At 7-1, the Indianapolis Colts were in firm control, not only of the AFC South but of the entire AFC. A tie breaker win over the Denver Broncos provided that much more room to breathe. Things were smooth sailing until they weren’t. With four straight losses and five out of six dropped, the Colts no […] At 7-1, the Indianapolis Colts were in firm control, not only of the AFC South but of the entire AFC. A tie breaker win over the Denver Broncos provided that much more room to breathe. Things were smooth sailing until they weren’t. With four straight losses and five out of six dropped, the Colts no longer control anything, let alone their own destiny. Yes, they have to take care of their own business, but they are now reliant on the rest of the NFL to drop a few and open the door. Unfortunately, the teams the Colts are chasing have no intention of letting them back into contention. The last two weeks have been brutal. The Colts lost their quarterback and then lost a heartbreaker in Seattle. That game would have helped them keep much needed pace in the AFC race. Not only did they lose the game but they lost ground to everyone. The story of Monday night’s game isn’t written yet but so far, things have been rough. The Bills went to New England and beat the conference leader in week fifteen and followed that up by barely escaping the Browns on the road. The Chargers did more of the same. Although they didn’t have to face Patrick Mahomes on the game winning drive, they found a way to squeak out a huge road win in Arrowhead. While not as potentially daunting, the Cowboys provided little resistance as well. Both of these Wild Card teams won two straight road games while the Colts sought to make up ground or at least not lose any. The AFC South was still up for grabs as well, but that seems to have completely slipped away as the Jaguars might be the hottest team in the AFC. They dismantled the Jets and then went into Denver and beat the number one seed 34-20. Houston took full advantage of two home games against inferior opponents by beating the Cardinals and Raiders. As soon as the Colts starting slipping, the teams right in front of them found their footing. It has been a disastrous freefall and the rest of the NFL is making it worse. That is exactly what the Colts should have done when they had the chance. Make it too difficult for other teams to catch up. Instead, they are the ones in catch up mode, but the clock is running out. The Colts have no one to blame but themselves. It all started in Pittsburgh with five turnovers. From there, the offense became flat. A fourth quarter meltdown in Kansas City followed by two divisional losses is way too much to work back from. The rest of the league saw a wounded gazelle and pounced. The Colts will limp into a Monday night contest against an NFC team playing for the number one seed. After an incredible start, this could be the game that puts this season to bed. See More: Indianapolis Colts Analysis
The Colts lost control of their destiny, and the rest of the league isn’t doing them any favors
Josh Jacobs’ fumble costs Green Bay Packers big
Week 16 provided what should be considered an encouraging loss for the Las Vegas Raiders, falling to the Houston Texans by just two points. But let’s check in and see how the weekend treated a few old friends: Josh Jacobs, Tre’von Moehrig and K’Lavon Chaisson. Josh Jacobs Jacobs has had a good season, but this […] Week 16 provided what should be considered an encouraging loss for the Las Vegas Raiders, falling to the Houston Texans by just two points. But let’s check in and see how the weekend treated a few old friends: Josh Jacobs, Tre’von Moehrig and K’Lavon Chaisson. Josh Jacobs Game result: 16-22, Bears lose Stats: 12 carries, 36 yards, 2 catches, 12 yards Jacobs has had a good season, but this is a game he’ll want to forget. Not only was he unproductive while being on a pitch count due to an injury, but he also had a costly fumble in the third quarter that changed the game. Jacobs coughed the ball up on the Chicago Bears’ three-yard line, turning what could have been a touchdown or at least a field goal into a spark that helped ignite the Bears’ comeback. Granted, Chicago didn’t score, and Green Bay did take a 13-3 lead, but the lost points were costly in the Packers’ overtime loss. That also gives the Bears a 1.5-game lead in the NFC North with two weeks to play. Green Bay is clinging to the final NFC Wild Card spot with games against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings left on the schedule. Tre’von Moehrig Game result: 23-20, Panthers win Stats: 7 tackles This was a massive win for the Carolina Panthers. They blew a chance at taking control of the NFC South last week but took full advantage on Sunday by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. That gives Carolina a chance to win the division if it completes the season sweep of Tampa Bay in Week 18. Meanwhile, Moehrig was active, finishing third on the team in total tackles. That gives him 93 tackles on the year, which is 11 short of tying his career-high with the Raiders last season. K’Lavon Chaisson Game result: 28-24, Patriots win Stats: 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FF After dropping a game to the Buffalo Bills last week, the New England Patriots got back on track to maintain their one-game lead in the division. It was a hard-fought contest where the Patriots had to mount a two-possession fourth-quarter comeback against the Baltimore Ravens, and the play that sealed the ‘W’ for New England was an excellent effort from Chaisson. The defensive end chased down wide receiver Zay Flowers from behind and punched the ball out of Flowers’ hands shortly after the two-minute warning, allowing the Pats to kneel out the win. Chaisson has put together another strong campaign, surpassing last year’s career-high with 6.5 sacks in 2025. See More:
