NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Steelers get the 7 seed. Bills essentially in a win and get the #2 seed or lose and get eliminated game.

 

Stroud just lit the place on fire, wow!

 

Don’t the Broncos have to win in this situation to raise the Steelers strength of schedule tie breaker?

 

The broncos had to do with the Steelers losing, not if they win

 

Texans clinch first playoff berth since 2019, eliminate Colts with 23-19 win



The Texans won 11 games combined the past three years under three head coaches, not counting an interim coach. They have 10 wins this season, and their first playoff berth since 2019.

Houston held off Indianapolis 23-19 in a win-or-go-home game Saturday night.

The Texans (10-7) can win the AFC South if the Titans upset the Jaguars on Sunday. The Colts fell to 9-8.

C.J. Stroud, the leading candidate for offensive rookie of the year, threw two touchdown passes and had a defining drive in the fourth quarter to lead the Texans to the win. He went 20-of-26 for 264 yards.

He threw a 75-yard touchdown to Nico Collins on the team’s first snap and a 1-yard touchdown to Andrew Beck in the final two minutes of the first half.

Collins caught nine passes for 195 yards, with six other players catching 11 passes for 69 yards. The Texans were missing their third, fourth and fifth leading receivers.

Stroud led the Texans on a 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive, with Devin Singletary scoring on a 3-yard run with 6:20 left. They overcame a second-and-20 following a sack of Stroud by Ronnie Harrison Jr. and a first-and-20 after a holding penalty on Beck.

Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point wide left, though, putting the Texans defense on the spot.

The Colts reached the Houston 15 with 1:06 left and faced a fourth-and-one. Instead of running Jonathan Taylor, who had 30 carries for 188 yards and a touchdown, Shane Steichen opted to put the ball in Gardner Minshew’s hands. Running back Tyler Goodson was open, but the throw was slightly behind him, and he dropped it.

The Texans ran three times and took a safety on the punt, leaving one second on the clock. The Colts picked up only 7 yards on the free kick before Houston recovered Michael Pittman’s attempted lateral.

Taylor left briefly at the end of the third quarter with heel and ankle injuries but returned. He kept the Colts in the game, with Minshew struggling in going 13-of-24 for 141 yards.

NBC

 

Steelers still need help to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh has to get a loss from either the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Steelers will be a wild card if they reach the postseason, either as a sixth or seventh seed.

 

If the Steelers lost, there would have been 0% chance since it would have been impossible to tie a remaining playoff eligible team.

A Steelers loss would have locked in the winner of the Colts/Texans and loser of the Dolphins/Bills. I thought I read somewhere where the Broncos would need to win to raise the Steelers SOS for that tier tie breaker.

 

If they would've lost, it would've taken a Broncos win and a Jags loss to get the Steelers in. All three would've been 9-8 and the Steelers win the tie breaker.

 

Jags win head to head tie breaker in that instance. Besides, Browns with 11 wins, Bills with 10 wins and Colts/Texans with 10 wins would have eliminated them if they lost..

Edit: I see the jags broncos deal, if Jags lost the winner of Colts/Texans win the division opening an opportunity for a 9 win team to get the 7th seed. broncos were eliminated due to conference record.. so Jags beating the Steelers eliminates any other tie breakers with them. Pretty sure the Broncos has to do with the Bills, if they lose.

 

Lions up early on Minnesota, 7-0. Slip slippin away goes the season. Lions are going to kill them Vikes today.

 

Sam LaPorta sets new tight end rookie record with 82nd catch

Detroit’s Sam LaPorta is wrapping up one of the best rookie seasons for a tight end in NFL history.

LaPorta caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter today that was his 82nd catch and 10th touchdown. The 82 catches is a new NFL record for a rookie tight end, and the 10 touchdowns moves him into a tie with Rob Gronkowski for second place among rookie tight ends. Only Mike Ditka, with 12 touchdowns in his rookie year, had more.

It’s been an outstanding season for LaPorta, a second-round pick who has made an immediate impact and is one of the big reasons for the Lions’ offensive success this season.

 

Playing tough in Nashville, Titans up, 21-10 over the Jags.

 

Titans leading Jags 21-10. Go Titans!

 

JJ Watt reporting TJ Watt has a grade 2 MCL sprain. Still likely out for the WC game if the Steelers sneak into playoffs.

 

Lawrence just threw his second INT. Titans taking over near midfield

 

Titans punter dropped the ball…Jags in FG range

 

Sam LaPorta out at the moment (knee)... thats real bad news for the Lions if serious.

 

Jags lose, Steelers and Bills clinch playoff spots