One reason for hope for each bubble team still in NFL playoff race; top five MVP candidates

REASON FOR HOPE: The offense is heating up. The main takeaway from the Rams’ 44-42 win over Buffalo is that head coach Sean McVay is getting his offense into a groove at exactly the right time. Los Angeles ran through the Bills all afternoon and unleashed wide receiver Puka Nacua in ways that seemed criminal at times (12 receptions for 162 yards to go along with a receiving and rushing touchdown). The Rams have dealt with an assortment of injuries on offense, especially at receiver. Now we’re learning once again how this unit can operate when everything is right. McVay pounded the football with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. He continually called plays that opened up space for Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Tutu Atwell to operate. Finally, quarterback Matthew Stafford was in complete command of the offense, as he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams didn’t commit a turnover in this contest and looked nothing like the team that started 1-4. They don’t have an easy end to the season -- they will face every other NFC West team (and the Jets) in the next four games -- but this offense looks ready to devour anything that steps in its path.

REASON FOR HOPE: They can’t be this bad forever. There was a time when the Falcons looked like they might run away with the NFC South, back when they were sitting at 6-3 and the rest of the division was in disarray. There’s still a chance for the Falcons to start playing more like that team, even though they dropped their fourth straight game with a loss to Minnesota. You want to know where the hope is for Atlanta? It’s called the Raiders, Giants and Panthers, all of whom will show up on the Falcons’ schedule in the final month of the season. Yes, we know -- the Falcons are now trailing the Buccaneers by a game and Tampa Bay has one of the easiest schedules left in the league. But you have to start somewhere. Atlanta’s defense has been an issue all season, and quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four games (while tossing eight interceptions during the same stretch). It’s astonishing to see a team that had so much going for it not that long ago implode in this fashion. The Falcons still have enough talent to turn that around, even if time isn’t working in their favor.

REASON FOR HOPE: The schedule eases up over the next couple weeks. The Cardinals are free-falling -- they’ve dropped three in a row after Sunday’s loss to Seattle -- so the next two games are coming at the right time. Arizona will see New England this week and Carolina after that before finishing with the Rams and 49ers. Those are winnable games for a team that desperately needs a reset. Arizona is now third in the NFC West and two games behind the Commanders, who would have the last wild-card spot if the playoffs started today. The Cardinals have shown plenty of good things this season -- including the early efficiency of quarterback Kyler Murray, the reliability of tight end Trey McBride and the emergence of a feisty defense -- but they need any inkling of momentum they can find now. A team that found a way to make clutch plays in the first half of the season hasn’t created enough of those in recent weeks. The Cards could use some confidence. They could find that in the next two games. 

REASON FOR HOPE: They’re starting to look more like the team we expected to see. The 49ers should feel great about what happened in Sunday’s 38-13 win over the Bears. San Francisco dominated an opponent, and that’s something we’ve rarely seen happen this season. The 49ers actually held a 319-4 advantage in total yards in the first half of that contest, which tells you how much they overwhelmed the Bears on the way to a 24-0 lead after two quarters. San Francisco hasn’t been able to create many afternoons like that because injuries have plagued this team all year. The 49ers finally have reached the point where they understand they can’t worry about who’s out there and who’s not. All they can do is play with a sense of urgency and hope for the best. That happened on Sunday against a beleaguered Bears team. We’ll see if San Francisco can continue that success against tougher opponents and with considerably more on the line.

REASON FOR HOPE: Anthony Richardson is making plays. Give Richardson and the Colts credit: They took what could’ve been a disastrous situation and turned it into a positive. The same quarterback who was benched for a couple games a few weeks ago has turned into a more confident leader who has led his team to two wins in its last three games, with Richardson scoring the deciding points in both victories. OK, fine -- he beat the Jets and Patriots. That’s still a far cry from where Richardson was when the Colts sat him down, as he was struggling with his accuracy and his maturity. It also helps that Indianapolis will see more teams with losing records down the stretch. If Indy can find a way to beat the Broncos this coming weekend -- Denver has a two-game lead in the race for that final AFC wild-card spot -- then the Colts truly have hope, ending the year with the Titans, Giants and Jaguars. It’s not hard to see Indianapolis finishing strong with that slate. The key is Richardson continuing to play like the player the Colts expect to become a franchise quarterback.

