Welcome to December football.
With six teams on their bye week (Bills, Bears, Raiders, Vikings, Giants, Ravens), there are only 11 games Sunday, with the marquee game kicking off at 4:25 p.m. ET between the 49ers (8–3) and Eagles (10–1) at Lincoln Financial Field.
However, the showdown turned into a shellacking. The Niners humiliated the Eagles on their own turf, handing Philadelphia its first home loss of the season, 42-19.
In the early window, the Dolphins again lit up one of the league’s worst teams, smoking the Commanders. However, the storyline is Tyreek Hill, who scored two touchdowns while totaling 157 receiving yards. At this juncture, Hill only needs 519 more yards to eclipse 2,000, making him the first player to ever break through the threshold.
On Sunday night, it’s the Chiefs visiting the Packers at venerable Lambeau Field. Green Bay (5–6) is trying to find its way into the NFC playoff picture, while the Chiefs would move into the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win.
(This story will be updated throughout the day.)
Sunday
49ers 42, Eagles 19
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
- What it means for 49ers: San Francisco (9–3) avenged its NFC title game defeat, and in dominant fashion. Brock Purdy threw for XX.X yards per attempt with four touchdowns, while the Niners’ offense rolled up XXX total yards with ease. Only a game back in the race for home-field advantage, San Francisco should feel great. If the 49ers win the top seed, they would obviously host Philadelphia in a rematch. And, if San Francisco has to come back to The Linc, it certainly will have confidence after this performance.
- What it means for Eagles: It’s an ugly loss, but the Eagles (10–2) must focus on the big picture. If they can go to Dallas and beat the Cowboys, they have four games remaining and none of them come against teams above .500. However, a loss to Dallas and Philadelphia suddenly drops to the fifth seed if the Niners beat Seattle. In short, there’s no time to wallow for the Eagles. Their destiny remains squarely in their control.
Rams 36, Browns 19
- What it means for Browns: It’s a tough loss for Cleveland (7–5), but the Browns are still in good shape for a playoff berth. If the defense can do enough to shut down the Bears, Jets and Bengals in the coming month, they’ll likely find their way to the postseason. Most importantly, Cleveland got a decent start from 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who proved he can still score a few points.
- What it means for Rams: Los Angeles (6–6) fought through a slew of injuries early in the year. Now healthy, the offense is showing it can still be a scary unit behind the likes of Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams and Matthew Stafford. While the Rams have their deficiencies, they’re certainly one of the scarier possibilities in the NFC wild-card race.
Buccaneers 21, Panthers 18
- What it means for Panthers: Carolina (1–11) is barreling toward the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft … but doesn’t own it. The Panthers also have no idea who will be their coach next year and whether Bryce Young, who went 15-for-31 for 178 yards Sunday, will become a player worthy of the No. 1 pick in ’23. Other than that, things are going great. It’s been a long, ugly season in Charlotte.
- What it means for Buccaneers: While nobody is impressed with the Buccaneers (5–7), they’re only a game out of first place in the NFC South. Next week, Tampa Bay gets its rematch with the Falcons. If the Buccaneers win, they will pull into a tie for the divisional lead with four games remaining, including tilts against the Packers, Panthers and Saints. To win the South, though, Baker Mayfield must be better than he was Sunday, throwing for just 202 yards while completing less than half of his attempts.
Dolphins 45, Commanders 15
Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
- What it means for Dolphins: Tyreek Hill has a genuine case to be the first receiver to win NFL MVP. In a year where no quarterback has run away with the award, Hill is authoring the best statistical season we’ve ever seen. Through 12 games, the four-time first-team All-Pro is on pace for the first 2,000-yard season by a receiver (Detroit’s Calvin Johnson owns the single-season mark of 1,964 yards in 2012). He notched 157 yards against the Commanders, meaning he only must average 103.8 yards in each game the rest of the way. It’s a good bet.
- What it means for Commanders: Ron Rivera might want to start looking at realty websites. It’s over. After firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the hope was an improved effort from his overwhelmed unit. Instead, Washington (4–9) allowed 31 points and 247 yards in the first half, showing no fight at all. It was Del Rio during the season. It’ll be Rivera after it.
Lions 33, Saints 28
- What it means for Lions: After two hideous performances against the NFC North, the Lions (9–3) went on the road and showed their mettle in the Superdome. New Orleans was outmatched from the start, trailing 14–0. The Lions’ run game was great, accounting for 142 yards on 4.7 yards per carry. Detroit is once again in firm control of its division and could challenge for multiple home games come the postseason, this after not having a single playoff game in Detroit since 1993.
