Tag: Playoffs

Report card: Bills outlast Steelers, 17-10

The Bills are playoff bound after their victory of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a victory where the Bills relied on their stout defense.

Buffalo, you can party like it’s 1999 because the Bills are sitting at 10-4, clinching just their second playoff appearance this century.

The game was an ugly, hard fought battle that saw seven turnovers between themselves and the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game which the Bills won 17-10.

Ultimately, Buffalo’s offense made more plays down the stretch that gave them the victory. It wasn’t a stellar performance from Josh Allen and company though.

With that, here’s how the Bills graded out in this week’s report card following their win over the Steelers:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Quarterback: C

Josh Allen had a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he completed just 52 percent of his passes for 139 yards. He struggled throughout the game, missing some wide open receivers, his interception was a perfect example of these errant throws. Allen had a clean pocket, and threw a pass to the outstretched arms of receiver Cole Beasley, that bounced off the hands of Beasley and into arms of the Steelers defensive back. The interception doesn’t fall on the shoulders of Allen alone, but a better pass could have been caught by Beasley.

The quarterback did have his moments of brilliance, mainly coming in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. He hit a massive 40-yard strike to John Brown that help set up the game winning touchdown. Speaking of the game winning touchdown, he found tight end Tyler Kroft on third down, sealing the victory for Buffalo.

Allen also had 28 yards on the ground, and one rushing touchdown that opened the scoring for Buffalo.

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Bills clinch playoff berth, but have bigger goals

This Bills team wants more than just to qualify for the postseason.

For the second time in the last three seasons, the Buffalo Bills are playoff bound.

Following their 17-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, the Bills clinched at least the fifth-seed in the AFC.

Unlike when the Bills ended their 17-year playoff drought two years ago, this team expects much more out themselves. Much more than just a one and done Wild Card game.

“Everything about it is different,” Defensive End Shaq Lawson told the media after the game. “The whole vibe is different. It’s a 360. (Brandon) Beane and (Sean) McDermott came in and changed it and brought they guys in and it’s paying off right now. Two out of the three years they’ve been here, we’ve been in the playoffs. So, something working… We winning, the culture different. Everybody in the building know what we gotta do and we wanna win a Super Bowl.”

Bills offensive lineman, Dion Dawkins, echoed similar sentiments when speaking in the Bills locker room Sunday night.

“Coach McDermott came in here and he had a team,” Dawkins said. “He had Beane with him… and had a plan. And their plan was to get guys here that can learn, can adapt and can believe in what the coaches are preaching. Three years, two playoffs, it’s special.”

Dawkins made sure to clarify that despite the team’s success, there is still more work to be done.

“Once again, like, we didn’t win the Super Bowl, you know? This is normal now, you know? This is normal. And we’re gonna keep this going and we’re gonna see how how far we can get,” Dawkins said.

Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, who had a monster game against the Steelers, added that team has to stick with what has gotten them to this point.

“It’s big because we get to go to the playoffs for the second time in three years,” White said. “Before all of us got here it was a 17-year drought. We’ve been building this thing since 2017, since we all got here. I feel like, you know, it’s starting to take a turn, but we just gotta continue to trust the process and just go to work each and every day and just try to be the best that we can be.”

White also stated that past failures in the Bills franchise were not connected to this current group.

“This team is not connected to the past, but we just wanna be that team to pretty much break down those barriers and break those boundaries. We’ve been doing a great job all year just responding to adversity and just, you know, playing total team football,” White said.

The Bills will certainly enjoy clinching a playoff berth tonight, but their sights will quickly shift to the New England Patriots, who they will face on a short week, Saturday afternoon.

At 11-5, the Patriots currently hold a game lead over the 10-4 Bills in the AFC East standings. The Bills would need to beat the Patriots and then the Jets in Week 17 and hope the Dolphins can find a way to beat New England during the final week of the season as well, in order to win the division.

Regardless of where they finish, the Bills will be in the dance, which still takes some getting use to after all of those years of being on the outside looking in. But, as several of the players said after their biggest win of the season, that is no longer good enough. It’s the new normal.

