Scratchy Chiefs, Landing Jesus and White gentle up week 12

Not a stretch

Kansas Metropolis (9-2) boasts the league’s greatest offence and the MVP frontrunner in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, however you wouldn’t comprehend it from the Chiefs’ lacklustre exhibiting in a victory over the injury-depleted Rams (3-8).

Too usually the Chiefs needed to accept a discipline objective, and that received’t be ok towards the league’s greatest groups.

Fortunately for Kansas Metropolis, they received’t play lots of these down the stretch, with solely the Bengals (7-4) and possibly Seattle (6-5) looming as threats in a schedule that features two video games towards the woeful Broncos (3-8) and one every towards the Texans (1-9-1) and Raiders (4-7).

With the best remaining energy of schedule within the NFL, the Chiefs should be odds-on to earn the No.1 seed within the AFC.

TD Jesus resurrected

Earlier this season many declared sophomore Jaguars (4-7) QB Trevor Lawrence had arrived, solely to have final 12 months’s No.1 general choose regress and make a mockery of such statements.

Effectively, the previous Clemson star often known as Landing Jesus belatedly delivered on all that potential in a rousing 28-27 win over the Ravens (7-4) this week, with Lawrence main his staff down the sector on the game-winning landing drive and two-point conversion.

Will this signature win for Lawrence’s younger profession sign a turning level and transformation into a real franchise quarterback? Solely time will inform, but it surely’s definitely promising that he now has three consecutive video games with a passer score over 100.

Dawg’s day

Former Texans QB Deshaun Watson was acquired by the Browns within the low season regardless of a number of girls accusing him of sexual harassment throughout therapeutic therapeutic massage appointments.

The NFL suspended him for 11 video games, which suggests he’s now eligible to return for Cleveland when the Browns tackle, guess who, the Texans subsequent week.

Again-up Jacoby Brissett helped the staff scratch its technique to (4-7), together with an time beyond regulation win over Tom Brady’s Buccaneers (5-6) this week, which was no small feat given the staff’s shortcomings on defence.

The truth is, you’d need to assume Brissett proved he’s one of many prime 32 QBs within the league.

With the Browns nonetheless theoretically in with an opportunity of constructing the playoffs, the actual query now’s what Watson will appear to be, having not performed a snap of actual soccer in 700 days.

Ought to Watson stink, don’t anticipate many individuals to pity Cleveland’s resolution to pay this divisive participant the best assured contract in NFL historical past.

Panic index

Excessive: It’ll be a minor miracle if Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett isn’t fired this week, after Denver misplaced to a Panthers (4-8) staff led by third-string QB Sam Darnold. Hackett is barely in his first 12 months on the job, however that is now past ugly.

Excessive: Zach Wilson will likely be sweating bullets about his future as a franchise quarterback, after the Jets (7-4) first-round choose final 12 months was benched for this week’s recreation towards the Bears (3-9). His alternative Mike White got here in and lit up Chicago to the tune of 315 yards and three TDs. How does Wilson come again from that?

Medium: Seattle have been the shock staff of the beginning of the season, however have come again to earth with two consecutive losses. This week’s got here in dramatic trend with an enormous walk-off TD gallop from Raiders operating again Josh Jacobs. The Seahawks D is trending within the improper path, whereas NFC West rivals San Francisco get stronger every week.

Low: Baltimore (7-4) have been upset by the Jags this week, however nonetheless stay atop of the AFC North. A much bigger drawback is we noticed the Ravens blow one other lead, having been up by 9 factors within the fourth quarter. Throw within the lack of offensive playmakers apart from QB Lamar Jackson, and also you begin to have doubts about how far this staff can go.