Monday, 16 December 2024

Bills 48, Lions 42

With three games remaining, the Chiefs schedule gets a little more difficult now:  home to the Texans, at the Steelers then at the Broncos. Conversely, the Bills schedule gets a little easier: home to the Patriots and Jets then at the Patriots. At 13-1, the Chiefs are well-positioned to earn the top seed in the AFC playoff bracket, two games ahead of the Bills. For the Bills to jump ahead of the Chiefs, they must sweep their remaining games and hope that the Chiefs lose two of three. This scenario is certainly possible but probably not likely.  

With another stellar performance yesterday in Detroit, Josh Allen took another step toward earning MVP honours for 2024. His likely closest competitor, running back Saquon Barkley of the Eagles, ran for a rather pedestrian 65 yards yesterday in a win against the Steelers. While Allen didn’t post numbers quite as eye-popping as Jared Goff did yesterday, he did manage 362 passing yards with two touchdown passes, two rushing touchdowns and, once again, no turnovers. Goff came within six yards of hitting 500 and had five touchdown passes in a loss. Allen’s quarterback rating of 122.4 was slightly better than Goff’s 118.9.  

Over the last two weeks, the Bills have played in the NFL’s two highest-scoring games this season. They have become the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s who seemed to win every game 8-5. The offensive juggernaut they clearly are led Lions coach Dan Campbell to try an onside kick early in the fourth quarter with his team down by 10 points. It backfired as Mack Hollins made an athletic play by recovering the kick and returning it deep into Lions territory setting up another touchdown – this time a five-yard pass to Ray Davis. One strange statistic from the game is that Bills receiver Amari Cooper had no touches on the day and no targets either. James Cook continued his strong play with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own.  

Recent polling of NFL fans clearly indicates that the preferred Superbowl match-up is Buffalo v. Detroit. Neither franchise has ever won a Superbowl and the Lions have never been to the big game although they came close last season, losing the NFC Championship Game to the 49ers after blowing a 17-point lead. Football fans have grown tired of seeing the Chiefs - just as they grew tired of the Patriots a decade earlier. If yesterday’s game was any indication, a Superbowl between Buffalo and Detroit might be one of the highest-scoring championship games ever, with two outstanding quarterbacks with weapons to match.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell is the face of Detroit’s franchise and his turnaround of the team which in 2008 lost every game to finish 0-16, has resulted in him being handed the keys to the City. On our satellite television service, US network affiliates originate from Detroit and Campbell can be seen all over the airwaves in local business television advertising, from law firms to car dealerships to retail stores. Every business in the state of Michigan would welcome his affiliation with their brand. He has endeared himself to the Lions fanbase by imparting his own physically imposing, gruff-voiced tough guy persona on to the identity and character of his football team. When he was first hired in 2021, he talked the talk as they say – referencing kicking opponents in the teeth and “knee-capping” them - and he has clearly now shown that he can also walk the walk. The team’s results speak for themselves, with the Lions now standing at 12-2 and remaining in position to earn the first seed in the NFC playoff bracket. But with yesterday’s loss, they are now tied atop the NFC with the Eagles with their division rival Vikings likely to join them in a three-way tie with a win at home over the Bears tonight. Last season’s implosion in the NFC Championship Game notwithstanding, the Lions haven’t enjoyed success like they have under Dan Campbell’s leadership – at least not in the Superbowl era. The team joined the NFL in 1930 and won four NFL Championships in the 1950s, most recently in 1957.

In a couple of hours, early on this Monday morning, I’ll be having what is, by my count, my seventh colonoscopy. Every three years since the age of 40 is what’s recommended for those like me with a strong family history. I stuck close to home yesterday and, yes, everything came out according to plan. By far, the best part of the entire preparation process and the procedure itself is deciding what to eat once its done. Thinking omelette or maybe a cinnamon roll.

The Bills return home next week for a game against the 3-11 Patriots. They are early 14-point favourites. I’m surprised to see that the Chiefs are two-point underdogs at home to the Texans on Saturday. Expect that line to tighten as the week goes on.

 

       

 

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