Ahead, a pile-up? On Thursday night, New England defeated Pittsburgh on the road, giving Denver (as well as a number of other teams) a good outing. With quarterback Mitch Trubisky starting in place of the injured Kenny Pickett, the Steelers dropped to 7-6 and now have a difficult road ahead of them if they
hope to make the playoffs. After a home game against Cincinnati and trips to Seattle and Baltimore, they nclcoude with a trip to upstart Indianapolis and quarterback Gardner Minshew. Hurt. It’s a long shot, but let’s hope for the following series of outcomes this weekend: Jacksonville over Cleveland, Buffalo over Kansas City, Bengals over Indianapolis, Jets over Houston, and Denver over the Chargers. Why? Because there would be complete chaos at that point with seven (!!) AFC teams at 7-6.
The Game of Jake Browning. What about the backup quarterback for the Bengals? In an overtime victory on Monday night, Browning tore apart a solid Jacksonville defense, finishing 32 of 37 for 351 yards. The Bengals will still have a difficult road ahead of them without Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season, but Browning’s performance at least raises the possibility that Cincy can be one of those many teams and have a chance in the closing stages.
Mahomes versus Allen. Before the season, it wouldn’t have seemed possible that Buffalo would be included in that potential 7-6 group, and they will need to overcome one of the hardest tests en route—a trip to Kansas City—to get there. Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes in prime time is a must-watch even in a lackluster season. There’s always a sense that the Bills could heat up and win the pennant. It hasn’t happened yet. At Arrowhead, can they light the fuse?
Francisco Shanny. This season, there isn’t a more remarkable triumph than Kyle Shanahan’s team defeating 10-1 Philadelphia 42-19 despite falling behind at the half. The 49ers are the greatest football team when they’re healthy. They’ve demonstrated that they can defeat anyone, at any time, in any location. The top seed is actually reachable, but they should put more emphasis on health in the final stretch than on seeding. Who can defeat them when they’re at their strongest?
