The Ringer - Everything You Need to Know About Week 15 of the 2020 NFL Season2020-12-22T00:32:09-05:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/219526282020-12-22T00:32:09-05:002020-12-22T00:32:09-05:00The Steelers Offense Is in Deep Trouble
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<figcaption>Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>An abysmal showing against the Bengals led to Pittsburgh’s third straight loss, and now this team may not even win the AFC North </p> <aside id="vPE1FJ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 15 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/18/22188587/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-15-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="qioP0o">The Steelers’ stunning loss to the Bengals Monday night can be symbolized in two late Ben Roethlisberger passes that ultimately cost Pittsburgh a chance to come back. Down 24-17 late in the fourth quarter, the Steelers had the ball on their own 24-yard line with just over two minutes left. On third-and-10, Roethlisberger escaped pressure and chucked the ball downfield:</p>
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<p id="t2e5Xu">Though Bengals corner Darius Phillips appeared to get away with an uncalled pass interference, this ball—underthrown to a receiver who was covered by four orange jerseys—had little chance of being completed. This wasn’t the play the Steelers needed on third-and-long. Then, on a do-or-die fourth down, Roethlisberger airmailed a throw intended for James Washington:</p>
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<p id="wmV5bm">This is the kind of night it was for Pittsburgh: poor decisions, questionable execution, and performance so erratic from Roethlisberger that it makes you question whether this will be his last year in the league. It resulted in an atrociously ugly 27-17 loss, the Steelers’ third in a row. A team that once was in contention for the AFC’s no. 1 seed is now not even a lock to win the AFC North … and the team that could steal the crown is the Browns. </p>
<p id="CnCf7M">The <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/7/22162682/pittsburgh-steelers-washington-football-team-loss">last time I checked in with the Steelers</a> was two weeks ago, when Pittsburgh lost its first game of the season. Despite a lackluster performance against Washington—and a loss that had been a long time coming—I wanted to be clear: The Steelers were not a bad football team. I wrote that the Steelers were “a good football team” and “Super Bowl contenders” and that “no team wants to travel to Pittsburgh this winter.” I can admit that I was hedging my bets a bit—I didn’t want to discount a squad that ripped off 11 straight wins, no matter how underwhelming they’d looked in some of them.</p>
<p id="sFAj3X">Now though, the Steelers look like anything but Super Bowl contenders. And should they lose the division to the Browns (which are just one game back with two weeks to go), no team will have to travel to Pittsburgh this winter. The Steelers haven’t scored 20 points since November, and as the <em>Monday Night Football</em> broadcast noted, this was the first time a Roethlisberger-led team failed to score 20 points four times in a row since his rookie season. The Pittsburgh offense is so bleak that I haven’t even mentioned that the Bengals were starting former fourth-round pick Ryan Finley at quarterback. An elite (if banged up) Steelers defense should have feasted—instead, a lackluster night from that group and an abysmal showing from the offense resulted in a loss to one of the worst teams in football.</p>
<p id="rfDS8k">The Steelers could not have started the game on a worse foot. They went three-and-out on three of their first five drives—the two drives that weren’t three-and-outs were fumbles. Their sixth drive gained just 17 yards on 10 plays before Roethlisberger threw an awful interception:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HE IS HIGH STEPPIN AFTER AN INTERCEPTION!!! <br><br> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLBrasil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLBrasil</a>) <a href="https://t.co/z37xZOwqL9">pic.twitter.com/z37xZOwqL9</a></p>— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringernfl/status/1341208756588199936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a>
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<p id="WZgLjb">After that, the Steelers went three-and-out twice more to end the half, and the Bengals walked into the locker room with a 17-point lead. Cincinnati came into the game with the 29th-ranked defense by DVOA. This was supposed to be a perfect matchup for the Steelers to right their offensive woes and gain some much-needed confidence. For them to struggle this badly against the Bengals means something is <em>really</em> wrong. Roethlisberger had 170 passing yards on a whopping 38 pass attempts—an average of 4.5 yards per attempt. He was only sacked once, but pressure from the Bengals’ defensive front threw him out of rhythm for much of the night. </p>
<p id="TnCO5y">As my colleague Danny Heifetz noted last week, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/14/22174476/pittsburgh-steelers-struggles-ben-roethlisberger-mike-tomlin">the book is out on this Steelers offense</a>. They have struggled to run the football over the past month (though 84 yards on 18 carries from Benny Snell was a notable improvement tonight), and Roethlisberger does not look comfortable on deep throws. As a result, they have relied heavily on short, quick passes. Linebackers are happy dropping into coverage against this offense, and safeties rarely need to respect a potential deep pass. Drops plagued the Steelers in their previous two losses, but that wasn’t a problem tonight—this Pittsburgh offense is just straight-up bad.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="K9I6xL">The road will only get harder for the Steelers. Next week they play the 10-4 Colts, who are a sort of mirror image of the Steelers in that they thrive thanks to an elite defense and a veteran quarterback in Philip Rivers. But whereas Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense have faded as the season has gone on, Indianapolis is playing its best ball right now, having won five of their past six. After that, the Steelers get a Week 17 date with the Browns that could determine the AFC North champion. This team was once a Super Bowl contender. Now they may not even win their own division. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/22/22194792/the-steelers-offense-is-in-deep-troubleRiley McAtee2020-12-21T11:53:58-05:002020-12-21T11:53:58-05:00The Jets Pulled the Upset of the Year. It Could Change the Course of NFL History.
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<figcaption>AP Images/Getty Images/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>Just how meaningful was the Jets’ win over the Rams? It resets the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes, reshapes the conversation surrounding Sam Darnold’s future, and could reorient the AFC pecking order for years to come.</p> <p id="HN7dOp">The Jets pulled the <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/20/22192555/jets-win-beat-rams-trevor-lawrence">upset of the year</a> and will avoid the stain of going 0-16. All it may have cost them is the best quarterback prospect of a generation. The 0-13 Jets stunned the Rams 23-20 on Sunday despite entering the matchup as 17-point underdogs. It was just the fifth time on record that a 17-plus-point underdog won an NFL game outright. New York is no longer in pole position to draft Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, the most coveted college quarterback since Andrew Luck in 2012. Entering Sunday, the Jets had a 74 percent chance of getting the first pick in the draft, according to <a href="https://youtu.be/OpwSusHLibs?t=544">Math God Steve Kornacki</a>. Now they have just a 32 percent chance. The Jets sold their souls to buy peanuts for the elephants.</p>
<p id="uAHdwN">The win brings the Jets to 1-13, tied with the Jaguars for the NFL’s worst record. But Jacksonville has a weaker strength of schedule, which would serve as the tiebreaker and give the Jaguars the first pick if both teams finish 1-15. Unless the Jags win one of their final two games against the Bears or Colts, Jacksonville will secure the rights to select Lawrence, a 6-foot-6 220-pounder who is the real-life version of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6VmCfVOhp0">Sunshine from <em>Remember the Titans</em></a>.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can never get over how Trevor Lawrence is literally Sunshine from Remember the Titans <a href="https://t.co/qeP6d0aBD8">pic.twitter.com/qeP6d0aBD8</a></p>— Danny Heifetz (@Danny_Heifetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Danny_Heifetz/status/1340915701817757697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p id="aduEca">Lawrence is 34-1 as Clemson’s starting quarterback, with his team boasting an average margin of victory of <em>33.6 points</em> in those games. He’s passed for 88 career touchdowns against 16 interceptions, and effortlessly hits his receivers deep downfield <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfN3fW7L04g">with</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/toEFMShMgCE?t=164">pinpoint</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxdi10s1WyU">accuracy</a>. While Lawrence could theoretically choose to return to school before entering the 2022 draft, that seems unlikely given his colossal hype. On a recent edition of <em>Monday Night Countdown</em>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Article/Trevor-Lawrence-top-pick-NFL-2021-Draft-Mel-Kiper-big-board-Clemson-football-154535802/">ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said</a>, “The only quarterbacks who had kind of been locked into that no. 1 spot for a long time going in were John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck, so he’s going to be expected to be that elite franchise quarterback who has a long, illustrious career and hopefully wins some Super Bowls.”</p>
<p id="TJJwIV">Before this weekend, I spoke to ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini about the team’s outlook heading into 2021. Cimini has been covering the Jets for 33 years, a stretch during which their top quarterbacks have been Boomer Esiason, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez, and Sam Darnold. Cimini sees the franchise drafting another quarterback this spring. “If they get the first pick, for me it’s a no-brainer, they’ll take Trevor,” Cimini says. “And if they get the second pick, [general manager Joe] Douglas really likes Darnold, but I think he has to look at it logically and I think he’d still pick the quarterback with that pick.”</p>
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<p id="prkhd4">This Jets season was dark enough before Sunday, but Lawrence was the light at the end of the Holland Tunnel. That future just got darker. It’s not a stretch to say this stunning result could shape the NFL landscape for years to come. So what would the Jets do without Sunshine? And how could the rest of the league look in this new light?</p>
<h3 id="zccHGN">What Would the Jets Do at No. 2?</h3>
<p id="rTzctD">It’s all but certain that the Jets will fire head coach Adam Gase at season’s end. That is the easy and cathartic part. Everything after will be harder. If they end up with the second pick, the Jets would have to sort through the class of 2021’s non-Lawrence quarterbacks to find the next face of their franchise. Those quarterbacks include:</p>
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<li id="hA5xmf">Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who <a href="https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-how-race-for-no-1-overall-pick-2021-became-wide-open">looked better than Lawrence</a> for a large stretch of the 2019 season but who has been ineffective of late. He went 12-of-27 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game, and has four touchdowns against five picks in his last three games.</li>
<li id="0ZmgLP">BYU’s Zach Wilson, who is tied for third in the FBS in passing touchdowns this season. Wilson has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=108&v=jOZONrCvB30&feature=youtu.be">impressive improvisational ability</a> but has excelled against mostly subpar competition. He also has a limited track record of playing at an elite level. He has completed 73.1 percent of his passes with 30 touchdowns and three interceptions in 2020; he completed just 62.4 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and nine picks in 2019.</li>
<li id="RdAR8Z">Florida’s Kyle Trask, who leads the nation in touchdown passes (43) and passing yards per game (375). Yet while Trask can sling it, he’s easily the least mobile quarterback in this class. He has rushed for 54 yards in his college career.</li>
<li id="OkcacT">North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/6/21504103/trey-lance-north-dakota-state-draft-qb-prospect">fascinating prospect</a> who went 16-0 in the FCS in 2019 but played just one game in 2020 after NDSU canceled its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</li>
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<p id="egOZc7">I asked my <em>Ringer </em>colleague Danny Kelly, who’s spent approximately 17 million hours watching college football tape, for his thoughts on the 2021 draft’s non-Lawrence quarterbacks. He believes that Fields is the best of that bunch. Fields is an accurate, efficient passer who is also a devastating runner. The only other player he could see the Jets taking is Wilson, who can make strong throws even when his feet aren’t set properly. Both Fields and Wilson could be good NFL quarterbacks who have long and productive careers.</p>
<p id="63dCHj">But neither of them is <em>Trevor Lawrence. </em>He was slated to be the savior of the NFL’s most hapless franchise. If the draft order holds, Jets fans will have to talk themselves into plan B. Remember, many Jets fans are also Knicks fans—the same ones who were desperate to land Zion Williamson in the 2019 NBA draft. Instead, Zion went to New Orleans and the Knicks picked RJ Barrett, a.k.a. Canadian Harrison Barnes. These fans have trust issues, and this Lawrence debacle is a fresh wound for a fan base whose scar tissue is so thick it’s surprising that the nerves aren’t dead. </p>
<p id="zlOgny">There is also the consideration that evaluating quarterbacks in this draft will be even harder than usual because of the pandemic, which turned college football upside down (and <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/7/10/21319314/college-football-season-coronavirus-players-coaches-tipping-point">exposed the cravenness</a> that <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/8/13/21367968/big-ten-pac-12-sec-acc-big-12-college-season-decisions">pervades every nook and cranny</a> <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/8/3/21349611/season-schedule-power-five-conferences-college-football-playoff">of the sport</a>). NFL teams already have spotty track records scouting quarterbacks. How will they fare evaluating Lance, who has played one game in 2020? Or Fields, who had a great 2019 and then a bad three-game stretch this year that has constituted half of his season? The Jets could avoid this altogether by taking consensus top tackle Penei Sewell at no. 2 and acquiring a quarterback via free agency or trade. Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan may be available. So could Carson Wentz, who was the franchise quarterback for the Eagles during GM Douglas’s tenure in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="TEMVnc">Whatever New York does, it’s clear that the Jets need a quarterback. Darnold is heading into the final season of his contract in 2021, so it’s possible the team could choose to ride with him for one more year. If the Jets want to keep Darnold beyond that, though, they would have to pay him about $25 million in 2022. That’s a lot of money for a player whose passer rating this season ranks last in the NFL. Not only are Darnold’s numbers bad, but he also doesn’t have anyone incentivized to make excuses for him. Jets GM Douglas did not draft Darnold. Gase should soon be on his way out of town. Keeping Darnold over the next two seasons would cost roughly the same amount ($35 million) as the price of a rookie quarterback over the next <em>four</em> <em>seasons</em>. This could unfold in lots of ways, but none are as appealing as what appeared to be the Jets’ plan before this week. </p>
<h3 id="vdonGf">What’s Next for Sam Darnold?</h3>
<p id="9IIEv9">If the Jets select a quarterback with their top draft pick in April, the team has two options: It could keep Darnold around to be a mentor and eventual backup, or it could trade him. Keeping him would fall somewhere between awkward and toxic. It’s weird enough introducing your new girlfriend to your ex-girlfriend, but it’s weirder to do that as soon as you and your new girlfriend start dating. When the Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray in 2019, they wasted no time getting rid of 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen. The Eagles are now experimenting with having Wentz and Jalen Hurts on their roster, and—shocker!—<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30562357/sources-carson-wentz-not-interested-being-backup-qb-want-move-philadelphia-eagles-jalen-hurts-remains-starter">recent reports</a> indicate that Wentz is not having a good time. </p>
<p id="YcOUPO">Even if the Jets wanted to keep Darnold around, his contract expires after next season. The Jets would be wise to get value for him instead of just letting him walk in free agency. But what could they get? That depends on whether teams think that Darnold can be a good NFL quarterback or if they believe the Jets ruined him. </p>
<p id="kbmapG">There may be no bigger unknown this offseason than what Darnold could contribute to a contender. Over the past three seasons, Darnold has been perhaps the worst statistical quarterback in the NFL. Since he entered the league in 2018, <a href="https://stathead.com/football/pgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&order_by_asc=0&order_by=pass_rating&year_min=2018&year_max=2020&game_type=R&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=500&cstat%5B1%5D=pass_att&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cstat%5B2%5D=fantasy_points_ppr&ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&cstat%5B3%5D=pass_adj_yds_per_att&positions%5B%5D=qb&positions%5B%5D=rb&positions%5B%5D=wr&positions%5B%5D=te&positions%5B%5D=e&positions%5B%5D=t&positions%5B%5D=g&positions%5B%5D=c&positions%5B%5D=ol&positions%5B%5D=dt&positions%5B%5D=de&positions%5B%5D=dl&positions%5B%5D=ilb&positions%5B%5D=olb&positions%5B%5D=lb&positions%5B%5D=cb&positions%5B%5D=s&positions%5B%5D=db&positions%5B%5D=k&positions%5B%5D=p&age_min=0&age_max=99&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&season_start=1&season_end=-1">42 quarterbacks</a> have thrown at least 500 passes. He ranks 41st out of those 42 in passer rating and adjusted yards per pass attempt. The only player he is ahead of in both stats is … Rosen, who’s currently on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. </p>
<p id="j6GvwW">But it is hard to separate Darnold’s shortcomings from the Jets’ deficiencies as a whole. The Jets have had the worst offense in the NFL <a href="https://stathead.com/football/tgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&order_by_asc=0&order_by=points_diff&year_min=2018&year_max=2020&game_type=R&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=-10000000&cstat%5B1%5D=vegas_line&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=0&cstat%5B2%5D=pass_net_yds_per_att&ccomp%5B3%5D=gt&cval%5B3%5D=0&cstat%5B3%5D=first_down&ccomp%5B4%5D=gt&cstat%5B4%5D=yds_per_play_offense&ccomp%5B5%5D=gt&cstat%5B5%5D=third_down_pct&ccomp%5B6%5D=gt&cval%5B6%5D=-100000&cstat%5B6%5D=turnover_diff&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&temperature_gtlt=lt#results::9">over the last three seasons</a>. Since Darnold entered the league, the Jets have ranked dead last in the following categories: </p>
