NFL contender issues: What would possibly sink the Chiefs, Lions, Payments and Eagles? Sando’s Decide Six

The Detroit Lions personal the NFL’s longest win streak at 11 video games. The Philadelphia Eagles prolonged theirs to 9 Sunday, whereas the Buffalo Payments’ streak ended at seven. The Minnesota Vikings gained their sixth straight. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (12-1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) additionally gained.

With the NFL playoffs a month away, it’s time to evaluate the NFL’s contenders, stating the place the highest groups may very well be weak, and the way groups a notch under them might be part of their ranks.

The Decide Six column begins there and dives deep into a number of the hottest subjects in Week 14:

• Contender questions, solutions
• Bryce Younger following Sam Darnold?
• Debating Dan Campbell on fourth down
• How operating backs win MVP
• Why Belichick to UNC is plausible
• 2-minute drill: Seattle’s protection

1. 4 groups have the NFL’s finest Tremendous Bowl odds by far. 4 others are within the subsequent tier. Let’s take a run by way of them from a few angles.

We’ll use The Athletic’s mannequin taking a look at every workforce’s possibilities for successful the Tremendous Bowl when dividing these groups into classes.

The place the highest contenders may very well be weak (likelihood to win the Tremendous Bowl in parentheses):

• Chiefs (19%): Patrick Mahomes’ well being and the state of affairs at cornerback reverse Trent McDuffie may very well be perilous sufficient to derail Kansas Metropolis.

Mahomes took hit after hit Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers even earlier than lately signed left deal with D.J. Humphries departed the sport with a hamstring damage. Mahomes has taken 35 sacks, eight greater than he’s taken in a full season. His sack fee (7.0 %) is a profession excessive by a large margin. Humphries’ well being may very well be crucial for Kansas Metropolis to change into extra explosive and shield Mahomes.

Some within the league have questioned if Mahomes is already enjoying harm. That thought got here to thoughts when the Chiefs opted for a subject objective strive as a substitute of going for it on a late fourth down in opposition to Las Vegas final week.

“They’ve some points on protection, too,” an exec mentioned. “Individuals are throwing at (cornerback) Nazeeh Johnson. (Nickel) Chamarri Conner has struggled.”

That may very well be unhealthy in a playoff rematch in opposition to the Payments, whose offense accounts for 5 of the Chiefs’ 18 worst defensive EPA video games since 2021, counting playoffs.

The Chiefs are the twenty sixth workforce to begin 12-1 and the one one with a degree differential worse than plus-89, per Professional Soccer Reference (theirs is plus-56, which ranks eleventh within the NFL this season).

“They hold pulling rabbits out of their hats,” one other exec mentioned. “It’s nearly like an NBA workforce that solely performs after they should.”

• Lions (17%): The Lions rank second in defensive EPA per play, unimaginable when contemplating what number of accidents Detroit has suffered. Just one member of the Lions’ defensive entrance seven from their Week 14 victory over Inexperienced Bay was on the roster in Week 1. Is that this sustainable into the playoffs?

If the protection falls off, the Lions might discover themselves trailing in opposition to prime groups, which might put them into apparent passing conditions extra often. Jared Goff has 42 landing passes with seven interceptions for the reason that begin of final season when tied or main, counting playoffs. He has 17 touchdowns with 15 interceptions over that span when trailing. It’s one thing to look at as Detroit battles by way of the defensive accidents.

“I even have a priority about their head coach (Dan Campbell) not clicking into playoff mode, the place groups actually matter the possessions and he needs to maintain pushing his fourth-down technique,” one other exec mentioned. “That was expensive of their playoff loss (to San Francisco) final season. Can he modify to the way in which these video games are performed, when every a kind of possessions is larger leverage?”

We’ll cowl extra of that floor later within the column.

• Payments (13%): The whole protection appeared regarding Sunday because the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford posted his second-best EPA/cross play sport in 227 profession begins, counting postseason, per TruMedia. Stafford accomplished 10 passes for positive factors longer than 15 yards, tied for eighth-most in his profession, whereas taking zero sacks within the Rams’ 44-42 victory. The Payments nonetheless may need gained had the Rams not blocked a punt and returned it for a landing.

If Sunday was a one-off shootout, the Payments’ run protection may very well be a prime concern — not a horrible concern to have when Josh Allen is your quarterback, however nonetheless one thing to look at.

