By Brandon Simmons
Can the Panthers Hold on to the NFC South?
The Carolina Panthers currently lead the NFC South, to virtually many people’s surprise. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 to take a 1 game lead and look to finish the job in Week 17, when they play the Seattle Seahawks. It’s been a tough road for the Panthers this year with key wins over the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams but also some tough losses to the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
Panthers fans can only dream of beating the Seahawks and Buccaneers for the NFC South and that’s where their team gets woken up at. The Panthers are going to face a Seattle Seahawks team chasing homefield advantage then turn around and face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that has experience in these moments and looking for revenge. This young Carolina team has taken a big step forward this year but this might be where the path stops for them. Those Packers and Rams games were the only teams with winning records they beat this year. Also, the last time they were on national TV, they got beat by the 49ers, and it’s likely their regular season finale against Tampa will also be a nationally televised primetime road game. The odds are stacked high for a team looking to break into the playoffs within the next 2 weeks.
Can the Steelers Hold on to the AFC North?
The Pittsburgh Steelers took a commanding lead of the AFC North Sunday with 2 games to go. The Steelers beat the Detroit Lions 29-24, while the Baltimore Ravens lost to the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh can take the division with a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday or the Baltimore Ravens losing to the Green Bay Packers the night before.
Basically, they have this wrapped up with all of the hard work being done for them. The Browns are a given win and the Ravens have to deal with another playoff-caliber opponent while their QB is injured. The most the Steelers will have to figure out is who plays and who doesn’t. They are not in the running for the 1 seed, and it’s less likely they’ll catch the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 3 seed, so they are likely going to be playing on Wild Card Weekend.
Is it Sam Darnold vs. Sam Darnold in the playoffs?
Sam Darnold has been having a tremendous run in his carrer this season and last, despite the playoff game being his only blemish. Last year, the journeyman QB led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs, after replacing their first round pick, QB J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota got thumped in that game by the Los Angeles Rams, where Darnold was sacked 7 times. This year, as QB of the Seattle Seahawks, he has led this team to 1st place in the NFC West, while also taking the lead for homefield advantage. His latest feat, included leading a double-digit comeback win, ironically, over the Los Angeles Rams.
Sam Darnold is a good QB that has the brightest of spots but can also be dimly lit at times. Last year, he had a chance to give the Vikings homefield advantage but was thumped 31-9. The following week, he was sacked 9 times against the Rams in a Wild card game. While Darnold did lead a 4th quarter comeback on Thursday night against the Rams but his 2 interceptions in the first half put the team in a hole to begin with. Speaking of interceptions, his 13 picks puts him 3rd, which is behind Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith and Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagavoiloa. However, that should not deter from his league leading 13 yards per completion, which is also a career high for Darnold, as well as his yards per game(246.9) and completion percentage (67%). Darnold’s resurgence as proven he can lead teams to great heights but there is still a fall to worry about.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to Zach Charbonnet for saving the Seahawks. The Seattle Seahawks running back made one of the biggest plays amidst their comeback. Down 22-30, Seahawks QB threw a TD pass to wide receiver AJ Barner for 26 yards. On the 2 point attempt, it was ruled incomplete but Charbonnet can be seen picking up the ball in the end zone. Replay Offical showed that the pass was actually backwads and a live ball, thus rewarding the 2 points to Seattle.
Shut out to D.K. Metcalf’s suspension. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was suspended 2 games without pay for physically assaulting a fan during the Steelers game against the Detroit Lions. It was first reported that all the fan did was call Metcalf by his real name, but nothing confirmed. Well, some new developments have sort of came about. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, this fan was reported to security last season, when DK was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. There is also video circulating of the fan moving from another to get closer to Metcalf. While Metcalf shouldn’t have hit him, this seems like a case of harassment that might have went a little too far. Players get heckled all the time and have probably had it happen to them since they played high school football. Still, it shouldn’t get to a point where it’s prompting a fan getting hands put on them. Metcalf is currently appealing this decision.
Week 17 is coming in hot with the Christmas chaos, that’s either going to be gift or making people curse. The Houston Texans visit the Los Angeles Chargers Saturday as each team tries to fight for playoff positioning. The Buffalo Bills will host the Philadelphia Eagles with both teams chasing the 1 seed in their own conference. The game of the week will be the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Chicago Bears. With both teams being 11-4, they each have a shot at their own divisions but also homefield advantage in the NFC. Both teams are coming off exhilarating wins in different ways. But until then…I’ll holla.
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