<ul>
<li id="PX7TPA">Points scored</li>
<li id="2f2ZLk">Total yards</li>
<li id="JOY4XN">Yards per play</li>
<li id="LTq35A">Net yards per pass play </li>
<li id="DAzkjw">First downs gained</li>
<li id="nOvFlh">Third downs converted</li>
<li id="zgUEl2">Percentage of third downs converted</li>
</ul>
<p id="WfkwHL">That is just the metrics in which they rank <em>last</em>. Football is about gaining yards and scoring points, and no team has been outscored or outgained more than the Jets have. </p>
<p id="JIq9J1">Some evaluators swear that Darnold’s talent has been hidden by his hideous circumstances. How do you evaluate a quarterback on the NFL’s worst team? Is he a bad player, or is he just stuck in a bad situation? Former Lions quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky is firmly in the latter camp. Orlovsky argues that Darnold has all the traits required to be successful in the modern NFL, including accuracy, pocket mobility, and leadership. </p>
<p id="JYTtJt">“The question becomes ‘Well, why has he failed?’” Orlovsky says. “Has he failed because he doesn’t have the traits to succeed? No. He’s failed because the things and people [around him] have been atrocious.”</p>
<p id="0zLlkb">The Jets have had one of the league’s worst offensive lines for run blocking <em>and</em> pass blocking since Darnold’s been on the team. The best receiver he has played with is Robby Anderson. (Darnold’s USC skill-position group featuring wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Ronald Jones is better than any combination he’s had in the NFL.) Darnold has also been dealing with Gase. Orlovsky says quarterback is not only the most difficult position in sports, but also the one that’s most dependent on the supporting cast. To that end, he compares quarterbacking to starring in a movie—the final product depends on the work of many different people coming together.</p>
<p id="nZcDqL">“Is <em>The Dark Knight</em> great [just] because of Heath Ledger’s performance? No,” Orlovsky says. “Is it great because it’s attached to the Batman series? No. Is it great because it was only in New York City? No. To play great quarterback in the NFL, it takes a great script to be written, and then a fantastic producer, and an awesome director, and an incredible lead actor and supporting actors, and a scene and setting.”</p>
<p id="ZcpN1K">The Jets are not being directed by Christopher Nolan (though they do have a penchant for moving backward). Gase is the NFL’s version of <a href="https://www.theringer.com/movies/2017/11/29/16711478/the-disaster-artist-everything-to-know">Tommy Wiseau</a>. An organizational improvement could show Darnold in a different light, because to this point he has been illuminated by dumpster fires. Former NFL staffer Nate Tice agrees that Darnold’s development has been stunted under Gase.</p>
<p id="FnDhRZ">“The best comparison I could have [to Gase and Darnold] is Jeff Fisher’s last year with the Rams with Jared Goff,” Tice says. “Except Darnold did it for three years. So <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/21/16343152/jared-goff-los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay">the leap</a> that Goff made from Year 1 to Year 2 going from Fisher to [Sean] McVay, that’s the improvement [Darnold could make].”</p>
<p id="hugGxJ">Tice and Orlovsky both compare modern quarterbacking to basketball. Scheme can only do so much. There comes a point when a play breaks down and ball handlers must create their own shot. Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Justin Herbert can do that. Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo cannot—they merely knock down open jumpers when a shot is designed for them. This is the difference between average NFL quarterbacks and great ones.</p>
<p id="lQsBXl">Talent evaluators around the league insist Darnold can create his own shot. And any lingering doubts about this being overly optimistic might be quashed by another recent success story: Ryan Tannehill. After spending an unexceptional stint playing for Gase, Tannehill blossomed into a fringe MVP candidate in Tennessee over the last 15 months. While he is not the same kind of player as Darnold is, it’s telling that Gase’s last franchise quarterback emerged as one of the league’s best at the position as soon as he escaped Gase’s grasp.</p>
<p id="SbAQnR">The question is whether Darnold can do what Tannehill did. He could fit nicely in Indianapolis, Chicago, Denver, or Pittsburgh, who will all need a new quarterback sooner or later. But the destination that best suits Darnold may be San Francisco. Garoppolo is due to make more than $53 million over the next two seasons, but the 49ers could cut him this offseason and save $50 million of that figure. If the Niners trade for Darnold, they could pay him about $35 million over the next two years and save $15 million from what they would have paid Jimmy G. And Darnold might be better than Jimmy immediately. </p>
<p id="vAbQsZ">“The most important thing for Sam is to get in a system that allows him to excel,” Orlovsky says. “I’m tired of people telling me, ‘This guy’s a fit.’ I see a lot of people fit into clothes, and it’s clothes they shouldn’t wear.”</p>
<h3 id="LMdzJf">What Does This All Mean?</h3>
<p id="pTcjPM">This weekend’s Jets-Rams game was supposed to be an easy win for the Rams. Instead, it may have been a butterfly effect moment that changes the next decade of the NFL. That might sound like hyperbole, but Lawrence is a prospect on par with Elway, Manning, and Luck. Any of those guys going to a different team would have fundamentally altered the course of league history. </p>
<p id="ZBCPQZ">If the Jags get the first pick, then the Jacksonville coaching job might become more sought after than the one in New York, giving the Jags a leg up on their preferred coach if they choose to move on from Doug Marrone. Bill Cowher’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/85213/would-bill-cowher-interested-new-york-jets-coaching-job-cowher-says">reported interest</a> in the Jets position may dry up without Lawrence in the picture. And Darnold getting booted from New York could lead to Garoppolo getting canned, or Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger being sent to a farm upstate.</p>
<p id="HYFjrX">And with the quarterback situation changing in New York and Jacksonville, the power balance changes not just for two teams, but also for two divisions. If Lawrence goes to the Jets, he could send Bill Belichick into retirement and spend a decade dueling with Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa in the AFC East. Yet Lawrence is now likely going to Jacksonville, where he could be division rivals with fellow Clemson legend Deshaun Watson. The AFC hierarchy for the next 10 years may have shifted because Jared Goff threw across his body on a play-action rollout and was intercepted by Bryce Hall.</p>
<p id="GRHneP">We are in a new timeline now. The Jets were counting on Sunshine, but they’ve put a new twist on <em>Remember the Titans. </em>That movie’s banner song is Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” with lyrics that famously go like this:</p>
<p id="NCuUgW"><em>‘Cause baby, there ain’t no mountain high enough</em><br><em>Ain’t no valley low enough</em><br><em>Ain’t no river wide enough</em><br><em>To keep me from getting to you, babe</em></p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="YhT5ev">The Jets have just done the Jetsiest thing of all: They’ve found that mountain. They’ve fallen into that valley.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/21/22193382/jets-rams-upset-ripple-effects-draft-trevor-lawrence-sam-darnoldDanny Heifetz2020-12-21T08:30:12-05:002020-12-21T08:30:12-05:00Week 15 Recap: Jets Refuse to Lose, Chiefs Can’t Lose, Patriots Keep Losing
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<img alt="New York Jets v Los Angeles Rams" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jU7kJwg7nFiEiv74djFgUd-DlpE=/284x0:4487x3152/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68559599/1292318925.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Kevin and Nora name their winners and losers of Week 15, pick their clickbait headlines of the week, and more</p> <div id="KVfAlt"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/4X8Ru5z8NHIcjvCG9hTjdw" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="mtTy6p"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4X8Ru5z8NHIcjvCG9hTjdw?si=Bl30AL2gRVSZlsNzQzIV4w">Kevin and Nora react to the New York Jets’ first win</a> of the season and how it affects their chances for Trevor Lawrence (1:00), name their winners and losers of Week 15 (17:45), go through the Hurry Up (1:06:10), answer listeners’ questions (1:08:23), and pick their clickbait headlines of the week (1:14:22).</p>
<p id="LkvwFC"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3sYLdv261f5jLvEgDLU9PD?si=PwTF-GumR7qtUP5FZdCKOQ">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-ringer-nfl-show%2Fid1109282822%3Fmt%3D2&xcust=xid:fr1570809570442jba%7Cxid:fr1571141035709iah%7Cxid:fr1571400354183cfa%7Cxid:fr1571745693269afb%7Cxid:fr1572005002168iib%7Cxid:fr1572350612110bei">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ringernflshow">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/21/22193031/week-15-recap-jets-refuse-to-lose-chiefs-cant-lose-patriots-keep-losingKevin ClarkNora Princiotti2020-12-21T08:08:46-05:002020-12-21T08:08:46-05:00The Jets Win! (No!!!) Plus: MVP Watch, Hurts vs. Murray, and the Parlay Murderer With Cousin Sal and Sean Fennessey.
