The Cleveland Browns have nailed it and extended cornerback Denzel Ward’s contract long-term, as reported by Ian Rappoport of “NFL Network”. The 24-year-old agreed with the franchise on a new five-year deal worth around $100.5 million, of which $71.25 million is said to be fully guaranteed. With the deal, Ward becomes the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and is under contract with the Browns until 2027. Last season, the two-time pro bowler had three interceptions and 0.5 sacks.
The Atlanta Falcons are trading quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. This is reported by Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini ESPN’ as well as Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo from NFL Network. The Falcons will receive a third-round pick in the upcoming draft in exchange for the former MVP and four-time Pro Bowler.
The Falcons are daring to make a fresh start in the most important position following missing the playoffs four times. Splitting from Ryan, who turns 37 in May, saves Atlanta $8.1 million but leaves a whopping $40.5 million in dead cap for the 2022 season.
With efforts to sign Deshaun Watson failing, quarterback’s future remains unclear. Some of the best veteran playmakers that might be available include Jimmy Garoppolo, n, and Baker Mayfield. The latter will be replaced by Watson for the Cleveland Browns. The Colts, on the other hand, had traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders for two third-round picks (2022, 2023). Ryan is now taking his place.
The Falcons drafted Ryan third overall in the 2008 draft, and he quickly showed he might be the franchise quarterback for years to come. He was voted Rookie of the Year and missed just three games in 14 years. Apart from last season, he threw for 4,000 yards, only in his rookie season did he have fewer than 20 touchdown passes.
He was voted MVP in his fabulous 2016 season, in which he completed 69.9 percent of his passes and hung up for 4,944 yards, 38 TDs and just 7 career high interceptions. He led the Falcons into Super Bowl LI, where following a 28-3 lead, they failed dramatically to Tom Brady’s New England Patriots (28:34 OT). The past four years have been a significant decline, with Ryan getting sacked more than 40 times each year. In addition, the defense did not allow any more successes.
While for many, Christmas is a time of contemplation and idleness, for the pros of the National Football League, now is actually just the beginning of the really hot phase of the season. Many will think twice regarding a double helping of dessert on Christmas Day as they need to be fit for an emphatic push toward the playoffs these days. Half the league is shaking and still hoping for their place in the postseason, a scenario in which it is not always easy to keep track!
NFL fans are glued to the next three weeks, as this is where many teams will decide what has really become of this season. Desperate playoff hopes have to deal with all sorts of adversities, as in many places the wheat is being separated from the chaff right now and a number of teams are dealing with the wear and tear of a long season and the increasingly chaotic Covid 19 situation in the league. Despite all the unpredictable, one thing is very clear: excitement is guaranteed under the Christmas tree and early in the new year, because the race for the playoff spots seems to be closer than it has been for a long time.
Almost the entire AFC still wants to make the NFL playoffs
In the AFC, there is actually only one team that can feel relatively safe in the postseason and that is the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) around superstar Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid’s men shouldn’t sit back too much either, because their remaining program with Pittsburgh and guest appearances in Cincinnati and Denver is anything but easy. The situation of the Conference Primus makes it clear how close things are in the AFC this year.
Second place (New England with 9-5) and tenth place (Pittsburgh with 7-6-1) in the playoff picture are only separated by one defeat and landslide movements can be expected here almost every week. There are still a number of head-to-head clashes to come, with few more significant than next weekend’s AFC East Battle between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. The latter seem to be slowly finding their form once more, just in time, one might think.
AFC North promises almost historical drama
The finish in the AFC North should also be extremely dramatic. The bitterly feuding teams are all with six or seven losses and are still quasi-collectively searching for some solutions to certain ongoing problems (eg, Pittsburgh’s offense, Cincinnati’s consistency, Baltimore’s health, Cleveland’s offense). As the game plan gods would have it, all teams will play two more games once morest a direct division competitor, so the helmet straps should be tightened a little bit over the next few weeks.
Potential dark horses for the postseason, such as the Chargers with All-World youngster Justin Herbert or the Indianapolis Jonathan Taylors (of course, they also have a defense) lost far too many feathers over the season to feel safe in any way. Overall, the conference currently lacks a truly dominant team, but that might change very quickly if one of the many balanced teams like Tennessee, New England or Buffalo heats up.
