San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Seahawks can clinch with victory
Now this is a week NFL fans can truly celebrate.
First off, it appears the league will complete the 2020 portion of the schedule on time and with no cancellations. Secondly, there are only two games in Week 16 that have no postseason implications.
Plus, there’s pro football on four straight days, which started with New Orleans clinching the NFC South by beating-Minnesota 52-33 as Alvin Kamara tied the NFL record with six touchdowns rushing. The weekend concludes with the AFC East champion Bills — how sweet that must sound in Western New York — getting a chance to stomp on their tormentors, the Patriots on Monday night.
L.A. RAMS AT SEATTLE
The Seahawks will clinch their first NFC West title since 2016 with a victory. It would be the fifth division title for Seattle since Carroll’s arrival in 2010.
“We have finished well in our season,” he says. “We finished with a lot of good wins at the end of the year, and this is another opportunity to demonstrate that we get it and we know what we’re doing. Philosophically, we’re tight and connected, and that we can go out and perform like we’re capable against a really great football team. So nothing changes.”
The Rams have won five of their past six against Seattle while averaging nearly 32 points per game, and theywould clinch a third playoff berth in four seasons under Sean McVay with a win. But they come off a stinker of a loss to the Jets.
INDIANAPOLIS AT PITTSBURGH
The Steelers, the first team to lose three straight following an 11-0 start since the 1969 Rams, still win the AFC North by beating the Colts or a loss by Cleveland to the Jets. Pittsburgh has won six in a row in this series, but these Steelers are reeling. They do have a sack in an NFLrecord 71 straight games and have sacked Philip Rivers 15 times during seven games while he played for the Chargers.
Indianapolis has won five of six and can earn a postseason berthwith a victory and a loss by Baltimore. Rivers needs one touchdown pass to tie Dan Marino (420) for fifth on the career list. Rivers has had two or more TD passes in five straight games.
TENNESSEE AT GREEN BAY
The Titans need a win to clinch a playoff berth for a third
time in four seasons. Tennessee also can clinch with a loss by Baltimore. The Titans grab their first AFC South title since 2008 with awin and a loss by the Colts.
Tennessee is 3-0 against the NFC North this season. In NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry, it has a primeweapon. Henry has a career-high 1,679 yards rushing and 15 touchdown runs. He’s the fourth player in NFL history to run for 1,500 yards and 15 TDs in back-to-back seasons.
The Packers already have clinched theNFC North and earn the conference’s top seed and only bye with a win while the Rams beat or tie Seattle. Aaron Rodgers has thrown an NFLleading 40 TD passes with only four picks, while hismain target, Davante Adams, has 14 TD catches.
ATLANTA AT KANSAS CITY
Not only are the Chiefs division champs for the fifth successive season, they could match the Packers (2011) for the best regular season by a reigning Super Bowl champion. A win gives them the coveted AFC openinground bye.
The Chiefs also could tie the longest regular-season win streak in franchise history with their 10th straight. Kansas City has never won 14 games in a season.
While Matt Ryan completed passes to 11 receivers against the Bucs, his main target with Julio Jones hobbled is Calvin Ridley. He had career bests of 10 catches for 163 yards last week, and Ridley’s seven 100-yard games lead
the NFL.
CLEVELAND AT NEW YORK JETS
Now that the Jets have their victory, and presumably blew their chance for the top overall draft pick, can they pull off another mammoth upset? Cleveland, which won at the Meadowlands last Sunday vs. the Giants, has numerous scenarios to get into the postseason on Sunday, but must win.
The Browns are on the verge of their first playoff appearance since 2002, the NFL’s current longest drought. Their 10 wins under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski match the franchise’s most since its 1999 expansion return.
N.Y. GIANTS AT BALTIMORE
The Giants barely hang on to playoff hopes, and Baltimore likely needs to win out — and still might be left out. Look for the Ravens to run the ball, having rushed for at least 100 yards in 37 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history, and to be ballhawks: Baltimore leads the league with 25 forced fumbles and ranks second with 12 fumble recoveries.
New York hopes to have Daniel Jones back at quarterback.
CAROLINA ATWASHINGTON
A win in his first game coaching against the teamhe led to the 2015 NFC title — and which fired him in 2019 — would give Washington’s Ron Rivera the NFC East crown if the Giants lose to Baltimore. But the headlines rarely have been good out of D.C., and
this week, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was fined $40,000 and stripped of his captaincy for violating league COVID-19 protocols.
The Panthers have lost eight of their past nine. OnMonday, they fired general manager Marty Hurney, who could wind up in Washington.
BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND
The division-champion Bills can be the first AFC East foe to sweep New England in a season since the Jets and Dolphins did it in 2000. The 19 straight seasons without losing both games to a divisional opponent is an NFL record. The Bills last swept the Patriots in 1999.
CHICAGO AT JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville has lost 13 in a row, tying the longest skid in team history. The Jaguars have allowed at least 24 points in each of those13 games, anNFLrecord.
While the Jaguars now are in position for the top overall draft pick (Trevor Lawrence?), the Bears still can make the postseason.
DENVER AT L.A. CHARGERS
Not much to recommend this game except the opportunity to watch Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. L.A. has won two in a row, and Herbert’s rapid maturing on the NFL level is encouraging.
Denver has had one of the most injured rosters all season, and nowit gets to see former star defensive back Chris Harris Jr on the other side.