as the top two Super Bowl favorites and they are 1-2 in the race for the No. 1 seed. The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) are third with a chance to move up when they host the Bills next Monday night.

    Brady rallied Tampa Bay from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to a 19-16 overtime victory at Arizona following another poor offensive performance. The 45-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion threw two picks for the third straight game, the offense had no rhythm until it went into hurry-up mode late and the depleted offensive line lost another key player.

    The Buccaneers would clinch the division title with a win over the Panthers (6-9) on New Year’s Day. They’d earn the No. 4 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage in a wild-card game with the most likely opponent being the Dallas Cowboys (11-4).

    The Bucs opened the season with a 19-3 win in Dallas. These are two different teams now. If Brady and the Bucs play the way they have for most of the season, the Cowboys will beat them by double digits.

    Brady doesn’t seem to trust his offensive line, so he’s getting rid of the ball at a faster pace than he ever has, and he appears to lack confidence in his receivers at times.

    The offense has been out of sync all season and is averaging fewer than 18 points. But the defense has stepped up and Brady has engineered three comeback wins in the last seven games.

    The Buccaneers had a lower seed in 2020 and had to win three road games in the playoffs on their way to a Super Bowl title in Brady’s first season in Tampa Bay. That offense was dynamic, averaging more than 30 points per game.

    They’ll need to play far better than they’ve shown to have a shot at winning a playoff game.

    Rodgers and the Packers were headed toward elimination a few weeks ago after a 4-8 start. But they’ve won three straight games and now can make the playoffs with two more wins plus a loss by Washington (7-7-1) or two losses by the Giants (8-6-1).

    Green Bay trailed Miami 20-10 in the second quarter on Sunday before outscoring the Dolphins 16-0 the rest of the way. The defense picked Tua Tagovailoa three times in the fourth quarter to help secure the 26-20 upset on the road.

    The Packers haven’t resembled the team that won 13 games in each of the three previous seasons. But they’re starting to come together down the stretch.

    In 2010 when Rodgers won his only Super Bowl, the Packers made the playoffs as the sixth and final seed in the NFC. They host the Vikings (12-3) and Lions (7-8) in the final two games with a chance to sneak in.

    The Rams already have been knocked out of the playoff race, but Baker Mayfield has made them interesting. He was excellent in a 51-14 win against Denver, completing 24 of 28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Mayfield has led Los Angeles to two victories in three games since he joined the team two days before leading a comeback win over Las Vegas on Dec. 8.

    The Rams, Buccaneers and Packers each won in the same week for only the second time this season and the first since Week 2.

    Despite their struggles, Brady and Rodgers still have a shot. Don’t count them out until they’re eliminated.

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    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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  • Analysis: Cowboys’ Parsons made valid point about MVP debate

    Analysis: Cowboys’ Parsons made valid point about MVP debate

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    Micah Parsons took a lot of heat this week for expressing his opinion about the MVP race.

    The Dallas Cowboys’ star linebacke r said the Philadelphia Eagles are 12-1 more because of the overall talent on the team than Jalen Hurts. The Eagles’ third-year quarterback is a frontrunner for NFL Most Valuable Player entering Week 15.

    Speaking on Von Miller’s podcast, Parsons pointed out the Eagles have an excellent defense and superb players on offense around Hurts.

    “It’s system and team!” Parsons said about the credit.

    He’s not wrong.

    The Eagles have the league’s most dominant offensive line. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are among the best wide receiver tandems. The rushing attack led by Miles Sanders is outstanding. And, coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen have devised an offensive scheme that maximizes Hurts’ skills and helped him elevate his all-around game.

    Parsons also argued that Patrick Mahomes would be his MVP choice because he’s having another tremendous season for the Kansas City Chiefs without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was traded to Miami.

    Of course, some Eagles fans took offense to Parsons’ comments. Others considered his words a compliment about the team. Hurts and his teammates, to their credit, refused to engage. The Eagles and Cowboys face each other in Dallas on Christmas Eve.

    Parsons provided plenty of fodder for talk shows and reporters by openly sharing his thoughts. He didn’t do his team any favors by giving Hurts and the Eagles bulletin-board material for next week’s game. Then again, players shouldn’t need extra motivation to play their best, especially in a rivalry game with playoff implications. The Cowboys (10-3) still have a shot winning the NFC East.

    The conversation between Parsons and Miller about Hurts and other MVP candidates is a similar debate voters are having. With four games remaining, it’s a close race between Hurts and Mahomes with Joe Burrow and Josh Allen also in the mix. Tua Tagovailoa could enter the discussion with spectacular finish. Hill and Justin Jefferson deserve consideration, though a non-quarterback hasn’t won the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

    Parsons was at least one voter’s choice at the midpoint of the season but only two defensive players have ever won MVP. Parsons also is the leading candidate for the AP Defensive Player of the Year.

    Hurts has made a dramatic leap in his second full season as Philadelphia’s starter. He led the team to a 9-8 record and a playoff appearance last season but the front office still had questions about his ability to be a franchise QB and considered trading for Russell Wilson and other proven starters.

    Given another season in Sirianni’s offense, Hurts has thrived. He has 3,157 yards passing, 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions, and leads the NFL in passer rating at 108.4. Hurts also has 686 yards rushing and 10 TDs on the ground.

    Despite losing Hill, Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, leads the NFL with 4,160 yards passing and 33 TDs. The Chiefs are 10-3 with losses to Allen’s Bills and Burrow’s Bengals.

    Burrow, who led Cincinnati to the AFC championship in his second season last year, has overcome an 0-2 start and helped the Bengals (9-4) win five straight.

    Allen has Buffalo (10-3) sitting in the top spot in the AFC.

    The MVP winner will be decided down the stretch and it could end up being Hurts or the AFC quarterback who leads his team to the No. 1 seed.

    The Associated Press announces the league’s MVP winner at NFL Honors on Feb. 9. A panel of 50 voters, comprised of national writers and broadcasters, including former players and coaches, will select a top five for the first time this season.

    Until then, the debate continues.

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    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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