VITO'S VIEWS

1. The mark of a great player is showing up great in big games. Patrick Mahomes did that against the Texans. His first two drives were stopped when receivers dropped third down passes and the Chiefs fell behind 24-0. But he then led the Chiefs on seven consecutive touchdown drives to win easily. By halftime, he had turned a 24-0 deficit to a 28-24 lead and he kept going in the second half.

2. Bill O’Brien is not considered a good coach. And his decisions to kick a field goal on fourth and short while up 21-0 and then to go for a fake punt on his own territory had the Texans fans calling for his head. But it wasn’t the Texans strategy that was the problem. It was the way his defense prepared or didn’t prepare to stop Mahomes. They had no idea on how to stop him.

3. If the TV networks are going to have a yellow line to mark where a team needs to get for a first down, it should be accurate. Many fans were confused why Green Bay got the first down that clinched the game because the receiver didn’t get to the yellow line. The problem was that the yellow line was past the first down marker. Meanwhile, the Seahawks not only didn’t make a stop, but they punted on fourth and 11 with 3:22 left, taking the ball out of Russell Wilson’s hands. Will Pete Carroll ever win another Super Bowl after being a yard away from winning two in a row and then throwing a pass a few years back. And they were in Green Bay in the first place when they botched things from the one-yard against San Francisco in the regular season finale.

4. Did the Ravens make a mistake resting Lamar Jackson and several key players in the season finale? The Ravens have to wonder if the 20-day layoff was a reason for their mistake prone game in the loss to the Titans.

5. Aaron Rodgers is the only quarterback left who has won a Super Bowl, which means he has a shot at joining the ranks of the quarterbacks who’ve won two or more Super Bowls. The Packers will be the underdog against San Francisco but Rodgers gives them a chance to pull an upset.

6. Kirk Cousins will again get the flak for not winning the big ones after the loss to San Francisco. But the Vikings were simply overmatched against the 49ers and had the disadvantage of playing a bye team on a short week after a wild card victory. Cousins never really had a chance against the dominant 49ers defense.

1. It is not unusual for a rookie to lose his first playoff game. That is what happened to Lamar Jackson last year when he struggled in his playoff debut against San Diego. Now he’s back in the playoffs against the Titans as the season MVP and the top seed. He says he is using last year’s showing as motivation. He says he is treating every game like the Super Bowl because a loss means he’s doesn’t make it to the big game. Now the spotlight is on Jackson to take the next step.

2. The Patrick Mahomes-Deshaun Watson playoff duel was likely destined to happen after they were both snubbed on the first round in 2017 when the Bears took Mitch Trubisky and both were picked by AFC teams. And it likely won’t their last playoff duel. The winner likely faces Lamar Jackson in the AFC title game.

3. Ryan Tannehill’s job against the Patriots was not to make any mistakes as the Titans protected a one-point lead in the second half. But that won’t be enough against the Ravens. They can’t win just running Derrick Henry. Tannehill has to make plays and put points on the board to keep up with Lamar Jackson to give the give the Titans have a shot at an upset.

4. Kirk Cousins showed last week he could win a big game and win in the playoffs. But that just leads to another big game against the 49ers. The pressure will be on him to have another big game. And the game brings back memories of two memorable playoff games the two teams had in 1987 and 1988. The Vikings won the first in an upset when, according to the book Blindside, the 49ers didn’t have a left tackle to block Chris Doleman in a game that featured Bill Walsh pulling Joe Montana for Steve Young. The next year, the 49ers did block Doleman and won.

5. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson will duel in a battle of two quarterbacks who have won Super Bowls when the Seahawks play at Green Bay. Both are in quest of that elusive second one. One of them will advance to the NFC title game.

6. Jimmy Garoppolo once backed up Tom Brady. Now Brady is out of the playoffs and Jimmy G. has a shot at advancing to the NFC title game when he duels Kirk Cousins.

