Lamar Jackson’s chase for a third NFL MVP, and the Baltimore Ravens’ hopes to win the Super Bowl are dwindling.
There’s no other way to put it after Baltimore’s 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, which was the Ravens’ second loss in three games, and third in the past six games.
Along with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens were the AFC’s elite for much of the season. But their recent skid paints a different picture.
Our NFL overreactions begin this week on the Ravens, whose season will end in Buffalo or Kansas City and not a trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
Ravens are not Super Bowl material
A season that should see Baltimore host not just one, but two playoff games, will likely see the Ravens on the road during this postseason. They’ve been passed up in the AFC North by the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Buffalo Bills have already locked up a top four playoff seed through Week 13.
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Jackson and the Ravens could not rely on Justin Tucker, who missed two field goals and an extra point against the Eagles.
Tucker has missed eight field goals this season – each coinciding with a Ravens loss. It’s been a rough year for arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history.
The losses don’t bode well for Jackson’s case for a third NFL MVP, although he’s been a frontrunner for the award after Baltimore’s wins.
More important, the Ravens’ road to the Super Bowl no longer goes through Baltimore. Instead, the Ravens will likely have to fend for the playoff lives in Kansas City or Buffalo.
And that’s a major disappointment after the Ravens appeared as bona fide contenders with Jackson’s standout play, and Derrick Henry’s emergence in his first season.
The Ravens will look back on their losses – to the Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders to begin the season, to the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, Steelers in Week 11 and Eagles in Week 13 – and wonder which one (if not all of them) are the reasons why they fell short this season.
Christian McCaffrey’s knee injury is final nail in 49ers season
San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey’s season may have come to an end following a knee injury on Sunday Night Football against the Bills. And so has the 49ers’ season.
Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed McCaffrey suffered an injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which could keep him out for the final five games of the season.
McCaffrey’s injury – remember, he missed the first eight games of the season to treat bilateral Achilles tendinitis – feels like the final nail in the 49ers’ season.
The 49ers are in last place in the NFC West, looking up at the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, in a season where they hoped to return to the Super Bowl.
Instead, injuries across the board have kept the 49ers in this perpetual Super Bowl hangover from last season’s loss to the Chiefs.
The 49ers aren’t completely out of the divisional race or playoff picture, but it sure looks like it after losing their third consecutive game and for the seventh time this season.
Lions better keep foot on gas pedal
The two best teams in the NFC: Detroit Lions and Eagles.
The next two? Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
And that’s plenty of reason for the Lions to not take their foot off the gas pedal in the final five weeks of the regular season.
Other teams in Detroit’s rearview mirror are closer than they appear, like the Packers coming to town Thursday.
The Lions (11-1) might own the No. 1 seed in the playoff race, but they can’t afford any slipups during the final stretch.
The Eagles are one game back in the playoff standings. The Vikings are one game back in the NFC North race, while the Packers are two games back in the division.
The NFC playoff race is in for an exciting finish. The Lions, Packers and Vikings will all face each other again in the final month, while the Eagles have the Steelers and their NFC East counterparts in the final weeks.
Anything can happen – just ask the Ravens.