With the Colts’ win over the Steelers, the Texans’ win over the Titans and the Jaguars’ loss to the Ravens, there are now three teams in the division deadlocked at 8–6. Considering how crowded the AFC playoff picture is, with seven teams between 9–5 and 7–7 in the race for the three wild-card spots, it’s no guarantee that either of the division runners-up will make the postseason.

The division race is so close only because of Jacksonville’s recent skid. The Jags have lost three in a row, all against AFC North teams. Last night’s 23–7 loss to Baltimore was especially brutal because of how many chances the Jags missed. They had four golden opportunities to put points on the board in the first half and squandered them all. Brandon McManus missed two field goal attempts (from 50 and 55 yards), Trevor Lawrence fumbled in the red zone and then Jacksonville had the clock run out at the end of the half with the ball in the shadow of the goal line.

The sequence at the end of the half was particularly frustrating. Lawrence completed a long pass to Zay Jones at Baltimore’s 5-yard line, but the Jags had no timeouts to stop the clock. Rather than spike the ball to stop the clock and have time for one look at the end zone before a chip-shot field goal attempt, Lawrence completed a pass to Parker Washington for no gain. He was tackled in bounds and the clock ran out, sending the Jaguars to the locker room with no points on the board. Jacksonville scored a touchdown on its first possession of the second half, but those were the only points it scored all night. The team got more bad news after the game, when coach Doug Pederson announced that Lawrence would enter the concussion protocol.

While the Jaguars fell flat, the Colts picked up an impressive win Saturday night against the Steelers. Indianapolis’s 30 points were tied for the most given up by Pittsburgh’s strong defense this season, and the 216 total yards the Colts allowed were their fewest of the season. The Colts’ running game had struggled in their previous two games with the absence of star running back Jonathan Taylor, with just 101 yards combined, but got back on track Saturday as Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson and Zack Moss combined for 170 yards. Indy has now won five of its last six following a 3–5 start, but its last three games could be a bit tricky. It will face the Falcons on the road and the Raiders at home before a critical home game against the Texans on the last day of the season.

Houston kept itself alive in the playoff race with a hard-fought overtime victory over the Titans yesterday. Star rookie C.J. Stroud missed the game with a concussion, and veteran backup Case Keenum got the start at quarterback over Davis Mills. Keenum wasn’t as good as Stroud has been this season, but he did enough to lead Houston to victory. His biggest play of the day was eluding pressure to find Devin Singletary for a big gain to get into field goal range late in overtime.

The Texans’ remaining schedule is a challenge but not impossible. They’ll face the Browns’ tough defense next week before a rematch against the Titans and then the finale against the Colts. Their playoff hopes will hinge on whether Stroud is able to return from the concussion and get the offense humming again.

The best of Sports Illustrated

The Billls are back on track after their big win over the Cowboys.

Gilberto Manzano has more on how the Jaguars’ self-inflicted mistakes made the AFC South race more interesting.
Manzano also looked at how yesterday’s results impacted the rest of the playoff picture.
Albert Breer’s Week 15 NFL takeaways include what the Texans’ win said about their future, the Bills’ turnaround and more.
Conor Orr makes the case that the Browns’ win over the Bears cemented Kevin Stefanski’s place among the best coaches in Cleveland history.
Stephen Curry’s historic streak of games with a three-pointer came to an end last night.
Tommy DeVito’s agent broke out another incredible outfit for the Giants’ game in New Orleans.
Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord will transfer to Syracuse.

The top 10...

… things I saw yesterday:

10. Matt Kuchar’s shot from behind a tree.

9. Patrick Mahomes’s uncharacteristically irate reaction after a Kadarius Toney drop let to an interception.

8. Saquon Barkley’s one-handed catch along the sideline.

7. Jake Browning’s message to his former team (the Vikings) during the Bengals’ win.

6. Justin Fields’s scramble, leading to a touchdown throw.

5. Bryan Bresee’s Italian hand gesture taunt after sacking Tommy DeVito.

4. Joe Flacco’s game-tying touchdown throw into an impossibly tight window.

3. The Bears’ Hail Mary that came so close to winning the game.

2. Jordan Love’s perfect touchdown throw on the run.

1. Lamar Jackson’s spin move to escape a sack and subsequent long cross-field completion.

SIQ

Pitcher Brien Taylor, one of two MLB No. 1 draft picks not to appear in a single big league game, injured his shoulder on this day in 1993 and never fully recovered. What led to Taylor’s injury?

A motorcycle crash
A fight
A skiing accident
A pickup football game

Friday’s SIQ: Which school beat Winthrop by a whopping 108 points on Dec. 15, 2016, setting an NCAA women’s basketball record for margin of victory?

Tennessee
Baylor
UConn
South Carolina

Baylor’s record was surpassed Nov. 6, 2018, when Savannah State beat Wesleyan (Ga.) by 129 (155–26), but the Bears’ trouncing of Winthrop remains the largest margin of victory in a game between two D-I schools, men’s or women’s. (The men’s record is 91, set by Tulsa against Prairie View A&M in 1995.)

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