Analysis: Omicron looms ominously over NFL’s playoff races
Quick, who’s your favorite team’s backup quarterback? Or the backup’s backup? Who’s their best pass rushing proxy? Fill-in cover cornerback? What about the substitute snapper or the stand-in blindside protector?
Who is, as coaches like to say, the next man up?
Now’s a good time to get to know the bottom of your roster and even the practice squad.
With COVID-19’s omicron wave wreaking havoc on rosters and a natural uptick in ailments and injuries from the NFL’s new 17-game schedule, there’s a decent chance your team’s hopes of going far in the playoffs — or even reaching the postseason — will come down to one or more of these men whose uniforms are rarely sullied or even sold in the gift shop on Sundays.
Plenty of teams were hamstrung in Week 16 while missing key players at key positions.
The Broncos saw their playoff chances dive to less than 1 percent with their 1713 loss at Las Vegas when Albert Okwuegbunam, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick all dropped crucial passes from Drew Lock, their former starter who was making his first start of the season in place of a concussed Teddy Bridgewater.
Without starting center Lloyd Cushenberry III, who was placed on the reserve/ COVID-19 list, the Broncos managed a mere 18 yards rushing on 16 carries, including minus-4 from Melvin Gordon, the worst performance in his 96-game career. The Lions, Giants and Ravens also lost with backup quarterbacks Sunday, and on Monday night, the Dolphins (8-7) became the first NFL team to win seven straight after losing seven in a row with a 20-3 win over the Saints, who started rookie QB Ian Book because of a COVID-19 outbreak that took out 16 players, including starting QB Taysom Hill and veteran backup Trevor Siemian.
Tim Boyle started for Detroit, with Jared Goff in COVID-19 protocols. He almost pulled off the upset in Atlanta but telegraphed his throw to Kalif Raymond in the closing minute and watched Falcons linebacker Foye Oluokun pick off the pass at the Atlanta 1, preserving the Falcons’ 20-16 victory.
The Eagles moved into playoff position in the NFC with a 34-10 route of the New York Giants, who shut down Daniel Jones for the season with a sprained neck, watched Jake Fromm falter in his first NFL start and then saw Mike Glennon throw a pick-6 during Philadelphia’s 31-7 second-half surge.
The Ravens, who were running away with the AFC North a month ago at 8-3, lost their fourth straight game Sunday in Cincinnati, where both teams’ QBs made history.
Joe Burrow’s franchise record-breaking 525-yard passing performance clearly meant something to the Bengals, who continued calling deep throws for him late in the fourth quarter with a 20-point lead against their division rivals, until the mark was secured.