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11/24 05:00 CST There are more questions than answers after NFL games Sunday
There are more questions than answers after NFL games Sunday
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
The Kansas City Chiefs saved their season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave critics
more fuel. The Los Angeles Rams made a dominant statement.
There are more questions than answers Sunday in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes did just enough to rally the Chiefs to a 23-20 overtime victory
over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City's dominant defense gave him the
opportunity.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit forced the Colts to go
three-and-out on their final four possessions. The Chiefs shut down the NFL's
leading rusher, holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 16 carries. Colts coach
Shane Steichen inexplicably gave Taylor the ball only once on the last three
drives of regulation.
Mahomes threw for 352 yards but didn't have any touchdowns. He looked skittish
at times under pressure, rushing his reads and hurrying his passes.
The Chiefs (6-5) couldn't afford another loss as they fight to make the
playoffs after winning nine straight AFC West titles, reaching eight
consecutive conference championship games and winning three Super Bowls.
They've got a long way to go and a tough game at Dallas (5-5-1) coming up on
Thanksgiving Day. Mahomes and the offense need to get in sync for Kansas City
to have a shot.
"We're still not where we want to be at but this was big," Mahomes said.
"Getting that win against a really good football team and kind of proving it to
(ourselves) that we can play this kind of football game where it's not always
pretty. I think now we just have to build off that momentum. It's going to be a
short week. We're playing a good team in the Cowboys, and they can score some
points and they have a lot of great players. It's about rebounding fast, trying
to be better, even better this next week going into a big environment, big game
and trying to get that win."
The Colts (8-3) have gone from 7-1 to a team that is going to have to battle to
win the AFC South. They'll face division rivals Jacksonville (7-4) and Houston
(6-5) four times over the remaining six games. Their other two opponents are
Seattle (8-3) and San Francisco (7-4).
Steichen trusted Daniel Jones to win the game in Kansas City, electing to put
the ball in his hands down the stretch instead of giving it to Taylor to
protect a lead. Jones couldn't deliver. He was 3 for 9 for 17 yards on the
final four possessions.
"I felt there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good
about in the pass game and we just weren't efficient doing it and it starts
with me," Steichen said.
Eagles collapse The reigning Super Bowl champions built a 21-0 lead in Dallas and looked like they were on their way to snapping Dak Prescott's 18-game winning streak at home against NFC East opponents. Jalen Hurts was connecting with A.J. Brown and it seemed Philadelphia would quiet some of the drama surrounding the two superstars. But the offense regressed, giving Prescott and the Cowboys an opportunity to come back and win 24-21. The Eagles (8-3) have a comfortable lead over Dallas (5-5-1) and are in position to become the first repeat champion in the division in two decades. But Philadelphia fell behind the Rams (9-2) in the race for the No. 1 seed. A sluggish offense isn't playing up to its standard. Saquon Barkley ran for only 22 yards on 10 carries, and the passing attack just hasn't found its rhythm. Rams dominate The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no match for Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Stafford continued his MVP-caliber campaign with another stellar performance against an overmatched defense and Los Angeles cruised to a 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay. The 37-year-old Stafford has thrown 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season. "I got great teammates. I get to throw to a bunch of great players, stand behind a good o-line and watch these guys hunt on defense," Stafford said. That defense overwhelmed the Buccaneers, knocking Baker Mayfield out of the game. Jared Verse and Kobie Turner each had two sacks and Los Angeles is playing the team to beat in the NFC. First to 10 Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are the first team to reach 10 wins this season after holding on for a 26-20 victory in Cincinnati. The Patriots have a 2 1/2-game lead over Buffalo (7-4) in the AFC East with eight of their wins coming against teams that have a losing record. With three of their last five games against teams that are currently 8-26 combined, New England is position to win its first division title since Tom Brady left and has an inside track to earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But the Patriots still have a lot to prove, especially against more experienced playoff teams. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl |
