The Jets’ offense spent too much time going backward against the Jaguars last week, something that has been a problem for the unit all season.
They have been awful on first downs this year, and that has led to long distances to go on third down which have stalled the offense. Against the Jaguars, the Jets had penalties, sacks and runs for a loss on first down. Sure, Zach Wilson was not good, but it is also hard to operate when constantly facing third-and-long.
The Jets average 7.7 yards to go on third down this season, tied for worst in the NFL with the Patriots and Broncos. Those are two offenses you don’t want to be in the same sentence as.
“Negative plays on first down, they’re backbreaking,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “It’s not impossible to get out of, but if you make a living out of that, which has been a common theme for us offensively, whether it be penalties, [tackles for loss], sacks on first down, TFLs in the run game. You’re putting yourself at such a disadvantage. It’s already hard enough to get 10 yards in three downs, let alone 12 or 13 in two downs.
The Jets’ offense was abysmal against the Jaguars.Al Pereira/Getty Images
“So, yeah, being more successful on first down, trying to get to third-and-manageable, we’re living in third-and-longs. All of it is all-encompassing, and just to be able to stay on schedule, run the ball, get positive yards — whether it’s 1, 2 or 3 — pass the ball, and make sure that the worst thing that happens is incomplete. Efficiency on first down has got to get a lot better.”
Against the Jaguars, the Jets had six penalties, a sack on first down and a run that resulted in a loss that put the Jets “behind the sticks” in second- and third-and-long.
A look at the AFC wild-card picture ahead of the Jets’ game against the Seahawks. NY Post illustration
“We’ve got to be more efficient on first down. That’s pretty simple, right?” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “The more third-and-manageable’s you can be in, the better it’s going to be, the better you can sustain drives. Not just the Jacksonville game, but it’s felt like that for a few weeks now. We got to be better. I got to call better plays. I got to coach better. We got to coach better, then we got to execute better to put our whole team in situations where we can get in those third-and-manageable’s and continue to move the ball.”
The Jets elevated QB Chris Streveler from the practice squad for the second straight week. Streveler replaced Zach Wilson in the second half of last week’s loss to the Jaguars. … OT Cedric Ogbuehi was activated off injured reserve and placed WR Jeff Smith on IR.
Some fantasy football leagues, those perhaps run by monsters who are gluttons for punishment, play through Week 18. But with so many star players usually sitting for the final week of the NFL regular season, reasonable leagues have their champions crowned by the end of this week.
If you are playing for your championship, congratulations. You have just one more hurdle. The skill players for your starting lineup should be, injury permitting, all set, but you can still tweak some things to gain even the slightest edge over your opponent. Are you sure you have the right kicker and defense/special teams ready to go?
Most scoff when you bring up kickers, but just ask those who used Chase McLaughlin two weeks ago or Matt Gay last week. McLaughlin kicked five field goals, one of more than 50 yards, and three extra points, and Gay kicked three field goals, two of more than 50 yards, and six PATs.
Mason Crosby celebrates making a field goal in the fourth quarter.Getty Images
Digging deeper, we found their opponents, the Vikings and Broncos, ranked in the bottom two teams in points allowed by kickers. If either Mason Crosby or Harrison Butker are available, you may want to consider using one of them. Should neither be available, the teams that allow the next-highest kicking points are the Bengals, Saints and Steelers — so Tyler Bass, Jake Elliott and Justin Tucker are in play. If you are concerned about the weather in outdoor stadiums, take a look at Cameron Dicker and Matt Prater.
Choosing the right team defense can be a little trickier, as you need to check your individual league’s scoring. Points allowed can be difficult to navigate at times, so your main focus should be turnovers. The Colts lead the league in giveaways and have Nick Foles at quarterback, so the Giants, who are fighting for a playoff spot, should be a strong play. Opponents of the Rams, Broncos, Bears, Saints and Texans should be next, as those teams allow the highest fantasy points per game to team defenses. The Eagles and Jaguars are probably your best options, as both rank well in takeaways this season.
With the way the 2022 NFL season has gone, nothing is guaranteed, so looking for different ways to edge out your opponent is a must. Kickers and defenses might be your last resort.