NY Giants NFL Draft order 2026: No. 1 pick on line vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders could be the only team standing between the New York Giants and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Conveniently, the Giants will be in Las Vegas to play the Raiders on Sunday. Both teams are 2-13 and have nine-game losing streaks. The Giants currently have the No. 1 pick with the Raiders at No. 2. That is because the Giants’ strength of schedule (.530) is slightly worse than Las Vegas’s .540. The Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals all have three wins with two weeks left in the season. The Athletic’s simulator gives Las Vegas a 34% chance of earning the first pick in the draft, with the Giants at 33%. A virtual tie. The Browns are given a 22% chance. ESPN Analytics shows the Raiders with a 37.3% chance of “earning” the No. 1 pick, the Giants with a 36.1% chance, and the Browns a 24.4% chance. So, the Giants and Raiders control their own destiny. If one of them loses out they will automatically have the No. 1 pick. The Giants finish the season with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Raiders finish by hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. The good news right now for fans who want to see the Giants lose out and get the No. 1 pick is that FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Raiders as 1.5-point favorites over New York. Updated NFL Draft order New York Giants (2-13, .530 opponents’ winning percentage) Las Vegas Raiders (2-13, .540 opponents’ winning percentage) Cleveland Browns (3-12) New York Jets (3-12) Tennessee Titans (3-12) Arizona Cardinals (3-12) Washington Commanders (4-11) New Orleans Saints (5-10) Cincinnati Bengals (5-10) Miami Dolphins (6-9) See More:
J.J. McCarthy Ruled Out With Hand Injury
The injury bug has, once again, bitten J.J. McCarthy, and it couldn’t have come at a worse possible time. Late in the second quarter of the Minnesota Vikings’ game against the New York Giants, McCarthy was hit hard by Brian Burns, causing a fumble that was recovered by Tyler Nubin for a New York touchdown. […] The injury bug has, once again, bitten J.J. McCarthy, and it couldn’t have come at a worse possible time. Late in the second quarter of the Minnesota Vikings’ game against the New York Giants, McCarthy was hit hard by Brian Burns, causing a fumble that was recovered by Tyler Nubin for a New York touchdown. That made the game 13-10 at the half, but more importantly McCarthy came off the field with what appears to be a significant injury to his throwing hand. Max Brosmer took the final kneeldown snap of the half for the Vikings, and the team ruled McCarthy out of the game at halftime. Brosmer will go the rest of the way for the Vikings against the Giants. This is yet another significant injury for McCarthy. He missed multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain earlier in the season and also missed time with a concussion. We’ll have more updates on this injury throughout the week, as it’s likely going to be tricky for McCarthy to return in a timely fashion if he returns at all, considering the Vikings host the Detroit Lions on Thursday. Again, J.J. McCarthy has been ruled out of the rest of today’s game against the New York Giants with an injury to his throwing hand. Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system! See More:
The Good, Bad & Ugly from the Miami Dolphins Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
The Miami Dolphins got the snot kicked out of them by the previously four-win Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday — losing to the suddenly happy Joe Burrow, Chase Brown, Ja’Marr Chase and company by a score of 45-21. Mike McDaniel’s squad only trailed by three points at the half, yet still lost the game by 24 […] The Miami Dolphins got the snot kicked out of them by the previously four-win Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday — losing to the suddenly happy Joe Burrow, Chase Brown, Ja’Marr Chase and company by a score of 45-21. Mike McDaniel’s squad only trailed by three points at the half, yet still lost the game by 24 points. More on that later… Sunday’s game marked the first time this season that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t get the start for the Dolphins, with McDaniel saying that the switch to rookie passer Quinn Ewers was motivated by his belief that the former Texas product gave the Dolphins the “best chance to win the game.” Add that statement to the long list of things McDaniel has gotten wrong this season as head coach of this sorry South Florida football team. GOOD Maybe I should have used the sarcasm font for this one… After missing much of the 2025 season due to yet another injury, Joe Burrow looked like the happier version of himself after throwing for 309 yards passing while completing 25 of 32 throws. He tossed four touchdowns against Anthony Weaver’s defense while not committing a single turnover. Burrow finished the game with a 146.5 passer rating before being replaced by Joe Flacco with the score completely out of hand. No, this wasn’t a “good” thing for Miami, but who cares? It doesn’t feel like the Dolphins do! BAD Dolphins fall apart in the third quarter As mentioned above, the Dolphins trailed the Bengals by just three points at the half. With a strong second-half performance, the team could have pulled off the upset in order to give the fans watching something to be happy about in an otherwise pretty miserable season. What did they do? Miami gave up 21 points in the third quarter, while scoring none, allowing the Bengals to take a 38-14 lead heading into the final frame of the contest. With a rookie quarterback at the helm, that was not the recipe for a monumental comeback in the game’s final fifteen minutes. Consistently, Miami has fallen flat on their faces coming out of the locker room for the second half of games this season. Mike McDaniel’s ability to make halftime adjustments is virtually non-existent. Add that fault to the long list of reasons why the Dolphins may look to go in a different direction when it comes to the head-man-in-charge next season. UGLY The state of this franchise At one time, the Miami Dolphins were respected as one of the best teams in the history of the National Football League. That time has since come and gone — with the Dolphins being the butt of many jokes over the past two-decades of mostly-disastrous play. However, for a fleeting moment — a single stitch in time — the Miami Dolphins seemed to have discovered an escape from the NFL’s deepest doldrums. In 2022 and 2023, Mike McDaniel’s first two seasons as head coach, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found himself in MVP conversations, wide receiver Tyreek Hill flirted with becoming the first player to surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a single season, and the Dolphins reached the playoffs in both years — though without winning either playoff game. Since then, the Dolphins have a 14-18 record, Tagovailoa has regressed so much that he’s probably played his last game for Miami, and the owner of the team is deciding whether or not to fire McDaniel into the sun this upcoming offseason. When will the misery end for Dolphins fans? Not this season. And with the amount of dead-cap staring the team in the face next season, 2026 isn’t looking too bright either. At this point, being a Miami Dolphins fan isn’t about hope at all — it’s about watching the same tired promises fade every year, and realizing the hardest part isn’t losing, but knowing it won’t be any different any time soon. ___ The Dolphins were mauled by the Bengals in front of their hometown fans at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The team showed that this season is virtually over, despite two games left on the docket. Is there anything they can do over those final two contests to get you excited about the future of the franchise? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up.
NFL Week 17 opening odds: Lions favorites over Vikings on Christmas Day
The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) will square off in a Week 17 divisional rivalry game on Christmas Day. Detroit is coming off two consecutive losses for the first time since 2022, and the Vikings have won their last three games, but the Lions still have a slim shot at making the playoffs, […] The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) will square off in a Week 17 divisional rivalry game on Christmas Day. Detroit is coming off two consecutive losses for the first time since 2022, and the Vikings have won their last three games, but the Lions still have a slim shot at making the playoffs, and it gives them a larger incentive to bring home a win. The folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook have set the initial betting line at Lions -5.5 points. The last time these teams met, the Vikings executed a terrific defensive game plan, stressing the offensive line (registering 20 pressures and five sacks on 37 dropbacks), and keying in on taking away Jahmyr Gibbs, on their way to a 27-24 win. Following the Week 9 win, the Vikings dropped their next four games, eventually leading to their elimination from the 2025 NFL Playoffs. While the Vikings have won all three of their December games, things have gotten a lot more challenging this week, as Minnesota has lost several starters to injury. They’ve placed EDGE Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), DB Josh Metellus (shoulder), and LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) on injured reserve, while QB J.J. McCarthy (hand), RB Jordan Mason (ankle), and starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion) were injured in Week 16. McCarthy’s injury, in particular, is to his throwing hand, and his sideline interaction with trainers (below), along with a quick rule out of the game, suggests he is not expected to play against the Lions. It’s also likely why we’ve seen the spread expand in the Lions’ favor over the last 24 hours. At the end of the day, the Vikings’ defense gives them a chance to win most games, but things get a whole lot harder if McCarthy is not able to play in this game. Will the Vikings’ defense put the final nail in the Lions’ playoff hopes? Or will the Lions be able to deliver coal to the fans in Minnesota? See More:
Lions report card: Trenches, coaching doom Detroit’s season
The Detroit Lions blew a game they needed to have, and there’s plenty of blame to go around in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s break it all down in Detroit’s Week 16 report card. Quarterback: B Without a run game and dealing with a patchwork offensive line, Jared Goff nearly helped pull […] The Detroit Lions blew a game they needed to have, and there’s plenty of blame to go around in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s break it all down in Detroit’s Week 16 report card. Quarterback: B Without a run game and dealing with a patchwork offensive line, Jared Goff nearly helped pull off a miraculous comeback. He finished with 364 yards, three touchdowns, and a 101.2 passer rating. However, he also contributed to some of Detroit’s struggles. He turfed a couple of balls, invited pressure by holding onto the ball too long, and didn’t seem like he was on the same page with some of his receivers. On a day with numerous problems, though, he seemed like the least of Detroit’s worries. Running backs: C- The offensive line didn’t help Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery out much in this game, but Gibbs didn’t help himself with a fumble and a couple of runs he tried to do too much. That said, he did help out in the passing game, especially late, pulling in 10 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Montgomery was fine, but the game situation limited his production to just four carries for 14 yards…. with a long of 17 yards. Tight ends: C Early in the game, Anthony Firkser provided some surprisingly impressive catches, and he finished with four for 40. Shane Zylstra even contributed three for 20 yards. However, the unit continues to be a liability when it comes to blocking, both in the run game and in terms of pass protection. Wide receivers: C- Amon-Ra St. Brown had a bad drop. Regardless of whether you agree with the calls or not, St. Brown and Isaac TeSlaa both did enough to warrant consideration for their devastating offensive pass interference calls on the potential game-winning drive. That said, Jameson Williams came up with some big plays, TeSlaa had a fantastic catch in traffic, Kalif Raymond flashed his speed on his 27-yard touchdown, and St. Brown—despite a down day—still came up with some big-moment catches, including a 24-yard play that brought the Lions near the verge of victory. Still, I wonder if all of those times that Goff held onto the ball too long, if that was because the receivers weren’t getting open enough. Offensive line: D- The run game was a disaster all afternoon. Admittedly, the Lions coaching staff didn’t put them in the best spots (more on that later), but they also just weren’t winning at the point of attack enough. The Steelers also finished with nine QB hits, three sacks, and a safety. Two false starts on the offensive line didn’t help, either. Defensive line: D While I don’t think the defensive line was the primary problem in the lack of run defense (more on that later, too), they certainly weren’t an asset. Alim McNeill and DJ Reader were getting moved off their spots more than I’ve seen all season. Reader added a defensive holding to his night, as well. The pass rush was decent in the first half, with Aidan Hutchinson nabbing two sacks. But when the Steelers leaned more heavily on the run and quick pass game, it neutralized any semblance of pressure. Linebackers: C A lot of good. A lot of bad. I think Jack Campbell continues to play exceptionally well, and Detroit’s man-to-man coverage was mostly very good on the night from their linebackers. Campbell produced 14 tackles, two passes defended, and recovered a fumble. Anzalone pitched in a pass defense of his own. But the bad plays were bad. Anzalone not only committed a brutal pass interference on a deep shot at the end of the first half, but he then allowed Kenneth Gainwell to catch the ball, get up, and walk in untouched. Secondary: F I think the biggest failure in the run game came from the entire secondary. The run fits were extremely bad at this level, with both the safeties and the running backs being responsible upon first watch. For the second straight week, the offense’s use of 13 personnel or jumbo formations seemed to put Detroit’s defenders in a tizzy. D.J. Reed was often playing too soft in coverage, allowing easy completions for Aaron Rodgers to get into favorable down and distances. I thought Detroit was also very undisciplined in their zone coverage, often leaving receivers with 10 yards of cushion in every direction. Special teams: C Nothing particularly notable happened on special