It was the week of brawls in football this week. While we all tucked into turkey and pumpkin pie, Michigan and Ohio State players tucked into a massive fight when the Wolverines tried to plant their flag at midfield, with pepper spray used to subdue the two teams. Several more fights broke out across college football when winning teams tried to do similar things on the opposing teams’ logos.
Of course, this trend continued on Sunday when the Texans and Jaguars got into it after a dirty hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence by Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair. That event sparked multiple fights and a 10-minute stoppage in the game, resulted in two ejections, and will likely lead to a suspension for Al-Shaair.
All this overshadows what was an incredible Thanksgiving weekend of football. We had down-to-the-wire finishes in half a dozen games this weekend, capped off by the surprisingly exciting Broncos/Browns game on Monday Night Football.
We’re getting down to the stretch run in the NFL, five weeks left for teams to secure division titles and make playoff pushes. Let’s get to the rankings:
1 — Detroit Lions (11-1, —)
The incompetence of the Bears in the final thirty seconds overshadowed what was becoming an epic collapse for the Lions. After building a sleepy 16-3 lead in the first half, Chicago roared back but couldn’t complete the comeback.
2 — Buffalo Bills (10-2, —)
It’s not December football without a snow game in Buffalo. Bills QB Josh Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history with a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown all in the same game.
3 — Kansas City Chiefs (11-1, —)
The Chiefs have had some minor miracles save them in a series of close wins this season. The latest was a fumble recovery off a dropped snap to save a two-point win over the Raiders. Doubting HC Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahomes is never a good idea, but Kansas City looks vulnerable.
4 — Philadelphia Eagles (10-2, up 1)
The rocky start to the season is long in the rearview mirror. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is playing some of the best ball of his career, but it’s the Philadelphia defense that has powered this eight-game winning streak.
5 — Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3, up 1)
The Steelers have won most of their games this season with strong defense and by controlling the clock. This time they won a pure shootout with the Bengals. This versatility makes them even more dangerous.
6 — Green Bay Packers (9-3, up 1)
The Packers built a 27-3 lead over the Dolphins on Thanksgiving night and cruised to a win from there. Starting QB Jordan Love played a clean game and WR Jayden Reed caught a pair of touchdowns.
7 — Baltimore Ravens (8-5, down 3)
Questions about the ability of this Ravens squad to win the big games abound. After dropping games to the Steelers and Eagles in recent weeks, Baltimore needs to regroup as they look to make a final push for the division.
8 — Minnesota Vikings (10-2, —)
A second-half comeback gave the Vikings a home win over the Cardinals, punctuated by an Aaron Jones touchdown catch with 1:13 left in the game. It was a nice moment for Jones, who’s struggled in recent weeks.
9 — Los Angeles Chargers (8-4, —)
The Chargers beat the Falcons the way they’ve defeated most teams they’ve played: strong defense and a wear-you-down mentality on offense. It’s the way HC Jim Harbaugh wants to play, and this Los Angeles team has clearly adopted his personality.
10 — Seattle Seahawks (7-5, —)
DT Leonard Williams’ had a 92-yard pick-six and that wasn’t even the craziest play of the game. The Seahawks managed to extend their lead on the rest of the division thanks to 19 unanswered points on the Jets in a comeback win.
11 — Denver Broncos (8-5, —)
Two pick-sixes gave the Broncos a critical win heading into their bye week. First-round QB Bo Nix had a few throws he’d like to have back, but overall, he put together another impressive performance. A looming matchup with the Colts in Week 15 may decide the AFC’s seventh seed.
12 — Houston Texans (8-5, —)
The story of this game was the dirty hit from Al-Shaair on a sliding Lawrence. The hit incited a brawl and Al-Shaair later had to be restrained by a pair of teammates as he was escorted off the field. It overshadowed a solid performance from QB C.J. Stroud and WR Nico Collins, who has energized this Texans offense in his return to the field.
13 — Washington Commanders (8-5, —)
Washington scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and never looked back, cruising to a win over the Titans. It was a nice bounce-back game for first-round QB Jayden Daniels, who had fallen off a bit since his scintillating start to the season.
14 — Atlanta Falcons (6-6, —)
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions and doomed the Falcons in a winnable game against the Chargers. The good news for Atlanta is that only two of their remaining five games are against teams above .500.
15 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6, —)
The Bucs kept pace in the NFC South thanks to several heroic field goal drives from QB Baker Mayfield and a timely forced fumble. The Falcons have the head-to-head tiebreaker, but the Bucs might be playing better football right now.