With losses of players like Jalen Hurts and Derrick Henry, every champion is in need of a hero, and if that hero comes in the form of Younghoe Koo, then so be it. So long as you bring home that championship.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice, player projections, injury updates and more.
Quitting football isn’t an option for Tua Tagovailoa right now, according to his trainer, Nick Hicks.
The Dolphins quarterback is in the NFL concussion protocol for the second time this season after suffering a head injury in a the loss to the Packers on Christmas Day — which marked his second — or possibly third — head injury this season.
There’s been growing concern around Tagovailoa’s long-term health, with many debating whether or not he should be shut down for the season or beyond.
On Thursday, Hicks tweeted: “I know some of you are mad — but UNO ain’t going anywhere for a very very long time. Get over it,” with crying-laughing emojis.
Tagovailoa, who was day-to-day after entering the protocol, will sit out Sunday’s crucial matchup with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. Teddy Bridgewater will get the start.
“And BTW — NO ONE cares about your ‘fandom’. Being miserable is your own prerogative. Especially when the season isn’t over and the playoffs are ready and waiting,” Hicks added later. “So, Jump ship & find another team. No one cares lol. Especially the Miami Dolphins and their players.”
Hicks’ tweet came after Tagovailoa’s brother, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, weighed in on the concussion controversy, and said he believes Tua will continue to play.
“Everyone has their opinion,” Taulia told The Associated Press on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. “My brother, I know he works hard. I know he has a family now. I want my brother to be safe, but at the same time I know that he has a love and a passion for football. I feel like he is going to make the right decision. The biggest thing is staying safe, so that is something he has to pray on. I know when it comes down to it, he will make the right decision.
“I just feel like he’s not going to stop playing football. I feel like every opportunity he has, he is going to try to play. I don’t know, it’s just ‘go until the wheels fall off.’”
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa carries the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty ImagesDolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa takes the field prior to a game against the Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty Images
The NFL and NFLPA announced Wednesday it would be investigating the Dolphins’ handling of the concussion protocol on Sunday regarding Tagovailoa.
“A joint NFL-NFLPA review of the application of the concussion protocol involving Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now underway,” the league said in a statement. “We welcome that review and, as we have done previously, we will report the results in conjunction with the NFLPA.”
As of Friday, it is still unclear exactly when Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the Packers.
The quarterback appeared to hit the back of his head on the turf with 2:40 to play before halftime, according to video replays. Tagovailoa, though, finished the game before showing concussion symptoms on Monday.
After meeting with team doctors, Tagovailoa was immediately placed in the concussion protocol.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is carted off the field after an injury in a game against the Bengals on Sept. 29, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This is the second known concussion for Tagovailoa, who was placed in protocol after being knocked unconscious and taken off the field on a stretcher during Miami’s loss to the Bengals on Sept. 29.
That came four days after he briefly left a 21-19 win over the Bills after taking a hard hit and appearing wobbly in the first half. At the time, the NFL/NFLPA reviewed the matter and vowed to pursue “every legal option” to investigate a potential protocol violation by the Dolphins concerning Tagovailoa.
With Zach Wilson banished to the bench for the rest of this season barring injury to Mike White, Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was asked on Thursday what’s next for Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
“Keep working,’’ LaFleur said. “He’s a New York Jet and that’s not changing, that’s the way my mindset is, [quarterbacks coach] Rob Calabrese, anyone else associated with it. He comes to work, and he’s got to be prepared to not just get better, but prepared to play.
“What the last few years has taught us … is you always better be ready. The league is next-man-up. I don’t think we all thought that [fourth-string QB Chris] Streveler was going to be in there last Thursday if you had asked about a month ago. But we had to prepare Streveler for that moment and on a short week, with basically no reps he went in there and did about as good of a job as you could ask a man to do.
“So, nothing changes with Zach in terms of the preparation that we’re going to put in for him, and the work that we are going to put in for him. He’s a talented football player. He’s a talented thrower.’’
Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur talks with Zach Wilson during a practice earlier this season.Corey Sipkin
LaFleur, asked if his brother Matt, the head coach of the Packers, has ever given him a Christmas present better than defeating the Dolphins on Sunday, responded: “I don’t know if he’s ever given me a Christmas present.’’