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<p>Bill recaps the major news from Week 15 of the NFL season before closing the show with Parent Corner</p> <div id="JSCkdv"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/64AasRR1bY6kK1rVxp0wX1" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="aPJ960"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/64AasRR1bY6kK1rVxp0wX1?si=PhkXPVeMRo6ze-QhMR8P2Q">Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal</a> and Sean Fennessey to briefly discuss the Jets’ win over the Rams, possibly ruining their “Tank for Trevor” campaign (2:30), before Bill and Sal recap the rest of NFL Week 15, including: Jalen Hurts’s impressive showing in the Eagles’ loss to the Cardinals, 49ers-Cowboys, the Chiefs’ win over the Saints, Patriots-Dolphins, the MVP discussion, an early look at the playoff picture, cross-off teams, and more (26:00). Then they guess the NFL lines for Week 16 (1:07:00) before closing the show with Parent Corner (1:29:00).</p>
<p id="XpmAk7"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/07SjDmKb9iliEzpNcN2xGD?si=X1S_fYL7REi9NlCpheLw6g">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bill-simmons-podcast/id1043699613?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/the-bill-simmons-podcast">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/thebillsimmonspodcast">RSS</a></p>
<p id="Q6Eb3o"></p>
https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2020/12/21/22192852/the-jets-win-plus-mvp-watch-hurts-vs-murray-and-parlay-murderer-with-cousin-sal-and-sean-fennesseyBill SimmonsSean Fennessey2020-12-21T02:02:14-05:002020-12-21T02:02:14-05:00The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 15
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<p>The Jets tank their tank, former Sooners have a ball, and Tom Brady earns a massive win in the Brady-Belichick battle for supremacy </p> <aside id="WattEh"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 15 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/18/22188587/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-15-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="npFzjM"><em>Every week this NFL season, we will celebrate the electric plays, investigate the colossal blunders, and explain the inexplicable moments of the most recent slate. Welcome to Winners and Losers. Which one are you?</em></p>
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<h3 id="5gNMmD">Loser: The 1-13 New York Jets</h3>
<p id="VES33Y">When people asked me why I wanted my Jets to go 0-16 this season, I told them about the last NFL game I attended as a fan. It was Week 17 of the 2007 season, and the 3-12 Jets were hosting the 4-11 Chiefs. The windchill was zero. I stayed until the end and cheered—<em>like an idiot</em>—when Mike Nugent hit the game-winning field goal in overtime. As a result of that win, the Jets dropped from third to sixth in the NFL draft order. (I’m sorry, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/11/10/21558406/new-york-jets-tanking-trevor-lawrence-new-england-patriots">I’ve written about this on this site before</a>. But it really haunted me.)</p>
<p id="M1uQbX">The Falcons ended up getting that no. 3 pick, and with it, they selected Matt Ryan, a QB who’s gone to four Pro Bowls, won an MVP, and led the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance. With that no. 6 pick, Jets selected Vernon Gholston, who never even recorded a sack in three years with the team. The Jets might have won the Super Bowl with Ryan instead of Mark Sanchez on the Rex Ryan–coached teams that made back-to-back AFC Championship games, but it didn’t happen because of one win that I was dumb enough to cheer for.</p>
<p id="ESxbli">On Sunday, the Jets won another game that could contribute to the next few decades of Jets failure. Entering this week, the 0-13 Jets were in line to draft Trevor Lawrence, the best college quarterback prospect I’ve ever seen. All they had to do was <em>not</em> pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. </p>
<p id="SYYrDG">Through 13 miserable games, New York had done its job, losing every single contest in sometimes remarkable, dramatic, or <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/7/22157960/nfl-week-13-winners-losers-jets-tank-browns-jalen-hurts-giants">come-from-ahead fashion</a>. But Sunday, on the road against the likely playoff-bound Rams, the Jets faltered. The Jets were 17-point underdogs—but went up 17 points early in the third quarter, a lead that even they couldn’t blow. I watched in terror as they kept winning. Former Jets savior Sam Darnold kept throwing dimes; ancient Frank Gore kept grinding.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Touchdown, <a href="https://twitter.com/frankgore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@frankgore</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/nyjets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyjets</a> extend their lead in LA, 20-3. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeFlight?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeFlight</a> <br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYJvsLAR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYJvsLAR</a> on FOX<br> : NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: <a href="https://t.co/4dWJuGxOxQ">https://t.co/4dWJuGxOxQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/bKTK9XrxQw">pic.twitter.com/bKTK9XrxQw</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1340791622284374021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="OrktMQ">The Rams had a chance to tie the game in the fourth, but rather than attempting a game-tying field goal, coach Sean McVay elected to try for a deep pass. Safety Marcus Maye broke it up, and the Rams never touched the ball again. I will never forgive McVay for this. A few years ago he was hailed as a game-changing genius and the hot nominee for coach of the millennium; Sunday he was outcoached by Adam Gase, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/2/21498793/adam-gase-new-york-jets-coaching-disaster">a harebrained doofus </a>who has concocted <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30423690/new-york-jets-adm-gase-says-playcalling-now-collaborate-effort">a secret eight-man committee for calling plays</a>. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Textbook from <a href="https://twitter.com/alldayMAYE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alldayMAYE</a>.<br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYJvsLAR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYJvsLAR</a> on FOX <a href="https://t.co/4qt7uglJFs">pic.twitter.com/4qt7uglJFs</a></p>— New York Jets (@nyjets) <a href="https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1340807608027017217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="jFsMWa">The Jets are just <a href="https://stathead.com/football/tgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=game&order_by_asc=0&order_by=game_date&game_type=R&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=17&cstat%5B1%5D=vegas_line&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&game_result=W&temperature_gtlt=lt">the fifth team in NFL history to win as 17-point underdogs.</a> The Dolphins did it Week 17 of last year; before that, nobody had done it since 1995. (No team has ever won as an underdog of 18 or more points according to the Pro-Football-Reference database.) </p>
<p id="KwAy4O">It is hard to suffer through this kind of a season without getting a reward at the end. Before this year, eight NFL teams had started their seasons 0-13. (Last year’s Jets, remarkably, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/12/2/20991345/winners-losers-week-13-andy-dalton-bengals-jets-lamar-jackson-tom-brady">managed to keep the Bengals from an 0-12 start.</a>) Only three of those eight managed to finish the season winless—but seven of the eight still got the no. 1 pick in the NFL draft. (The only outlier: the 1986 Indianapolis Colts, who finished the season 3-13, missed out on drafting Vinny Testaverde, and were unable to agree to terms on a contract with future All-Pro linebacker Cornelius Bennett.) But the Jets might screw it up. Going 1-15 used to make you a joke for years to come, but now that teams understand the value of tanking, even that record isn’t necessarily bad enough to cement the top pick. </p>
<p id="COXSdK">The Jets are now tied with the Jaguars for the NFL’s worst record at 1-13, but New York has been significantly worse this season—Jacksonville has been outscored by 148; New York has been outscored by 207. But that doesn’t matter. The tiebreaker in the race to the bottom is strength of schedule, and the Jags have played a much easier group of opponents. Now I have to root for the Jaguars to win one of their final two games, and after talking to people who root for the Jaguars, it does not sound fun. </p>
<p id="R9F2PH">If this sounds like a lot of heartache over one prospect, well, it is. But this particular prospect is worth it. Lawrence’s arm strength and accuracy are both off the charts; he has a prototypical quarterback’s body <em>and</em> surprising mobility for a huge guy; he had the poise to win the national championship game as a freshman. He even has great hair. (As we’ve seen with Justin Herbert’s rise and<a href="https://twitter.com/DaltonGuruFF/status/1339727822693171200"> subsequent post-haircut struggles,</a> this is a big deal.) There are multiple quarterbacks analysts also love in this draft class—Ohio State’s Justin Fields, BYU’s Zach Wilson, NDSU’s Trey Lance—but as a Jets fan, this completely terrifies me. Lawrence is so perfect that even the Jets can’t screw him up, but I know in my heart that if the Jets pick second, they will somehow select the one prospect who will be a complete bust. </p>
<p id="gyATEr">In a way, the Jets’ win Sunday was a testament to the uncertainty of the NFL. An 0-13 team won a road game against a squad that was leading one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. And yet, it cemented my belief in the doomed nature of Jets fandom more than anything else since I first cursed myself by putting on a green jersey. When even your wins feel like losses, you’ll always be sad. </p>
<aside id="QfWGnT"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Jets Won a Game, but May Have Lost Their Future Because of It","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/20/22192555/jets-win-beat-rams-trevor-lawrence"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="kLXaU2">Winner: The Oklahoma Sooners</h3>
<p id="ha88fy">Sunday wasn’t a great day for fans of the current edition of the Oklahoma Sooners. Their last-ditch hopes of making the College Football Playoff fell short, as it turns out going 8-2 and winning the Big 12 is less impressive than going 10-1 and getting completely obliterated in the ACC championship game. Cheer up, Sooners—at least <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/20/22192016/college-football-playoff-rankings-notre-dame-texas-am-cincinnati">you’re not permanently doomed to miss the playoffs even if you go undefeated</a>! But it was a pretty awesome day for Sooners in the NFL. </p>
<p id="MuP9lg">On Sunday afternoon, Oklahoma’s quarterback from the 2019 season squared off against the team’s quarterback from the 2018 season, as new Eagles QB1 Jalen Hurts made his second NFL start against Kyler Murray’s Cardinals. The result was one of the most fun games of the year: Hurts and Murray combined for 744 passing yards and six touchdowns against one interception—plus 92 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. With just one field goal and one safety filling out the rest of the 33-26 final, Hurts and Murray accounted for 54 of the 59 points scored in the game. </p>
