Those who have stood on the sidelines for a variety of youth sports over the years will know what I'm talking about here when I say that the other team – whether it be in football, American football, rugby, hockey or whatever the sport – always had 'that' kid who had gone through his or her growth spurt quicker and earlier than everyone else on the field.
The dominant athlete in question stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the game. They were bigger, stronger, faster… better! That's only supposed to happen at youth sports with kids growing at different rates – but it happens every Sunday in the NFL when Josh Allen is in action for the Buffalo Bills.
There is no one playing better in the NFL right now and Allen, who has been a true superstar for a few years now, has never been as dominant or as breathtaking as he is in this moment.
A week after he racked up 424 offensive yards and accounted for six touchdowns in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Allen was back on imperious form in Buffalo's 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions in a wild game that saw both teams combine for 1,080 yards of offense!
Working in structure and dominating in playground football, Allen marched into Ford Field and handed the Lions just their second defeat of the season and their first since September 15. He threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 68 rushing yards and two scores. He and the Bills got off to a fast start and it felt like the Lions were always playing catch-up from a couple of scores behind.
That would explain Jared Goff's ridiculous numbers as he threw for 494 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in a losing effort. And it certainly explains why Dan Campbell called for an onside kick – which had to be declared under new league rules – with more than 12 minutes left in the game. The Bills recovered and Mack Hollins returned the ball to set up another easy Buffalo score. The Lions simply could not stop Buffalo and Campbell had to try to steal a possession somehow. Campbell was getting slammed for that decision on social media, but I didn't have a problem with it.
But back to the Bills for a moment. Allen was sensational once more, but I was also impressed with their offense as a whole. Buffalo rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns on the night. Add that threat to the game-breaking talents of Allen and this, for me, remains the team to beat in the AFC.
I know the 13-1 Kansas City Chiefs have a two-game lead over the Bills at the moment, but the race to the one seed in the AFC is not over. Kansas City face Houston and Pittsburgh in a four-day span from December 21-25 and end at Denver in Week 18. The Bills face the New England Patriots twice and the New York Jets. A much easier run-in, for sure.
Even if the road to the Super Bowl runs through Arrowhead once again, I would still back the Bills as the team to beat in the AFC playoffs. And that's largely because they have the game's most dominant player at the league's most important position in Josh Allen.
Who's Hot…
Tampa Bay's offense… The Buccaneers scored 30 unanswered points to pull away for a 40-17 road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. It was Tampa's fourth win in a row as they lead the race to the NFC South title in 2024. And there is a lot to like on the offensive side of the ball. Baker Mayfield threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns, while Mike Evans caught nine passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Evans now sits on 749 receiving yards despite missing three games with a hamstring injury. If he can finish strong and top 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, it will mean he has reached that milestone in each of his first 11 seasons in the league. And for the Harry Potter-loving receiver, that will be just magical! But there is a balance to these Bucs as Bucky Irving (117 rushing yards) shone once again on a night when Tampa rushed 39 times for 223 yards. After wins over the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, this was a tougher test for the Bucs and they passed with flying colours. Todd Bowles' team is playoff bound and will be a tough out once they get there.
Philadelphia's passing attack… The Eagles headed into Week 15 as winners of nine straight games, but with a lopsided offense. They had run the football 473 times (most in the NFL), while attempting 328 passes (fewest in the NFL). That's easily explained given Saquon Barkley's dominance at running back. But wide receiver A.J. Brown was not happy and we should have known that would lead to the Eagles placating one of their star players. In Sunday's 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles saw Barkley rush for just 65 yards as he got banged up and spent some time on the sidelines. And they won another way as Brown and fellow receiver Devonta Smith both topped 100 receiving yards in the game while each of them caught a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts. It was a gentle reminder that the Eagles, when push comes to shove, can be a complete team and they are now on the same 12-2 record with the Lions in the race for the top seed in the NFC.
Lamar Jackson… Josh Allen may have pulled away from the pack in the NFL Most Valuable Player race on Sunday night, which is hard to imagine on a night when Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes. But his quality of opponent can rightly be questioned as the Ravens romped to a 35-14 win over a Giants team that has now lost nine in a row. But you can only beat those in front of you and Lamar made some big-time throws as he passed for 290 yards and those five scores. They have their flaws with five losses on the record, but these Ravens can beat anyone on their day and will also be a real threat once the heavyweight clashes take place in January's AFC playoffs. They could range from a first-round exit to Super Bowl champions!
Who's Not…
The Miami Dolphins on a big stage… Another big game for the Miami Dolphins on a big stage against a quality opponent and it was yet another frustrating loss. The Dolphins fell to a 20-12 defeat against the Houston Texans and it was a very winnable game given how well their defense played for much of the contest. After throwing just one interception in the previous seven games, Tua Tagovailoa melted down by tossing three picks to an inspired Houston defense. He struggled on a big stage once again and his head coach, Mike McDaniel, had no answers for what his opposite number – Houston's DeMeco Ryans – was throwing at him. It is a much-repeated line that probably annoys the Dolphins, but the only way they can stop the talk is to win big games like this. And that's something they have found to be beyond their capabilities in recent years with McDaniel and Tagovailoa leading the way. As a result, that's likely the end of Miami's playoff charge for another season.
