As we head into the ultimate stretch of the season, the Buffalo Payments, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos are using excessive. However will the great instances maintain rolling?
Forward of Week 12, Yardbarker NFL writers supply a sizzling tackle each workforce.
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS (9-2) | Payments don’t lose a recreation for remainder of season |The bye week comes on the good time for Buffalo, which gained at house 30-21 in Week 11 in opposition to the beforehand undefeated Chiefs regardless of lacking a number of starters, together with TE Dalton Kincaid, WR Keon Coleman and RT Spencer Brown. Matchups in opposition to San Francisco and Detroit will not be simple, however count on the Payments to win their remaining six video games, particularly as a result of they’re getting more healthy. Additionally, count on Buffalo to clinch home-field benefit all through the playoffs.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-6) | WR Tyreek Hill doesn’t attain 1,000-yard threshold | Though the eight-time Professional Bowler is hitting his stride now that QB Tua Tagovailoa is again from his concussion, Hill is probably going headed for his first season with out 1,000 receiving yards since 2019. Hill only has 523 yards in 10 games, so he should common 68.1 yards the rest of the season to achieve the 1,000-yard milestone, which appears unlikely given his present tempo.
NEW YORK JETS (3-8) | Lions DC Aaron Glenn would be the workforce’s subsequent head coach | With the necessity to create an id and repair their tradition drawback this offseason, the Jets will rent Glenn, the workforce’s first-round decide within the 1994 NFL Draft. Glenn is an ideal choice to assist flip New York’s proficient however underachieving protection round. Beneath his management, the Lions have allowed the fifth-fewest factors per recreation and boast one of many league’s high run-stopping models regardless of edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson (damaged tibia, fibula) being sidelined.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3-8) | QB Drake Maye finishes second amongst rookies in passing touchdowns | The North Carolina product has made simply six begins this season however ranks third amongst rookie QBs in landing passes (nine), trailing Washington’s Jayden Daniels (10) and Denver’s Bo Nix (14). Surpassing Nix is unrealistic, however as a result of he’ll be trailing in most video games and throwing steadily, Maye ought to end the season with extra TD passes than Daniels, who leads a run-heavy offense and is probably going nonetheless restricted by a rib damage. — Colum Dell
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS (6-5) | Rookie QB Bo Nix will information Broncos to first playoff look since 2015 | Nix is 5-3 over his past eight starts, tossing 14 TD passes and two interceptions throughout this stretch. His enchancment creates a postseason path for Denver, which has the league’s Tenth-easiest remaining schedule, per ESPN’s Football Power Index.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-1) | Key defensive weak spot will stop Chiefs from profitable third straight Tremendous Bowl | Okay.C.’s lack of ability to cease cellular QBs is a legal responsibility that would show expensive if it faces Josh Allen of the Buffalo Payments within the playoffs. In a 30-21 Week 11 house win over the Chiefs, Allen rushed for a season-high 55 yards and one TD on 12 carries.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-8) | HC Antonio Pierce can be a one-and-done | With new minority proprietor Tom Brady within the image, the rookie HC’s future appears much more unsure. The Athletic’s Josh Kendall recently suggested the seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion might persuade majority proprietor Mark Davis to fireplace Pierce, who has misplaced 5 video games by 14-plus factors this season.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (7-3) | RB J.Okay. Dobbins can be Comeback Participant of the Yr front-runner | Dobbins — who suffered knee and Achilles accidents in his first 4 seasons with Baltimore — has stayed wholesome this season and develop into one of many NFL’s extra productive RBs. By means of 10 video games, he ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards (726) and is tied for sixth in speeding TDs (eight). — Clark Dalton
AFC North
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-2) | Steelers may have a shedding document of their final seven video games | The Steelers have gained 5 straight and are 4-0 with Russell Wilson at QB, however they’re due for some regression contemplating they rank third in the NFL in luck rating and 14th in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). Pittsburgh closes the common season with robust video games in opposition to the Bengals (twice), Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs.
BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-4) | Ravens gained’t win a playoff recreation |Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are powering essentially the most unstoppable offense within the AFC, however the Ravens’ deadly flaw — their passing protection — will price them within the playoffs. Baltimore’s protection ranks final within the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (284.5).
CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-7) | Bengals will hearth HC Zac Taylor | If the Bengals can’t make the playoffs this season with Joe Burrow enjoying at an MVP stage, modifications should be made within the offseason. In 93 regular-season video games as Bengals HC, Taylor is 17-31-1 in one-score video games (1-6 this season) and 11-22 in AFC North video games, which isn’t going to chop it with this QB.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-8) | Browns will end the season with a win in opposition to each AFC North workforce | The Browns are going to be a pesky spoiler workforce down the stretch, particularly as a result of Jameis Winston has thrown for 964 yards and six touchdowns through three starts. Cleveland has already crushed the Ravens, it will get the Steelers at house on a brief week on Thursday and doesn’t play the Bengals till Week 16 after they’ll probably be eradicated from the postseason. — Jack Dougherty
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS (7-4) | Crew finishes the season with NFL lead in sacks | By means of 11 video games, Houston ranks fifth amongst groups in sacks with 34, 5 shy of the Denver Broncos for the NFL lead, however it’s positioned to take excessive spot by season’s finish. Over their closing six video games, the Texans will twice face the Titans (whose offensive line ranks 28th in pass-block win rate), the struggling Jaguars and the Chiefs, who surrendered 10 sacks in the past three games.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-6) | QB Anthony Richardson finishes the season with extra touchdowns than interceptions | Richardson has 5 TD passes and 7 interceptions this season, however his general 304-yard, three-TD efficiency throughout a Week 11 28-27 highway win over the Jets — his first outing following a two-game benching — is encouraging. With video games in opposition to New England, Jacksonville and the Giants — bottom-five teams in interceptions forced — Richardson ought to capitalize on his alternative to finish 2024 with extra passing touchdowns than INTs, assuming his new-found decision-making expertise aren’t an outlier.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-9) | Make a training change through the bye and win two extra video games | If NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport’s recent report holds, the Jaguars will quickly hearth HC Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke within the wake of their 46-point loss to Detroit in Week 11. Jacksonville is spiraling, however it has the expertise to enhance beneath an interim head coach, and with the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule, the soon-to-be reenergized group ought to win two extra video games.
TENNESSEE TITANS (2-8) | QB Will Levis earns 2025 beginning job |
Levis has fared well since coming back from a shoulder damage, throwing for 470 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in his previous two video games. If Levis performs at an analogous stage down the stretch, Tennessee’s schedule is simple sufficient that he may maintain the workforce out of vary of drafting his successor and, by default, safe the beginning QB position for 2025. — Colum Dell
