The pinnacle of the 2022 season of the NFL It’s as close as the following Sunday.
The last weekend It will not start with the merriment typical of a day of definitionbut more with a reflective atmosphere due to the cardiac arrest suffered by the Bills safety, Damar Hamlin.
After riding for 17 weeks on the rails of a roller coasterthe regular match schedule will end under the spotlight of Sunday Night Football.
With 255 matches forming part of the statistics, the postseason puzzle is nearing completion. Few are the spaces left at the starting line for the race for the Vince Lombardi trophy.
In the American Conference, it is enough to define the best seed, the champion of the South and the last wild card ticket.
Titans and Jaguars will play an early playoff game, the Patriots control their destiny if they win against Buffalo.
In the NFC lhe Eagles are one win away from clinching the eastern division and byeing the first round of the postseason.
An NFC playoff spot is still up for grabs with three teams in contention: the Packers, the Lions and the Seahawks. Green Bay controls its own destiny, as a win over the Lions at Lambeau Field would send Aaron Rodgers to the postseason.
It may interest you: Prayers for Hamlin unite Bengals and Bills
With nine consecutive victories, there isn’t a hotter team in the NFL than the San Francisco 49ers, who close out the season against the underdog Cardinalsso it is not at all risky to think that his winning streak will extend to 10.
Never in the history of the National Football League had something like this happened. The 2022 season records 114 games defined by six or fewer points, the most ever achieved.
Also, the big comebacks were part of the biggest narratives of the year. In 50 games, any team overcame a deficit of at least 10 points to win or tie a score, the most of such games in a single season.
The 2022 campaign will also be remembered because even before Week 18, teams have used 64 different quarterbacks to start a game, a number that exceeds all other previous records.
1.– Buffalo Bills (12-3)
The week before: 2.
The Bills were unable to finish the game against Cincinnati because their defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest. Without an official result, nor the rescheduling of the match, they maintain the top of the standings.
2.- San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
The week before: 3
The 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL with nine straight wins, but in the overtime win over the Raiders, the defense allowed 34 points, the most since an Oct. 23 loss to Kansas City 44-23. .
3- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
The week before: 1
Due to the loss against the Saints, the Eagles need to beat the New York Giants next week to clinch the top spot. A Philly loss and a Dallas win would give the Cowboys the NFC East title.
4.- Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)
The week before: 4
The Chiefs remain in search of the first seed in the AFC. Patrick Mahomes joined Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks with multiple seasons with 5,000-plus passing yards.
5.- Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)
The week before: 8
Like the Bills, the Bengals have one game left to play. They go up a notch due to the fall of the Vikings.
6.- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
The week before: 7
With a postseason berth clinched for the first time since 2018, the Chargers had the luxury of beating their city neighbors.
7.- Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
The week before: 8
The Cowboys posted their first consecutive 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won the last of its five Super Bowl titles. They could still be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
8.- Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
The week before: 5
They’re the champions of the NFC North, but on Sunday they seemed like a mere cheerleader for the division.
9.- Green Bay Packers (8-8)
The week before: 10
Today’s Packers bear little resemblance to the team that went 4-8 at one point in the season. With a win over the Lions they will enter the postseason.
10.- Detroit Lions(8-8)
The week before: 13
The Lions have won seven of nine to have a chance to earn a postseason berth for the first time since 2016. They need a win over the Packers and a Seattle loss or tie against the Rams.
11.- Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
The week before: 9
Without Lamar Jackson at the controls, the Ravens weren’t able to beat the Steelers and that gave life to their eternal division rivals.
12.- New York Giants (9-6-1)
The week before: 12
With a win over the Colts, the Giants returned to the postseason for the first time since 2016. First-year head coach Brian Daboll ended five straight losing seasons in New York.
13.- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
The week before: 13
The Dolphins lost for the fifth time in a row and now need a Patriots win-loss to clinch a postseason berth.
14.-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-8)
The week before: 14
With 438 passing yards, the Bucs beat the Panthers to clinch Tampa Bay’s first back-to-back as the NFC South champion.
15.- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
The week before: 15
The Jaguars are one win away from the division title.
16.- Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
The week before: 19
Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak and made sure their Week 18 matchup against the Rams was meaningful. They need to win and expect the Packers to lose.
16.-Carolina Panthers (6-10)
The week before: 16
The Panthers led the Buccaneers 21-10 after Sam Darnold’s third touchdown pass of the day, 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, but lost the bottom line and the game.
17.– New England Patriots (8-8)
Last week: 17
The Patriots snapped a four-game losing streak against the Dolphins and can earn a playoff spot with a win in Buffalo next week.
19.-Tennessee Titans (7-9)
The week before: 18
The Titans lost their sixth straight game after placing Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve, ending their season unless they reach the AFC championship. The AFC South is played against the Jaguars.
20.- New Orleans Saints (7-9)
Last week: 26
The Saints won their third straight game, an impressive run late in the season under first-year coach Dennis Allen.
21.- Cleveland Browns (7-9)
Last week: 22
They scored a moral victory by defeating Washington and knocking them out of postseason contention. There isn’t much else to remember in Dehsaun Watson’s first year as part of the Cleveland organization.
22.- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
The week before: 25
The Steelers always find ways to compete. They need a miracle on Sunday to get into the postseason, but a win ensures the Mike Tomlin era continues without losing seasons.
23.-Washington Commanders (7-8-1)
Last week: 21
The Washington Commanders added their fourth game without winning. It was a mistake to bring Carlson Wentz back as the starting quarterback and because of that, they’re out of contention for postseason spots.
24.- New York Jets (7-9)
The week before: 20
The Jets last reached the postseason in 2011 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh straight season.
25.- Atlanta Falcons (6-10)
Last week: 23
In a game with no stakes at all, the Falcons clinched a win on a last-second field goal off Younghoe Koo to the Cardinals.
26.- Arizona Cardinals (4-11)
Last week: 24
The Cardinals had to use their fourth different quarterback in four weeks, losing six in a row and eight of nine.
27.- Los Angeles Rams (5-10)
The week before: 29
They became the first champion in the Super Bowl era to record 11 straight losses. Last Sunday they lost the pride of the city by losing to the Chargers, a high price, but one that for Los Angeles fans has been worth it after seeing their team lift the Lombardi at SoFi Stadium.
28.- Las Vegas Raiders ( 6-10)
The previous one: 29
They were eliminated from playoff contention. They have lost three of their last four games, and this was their fifth loss, an NFL record, this season after holding a double-digit second-half lead.
29.- Indianapolis Colts (4-10-1)
The week before: 29
The Colts lost their sixth straight game and the ninth in their last 10 meetings.
30.–Denver Broncos (4-12)
Last week: 31
Interim head coach Jerry Rosburg signed off as Nathaniel Hackett said goodbye: with a disappointing loss.
31.- Chicago Bears (3-13)
Last week: 31
The Bears lost their ninth straight, a franchise record that no one wants to remember in Chicago.
32.- Houston Texans (2-13-1)
Last week: 32
For the first time in history, the Texans did not get a victory at home, however the good news is that they are close to securing the first pick in the next Draft.