NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys defeat each other in the NFL
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The NFL play-off spots were determined and the San Francisco 49ers secured their division, but the Buffalo Bills’ crushing of the Dallas Cowboys may have made the largest impact.
Dallas secured a play-off position before of their game in Buffalo thanks to results elsewhere, but the Bills, who will pose a serious threat if they can make it into the postseason, outmatched and outmuscled them.
After suffering two straight losses, the Kansas City Chiefs turned things around, but they continued to struggle with mishandled throws. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 30-0, extending the Jets’ enduring play-off futility into its thirteenth year.
The Chiefs are currently behind the Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens, who defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars to hold the top spot in the AFC standings. Their big game on Christmas Eve against Miami could determine who receives a bye into the first round of the playoffs.
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Risky Bills rule the Cowboys
James Cook, a running back for the Buffalo Bills, celebrates a score.
In Buffalo’s decisive victory over Dallas, James Cook had a career day.
The Bills defeated the Cowboys 31–10 on Sunday, displaying a physical domination in the trenches that we have not seen from them before. They also defeated the Chiefs in Kansas City.
With a season-low of 195 yards, Buffalo’s defense contained the league’s top scoring threat. James Cook had a huge day, gaining 179 yards and two scores, to help Buffalo score a touchdown.
Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Bills, only managed 94 yards on 15 pass attempts, but he still had some memorable plays as the club improved to 8-6. They are still narrowly outside of the playoffs on tiebreakers, but they are clearly becoming the team who, if they can make it there, everyone will want to avoid.
Dolphins terminate Jets’ campaign
The Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa and Raheem Mostert
For the Miami Dolphins, Raheem Mostert (left) has scored 20 touchdowns.
With the signing of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets were hoping to start a new chapter in their history, but after losing badly in Miami, they have now missed 13 postseason games, the longest streak in not only the NFL but all four major American sports combined.
Although Rodgers has recovered miraculously from his Achilles surgery, he will not be taken on any risks this season as the usual sense of failure that surrounded that summer in New York has replaced it.
10-4 Miami will receive the top seed in the AFC, a bye, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win their final three games. However, their final games against the Cowboys, Ravens, and Bills will be as difficult as it gets.
San Francisco wins the NFC West.
Raheem Mostert, the Miami running back, scored twice to reach 20 touchdowns for the season. Christian McCaffrey subsequently tied that mark with a hat-trick in San Francisco’s 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite taking a significant hit throughout the game, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed to pass for 242 yards and four touchdowns, leading his club to a sixth consecutive victory and the NFC West title.
They lead the NFC after winning all six by a margin of at least 12 points. The unflappable Purdy is a strong contender for MVP, and teammate McCaffrey may be his greatest opponent as they continue to push the 49ers’ momentum to an 11-3 record and appear nearly unstoppable.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Bill Belichick of the Patriots
The Patriots may part ways with Bill Belichick at the end of the season. Chiefs win, but drops are still a problem.
The Chiefs, the Super Bowl champions, defeated the New England Patriots 27-17 to snap a losing streak, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still having trouble locating ball-catching receivers.
With a 9-5 record and a slim possibility of securing the top seed, the Chiefs can still aim for a fourth Super Bowl participation in five years, especially after Denver’s defeat to Detroit on Saturday.
Although the Patriots were once part of the NFL’s dynasty, it has undoubtedly ended as Bill Belichick’s tenure appears to be coming to an end. The 3-11 team is so undesirable that this game was the first to be moved out of the coveted Monday Night Football prime time window.
The Carolina Panthers, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 9–7 to record just their second victory of the year, are another unattractive team in the eyes of its own supporters. However, only a small number of fans attended the game due to the intense rain.
beaten-up Browns never give up.
Despite having a history of injuries and using their fourth starting quarterback of the year, the Cleveland Browns managed to overcome the Chicago Bears 20-17 in the fourth quarter to improve to 9-5 and fifth in the AFC playoff standings. The victory was sparked by veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco overcame three interceptions to lead Cleveland to wins in five straight games decided in the final two minutes and six games decided by four points or fewer.
The Browns are succeeding while taking a difficult approach.
The Houston Texans, who are 8-6, aren’t far behind after defeating the Tennessee Titans 19-16 and removing Tennessee from the playoffs despite losing rookie wonder CJ Stroud.
With a perfect statistical passer rating, quarterback Baker Mayfield led the Tampa Bay Bucs to a 34-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers, securing first place in the NFC South ahead of the New Orleans Saints, who defeated the New York Giants 24-6.
The Los Angeles Rams, who won the Super Bowl two years ago, defeated the Washington Commanders 28–20 to claim the seventh and last position in the NFC playoffs.
