2022-23 NFL

 1. It simply doesn't get more dominant than this. Every single Buffalo possession ended in a touchdown except for their final one, which was just a series of kneel-downs by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Yes, folks -- Trubisky entered a wild-card game for Buffalo and it wasn't due to injury. Little brother has finally grown up and gave the bully big brother a whooping he never saw coming. It started with Josh Allen, who was spectacular, finishing with a passing line of 21-of-25 for 308 yards, five touchdowns and a nearly perfect 157.6 passer rating. It continued with Buffalo's defense, which forced two turnovers via Mac Jones interceptions. A total team victory is an understatement, and the rest of the league is undoubtedly now on notice. The next challenge for Allen and the Bills: Keep this momentum going. Make sure it wasn't just a fluke on a cold night in Orchard Park. That will matter most. 2. New England goes out with a whimper. It wasn't all that long ag...

AFC CLINCHED: None New England Patriots (9-4) (vs. Indianapolis (7-6), Saturday night, 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network)  New England clinches playoff berth with: 1. NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + CIN loss + KC loss OR 2. NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + DEN loss + LAC loss OR 3. NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + PIT loss or tie + DEN loss or tie + LAC loss OR 4. NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + PIT loss or tie + CIN loss OR 5. NE win + MIA loss or tie + CLE loss + BAL loss + CIN loss + LAC loss OR 6. NE win + MIA loss or tie + BAL loss + LAC loss + LV loss + CIN-DEN tie NOTE: There are other complex scenarios for New England that involve multiple ties and strength-of-victory permutations. Tennessee Titans (9-4) (at Pittsburgh (6-6-1), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS) Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with: 1. TEN win + IND loss NFC CLINCHED: None Arizona Cardinals (10-3) (at Detroit (1-11-1), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) Arizona clinches ...

 There's good news in Cincinnati. Post credit - NFL.com Bengals running back Joe Mixon (illness) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle), both listed as questionable, are expected to play Sunday against the 49ers, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Mixon has been instrumental in the Bengals' success, recording 1,170 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns this season. Higgins, a second-year player out of Clemson, has 52 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns.

MDS has opened up a narrow one-game lead, through 11 weeks. In the eleventh week of the regular season, MDS hit on two of our three disagreements. I went 9-6, and he went 10-5. For the year, I’m now at 101-63-1. MDS is now 102-62-1. For the third straight week, we disagree on three games. For all our picks, keep scrolling. Bears (-3.5) at Lions MDS’s take: It appears that the Bears will turn to Andy Dalton with Justin Fields injured, and Dalton’s steady hand probably gives them a better chance of winning against a bad Lions team. MDS’s pick: Bears 24, Lions 17. Florio’s take: When the Bears and Lions play, who’ll win? No one who actually watches the game, that’s for sure. Florio’s pick: Bears 27, Lions 20. Raiders (+7) at Cowboys MDS’s take: The Cowboys will shake off a disappointing performance on Sunday and win against a Raiders team that is circling the drain. MDS’s pick: Cowboys 27, Raiders 14. Florio’s take: The Cowboys aren’t as good as they think they are. The Raiders are worse ...

  A long day in the film room is on tap for the Jets defense . The Colts offensive line brutalized the Jets' front seven, ripping open cavernous holes for the running game. Play after play, Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines got to the second level of the defense barely touched, if touched at all, as the Jets defensive linemen offered all the resistance of a practice sled. The Colts posted the highest single-game rushing total in the NFL this season (260), and the offensive line made that largely easy work. Wentz looks great, but who wouldn’t? Carson Wentz played his best game as a Colt, carving up the Jets secondary for three touchdowns on 22-of-30 passing. It was a praise-worthy performance, to be sure, but the Jets’ horrific defensive showing demands a lowered ceiling on Wentz acclaim. He had the benefit of the aforementioned dominant running game and strong pass protection to go with it, most notably on a deep 31-yard completion to Zach Pascal on which Wentz rolled out to his ri...

 Less than a week away from the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline, general managers must assess the status of their teams. Is it time to buy in an attempt at a playoff run or sell for 2022 draft capital?  While the phone lines heat up over the next few days, some players should prepare to suit up elsewhere. Others may receive the news as a surprise. Either way, expect some movement as front offices make moves for the short- and long-term future.  Before last year's deadline, three notable pass-rushers, Yannick Ngakoue, Carlos Dunlap and Everson Griffen, had to clear out their lockers and report to new teams, though we didn't see any blockbuster deals. For a more lively discussion about trades, let's go through some bold predictions for the 2021 deadline. What high-profile names should we keep an eye on, and where's the next stop for them? Bears Deal WR Allen Robinson to the Patriots Justin Fields hasn't clicked with Allen Robinson. Since the rookie quarterback took over the...

 The 32 things we learned from Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season: 1. Another valiant effort by the Detroit Lions, who hung tough against the Los Angeles Rams and ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford before succumbing 28-19. Detroit led after three quarters, recovering an onside kick and successfully executing a pair of fake punts. But it was all for naught, Stafford (334 yards, 3 TDs passing) continuing to resemble an MVP in his new threads, while former Rams QB Jared Goff threw a killer interception to ex-teammate Jalen Ramsey in the end. 2. Goff (2 INTs, sacked twice Sunday) still hasn't won a game when not wearing a Rams uniform – he's also winless in his past 10 starts – nor without Sean McVay as his coach. 2a. The Lions still haven't won a game sans Stafford since 2010. 2b. Detroit, the first team to go 0-16 – a 2008 "effort" that led to the drafting of Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009 – is 0-7 for the fourth time in franchise history and the only team still in danger o...