“That was a good gift for all of us,’’ LaFleur said. “So, I’m not going to say it’s just for me, it was for all of us. It was cool. Obviously, we were off because we played on Thursday and just to be able to sit back and watch that with my wife and be pretty stoic throughout, but when they got the W, it was probably the first smile I had all weekend.’’
The Jets have a chance to return the favor Sunday, because the Packers and Seahawks are battling for the final playoff berth in the NFC.
The Jets have struggled to create turnovers on defense for spells this season. They entered last week’s Jacksonville game having failed to force one in the previous three games. On the Jaguars’ first offensive series, Quinnen Williams had a sack and forced fumble, but the Jets managed only a field goal out of it.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on Thursday said the Jets need to not only create more turnovers, but score on them.
“We absolutely expect to score,’’ he said. “We expect to get the ball. It’s the reason we emphasize it so much in meetings, in practice, in walk-throughs, and drill work.Every single time we touch the ball out there on the practice field, we score, it’s just part of our standard and we’ve got to make that come more to life in the games, we have to.’’
Ulbrich, asked about Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, said: “You don’t want to race this guy, because he’s going to outrun you. He’s got tremendous speed when he gets on the edge, when he does his jump cut and gets on the perimeter, it’s a problem, so he’s a guy we got to bottle up.’’
Ulbrich raved about how Jets rookie corner Sauce Gardner has played through his “rookie moments’’ this season.
“He’s had the moments of ‘ah-ha’ where he’s getting it a little bit and you see him reacting and anticipating and there’s also the rookie moments where he gets caught on stuff, which is absolutely the norm for all rookies,’’ Ulbrich said. “Overall though, just the level in which he played, and the consistency that he’s played with as a rookie has been, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it before and to think that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of where he can go is really cool for his future.’’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz as the Dallas Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 on Thursday night for their sixth win in seven games.
The Cowboys (12-4) posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won its last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles. Fans were chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” throughout the game.
The Cowboys still need to finish the regular season by winning at Washington with Philadelphia (13-2) losing out for a chance at a second straight NFC East title. Otherwise, they will be locked into the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 1-yard touchdown, his ninth straight game with a rushing TD. That made him the fifth player with such a streak since 2000, joining Shaun Alexander (2005), Priest Holmes (11 in 2002), Jonathan Taylor in 2021 and LaDainian Tomlinson (18 between 2004-05).
The Titans (7-9) lost their sixth straight hours after placing quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve, ending his season unless they reach the AFC championship. They have 22 players on injured reserve and lead the NFL using at least 83 different players.
Dalton Schultz catches a 10-yard touchdown pass against Andrew Adams during the fourth quarter of the Cowboys’ 27-13 win over the Titans.Getty Images
This game was meaningless for Tennessee in the standings, with next week’s regular-season finale at Jacksonville deciding the AFC South title. So the Titans scratched seven starters, not counting two others put on IR with Tannehill. Those watching included Derrick Henry, the NFL’s second-leading rusher.
The Titans gave Joshua Dobbs, signed Dec. 21 off Detroit’s practice squad, his first NFL start instead of rookie Malik Willis, their third-round pick in April. The former University of Tennessee star played his last college game on this field, a 2016 Music City Bowl win over Nebraska.
He had more yards passing by halftime than Willis managed in any of his first three starts. Dobbs finished with 232 yards and the first TD pass of his career, a 7-yarder to Robert Woods, that pulled the Titans within 17-13 late in the third.
Ezekiel Elliott rushes for a touchdown during the Cowboys’ victory.AP
The Cowboys scored the final 10 points. Prescott capped a 75-yard drive with his second TD pass to Schultz for a 24-13 lead early in the fourth. Brett Maher added his second field goal for the final margin.
Dallas led only 10-6 at halftime thanks to three turnovers, including two interceptions by two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard that set up field goals by Randy Bullock. That gave Prescott a career-high 14 picks, tying him with now-benched Raiders quarterback Derek Carr for most in the NFL.