Buffalo entered Sunday permitting explosive rushes (12-plus yards) on 11.4 % of carries, which ranked thirty first and was the worst for Buffalo since 2019. That fee fell under 11 % after Sunday because the Rams moved the chains with shorter runs on their option to 10 dashing first downs.

Nonetheless, solely three of the previous 48 Tremendous Bowl groups allowed explosive rushes greater than 9.9 % of the time: the 2018 Patriots (12 %), 2006 Colts (11.9 %) and 2018 Rams (11.1 %). The typical was 7.3 %.

Off the sphere, coach Sean McDermott’s dealing with of the ultimate sequence Sunday — calling a quarterback sneak on the expense of a timeout that might have been helpful for a last-minute rally — recalled previous game-management points which have harm Buffalo. These points haven’t been pronounced these days, however when the stakes are larger within the playoffs, the Payments should be on level.

• Eagles (13%): The Eagles are scoring 1.3 offensive factors per sport in first quarters, which ranks 792nd out of 796 groups since 2000. That’s final among the many 368 groups since then which might be both above. 500 now or completed their seasons with successful information. Falling behind in opposition to good groups within the playoffs might disrupt the Eagles’ successful method, which has featured Saquon Barkley setting the franchise single-season dashing file after solely 13 video games, whereas Jalen Hurts is trying solely 25 passes per sport, down from 32 final season.

The Eagles face no different urgent issues so long as they’ll hold Hurts from pure-pass conditions, much like the issues for Detroit with Goff.

“It’s superb how they’ve advanced and the way (Nick) Sirianni now’s Coach of the 12 months materials,” an exec mentioned. “Can Sirianni hold it going one other month? They’ve gamers and so they have actually competent coordinators. I feel they discovered from what occurred final 12 months. The defensive guys particularly are in a greater place. They’ve punched the clock higher and extra constantly as employees than they did final 12 months.”

How groups within the subsequent tier might threaten them:

• Vikings (5%): We’ll dive deeper into Sam Danold’s resurgence within the subsequent merchandise, however his trajectory reveals Minnesota nonetheless has development potential heading towards the playoffs. Darnold has 11 landing passes with out an interception in 4 video games since tossing three picks in opposition to Jacksonville. The extra expertise he positive factors with this workforce, on this offense, the higher ready he ought to change into.

• Packers (5%): Inexperienced Bay ought to have much more development potential because the NFL’s youngest workforce if one of many receivers can emerge as a dependable go-to menace in crucial conditions, and if the cornerback place stabilizes. There’s not a lot proof these issues are going to occur shortly, however with Jordan Love averaging a league-high 10.3 yards per try since Week 11 (4 video games), there are optimistic indicators.

“I don’t have any big issues about Inexperienced Bay,” an exec mentioned. “I simply don’t know if they’re pretty much as good as Philly and even Minnesota, to a degree. They would be the third- or fourth-best workforce (within the NFC), however which will simply be the place their expertise stage is.”

• Ravens (5%): The final time the Ravens had a brand new defensive coordinator, in 2022, they improved considerably on that facet of the ball following their bye. If they’ll pull off one thing comparable this season, and if kicker Justin Tucker can recapture previous type, Baltimore will change into a extra formidable menace.

In any other case, Lamar Jackson figures to stay the NFL’s most betrayed quarterback: main the NFL in EPA per cross play for the No. 1 offense by EPA per play, tossing 29 touchdowns with solely three interceptions, however having solely an 8-5 file to point out for it, due to the Ravens’ No. 27 rating in mixed protection/particular groups EPA.

• Steelers (4%): Pittsburgh is a little bit just like the Vikings, besides Russell Wilson is rather more skilled and confirmed than Darnold. His first seven begins with the Steelers have raised the ceiling for a workforce that hasn’t gained a playoff sport for the reason that 2016 season.

Wilson has seemingly gone from limiting what Sean Payton wished to do in Denver to enabling what Arthur Smith needs to do in Pittsburgh. The character match could be the important thing there. Regardless of the case, Pittsburgh might plausibly make a deeper push.

“You don’t assume they may go play the Chiefs in Kansas Metropolis and run the ball and play protection and maintain their very own and be proper there within the fourth quarter, the way in which the Chiefs are enjoying?” an exec requested.

