Pats lock down the East 24-17 over the Bills. The Bills remind me of the 89 Bills, a good team that got into the playoffs but lost a shoot out game against the Browns in the divisional round, but they came back in 90 and should have won Super Bowl XXV and ofc we know where they went from there. This Bills team has a bunch of talent and if they add a few more pieces this off-season, they will be very dangerous.
The Patriots are the champions of the AFC East. Again. New England won its division for the NFL record 11th consecutive year by defeating Buffalo 24-17 tonight. It was a good game that the Bills appeared to have a great chance of winning when they took a 17-13 lead in the second half. But when the Bills punted on a fourth-and-1, everything seemed to shift. After that punt the Patriots marched down the field for a field goal to make it 17-16, and on their next possession they marched down the field once again, scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to get the winning margin. Tom Brady had one of his best games of the season, completing 26 of 33 passes for 271 yards, with a touchdown, no interceptions and no sacks. Josh Allen came alive in the second half and finished the game 13 of 26 passing for 208 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, but he came up short on the Bills’ last drive, which ended up with an incomplete heave into the end zone. The Patriots are still hoping for a first-round playoff bye and have an outside chance at home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. It hasn’t been a perfect season in New England, but they’re right where they want to be. The Bills are now likely set for a first-round playoff showdown at Houston. Buffalo could rest its starters in Week 17, as the playoffs are coming, but only as a wild card. The Patriots are, again, the division winners. source; NBC
The NFC West will have a new champion, and now, so will the NFC. The 49ers eliminated the Rams from postseason contention Saturday night with a thrilling 34-31 victory. The 49ers (12-3) can win the NFC West and home-field advantage throughout the postseason as the No. 1 seed with a victory over the Seahawks next week. San Francisco has not won in Seattle since 2011. The Rams fell to 8-7 a year after reaching the Super Bowl. San Francisco, outplayed by the Rams for most of the game, improbably converted two third-and-16s on its game-winning drive. With 1:57 remaining, Jimmy Garoppolo found Kendrick Bourne for an 18-yard gain on third-and-16 to the San Francisco 37. Three plays later, with 58 seconds left, Garoppolo made good on third-and-16 with a 46-yard pass to a wide-open Emmanuel Sanders on a blown coverage by safety Taylor Rapp. Sanders couldn’t keep his footing, allowing Jalen Ramsey to touch him down. The damage was done with the Rams on the Los Angeles 23. Three plays after that, Robbie Gould kicked a 33-yard field goal on the final play. The Rams gained 395 yards as Jared Goff completed 27 of 46 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Robert Woods caught eight passes for 117 yards, and Tyler Higbee added nine receptions for 104 yards. Garoppolo, sacked six times, with Dante Fowler getting 2.5 and Aaron Donald 1.5, did not have one of his better days. He went 16-for-27 for 248 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. But his two big third-down passes late in the game send the 49ers to Week 17 with all their goals still in front of them. The 49ers’ losses were heart-breakers in the waning seconds. Their win Saturday night was a heart-stopper on the final play. source; NBC
In both the NFC and the AFC, we know the identity of five of the six playoff teams, with two more teams competing for the sixth and final spot. In the NFC, the only remaining playoff ticket to be punched belongs to the NFC East winner. If the Cowboys beat the Eagles today, the Cowboys clinch the NFC East. If the Eagles win today, they win the NFC East if they also win next week, or if the Cowboys lose next week. In the AFC, the only remaining playoff ticket to be punched belongs to the sixth and final wild card team. If the Steelers beat the Jets today and the Ravens next week, the Steelers will be that wild card. If the Steelers lose a game and the Titans beat the Texans next week, the Titans will be the wild card. (The Browns and Raiders are both mathematically still alive, but their odds are remote.) The teams that have clinched the playoffs are the Ravens, Patriots, Chiefs, Texans, Bills, 49ers, Packers, Saints, Seahawks and Vikings. source; NBC
Steelers go down. If the Titans go down too then the Raiders are alive with a win over the Chargers today. Raiders need to win out vs Chargers and Broncos, Steelers to lose to Ravens, Titans lose to Texans and Colts to beat the Jags.
Hope this game (Eagles, Cowboys) is on at my brothers... going to Christmas party tonight, but im afraid i'll be the only NFL fan there.