16 — Arizona Cardinals (6-6, —)
Arizona had multiple chances to upset the Vikings on the road but ultimately couldn’t get it done. They still have games with each of their division rivals left on the schedule, so the opportunity to win the NFC West is still very much in front of them.
17 — Indianapolis Colts (6-7, —)
Colts QB Anthony Richardson overcame four drops from his receivers to deliver his second game-winning drive in three games. Colts HC Shane Steichen is choosing to put the fate of his team in the hands of his second-year signal-caller and Richardson continues to deliver in the big moments.
18 — Los Angeles Rams (6-6, up 2)
It wasn’t the cleanest performance, but the Rams kept themselves in the NFC West race by taking care of business against the Saints. Los Angeles’s young defensive front feasted against the New Orleans offensive line.
19 — Miami Dolphins (5-7, down 1)
The Dolphins weren’t competitive in a cold loss in Green Bay, a game reminiscent of previous cold-weather games for this version of the Miami Dolphins. While they are still in the wildcard hunt, it’s clear this Miami team can’t compete with the NFL’s best squads.
20 — San Francisco 49ers (5-7, down 1)
The injuries continue to pile up for the Niners, as RB Christian McCaffrey is likely done for the year with a PCL injury. This is becoming a lost season for San Francisco, raising questions about the future of this roster.
21 — Cincinnati Bengals (4-8, —)
I’m not sure this Bengals defense could stop me from scoring on them. They let a rather pedestrian Steelers offense set records in a shootout victory, all but ending the faint playoff hopes Cincinnati still had. Serious changes to this roster, and potentially this coaching staff, are likely in the offseason.
22 — Chicago Bears (4-8, —)
Despite not getting off the team bus until the second half, the Bears could have — and probably should have — sent this game to overtime. Bears HC Matt Eberflus bungled the late-game operation once again, costing him his job. The Bears now turn to a head coaching search and are all but officially eliminated from playoff contention.
23 — Dallas Cowboys (4-8, —)
Dallas refuses to go away in the playoff picture, hanging around in the conversation by a thread. Four of their final five games are against teams that opened the season as projected playoff squads.
24 — New York Jets (3-9, —)
Interim HC Jeff Ulbrich publicly supported QB Aaron Rodgers as the starter on Monday, but the vibes couldn’t be worse in New York. What was supposed to be a triumphant playoff campaign has turned into a debacle, with no easy fixes on the horizon for next season.
25 — New Orleans Saints (4-8, —)
QB/RB/TE Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending leg injury against the Rams. The Saints will feel his loss, as he’s been their best offensive player this season.
26 — Cleveland Browns (3-9, —)
The story of this game was WR Jerry Jeudy, making his return to Denver. We heard the touching story of how he plays for his late sister, then he torched his former team for 235 yards, the most ever for a receiver against their former team.
27 — Carolina Panthers (3-8, —)
Another heartbreaking three-point loss for the Panthers, this one in overtime. But Panthers QB Bryce Young looks like the player we thought Carolina was getting when they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2023. In just the last two weeks, he has nine big-time throws to just one turnover-worthy play.
28 — Tennessee Titans (3-9, —)
After a strong start to the season, the Titans defense has gotten torched several weeks in a row. It’s made it tough to evaluate second-year QB Will Levis, as he’s rarely been put in situations to succeed.
29 — New England Patriots (3-10, —)
No. 3 pick Drake Maye had another impressive performance against the Colts, leading consistent scoring drives and playing within the structure of the offense. The Patriots failed to convert in the red zone four times, leading to a loss.
30 — Las Vegas Raiders (2-10, —)
The return of QB Aidan O’Connell to the lineup clearly sparked the Raiders, as they took the Chiefs to the brink on Black Friday. O’Connell and rookie C Jackson Powers-Johnson had a miscommunication that led to a botched snap deep in Chiefs territory late in the game, costing the Raiders their upset chance.
31 — Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10, —)
After Lawrence left the game with a scary concussion, backup QB Mac Jones entered the game and had his best performance since maybe his rookie year in New England. Jones engineered a furious comeback, but it wasn’t quite enough.
32 — New York Giants (2-10, —)
Drew Lock became the third quarterback to start for the Giants this season, but the offense looked mostly the same. Early in the week, it was reported that GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll are both likely to stay, providing a small sense of security at least down the stretch of the season.
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