That’s despite Prescott missing five games with a broken thumb. The Dallas quarterback has been picked off in six consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Prescott took advantage of the ailing Titans defense, finding CeeDee Lamb for 11 catches for 100 yards. When undrafted rookie cornerback Tre Avery was flagged for grabbing Michael Gallup on third-and-19, Prescott threw a 6-yard TD pass to Schultz on the next play midway through the third for a 17-6 lead.
Weird, how things turn out. While it’s likely the most famous and most replayed replay in NFL history, it’s not very good. It’s unclear, grainy. It shows little and proves nothing.
“I was a 22-year-old NBC production assistant that day in Pittsburgh,” said Mike Weisman, who would ascend to become NBC Sports’ Executive Producer. “I was in charge of graphics — just getting the score right plus down-and-distance.
“We couldn’t miss that Franco Harris catch. We were prepared. We were using six tape machines, a lot for those days. Whatever happened, we couldn’t miss it.”
Dec. 23, 1972, Three Rivers Stadium, AFC divisional playoff, Raiders-Steelers. The Raiders led, 7-6, 22 seconds left. The Steelers, no timeouts left, had the ball at their own 40, fourth down.
Weisman: “The truck logically expected a long pass, so isolated, taped coverage was assigned to the receivers, then one each to the end zones to follow the ball. What could we miss?
“After the play and during all the confusion — was it a catch? A direct catch? Did it hit the ground? Did it first hit [RB] Frenchy Fuqua, which would have made it an illegal catch? Or did it bounce off [DB] Jack Tatum before it reached Harris? — we hunted for the replay.
Neither the tapes from NBC nor NFL Films can conclusively reveal whether Franco Harris’ Immaculate Reception was a legal play or not. AP
“But we couldn’t find it, not a telling or conclusive one. It wasn’t there!
“We were totally deflated, completely disgusted. We left the stadium in group misery. The greatest end to a huge game and we didn’t have it!”
It grew worse. The next day NFL Films would release the footage it had filmed. It would show exactly what happened.
“We’d be further embarrassed,” Weisman recalled, “further humiliated. Those guys were good.”
But the “Immaculate Reception,” if it indeed was a catch, was followed by another miracle — of TV ego sorts.
Weisman: “NFL Films didn’t have it, either! Imagine! Misery loves company!”
And so NBC was spared the sole ignominy of failing to show a replay of perhaps the most famous play in NFL history. And I kinda like it that way, a lingering mystery that football fans, replay-rule advocates, archeologists and other chiselers can’t unlock.
And yet, Weisman, semi-retired in Los Angeles, still regularly hears that he was part of the production crew responsible for “The greatest replay in NFL history!”
“I just kind of shrug and smile,” he said. “And tell them, ‘Well, not exactly. It’s a long story.’ ”
Bible-thumping Brees must cut betting Co. ties
Now that he has joined Purdue’s coaching staff, Drew Brees can no longer be invested in or serve as the TV face and voice of a sports gambling operation that’s particularly sucker-targeting as it encourages betting, especially among naive young males, on every game, all game. But Brees remains a devout preacher from the Bible.
Drew BreesUSA TODAY Sports
Still can’t tell which of Goodell’s virtue-signaling helmet messages Chargers DB Derwin James wore when he tried to decapitate defenseless Colts WR Ashton Dulin, Monday, with a brutal head hit for which he was immediately ejected. Help me, Roger, was it “Black Lives Matter” or “Choose Love”?
Fox’s 20-year filibusterer Daryl “Moose” Johnston still can’t make a non-story short. If it weren’t for his redundancies, which during Sunday’s Packers-Dolphins included “very unique” and how Green Bay’s AJ Dillon took a handoff “and stumbled for a negative loss,” he might be tolerable. Nah.
Hey, Tuesday the Knicks wore their traditional home uniforms — as they played in Dallas.
Nice NCAA student-athlete look during Friday’s Wake Forest-Missouri Gasparilla Bowl — ya got me after “Gas” — as two Missouri players shoved each other after one had broken the code by helping Wake’s QB to his feet.
