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The NFL playoff picture came into even sharper focus following an exciting slate of Week 15 games.
In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers firmed the grasp on their claim to the title of top team in the conference. While the Dallas Cowboys fumbled a chance to pull closer to the top of the heap.
Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins showed why they belong among the teams at the top of the AFC playoff picture, while the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts won games to keep them in a jumble on the playoff bubble.
AFC First-Round Matchups
7. Indianapolis at 2. Miami
6. Cincinnati at 3. Kansas City
5. Cleveland at 4. Jacksonville
Bye: Baltimore
AFC Playoff Contenders
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-3, 1st North)
Playoff Prospects: The Baltimore Ravens will face a serious test before the playoffs begin, with key matchups against two of the NFL's top offenses in Weeks 16 and 17.
Remaining schedule: at SF, vs. MIA, vs. PIT
2. Miami Dolphins (10-4, 1st East)
Playoff Prospects: The Miami Dolphins have a commanding divisional lead but face a gauntlet of star quarterbacks to close the season.
Remaining schedule: vs. DAL, at BAL, vs. BUF
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5, 1st West)
Playoff Prospects: The Kansas City Chiefs are a perennial contender with Patrick Mahomes under center. However, an uninspiring win over New England in Week 15 is unlikely to spur increased confidence they can overcome the teams ahead of them in the standings.
Remaining schedule: vs. LV, vs. CIN, at LAC
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6, 1st South)
Playoff Prospects: The Jacksonville Jaguars have winnable matchups in Weeks 16, 17 and 18. They might need wins in all three games to stay ahead in a competitive AFC South.
Remaining schedule: at TB, vs. CAR, at TEN
5. Cleveland Browns (9-5, 2nd North)
Playoff Prospects: Despite major injuries to key players, the Cleveland Browns just keep rolling. With a win over the Chicago Bears in Week 15, the Browns kept themselves at the top of the Wild Card race.
Remaining schedule: at HOU, vs. NYJ, at CIN
6. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6, 3rd North)
Playoff Prospects: The Cincinnati Bengals were supposed to fade away when they lost Joe Burrow to injury. Instead, they've continued solidifying their playoff hopes in an increasingly competitive race.
Remaining schedule: at PIT, at KC, vs. CLE
7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6, 2nd South)
Playoff Prospects: The Indianapolis Colts currently hold the tie-breaker over the Texans thanks to their head-to-head win. The teams meet again in Week 18.
Remaining schedule: at ATL, vs. LV, vs. HOU
In the Hunt
8. Houston Texans (8-6, 3rd South)
Remaining schedule: vs. CLE, vs. TEN, at IND
9. Buffalo Bills (8-6, 2nd East)
Remaining schedule: at LAC, vs. NE, at MIA
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7, 4th North)
Remaining schedule: vs. CIN, at SEA, at BAL
11. Denver Broncos (7-7, 2nd West)
Remaining schedule: vs. NE, vs. LAC, at LV
12. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8, 3rd West)
Remaining schedule: at KC, at IND, vs. DEN
13. Los Angeles Chargers (5-9, 4th West)
Remaining schedule: vs. BUF, at DEN, vs. KC
NFC First-Round Matchups
7. Los Angeles at 2. Philadelphia
6. Minnesota at 3. Detroit
5. Dallas at 4. Tampa Bay
Bye: San Francisco
NFC Playoff Contenders
1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3, 1st West)
Playoff Prospects: The road to the Super Bowl, for the NFC, still goes through the San Francisco 49ers. The first-place team has a tiebreaker over the Eagles and Cowboys.
Remaining schedule: vs. BAL, at WAS, vs. LAR
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3, 2nd East)
Playoff Prospects: The Philadelphia Eagles' spot in the playoffs is secure, and with a remaining schedule featuring some of the NFC's worst teams, they are in a prime spot to win their division as well.
Remaining schedule: at SEA, vs. NYG, vs. ARZ, at NYG
3. Detroit Lions (10-4, 1st North)
Playoff Prospects: The Detroit Lions righted the ship with a decisive Week 15 win, remaining in position to host a first-round playoff game.
Remaining schedule: at MIN, at DAL, vs. MIN
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 1st South)
Playoff Prospects: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the tiebreaker over New Orleans for now, but a Week 17 matchup between the NFC South rivals will go a long way toward deciding the division.
Remaining schedule: vs. JAX, vs. NO, at CAR
5. Dallas Cowboys (10-4, 1ST East)
Playoff Prospects: The Dallas Cowboys fumbled their hold on the division with a Week 15 loss but still have enough time to reclaim pole position for the NFC East crown.
Remaining schedule: at MIA, vs. DET, at WAS
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-7, 2nd North)
Playoff Prospects: Among the jumble of teams at 7-7 is the Minnesota Vikings, who hold an outside shot at the NFC North crown thanks to two remaining matchups with the Lions.
Remaining schedule: vs. DET, vs. GB, at DET
7. Los Angeles Rams (7-7, 2nd West)
Playoff Prospects: The Los Angeles Rams currently hold the last spot in the playoffs with a crucial matchup with the New Orleans Saints, the team just below them, looming in Week 16.
