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Time flies. Not a single human would argue otherwise, no matter how drastically different time feels to some individuals—as opposed to others.
Week — 2010 Divisional Final
Though New York Jets fans would agree, time is calculated differently in their world. To them, it’s felt like an eternity since their beloved Jets have played a meaningful football game during the coldest months of the year.
More specifically, this eternity equates to 14 years. That’s right, 14 long years since the Jets’ last NFL playoff victory—one that featured all the feels of a classic underdog conquest where motivation reigned supreme and red faces littered the professional football media landscape.
Perhaps Bart Scott summed it up best.
“Can’t wait,” Scott proclaimed on the field following his team’s 28-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Foxborough, MA, on Jan. 16, 2011.
Not even Tom Brady or Bill Belichick could save the Pats’ faithful on this night—no matter how anxious the diehard Jets collective remained late in the fourth quarter.
Finishing 11-5 in Rex Ryan‘s second season amazingly tagged the Jets with the No. 6 seed on the AFC side of the playoffs. New England won the AFC East, yet again, at 14-2, while the 12-4 Baltimore Ravens took the No. 5 seed as the other wild card.
After knocking off Peyton Manning in a thrilling wild-card matchup the week prior, the NFL’s divisional round was stacked on the AFC side. It pitted the four best teams in the conference: the top two in the AFC North (Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers) and the top two in the AFC East (Jets and Patriots) against one another.
The loss of Jim Leonhard loomed large for Ryan’s defense down the stretch. A healthy number of questions came to the forefront after a porous outing in New England that very same season.
To say the unit had a chip on its shoulder would be the greatest understatement of the century.
David Harris got the party started by taking advantage of a poor Brady throw, picking it off and nearly taking it to the house. Incredibly, New York missed the ensuing field goal after the drive stalled.
Quite honestly, it did not matter.
After New England took a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, Mark Sanchez‘s offense struck twice in the second quarter.
A 7-yard LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown reception at the 10:24 mark gave the Jets the lead, and a beastly 15-yard touchdown grab by Braylon Edwards with just 0:33 to go in the first half put Rex’s team up 14-3.
By no means did Brady and Belichick go softly into the night, as an Alge Crumpler touchdown and ensuing 2-point conversion cut the lead to just three after three quarters played (14-11).
Fortunately, 14 years ago, the Jets also refused to go quietly into that good night. The iconic Santonio Holmes corner-of-the-end zone grab early in the fourth quarter allowed everybody to take a deep breath, and the Darrelle Revis-designed defense continued hammering Brady.
The moment Shonn Greene broke loose late in the fourth quarter was the first time Jets fans could celebrate with the freedom they were seeking all night. Greene led the team with 76 yards on 17 carries.
Through the air, Sanchez finished with 196 yards and 3 touchdowns to 0 interceptions on an efficient 16 of 25 passing. Fan-favorite Jerricho Cotchery paced the Jets weapons with 96 yards on 5 receptions.
Where’s Santonio when you need him? His devilish scream after getting the knee down in the corner of the end zone is a perfect placeholder for how New York Jets fans feel these days.
Only these days, the scream is utilized to relieve 14 years of suffering.
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Packers Receive Disappointing Injury News Before Vikings Matchup
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
Three teams getting too much credit from College Football Playoff committee
The College Football Playoff committee released its latest set of rankings on Tuesday night without too many surprises. Oklahoma was the biggest mover, going up to No. 8 after a road win over Alabama, which dropped to No. 10. The Crimson Tide are effectively holding onto the last playoff spot. Miami, the top-ranked ACC team, is projected to get that league's spot for now, while Tulane would get the last automatic berth, going to the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. That leaves BYU and Utah on the outside looking in. Vanderbilt, USC, Georgia Tech and Michigan are some other teams looming. USC can make a statement this weekend, with a road win over Oregon. The Ducks are ranked seventh, while USC is 15th. For the Trojans, a win this week likely catapults them into the top 10. It could also expose a top-10 team that doesn't have the resume of a top-10 team. Three teams are being overvalued by the College Football Playoff committee, and the list starts with Oregon. Oregon (No. 7) The Ducks have beaten up on some weak opponents, but their best wins this season were an ugly victory at Iowa and a 20-point road win over Northwestern. They don't have a single win over a currently ranked team. Alabama has beaten two teams in the top 14 and four in the top 25. Oregon passes the eye test. But it feels like the Ducks are getting too much credit for a win at Penn State that's not all that impressive, and a close home loss to Indiana, something the Ducks share with Iowa. Oregon has looked great at times. It also looked unimpressive in a 21-7 win over 3-7 Wisconsin. Saturday's game will answer some questions, yet the Ducks are being overvalued by the committee. Tennessee (No. 20) Strength of schedule should matter, but not when the College Football Playoff committee is artificially pumping up the schedule strength of one conference in particular: the SEC. The five teams in the top 10 are worthy. It's hard to argue against them. But outside of that, the SEC feels propped up. Tennessee, for instance, hasn't beaten a single team with a winning record this season. Losing to Georgia in overtime and to Oklahoma by single digits isn't a good enough reason to be ranked. Missouri (No. 22) Like Tennessee, the best achievement of the Missouri Tigers has been losing to ranked teams. SMU, from the ACC, has a similar record. It has three losses to teams with winning records, plus a win over No. 13 Miami, a better win than Tennessee or Missouri, yet the Mustangs didn't crack the top 25. No. 23 Houston is 8-2. The Cougars lost to fifth-ranked Texas Tech earlier in the season, plus to West Virginia. They also beat 25th-ranked Arizona State on the road, yet are ranked behind two teams that haven't beaten a single team with a winning record. It feels like the College Football Playoff committee continues to favor the SEC, but it's about more than that. Too much is being based on the eye test. That's why Oregon is ranked where it's at and some SEC teams, too. The resume should matter above everything. Performance on the field should be the determining factor, but once again, that doesn't appear to be the case.