Don’t know how many times, Saturday, Fox’s Adam Amin and Mark Schlereth told us that both the Giants and Vikings had played very close games this season, but I stopped counting at 10.
As reader Kenny Kaplan notes, this past weekend both the Jets and Eagles ditched their green uniforms for Nike black. Both lost.
Sports merchandisers keep missing the obvious. Who wouldn’t want a Barry Trotz statue or now a Brian Daboll model with a clock in their pleased-to-meet-ya stomachs?
With all the time in the world, flat or round, to show something worth seeing from the halftime studio show, Saturday, CBS chose, from Eagles-Cowboys, a replay of Eagles’ QB Gardner Minshew scoring on a 2-foot, straight-ahead push.
You enjoy NBA games? I once did. Tuesday, Celtics 126, Rockets 102. Field goal attempts: 186. Three-point attempts: 101, 54 percent of all shots taken.
Heck, I recall when NY Representative-elect George Santos and NBC News’s Brian Williams sang as Milli Vanilli.
To assign “Hollerin” Kevin Harlan an NFL game on CBS or Westwood One Radio, is like listening to a bingo caller on a cruise ship loaded with hard-of-hearing seniors. But current broadcast execs favor those who holler, the louder the better. Fair warning: Harlan calls — shouts — Sunday’s Colts-Giants.
Kevin HarlanNBAE via Getty Images
Every time I hear “Baker Mayfield” I envision a vintage car, like the 1936 Baker-Mayfield. Let’s not even bring up Booger McFarland.
Franco deserved better from NFL Network
In an NFL season badly afflicted by TV’s inattention to game circumstances and significant postgame interactions between significant players, nothing seems as mindlessly neglectful than what Roger Goodell’s NFL Network did at halftime of Saturday’s Raiders-Steelers.
In one of fate’s crueler acts, Franco Harris was to be honored at halftime, his No. 32 retired to align with the 50th Anniversary of his “Immaculate Reception.”
Harris, 72, suddenly died two days before the ceremony. But the ceremony, now additionally poignant, would proceed.
NFL Network knew it before and after Harris’s death. This was where it had to be, where viewers wanted and needed to be rather than fixated on stats or anything else at halftime of a bad game between bad teams.
But at halftime, as the public address announcer could be heard saying, “We turn your attention …” to a scoreboard video salute to Harris, NFL Network cut to commercials. There was money to be made.
It was nauseating, infuriating, disgusting and singularly indefensible.
But not particularly surprising, was it?
“It’s all about our fans,” Goodell once boasted.
The Brendan Burke-Butch Goring team on MSG’s Islanders telecasts has risen to become a reliably honest and pleasant pair to watch a game with.
Tuesday, early in Pens-Isles, winger Anthony Beauvillier broke down the left side with the puck when he was intercepted by Pittsburgh defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who adeptly skated Beauvillier off the puck.
Goring, who relies on no frills or word gimmicks, played it down the middle. He praised Joseph with a simple but perfect explanation of Beauvillier’s plight: “Nowhere to go, no time, no space.”
What an exciting mess the NFL playoff races have become.
Just when it looked like a rare drama-free finish, the teams on the right side of the bubble started losing and teams left for dead started winning.
The reeling Titans have lost five straight games, one more than the slumping Dolphins. The Commanders are winless in their past three. The Seahawks (1-5 in their past six games) and Patriots (1-4 in their past five games) are nearly as cold.
Suddenly, the door is open in the AFC for the Jaguars and Steelers, both of whom are 4-1 in their past five games. And in the NFC for the Packers (three-game winning streak) and Panthers (3-1 in their past four games).
Derrick Henry and the Titans have lost five straight games. Getty Images
Will any of those trends change over the last two games? It happens fast. Ask the Lions, who started 1-6, went 6-1 over their seven games, and then blew a golden opportunity to move into the playoff picture by losing as favorites to the Panthers.
Here are The Post’s NFL power rankings for Week 17:
Keep up with the most important sports news
Sign up for Starting Lineup for the biggest stories.
