Official 2018 NFL football season thread till Super Bowl in Atlanta 2019

[Mr Quatro]

Tonight's the night for Thursday Night Football and it's going to be a wing dinger.

Chargers vs Chiefs Fox Channel 8pm est

Los Angeles Chargers are 10-3 and the KC Chiefs are 11-2

https://www.ibtimes.com/super-bowl-2...s-loss-2742094

With only three games left in the NFL regular season, the playoff picture has simultaneously become clearer and more chaotic.

Despite all the chaos, oddsmakers still believe that three NFL teams stand above the rest as NFL favorites. The New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs are once again at the top of Super Bowl betting odds, according to Vegas Insider. All three teams have identical 11-2 records.

[Mr Quatro]

LA Chargers won a late rally with only 4 seconds left against KC Chiefs last night 29-28 ... what a great game this was

https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/...1181544804299/

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Los Angeles Chargers spent the entire season chasing the Kansas Chiefs.
And with an opportunity to catch the Chiefs in the race for AFC West title, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn played winner-take-all -- his team converting a two-point conversion with 4 seconds remaining to knock off Kansas City 29-28 on Thursday night.

[Mr Quatro]

Game of the day coming up with Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots.

Both teams have to win ... the game is on right now on CBS out of Pittsburg

The (9-4) New England Patriots are on the road against the (7-5-1) Pittsburgh Steelers and they need a victory in order to keep pace with the Houston Texans for one of the AFC’s first round byes.

[Mr Quatro]

Down to just one more week ... KC at Seattle tonight KC has to win to win the AFC West and Seattle has to win to win any hope of being in the playoffs.

Playoffs! Did someone say Playoffs?

AFC: Who's in

1. (x) Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)
The Chiefs play at Seattle on Sunday night with a chance to lock up the No. 1 seed after the Chargers lost to the Ravens on Saturday night.

2. (y) New England Patriots (10-5)
The Patriots didn't stomp the Bills and Tom Brady didn't look particularly good, but they won handily enough and moved to 10-5. And, more importantly, they got a game on the Texans because of Houston's loss to Philly. New England now just has to beat the Jets at home in Week 17 to secure a first-round bye. The Patriots don't need lucky breaks, but they're getting them anyway.

3. Houston Texans (10-5)
The Texans put together an incredible comeback against the Eagles only to cough up the lead shortly after they got it, allowing Philly to march down and kick a game-winning field goal. The result is the Texans falling to 10-5 and sitting just one game up on the Colts, who can now steal the division. If the Texans lose to the Jaguars in Week 17, the winner of Indy/Tennessee would take the AFC South title and the No. 3 seed.

4. Baltimore Ravens (9-6)
What a win by the Ravens, who were able to continue leaning on the rushing attack thanks to their defense completely shutting down the Chargers' dangerous offense. Not only are the Ravens in position for a playoff spot heading into the final week, they could be leading the division come Monday if the Steelers fall to the Saints.

5. (x) Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
The Chargers couldn't figure out how to solve the Ravens defense on Saturday night in L.A., falling 22-10 against the Ravens one week after beating the Chiefs and throwing the AFC West race into doubt. Now the Chargers will need to win in Week 17 and hope the Chiefs lose their final two games; otherwise, they'll be the five seed and hitting the road on Wild Card Weekend.

6.Indianapolis Colts (9-6): The Colts stormed back late against the Giants, giving them new life in their pursuit of the Texans for the division title and in pursuit of the Ravens for the wild card. The Colts need to beat the Titans in Week 17 and get some help in order to get in the postseason

AFC: Who's out

7. .Tennessee Titans (9-6): The Titans rallied against the Redskins on Saturday despite losing starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, taking the lead with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before a pick-six secured a 25-16 win. If the Steelers lose in New Orleans and fall to 8-6-1, the Titans will get the chance to make the playoffs with a win over the Colts in Week 17.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6-1)
The Steelers have a tough test ahead on Sunday in New Orleans, and now a loss will mean falling out of the playoff picture altogether after the Ravens upset the Chargers in L.A. on Saturday.