The Big Five: Most dangerous teams currently outside the playoff picture
With just a week until Thanksgiving, the NFL playoff picture is beginning to take shape. But seven weeks remain in the regular season, giving teams on the outside looking in time to turn things around. Below, we rank the five most dangerous teams currently not in the playoff field. 5. Houston Texans (5-5, eight in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 40-31 (.563) • Currently in playoff field: 4 • Above .500: 4 With a defense as good as Houston's, it can't be taken lightly despite a brutal remaining schedule. Over the Texans' final seven games, they only play two teams currently with a losing record — the Arizona Cardinals (3-7) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-8). With C.J. Stroud (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills (7-3), the team's hopes of remaining in contention will be even tougher. But Houston has won its past two games with Davis Mills at quarterback, thanks in large part to a defense allowing 221 yards per game. The Texans have the league's longest active streak of holding opponents under 200 passing yards (seven games), per Stathead research. In addition to the Bills, the Texans play the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) twice, Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) and Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), teams that can put up points. Houston, which is No. 21 in scoring offense (22 points per game), likely won't be able to keep pace in shootouts — even when Stroud returns — so it must lean on the defense to complete the long trek from 0-3 to the playoffs. 4. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1, 10th in NFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 35-38 (.479) • Currently in playoff field: 2 • Above .500: 3 While we can't glean much from Dallas' convincing Monday night win over the directionless Raiders, it was still telling that the defense, a sore spot all season, kept an inept Las Vegas attack from having a season-best performance. Among the five teams listed here, the Cowboys have the easiest remaining strength of schedule, with more games against teams with losing records (three) than those in the playoff field (two). Their next three games — against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), Chiefs and Detroit Lions (6-4) — will inform how heavily Dallas factors into the playoff race through December. But for a team that seemingly had no hope following a Week 9 loss to the Cardinals, Dallas could be feistier down the stretch than most predicted. 3. Detroit Lions (6-4, eighth in NFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 37-32-2 (.521) • Currently in playoff field: 4 • Above .500: 4 Sunday's game against the New York Giants (2-9) is almost a must-win considering what lies ahead for Detroit. Over its final five games, it plays the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), Los Angeles Rams (8-2), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) and Chicago Bears (7-3) plus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings (4-6). The Lions, who rank in the top five in total offense and defense, are more than capable of holding their own against stiff competition, although injures (particularly to the offensive line) have made them more vulnerable than the past two seasons, when they reached the NFC Championship Game (2023) and claimed the conference's No. 1 seed (2024). 2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5, ninth in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 36-35-1 (.500) • Currently in playoff field: 3 • Above .500: 3 ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently laid out a convincing argument why this year's Chiefs squad isn't much different from last year's team that went 15-2. Other than a staggering regression in one-score games and special teams lapses, Kansas City is good enough to go on a run and crash the playoffs. The Chiefs' toughest remaining games (Colts, Chargers, Broncos) are at home. They also have a head-to-head with the Texans at Arrowhead. It's far too early to write Kansas City's obituary. The AFC West might be out of play, yet NFL Next Gen Stats still gives the Chiefs a 52 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, NFL.com's Ali Bhanpuri noted in a recently column that Kansas City's odds will drop to less than 33 percent with a loss this Sunday to Indianapolis. 1. Baltimore Ravens (5-5, 10th in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 35-35-1 (.493) • Currently in playoff field: 3 • Above .500: 4 The Ravens are just one game out of first in the AFC North and have the New York Jets (2-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) on the schedule before the first of two games with the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4). By the end of the first weekend in December, Baltimore, which has won four in a row following a Week 7 bye, could easily be in pole position for a third straight AFC North title.
'We got to make his life miserable': Maxx Crosby discusses Shedeur Sanders' debut
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby clearly wants Shedeur Sanders to enjoy a successful career. Still, he's not going to take it easy on the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback in his starting debut. On Wednesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Sanders is set to make his first start in Sunday's game against the Raiders in Las Vegas at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. Fellow rookie QB Dillon Gabriel is still battling a concussion suffered during a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. Crosby wants to make Sanders' day forgettable. It's nothing personal. The DE is just doing his job. Maxx Crosby discusses how he wants to wreck Shedeur Sanders-led Browns "Regardless, we have a job to get done and we got to make his life miserable," Crosby said Wednesday on his podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby." "And we've got to shut down their offense for us to have a chance. "I'm going to watch the film, see what everything looks like, and take it one day at a time. But yeah, I got a ton of respect for obviously OG Deion [Sanders' father] and his whole family, they're great people, and it'll be fun. It'll be fun for [Shedeur] if he ends up being the guy." Sanders didn't look like a franchise QB when replacing an injured Gabriel in the second half of Cleveland's game against Baltimore. The former Colorado Buffaloes star completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and tossed one interception. Week 11 was the first time Sanders had played with Cleveland's first-team offense. After working with the starters at practice this week, he's confident he'll play much better in Week 12. On Wednesday, Sanders told the media he believes he's "the guy" for Cleveland and that he'll let his play on Sunday prove it. Although the Raiders are 2-8, they could still provide a challenging test for the 23-year-old rookie. After 11 weeks, Crosby is tied for 16th in the league in sacks (six) and tied for eighth in forced fumbles (two). Cleveland, meanwhile, has allowed the second-most pressures (96) in the league, via Pro Football Reference. Sanders and the Browns (2-8) may surprise in his debut on Sunday. Even if he excels against Vegas, don't be surprised if Crosby sacks the QB at least one time. He's determined to give him his "welcome to the NFL" moment.
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