Jonathan Taylor… The Indianapolis Colts made a strong start to their game against the Broncos in Denver, knowing a win at Mile High would give them a great platform to make an end-of-season playoff run. And the Colts looked in great shape as Jonathan Taylor completed a 41-yard touchdown run to give the visitors a 20-7 third quarter lead. Hold on… make that a 40 ½-yard run. Taylor dropped the ball to the ground in a celebration that was part nonchalance and part selfish showboating. No touchdown, Denver football! The Colts never recovered from the psychological blow inflicted on them by one of their biggest and most reliable leaders and the Broncos romped to a 31-13 win. Would the Colts have won if Taylor had found the end zone? We'll never know, but they would have been in a very good position. I'm sure there is not a play in football more annoying or frustrating than the one that Taylor was involved in on Sunday night. What's the point of doing it anyway? Just carry the ball into the end zone! It could end up being the play that costs the Colts their season as they now have fallen to 6-8 on the year and are running out of time to make up ground in the AFC playoff race.
Will Levis… I think the Tennessee Titans have now seen enough from Will Levis to know they need to find themselves a new quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Titans fell to a 37-27 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that featured 26 penalties and 10 turnovers! And Levis was the biggest culprit on a day of sloppy football in Nashville. He was intercepted three times with one of those picks being returned for a Cincinnati touchdown by Geno Stone. Levis was replaced by Mason Rudolph – who didn't fare much better – and the chances of either player being the long-term answer are slim to none… and slim has already left town!
The Fast Five…
- I called our producers for a replay from Cleveland on Sunday which showed Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes slow to get up after being slammed to the ground yet again. I was raising the protection issues which reared their ugly head once more in KC's 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns. Moments later, we returned to that game to find Mahomes on the sidelines having suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury. Now, he faces a race against time to be fit for Saturday's game against Houston and the Christmas Day meeting with Pittsburgh. Otherwise, brace yourself for a festive edition of Carson Wentz!
- The Pittsburgh Steelers will also be providing significant injury updates in the coming days after excellent edge rusher T.J. Watt injured his ankle in Sunday's loss in Philadelphia. Watt is a tenacious and tough player who will be hard to sideline but the key could be if this is a lower ankle injury rather than a high ankle affair. But Watt, like Mahomes, will have to deal with a different timetable in the coming days as the Steelers play the Baltimore Ravens on the 21st before meeting the Chiefs on Christmas Day. That is a tough turnaround for any player, but especially an injured one.
- The Los Angeles Rams are the new leaders of the NFC West after Thursday's 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers took their record to 8-6. In winning the first game of this season in which a touchdown was not scored by either team, the Rams showed they can dig deep and find different ways to emerge victorious – with this victory coming days after they put 44 on the Bills in LA. Sean McVay's team has gone 7-2 since their bye week and are looking good to reach the playoffs once again.
- What a miserable campaign for the defending NFC champion 49ers! They fell to 6-8 with their loss to the Rams and their problems were compounded when veteran linebacker De'Vondre Campbell refused to go into the game when instructed to do so in the second half. Kyle Shanahan explained that his defender simply didn't want to play in the game, George Kittle said he had never seen anything like it and Campbell has since been suspended. That in itself is a good move. Why cut him so he can join another team? Make him sit on your bench! These are the kind of things that happen when a season completely unravels like the one in San Francisco.
- There are others ahead of them in terms of wins in the NFC, but no one is going to want to face the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Josh Jacobs powered a ground attack that gained 140 yards as he scored his 12th rushing touchdown of this season and Jordan Love posted a quarterback rating north of 100 points for the fifth game in a row. Those were the headlines in Sunday night's 30-13 road win against the Seattle Seahawks. Love has now gone four straight games without throwing an interception and the Packers really are one of the best five or six teams in the league. Look where their only losses have come in this 10-4 season… against Philadelphia in Brazil, at home to Minnesota and home and away to the Detroit Lions. Those three teams have a combined record of 35-6.
Fact of the Week
The Buffalo Bills have scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in a single season in NFL history. Josh Allen has accounted for 14 offensive touchdowns in Buffalo's past three games, scoring on throwing, rushing and receiving touchdowns.
Final Thought…
With the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings qualifying for the playoffs over the weekend, we have now seen seven of the 14 playoff spots filled with three weeks of the regular season remaining. But there is still a great deal to play for, starting with the one seed in each conference. Whether a Championship Game is played in Kansas City or Buffalo; or in Detroit or Philadelphia could make a huge difference to February's Super Bowl line-up. So, don't expect the leading pack to take their foot off the gas until Week 18 at the earliest. And with the games coming thick and fast over the Christmas period, there are sure to be plenty of twists and turns along the way. We'll take you through it all, so we'll see you in the Sky Sports studio Saturday (from 5.30pm) and Sunday (from 5pm) this coming weekend. How's that for an early Christmas present?