1. It is now obvious that age is catching up with Tom Brady. But what is Bill Belichick’s excuse? How could he not get Brady better weapons this year? The Titans were obviously convinced that as long as they didn’t make a mistake, the Patriots’ offense couldn’t pull the game out. So, they ran the ball and punted the entire second half with a one-point lead. Whether Brady stays or leaves, Belichick has to rebuild the offense if the Patriots are going to win another Super Bowl anytime soon.

2. The Saints have now lost in the playoffs on the final play three years in a row? They actually had a shot at three Super Bowls in a row. Or at the very least one. And they wound up with zero and have to wonder if their Super Bowl window is closing since the future of Drew Bree’s is up in the air.

3. Jadeveon Clowney should have been called for a penalty for the helmet hit that knocked Carson Wentz out of the Eagle-Seahawk game and virtually ended any chance the Eagles had of winning. The official said Wentz didn’t give himself up, which he should have done, but two wrongs don’t make a right. Even though it was a bang-bang play, Clowney could have avoided hitting him in the helmet. They can’t say they are serious about protecting the QB and avoiding concussions if they don’t penalize that paly.

4. The NFL should end its ill-fated attempt to make pass interference reviewable. Kyle Rudolph obviously got away with pushing of on his game winning touchdown catch even though director of officials Al Riveron said they were hand fighting. If they aren’t going to make that reviewable, kill the rule. For Viking fans, it was a makeup call for Drew Pearson getting away with pushing off on the 1975 Roger Staubach Hail Mary.

5. Kirk Cousins, who has lived with the tag of not being able to win the big one, got that monkey off his back by leading the Vikings to the victory over the Saints. He came in 6-30 against winning teams and 0-9 in MNF. But there is always a big game the next week unless he wins the Super Bowl. Next up is a trip to San Francisco.

6. The wild-card round featured exciting games. But did it make any difference which teams won. The teams that had a bye have won six consecutive Super Bowls. If the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers or 49ers win it all this year, it will be seven in a row. If all four win this week – and all four are favored – the streak will continue.

1. The New England Patriots obviously aren’t the team they once were and they probably blew a chance to get to the Super Bowl when they cost themselves the bye while losing to Miami last Sunday. That means they will likely have to win two road games – probably against the Chiefs and Ravens – to make the Super Bowl. The Patriots have never won the Super Bowl when they haven’t had a bye. But they’re home this weekend against the 9-7 Titans and they’re favored so it won’t be a surprise if this isn’t Tom Brady’s last game in a New England uniform. If the Titans pull off an upset, it may be his last game as a Patriot because for the first time in his career, he is heading into the offseason without a contract.

2. Both road quarterbacks Saturday – Josh Allen of the Bills and Ryan Tannehill of the Titans – will be starting their first playoff game. It is not surprising that Allen be making his first playoff start in his second season. But somewhat surprising that a veteran like Tannehill never made the playoffs in Miami before jump starting his career with the Titans. Since replacing Marcus Mariota, he’s 7-3 as a starter. But the odds are against Allen and Tannehill this weekend. According to walterfootball.com, the last 37 quarterbacks to make their first start won only 15 times. Carson Wentz will be in the same situation Sunday when the Eagles host Seattle.

3. How does Seattle bounce back from the loss to San Francisco at home Sunday night as they face a cross country trip to play at Philadelphia? The Seahawks were inside the one in the last half-minute against the 49ers and inexplicably got a delay of game penalty that helped cost them the division title and relegated them to a Wild Card status. It was a devastating setback for the Seahawks and a case of déjà vu since they were within a yard of beating the a Patriots in the Super Bowl a few years back. Now they have to try to rebound against the Eagles, who are slight underdogs in playoffs for sixth time since 2016. They are 4-1 in those games including a Super Bowl victory. So they can’t be overlooked despite 9-7 record.

4. The Texans declined to put J.J. Watt on the injured reserve list and kept him on the active roster after he went down on Oct. 27 with a torn pec muscle. The move paid dividends because he will return against the Bills. But the big question is how long can he play and how effective will be?

5. Despite Watt’s return, the Texans have a shaky defense so the task for Allen will be to outscore Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins, who figure to put points on the board even though Buffalo has a solid Buffalo defense.

6. The Vikings may have the toughest assignment of the weekend, going to New Orleans to face Drew Brees. And the Saints have a lot of motivation after being bounced from the playoffs two years in a row in games they probably should have won. And then there’s the Kirk Cousins factor. He is not noted for coming up big games. A Viking victory would be a major upset.

The two teams that needed to win to get the final two playoff berths – Philadelphia and Tennessee – both did.

The Eagles beat the Giants to eliminate the Cowboys, who beat Washington. The Titans beat the Texans, who were resting their starters, to eliminate the Steelers and Raiders, but they both lost anyway.

The real drama was in the battle for the byes. San Francisco got the top seed in the NFC when Seattle imploded after getting within inches short of the victory. Green Bay got the second seed with the victory over Detroit at the buzzer.

In the AFC, the Patriots lost to Miami and that cost them the second seed when the Chiefs beat the Chargers. That means the Patriots will be a wild card team, and they’ve never won a Super Bowl without getting a bye. Baltimore had already wrapped up the top seed and rested Lamar Jackson but still beat the Steelers.

Positives

—San Francisco needed help from the Seahawks botching the final half minute but the 49ers have the top seed and a shot at their sixth Super Bowl victory and first since 1994. Jimmy Garoppolo gets a chance to join Joe Montana (4) and Steve Young (1) as quarterbacks who have led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Both are in the HOF and Montana was named one of the ten best ever.

—Green Bay nailed down the second seed by beating the Lions on Mason Crosby’s field goal at the buzzer. Green Bay beat the Lions twice this year while trailing the entire game except when time expired. They now get a bye and at least one playoff game on the frozen tundra. –It was a surreal scene in Kansas City when the fans were cheering late in the fourth quarter even though they had the victory in hand over the Chargers. They were excited because Miami beat the Patriots, handing the Chiefs the bye.

—The Titans nailed down the wild card spot with the victory over the Texans and they let Derrick Henry stay in the game to beat out Nick Chubb for the league rushing title. Ryan Tannehill saved their season and is due for a big payday next year but fell eight yards short of the 2750 passing yards he needed to get a $250,000 bonus. The Titans should give it to them anyway.

—Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes in the easy 42-10 victory over the Panthers. The frustrating thing for them is that they still didn’t get a first-round bye and will likely have to win two road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl if they win the first one at home. Brees finished with 547 touchdown passes, six ahead of Tom Brady, whose career at New England may be nearing its end.

Negatives

—When will Seattle get it right when it has the ball near the goal line in the final minute in a big game. They were inside the one against the 49ers after a Russell Wilson spike with three downs to put it in the end zone. But they got called for delay of game and Wilson’s fourth down completion was inches the goal line. Coach Pete Carroll blamed miscommunication for the mishap. Another word for it is inexcusable.

—Is the Patriot dynasty over? It sure looked like it when they lost to Miami, which cost them a first-round bye. And Tom Brady seems to have stayed a year too long. He should have retired on top last year the way John Elway did.

—The Steelers and Raiders needed victories to have a playoff shot if the Titans lost. The Titans won but they both lost anyway. The Steelers lost to a Baltimore team that rested Lamar Jackson and the Raiders lost to the Broncos 16-15 when Jon Gruden decided to go for the win rather than take the tie and go into overtime. But Derek Carr’s pass was deflected and the Raiders lost their last game as the Oakland Raiders.

—The Rams won their finale beating the Cardinals as Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes but it was a frustrating season for the Rams, who didn’t make the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl last year. Facing cap problems and the loss of two first round picks for Jalen Ramsey, the Rams window may be closing as they move into a new stadium next year.

—What is the future for the Bucs’ Jameis Winston? He threw a Pick Six in overtime against the Falcons to become the first play to throw 30 touchdown passes and 30 picks. Are the Bucs or any other team going to give him a big contract? Can he fix the interception problem? Stay tuned.

Going into the regular season finales, ten of the 12 teams have clinched playoff spots and six of the eight have clinched division titles.