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Falcons give Seahawks early Christmas gift by upsetting 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks are back in first place in the NFC West after the Atlanta Falcons defeated the San Francisco 49ers Week 15.

The Seattle Seahawks must really be on Santa Claus’ nice list because they got a massive Christmas present early this year. Entering Sunday, the Seahawks were firmly planted as the No. 5 seed and were in the playoff standings as a wild card, thanks to their loss last week to the Los Angeles Rams.

Now the Seahawks are back in first in the NFC West and improved all the way to the No. 1 seed, for now. Why? Because the nine-loss Falcons went on the road to defeat the conference and division-leading San Francisco 49ers 29-22 in the final seconds of the game.

The 49ers were sitting pretty at 11-2 and in the No. 1 seed, looking to tighten their grip on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Instead, Atlanta pulled off perhaps the upset of the year to send the 49ers tumbling all the way back down to the No. 5 seed and second in the West – where they were two weeks ago.

The Seahawks now move temporarily into the No. 1 seed, by virtue of the New Orleans Saints – who own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle – not having played yet, as they will take on the listless Colts on “Monday Night Football.” Should the Saints prevail a game they are heavily favored to win, the Seahawks will drop to the No. 2 seed, but are still in the driver’s seat for a division title and first-round bye.

The good news doesn’t stop there, however. With a loss by the Rams – who were decimated 44-21 by the Dallas Cowboys – the Seahawks have officially punched their ticket to the postseason for a second-straight year, and for the eighth time in 10 years under Pete Carroll.

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PODCAST: Bills clinch playoff berth; can they still win AFC East?

In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a …

In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a winning culture that Sean McDermott has established in Buffalo.

The Bills sit at 10-4, are officially in, and could very easily loosen up a bit, but there is still another opportunity at stake, and that is to win the AFC East title for the first time in over 20 years. The chances are slim, but it is still a very reasonable feat, as they head to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots next Saturday. The Bills need to win out, and the Patriots need to lose not only to the Bills, but the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 as well.

Buffalo and Pittsburgh brought their hard nosed defenses to the table last night for Sunday Night Football, and both teams excelled in stopping drives, forcing punts and turnovers, and keeping the game close for their offenses. It was the Bills, fortunately, that made it all happen, behind Josh Allen, John Brown, and even tight end Tyler Kroft.

It was a great win for a team, in the national spotlight, that proved many doubters wrong in the process.

Podcast host Matt Johnson recaps the big Week 15 win, and a look ahead.

 

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NFL playoff picture: Packers clinch postseason berth, hold inside track for No. 2 seed

The Packers clinched a playoff berth and have the inside track at the NFC North title and No. 2 seed in the NFC after beating the Bears.

The Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth and maintained their inside track for the NFC North title and the No. 2 seed in the NFC postseason field by knocking off the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

After 14 games and 15 weeks, the Packers are 11-3 and trailing only the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC standings. Matt LaFleur’s team is one of three NFC teams with at least 11 wins and one of five with 10 or more wins.

The Packers can now clinch the NFC North title with a win over the Minnesota Vikings next Monday night or a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Just one win in the final two games will clinch the division title for the Packers.

Wins against both the Vikings and Lions will clinch at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye for the Packers.

NFC standings

1. Seahawks (11-3, still to play: vs. ARI, vs. SF)
2. Packers (11-3, still to play: at MIN, at DET)
3. Saints (10-3, still to play: vs. IND, at TEN, at CAR)
4. Cowboys (7-7, still to play: at PHI, vs. WAS
5. 49ers (11-3, still to play: vs. LAR, at SEA )
6. Vikings (10-4, still to play: vs. GB, vs CHI)

In the hunt:

Rams (8-6, still to play: at SF, vs. ARI)
Eagles (7-7, still to play: vs. DAL, at NYG)

The Packers have guaranteed at least a wildcard berth in the playoffs. If they can win one more game, they’ll guarantee a home playoff game, and the Packers finished 7-1 at Lambeau Field this season.