2. The resurgent Sam Darnold tossed 5 landing passes for the Minnesota Vikings of their 42-21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Is Carolina’s Bryce Younger additionally on a path to redemption?

Right here’s how a lot Darnold struggled throughout the 58 begins he made earlier than signing with the Vikings within the offseason: Solely three of the 65 different quarterbacks making their first 58 begins since 2000 produced decrease EPA per play over that profession span.

And now? Darnold’s 2024 EPA per play would rank twenty fifth on that checklist of 65 quarterbacks, between Tom Brady and Joe Burrow.

Right here’s how a lot Younger struggled throughout the 18 begins he made earlier than exhibiting indicators of enchancment over his final six: He ranked final in EPA per cross play amongst 123 quarterbacks making their first 18 begins since 2000.

His manufacturing since then would rank forty sixth amongst these 123 quarterbacks, between Marcus Mariota and Jake Locker.

That’s not elite, however it’s forward of some gamers whose careers turned out fairly nicely, from Professional Bowlers (Matt Hasselbeck) to Tremendous Bowl winners (Eli Manning, Joe Flacco) to a couple stars (Drew Brees, Josh Allen).

Younger has been particularly improved over the previous three video games, one-score defeats to Kansas Metropolis (30-27), Tampa Bay (26-23, in time beyond regulation) and Philadelphia (22-16). He ranks tenth in EPA per cross play over that stretch, proper behind Darnold, Russell Wilson, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson. Two months in the past, that may have appeared not possible, even over such a brief run.

Carolina was a dropped cross close to the objective line away from what might have change into an upset victory over the Eagles — an final result thought-about so unlikely {that a} bettor had risked greater than $3 million on the Eagles for a shot at successful lower than $500,000. Younger, regardless of modest numbers in opposition to the Eagles, doesn’t look like the identical participant whom coach Dave Canales benched after Week 2. What has modified?

Darnold’s resurgence is additional alongside and extra simply defined. He’s left unhealthy conditions with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers for an excellent state of affairs in Minnesota. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell will get a lot credit score, after all, however this franchise could be king of the memorable one-off quarterback season.

Randall Cunningham, Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre (heck, even Case Keenum) weren’t long-term starters for the workforce, however every produced a particular season in Minnesota. Darnold has joined their ranks unexpectedly in 2024, incomes a spot within the upper-right quadrant of the chart under, which compares each quarterback season in workforce historical past by way of 13 video games.

Darnold’s 27 landing passes by way of 13 video games path solely the 31 Culpepper accomplished so far within the 2004 season. His 8.5-yard common per cross try ranks third behind 1998 Cunningham (9.6) and 1988 Wade Wilson (8.9) among the many 21 Vikings quarterbacks who mixed for 63 qualifying seasons (minimal 200 cross makes an attempt by way of 13 video games).

3. Dan Campbell’s fourth-down resolution within the last minute was the discuss of the league in Week 14. It was both sensible, reckless or someplace in between, which says all we have to learn about these selections.

We’ve change into conditioned to consulting fourth-down fashions each time a coach makes the kind of resolution Campbell made in opposition to Inexperienced Bay on Thursday evening.

Usually we are saying coaches are aggressive when they’re simply being optimum.

However this one?! This one was *really* aggressive. pic.twitter.com/WKY7JFo0AN

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 6, 2024

On this case, ESPN’s fourth-down mannequin thought the Lions would have been higher off making an attempt a 38-yard subject objective as a substitute of going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Inexperienced Bay 21 with the rating tied and 43 seconds remaining in regulation. Campbell known as a operating play as a substitute. The Lions transformed, and since Inexperienced Bay had no timeouts, Detroit ran down the clock for the walk-off subject objective.

This was a seemingly uncommon case of a coach being extra aggressive than a mainstream fourth-down mannequin advisable. Nevertheless it’s not that straightforward. An exec from one other workforce mentioned the mannequin his workforce consults thought Detroit was right. An exec from one more workforce thought Campbell was being reckless and may very well be at excessive threat for making a nonsensical resolution in a playoff sport.

“That’s why these (fashions) are bulls–t, as a result of no one is aware of,” one of many execs mentioned. “It’s been an fascinating journey for lots of people who’ve gone from big believers in these (fashions) to pondering we’re counting on them too closely. They’ve given us base to grasp threat, however there are such a lot of different elements that you just actually simply should depend on the coach to determine the way you need to win the sport, and execute it.”