<p id="kUQOUw">If the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band had been at the game and played “Boomer Sooner” after every touchdown by Murray or Hurts, every successful extra point, and every first down by their offenses—I think this is the formula—they would have played Boomer Sooner at least 60 times. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jalen Hurts is SPECIAL <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>)<a href="https://t.co/sSNg48JXhc">pic.twitter.com/sSNg48JXhc</a></p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1340805176957960193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kyler Murray is too SHIFTY <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>)<a href="https://t.co/Uy97RMACuG">pic.twitter.com/Uy97RMACuG</a></p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1340773246082400262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="YcFC7F">The two former Oklahoma players have revitalized their teams. The Cardinals were 3-13 before drafting Murray, and now they’re playoff-bound. The Eagles hadn’t scored 20 points in four games before making the switch from Carson Wentz to Hurts, and now they’ve done it in back-to-back games. Murray and Hurts were never Sooner teammates, but they shared a moment postgame:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's a brotherhood.<br><br>What a performance by Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OUDNA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OUDNA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QBU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QBU</a> <a href="https://t.co/adXmUDQRlA">pic.twitter.com/adXmUDQRlA</a></p>— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) <a href="https://twitter.com/soonergridiron/status/1340818464307601412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p id="a2iQN9">But that’s not all! The prime-time<em> Sunday Night Football</em> game between the Browns and the Giants pitted Sooner legend Baker Mayfield against Texas Longhorn legend Colt McCoy. (Incredible stuff—a guy who won the Heisman Trophy against a guy who got invited to New York to watch other people win the Heisman Trophy.) Mayfield went 27-for-32 with two touchdowns; McCoy’s Giants never found the end zone. Mayfield had five incompletions; the Giants had six points. </p>
<p id="34RqXS">USC used to be QBU, but Oklahoma has soared to the top of <a href="https://www.bannersociety.com/2020/4/10/21213393/nfl-draft-college-positions-u">any objective ranking.</a> Their last three starters are guys who transferred in and became NFL starters. That alone gives them more active NFL starting QBs than any other school—Cal and Louisville have two each. And there’s no reason to expect it to stop: Their current QB, Spencer Rattler, should be one of the top QB prospects in the 2022 NFL draft. Sunday was a great day to be an Oklahoma fan watching the pros—but a lot of Sundays probably will be from now on. </p>
<h3 id="SHJ0O6">Loser: Drew Brees’s Comeback</h3>
<p id="QU3lDS">The Saints got Drew Brees back just in time for a potential Super Bowl preview against the Chiefs. The game pitted the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader against Patrick Mahomes, the guy who might just take that throne 15 years from now. But the process of bringing Brees back was … troubling. </p>
<p id="SJFTO1">For one, Brees wasn’t sure he was 100 percent healed from <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/drew-brees-reportedly-has-more-rib-fractures-than-original-test-showed-says-doctors-encouraged-by-progress/">his <em>11 fractured ribs and collapsed lung</em></a>. He couldn’t be sure because<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chiefs-at-saints-drew-brees-reportedly-has-no-idea-how-healed-up-his-ribs-are-due-to-radiation-issue/"> he’d already gotten too many scans in the past month </a>and it was considered unhealthy for him to take in more radiation. So going into the game, we didn’t know whether Brees could withstand 300-pound football players driving him into the ground over and over again—but don’t worry, he got a fancy protective shirt.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In a news release, <a href="https://twitter.com/UnequalTech?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnequalTech</a> shares that it custom-made protective garments for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saints?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Saints</a> QB <a href="https://twitter.com/drewbrees?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@drewbrees</a> as he returns from a collapsed lung and 11 rib fractures to play Sunday against the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a>. They did same for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cowboys?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cowboys</a> Tony Romo few years ago. <a href="https://t.co/WyXinqAFFd">pic.twitter.com/WyXinqAFFd</a></p>— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/WerderEdESPN/status/1340297362896465922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2020</a>
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<p id="KrYaNJ">The good news was Brees looked limber in the pregame warmups. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DREW BREES WEIRD STRETCH ROUTINE <a href="https://t.co/mSE86KaJzv">pic.twitter.com/mSE86KaJzv</a></p>— highlitecity (@highlitecity) <a href="https://twitter.com/highlitecity/status/1340802856870416384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="nPYtme">And he threw three touchdowns in this game, plus a stunningly deep bomb to Emmanuel Sanders, his deepest completed pass in three years. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Drew Brees 51-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders traveled 50.8 yards of air distance, Brees' longest completion over the last 3 seasons.<br><br>Sanders has been the targeted receiver for the three longest completions by the Saints this season.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KCvsNO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KCvsNO</a> | Powered by <a href="https://twitter.com/awscloud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@awscloud</a> <a href="https://t.co/3YN50Cx97U">pic.twitter.com/3YN50Cx97U</a></p>— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1340787921339764736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="C04dci">But Brees finished the game 15-for-34 passing for 234 yards—a deeply uncharacteristic passing line from the all-time completion percentage leader. In fact, Brees has only had two career games with a lower completion percentage—<a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BreeDr00/gamelog/">one in 2004 with the Chargers, one in 2006</a>. And I’m not really sure what the point of this pass was:</p>
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<p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Drew Brees é INTERCEPTADO! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKindgom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKindgom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLBrasil?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLBrasil</a> <a href="https://t.co/0E9AV5xArk">pic.twitter.com/0E9AV5xArk</a></p>— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLBrasil/status/1340774509062877186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="FU0ulj">That the Saints only lost 32-29 against the best team in the NFL isn’t bad—but the loss was a big one. The Saints’ odds of getting the first-round bye in the NFC dropped from 32 percent to 15, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-nfl-predictions/">according to <em>FiveThirtyEight</em></a>, and as such, their chances of winning the Super Bowl dropped from 23 percent to 18 percent. </p>
<p id="S4CIpC">New Orleans went 3-1 with Taysom Hill at quarterback, a much more impressive performance than expected—but in games against teams that are not the Atlanta Falcons, Hill didn’t look good enough to help the Saints seriously contend. To win the Super Bowl, New Orleans will need Brees—and right now, he doesn’t look like Drew Brees. He looks like a 41-year-old with cracked ribs and some sort of weird “military grade” T-shirt. </p>
<aside id="zaWbw5"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs Remain the NFL’s Only Sure Team ","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/20/22192690/patrick-mahomes-chiefs-saints-super-bowl-preview-win"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="UUOuNr">Winner: Fancy Cameras</h3>
<p id="4hAGmW">Do you ever see an ad for new TVs on your current TV and think, “Wow, that TV looks great! The picture is so clear! I should get that TV!” And then you realize that the super-clear image on the new TV in the ad <em>is being broadcast on your TV</em>, meaning you don’t actually need a new TV? Anyway, I was watching Seattle-Washington on Sunday and had a similar feeling:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This Seahawks game is being shot by Alejandro Iñárritu. <a href="https://t.co/DXrGcecCYU">pic.twitter.com/DXrGcecCYU</a></p>— Robert Mays (@robertmays) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertmays/status/1340746451891195904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This new 4K camera from <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLonFOX</a> is insane. Debuting today on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seahawks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Seahawks</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WFT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WFT</a> game. Absolute game changer. <a href="https://t.co/WVWf2xynZ5">pic.twitter.com/WVWf2xynZ5</a></p>— Tim Williams (@realtimwilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/realtimwilliams/status/1340736003884023813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="G259XV">Normally my NFL viewing experience is a frantic mix of scanning the TV, my Twitter feed, and the document where I take notes. But for about 10 seconds, I just stared at my television and gaped, because the football was prettier than usual. </p>
<p id="BMLHmd">Apparently the NFL decided to film this relatively unspectacular regular-season game using the most spectacular cameras in league history. So spectacular, in fact, that the camera is named after a monster dinosaur shark:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The awesome on-field shots on FOX’s broadcast of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seahawks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Seahawks</a>-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WashingtonFootball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WashingtonFootball</a> Team are courtesy of this contraption the crew nicknames “The Megalodon.” Here it is. And here’s Mike Smole, who is operating it today. He calls it a “poor man’s Steadicam.” We should all be so poor. <a href="https://t.co/RWuYjeaBCe">pic.twitter.com/RWuYjeaBCe</a></p>— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1340745493215907847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="UWsM9e">This camera apparently has an extremely short depth of focus, meaning close-up things are extremely clear and anything more than a few feet away blends together in a blur. (The same premise behind iPhone Portrait mode. I think. I’m a football writer.) They couldn’t shoot an entire football game on the Extremely Pretty Camera, but they did capture celebrations. </p>