“We’re 7-1 at home and we have an inside track at the No. 2 seed,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after Sunday’s win. “Obviously, we have an opportunity to wrap up the division next week, which guarantees a home game and the third seed, at worst. I like our chances. I like our football team.”

NFC North standings

1. Packers (11-3, 4-0 vs. division)
2. Vikings (10-4, 2-2 vs. division)
3. Bears (7-7, 3-2 vs. division)
8. Lions (3-10-1, 0-5 vs. division)

The Packers’ win over the Bears eliminated Chicago from playoff contention.

One of the toughest games on the schedule is coming up next week, but the Packers understand the potential prize – winning the NFC North for the first time since 2016 – is available next Monday night in Minneapolis.

“Our goal is to win the North. Right now that is still out in front of us,” LaFleur said Sunday. “We know we’re going to go into a pretty hostile environment next week in Minnesota. That place is a tough place to go play against a really good football team, one of the top teams in the National Football League. They’re good in all three phases so we’ve got a big challenge in front of us. We’re going to have to get to work and make sure that our process is on point in order to go up there and try to get a victory.”

AFC playoff picture: Where do the Texans stand after beating the Titans 24-21?

The Houston Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 24-21 on Sunday in Week 15. Where do they stand now in the AFC playoff picture?

The Houston Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 24-21 Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium in a gritty battle that needed all three phases for the Texans to take first place for now.

Given that the Texans do possess first place in the division, how do things look in the AFC playoff picture?

Currently, the Texans would be the No. 4 seed in the AFC wild-card. More than likely, they would be the Saturday afternoon wild-card game, per usual, and they would host the Buffalo Bills, who are the No. 5 seed.

Interestingly, the Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the No. 6 seed, are playing on Sunday Night Football. If the Steelers were to beat the Bills, then Pittsburgh would travel to Houston for wild-card weekend. Given that the Texans would be playing a more nationally visible franchise, it could bump them up to a Saturday night or a Sunday time slot for wild-card weekend.

In the No. 3 spot are the Kansas City Chiefs, who took care of the Denver Broncos and rookie Drew Lock on the snowy turf of Arrowhead Stadium. As it stands, the Chiefs would host the Steelers on wild-card weekend, presuming the Bills beat the Steelers.

The No. 1 seed in the AFC are the Baltimore Ravens at 12-2. The New England Patriots, who clinched a playoff spot today, are 11-3. Even if the Patriots and Ravens finished with the same record, the Ravens would have the No. 1 seed given the fact they have the head-to-head tiebreaker — just as the Texans do over the Patriots.

Teams in the hunt include the Titans (8-6), Indianapolis Colts (6-7), Browns (6-8), and Raiders (6-8). For the Titans to make the playoffs, they will need to win out, and they will need plenty of help in the form of the Steelers falling to 9-7 or the Texans losing next week at Tampa Bay and again in Week 17 to the Titans.

Seahawks clinch playoff spot, take lead in NFC West over 49ers

After Week 15, the Seattle Seahawks have officially clinched a playoff spot and re-taken the lead in the NFC West over the rival 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks have officially clinched a spot in this year’s playoffs. Seattle not only beat the Panthers in Carolina, but the Cowboys took care of the Los Angeles Rams to seal the deal for the Seahawks.

There were four possible scenarios that could have occurred on Sunday for Seattle to have secured a spot.

  1. SEA win + LAR loss or tie OR
  2. SEA win + MIN loss OR
  3. SEA win + GB loss + MIN tie OR
  4. SEA tie + LAR loss

The Vikings beat the Chargers 39-10 and the Packers won out over the Bears to the tune of 21-13. In the end, it was the Cowboys who did Seattle the favor, ultimately prevailing over the Rams 44-21.

In addition to a guaranteed spot in the postseason, the Seahawks have also taken over control of the NFC West. The 49ers lost to the Falcons, who pulled out a miracle in the final seconds of the afternoon game.

With the Seahawks and 49ers now both at 11-3 on the season, Seattle has the tiebreaker having beaten San Francisco Week 10. It looks like Week 17 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting games of the year at CenturyLink Field.

Seattle faces Arizona next Sunday before the all-important 49ers matchup on Dec. 29.

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Texans Week 15 rooting guide: First, take care of business against the Titans

The Houston Texans must beat the Tennessee Titans in Week 15, but there are still other games that need to go the Texans’ way.

It can’t be underscored enough that the most important element to Week 15 is for the Houston Texans to get a win over the Tennessee Titans Sunday at noon CT at Nissan Stadium. Nevertheless, there are other games in Week 15 that impact the Texans’ playoff hunt, and they need them to break a certain way. Here is a list of the games Texans fans should keep an eye on and root for specific outcomes.

early games

(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals — Root for Bengals

It is highly unlikely the second-best team in the AFC drops their third game in a row, this time to a 1-12 that could end up winning the Joe Burrow Sweepstakes. Nonetheless, if the Patriots finish with the same record as the Texans, Houston gets a first-round bye. In order for that to happen, the Patriots will have to drop one in Cincinnati.

 

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — Root for Broncos

It is the same situation as with the Patriots, though it probably won’t include a first-round bye. However, if the Chiefs finish with the same record as the Texans, Houston moves up further in the playoff seeding. It could be the difference between playing a surging Buffalo Bills team that would be the winner in any other division or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have had their share of ups and downs.

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Can the Broncos still make the playoffs?

The Broncos can still make the playoffs this season. Here’s how.

Despite starting the season with a 3-8 record, the Broncos still mathematically still have a chance to reach the 2019 NFL playoffs. Denver will need a lot of help from other teams, though.

Here’s what needs to happen, according to The Denver Post:

  • Broncos need to win out, finish 8-8 (possible).
  • Texans-Titans can’t end in a tie (probably won’t).
  • Loser of Texans-Titans must lose out (unlikely).
  • Steelers must lose out (unlikely).
  • Browns must lose at least one game (probable).
  • Colts must lose at least two games (possible).

The chances of all of that happening? Less than 1%, according to The New York Times. If those scenarios do happen, Denver would sneak into the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 6 seed with an 8-8 record.

As it stands now, that would give the Broncos a Wild Card meeting against the Chiefs. If Denver won that game, they would go on to face the Ravens in the Divisional round. If they won in Baltimore, the Broncos would then advance to the AFC Championship.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Denver needs to win on Sunday — and then get a lot of help — to stay in the playoff race.

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Discipline is key for Seahawks in moving forward after tough loss

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes discipline is the key to the team moving forward after suffering a tough loss to the Rams.

The Seattle Seahawks suffered their most devastating loss of the season Sunday night, falling to a division rival for their first road defeat of the year.

The road to the postseason is hardly over, however, as the Seahawks can still clinch a playoff berth Week 15 with a win in Carolina. The NFC West is still up for grabs as well, as Seattle continues to chase San Francisco for first place.

At 10-3 on the year, winning had become the norm and it’s how the team recovers from the loss that will tell the tale of the Seahawks this season.

“I think it’s the discipline of the approach,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “We like to stay with it. This has been enormously valuable to us over the years that we’re able to do this. These guys are prepared to put something behind us one way or the other, win or lose. We have to be disciplined about that and not get dragged through it and taken back to whatever just happened.”

Seattle has been a successful road team throughout 2019, losing just one away matchup all year. Slated to face the Panthers on Sunday morning, the Seahawks have the chance to win their final road game of the schedule and continue their hunt for a postseason appearance.

“We need to take the lessons that we learn, move forward and be better off,” Carroll said. “We have to get turned into what’s going on down the road here this next week. It’s my discipline. It’s the player’s and the coaches’ discipline to just do it. We know it’s important and it’s crucial. It’s the ability to command your own focus and put it in the right spot. Hopefully, we’ll do a good job of that.”

The Seahawks and Panthers are set to kick off Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PT – Seattle’s last early start this season.

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