Eagles QB Carson Wentz Will Miss Remainder Of Season With Torn ACL

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The 2017 NFL season will be remembered in large part for the number of superstar players lost to significant injuries.

Another big name was added to that list in Week 14. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and MVP candidate Carson Wentz joined Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham Jr., David Johnson, J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman, Joe Thomas, Eric Berry, Dalvin Cook, Julian Edelman, Deshaun Watson, Jason Peters and Andrew Luck among the star players that have been sidelined.

While Philadelphia lost its franchise quarterback to a knee injury, the Green Bay Packers are set to welcome back their MVP passer in Week 15 with Rodgers cleared to return. With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the NFL playoff picture is far from settled heading into the final stretch.

What’s next for Eagles without Wentz?

The Eagles' Super Bowl aspirations took a hit with the loss of Wentz for the remainder of the season. However, that injury alone isn’t enough to completely write off Philadelphia in the NFC.

The Eagles have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL and are still the NFC’s top seed with three weeks remaining. While Philadelphia’s offence isn’t as dangerous without its starting quarterback, the drop off from Wentz to Nick Foles likely isn’t as significant as what we saw when Green Bay was forced to replace Rodgers with Brett Hundley for seven starts.

Foles is an experienced veteran capable of performing at an above-average level in a simplified offence surrounded by a substantial amount of talent. He will have a solid group of pass-catching targets led by Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz as well as decent protection behind a solid offensive line. The Eagles also have a deep running back core with Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount and rookie Corey Clement. That group of ball carriers become that much more important with Foles under centre as the weather gets colder.

The Eagles should also benefit from a favourable schedule to close out the regular season. Foles will have three games against the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys to get up to speed before the playoffs. Philadelphia is still in position to lock up a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

As long as Foles can provide average or better play at the quarterback position, the combination of a dangerous run game and a top-five defence could be enough to give the Eagles the edge in freezing temperatures at home for January playoff games. While Philadelphia’s offence is a lot more dangerous with Wentz under centre, the move to Foles at quarterback isn’t enough to completely write off the Eagles as a legitimate contender in the NFC just yet.

Vikings Quest

Just look what the Minnesota Vikings have been able to do with a capable backup quarterback this season. While Case Keenum might be a better option than Foles, the difference between the two isn’t substantial enough to make it an unfair comparison.

While Keenum has exceeded expectations as a passer, he has had plenty of support, with a strong offensive line, quality receiving options and a capable run game. Minnesota’s defence also ranks in the top-five in points allowed per game this season.

The Vikings were bound to eventually suffer a letdown, and a 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers was still very respectable considering they had won eight in a row and were playing their third road game in as many weeks.

Minnesota enters Week 15 with a chance to clinch the NFC North title with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings are still in position to challenge for the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with the Bengals, Packers and Chicago Bears left on the schedule. It will be interesting to see whether or not they can beat out Philadelphia.

Three’s Company in NFC South

The NFC South playoff picture became a little less clear in Week 14 when the Panthers beat Minnesota and the New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons. Each of the top three NFC South teams is in a playoff position heading into Week 15.

The Saints are still the favourites to win the division at 9-4, thanks in large part to sweeping the season series versus Carolina. New Orleans will host the Jets and Falcons in back-to-back weeks before finishing the regular season on the road in Tampa Bay. Last week’s letdown wasn’t a major surprise, considering the Saints were on the road on a short week without their best running back (rookie Alvin Kamara) and their best offensive lineman (Andrus Peat).
 
New Orleans still rank in the top-11 in both points per game and points allowed per game and has a favourable schedule to close out the year. With Kamara expected to be back on Sunday, the Saints should get back on track with a win over New York to improve to 10-4 and remain in position to lock up the NFC South over the final two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are also 9-4 but own a 5-4 record against NFC opponents, which is the worst among teams in contention for a wild-card spot. Carolina will host Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay in Week 15 before closing the year out against the Buccaneers and Falcons. A win over the Packers will keep the Panthers in contention for an NFC South title at 10-4. A loss could bump Carolina out of a wild-card spot at 9-5, since they would fall to 5-5 against conference opponents this season. While there has been a lot of hype surrounding Rodgers and his return for the Packers in a must-win game, this Week 15 showdown will also be extremely important to the Panthers' playoff hopes.

Atlanta enters Week 15 in the final NFC wild-card spot but could still make a run at an NFC South title with a little help. The Falcons will visit Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football before back-to-back games at New Orleans and against Carolina to close out the season. Atlanta’s 7-2 record against conference opponents is the best mark in the division and yet it will take a strong finish just to get into the playoffs in the loaded NFC.

In order for that to happen, Matt Ryan is going to need to be more careful with the football. Ryan threw three interceptions in last week’s win over the Saints and now has 17 touchdown passes compared to 15 turnovers this season. The 2016 NFL MVP will need to be at his best if the Falcons are going to overcome a difficult schedule to make the playoffs.

NFC West up for grabs in Week 15

One of the most highly anticipated games for Week 15 will feature the top two teams from the NFC West when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Seattle Seahawks.

At 9-4, the Rams are one game up on the 8-5 Seahawks for the best record in the division. However, Seattle won the first meeting between these teams back in Week 5 and could leapfrog Los Angeles in the NFC West standings with another win on Sunday.

The Seahawks have won division titles in three of the last four years but will likely need to run the table against the Rams, Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in order to add another.

Meanwhile, L.A. will visit Seattle and the Tennessee Titans before closing out the year at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The winner of this week’s matchup will become the frontrunner to win the NFC West. The loser could very well end up on the outside of the NFC playoff picture with just two games remaining in the regular season.

NFC wild-card breakdown

With the Panthers at 9-4 and both the Falcons and Seahawks at 8-5, the road to the playoffs is already extremely difficult for the three NFC teams that sit at 7-6.

The Lions are currently the frontrunner in that group, thanks to key wins over Dallas and Green Bay. Still, Detroit will likely need to run the table against the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay to challenge for a wild-card spot at 10-6.

Meanwhile, Dallas is a slight betting favourite heading in to a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Oakland Raiders in Week 15. However, the Cowboys have the most difficult schedule of the 7-6 teams with games against the Seahawks and Eagles over the final two weeks. A win over the Raiders will keep Dallas in the hunt with running back Ezekiel Elliott set to return versus Seattle in Week 16.

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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Has Been Cleared To Return In Week 15

The final 7-6 team in the NFC wild-card mix is the Packers. Rodgers has been cleared to return for this week’s game in Carolina after missing seven starts because of a fractured collarbone. However, even if Rodgers performs at a high level over the final three weeks, Green Bay has to be considered a long shot to make the playoffs.

The Packers will need to win out against the Panthers, Vikings and Lions to get to 10-6. Even if that happens, Green Bay will need a ton of help just to get in as a wild-card team. At 10-6, the Packers would need Carolina to lose one of its final two games. Meanwhile, Atlanta would need to lose to the Buccaneers and Saints, but still beat Carolina in its season finale. Even then, the Packers would need favourable results from the Rams, Seahawks, Lions and Cowboys just to get in.

Football fans in Green Bay are hoping that Rodgers can make a triumphant return and lead them back to the postseason. In reality it might be a case of too little, too late for the Packers.

A new No. 1 in the AFC

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Steelers Have Won Eight Straight Entering AFC Showdown With Patriots
 
There is a new No. 1 seed in the AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers climbing into the top spot following a win and a New England Patriots loss.

Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to record three games with at least 500 passing yards when he threw for 506 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive 39-38 comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens to improve to 11-2. With Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell performing at an elite level, the Steelers have enough firepower on offence to contend for a Super Bowl.

There is obvious reason for concern when it comes to a Pittsburgh defence that will be without star linebacker Ryan Shazier for the remainder of the season. Ravens running backs Alex Collins, Javorius Allen and Danny Woodhead combined to average 5.8 yards per carry while rushing for 152 yards and three scores in last week’s loss. The Steelers need to do a better job defending the run without Shazier if they are going to contend for a Super Bowl. Pittsburgh will face its toughest test on the road to Minnesota when it hosts the Patriots in Week 15.

