MichiganCardinal

On the bright side they'll go into week one of next season not having lost a game on the road since the 2024 NFC Championship Game, or in the regular season since Brad Allen imagined Dan Skipper reporting in Dallas. And they'll be very well battle tested again for the very likely playoff run. Kind of a lackluster home schedule from an entertainment standpoint. Divisional games are always good and the Steelers will be fun. But Browns, Giants, Bucs again, and having to exist in the same building as Cowboys fans for a couple hours won't have me breaking down the door to get in.

It's nice to not have this even be in the corner of our minds here in January, but for the majority of the NFL, they are looking ahead to maybe one day being the next Detroit Lions. Tennessee Titans (3-14) Cleveland Browns (3-14) New York Giants (3-14) New England Patriots (4-13) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) New York Jets (5-12) Carolina Panthers (5-12) New Orleans Saints (5-12) Chicago Bears (5-12) San Francisco 49ers (6-11) Dallas Cowboys (7-10) Miami Dolphins (8-9) Indianapolis Colts (8-9) Atlanta Falcons (8-9) Arizona Cardinals (8-9) Cincinnati Bengals (9-8) Seattle Seahawks (10-7) I love that the Bears had an awful season even by their standards - lost 11 straight games at one point - fired a coordinator, then fired a coach, are working hard to ruin another rookie QB...... and barely have a top 10 pick to show for it.

Coaching Carousel Predictions: New York Jets: Mike McCarthy Chicago Bears: Joe Brady New Orleans Saints: Aaron Glenn Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Flores New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel Dallas Cowboys: Kellen Moore

Lawrence should demand a trade if he wants to still have a chance at a halfway decent NFL career.

I'll do predictions later this week, but on the AFC side I see five teams that could legitimately beat any of the other teams in the AFC on any given Sunday. The Chiefs are the Chiefs, but the Bills, Ravens, Chargers, and Broncos are all really good teams that have the capability of taking over a game. It would surprise me to see the Steelers turn it around the way they've collapsed backwards into the playoffs, but you can't even fully count them out with Mike Tomlin as their coach. I think the NFC is a little less congested. It feels like it'll either be the Lions or Eagles, but it's not as if teams like the Rams, Vikings, Packers, and even Commanders aren't standing there ready to take advantage if either of those teams pull a Cowboys.

Elsewhere in the NFC Sunday: #7 Green Bay Packers @ #2 Philadelphia Eagles (4:30pm on FOX), #6 Washington Commanders @ #3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8:00pm on NBC) Monday: #5 Minnesota Vikings @ #4 Los Angeles Rams (8:00pm on ESPN) And Over in the AFC Saturday: #5 Los Angeles Chargers @ #4 Houston Texans (4:30pm on CBS), #6 Pittsburgh Steelers @ #3 Baltimore Ravens (8:00pm on Prime) Sunday: #7 Denver Broncos @ #2 Buffalo Bills (1:00pm on CBS) BYE: #1 Kansas City Chiefs

For all the good a bye week brings, how much do you want to bet Dan Campbell has them practicing in pads on Wednesday? I bet he goes as physical - if not more physical - than a normal game week.

This was the first playoff atmosphere that it felt like really made a difference. Stafford and Mayfield both persevered through the noise at Ford Field. Darnold did not. He was rattled by the atmosphere. Which is awesome.

Washington reminds me a lot of Tampa from last year. Not the most talent in the world, but a good squad capable of winning a playoff game. Capable of winning more than one playoff game, if you let them. Detroit would probably enter that game a touchdown favorite, similar to Tampa last year. They’re probably my preferred opponent out of LA, Minnesota, Green Bay, and them.

It’s like they all said “finally, a game that matters!”

Fun fact, the Vikings $2 million was good for roughly $222,222 per point.

They showed Hutch on the sideline before that sack and the volume was PIERCING. It’s an insane atmosphere in this building.

They’re letting them play…. When one team is on offense.

Section 113 has passed high five stage and is onto the hugging stage. Let’s ****ing finish this ****.

You can see the Lions are the better team. But any given Sunday. Get 7 here and start chilling champagne.

The defense can only do so much. The one way the Lions lose this game is by gifting the Vikings possessions, and it’s what they’re doing. So freaking frustrating.

Ten has got to be among the least we’ve scored in a half this year. And it’s been more self inflicted than Vikings inflicted.

Lions have been the better team by a step today. Offense and defense. Bad bounce or two away from this being a 14+ point game. Maintain the status quo and you might win by 10+.

Hindsight is 20/20. I thought they should have just gotten the yard too but Jamo was wide open. Win some you lose some.

Frustrating game so far. Lions have been far better but a four point lead to show for it and being threatened.

Sometimes I prefer when the opponent wins the toss so we can’t argue about what we should have done.

Atmosphere in Ford Field rivals that of LA last year, and might surpass Tampa last year. We got this.

I think tonight’s game may shatter previous television records. Both of these teams are very likable for outside fanbases that aren’t composed of cheese.

The Bears going for two to make it a nine-point game, failing, getting bailed out by an inconsequential defensive holding penalty, going half the distance, and then kicking the extra point, is the most Bears thing to happen since like last Sunday.

I mean within the division. 6-0 after today, 7-0 in the divisional round, 8-0 in the NFCCG.