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Most of the quarterbacks in action weren’t necessarily big names, but the stakes in play for the rare Saturday NFL tripleheader certainly made for a consequential football trifecta. And the aftermath could be far-reaching, especially as it pertains to the AFC’s playoff picture, with the final quarter of the 2023 regular season continuing to unfold.
So while the obvious winners were the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts, there were quite a few other prominent beneficiaries beyond those three clubs … and most definitely several losers aside from the troika of teams saddled with defeats. So let’s assess the day’s fallout:
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Backup quarterbacks continue to make an impact, with the Bengals’ Jake Browning and the Colts’ Gardner Minshew II adding to the victory total while bolstering their respective teams’ seemingly unlikely playoff pushes.
Browning, in particular, is becoming something of a cult hero in Cincinnati after winning his third consecutive start in Joe Burrow’s stead – two of those triumphs coming in overtime after the Bengals overcame a deficit to the Minnesota Vikings in the final minute of regulation to prevail 27-24.
After accounting for seven touchdowns and nine turnovers over his previous four games, Detroit’s quarterback Jared Goff tied a career high by throwing five touchdown passes – three of which went to rookie TE Sam LaPorta – on Saturday night, bringing the Lions closer to their first-ever NFC North crown.
The Buffalo Bills, the reigning AFC East champions, may have had a slow start to the season with a 5-5 record, but losses by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos have increased their chances of making it back to the postseason. Despite facing a tough battle against the Dallas Cowboys, the Bills have shown signs of catching fire at just the right time.
Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter, and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson all had standout performances, with Watt leading the NFL in sacks and Hunter establishing a new career high. Hendrickson’s impressive 15 sacks tie him for third place league-wide.
The Lions’ run game was on point, with veteran RB David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs combining for 185 yards on the ground. Gibbs’ scoring run in the fourth quarter effectively sealed the game.
The AFC North leaders, the Baltimore Ravens, had a successful Saturday as both the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers suffered defeats. With a win-and-in postseason clinching scenario in Jacksonville on Sunday night, the Ravens are in a favorable position.
Back-to-back games with an INT for @BJHill5!#ProBowlVote x BJ Hill pic.twitter.com/bPQDPsCsec
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 16, 2023
Several individual players stood out on Saturday, including Ty Chandler, who made his first professional start for the Vikings and scored a touchdown while accumulating a career-best 160 yards from scrimmage.
B.J. Hill, Cincinnati’s 311-pound defensive tackle, recorded interceptions in consecutive weeks. Justin Jefferson, the Vikings’ wide receiver, had a strong game with seven receptions for 84 yards, inching closer to breaking a record held by Michael Thomas.
The Bengals and Colts currently hold the final two wild-card spots in the AFC after their victories, with the Bengals in a particularly good spot thanks to their Week 14 win over the Colts. The Houston Texans, who had a bye week, also saw their prospects improve slightly as rookie QB C.J. Stroud was ruled out of Sunday’s game with a concussion.
Here are the losers
Previously 7-6 AFC teams: Pittsburgh and Denver both lost convincingly and fell into 10th and 11th place, respectively, in the conference. At least, unlike the College Football Playoff, style points count for very little here, aside from deep-track tiebreakers.
Former LSU wideout: Things didn’t go so well for the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, Jefferson’s former teammate from Baton Rouge and the legendary 2019 national championship team. Chase had a modest four catches for 64 yards but was unable to finish the game due to a separated shoulder – obviously a tough injury when your job is to catch passes.
NFL Network: Unfortunately, the games got progressively worse as the day wore on – and quite a few folks undoubtedly headed out for dinner, drinks and/or dancing well before the final gun of the Broncos-Lions affair.
Bengals’ blows: It wasn’t just Chase. Underrated Cincinnati DT DJ Reader, rookie special teamer DJ Ivey, who was carted off the field in tears, and G Alex Cappa were all banged up Saturday. Cappa managed to return, but Reader and Ivey apparently suffered more serious injuries for a team that’s already down its biggest star, QB1 Joe Burrow.
Colts’ blows: Indianapolis’ top wideout, Michael Pittman, suffered a concussion on a reckless hit by Pittsburgh S Damontae Kazee, who was ejected Saturday. Pittman was trying to become the sixth player to catch eight passes in seven consecutive games.
RB Zack Moss was also knocked out of the game with an arm injury. Fortunately for the Colts, backups Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson rushed for a combined 157 yards, and All-Pro Jonathan Taylor (thumb surgery) has a chance to return in Week 16.
Denver D: The unit that infamously surrendered 70 points to the Miami Dolphins earlier this season had only allowed an average of 16 points per since Week 6. Serious regression at Ford Field, where the Lions erupted for 42 – the most allowed by the Broncos this year to a team not based in South Florida.
Vikings’ anniversary: Saturday marked 364 days since they rallied past the Colts on another Saturday showcase, overcoming a record 33-point deficit to win 39-36 in overtime. But against the Bengals, Minnesota came from ahead to lose, squandering a 17-3 fourth-quarter lead before succumbing in OT.
Mike Tomlin: The Steelers’ longtime coach watched his offensively challenged team fall to .500 and well down the AFC standings, to 10th place, after dropping its third straight game. And now – with the Bengals, Seahawks and Ravens lying in wait – Tomlin is suddenly in serious jeopardy of suffering his first losing season at the end of his 17th campaign in Pittsburgh.
Mitchell Trubisky: He’s appeared in five games this season for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have lost them all, the No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft (by the Chicago Bears) serving up a pair of picks to the Colts. By the time Tomlin turned to his other experienced understudy, Mason Rudolph, late in the fourth quarter, the game was lost.
Backup quarterbacks: Like I said, they’re ubiquitous … and have lost three in a row going back to Thursday night, the Vikes’ Nick Mullens and Trubisky taking the Ls on Saturday, two days after the Chargers’ Easton Stick went down 63-21 in his inaugural NFL start.
Mullens, making his first start since 2021, probably deserved better after throwing for 303 yards and two scores at Paycor Stadium … yet his pair of first-half interceptions were a major reason Minnesota only led 7-3 at intermission. Still, maybe the Vikings, who scored three points in their previous game, have found their answer behind center for the rest of this season.
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The post NFL Winners And Losers Of Saturday: Bengals Rise, Vikings And Steelers Stumble Again appeared first on SurgeZirc UK| Breaking News, U.S. Entertainment and World News.
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