<p id="yB1Zuq">For some reason, we still primarily watch football games from trash camera angles where we can’t even see who the quarterback is throwing to if they’re more than 10 yards downfield—and now we find out there are fancy cameras that nobody has thought to shoot football with before. Clearly, there are still advances to be made in the field of sports broadcasting. The future is bright! Albeit with a beautifully blurry background. </p>
<h3 id="pQYTAr">Loser: Kirk Cousins</h3>
<p id="xoubP2">The good news for the Minnesota Vikings is that they snagged the best wide receiver in the 2020 draft—and perhaps one of the best wide receivers ever. Justin Jefferson had his sixth 100-yard game of the season on Sunday and now has 1,182 receiving yards on the season. That’s the sixth most of any NFL rookie <em>ever</em>, and only 195 short of Anquan Boldin’s rookie record. Jefferson’s definitely not going to catch Randy Moss’s all-time record of 17 receiving touchdowns—Jefferson only has seven—but he already has more first-year receptions than Moss did. </p>
<p id="Bnhowa">What makes this feat especially impressive is that he’s doing it with Kirk Cousins, the NFL’s … I dunno, 16th-best quarterback? Is that too high or too low? I’m sure I’ll hear answers from both sides, which probably sums up the Kirk Cousins experience pretty neatly. Last year Jefferson rose to the top of NFL draft boards after catching passes from LSU’s Joe Burrow, making him a rare player who experienced a quarterbacking downgrade upon coming to the NFL. And this week, Jefferson showed that he’s apparently starting to get fed up with the difference. In perhaps the greatest No Fans in the Stands moments of the season, cameras caught Jefferson cussing Cousins out after the quarterback airmailed a throw that could’ve been a touchdown. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Fuck, Kirk! Come on, throw the ball" <a href="https://t.co/yax0DzX3PQ">pic.twitter.com/yax0DzX3PQ</a></p>— Vikings Blogger (@firstandskol) <a href="https://twitter.com/firstandskol/status/1340746820113317894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="kvwLPE">Some rushed to argue that Jefferson was merely yelling “Fuck, ref! Throw the flag!” rather than going after his QB. But I’m not sure what flag <em>could’ve</em> been thrown here. Meanwhile, it makes sense that Jefferson has beef with Cousins about this play. Sure, it’s pretty tough for a righty QB to make a throw rolling out to his left, but there’s plenty of open space for Jefferson here, and Cousins zipped the ball high instead of floating it where Jefferson would have caught it. </p>
<p id="qcIb5z">Jefferson tweeted after the game that the incident was “blown out of proportion” and that he’s not a “diva,” but … well … he didn’t deny that he furiously cursed at his quarterback. He merely said that we were making too big a deal out of it. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> y’all love blowing stuff out off proportion. And I ain’t no diva don’t get it twisted. <a href="https://t.co/SfVo6quwpr">https://t.co/SfVo6quwpr</a></p>— JJETS✈️ (@JJettas2) <a href="https://twitter.com/JJettas2/status/1340780811872821248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="vOJVHS">I believe Jefferson when he says he’s not a diva. (Why do we only call wide receivers divas? Aren’t there any prima donna safeties? Are there no right tackles who aspire to have the same descriptor applied to them as Mariah Carey?) The Vikings used to have Stefon Diggs, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/10/3/20897444/minnesota-vikings-stefon-diggs-trade-rumors-kirk-cousins-adam-thielen">who routinely got furious with Kirk Cousins’s passing ability</a>. (<a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/2020/4/10/21216858/stop-blaming-kirk-cousins-stefon-diggs-trade-minnesota-vikings">Loved him as a guy</a>, though!) But Diggs eventually had enough, demanded a trade, and now ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards with the Bills. The Vikings currently have Adam Thielen, who has proven to be one of the NFL’s best receivers after falling into the Vikings’ lap out of a Division II school in Minnesota. But <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdnLhzUKRYc">he, too, has gotten into arguments with Cousins</a>. (<a href="https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/adam-thielen-rehashes-infamous-sideline-dispute-w-kirk-cousins-vs-bears-thats-the-type-of-leader-you-want/">Love him as a guy</a>, though!) </p>
<p id="rozlN0">It would be wrong to say that Kirk Cousins’s receivers hate him—they just hate trying to catch the passes he throws. They’re incredibly talented and wish their quarterback was too. I don’t know what the answer is there, besides the Vikings finding a quarterback that’s as good as the guys he’s throwing to.</p>
<h3 id="56X7HY">Loser: The Pats’ Battle With Tom Brady</h3>
<p id="DrbTj2">Week 1 in <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/9/14/21435828/winners-losers-week-1">this column</a>, I wrote about the New England Patriots’ win and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss. Clearly, New England had managed to keep continuity despite massive overhaul, while Tom Brady was struggling to adjust to a new system in Tampa Bay. It proved beyond any doubt that the greatest coach of all time was more valuable than the greatest quarterback of all time. (It’s important to make broad, sweeping statements about legendary football humans whose careers span decades based on single games.)</p>
<p id="D3Qv6f">Fifteen weeks later, though, things have changed. The Patriots lost their eighth game of the year on Sunday, falling 22-12 to the Dolphins. Former Patriots coach Brian Flores was running trick plays for two-point conversions in this game, as if to make sure the Pats knew they shouldn’t have let him get away:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hook & Ladder two-point conversion <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FinsUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FinsUp</a><br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEvsMIA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEvsMIA</a> on CBS<br> : NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: <a href="https://t.co/EJLjYXQNy2">https://t.co/EJLjYXQNy2</a> <a href="https://t.co/K1PJgQOZBu">pic.twitter.com/K1PJgQOZBu</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1340755192988332032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="BtRDYF">That loss cemented New England’s first nonwinning season since 2000 and eliminated the team from the postseason for the first time since 2008. The Bills, meanwhile, clinched their first AFC East title since 1995 this weekend—Josh Allen is infinitely more fun to watch than Tom Brady has ever been—and the Dolphins locked up second place. </p>
<p id="PhC8wG">Then there’s Tom Brady. Brady threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns … in the second half of a massive comeback win against the Falcons. Technically, the 9-5 Buccaneers haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet—but <em>FiveThirtyEight</em> gives them a 99 percent chance to qualify. When they do, they will end a postseason drought longer than the Pats’ postseason streak, as the Buccaneers haven’t been to the playoffs since 2007. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Float like a butterfly, sting like AB <br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TBvsATL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TBvsATL</a> on FOX <a href="https://t.co/awpX5CuPDL">pic.twitter.com/awpX5CuPDL</a></p>— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Buccaneers/status/1340761867208298503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="Vk96mA">The Patriots’ failures aren’t all because of Bill Belichick’s inability to adjust. This is a team without any good wide receivers or running backs, and it <a href="https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/06/patriots-opt-outs-are-official-with-a-league-high-8-players/">had more players opt out of the season than any other team</a>. And the Buccaneers’ successes aren’t all because of Brady. Tampa Bay averaged 28.6 points per game with Jameis Winston at QB last year, and it’s averaging 28.6 points per game with Brady at QB this year. The Bucs have always had stupendous receiving talent, but their defense has gone from 29th to 12th in the NFL over the last year. (Some of this probably has to do with Brady throwing significantly fewer interceptions than 30-pick Jameis.) Even if Brady stayed in New England, it’s possible that the Pats would’ve missed the playoffs this year and the Buccaneers would’ve made the postseason. </p>
<p id="qpgsLW">But we’ll always remember that as soon as Tom Brady left the Patriots, the longest postseason streak in NFL history ended, and when he arrived in Tampa Bay, the league’s second-longest active postseason drought ended. Brady’s legacy has a second act; Belichick has to figure out whether he can build a winning roster moving forward. Season 1 of the Bill-Tom Power Rankings will end with Tom solely in possession of first place. </p>
<h3 id="Vy7Y6C">Winner: Punter Hands</h3>
<p id="z4vqxR">Last week, I <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/14/22173386/nfl-week-14-winners-losers-jalen-hurts-steelers-dan-bailey-vikings">wrote an entry</a> criticizing a punter’s ability to control a ball in the bottom of a pile. As a punter enthusiast, I have spent the past seven days racked with guilt over my shameless punter-negging. So I’d like to make it up to them: Here is an entry highlighting how punters have a difficult job that requires a broader skill set than you’d expect.</p>
<p id="FEgWul">On Sunday, the Jaguars played the Ravens without a punter after Logan Cooke got sick Saturday night. (Missing a punter is a big problem for a team that’s as crappy on offense as the Jags.) That left kicker Aldrick Rosas to handle kicking and punting duties, something many people assume must be easy, since they both require feet. Not so! Rosas, who didn’t punt in college, averaged 36.7 yards on his three punts. (<a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/Ya3DU">Only one punter has averaged fewer than 36 yards per punt since 2000</a>, and it’s a guy who was cut after one game.) Plus, one of Rosas’s kicks was returned for 20 yards, giving him a truly dismal net average of 29 yards per punt. (Did you think you’d get punting stats when you clicked on this link? Too bad!) </p>
<p id="Z6A1D0">Rosas also struggled on Sunday in one way you might not expect. Kickers kick the ball out of a placehold, while punters catch a (relatively hard) snap before punting. In the fourth quarter, Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik threw back a snap that <a href="https://www.nfl.com/videos/aldrick-rosas-salvages-high-snap-with-wild-improv-punt">probably would’ve been an easy snag</a> for the 6-foot-5 Cooke—but forced the shorter Rosas to jump. Rosas bobbled the snap, scrambled back to recover it, and had to force off a rushed punt under serious pressure. It was actually a pretty impressive kick for an amateur punter under great distress—but only went 30 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. </p>