Let’s run by way of a number of the “many different elements” affecting Campbell’s resolution:

• Distance to go: Not all fourth-and-1’s are the identical. The Lions had about one-half yard to go on this one, growing the probability of a conversion.

• Lions’ offense: The Lions are well-equipped to transform short-yardage runs due to their sturdy offensive line and operating backs, though they got here up brief on a fourth-and-1 earlier within the sport and have transformed at a league-average 71 % fee since 2023.

• Defensive accidents: Just one member of the Lions’ defensive entrance seven for this sport was on the roster in Week 1. This gave Campbell motive to fret about stopping the Packers if Inexperienced Bay possessed the ball once more.

Per TruMedia, this was the tenth time since 2000 {that a} workforce was within the state of affairs Detroit confronted: possessing the ball from the plus-25 to the plus-2 yard strains with not more than 50 seconds remaining in regulation, going through fourth-and-1 when the opponent had zero timeouts (see desk under).

All 10 groups gained the sport. The Lions had been the one workforce to go for it. One of many different groups missed its subject objective strive, then gained in time beyond regulation. Detroit had given up 31 factors earlier than making its resolution. That’s greater than any of the opposite 9 groups had allowed to that time within the sport. Detroit was additionally the one workforce working below newly adopted touchback guidelines, which permit groups to begin possession at their very own 30 as a substitute of their very own 25.

“I give lots of credit score to Dan Campbell for having the center to make all these selections and to go for an unpopular fourth down after he missed an unpopular fourth down earlier within the sport,” one of many execs mentioned. “It does present you the facility of assist from possession. He has full assist after which on prime of the total assist, he pushes that assist right down to his gamers, so it turns into a mindset factor for him.”

4. Saquon Barkley’s MVP push invitations a primary query. What does it take for a operating again to win the award? Right here’s the reply.

Barkley’s candidacy would possibly come down to at least one variable, assuming his present manufacturing continues: Does the story of Barkley discovering spectacular success with the Philadelphia Eagles after the division-rival New York Giants let him attain free company, as documented for the world to see on HBO’s “Exhausting Knocks,” create a compelling sufficient narrative for voters to crown him?

The narrative part appears particularly necessary for Barkley as a result of, not like the earlier six operating backs to win the award, his profession has not been constructing to an MVP second. Main the league in dashing yards and scrimmage yards, as Barkley does, has not in current a long time been sufficient to win the award by itself.

In contrast to Barkley, the earlier six winners had been stacking elite seasons for years, lastly reaching a degree the place voters felt compelled to honor their greatness with the final word particular person award.

Because the desk above reveals, 4 of the earlier six operating backs to win the award ranked first or second in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons, not simply of their MVP years. Barkley ranks twenty eighth in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons and 18th over the earlier three, with out getting an MVP vote. His momentum has been constructing solely since he signed with the Eagles in March. That hurts him.

Barkley, on tempo for an NFL single-season file 2,122 yards dashing, wants a compelling narrative, particularly in an age when extra folks perceive quarterbacks’ outsized worth. A number of the earlier six MVP backs beat out prime QBs, however their candidacies didn’t hinge on a single season:

• Adrian Peterson (2012, 61 % of MVP vote): Peterson led the NFL in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons. He gained the award with an unimaginable bounce-back season (2,097 yards dashing) after struggling a torn ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve 2011.

Peterson’s 199-yard dashing efficiency in opposition to Inexperienced Bay on “Sunday Night time Soccer” in Week 17 lifted the Vikings to a 37-34 victory to clinch a playoff berth at 10-6 regardless of 365 yards and 4 landing passes from Aaron Rodgers.

Coming back from the damage and carrying an unremarkable workforce to the playoffs with a 2,000-yard season created a powerful sufficient narrative for Peterson to beat out Peyton Manning and Tom Brady — however solely after Peterson had already dominated for years with out successful the award.

• LaDainian Tomlinson (2006, 88 %): Tomlinson additionally led the NFL in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons. His 31 touchdowns broke Shaun Alexander’s file. Tomlinson additionally led the league in Professional Soccer Reference’s Approximate Worth (26) for a 14-2 Chargers workforce.

• Shaun Alexander (2005, 38 %): Alexander led the NFL in dashing over the earlier two seasons, broke Faulk’s file for touchdowns in a season (28) and led the league in AV (28) for the 13-3 Seahawks.

