We have reached the month of December and quite the time in the NFL season.
Even though it is only the second day of this glorious month we have already seen two different snow games and one team clinch a division title. The football is football-ing and for that we are forever grateful.
While a sense of gratitude is well and nice we also have some thoughts on teams that are failing in epic ways and have to hold them accountable for doing so. Basically, we have a lot of opinions about a lot of things and need to get them out somewhere.
Welcome to that somewhere. This is The Skinny Post and we, Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, are about to take you through Week 13.
I take back what I said last week about the Eagles and now I believe they’re one of the top contenders in the NFL
Michael:
Last week, I discussed how I did not believe the Eagles were once again one of the best teams in the NFL. After watching them dominate the Ravens on Sunday, I have to rescind my previous comments and agree with the original claim by RJ.
The Eagles beat the Ravens 24-19, but Lamar Jackson threw his final touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with three seconds left to make the score look a bit prettier. Otherwise, this was a double-digit win for Philly over an AFC contender.
Philadelphia’s defense held fridge-turned-running back Derrick Henry to 82 yards rushing and no touchdowns on top of keeping Jackson to just 40 yards on the ground before he ripped off a 39-yard scamper on the final drive of the game. This was a great performance by Vic Fangio’s unit. The offense wasn’t anything spectacular outside of Saquon Barkley’s 107 yards and a touchdown, but they won’t need to be if the complementary football continues.
RJ:
Obviously as our resident Dallas Cowboys person I keep close tabs on the Eagles and it is demoralizing how different this year feels for them.
On the surface, I think the biggest thing is that Saquon Barkley provides a closing element for them that they haven’t had in the past, but more than anything I think that they have finally accepted that being boring or winning in boring fashion is fine. Winning is all that matters.
Two years ago, the Eagles stormed through everyone and I think that when you are THAT good (sort of like the Detroit Lions this year) there is an added pressure akin to when we (Michael and I) were growing up and working on our franchise mode teams in Madden.
You want to win in the most epic way with all of the records smashed and all of the high scores. That is obviously cool, but when you swing for the fence to break the home run record you leave yourself prone to misses.
I’m afraid that this Eagles team finally understands that.
Which of the current postseason-bound teams has the highest chance to be one-and-done in this year’s playoffs?
RJ:
The easiest answer here is clearly a team who I accurately predicted to win their division last year (check the SB Nation archives, I dare you) in the Houston Texans. I was in before everyone else and am sorry to say that I may be out in that same way as well.
If there is a paper tiger in the NFL right now, then it is easily Houston. They barely hung on to beat the Jaguars and look ready for this whole thing to be over with.
I have spoken.
Michael:
The Texans are a great choice here. I’m surprised almost every week to see them struggling against teams I would have otherwise predicted them to dominate. After what Stroud did as a rookie, I would have assumed they’d take a big step forward and be one of the top teams in the AFC this season. Boy, were we wrong.
For the sake of not being repetitive, I’m going with — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — my Los Angeles Chargers.
Look, this team has a great defense, but they’re actually a pretty banged up team and no one really talks about it because they’re still finding a way to be successful. At the same time, the side of the ball that is actually healthy is the offense and they’ve been really up-and-down depending on the week. Most games, they disappear in the second half after posting strong opening quarters.
That type of football is not conducive to postseason winning. The Chargers offense had four drives in the second half against the Falcons on Sunday. They were all four plays or less. They scored zero touchdowns. Justin Herbert has thrown for zero touchdowns in back-to-back games, the most recent of which came against the NFL’s 25th-ranked defense.
I just don’t see how they turn it around fast enough with who they have. J.K. Dobbins won’t return from IR until Week 17 and their receivers not name Ladd McConkey struggle to be consistent week-to-week.
This just screams like a surprise playoff team who will be exposed in their opening matchup.
Are the Steelers in the same cut as the Lions, Eagles and Bills?
Michael:
I’m actually super torn on this question. Every ounce of being would have said no, but their latest win over the the Bengals has me ready to change my tune about my idea of this Steelers team. They’ve been a great defensive team that only needed to play clean — not stellar — to win games this year, but it looks like Russell Wilson has regained something close to his prime form and he’s a big reason they’ve won six of their last seven.
As of right now, I’m comfortable saying the Steelers are in the same tier as those teams listed above, or at least very adjacent. Over 400 passing yards and three touchdowns from Wilson in a 44-point performance by the offense is a good sign, no matter the defense you played. Great teams have to win games no matter what events transpire and so far the Steelers have shown how to win the close wins, whether in shootout fashion or instances of a defensive tug-of-war.
RJ:
I’m going to say that the Steelers aren’t in the same tier as the other would-be contenders, but I will hedge that by saying that I trust them the most to prove me wrong, if that makes sense.
Michael is right in that tearing up any NFL defense is noteworthy, but the Bengals are horrendous these days. That context matters.
Still though, what Mike Tomlin and this whole group are doing is amazing. I don’t know that there is a playoff-level team with as much variance as they have right now. They could storm through the entire tournament and it wouldn’t shock us and at the same time they could score 9 points in the Wild Card round and get bounced at home.
It is beautiful.
Should Kyle Shanahan be taking more criticism?
RJ:
Just speaking off the top of my head here… there is nobody I can think of that looks more annoyed by their gift than Kyle Shanahan. He appears genuinely bothered to have to use his football brilliance in front of the whole world.
That being said, I feel like we are not coming at him enough as a football society. The offseason conversation will eventually turn toxic around Brock Purdy and how you just can’t pay him all of that money when he didn’t lift his team, but we have spent the last half decade saying that Kyle Shanahan and his system were quarterback-proof. Both can’t be the primary culprit.
Beyond the fact that I think Shanahan is failing his team in terms of offensive design these days (you’ve been a bit figured out, Kyle… time to think a little bit harder!) he is not helping matters by not playing nice whenever he is behind a microphone. History is written by the winners and when you win you can act as smug as you want, but the whole act feels tired and broken right now.
As a Cowboys fan… it really is a shame!
Michael:
I haven’t thought much about the 49ers this season as they’ve become boringly good the past few seasons, but that sure doesn’t seem to be the case this year. Every time I see them on television, they’re dropping a game to another team. How are the 5-7? I know Christian McCaffrey is hurt, but he isn’t the only good player on the Niners. George Kittle? Deebo Samuel? Brandon Aiyuk played seven games before he was hurt. Trent Willliams has played in 10.
Now what about the defense? Fred Warner? Nick Bosa? Dre Greenlaw?
I think you’re absolutely right. I really haven’t heard much in the way of criticism for Kyle Shanahan and I think it’s time we start holding his nose to the fire a bit. This team is coming off a Super Bowl appearance. The drop-off in success is staggering. Will it really lead to more quarterback discourse over the offseason? Would the 49ers really consider moving on from Brock Purdy, even if he’s under contract on a minimal deal in 2025? I guess I can’t say I’d be surprised about any of that. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league and if Purdy can’t turn it around, he’ll be at the center of those talks about the team’s future. And to be honest, Shanahan should be there too if the season continues the way it’s been going.
Or, you know, maybe it’s just a fluke season and they’ll be back to dominance next season. Who truly ever knows? But for now, these questions about the team are real and they’ll need to be addressed by season’s end.