It is a difficult week to handicap because there is only one game – 49ers-Seattle — in which both teams have something to play for and they’re playing for the division title and the top seed, not a playoff spot.

The final two playoff spots go to the winner of the NFC East and an AFC wild card spot. The Eagles win the NFC East if they beat the Giants or if they lose and the Cowboys lose to Washington. The Cowboys get it if they win and the Eagles lose.

The Titans can clinch the AFC wild card spot if they beat the Texans. If they lose, Pittsburgh and even the Raiders have a shot.

The league is having the teams with something at stake playing at the same time although games could be affected by halftime scores.

For example, if New England is way ahead at halftime and on its way to clinching the second seed, Kansas City could pull Patrick Mahomes in the second half against the Chargers because the Chiefs would then have nothing to play for.

Game of the week: The 12-3 49ers go to Seattle to play the 11-4 Seahawks, who have been hit by injuries but have the homefield edge. A 49er victory clinches the top seed for San Francisco and relegates Seattle to a wild card spot. Seattle gets the division title if it wins but would need the Packers and Saints to lose to get the top seed. So, the odds are against the Seahawks getting the top seed but they get a home game in the first round of the playoffs if they win instead of playing on the road as a wild card team. The Seahawks will know by kickoff if they still have a shot at the top seed.

Game of the weak: The 5-9-1 Cardinals go to the 8-7 Rams, who are possibly the most disappointing team in the league. The Rams lost the Super Bowl last year and went all in on making it back by trading two first round picks for Jalen Ramsey. Now the Rams are cash strapped under the cap and don’t have those first round picks. The Rams are also locked in the same division with the 49ers and Seahawks and likely won’t be back to the Super Bowl any time soon. Whether they finish 9-7 or 8-8 is meaningless.

What to watch for this weekend:

—The Dolphins have been a surprise team, winning four games when the front office was trying to tank the season. But the Patriots are a virtual lock at home against the Dolphins. The Patriots are playing for the second seed and a first-round bye and it’s hard to imagine them not nailing it down even though they have struggled much of the season on offense and are facing questions whether Tom Brady is showing is age and will be back next year.

—The Chiefs are in an unusual situation. They can’t bench their starters because they get the top seed if they beat the Chargers and the Patriots lose to Miami. But they know the odds of the Patriots losing to Miami are slim and none. The Chiefs main goal is to not get anyone hurt. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs rest their starters in the second half if the Patriots get off to a big lead over the Dolphins.

—The Steelers get a wild card spot if they beat the Ravens and the Titans lose to Houston. And the Ravens are resting Lamar Jackson and several other starters because the they have clinched the top seed. But they Ravens aren’t likely to mail it in because the Steelers are their main rival.

—The Eagles get the NFC East if they beat the Giants but this could be a dangerous game for the Eagles. They are riddled with injuries, are coming off an emotional victory over the Cowboys and Giants’ rookie quarter Daniel Jones is coming off a big game. The Giants have nothing to play for but would like nothing better than to knock a division rival out of the playoffs.

—The Packers get the top seed if they beat the Lions and the 49ers lose to the Seahawks. But since the 49ers-Seahawks game will be played Sunday night, they won’t know going into the Lions game if they have a shot at the top seed. But they do know a victory gives them at least a second seed regardless of what happens in the 49ers-Seahawks game so they have to play to win the game.

With two weeks to go, eight teams have already nailed down playoff berths and three more teams, the Texans, Cowboys and Vikings, can lock in playoff berths this weekend.

Baltimore and New England are on track to get the first two seeds in the AFC, but the battle for the top two seeds in the NFC is wide open with four teams, the Seahawks, Packers, Saints and 49ers, at 11-3.

The 49ers created the tie by losing to Atlanta on the final play when the replay official ruled Julio Jones had scored the winning touchdown after the officials first ruled he was stopped short of the goal line.

Positives

—The Atlanta Falcons seem to be trying to save Dan Quinn’s job by showing they haven’t quit on their coach. They posted their fourth win in the last six games by upsetting San Francisco.

—The Texans are a hard team to figure. They upset New England, were then drilled by the Broncos, but came back to beat the Titans to put themselves in a good position to win their division.

—The Cowboys and Eagles both won, beating the Rams and Redskins to remain tied at 7-7 and setting up a showdown this weekend with the division lead at stake. Dallas clinched with a victory while the Eagles have to win their last two to win the division.

—The Packers and Vikings both won, beating the Rams and the Chargers to remain one game apart in the NFC North with the Packers at 11-4 and the Vikings at 10-4. They play next Monday night.

—Drew Brees became the all-time leader in touchdown passes as he threw four against the Colts to boost his total to 540, moving him one ahead of Peyton Manning. But he’s only two ahead of Tom Brady. And he had just one incompletion as he completed 29 of 30 passes.

Negatives

—The Rams are not only not likely to back to the Super Bowl, they’re not likely to make the playoffs after being routed by the Cowboys to fall to 8-6. They need to win their last two and the Vikings to lose their last two to get a wild card spot.

—The score looked impressive as the Patriots beat the Bengals, 34-13, but they don’t look like a Super Bowl team. They were actually outgained in yardage, 315 to 291. And Brady passed for only 128 yards, but the Patriots won on five turnovers.

—The Browns continued to be one of the most disappointing teams in the league. After all the hype in the offseason, they didn’t challenge for the playoffs. They lost to the Cardinals in the battle of Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winners Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield and the best the Browns can do now is finish .500.

—The Panthers recently fired coach Ron Rivera but they committed three turnovers in a loss to the Seahawks. The Panthers are now 5-9. It may be the coach wasn’t the problem.

—The Lions fell to 3-10-1 with the loss to the Bucs as Jameis Winston torched them for a career high 458 yards. But the Ford family announced that GM Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia will be back at least for one more year. Probably another wasted year. Quinn fired Jim Caldwell, who went 9-7, to hire Patricia.

Ten of the 12 playoff teams are now determined with the Titans, Steelers and Raiders battling for the final playoff spot in the AFC, and the Eagles can clinch the final NFC spot by beating the Giants.

The Titans get the AFC slot if they beat Houston. If they lose, the Steelers probably get it because they play a Baltimore team that has clinched the top seed and will rest Lamar Jackson.

But if Titans and Steelers both lose and the Colts beat the Jaguars, the Raiders get in by beating Denver. New England gets the second seed and the bye by beating Miami.

In the NFC, the battle for the top seed is wide open. San Francisco gets it if it beats Seahawks. If the Seahawks win, the 49ers become a wild cardteam and the Packers, Seahawks and Saints will be battling for the top two spots.

Positives

—On Sept. 29, the Ravens didn’t look like a title contender when they suffered their second loss, a 40-25 setback against the Browns. It was fitting that they clinched the top seed with their 11th straight victory by beating the Browns 31-15. Lamar Jackson had a typical day, throwing for three touchdown passes and rushing for 103, the fifth time he has rushed for over 100 yards. Jackson’s MVP regular season is now over. He will sit out the season finale, but will be favored to get the Ravens their third title since the old Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996.

—Michael Thomas caught 12 passes for the Saints in their victory over Tennessee to boost his season total to 145 catches, the most over for a wide receiver in NFL history. And he somehow manages not to get much recognition because he is not a diva the way so many wide receivers are.

—Daniel Jones returned to the lineup for the Giants after sitting out two games with an ankle injury and completed 28 of 42 for 352 yards, five touchdowns and no picks in a 41-35 overtime victory over the Redskins. The Giants may have found their quarterback of the future.

—Jimmy Garoppolo twice converted on third and 16 in the game winning drive against the Rams to set up Robbie Gould’s game winning field goal that kept the 49ers alive in the bid for the top seed. They clinch it if they beat the Seahawks in their finale.

—The injury riddled Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cowboys 17-9 to put themselves in position to win the division and host a playoff game if they beat the Giants in their finale. Carson Wentz had a solid game, but it was the Eagles’ defense that was the difference as they throttled the Cowboys offense with the help of some errant throws by Dak Prescott, who was playing a shoulder injury.