AFC: Who's Eliminated

9. Cleveland Browns (7-7-1)
10. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
11. Denver Broncos (6-8)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (6-9)
13. Buffalo Bills (5-10)
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10)
15. New York Jets (4-11)
16. Oakland Raiders (3-11)

NFC: Who's in

1. (y) New Orleans Saints (12-2)
The Saints won ugly on Monday night and can lock up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Steelers on Sunday.

2. (y) Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
The Rams have lost two straight and are in danger of falling out of positioning for a first-round bye, but they get to head to Arizona as huge favorites for a matchup with the Cardinals.

3. (y) Chicago Bears (10-4)
The Bears are hitting their stride, but they'll get tested in San Francisco against a 49ers team that has been impressive at home as of late.

4. (y) Dallas Cowboys (9-6)
The Cowboys needed to get right on Sunday against the Buccaneers, and even though they let Tampa in the back door and only won by a touchdown, they still came away with the win and secured the NFC East division title. That's massive for a team that had Philadelphia breathing down its neck. Jason Garrett's extension is forthcoming.

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
The Seahawks just dropped one game; another and they could be in trouble. Unfortunately for Pete Carroll's team, a tough test awaits on Sunday night with the Chiefs coming to town.

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)
The Vikings put together another convincing win on Sunday, going on the road and putting a hurting on the Lions with a combination of the running game and defense. Famed reindeer namesake Kyle Rudolph had a huge Christmas, catching a pair of touchdown passes along with 121 receiving yards to give the Vikings a major edge at making the playoffs.

NFC: Who's out

7. Philadelphia Eagles (8-7): The Eagles won in semi-miracle fashion on Sunday afternoon, kicking a late field goal to keep their playoff hopes alive. They're the only team that can steal a playoff spot: they need the Seahawks to lose out (Chiefs Sunday night, Cardinals next week) or the Vikings to lose to the Bears in Week 17 along with the Eagles winning against the Redskins next week.

NFC: Who's Eliminated

8. Washington Redskins (7-8)
9. Green Bay Packers (6-8-1)
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
11. Carolina Panthers (6-9)
12. New York Giants (5-10)
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-10)
14. Detroit Lions (5-10)
15. San Francisco 49ers (4-10)
14. Arizona Cardinals (3-11)

[fred8615]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

1. (y) New Orleans Saints (12-2)
The Saints won ugly on Monday night and can lock up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Steelers on Sunday.

[Mr Quatro]

Well at least we still have one football fan left ... a Saints fan,
but we can't be choosy now can we?

The Saints are the best in the NFL right now ... they could go all the way to Atlanta in February

Last night was the last Monday Night football game for the season and the last time the Raiders may play in Oakland. They won too 27-14 against Denver

If Monday night’s game was the last time the Raiders play in the Oakland Coliseum, they gave the place a proper sendoff with a win against a bitter rival.

The Raiders beat the Broncos 27-14 for their fourth win of the season, after jumping out to a 17-0 lead.

They had one heck of a 99 yard touchdown too from a botched punt by Denver that landed on the one yard line. Raiders fielded it and ran 99 yards for their first touchdown.

Rumor is that Denver is not happy with their coach Vance Joseph and he use to be a defensive backs coach with the Bengals from 2014-2015 and the team still has "an interest in him ...

[Mr Quatro]

Tomorrow is the last weekend of the regular season for Professional football

The big game is the Colts vs Titans on Sunday Night Football NBC

The winner takes all to the playoffs and the loser goes home ...

The Vegas odds have Tennessee by 3 points

Another game to watch is Oakland at KC ... probably KC will win, but if they lose and
the LA Chargers beat Denver then Chargers become the AFC winner
and KC becomes a also ran, but still get in the playoffs.

