The Big Jab

Welcome to December, and what a week in the NFL it was. Here’s my top 10 as we enter the home stretch of the season.

1. San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
We have a new number one, and a quite convincing one too. In the game of the year, the 49ers went into Philadelphia and left no doubt in a 42-19 win. The brilliance of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Brock Purdy were too much for the Eagles’ lackluster defense to overcome, vaulting San Fran into the top spot. The race for the top-seed in the NFC is once again wide open, with the 49ers having the inside track if Philadelphia loses again. Up next, a rematch with Seattle, who the 49ers blew out on Thanksgiving Night.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
Well, that was an embarrassing loss for Philadelphia. Outplayed in all three phases of the game, it’s clear who the top team is in the NFC and the entire NFL, and it’s not the Eagles. The defense is bad, the offensive play calling is suspect, and Jalen Hurts might be playing hurt. Nonetheless, a quick turnaround is needed when the Eagles play in Dallas on Sunday night in a game with division and top-seed implications.

3. Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
Dallas is playing its best football of the season, as is quarterback Dak Prescott, who finds himself in the middle of the MVP conversation. A big win over Seattle and a loss by Philly keeps them firmly in the NFC East and top-seed mix in the NFC. If Prescott continues his high-level play, Dallas will be a tough out come January. The Cowboys host the Eagles on Sunday night in what has turned into a monumental game for both sides.

4. Miami Dolphins (9-3)
Well, well, well, it’s December and the Dolphins hold the top spot in the AFC standings. Like the Ravens, the Dolphins control their own destiny but have a brutal final three games against Dallas, Baltimore, and Buffalo. We’re going to find out a lot about this Dolphins team over the next month, but for now they sit in the top spot in a crowded AFC. Miami faces Tennessee at home on Monday night.

5. Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
Coming off the bye, the Ravens have the inside track to earn the top-seed in the AFC if they win out. With upcoming games against Jacksonville and Miami that probably will decide the vitally important top-seed, Baltimore controls its own destiny the rest of the way. Hopefully healthier out of the bye, Baltimore will look to continue its hot streak when they face the Rams at home this Sunday.

6. Detroit Lions (9-3)
After a horrendous loss on Thanksgiving to Green Bay, the Lions got back in the win column in a win over New Orleans that was way closer than it should’ve been. Jared Goff corrected his turnover problem, but the defense has been suspect for the past four weeks and will need to improve if Detroit has Super Bowl aspirations. They head to Chicago this Sunday for a divisional matchup.

7. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
This is very unusual to see a Patrick Mahomes led team this low, but it’s hard to justify putting them any higher. The offense is as broken as a Mahomes offense can possibly be. When the defense and running back Isiah Pacheco don’t play perfect and Mahomes doesn’t play superhero this team is more likely to lose than not. The lack of weapons is really catching up with them, and this Chiefs team is as vulnerable as they can be with Mahomes and Andy Reid. Kansas City hosts Buffalo on Sunday in a big AFC showdown.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
The rest of the season depends on Trevor Lawrence’s health, something that is certainly in question during the time I write this. A bad loss to the Jake Browning led Bengals on Monday night doesn’t help, and suddenly the AFC South is again up for grabs. We’ll see what the rest of the season brings, but without Lawrence it will be very murky. Jacksonville faces Cleveland on the road on Sunday in a massive game for playoff implications.

9. Houston Texans (7-5)
The AFC South is once again in play for Houston after a big win over Denver followed by a Jacksonville loss. The season-ending injury to Tank Dell hurts, but Houston is still very much in the mix. C.J. Stroud is the no doubt Offensive Rookie of the Year while DeMeco Ryans is my choice for Coach of the Year for now. Houston faces the Jets at Metlife on Sunday with a chance to make more ground in the division and playoff race.

10. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Coming out of the bye week, Buffalo is in a must-win game the rest of the way. Buried deep in the AFC playoff race for now, the Bills have a chance to pull a miracle and find themselves playing football in January, but they must play mistake-free football the rest of the way. That starts Sunday in Kansas City when they take on the Chiefs in a game that should be very fun.