• Marshall Faulk (2000, 48 %): Faulk led the NFL in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons and set an NFL file with 26 touchdowns in his MVP season.

• Terrell Davis (1998, 53 %): Davis ranked second to Barry Sanders in scrimmage yards over the earlier three seasons. He had gained 581 yards within the earlier postseason, second solely to John Riggins’ 610 within the 1982 playoffs, as Denver gained a Tremendous Bowl for the primary time. Davis was perceived because the catalyst for John Elway lastly successful a Tremendous Bowl.

• Barry Sanders (1997, 38 %): Sanders ranked second to Emmitt Smith in scrimmage yards over the earlier 5 seasons. He shared MVP honors with Brett Favre.

5. My first response to the information Invoice Belichick interviewed for the North Carolina job included a rolling of the eyes. My second response was fairly totally different.

The Athletic’s Steve Buckley wrote a humorous column questioning the match for Belichick on a university campus, evaluating the 72-year-old former New England Patriots coach to the Rodney Dangerfield character, Thornton Melon, from the 1986 comedy “Again to College.”

Some NFL executives additionally laughed on the thought.

Kidding apart, Belichick taking a university job just like the one accessible at North Carolina may very well be extra sensible than one would possibly assume initially.

Allow us to depend the methods:

• No NFL job: It’s believable there might be no NFL teaching job accessible to Belichick within the coming cycle. He interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons final offseason however didn’t get the job. Only a few groups, if any, seem keen at hand over full management to Belichick. The chances of that altering may very well be low.

“Jacksonville is the one place he might get no matter energy he’s in search of,” an NFL workforce exec mentioned. “Is he making an attempt to get (Jaguars proprietor) Shad Khan to make a transfer?”

Doug Pederson stays Jaguars’ coach for now.

• Need to educate: Belichick didn’t need to go away the Patriots. He wished to educate final season. He needs to educate sooner or later. If there’s no NFL job for him to take, the faculty ranks could be the next-best factor for a training lifer with a powerful want to show.

• Father’s historical past: Belichick’s love for historical past is documented. His father, Steve, coached at North Carolina from 1953 to 1955 earlier than ending his teaching profession at Navy. This wouldn’t be a motive for Invoice Belichick to take the job there, however it’s a pleasant little footnote.

• Organising son: That is the massive one. If Belichick took the North Carolina job, his son Steve would reportedly be named successor in ready. This may very well be a giant draw for a training father.

If an NFL workforce did come after the elder Belichick, Invoice might go away North Carolina to take the NFL job, serving to himself and his son in a single transfer. Might it get significantly better than that from a father’s perspective?

So many highly effective coaches have tried to arrange their sons for fulfillment within the sport.

Belichick, Mike Zimmer, Andy Reid, Pete Carroll, Jack Del Rio, Dean Pees, Norv Turner, Gary Kubiak, Marvin Lewis, Mike Shanahan, Jim Harbaugh, Monte Kiffin and Lovie Smith head a protracted checklist of current coaches whose sons labored with or below them within the NFL.

It’s clearly a precedence for Belichick, whose two sons, Steve and Brian, labored on his Patriots staffs (Brian remains to be with New England, whereas Steve is the defensive coordinator on the College of Washington).

• Faculty guidelines: Belichick might get complete or near-total management of a school program extra simply than he might have both with an NFL workforce.

“It’s simpler to copy what he had in New England at a university,” an exec mentioned. “He doesn’t should ask the GM something. He can simply pay folks. He and his coaches can have autonomy. The professionals shouldn’t be like that.”

However would it not actually be simpler?

“Keep in mind when Invoice despatched Randy Moss (amongst others) residence after he was late to a workforce assembly (in 2009)?” one other exec requested. “How’s it going to work in FBS when gamers are late to conferences, exams and the workforce bus? Who runs scout workforce when 30 % of the roster will get despatched again to their dorms?”

Belichick may also have to regulate his expectations for conferences.

“Consider an 18-year-old’s consideration span when that first in-season workforce assembly runs 45 minutes with no break as Invoice meticulously particulars the scouting report for Wake Forest’s offense, protection and particular groups,” the exec added.

