The National Football League is a place of crazy twists and turns. One week, your team might look like a Super Bowl contender. The next, it could be fighting just to make it into the playoffs. It is the beauty of a 16-game schedule compared to the 82 and 162-game marathons we see in other sports. Things change quickly and there is no rest for the weary.
All that said, let’s look at five things that changed on Sunday:
1. The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t making the playoffs
Cincinnati entered Week 14 with an 8-3-1 mark, good enough for third in the AFC. The Bengals had a 1.5-game lead on everybody else in the AFC North, so the postseason and perhaps a home game seemed like a solid bet. However, after a 42-21 loss at Paul Brown Stadium to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati is in dire straights.
The Bengals, like every other AFC contender, will need 10 wins to make the postseason. Cincinnati travels to play the Cleveland Browns next, followed by the Denver Broncos at home and the Steelers on the road. Do you see two wins in that stretch with Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton at the helm? Good luck.
2. The Arizona Cardinals saved their season
The Cardinals pulled out a gritty 17-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, despite two missed field goals. Arizona definitely benefited from some horrific officiating, including a touchdown-nullifying pass interference call on Kansas City tight end Anthony Fasano. Still, the Cardinals forced two turnovers and Drew Stanton avoided disaster.
With 10 wins, Arizona can all but clinch a playoff berth by beating the St. Louis Rams on Thursday. The Seattle Seahawks are quickly approaching for the NFC West title, but Arizona should be able to hold onto a wild-card spot at the least.
3. The Buffalo Bills won’t make the playoffs, again
Buffalo lost a hard-fought game to the Broncos, all but eliminating it from postseason contention. At 7-6, the Bills would have to run the table and get help. Considering they still play the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, things are not looking so good. The last time Buffalo made the playoffs was 1999, the longest drought in the NFL.
The harshest reality for Bills fans is the immediate future. Kyle Orton isn’t the answer at quarterback, and EJ Manuel doesn’t appear to be either. Buffalo is also without a first-round pick in 2015, having traded it to move up for Sammy Watkins in May. Without a quarterback or a top draft pick, it could be hard for Buffalo to make progress.
4. The Washington Redskins need to clean house
Washington came out and played like hot garbage again, falling 24-0 at home to the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins, 3-10, look like an uninspired mess, playing out the string and waiting for New Year’s. The lack of motivation falls on the players, but also the head coach. Does Jay Gruden have that little respect in the locker room that guys won’t even try for him?
Gruden is only in his first season, but he needs to go. The team is awful and Gruden seems incapable of making adjustments or garnering respect. On the personnel side, all three quarterbacks should be sent packing. Trade Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins for whatever you can get. Let Colt McCoy walk, draft Marcus Mariota, and hope something finally works out.
5. It’s all over for the San Francisco 49ers
With their 24-13 loss to the putrid Oakland Raiders, the 49ers’ season has crashed and burned. San Francisco will miss the playoffs under Jim Harbaugh for the first time in four campaigns, and it likely will cost him his job. Harbaugh will either be fired or traded during the offseason and the roster will start to churn.
The major question is what happens with Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has regressed this season, playing worse with every game. Against Oakland, the former Nevada star was 18-of-33 for 174 yards and two interceptions. Does San Francisco move on and cut Kaepernick after this season? The 49ers could do it without penalty.