1. Buffalo Bills 12-3 (2)
Remember when the Patriots were kings of the AFC East, winning 11 straight division titles? Well, the Bills just clinched their third straight with a 35-13 win over the Bears and there’s no reason to assume the streak will end soon. Josh Allen, Devin Singletary and James Cook all rushed for touchdowns as part of a 254-yard day on the ground.
2. Philadelphia Eagles 13-2 (1)
Sound some alarms because the Eagles were torched by the best opposing quarterback they faced this season in a 40-34 loss to the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. Don’t sound all the alarms, because MVP candidate Jalen Hurts didn’t play and the offense was still explosive enough for three touchdown drives of 75 yards or more. The NFC East is still not clinched.
3. Cincinnati Bengals 11-4 (3)
Eight years after his infamous “We’re on to Cincinnati” press conference, Patriots coach Bill Belichick is trying to move on from Cincinnati after the Bengals won, 22-18. Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes for an offense that rang up nearly 500 yards, but Vonn Bell’s forced fumble at the 5-yard line with about one minute left is what sealed a seventh straight win.
4. Kansas City Chiefs 12-3 (4)
In an effort to hold up its end of the bargain for Patrick Mahomes — whose latest jaw-dropping play was one-hand-balanced touchdown dive — the defense stepped up with two fourth-down stops and an interception in the end zone, holding the Seahawks without a touchdown until the fourth quarter of a 24-10 victory. The Chiefs have won 16 straight regular-season games against the NFC.
Patrick MahomesGetty Images
5. San Francisco 49ers 11-4 (5)
No team is hotter than the 49ers, who won their eighth straight by beating the Commanders, 37-20. George Kittle has rediscovered his peak catch-and-run ability, with back-to-back two-touchdown games. Brock Purdy joined Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to start careers 3-0 with multiple touchdown passes in each game. Nick Bosa boasts an NFL-high 17.5 sacks.
6. Dallas Cowboys (6) 11-4
Prescott led the Cowboys back from separate 10-point deficits in both halves of the win. He overcame a first-quarter pick-six — his NFL-high 11th interception since returning from an injury in Week 7 — to throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys made a late red-zone stand against the Eagles.
7. Minnesota Vikings 12-3 (7)
Greg Joseph’s franchise-record 61-yard field as time expired completed a 17-point fourth-quarter scoring outburst and finished off the Giants, 27-24, in a back-and-forth game. The Vikings improved to an NFL-record 11-0 in one-score games, with three game-winners from Joseph in the final minute plus two field goals in overtime. T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson combined for 242 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
8. Los Angeles Chargers 9-6 (8)
After a playoff spot slipped away on the final play of the NFL’s regular season in 2021, the Chargers clinched their second berth since 2014 with two weeks to go by beating the Colts. It will be a wider introduction to quarterback Justin Herbert’s brilliance, but head coach Brandon Staley’s defensive background made the biggest difference down the stretch.
9. Baltimore Ravens 10-5 (10)
Playing a third straight game without Lamar Jackson, the Ravens clinched a return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus and stayed alive in the race for the AFC North title. Tyler Huntley threw a touchdown pass and ran for the ensuing two-point conversion, Gus Edwards ran for 99 yards and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals.
10. New York Giants 8-6-1 (12)
Toss away the script the Giants used all season. Conservative on offense? Not with Daniel Jones throwing for 334 yards. Smart, don’t-beat-yourself football? Not with two turnovers, a dropped interception, a blocked punt and seven penalties. It all added up to a missed opportunity to clinch a playoff spot (but the feel of a moral victory) in the loss to the Vikings.
Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins’ playoff hopes are at risk. USA TODAY Sports
11. Miami Dolphins 8-7 (9)
12. Detroit Lions 7-8 (11)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars 7-8 (18)
14. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-8 (19)
15. Green Bay Packers 7-8 (23)
16. Washington Commanders 7-7-1 (14)
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-8 (20)
18. Tennessee Titans 7-8 (13)
19. Seattle Seahawks 7-8 (15)
Geno Smith and the Seahawks have struggled after a hot start to the season. Getty Images
20. New England Patriots 7-8 (16)
21. New York Jets 7-8 (17)
It felt like the end of the disastrous Zach Wilson Era when the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft was booed through a rainstorm and benched for a second time this season — for practice-squad call-up Chris Streveler, no less — in a 19-3 loss to the Jaguars. Remarkably, after four straight losses, a reasonable path to the playoffs still exists.