teams. Jack Fox was fine. The return and coverage teams were largely neutral. Kalif Raymond took one big, unnecessary hit and nearly fumbled, but he also turned in a 13-yard return. Special teams was not really a factor in this one, unless you count Chris Boswell’s shocking missed 37-yard field goal, which was unforced. Coaching: F Oh boy, do I have a lotta problems with the coaching in this one. Let’s start with the game-management stuff. Dan Campbell took an odd defensive timeout at the end of the first half. The Lions had gotten into a third-and-11, so if he was trying to get the ball back on offense, I would understand it—except he waited nearly 20 seconds after the play had ended to call it. Instead, it gave the Steelers a free stoppage of the clock that turned out to be pretty important. The Lions had to burn a second-half timeout because they only had 10 players on the field during a critical Steelers fourth-and-2. On the last defensive drive, Campbell failed to use a timeout after getting a stop on first down to force a second-and-11. That burned 40 extremely valuable seconds off the clock. I suppose Campbell wanted to
NFL playoff picture update: Detroit Lions’ hopes are essentially dead
With a devastating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions have dropped to 8-7 on the season, and their playoff hopes are about as realistic as Calvin Johnson coming out of retirement. Here’s a look at what the playoff picture looks like, the Lions’ remaining playoff scenarios, and where the rest of the division […] With a devastating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions have dropped to 8-7 on the season, and their playoff hopes are about as realistic as Calvin Johnson coming out of retirement. Here’s a look at what the playoff picture looks like, the Lions’ remaining playoff scenarios, and where the rest of the division and conference looks like. NFC North standings: Bears: 11-4 Packers: 9-5-1 Lions: 8-7 Vikings: 7-8 The Lions can no longer win the NFC North, and the Bears are just a single win away from clinching their first division title since 2018. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Lions fans, as it appears Ben Johnson was the perfect hire for the Bears. The Lions are actually in danger of falling into fourth place in the NFC North, and a loss to the Vikings on Christmas would nearly seal it. Both teams would be 8-8, the Vikings would finish with a season sweep of the Lions, and Detroit would finish the season with a tough matchup against a Bears team that may still be looking to clinch the division. Of course, maybe it would be a blessing in disguise for the Lions to finish last in the division so that they could play a fourth-place schedule next year (which would likely feature games against the Giants, Titans, and Cardinals). NFC playoff picture: Division winners: Seahawks: 12-3 Bears: 11-4 Eagles: 10-5 Panthers: 8-7 Wild Card race (top three advance) Rams: 11-4 49ers: 10-4 Packers: 9-5-1 Lions: 8-7 Buccaneers: 7-8 The Lions’ best potential record is 10-7, meaning they can only mathematically catch the 49ers and Packers. But because the 49ers have locked in the tiebreaker over the Lions due to their conference record (8-2 vs. 5-5), the Packers are the only team Detroit can actually catch. Obviously, that would require the Lions to win both of their remaining games (at Vikings, at Bears), but the Packers would also have to lose out. Green Bay has the 7-8 Baltimore Ravens this upcoming week, who lost Lamar Jackson to a back injury on Sunday night. And they finish out with the Vikings, who lost J.J. McCarthy to a throwing hand injury on Sunday. Even though the Packers are struggling and have a bunch of injuries of their own, that seems very unlikely to happen. The New York Times only gives the Lions a 6% chance to make the playoffs. NextGenStats has Detroit at 8%. See More: Detroit Lions Playoffs
Eagles News: Commanders writer says the refs “were clearly out to get Washington”
Eagles Question of the Day: What was your biggest general NFL takeaway from Sunday’s games? Anything stick out to you? Head over to The Feed and weigh in with your answer and explanation! Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … Commanders Vs Eagles (Game One) – Studs and Duds – Hogs HavenCraig […] Eagles Question of the Day: What was your biggest general NFL takeaway from Sunday’s games? Anything stick out to you? Head over to The Feed and weigh in with your answer and explanation! Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … Commanders Vs Eagles (Game One) – Studs and Duds – Hogs Haven Craig Wrolstad and his crew: The entire crew from this game was just AWFUL. They were clearly out to get Washington and the calls on the field, or lack thereof, made it quite obvious. The debacle started early in the game when Cooper DeJean committed a blatant pass interference on Treylon Burks in the endzone. It continued with phantom calls against Brandon Coleman (a hold that negated a first down) and a phantom offsides penalty against Tyler Owens on a missed field goal. There was a pass interference call against Noah Igbinoghene covering Smith in the back of the endzone that was just horrible. As the Commanders limp to the finish line, emotions are boiling over – The Athletic Dan Quinn stationed himself near the 30-yard line and just watched. And waited. After a very brief handshake with Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni at midfield, the Commanders’ coach monitored the rest of the postgame handshakes from afar, just to make sure the frustrations that flared moments earlier on the field didn’t resurface. With two games left in a season that has gone sideways, Quinn knew his already thin roster couldn’t afford to get any thinner, because of injury or illness — or potential suspensions. “I know how quickly we’re going to play again,” he said. “So, I just wanted to make sure that if I had to step in that I’d be able to bring my bouncing skills back.” This is where the Commanders are: 4-11 following a chippy 29-18 loss to the Eagles that featured a brawl, the disqualification of three players (two Commanders) and four more Washington injuries, including to quarterback Marcus Mariota. “I felt like, man, this is not the time to lose somebody postgame into a game just five days away,” Quinn added. “It’s one thing to say the poise, but it’s another thing when you’re the person in that moment.” 2 Eagles starters expected to return from injury against Bills, per report – BGN The Eagles have had two solid games in a row as they approach Week 17, and early reports are that the team expects to get both RT Lane Johnson and DT Jalen Carter back this week against the Bills. Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Week 17: first look at injuries – Buffalo Rumblings Most of Bills Mafia wants to know how quarterback Josh Allen is doing, and if his ankle is indeed “gravy, baby,” as he told CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn after Sunday’s win. The reason for concern is due to the ankle injury Allen appeared to suffer just before halftime on a play where he inadvisably scrambled into harm’s way. That injury had Allen limping to the locker room early, and without his right cleat on. Though we don’t have an official report yet, Allen does appear no worse for wear, as evidenced by the fact that he continued to play after halftime. Allen had the injury x-rayed at halftime, which reported as negative. However, don’t be surprised if he ends up on the injury report early and often this week with a foot/ankle designation. NFL Week 16 fallout: Sorting through the upsets, playoff berths and overall chaos – NFL.com 9) The tush push may die a natural death. Owners failed to disallow the tush push in a spring vote, but the Eagles themselves might kill off a play that gave them a big boost in their Super Bowl run last season. The once-automatic play has been decidedly less automatic this season. Three times the Eagles tried the tush push against the Commanders on Saturday, three times it failed and that was a microcosm of the season. This season, they’ve run the tush push successfully 57.6 percent of the time, according to NFL Research. In 2024, their success rate was 76.5 percent including the playoffs. In 2023, it was 83.7 percent. They’ve been called for five false starts on the play this season, while drawing just one penalty by a opposition, a striking difference from last season, when the Eagles drew nine penalties from opponents on such plays, and were called for penalties just twice. Their slump has been especially pronounced since Week 11, when their conversion rate is just 37.5. Nevertheless, the Eagles clinched the NFC East, to become the first repeat champion of the division in 20 years. Consistency – Iggles Blitz Think about Dallas. They were 3-5-1 at midseason. They had a lot of issues, especially on defense. Jerry Jones traded for LB Logan Wilson and DT Quinnen Williams. They signed DE Jadeveon Clowney. A couple of key defenders came off IR. Suddenly the dreadful defense was mediocre, even solid at times. Dallas won three straight games to get to 6-5-1. The media fell in love with them. It sure felt like Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer started to believe the team was legit. Oops. Dallas lost three straight games to fall to 6-8-1. The defense allowed 37 points a game in that stretch. I don’t think Jones and Schotty (as Kirk Herbstreit annoyingly calls him) realized they had some luck in their win streak. They believed the team was different. Part of being a good organization is being honest with yourself. Dallas struggles with that and it is a big reason they haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1995. With 5th straight
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins make franchise-altering trade to No. 1 for Fernando Mendoza