<p id="R3RdSG">Elsewhere on Sunday, Eagles punter Cameron Johnston got injured after a blocked punt in the first quarter. That forced kicker Jake Elliott into a punting role—he averaged 38.5 yards, also pretty bad—but the Eagles also missed Johnston in another critical role: They had nobody to hold kicks. Remember when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuhwAIzrYk">Tony Romo muffed that hold in that playoff game</a>? Back then, it was commonplace to have a backup QB serve as a holder, but now most teams use a punter. (Don’t worry—<a href="https://www.patriots.com/news/bill-belichick-press-conference-transcript-191076">Bill Belichick has given an extravagantly long answer about this trend</a>.) Without Johnston, the Eagles went to their backup holder, Zach Ertz. You’d think he’d be good, because of the whole “professional football catcher” thing, right? Nope! The Eagles only attempted one placekick after Johnston’s exit—and Ertz couldn’t get the hold down. Blame probably belongs with the snapper, Rick Lovato, but perhaps a more experienced holder has success. </p>
<p id="yQBVhX">So here’s my point: Punters aren’t just leggy boys. They also have surprisingly great hands, and without punters’ soft, wonderful catching capabilities, relatively simple football tasks become complex. </p>
<h3 id="SbSblJ">Loser: The Chains</h3>
<p id="uvsQ8i">There’s probably nothing that could’ve been done about the Atlanta Falcons blowing a 17-0 halftime lead against the Buccaneers. It happened so casually that it barely even seemed noteworthy. Atlanta could’ve won the game if the team had just kept it close early, but by taking a three-score lead, the loss was fated. The Earth could’ve veered off its orbit and smacked into Mars and as the planet turned to icy wreckage, the image frozen on our televisions would’ve been a Fox Sports graphic saying, <em>ATLANTA FALCONS: THIRD BLOWN DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OF THE SEASON.</em></p>
<p id="JPFHRU">But still, it’s worth noting a late-game controversy. The Buccaneers were able to seal the 31-27 win after a Leonard Fournette first down, and it was determined the Bucs got the first down on this play:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">this measurement resulted in a 1st down <br>it was reviewed...and confirmed a 1st down <a href="https://t.co/xya4eoUQwD">pic.twitter.com/xya4eoUQwD</a></p>— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1340766925182386176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://t.co/piVaURR23b">pic.twitter.com/piVaURR23b</a></p>— crosseyed&painless (@_dennis_system) <a href="https://twitter.com/_dennis_system/status/1340781822809153536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="MIFMsR">There was also the matter of the referee scooching the ball forward a little bit:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fournette was down short of the first down marker, watch the Ref move the ball giving Tampa Bay a 1st down... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TBvsATL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TBvsATL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcons?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Falcons</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bucs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bucs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiseUpATL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RiseUpATL</a> <a href="https://t.co/OvRNfg66FC">pic.twitter.com/OvRNfg66FC</a></p>— The Armchair QB (@TheArmchairQB1) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheArmchairQB1/status/1340768164477612037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="TwzeLT">The ref actually was right to move the ball to the spot instead of just leaving it where it ended up after the play. (Although <a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/falcons-unhappy-about-late-game-spot-of-ball-in-loss-to-bucs/Y7CMSJXYR5AXZIGTO7E5HW6R7Y/">the ruling of the spot itself was questionable.</a>) But I keep looking at the ball and the stake and back to the ball and back to the stake … and the ball … and the stake … and … it’s short, right? Like, it’s definitely short, right? It could be a misleading camera angle, but … it’s short … right? </p>
<p id="godRD3">I’m a big fan of the chains. There’s <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/12/20/16801822/football-chain-gang-measurement-gene-steratore-cowboys-raiders-first-down">actually a surprisingly complex art to operating the chains</a>, and they’re more accurate than you’d think. Plus, the drama of bringing out the chain crew is unparalleled in a way that a more scientific method wouldn’t be. (Before you ask: There are already chips in the ball, and they aren’t accurate down to the inch. Although, uh … it’s possible the chains aren’t, either.) </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="MNKwkL">I truly love that this goofy 114-year old instrument is used to officiate America’s most popular sport. But if we’re gonna use the chains, we have to at least make it <em>look</em> like they’re doing the job they’re supposed to. Because every time the chains are used, somebody thinks, “Hey, why does the most profitable sports league on earth pretend that this hunk of junk that looks like my dad’s worst home improvement project is an accurate measuring device?” And every time, we get slightly closer to someone inventing a better—and less quaint—system. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/21/22192723/the-winners-and-losers-of-nfl-week-15Rodger Sherman2020-12-20T22:20:27-05:002020-12-20T22:20:27-05:00Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs Remain the NFL’s Only Sure Team
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<p>In beating the Saints on Sunday, the Chiefs showed their inevitability—and that there’s a pretty big gap between them and the rest of the NFL </p> <aside id="cJMH2h"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 15 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/18/22188587/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-15-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="gcpu4K">In a season where individual performances have varied, games and lineups have been reshuffled, and results have been unpredictable, the Kansas City Chiefs remain the NFL’s only sure thing. The Chiefs are, unequivocally, a step above the rest of the league—and their 32-29 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon affirmed as much. </p>
<p id="67xnWp">New Orleans did several things right on Sunday, as Sean Payton and Co. developed a formula that would have been enough to earn a win against just about any other team. But against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, it wasn’t; without a fully healthy Drew Brees behind center and Michael Thomas out wide, New Orleans didn’t engineer enough offense to match its defense’s stellar play. And with Kansas City now a step closer to clinching the AFC’s no. 1 seed, it’s unclear whether Andy Reid’s squad will face an opponent good enough to bring them down over the rest of this season.</p>
<p id="7reJVL">The Saints defense has been arguably the league’s best unit this year. The group entered Sunday <a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/team-defense/2020">ranked</a> no. 2 in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric, and it fields some of the NFL’s most productive disruptors—Trey Hendrickson, Cameron Jordan, and David Onyemata—and a stout secondary. Throughout the first half on Sunday, that seemed like that could be enough to potentially overcome the Chiefs’ offense, as New Orleans forced Kansas City to punt on five of its seven first-half possessions. New Orleans also forced Mahomes to hold onto the ball longer than he’s accustomed to. <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1340799477481955331?s=20">According to Next Gen Stats</a>, Mahomes went 7-of-21 for 77 yards and one touchdown in the first half while being pressured 13 times and suffering three sacks. He completed just 2 of 10 passes when pressured, however the Saints managed to consistently generate pressure without blitzing.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Saints pass rush has been able to generate pressure without blitzing (1 blitz on 30 dropbacks).<br><br>➤ Mahomes has been pressured on a career-high 41.4% of his dropbacks vs non-blitzes<br><br>➤ Trey Hendrickson: 6 pressures on 19 pass rushes (31.6% pressure rate)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KCvsNO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KCvsNO</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saints?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Saints</a></p>— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1340799480829009921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="6tJH8l">Mahomes threw for two scores over the first two quarters, but Kansas City’s offense <a href="https://twitter.com/FO_ASchatz/status/1340799883507359744?s=20">averaged</a> just 3.9 yards per play. The problem for New Orleans, though, was that its offense wasn’t much better. </p>
<p id="QfpCzy">Brees, who made his first appearance Sunday since <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/11/15/21566824/drew-brees-rib-injury-new-orleans-saints">suffering</a> 11 broken ribs in Week 10, was at the crux of the Saints’ offensive issues. He completed 5-of-16 passes for 87 yards and an interception in the first half. New Orleans also punted on five of its first seven offensive drives and averaged just 4.4 yards per play through the first two quarters. </p>
<p id="ytPg6x">But even with that lackluster offense, the Saints had a chance right before halftime to tie the game at 14-apiece. New Orleans punted with 14 seconds left, and Chiefs returner Demarcus Robinson fumbled the ball into the end zone. Saints linebacker Alex Anzalone basically landed on the loose ball but couldn’t control it, and it rolled out of the end zone for a safety.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Saints were THIS CLOSE to a TD <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/9xRUNDsa4Q">pic.twitter.com/9xRUNDsa4Q</a></p>— PFF (@PFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1340797118529888256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="P0tfyJ">Spoiling scoring opportunities like that against such an explosive Chiefs squad is tough to overcome. The Saints briefly took a 15-14 advantage in the third quarter. But on Kansas City’s ensuing drive, Mahomes completed a ridiculous touchdown pass to receiver Mecole Hardman on a play that would’ve resulted in a throwaway for most other quarterbacks.</p>
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<p lang="nl" dir="ltr">TOE. DRAG. SWAG.<br><br> : <a href="https://t.co/m7Z375tRik">https://t.co/m7Z375tRik</a> <a href="https://t.co/wNXDiXD1PE">pic.twitter.com/wNXDiXD1PE</a></p>— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1340804385358622723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2020</a>
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<p id="iAn4Yv">Coming out of the break, Kansas City—which entered Sunday with the highest third-quarter point differential of any NFL team—scored a touchdown, punted once, then engineered a 10-play scoring drive capped with a 12-yard touchdown carry from Le’Veon Bell. That gave the Chiefs a 29-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. A three-and-out by the Saints gave Kansas City a chance to put the game out of reach, but Mahomes was sacked by Hendrickson, who ripped the ball out and set up linebacker Kwon Alexander’s recovery in K.C. territory. Three plays later, Alvin Kamara scored on a 14-yard throw from Brees, drawing the Saints within seven with just under 10 minutes left.</p>