Green Bay clearly claims the role of favorite in the NFC
In terms of depth, the NFC cannot really keep up with its sister conference, but there are definitely more top teams at the top. In addition to the Green Bay Packers (11-3), who have been the most convincing so far, many experts believe that defending champions Tampa Bay, the Dallas Cowboys, the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams are capable of a big hit. Behind the top teams, the San Francisco 49ers have made an impressive comeback, but remaining away games in Tennessee and with the Rams might show the limits of the euphoria.
The Packers at the top don’t really care regarding such arithmetic games, their remaining program is definitely feasible (two home games once morest the Browns and Vikings and a trip to Detroit) and offers them the optimal chance to secure home rights through the entire playoffs. The mystical Lambeau Field might perhaps tip the scales later, especially for a team that has perhaps been the most consistent of all favorites throughout the season. However, the pressure does not decrease, especially if Aaron Rodgers reaches an NFC Championship Game once more.
Battered teams in the lower NFL playoff window with Puncher’s Chance
It’s the same for the teams at the back, of course, you slept well yesterday. It might well be that following the last three NFL game days, a team with a negative season record will move into the postseason, like the Washington Football Team did last year. Whether it’s Ron Rivera’s men, the Philadelphia Eagles or the New Orleans Saints (7-7, extremely doable remaining program with Miami, Carolina and Atlanta), there will probably be a team in the NFC that, for one reason or another, gets into the Postseason limps. As the Saints’ recent shutout once morest Tampa Bay shows, that doesn’t mean these guys will be cannon fodder per se.
A very special factor might play the Covid-19 situation in the league in the coming days. With a number of rosters depleted, not only are upcoming games much more difficult to predict, but no team can truly feel safe in the face of a number of uncertainties. This once once more increases the explosiveness of the individual games, which already have an enormously important character in the NFL. But that’s how it should be around Christmas…
Finally, an overview of the remaining programs of all NFL playoff candidates:
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) vs Steelers, @ Bengals, @ Broncos
New England Patriots (9-5) vs Bills, vs Jaguars, @ Dolphins
Tennessee Titans (9-5) vs 49ers, vs Dolphins, @ Texans
Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) vs Ravens, vs Chiefs, @ Browns
Indianapolis Colts (8-6) @ Cardinals, vs Raiders, @ Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) @ Texans, vs Broncos, @ Raiders
Buffalo Bills (8-6) @ Patriots, vs Falcons, vs Jets
Baltimore Ravens (8-6) @ Bengals, vs Rams, vs Steelers
Cleveland Browns (7-7) @ Packers, @ Steelers, vs Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1) @ Chiefs, vs Browns, @ Ravens
Miami Dolphins (7-7) @ Saints, @ Titans, vs Patriots
Denver Broncos (7-7) @ Raiders, @ Chargers, vs Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) vs Broncos, @ Colts, vs Chargers
NFC
Green Bay Packers (11-3) vs Browns, vs Vikings, @ Lions
Dallas Cowboys (10-4) vs Football Team, vs Cardinals, @ Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4) @ Panthers, @ Jets, vs Panthers
Arizona Cardinals (10-4) vs Colts, @ Cowboys, vs Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams (10-4) @ Vikings, @ Ravens, vs 49ers
San Francisco 49ers (8-6) @ Titans, vs Texans, @ Rams
New Orleans Saints (7-7) vs Dolphins, vs Panthers, @ Falcons
Washington Football Team (6-8) @ Cowboys, vs Eagles, @ Giants
Minnesota Vikings (7-7) vs Rams, @ Packers, vs Bears
Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) vs Giants, @ Football Team, vs Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons (6-8) vs Lions, @ Bills, vs Saints
.
The Raiders claimed the last available ticket for the playoffs that already have their schedules defined
The Sunday day of the Week 18 The final of the regular season included a pair of dramatic overtime wins and some unexpected scores that directly impacted the playoff landscape.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took a step towards the playoffs following defeating in overtime the Baltimore Ravens, although they had to wait until the conclusion of the night game to celebrate.
The surprise of the day was the resounding victory of the Jacksonville Jaguars Over the Indianapolis Colts That leaves the door open to the postseason for multiple teams in the American Conference.
On the other hand, Tennessee Titans tied the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a close win over the Houston Texans.