The Giants are in the only place you want to be in Week 17 of a football season. They have the gift of crystal-clear clarity. They don’t have to look around the league, the way the Jets and a half-dozen other teams do, and figure out what help they need elsewhere; relying on the kindness of strangers is a terrible place to be this deep in the season.
And there is the other end of the spectrum too: The Giants don’t have to concern themselves with how much their starters should play, how badly they need the game, the risk-reward of winning a regular-season game. It’s easy. Easiest formula possible.
Win the game.
That’s all. That’s it. Beat the Colts on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, get a ticket punched for the playoffs, play a what-the-hell game the following week in which there will likely be no stakes on the table for either them or for the Eagles.
Beat the Colts, and let the cards fall where they may.
“I think we just try to control our own destiny each week by trying to win a game,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “The goal is always to try to go 1-0, and that’ll be no different this week.”
Give Daboll this: The same kind of discipline and self-awareness he demands of his players? He expects that from himself, too. No fewer than four different times Monday afternoon, as he met reporters for the first time since his team’s heartbreaking 27-24 loss to the Vikings on Christmas Eve, he was eased by interrogators toward a path of discussing the playoffs.
Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley and the Giants just need to beat the Colts this week to make the playoffs.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“I think everybody knows what you just said,” Daboll said, and what had been asked was if his message to the team was at all different this week because a victory stamps them good to go for the postseason. He wasn’t biting. He wasn’t even nibbling. “Making sure we’re prepared, ready to go and go out there and put our best foot forward.”
The Giants and Colts aren’t exactly ancient rivals, and in the 72 years since their first encounter — Giants 55, Colts 20 at Baltimore’s old Memorial Stadium — they’ve faced each other only 19 times, the Colts winning 12. The most famous, of course, was one day less than 64 years ago, Dec. 28, 1958, when Alan Ameche’s touchdown won the first NFL overtime game ever played, delivering the NFL championship to Baltimore.
And it has been a few days longer than 20 years ago since the Giants most recently beat the Colts (only the Chargers, whom the Giants haven’t beaten since 1998, have a longer run); the Colts have won four straight (including two Manning Bowls) since.
That final three weeks of the 2002 season are a bit more relevant than you’d think. The Giants were 8-6 and needing to win their final two regular-season games of the year — at Indianapolis, and home to Philadelphia — the same two teams they close the season against this year — and beat the Colts at RCA Dome 44-27 thanks to a career day from Amani Toomer, who caught 10 balls for 204 yards and touchdowns of 82, 21 and 27 yards from Kerry Collins.
NY Post illustration
They clinched a week later when they outlasted the Eagles in overtime at Giants Stadium.
(And for their troubles the Giants drew the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs, which is the likely scenario for them this time around, as well. If you’re a Giants fan, you’ll be happy to know we won’t be talking about that game in this column at all)
The Giants ought to be a significant favorite over the Colts, who will be without Jonathan Taylor and will likely be quarterbacked by Nick Foles (who made his season debut Monday night against the Chargers). There ought to be a playoff-worthy atmosphere at MetLife Stadium, the one consolation prize to not clinching a spot in the tournament in Minneapolis.
Michael Pittman Jr. of the Colts is tackled as his helmet comes off by Derwin James Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Chargers and Drue Tranquill.Getty Images
And Daboll, as we have seen, will neither encourage nor permit his players’ imaginations to get too carried away.
“We’re not in it yet,” he said, effortlessly flicking aside one last gnat of a question. “I’m not going to look too far down the road, and we’re going to try to beat the Colts.”
Simple answer. Simple equation. Simple truth. Simple task. Beat the Colts, and nothing else matters.
The 67-year-old Rosburg, a former special teams coordinator for the Ravens, was hired by Hackett in September to assist with time management issues that hindered the franchise early into Hackett’s tenure. For instance, the first-year head coach opted to kick a 64-yard field goal in a Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks, in lieu of allowing his offense — which boasts the Broncos’ $245 million quarterback, Russell Wilson— to go for a first down.