- What it means for Saints: New Orleans (5–7) has to accept reality. The Saints aren’t good, and they aren’t positioned to be good. It’s time for general manager Mickey Loomis to face the proverbial music with his disastrous cap situation, which sees his team a projected $71.4 million over the 2024 threshold. The Saints then must live with Derek Carr for one more season and then cut bait, and start rebuilding through the draft (and through trades which acquire draft picks). Finally, New Orleans also needs a new head coach, with Dennis Allen sporting a 20–45 record.
Texans 22, Broncos 17
- What it means for Broncos: Denver (6–6) won five straight to get back in the playoff race, but this is a crushing defeat. The Broncos had their chances but were ultimately undone by three Russell Wilson interceptions, including one on the final play of consequence, a third-and-goal from the 8-yard line. Denver still has a chance to reach the postseason, but now is without a key tiebreaker against Houston, while also having road games against the Chargers and Lions up next.
- What it means for Texans: Houston (7–5) has to feel great. The Texans have one of the league’s easier remaining schedules and now hold the tiebreaker on Denver. C.J. Stroud was excellent again, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt with a touchdown. The only downside? Rookie receiver Tank Dell was carted off the field in the first half. If Dell is gone for significant time, that’s an enormous blow to Houston’s offense.
Colts 31, Titans 28
- What it means for Colts: This is one of those wins where the victor gets on the airplane and doesn’t look back. The Colts (7–5) needed two blocked punts, a late missed extra point by the Titans and an extra period, but they walked away with a key win in the AFC playoff race. Gardner Minshew passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns, putting Indianapolis a step closer to an improbable playoff berth.
- What it means for Titans: Tennessee (4–8) has to be fuming, both because it lost a winnable game, and because Will Levis struggled once again. The rookie quarterback threw for 224 yards, completing only 16-of-33 attempts. He also took six sacks, while the running game was compromised late as Derrick Henry exited with an injury in the fourth quarter. The competitive phase of the season is over in Nashville. It’s now about improvement and development.
Cardinals 24, Steelers 10
- What it means for Cardinals: Give Arizona (3–10) credit. The Cardinals are woefully outmanned most weeks but are fighting hard and actually finding a respectable offense with Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, James Conner and Hollywood Brown. It’s not the 1999 Rams by any measure, but it’s enough to be respectable in a year when most thought Arizona would be the league’s worst team.
- What it means for Steelers: Pittsburgh (7–5) just made its run toward the playoffs much harder. The Steelers only needed to beat the Cardinals, Patriots and Bengals at home to reach 10 wins and almost certainly clinch a spot. But Pittsburgh fell to previously two-win Arizona, and lost quarterback Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury. The difference in the game was red-zone play, where the Cardinals converted their three opportunities, and the Steelers went 1-of-3.
Falcons 13, Jets 8
- What it means for Falcons: Atlanta (6–6) might not be impressive, but it now has a two-game lead over the Saints, who lost at home to the Lions. The Falcons watched Desmond Ridder struggle, completing 12-of-27 passes for 121 yards on 4.5 yards per attempt. Yet, Atlanta was able to pull through thanks to the defense holding the Jets to 3.9 yards per play. At this rate, the Falcons have a great chance to host a playoff game thanks to the woeful NFC South.
- What it means for Jets: Just. End. The. Season. New York (4–8) has been struggling to stay afloat, but losing to the Falcons ends all reasonable hope. Tim Boyle was benched in the second half for Trevor Siemian, and now it’s anyone’s guess who could start next week. Then, again, does it really matter? The only intrigue left for Gang Green is whether there will be a coaching change at season’s end.
Chargers 6, Patriots 0
- What it means for Chargers: The 1919 Black Sox gave their fans less heartburn than the Chargers (5–7). It’s an ending parade of mistakes, ranging from a seemingly limitless amount of key drops, to running the wrong routes, to the coaching at large. Yes, Los Angeles beat New England. But it took a four-quarter effort against an offense that doesn’t belong in professional football. It’s a disgrace for a roster with this much talent.
- What it means for Patriots: What else is new? One step closer to drafting a quarterback with a top-three pick. The Patriots (2–10) benched Mac Jones for good and now can ride out five more performances from Bailey Zappe before landing either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Essentially, the pain for New England fans is significant, but if the Patriots make the right choice come April, it’s also temporary.
