The Buffalo Payments and Detroit Lions gave us absolute brilliance on Sunday afternoon. The marquee recreation of a stacked 4 p.m. slate was the perfect the NFL has to supply for 3 hours of unimaginable soccer.
At this level it’s abundantly clear: Until you’re a fan of a playoff-destined group, you need, have to have the Payments and Lions face off within the Tremendous Bowl. For years we noticed the Payments and Chiefs mix for soccer brilliance with the unhappy data that there was no manner we’d get to see them within the NFL’s largest recreation, however Detroit and Buffalo are able to simply that.
The 48-42 Payments’ win was endemic of the whole lot these groups can supply on a soccer subject. We had explosive performs, chess-like strikes and counter-moves, onside kicks, essential defensive stops. Every little thing these groups left on Ford Area was unimaginable, and the perfect half is that we don’t know what both group left hidden from their opponent, ready to point out it off within the playoffs.
On the middle of this cross-conference rivalry is the duality of how comparable and totally different these groups are. Defensively each the Lions and Payments make use of sophisticated, unique blitz packages to throw off their opponents with out leaning on particular marquee defensive gamers to make all of it tick, particularly within the secondary. Each groups win by way of schematics and data, which made it so enjoyable to look at them try to counter one another of protection.
Offensively is a barely totally different story, however nonetheless actually compelling. The Payments are all about taking part in hero ball, with out Josh Allen this group could be completely sunk. You would say the identical about a variety of quarterbacks, however Allen is such an integral purple zone scoring menace along with his legs that it’s tough to think about anybody changing him underneath middle.
In the meantime the Lions are likely to run the whole lot by committee much more. Jared Godd, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta are the nucleus of the chunk performs, and we noticed in opposition to the Payments that this group can nonetheless run a stable offense with out Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery going off, which bodes properly for his or her future.
Finally we obtained a completely stellar offensive recreation. Two groups simply supply haymaker after haymaker to one another, with each offensive coordinators in Joe Brady and Ben Johnson arising with distinctive methods to assault the protection and get large good points. It primes issues for a improbable potential rematch between these groups within the Tremendous Bowl, and actually it will be unimaginable.
The quantity of drama within the Detroit vs. Buffalo Tremendous Bowl could be unparalleled. Two completely determined fanbases dying for a championship, and regardless of who wins or loses it will likely be a surprising victory or crushing defeat. The stakes could by no means be increased within the Tremendous Bowl, and that drama alone is price being the ending to this season.
Clearly nothing is a foregone conclusion, particularly as we enter the playoffs. One misstep might ship both group to an early trip, and there are many groups to be careful for in each conferences who might develop into spoilers. Because it stands although no one has a greater declare than the crown that Detroit and Buffalo. Now we’ll see the way it all pans out.
Winner: Lamar Jackson
It’s so wild that Lamar Jackson is having the season of his profession and actually isn’t being talked about that a lot. On the one hand there’s nothing that spectacular about beating the Giants, the worst group within the NFL — however that shouldn’t take something away from throwing FIVE touchdowns throughout a season the place the NFL’s finest have all struggled at instances on the subject of placing the boots to their opponents.
Josh Allen is getting a variety of MVP hype, but when we’re being compelled to award this to a quarterback then it’s a really robust to attract a lot of a distinction between Allen and Jackson.
Josh Allen: 255-for-378, 3,395 yards, 25 TD, 5 INT — 484 yards dashing, 11 TD
Lamar Jackson: 254-for-379, 3,290 yards, 29 TD, 3 INT — 678 yards dashing, 3 TD
I don’t know if you happen to might discover many extra profound drop offs offensively than if the Ravens needed to transfer from Lamar Jackson to Josh Johnson. There’s a critical argument to be made that Baltimore could be one of many worst groups within the NFL in the event that they needed to make a change a QB and make their whole offense about Derrick Henry.
No matter how the award season pans out, the Ravens have the most effective offenses within the NFL and it’s completely due to their QB.
Loser: The Chiefs
Kansas Metropolis is certainly the weirdest elite group within the NFL — and their story solely will get extra dicey with an damage to Patrick Mahomes. So it’s good this group gained its first recreation by three possessions in 2024. It’s much less nice if you’re in opposition to the 3-11 Browns in a recreation the place Jameis Winston threw three interceptions.
Andy Reid and Co. are simply not convincing this season. They haven’t been at any level. It’s one factor to have the ability to battle by way of and win shut video games, however you’re mendacity to your self if you happen to suppose this iteration of the Chiefs is something like 2022 or 2023. This group simply feels prefer it doesn’t have the battle, the need, the all-encompassing need to complete the job as they’ve prior to now. Which is a part of the explanation they’ve been roughly content material to coast on expertise alone with out pushing their potential to the max this 12 months.
I’ll print and eat these phrases if the Chiefs handle to drag off one other Tremendous Bowl win. Mark it down, as a result of I simply don’t see it taking place in 2024.
Winner: Cooper Rush
Cooper Rush is taking part in actually nice soccer in Dak Prescott’s stead, and making a case that he might have a future past simply being a backup within the NFL. On Sunday he actually took it to the Panthers, ending with 213 yards passing and three touchdowns.
At this level there’s no manner he’ll win the beginning job in Dallas, that’s foolish — however it wouldn’t be shocking to see a group pursue him in a Ryan Fitzpatrick-esque function. It’s merely clear that Rush is ready to make performs with an honest forged round him, and that might be ok on a variety of NFL groups presently in dire want of a quarterback.
Loser: The Dolphins offense
This might additionally actually apply to Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins aren’t formally eradicated from the playoffs — however they’re on dying’s door. Plenty of that comes all the way down to the egg this group laid in opposition to Houston, a group they need to have the ability to have some success in opposition to offensively.
Tagovailoa threw three picks, the group managed to attain only one landing, and the working recreation broke down. The Texans enable over 22 factors per recreation, and the once-vaunted Dolphins protection couldn’t handle it.
It’s feeling like a variety of the magic is gone from this group, and maybe that may change in 2025 — however for now, there’s no cause to suppose the Dolphins are a critical group down the stretch this season.