The Steelers can clinch the AFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over New England on Sunday. A loss would at least temporarily concede that No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the AFC back over to the Patriots.

New England is coming off its worst performance of the season in an embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The Patriots offence looked out of rhythm the entire night while their defence was torched through the air and on the ground by Jay Cutler and Kenyan Drake.

However, New England has dominated this rivalry in recent years and will welcome back tight end Rob Gronkowski following a one-game suspension. All eyes will be on Gillette Stadium when the Steelers and Patriots clash in an AFC showdown with major implications in Week 15.

#Sacksonville closing in on playoff berth

The Jacksonville Jaguars can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Houston Texans.

Jacksonville is coming off an impressive win over the Seahawks that has them back in sole possession of the top spot in the AFC South following a Tennessee Titans loss.

The Jaguars own the top-ranked scoring defence in the NFL thanks in large part to a league-leading 47.0 sacks, which is six more than the second-highest total entering Week 15. Jacksonville recorded two sacks on Russell Wilson in Sunday’s win over Seattle, but also picked him off three times in one of their most impressive wins of the season.

On the other side of the football, Blake Bortles delivered one of his best games of the year by throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

With an elite defence and one of the better rushing attacks in the league led by rookie running back Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars can contend if Bortles plays at the level he did against the Seahawks. Jacksonville will host the Texans and then visit the San Francisco 49ers before closing out the regular season in Tennessee. It shouldn’t be a surprise if they run the table and finish 12-4, which might still only be good enough for the third seed in the AFC.

AFC West up for grabs

The fourth seed will go to the winner of the AFC West, which became a little clearer when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders last week.

Kansas City is tied with the Los Angeles Chargers for the division lead at 7-6, one game up on the Raiders at 6-7. While last week’s win was extremely important, the Chiefs will play another big game this week when they host the streaking Chargers.

After a 0-4 start, Los Angeles has won four in a row and seven of its last nine to pull into contention for a playoff spot. Kansas City currently owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, based on a 24-10 win back in Week 3 but that could change with a Chargers win this Sunday.

It’s incredible that the Chiefs are in this position in the first place. Kansas City would be a lock to win the AFC West if it hadn’t dropped three in a row to the Giants, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets coming off a Week 10 bye. The good news is that the Chiefs finally stopped the bleeding with a win over Oakland and they have a relatively favourable schedule to close out the season as long as they beat Los Angeles.

The key for Kansas City will be the ability to move the football on the ground. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders and it helped the Chiefs dominate the time of possession. The Chiefs defence delivered one of its better performances of the season versus Oakland and will get cornerback Marcus Peters back against the Chargers.

If Kansas City beats Los Angeles, they will essentially put two games between them and the rest of the division with games against the Dolphins and Denver Broncos to close out the regular season. However, the Chiefs are far from a lock heading in to a date with one of the league’s hottest teams.

Back in Week 12, I wrote about the Chargers as a legitimate sleeper pick in the AFC. The recipe to their success is simple: A future Hall of Fame quarterback performing at a high level, a dominant pass rush and a favourable schedule.

Fast-forward three weeks later and Los Angeles is tied for the AFC West lead following wins over the Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. Phillip Rivers has averaged 337.0 passing yards while throwing eight touchdowns and zero interceptions over the Chargers' four-game win streak. Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram have combined for 20.0 sacks, which is the second-highest total by a pair of teammates in the NFL this season.

If L.A. can pick up a win in Kansas City this weekend, they will move into sole possession of first place in the AFC West with games against the Jets and Raiders to close out the season. The Chargers might already be the third-best team in the AFC behind only the Patriots and Steelers. If they can find a way to beat the Chiefs, nobody will be sleeping on Los Angeles after Week 15.

The loser of this week’s AFC West showdown will fall to 7-7, which will almost certainly leave them one game back of the final AFC wild-card spot. The Titans are the fifth seed heading into Week 15 at 8-5, while Buffalo and the Baltimore Ravens are 7-6.