<p id="Jw1biN">The New Orleans defense needed to make at least one more stop. But by then, the unit had been on the field for nearly 34 minutes, allowing Kansas City to impose its will on the ground. The Chiefs waged a 10-play, 71-yard drive that chewed up five and a half minutes of game clock before Harrison Butker booted a 22-yard field goal and extended their lead to 10. Brees led another touchdown drive to pull within three, but the Chiefs easily exhausted the remaining two minutes of the game to hold on for the win.</p>
<p id="mXvNmr">New Orleans had one more offensive series than Kansas City on Sunday (14 to 13) and averaged more yards per play (5.5 to 4.5), yet the Chiefs were much more successful offensively. Kansas City ran more plays (92 to 52), achieved more first downs (34 to 15), was better on third down (9-for-18 to 1-for-11) and significantly out-possessed the Saints (41:14 to 18:46) en route to picking up a victory that was more comfortable than the scoreline might have suggested. Brees finished 15-for-34 with 234 yards, three touchdowns and one pick; his 44.1 percent completion rate marked the third-lowest mark in his career. Mahomes, meanwhile, went 26-for-47 with 254 yards and three touchdowns in one of his bumpier outings of the year.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="mTtGue">Following this game, it’s clear there’s a tangible gap between the Saints and the Chiefs. And if Sunday’s matchup was the <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/18/22187741/nfl-week-15-matchup-guide-saints-chiefs-super-bowl-preview">preview of Super Bowl 55</a> that many thought it could be, then the Saints still have <a href="https://twitter.com/nick_underhill/status/1340831263440121858?s=20">a ways to go</a> before they’ll be ready to compete with the defending champs. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/20/22192690/patrick-mahomes-chiefs-saints-super-bowl-preview-winKaelen Jones2020-12-20T21:30:13-05:002020-12-20T21:30:13-05:00The Jets Won a Game, but May Have Lost Their Future Because of It
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<p>New York beat the Rams 23-20 on Sunday and simultaneously fell out of poll position for the no. 1 pick—and Trevor Lawrence</p> <aside id="WWH4Om"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 15 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/18/22188587/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-15-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="2R2c2p">The biggest winner of Sunday’s Jets-Rams game was not the Jets, who beat L.A. 23-20 to win their first game of the season. Instead it was Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the presumptive no. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. </p>
<p id="Rw6XDo">Before Sunday, Lawrence was all but destined to go to New York, a winless team that somehow seemed to get worse and worse by the week. With the victory, though, the Jets fell out of first place in the race to the bottom, and now their future franchise QB will likely go to the 1-13 Jaguars—a team that’s nearly as dysfunctional as the Jets, but has only two decades of nearly uninterrupted mediocrity on its résumé, rather than five. Plus, Florida has no state income tax—a win for Lawrence’s bank account.</p>
<p id="VE8jba">Typically, when a team wins its first game of the season, fans celebrate. But Lawrence is considered a generational quarterback prospect—the most highly anticipated player to come out of the draft since Andrew Luck in 2012. Losing out on him is a disaster for New York. Just look at how fans responded to <a href="https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1340809554511196160">the team’s tweet announcing the victory</a>:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Barring a miracle Jags win I'll be looking for a new team if the Jets are bad again next year. I can deal with the Knicks and Mets. I'm loyal to losing teams. But I can't deal with a team that knowingly blows a GUARANTEED acquisition of a generational QB</p>— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/KnicksMemes/status/1340809574857789442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the single lowest moment as a <a href="https://twitter.com/nyjets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyjets</a> fan. There was hope for the future. We are handed a franchise QB and we win a meaningless game. This is going to set the franchise back years. Lawrence was going to be our answer. Words can’t describe this pain</p>— Casey Szczublewski (@Caseyski5) <a href="https://twitter.com/Caseyski5/status/1340809587793014786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NY state needs to take the franchise away from the Johnsons. The incompetence at every level is just absolutely mind blowing. Each self sabotaging debacle is worse than the one before it in ways we didn’t even know were possible. We are the worst franchise in American pro sports.</p>— Alec Wade Ginsberg PharmD (@awgins) <a href="https://twitter.com/awgins/status/1340810727884517385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p id="AXePVA">The result was devastating for the Jets, but the game was ugly for the Rams. New York took an early lead in the first quarter, and the Rams never closed it. And when the game was on the line, the Jets turned to one of the oldest players in the league to seal the victory. With under four minutes remaining, New York holding a three-point lead, and the ball on the Jets’ 37-yard line, head coach Adam Gase looked to 37-year-old Frank Gore to deliver crucial carries of 3, 8, and 4 yards. And when the Jets were faced with a third-and-6 that could have clinched the game, Darnold found the veteran back for 6 yards, capturing a first down and bringing the game to the two-minute warning. The Rams were without timeouts and could only watch as the Jets took the victory formation for the first time all season.</p>
<p id="o3zcyG">The Rams made mistake after mistake in this game. Down three points in what became their final drive of the contest, they faced a third-and-4 just outside of field goal range. The Jets, who relieved defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of his duties on December 7, did not attempt <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/6/22157619/jets-tank-adam-gase-raiders-trevor-lawrence">some kind of bold cover zero–blitz tanking maneuver</a>. Instead, it was the Rams who made the head-scratching decisions. Quarterback Jared Goff attempted a deep pass to running back Cam Akers, which fell incomplete. Then, on a do-or-die fourth down, Goff attempted another deep pass, this time to tight end Gerald Everett. That one, too, was off the mark. Needing just a handful of yards, the Rams went for it all and came away with nothing.</p>
<p id="1KWQOV">L.A. committed another crucial error just two plays earlier. On a second-and-6 from the Jets’ 39-yard line, Akers burst through the New York defense on a well-designed run play. The 22-yard gain put the team in the red zone and seemed to set the Rams up to at least tie the game with a chip-shot field goal, if not take the lead with a touchdown … until the yellow flag came out. Tight end Tyler Higbee was called for an illegal block, the ball came back, and the Rams’ drive stalled. </p>
<p id="9dGMGr">Those late-game miscues wouldn’t have been so disastrous had the Rams not dug themselves into a 13-point hole in the first half. In the first two frames, Goff threw an ugly interception, Johnny Hekker had one of his punts blocked, and the offense went 0-7 on third down. By the time the Rams found their footing in the second half, they needed to play near-perfect ball to win. </p>
<p id="DydEba">The Jets, meanwhile, deserve some credit—or scrutiny, considering this win is more like a loss for the franchise. The Rams came into this game with the <a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/team-defense/2020">third-best defense by DVOA</a>, while the Jets had the league’s worst offense. Yet New York marched down the field with a 13-play, 74-yard opening touchdown drive, had another 11-play, 72-yard touchdown drive to begin the second half, and followed that up with a nearly identical 10-play, 72-yard field goal drive. Sure, they had another six drives that gained fewer than 10 yards, but the success they did have was hugely surprising for such an underwhelming unit.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The worst Bill O'Brien trade was not nearly as damaging or unrewarding as having Sam Darnold, Frank Gore and Adam Gase -- three players who shouldn't be on the Jets next year -- cause the Jets to lose out on the best draft draft prospect in years.</p>— Football Perspective (@fbgchase) <a href="https://twitter.com/fbgchase/status/1340812230296805377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p id="WsdVAx">The Rams can still reclaim the no. 1 spot in the NFC West next week with a win against the Seahawks, but the Jets are no longer in direct control of their draft position. They now own the same 1-13 record as the Jaguars, who lost 40-14 to the Ravens on Sunday, and they’re behind Jacksonville only because the Jags have an easier strength of schedule, which acts as the tiebreaker with New York. So the Jets need the Jags to win a game in the next two weeks (they play the Bears and Colts), or they will end up with the no. 2 pick (at best), and virtually no shot at Lawrence. It’s the type of result that could alter NFL history, should Lawrence live up to the hype.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I was pretty confident that the Jets couldn’t screw up Trevor Lawrence but I am 100 percent confident that the Jets will use the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft to take the fourth-best quarterback in the draft</p>— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodger/status/1340812225175564288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a>
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<p class="c-end-para" id="4hxfKv">If the Jets end up with the no. 2 pick, they are likely looking at Ohio State’s Justin Fields, a great quarterback prospect who would have plenty of attention in any other year. But Fields isn’t Lawrence, and the no. 2 pick isn’t the no. 1 pick. In winning the battle, the Jets may have lost the war.</p>
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/12/20/22192555/jets-win-beat-rams-trevor-lawrenceRiley McAtee2020-12-18T12:20:05-05:002020-12-18T12:20:05-05:00Herbert’s Heroics, Chiefs-Saints Preview, and Week 15 Bets
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<p>Sharp and House reflect on the entertaining ‘Thursday Night Football’ game before previewing some of the best matchups of Week 15</p> <div id="WxuGEC"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/63OBWBFmDZtHmHLTgPNupM" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="AxqeBK"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/63OBWBFmDZtHmHLTgPNupM">Sharp and House recap the surprisingly exciting Chargers-Raiders game</a>, discuss how you should interpret late-line moves, and break down their favorite matchups of the week, including Chiefs-Saints, Bucs-Falcons, Seahawks-Washington, and more.</p>
<p id="YwGYnI"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3sYLdv261f5jLvEgDLU9PD?si=PwTF-GumR7qtUP5FZdCKOQ">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-ringer-nfl-show%2Fid1109282822%3Fmt%3D2&xcust=xid:fr1570809570442jba%7Cxid:fr1571141035709iah%7Cxid:fr1571400354183cfa%7Cxid:fr1571745693269afb%7Cxid:fr1572005002168iib%7Cxid:fr1572350612110bei">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ringernflshow">RSS</a></p>
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https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/18/22188276/herberts-heroics-chiefs-saints-preview-and-week-15-betsWarren SharpJoe House