In the followingnoon, San Francisco 49ers claimed the last ticket of the National Conference, winning in overtime to Los Angeles Rams, who secured the NFC West title despite defeat thanks to the help received from the Seattle Seahawks with his triumph over the Arizona Cardinals.
At the night party, Las Vegas Raiders they imposed conditions at home on Los Angeles Chargers to qualify for No. 5 in the American Conference.
Remember that you can enjoy the NFL through Star +, subscribe here!
Here we review the most notable of Sunday’s games:
The Chargers paid dearly for playing aggressive, including a fourth-down play within their 20-yard line in the second half in which they tried to move the chains and came up short, a decision that translated into three points for the Raiders, who tied their place in the playoffs under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Las Vegas might have sentenced the game in regulation time, but blew a 29-14 lead in the fourth quarter and had to wait until a late Daniel Carlson field goal to seal the victory.
The Bengals had a chance of finishing as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, although they needed a combination of results, so they decided not to risk their starters once morest some eliminated Browns without really caring regarding the final result. That decision cost wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase a chance to break the record for rookie receiving yards that has been in place since 1960.
The Packers had already secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed from a week earlier, however some starters saw action in Detroit to keep up with a bye week in the playoffs. The Lions made some spectacular plays and conceded nothing to Green Bay to close out the year with a win that will stand out among the few positives of the season. The worrying thing for the Packers was that the times Jordan Love tried to move on the offense in the final minutes he ended up throwing interceptions.
It was probably the last game for head coaches Matt Nagy and Mike Zimmer with the Bears and Vikings, respectively. Minnesota took advantage of Chicago’s mistakes to shape a trivial beating following both teams’ terrible season.
The Giants urgently need a rebuild, and head coach Joe Judge probably won’t be a part of it following his incredible decision to send a sneak quarterback at third down and 9 for going deep on his ground, simply inexplicable. Washington has elements to build for the future, but surely the offseason will include the search for a new quarterback.
The Colts have not found the key to victory in Jacksonville since 2014 and this time the result is more expensive than in other years, jettisoning their playoff hopes with an unexpected loss to the Jaguars that brings other teams to life. in the AFC and leaves serious questions for quarterback Carson Wentz, who had a performance to forget.
Ben Roethlisberger’s journey with the Steelers might have one more stop next week in the Wild Card Round following guiding Pittsburgh to a thrilling overtime win over the Ravens to stroke their postseason ticket, yet now the Steelers They need the night game between the Chargers and Raiders not to end in a draw to sneak in as the No. 7 seed in the AFC to face the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed in dramatic fashion, because the Texans didn’t stop fighting until the end, forcing Tennessee to work hard to escape with victory following dominating most of the game. With the possible return of Derrick Henry for the Divisional Round, the Titans should be considered favorites to reach the Super Bowl.
The Saints did their job with another good victory, sadly the scenario that gave him the ticket to the playoffs was not fulfilled with the dramatic victory of the 49ers over the Rams. New Orleans fought to the end without having a defined quarterback on the roster and overcoming multiple injuries, which is a good sign for the future of this franchise.
The Bills did not have an easy day and waited until the fourth quarter to secure the win over the Jets thanks to a touchdown by Devin Singletary. The good news for Buffalo was that Josh Allen had no turnovers and threw a pair of touchdowns.
The 49ers came from behind, rebounding from a 17-0 deficit to defeat the Rams and claim the final berth to the National Conference playoffs, where they will face the Cowboys. Los Angeles had a chance to come back in the closing minutes of overtime, but Matthew Stafford threw his second interception of the day, dashing the hopes of the Rams, who now lagged behind the No. 4 seed following fighting for No. 2.
Miami is not a comfortable place for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, adding another loss in their history, now putting their position for the playoffs on hold. New England is currently ranked No. 4, but a victory for the Raiders might drag them back to fifth place, where they would face off once morest AFC East champions Bills.
The Seahawks did everything in their power to ruin the Cardinals’ hopes of winning the division title, ending a terrible year with a resounding win at Arizona. Seattle is heading into an offseason in which it must answer multiple questions, but it is best done with a victory under the arm.
The champion Buccaneers were the day’s big winners in the National Conference, their victory over the Panthers combined with the loss of the Rams catapulted them to the No. 2 seed, so they will only leave home until the Championship Game in the event that advance to that instance the Packers.
This is how the playoffs will be played
American Conference
.