Another one is New England vs the Jets
New England is favored by 17 points and win a bye week if they win

https://nesn.com/2018/12/nfl-odds-pa...own-with-jets/

[eddie]

Brady definitely is not his old self lately, will be interesting to see how well he plays on Sunday.

[Commander Wallace]

I had said earlier this season that I believed that the Cleveland Browns would be a .500 team this Season with 8 wins. In fact, the Browns are 7-7-1 and already doing that this season. The Browns play the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow with a chance for a winning record this season.

Further, Browns Quarterback, Baker Mayfield is 3 touchdown passes away from breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record.

Mayfield has thrown 24 touchdowns this season.
Manning threw 26 touchdowns during his rookie season 20 years ago and Wilson tied that record his first year in 2012.

Manning threw 28 interceptions during his rookie season, compared to Mayfield who only threw 11.
Wilson and Manning played in every game during their rookie season, where Mayfield didn't see action until the third week of the season.


Mayfield has a chance to beat the record Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.



https://www.news5cleveland.com/sport...-rookie-record


I think the Cleveland Browns may well be the team to beat in the AFC North, next season.

[Gargamel]

I think by most accounts then, it could be said Mayfield has had a better season then, fewer games, better td/int ratio, and turmoil within the system.



Get them a #1 receiver, doesn't have to be a pro bowl type player, but some one who can stretch the field, and a couple other tools, and these guys are going to be tough.



With pittsburgh crumbling, Baltimore kind of rebuilding, and Cincy being cleveland, The browns might just rule the roost for a bit.

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

I had said earlier this season that I believed that the Cleveland Browns would be a .500 team this Season with 8 wins. In fact, the Browns are 7-7-1 and already doing that this season. The Browns play the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow with a chance for a winning record this season.

Further, Browns Quarterback, Baker Mayfield is 3 touchdown passes away from breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record.

Mayfield has thrown 24 touchdowns this season.
Manning threw 26 touchdowns during his rookie season 20 years ago and Wilson tied that record his first year in 2012.

Manning threw 28 interceptions during his rookie season, compared to Mayfield who only threw 11.
Wilson and Manning played in every game during their rookie season, where Mayfield didn't see action until the third week of the season.

Mayfield has a chance to beat the record Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/sport...-rookie-record

I think the Cleveland Browns may well be the team to beat in the AFC North, next season.

Originally Posted by Gargamel

I think by most accounts then, it could be said Mayfield has had a better season then, fewer games, better td/int ratio, and turmoil within the system.

Get them a #1 receiver, doesn't have to be a pro bowl type player, but some one who can stretch the field, and a couple other tools, and these guys are going to be tough.

With pittsburgh crumbling, Baltimore kind of rebuilding, and Cincy being cleveland, The browns might just rule the roost for a bit.

Yes, I forgot about the Ravens/Browns game ... not sure what would happen if the Browns won, but they beat the Ravens back in Oct something like 12 to 9 before Mayfield got his better ratings.

I hear Browns Mayfield was the Heisman trophy winner in 2017 and the Ravens QB Jackson was the winner in 2016 and boy does he like to run.

Should be a good game, but like I said not sure what happens if the Ravens lose does it help the Pittsburgh Steelers?

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/201...d-defense.html

The Browns’ 29th-ranked defense, which held the Ravens’ in check in a 12-9 Browns overtime victory on Oct. 7, has something to prove again this time around.

“You just have to outplay them the way we did last time,’’ said safety Damarious Randall. “Last time we played them here, the score was 9-12. I think it’s going to come down to same type of football. Whichever defense can make that play in the fourth quarter, I feel like that’s who is going to win the game.”

[Commander Wallace]

^ For the Pittsburgh Steelers to get into the playoffs, they have to beat the Cincinnati Bengals and hope the Cleveland Browns beat The Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers can still be a wild-card, if they beat the Bengals and the Colts and Titans tie. It matters not if the Steelers get in though. If you have to back into the playoffs like the Steelers are trying to do, you won't go far in the playoff's anyhow. Likewise for the Raven's chances.