After Tua Tagovailoa’s benching, the Dolphins get aggressive to secure their next starting quarterback: Indiana’s Heisman-winning Fernando Mendoza. The Dolphins make a splash trade up for Fernando Mendoza: With Tua Tagovailoa benched, Miami may find itself in a prime position to move up for a shot at a franchise signal-caller. The Chiefs land running back Jeremiyah Love: Missing the playoffs allows the Chiefs to land a premier talent in this class and bolster a lacking rushing attack. Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season. Estimated Reading Time: 12minutes We are just two weeks away from the end of the 2025 NFL season, and the draft-season landscape is rapidly shifting. A benching at quarterback in the AFC East gives us a new contender to trade up for a franchise signal-caller in the 2026 NFL Draft. Using the updated draft order, here’s how the first round could look when April rolls around. 1. Miami Dolphins (via Giants): QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Projected trade: New York Giants send No. 1 overall pick to Miami Dolphins for No. 10, No. 44, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick With Tua Tagovailoa benched ahead of the Dolphins’ Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s obvious that Miami is in the market for a new quarterback. In this mock draft, they get aggressive to move up for one. Mendoza recorded a 6.2% big-time throw rate and a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate this season, which compares well with recent No. 1 overall picks Cam Ward (6.3%, 3.3%) and Caleb Williams (6.2%, 3.6%). 2. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Dante Moore, Oregon With Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett earning PFF passing grades of 58.3 and 60.7, respectively, this season, it’s obvious that the Raiders need to invest in a quarterback. Las Vegas narrowly misses out on Fernando Mendoza in this mock, but Moore is another great option. He has earned a 92.3 PFF passing grade this season, which trails only Ohio State’s Julian Sayin among FBS quarterbacks. Try PFF’s mock draft simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team. 3. Cleveland Browns: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State Cleveland’s quarterback situation remains murky, but if the team misses out on one of the top signal-callers in this draft, finding a top wide receiver would be a solid consolation prize. Tate has put together a phenomenal season for Ohio State, bringing in every catchable pass thrown his way while averaging 3.35 yards per route run and producing an eye-popping 85.7% contested catch rate. 4. New York Jets: DI Peter Woods, Clemson The Jets shipped off interior defender Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline, so if the top quarterbacks are off the board, a replacement at either of those spots makes a lot of sense. Woods didn’t have his best season in 2025, but he still earned PFF overall grades above 80.0 in both 2023 and 2024 and has all the tools to be a force in the NFL. 5. Arizona Cardinals: T Spencer Fano, Utah Quarterback remains a huge question mark for the Cardinals, but they don’t get the opportunity to address it in this mock draft. Instead, they focus on finding a partner for left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and go with Utah’s Spencer Fano, who earned an 83.7 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets and PFF run-blocking grades above 75.0 on both zone and gap runs. 6. Tennessee Titans: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Help for quarterback Cam Ward needs to be a priority for the Titans this offseason, and Tyson is the top-ranked wide receiver on the PFF Big Board as things stand. He has earned PFF overall grades above 80.0 in each of the past two seasons and is coming off a 2025 season in which he dropped just 1.6% of the catchable passes thrown his way. 7. Washington Commanders: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech The Commanders need an injection of youth on defense, and the way this draft has played out gives them a plethora of options. Bailey has dominated off the edge this season, earning a 93.5 PFF pass-rush grade and producing a 21.6% PFF pass-rush win rate. There will be questions about his size, but he’s too good a pass rusher to fall out of the top 10. 8. New Orleans Saints: WR Makai Lemon, USC Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has shown enough in 2025 for the Saints to want to build around him, so a playmaker like Lemon makes sense here. The USC star logged an 81.0 PFF receiving grade against man coverage, caught 66.7% of contested targets and dropped just 2.5% of the catchable targets thrown his way this season. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL) The Bengals are still looking to bolster a struggling defense. It would be fitting for them to draft an edge defender who has question marks about his measurables but was a stud production-wise a year after doing the opposite last year by picking Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart. Bain has earned PFF overall grades of 87.6 and 91.7 in run defense and as a pass rusher, respectively, in 2025 and has the size to kick inside to rush in obvious passing situations. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock full access to PFF’s 2026 big board and the world’s most advanced football database! 10. New York Giants (via Dolphins): S Caleb Downs, Ohio State The Giants are still crying out for difference-makers on defense. Downs is the top-ranked player on the PFF Big Board but slips to New York here because of positional value. For a Giants team whose starting safeties have both earned sub-60.0 PFF overall grades in 2025, a player like Downs — who has earned PFF overall grades of 89.3 and 82.5 in coverage and run defense,
