A new week means two new Super Bowl favorites

Yeah, but: The defense doesn’t look Super Bowl caliber, allowing 86 points and 978 yards over the last two weeks to the Rams and Lions. The Bills are also the second seed, two games behind the Chiefs with three to play. The Bills look like the favorites in the AFC, but all bets are off if they go to Kansas City in the playoffs.

The Chiefs (13-1) have the advantage over the No. 1 seed and need to finish 2-1 to seal it. They have a terrific defense that forced six turnovers in Sunday’s win over the Browns. They are also 10-0 in one-score games and the experience factor with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid is unbeatable.

Yeah, but: going 2-1 can be difficult. They finish with games in Houston, Pittsburgh on a short week and Denver. The Chiefs offense is struggling, scoring more than 21 points just once in its last six games. And now Mahomes is dealing with a sprained ankle. Then again, we’ve seen this exact movie before, and it always ends with Mahomes dancing under confetti.

The Lions (12-2) have one of the best offenses in football, they have won 12 straight games before Sunday and they showed impressive fight in the fourth quarter against the Bills.

Yeah, but: The defense looks like a real problem, decimated by injuries and allowing 79 points in back-to-back games against the Packers and Bills. The Lions have been the No. 1 seed in the NFC most of the year, but with a tough closing schedule, they could fall to wild card status if Minnesota or Green Bay make a move.

Then again, with this year’s two losses at home, the Lions might be better off playing a weather road game in the playoffs, rather than a home dome game where their defense may be exposed.

The Eagles (12-2) are rolling again after an impressive win over the Steelers in which they dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Eagles have won 10 games in a row, their defense is playing hard and their offense can intimidate any opponent. With three divisional games remaining, the Eagles appear well-positioned to earn the No. 1 seed.

Yeah, but: The dysfunction of the Panthers game and the dramatic week that followed are hard to ignore. The Eagles feel like they’re in a fight between Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown after melting down in a playoff game.

The Vikings (11-2 Monday) have a great coach, elite playmakers on offense and an aggressive defense that has forced the second-most turnovers in the NFL. And Sam Darnold is one of the best stories in the NFL.

Yeah, but: Are you willing to bet on Darnold in the playoffs, especially on the road?

The Packers (10-4) have scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games, and their only losses since the calendar flipped in November were suffered by the Lions (4-2). They are not afraid to play away or on the road and just scored 17 points against the Seahawks.

Yeah, but: The Packers are 0-3 against the Vikings and Lions, who they may have to face in the playoffs.

The Ravens (9-5) got back on track with a 35-14 win over the Giants. And when Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are rolling, the Ravens have the best offense in the NFL.

Yeah, but: Recent losses to the Steelers and Eagles paint a picture of a Ravens team that isn’t ready for prime time. And Jackson’s playoff disappointments speak for themselves.

The Steelers (10-4) looked like contenders with impressive back-to-back wins over the Commanders and Ravens last month, and they have a defense that can win games in January.

Yeah, but: Their offense was exposed Sunday with just 163 total yards against the Eagles. Russell Wilson is a great story but he no longer has enough left to beat good teams in the playoffs.

Looking for former Patriots

Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones: Thrown for 294 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 32-25 loss to the Jets. Jones is 1-3 as a starter with four touchdowns, seven picks and a career-low grade of 72.7.

Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith: Had 48 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Texans, and has scored at least one touchdown in four of his last five games (five total). The Patriots certainly could have used a playmaker like him this year.

Giants coach Brian Daboll: It’s not all his fault the Giants are 2-12 and barely competitive when ownership forces you to bench the team’s best quarterback . But life isn’t fair, and it’s never a good sign when fans fly planes over the stadium demanding you be fired.

Chargers WR Ladd McConkey: Not a former Patriot, but the guy the Patriots chose not to draft and instead traded for Ja’Lynn Polk. McConkey had five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers, and has 63 for 873 yards and five touchdowns this year. Polk had no catches Sunday for the fifth time in seven games.

Quick hits

The Commanders won, so all’s well that ends well. But the NFL almost had a scandal on its hands when the New Orleans clockmaker mistakenly (we think) stopped the clock for four seconds as the game reached 0:00. This gave the Saints just enough time to throw the ball and set up for one last play, which resulted in a touchdown. Without the clock stopping, the match would be over.

Only once in the last five years has a team turned the ball over six times in a game (Washington, 2023). Then it happened twice on Sunday (Titans, Browns). Another team had five turnovers (Colts) and three had four (Bengals, Dolphins, Panthers). The 51 turnovers Sunday were the most in one day since Dec. 11, 2016, according to the Associated Press.

The AFC playoff field is essentially set, with the No. 7 seed Chargers holding a two-game lead over the Colts, Dolphins and Bengals with three to play.

CJ Stroud had four more sacks and the Texans gained just 181 yards in their victory against the Dolphins. They’re not going to get anywhere with this offensive line.

Watch out for the 8-6 Rams. They have won three times in a row and they can win by shootout (44-42) or by slugfest (12-6).

The Dolphins just can’t beat good teams. This is a feature of the Mike McDaniel-Tua Tagovailoa era, not a bug.

Davante Adams can still play. He totaled 0 yards in the first half and 198 yards in the second half, the sixth most by any receiver since 1991. But not the most this year — Ja’Marr Chase had 212 in the second half against the Ravens last month .

Watch what happens when the Panthers are favored for the first time in 34 weeks – they put up a stink at home against the Cowboys.

Good for Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi for going for 2 points at the end of the 20-19 loss to the Commanders instead of playing in overtime. Rizzi is 3-2 and his players are fighting hard for him. They should give him the job already.

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Ben Volin can be contacted at [email protected].