Remaining schedule: vs. NO, at NYG, at SF
In the Hunt
8. New Orleans Saints (7-7, 3rd South)
Remaining schedule: at LAR, at TB, vs. ATL
9. Seattle Seahawks (6-7, 3rd West)
Remaining schedule: vs. PHI, at TEN, vs. PIT, at ARZ
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-8, 2nd South)
Remaining schedule: vs. IND, at CHI, at NO
11. Green Bay Packers (6-8, 3rd North)
Remaining schedule: at CAR, at MIN, vs. CHI
12. New York Giants (5-9, 3rd East)
Remaining schedule: at PHI, vs. LAR, vs. PHI
13. Chicago Bears (5-9, 4th North)
Remaining schedule: vs. ARZ, vs. ATL, at GB
More must-reads:
- Broncos make big move with Bo Nix's No. 1 target
- Insider provides notable update on where Commanders, Terry McLaurin stand on extension talks
- The 'NFL all-time touchdown receptions leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Raiders rookie WR showing he could be steal of 2025 draft
Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. is opening eyes at training camp, including QB Geno Smith, who appears to be trusting the rookie. Maybe that is the reason why general manager John Spytek has not looked for outside help at the position. And just maybe he got a steal from the 2025 NFL Draft. That looked evident on the first day of pads in Henderson, Nevada, where Thornton badly beat fellow rookie cornerback Darien Porter for a long touchdown, as described by The Athletic's Tashan Reed. In a piece, Reed said Thornton has been the first-string "X" receiver since OTAs and "could make an immediate impact." Thornton shared what Smith told him during training camp: "He tells me every single day, 'if you've got a one-on-one matchup, I'm coming to you,'" Smith said, as shared by Reed. "It means a lot to me. Being a rookie and just getting here ... just knowing that he believes in me a lot. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep getting better." While the headlines are more on rookie RB Ashton Jeanty for his potential big season, Thornton is making sure he is not forgotten after getting selected in the fourth round (108th overall) after leading the University of Tennessee with 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Thornton is getting all the opportunities he can get, given the Raiders didn't bother to add a veteran WR. One could see why Thornton is raising eyebrows in training camp. That is a good thing because Smith is trusting Thornton's potential playmaking abilities. Thornton is one of the tallest Raiders WRs besides Collin Johnson, and that could be a big deal given the Raiders need a big target minus TEs Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas. Yet, ESPN's Mike Clay is projecting Thornton to have a quiet year with 317 receiving yards and a TD. With such low numbers, maybe that is how the Raiders would prefer it to be, anyway. Only the Raiders know what they have in Thornton. It is up to Thornton to keep the momentum going into preseason games and beyond.
Bad News Brewers? Insider Gives Tigers-Eugenio Suárez Update
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LA Lakers have inside track to sign 2x All-Star in new buyout deal, it would complete their roster
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin Detailed Why A Promising Pittsburgh Rookie Still Has To 'Improve In All Areas'
The Pittsburgh Steelers are about a week into their 2025 training camp, and there is undoubtedly a ton of eyes from Steeler Nation on all the new faces the front office brought in this offseason. Whether it be the trade for D.K. Metcalf, signing Aaron Rodgers to be the starting quarterback, or the several other moves General Manager Omar Khan and company made to improve the roster, there are a ton of new faces around to keep tabs on. There were definitely more moves than most Steelers fans are used to this offseason, and that likely will lead to some of the incoming rookies not having as high of early expectations like they normally did in recent seasons. Obviously a first round pick like Derrick Harmon will have some expectations of early season contributions, and likely even start, but the rest of the class, the expectations might be tempered because of the big name acquisitions. Flying under the radar a bit might be just what the rookies need, as there are plenty that still need to be proven at this time. When speaking at a brief press conference after Sunday's practice, Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke on a few different topics. One of those was the current development of third round rookie running back Kaleb Johnson. Tomlin mentioned there is still a lot of room for Johnson to grow, but he will have his opportunity to prove himself. "He's a willing worker, but you know he needs to improve in all areas. All young people do," said Tomin. "We've yet to play in pads, and obviously regarding his position, that is a major component and so it's an incomplete body of work. Blitz pickup is something that's really evaluated in pads. Certainly he's been working to develop and hone his technique, but the physicality component of something is something that is very difficult to simulate." There are always a ton of highlights when players are running around in shorts and tee shirts, but once the pads come on is when players really show where they stand against their teammates. Johnson was an explosive player in college, but he also showed the ability to be a complete running back with his blocking, physicality, and technique. That ability will be put to the test in one drill all the fans, as well as Tomlin, absolutely love: backs on backers. Physical running backs and linebackers have long been a staple on the Steelers' roster, and the backs on backers drill puts that on full display. Jaylen Warren is highlighted in this drill every year, as while he is one of the smaller running backs throughout the NFL, he is easily one of the most physical and one of the best in pass protection. Johnson being able to learn from Warren in that area is a huge benefit that should pay massive dividends. While it may be a bit unclear just how good of a player Johnson is at this point until the pads come on, his early performance in camp has shown there are reasons to be optimistic about an improved Steelers run game in 2025. Steelers Players Can't Wait To Put Pads On While getting back to practices with the entire team after what seemed like a never ending offseason definitely is exciting, until the pads come on, it isn't true football just yet. Many players are already chomping at the bit to prove themselves and get to the physical aspects of the game. One of those many players is second-year offensive lineman, Troy Fautanu, who missed the majority of his rookie season with injury. After practice, Fautanu spoke with the media saying how he can't wait to put the pads on, and that things are already starting to get a little rowdy between the offense and the defense. It is incredibly hard to really show your talents as a lineman, on either side of the ball, when you aren't in pads. Someone like Fautanu who carries around high expectations after being a first round pick in 2024 will only benefit from being able to prove he was well worth the draft capital the Steelers spent.
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