REASON FOR HOPE: Tua has been on fire. Like Richardson in Indianapolis, the major difference in Miami remaining in playoff contention has been quarterback play. Tua Tagovailoa has thrown 15 touchdown passes and only one interception since returning from a concussion that sidelined him for four games earlier this season. His consistency has helped Miami win four of its last five games -- including Sunday's 32-26 overtime win over the Jets -- and that’s an encouraging sign for the Dolphins. They weren’t impressive in beating the Jets, but they did enough to stay alive. Up next: matchups with the Texans and 49ers that will be far more difficult because both those teams are fighting for playoff spots, as well. The Dolphins fell apart when Tagovailoa went down. Their only hope of landing a wild-card spot comes down to their explosive offense giving them a chance. That’s where Tua comes in, and he’s been doing his part so far.

The Vikings quarterback played his best game of the season on Sunday, throwing for 347 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Atlanta. It was the kind of performance that indicated Darnold is trending in the right direction as Minnesota prepares for the playoffs, and that the offseason should be especially fun for him. Darnold has silenced a lot of skeptics by leading the Vikings to an 11-2 record. At this rate, he’ll be one of the most coveted free agents on the market when his one-year contract expires after this season.

It’s been a long season for Hill, primarily because Miami went five games with Tua Tagovailoa sidelined with a concussion. Hill has performed much better since his quarterback’s return, and he posted 10 receptions, 115 yards and a touchdown in the overtime win over the Jets. That was Hill’s first 100-yard game since Week 1. The Dolphins will need plenty more from him if they hope to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive. 

The Seahawks have struggled to run the ball all season and it seemed they’d be even worse with Kenneth Walker III sidelined by a calf injury this weekend. So, what does Charbonnet do when asked to take over the role of lead back? He gains 134 rush yards (and 59 receiving yards on seven catches) and scores two touchdowns in a huge win over Arizona to entrench Seattle in first place in the NFC West. That’s what you call clutch.

The Cardinals quarterback had been taking excellent care of the football for most of the season. The last two weeks, not so much. Murray threw two interceptions in a loss to Seattle, and he’s now thrown four in his last two games (which gives him eight total picks for the season). The Cardinals have gone from leading the NFC West to looking up at the Seahawks and Rams in the process. They can’t afford these giveaways in such critical games.

New York has become such a mess -- the Giants now have dropped eight straight games after Sunday’s loss to New Orleans -- that it’s fair to wonder how Daboll survives (as well as general manager Joe Schoen). The Giants have the worst scoring offense in the league. They’ve already dumped quarterback Daniel Jones and they’ve been watching Saquon Barkley haunt them all year while thriving for the Eagles. It doesn’t get any easier, either, as the Giants see the Ravens next and finish the year in Philadelphia. Incredibly, this could all get uglier for Daboll.

Buffalo played in one of the most exciting games of the season, but this defense isn’t going to enjoy watching this film. The Rams converted 11 of 15 third-down attempts (including 10 of their first 11), gained 457 total yards, controlled the ball for 38 minutes, 30 seconds and had absolutely no answer for Puka Nacua. It was easily the worst day of the season for this unit and one the Bills better learn from. Josh Allen and that potent offense can only take this team so far in the postseason.

This game has huge implications for the top seed in both conferences. The Lions have been the dominant team in the NFC, but they're hearing the footsteps of the surging Eagles in the race for that postseason bye. The Bills are trying to chase down the Chiefs and can’t afford another defeat after losing to the Rams in Sunday’s epic shootout. Should we also mention that these are the two highest-scoring offenses in the league? This is what you call can’t-miss.

• DraftKings odds: -400
• Weeks in top five: 14
• Next game: at Lions | Sunday, Dec. 15

• DraftKings odds: +450
• Weeks in top five: 4
• Next game: vs. Steelers | Sunday, Dec. 15

• DraftKings odds: +1000
• Weeks in top five: 12
• Next game: at Giants | Sunday, Dec. 15

• DraftKings odds: +1000
• Weeks in top five: 8
• Next game: vs. Bills | Sunday, Dec. 15

• DraftKings odds: +5000
• Weeks in top five: 6
• Next game: vs. Bears | Monday, Dec. 16