With the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Houston Texans in the AFC, the playoffs figure to play host to some fun games as all these teams look good.


With a few more decent, offensive player draft choices, as Gargamel said, the Browns may well be a force in the AFC North next season.

[Mr Quatro]

Play offs!

Did someone say play offs?

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...re-final-games

For the final time this year, Sunday will be filled with NFL regular-season action.

The AFC has three division races still unfolding, and the final NFC playoff spot is also up for grabs.

It could definitely be an eventful Sunday if certain scenarios unfold.


AFC Playoff Picture

1. Kansas City Chiefs* (11-4)

2. New England Patriots* (10-5)

3. Houston Texans* (10-5)

4. Baltimore Ravens (9-6)

5. Los Angeles Chargers* (11-4)

6. Indianapolis Colts (9-6)

In the Hunt

7. Tennessee Titans (9-6)

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6-1)

NFC Playoff Picture

1. New Orleans Saints* (13-2)

2. Los Angeles Rams* (12-3)

3. Chicago Bears* (11-4)

4. Dallas Cowboys* (9-6)

5. Seattle Seahawks* (9-6)

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-6-1)

In the Hunt

7. Philadelphia Eagles (8-7)

*Indicates team has clinched playoff berth

Uncertainty Atop the AFC

The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 17 as the No. 1 seed, but if one scenario unfolds, they could end up as the No. 5 seed playing a road matchup during the wild-card round.

If the Chiefs lose to the Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday, then the Chargers would ascend to the No. 1 seed, swapping places with the Chiefs.

[Commander Wallace]

The Cleveland Browns didn't quite make it to a .500 season. However, the Browns did post a 7-8-1 record after going 0-16 in 2017.


Quote : Mayfield completed 23 of 42 passes for 376 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions against the league's No. 1 defense on Sunday with three passing scores in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, theCleveland Browns quarterback surpassed Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson as the only rookie to throw 27 passing touchdowns.
Mayfield broke the record in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard pass to Antonio Callaway.


It was Mayfield's ninth game this season with at least two passing TDs. Unlike Manning and Wilson, Mayfield did not start all 16 games in order to achieve this record. He started 13 games after taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor just before halftime in Week 3.


Cleveland's offense turned around almost immediately upon the insertion of Mayfield in that game, a 21-17 win over the New York Jets, hit a lull before Hue Jackson was fired, and then reached its peak once offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens took over playcalling. Mayfield flourished under Kitchens, tossing 19 of his 27 touchdowns after Week 8.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...sing-td-record

That's reason enough for some excitement in Cleveland.

[Mr Quatro]

The Cleveland Browns were just 57 yard away when the QB threw a low pass that was intercepted or they would've won by one point.

It was Tennessee that blew it against a very strong Indianapolis Colts with the Colts going on to the play off's in the last seed.

I'm leaning towards the LA Chargers beating the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore Sunday and going maybe back to KC to finish them off to play New England in LA, because the Chargers have a better record.

Wouldn't that be a hoot?


12 teams will battle it out to try to win a Super Bowl championship.


Wild-Card Round

Saturday, Jan. 5

No. 6 Indianapolis Colts at No. 3 Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 4 Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox


Sunday, Jan. 6

No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Baltimore Ravens, 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS

No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 3 Chicago Bears, 4:40 p.m. ET, NBC


Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan. 12

No. 4, 5 or 6 AFC seed at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC

No. 3, 4 or 5 NFC seed at No. 2 Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox



Sunday, Jan. 13

No. 3, 4 or 5 NFC seed at No. 2 New England Patriots, 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS

No. 4, 5 or 6 NFC seed at No. 1 New Orleans Saints, 4:40 p.m. ET, Fox

Conference Championships

Sunday, Jan. 20

NFC Championship Game, 3:05 p.m. ET, Fox

AFC Championship Game, 6:40 p.m. ET, CBS