Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs Secure Playoff Spots, Buffalo Newsweekly Football Analysis
The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have secured playoff spots in the American Football Conference with five weeks left in the season, and will now vie for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles outlasted the Baltimore Ravens, winning their eighth consecutive game.
The San Francisco 49ers, a participant in last year’s Super Bowl, are on the verge of a season-long reset after being throttled by the Bills, and may have lost star running back Christian McCaffrey for the rest of the season due to a PCL knee injury.
Week 13 games were marked by high-stakes rivalries, with 12 of the 14 games decided by a single score, tying the league record for a single week. The New England Patriots were knocked out of postseason contention, becoming the first team to be eliminated this early since 2000.
Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, continues to impress, boasting 414 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson is the first Pittsburgh quarterback with at least 400 yards passing since Ben Roethlisberger in 2018.
Leonard Williams, defensive end of the Seattle Seahawks, registered two sacks, a blocked kick, and a 92-yard interception return for a score in a 26-21 win over the New York Jets. Tarheeb Still, cornerback of the Los Angeles Chargers, recorded two interceptions in a win over the Atlanta Falcons, including one for a 61-yard touchdown.
DeMarvion Overshown, linebacker of the Dallas Cowboys, had nine combined tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception return for a 23-yard score in a Thanksgiving Day victory over the New York Giants.
James Cook, running back of the Buffalo Bills, accumulated 107 rushing yards and a score in a win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Players who struggled include Kirk Cousins, quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, who threw four interceptions and posted a 40.0 passer rating, and Chuba Hubbard, running back of the Carolina Panthers, who was stripped of the football by Tampa Bay linebacker Anthony Nelson, negating a potential game-winning score.