Schedules will factor heavily into how the AFC wild-card picture plays out. Assuming Baltimore beats the winless Cleveland Browns, they will improve to 8-6 with home games against the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati to close out the season. There is a very good chance Baltimore runs the table and finishes 10-6. That would leave the Titans, Bills and the loser of this week’s Chargers-Chiefs game to fight for the final AFC Wild Card spot.

AFC wild-card breakdown

Despite an 8-5 record, the Titans might have the most difficult path to a playoff spot. Tennessee is dealing with significant question marks following a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The most obvious is the status of quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is expected to start against the 49ers this week despite suffering a knee sprain against Arizona. Mariota completed just 6-of-16 pass attempts for 60 yards with two interceptions in the second half of last week’s loss to the Cardinals. After an outstanding second-year performance, injuries and inconsistent play have resulted in a regression from Mariota in his third NFL season. Mariota hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since Week 11 and he has four more interceptions than touchdowns with a 10-14 TD/INT ratio this season.

Tennessee is a slight favourite to win in San Francisco in Week 15. However, the Titans are being forced to travel across the country for the second week in a row and the 49ers are suddenly showing signs of life with Jimmy Garoppolo under centre after winning three of their last four. Tennessee visits San Francisco before back-to-back home games against the Rams and Jaguars to close out the season. After a promising start, the Titans playoff hopes could suddenly be in jeopardy with a loss to the 49ers this weekend.

Of course, in order for Tennessee to fall out of the AFC playoff picture there will need to be a team that leapfrogs them for a wild-card spot. There are four teams capable of jumping over the Titans heading into the final three weeks: Bills, Raiders, Dolphins and either the Chiefs or Chargers. Buffalo is 7-6, while Oakland and Miami are 6-7 heading into Week 15.

The Raiders have the most difficult schedule with games against the Cowboys, Eagles and Chargers to close out the year. Meanwhile, the schedule offers plenty of intrigue with the potential for the Bills and Dolphins to battle it out for a chance at the final wild-card spot.

Buffalo and Miami will meet twice over the final three weeks of the regular season. The Bills have fought their way to seven wins despite the fact that ESPN’S Football Power Index has them ranked as the fourth-worst team in the NFL. Buffalo ranks outside of the top-20 in both total offence and total defence this season.

Injuries to quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman could force the Bills to turn to Joe Webb for essentially a must-win game against the Dolphins in Week 15. While the league’s longest active playoff drought would be over if the season ended today, Buffalo is going to have a difficult time running the table with a date against New England sandwiched between their two remaining games versus Miami.

While it isn’t unrealistic to think that the Bills will finish 8-8, a 7-9 record wouldn’t be a major surprise either when you consider injuries and schedule.

As shocking as it is considering the highs and lows of their season, the reality is that Miami might have the best chance to overtake the Titans for the final AFC playoff seed. It might seem like an overreaction following an upset win over the Patriots. However, the Dolphins are coming off a pair of impressive wins to improve to 6-7. They also own the tiebreaker with Tennessee based on a 16-10 win back in Week 5. In fact, four of Miami’s six wins this season have come against playoff contenders in the Chargers, Titans, Falcons and Patriots.

Jay Cutler is coming off his best performance of the season after outduelling Tom Brady by throwing for 263 yards and three touchdowns on Monday Night Football. The defence held New England’s top-ranked pass attack to 233 passing yards and forced two interceptions.

Considering the teams they have beat this season, it isn’t a stretch to think that the Dolphins could run the table versus Buffalo and Kansas City to finish 9-7. In fact, Miami could go 8-8 and still make the playoffs with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Titans should they stumble down the final stretch. Baltimore, Tennessee and the second-place team in the AFC West are still the most likely to lock down the final two wild-card spots.

However, following a big win and with a favourable schedule the rest of the way, the Dolphins are suddenly a dark horse long shot that can’t be overlooked as a playoff contender in the AFC.