6. Two-minute drill: Macdonald turning Seahawks’ protection into Ravens West?

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV and security Coby Bryant intercepted consecutive passes from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to assist Seattle take management of its eventual 30-18 victory at Arizona. These two performs, value a mixed 8.6 EPA, led to 14 precise factors as Seattle scored touchdowns on the following drives.

By sport’s finish, Seattle owned the NFL’s eighth-ranked protection by EPA per play. That’s its highest rating by way of Week 14 for the reason that 2017 workforce ranked sixth at this level. That protection featured acquainted names: Michael Bennett and Frank Clark at defensive finish, Bobby Wagner and Okay.J. Wright at linebacker, Earl Thomas at security.

The No. 8 rating by way of Week 14 this season is up from No. 28 on the similar level in 2023. Seattle ranked no larger than sixteenth at this level in any of Pete Carroll’s last six seasons as coach.

Mike Macdonald’s protection has been rounding into type for a few causes. The defensive entrance, led by Leonard Williams, is enjoying higher. Seattle can be getting improved play at linebacker since buying Jones, releasing Tyrel Dodson on the bye and getting extra from rookie Tyrice Knight.

There are similarities to how Macdonald’s protection took root in Baltimore throughout the 2022 season, Macdonald’s first as coordinator for the Ravens. That protection began slowly, then improved after buying linebacker Roquan Smith throughout the season.

Each defenses received harder following Week 10 byes.

Macdonald speaks on to Jones over the headset between performs.

“He’s the primary (play caller) I’ve had that has been within the sport with us, like he’s enjoying linebacker proper subsequent to us,” Jones mentioned of Macdonald. “It nearly seems like he’s within the sport with us. In some way, he has been spot-on with calls.”

The desk under reveals the place Macdonald’s 2022 Ravens protection and 2024 Seahawks protection ranked after every week of these seasons, with the linebacker acquisitions highlighted.

An enormous bonus for the Seahawks on Sunday got here on offense. They topped 400 yards, rushed for 176, dedicated no turnovers, transformed 7 of 14 third downs, gave up no sacks and absorbed solely two quarterback hits. This was Seattle’s most full sport since beating Atlanta 34-14, however now the schedule will get tougher. Inexperienced Bay and Minnesota, each at residence, are subsequent.

• Benefit, Rizzi: We joked a number of weeks again concerning the New Orleans Saints’ reliance on opponent missed subject targets as interim coach Darren Rizzi gained his first two video games. These missed kicks didn’t appear sustainable, however how did the Saints rating their 14-11 victory over the Giants on Sunday? By blocking the Giants’ try on the tying 35-yard subject objective. That helped offset an in any other case tough day for the Saints’ particular groups after a spectacular three-game run in that section.

• Eberflus’ good day: It was robust not questioning what fired Bears coach Matt Eberflus was pondering when San Francisco held a 310-2 yardage edge over Chicago shortly earlier than halftime Sunday. With Eberflus not calling the protection, the Bears suffered their worst defensive EPA sport (-21.1) since Week 8 of 2022 in opposition to Dallas, when Eberflus was the pinnacle coach however was not calling the protection.

• Timeout technique: The RedZone Channel’s Scott Hanson requested a query which may have been on viewers’ minds as Seattle ran out the clock on its victory over Arizona. Why had the Cardinals used their timeouts with 7:12, 5:42 and 5:35 remaining in a sport the Seahawks led 27-18?

The reply, most probably, is that Arizona is amongst these groups recognizing simply how dire the state of affairs really is when trailing by two scores that late.

Earlier than Sunday, groups had been 0-36 since 2000 when trailing by 9 factors as their opponents began offensive drives with between six and eight minutes left in regulation, per TruMedia. Baltimore misplaced a kind of video games final week at Philadelphia. The Eagles took over possession at 6:11 whereas main 21-12. Baltimore known as its timeouts on protection at 5:25, 5:21 and a couple of:54, getting the ball again simply as soon as.

Groups often have solely two significant drives within the last 10 minutes. Some save their timeouts for the very finish. Others name them larger. Both approach, groups within the state of affairs Arizona confronted Sunday are mainly doomed.

Seattle took the clock from 7:16 to the two-minute warning with its drive to a subject objective, even with Arizona utilizing all three timeouts throughout the drive. The Cardinals made it 0-37 since 2000 for groups of their predicament.

(Photograph of Sean McDermott: Harry How / Getty Pictures)