The Seahawks spoiled Wilson’s return to Seattle with a 17-16 win over the Broncos, with Hackett admitting a short time later he fumbled the call.
Broncos senior assistant Jerry Rosburg ahead of a game against the Raiders on Oct. 2, 2022.Denver Post via Getty Images
“Looking back at it, we definitely should’ve gone for it,” Hackett told reporters after the loss.
“One of those things you look back at it and say of course we should go for it, we missed the field goal. But in that situation we had a plan. We had a plan, we knew the 46 [yard line] was the mark.”
The Broncos, who began the season with sky-high expectations, have continued to spiral and hit a new low on Sunday with an embarrassing 51-14 loss to the Rams.
The Broncos parted ways with head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Dec, 26. 2022.Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Although speculation has already begun as to who will fill Hackett’s position permanently, Denver’s defensive coordinator, Ejiro Evero, appears to be a name to watch. In fact, Broncos GM George Paton is said to have told players the team offered the interim coach post to Evero, “who decided with two weeks left it was best for the team if he keeps working with the defense,” per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero added Monday that Evero “will be a candidate for head-coaching jobs — including in Denver.”
The Broncos will face the Chiefs and Chargers in their final games of the season.
Does it feel like the Giants are often getting beat by last-second and very long field goals? Greg Joseph’s 61-yarder in Minneapolis to give the Vikings a 27-24 victory was the fifth field goal in NFL history of 61 or more yards to win a game as time expired. The Giants have been on the wrong end of two of them.
In 2017, Jake Elliott of the Eagles nailed a 61-yarder to beat the Giants 27-24. Sound familiar? When the Giants own kicker, Graham Gano, was with the Panthers in 2018 he drilled a 63-yard field goal to put the Panthers ahead 33-31. That kick, though, was not as time expired — there was one second remaining on the clock.
Joseph’s clutch kick continued a trend working against the Giants. It was the eighth time in the past 10 seasons the Giants lost a game on a field goal as time expired. The last time it happened: Sept. 26, 2021, when the Falcons’ Younghoe Koo hit a 40-yard field goal to beat the Giants 17-14.
The Vikings’ Greg Josephs drills a game-winning 61-yard field goal to beat the Giants. Getty ImagesThe Eagles’ Jake Elliot (4) celebrates after his 61-yard kick beat the Giants in 2017. Getty Images
It is not as if it is all bad news for the Giants when it comes to field goals. Gano’s 55-yarder against the Vikings made him 7 of 8 on kicks of 50 more yards this season — his only miss was from 58 yards in the elements and in overtime at FedEx Field to close out a 20-20 tie with the Commanders. Gano in his three seasons with the Giants has 20 field goals of 50 or more yards, 11 more than any other kicker in the entirety of his Giants career.
The Giants have two chances to clinch a playoff spot, as they get in if they win one of their last two games. They would like to get it over with and celebrate at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the Colts. If that does not happen, the Giants get in if they beat the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in the regular-season finale. If the Eagles beat the visiting Saints on Sunday, they will have the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and little to play for in the finale against the Giants.
There are also scenarios in which the Giants can make the playoffs with two losses and some help.
NY Post illustration
Vikings CB Patrick Peterson is 32 years old, in his 12th NFL season and is an eight-time Pro Bowler. He was getting beaten repeatedly by WR Isaiah Hodgins, 24, who came to the Giants earlier this season with four career receptions with the Bills. Hodgins had a career-high eight catches for 89 yards, most of the damage with Peterson in coverage. In the fourth quarter, though, Daniel Jones looked Hodgins’ way and the slightly underthrown pass was intercepted by Peterson.
“Actually, I was on the sideline and was like I’m going to get a pick pretty soon,’’ Peterson said. “Daniel’s tried me enough to where now he’s feeling a little comfortable and I’m going to go out here and get a pick for us, ended up getting an interception. It’s just the belief I have in myself, the belief I have in my teammates. I’ve seen us grind so hard and so much throughout training camp, throughout OTAs, throughout minicamp, and now it’s just all coming to fruition.’’
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
