Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Did you get any holiday shopping done this weekend? Me either. The sports slate was so loaded that I couldn’t find it in me to leave my couch. That’s what Amazon and online shopping is for these days though, right? We’re already almost through the NFL regular season, which seems insane. I’m not sure we have an overly clear picture of who is going to be in the postseason for either conference outside of a handful of teams. Everyone else seems to be just above, at or just below .500, which should make for an exciting finish.
Before the inevitable arrival of in-laws and extended family this upcoming weekend, let’s recap the best and worst of the 15th NFL Sunday of the season.
Good Scary: The Buffalo Bills Could Be The Team No One Wants To Play
The rollercoaster that has been the Buffalo Bills this season seems to hit another peak as they are red-hot winning three of their last four games, the lone loss being an overtime loss to the Eagles. The Bills have beaten the Chiefs and the Cowboys in back-to-back weeks, blowing out Dallas on Sunday. The run game was working so well for the Bills that Josh Allen threw the ball only 15 times, completing 7 for 94 yards and a touchdown. Buffalo steamrolled Dallas on the ground for 266 yards. The Bills are 8-6 but their schedule eases up considerably during the final three weeks. At the Chargers, home against the Patriots and a huge game at the Dolphins that will likely carry heavy playoff and possibly division implications is what they have left. The Bills might not be dead like we thought they were a few weeks ago.
Good Scary: Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey Power 49ers
Sure, it was against the Cardinals but the 49ers continue to look like the team to beat in the NFC. Purdy, who many people doubted could replicate his rookie success, has turned into a Bonafide MVP candidate, while Christian McCaffrey could easily warrant MVP votes as well. Purdy has 26 touchdowns to 7 interceptions and almost 4,000 yards passing while CMC has almost 1,300 yards on the ground, over 500 yards receiving and accounted for 20 total touchdowns. They were my NFC representative in our pre-season Super Bowl picks and I feel as confident as ever saying the 49ers should still be the favorite this late in the season.
Good Scary: Gardner Minshew, Colts Answer the Bell Against Steelers
I know this game was played on Saturday but the NFL is doing their annual “Wait, there’s games on Saturday?” routine again and the Colts were part of that slate. There was plenty of history going against the Colts ahead of their showdown with the Steelers. They hadn’t beaten Pittsburgh since Peyton Manning was under center, never beat them at Lucas Oil Stadium and hadn’t won a home game against them at all since 2008. But on Saturday night, they rallied from a 13-point deficit and rattled of THIRTY UNANSWERED POINTS to get a dominant victory. Gardner Minshew played his best football in a Colts uniform with three touchdowns and being a “win because of” guy and not just a “win with” as he’s been the majority of the season. The Colts got a huge win to boost their postseason hopes. At 8-6, it sure looks like barring a complete stumble the next two weeks against the Falcons or Raiders that their season will hinge on the result of their Week 18 match-up against the Houston Texans.
Good Scary: Montez Sweat Has Been Worth Every Penny
The Chicago Bears blew Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns the only way the Matt Eberflus coached Bears could have: in hilariously absurd ways like Darnell Mooney failing to secure a Hail Mary throw in the end zone that literally cradled in his arms. The result was disappointing and likely ended any prayer Chicago had of making a near impossible playoff run but there was one shining light in it all and that was Montez Sweat’s addition at the trade deadline has completely changed the defensive system for the better. Sweat racked up 3 sacks on Sunday, giving him six in a Bears uniform and giving him 12.5 on the season with his 6.5 he had with the Commanders. Sweat’s presence has not only added a pass rush the Bears were severely lacking but has let others like T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaylen Johnson and the rest of the secondary to all let loose. Chicago has racked up an astonishing 18 interceptions since Week 11, leading the NFL. It definitely all comes back to the addition of Sweat. Points per game, yards allowed, all down considerably since Sweat’s arrival. Matt Eberflus, Luke Getsy and quite possibly Justin Fields won’t be there next season but there’s something to build on in Chicago and his name is Montez Sweat.
Look at that! Not a single bad listed! Chalk it up to Christmas week and not wanting to be the Grinch this week (you’re lucky Darnell Mooney, Dallas Cowboys, Jets, etc.) Enjoy this week and the holiday festivities, drink plenty of eggnog, exchange some hilarious white elephant gifts (fart machines FTW in 2023) and kick up your feet and enjoy some sports if the relatives drive you nuts.
See you on the other side of Christmas and thanks for reading!