Negatives

—The Rams not only won’t be going back to the Super Bowl, they won’t be making the playoffs after losing to the Seahawks, 34-31. The loss dropped the Rams to 8-7 and eliminated them from the playoffs. The Rams went all in on winning this year, giving up on Marcus Peters and giving up two first round picks for Jalen Ramsey. On one of the two third and 16 plays the Rams allowed, Ramsey and Taylor Rupp had a mix-up in coverage and Emmanuel Sanders ran free on a 46-yard reception. The future is now bleak for the Rams. The Rams have spent two much money, notably on Todd Gurley, and don’t have the top picks they need to get back to the top. Teams are no longer looking for the next Sean McVay the way they were last year.

—The Steelers lost control of their destiny with the loss to the Jets. Coach Mike Tomlin benched Duck Hodges after he threw two interceptions and went back to Mason Rudolph but after he tied the game 10-10, he was injured and Hodges came back and couldn’t pull it out. The Steelers can still make the playoffs if they lose to a Baltimore team that will rest Lamar Jackson and Tennessee loses to Houston and could make it by losing if the Titans, Jaguars and Raiders all lose. But they may wind up being the seventh spot in a six-team playoff format for the fourth time in the last decade.

—Jerry Jones will probably fire Jason Garrett if the Eagles beat the Giants and knock them out of the playoffs. This will mean the Cowboys who last won a Super Bowl in 1995, won’t end that drought this year. But the problem isn’t Garrett. It’s Jerry. He likes a low-key coach like Garrett who doesn’t take the spotlight away from him. He should hire a general manager and let him find a coach but Jerry won’t do that so the Cowboys Super Bowl drought is likely to continue.

—The Bears got an up-close look at why they should have drafted Patrick Mahomes instead of Mitch Trubisky. The Chiefs routed the Bears 23-3 and Mahomes made a point of counting to 10 on his fingers to note he was the 10th pick. Trubisky was the second pick. Bypassing Mahomes and Deshaun Jackson will haunt the Bears a long time.

—The Browns got a lot of hype as a team on the rise in the offseason but they turned out to be the same old Browns. Their loss to the Ravens guaranteed them their 12th consecutive losing season and eliminated them from the playoffs. Freddie Kitchens could be gone after one season.

Since the college regular season is over, the NFL will scrap the Thursday night game and play a tripleheader on Saturday followed by a dozen Sunday games and the Packers-Vikings on Monday night.

The Sunday night game between the Chiefs and Bears is one of the most lackluster games of the weekend because the Chiefs are likely locked into the third seed in the AFC with Baltimore and New England likely to get the first two.

The premier Sunday game is the late afternoon game featuring Dallas at Philadelphia. The only other late game on Fox is Arizona at Seattle so the Cowboys-Eagles will be shown in every NFL market east of Denver.

The NFC battle for the top seed is wide open with four teams – 49ers, Packers, Seahawks and Saints — tied at 11-3 with two games left. Eight teams are in the playoffs and three more, the Texans, Cowboys and Vikings, can clinch this weekend.

Game of the week: The Cowboys go to Philadelphia with the NFC East division lead on the line with both teams at 7-7. Dallas clinched the division title with a win while the Eagles won’t clinch with a win. They would still need to beat the Giants in their finale or have Dallas lose to Washington in their finale. The game is more important to Dallas because Jason Garrett could lose his job if the Cowboys lose and don’t make the playoffs.

Game of the weak: The 1-13 Bengals, who now are likely to get the first pick, go to the 3-11 Dolphins, who supposed were tanking the season but have a chance to win their fourth game. Look for a lot of empty seats in Miami for this week.

What to look for this weekend:

—The 49ers, who have a shot at the top seed, will host the disappointing 8-6 Rams, who need a win to keep their flicking playoff hopes alive. They need to win their final two and have Minnesota lose their final two for them to make the playoffs so they are probably out of it even if they win. Meanwhile, the 49ers are battling the Seahawks, who are expected to beat Arizona, for the division title. The Seahawks and 49ers play next week at Seattle to conclude their seasons.

—There is not likely much at stake when the Bills play at New England. The Bills are likely to be the wild card team and the Patriots likely to be the second seed regardless of what happens in this game. But it would be a big statement game for the Bills to show they are contenders if they upset the Patriots and raise more questions about whether the Patriots are as good as their record. Tom Brady has a 31-3 record against the Bills.

—Green Bay, with a one game lead on the Vikings, can clinch the division title with a Monday night victory over the Vikings. Minnesota has the home field advantage but there are usually a lot of Packer fans at Vikings games. And Kirk Cousins isn’t noted for playing well in prime time.

—Since the NFL started its current playoff format, at least four teams that didn’t make the playoffs the previous year have made it. That is likely to continue because three teams that didn’t make it last year, the Bills, Packers and 49ers, have clinched and Minnesota and/or Pittsburgh have a shot at being the fourth team.

—The NFL has a lot of young guns who are emerging to replace players like Super Bowl winners Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger as the next generation of top quarterbacks. In 183 of the league’s 224 games this year, at least one quarterback at 27 or younger has started. The torch is being passed to the next generation.

Lamar Jackson started the weekend with another five-touchdown passing show against the Jets that moved the Ravens one step closer to clinching the top seed in the AFC. They hold a one game lead plus a head to head tie-breaker over the Patriots, who figure to beat Cincinnati Sunday. The Ravens last two games are against the Browns and Steelers. The Ravens and the Chiefs are the two AFC teams to clinch division titles. Both have three game leads. The Saints are the only NFC team to have clinched a division title with a four-game lead with three left. The other five divisions are close with no more than a game separating the top team from the second team. And then there’s the NFC East with the Cowboys and Eagles, who play next week, tied for first with losing records at 6-7.

Game of the week

The Texans and Titans are tied for first place in the AFC South at 8-5 and will meet twice in the last three weeks. If either team sweeps, they will clinch the division title.

Game of the weak

The 2-11 Giants and the 3-10 Dolphins meet in a game that may decide the second spot in the draft. Cincinnati is in the lead at 1-12. The game will feature the second start in a row for Eli Manning, who was benched for rookie Daniel Jones earlier this year, but got the job back when Jones was sidelined with a high ankle sprain.

What to look for this weekend

—The 8-5 Rams will attempt to stay in the wild card race in the NFC when they go to Dallas. It is a meaningless game for the Cowboys because they can lose this game and still win the division at 8-8 if they beat the Eagles and Redskins in their final two games. The Cowboys would have the tie-breaker edge with a sweep of the Eagles. The Eagles play at the Redskins Sunday.

—The 9-4 Bills go to the 8-5 Steelers, who started out 1-4, in a game that has a lot of playoff ramifications. The Bills can’t afford to look ahead to the game next week at New England. If the Bills win the next two, they would be tied with New England in head to head and division and conference records, assuming the Patriots beat the Bengals. A Steeler victory would likely mean both the Steelers and Bills get wild card spots.

—The Raiders play their last game in Oakland against the Jaguars before moving to Las Vegas next year. The amazing thing is the Raiders are leaving, but the Oakland fans still root for them. But both teams are struggling with the Raiders at 6-7 and the Jaguars at 4-9 so it is not likely to be a memorable matchup except for the atmosphere at the stadium.

—The 10-3 Packers can stay one game ahead of the 9-4 Vikings in the NFC North with the victory over the Bears. Meanwhile, the Vikings are at the Chargers. Both the Bears and Vikings have to stay focused. The Bears are an old rival and Mitch Trubisky is suddenly playing better. And the Chargers are better than their 5-8 record with all their losses by one score.

—The game between the 3-9-1 Cardinals and the disappointing 6-8 Browns wouldn’t seem to be much of an attraction except that it features a duel of the last two Heisman Trophy winners with Baker Mayfield facing Kyler Murray. Both played at Oklahoma.