By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Minnesota Vikings (12-3) shut down the Green Bay Packers 16-0 in a one-sided rivalry meeting on Saturday at frigid Lambeau Field. Here’s what we learned:

1. If the Packers (7-8) had won last week and kept Aaron Rodgers active, perhaps this would have been exciting. Instead, Minnesota did what it does best: play lockdown defense, harass the passer and score enough to win. Case Keenum‘s best pass of the night came on one he threw while fading back and to his left under pressure to a crossing Stefon Diggs, who toe-tapped beautifully and ended up in the tunnel at Lambeau Field for six. That was the unifying moment of this night: While a tunnel jaunt brought joy to Green Bay in Week 14, it was the beginning of frustration for the same group in Week 16.

Offensively speaking, this wasn’t a thrilling night for either side. It was cold, passes were dropped, others were errant, and the field itself was rather slippery. Keenum wasn’t as sharp as usual, but it didn’t matter much, thanks to Minnesota’s dominance of Green Bay’s punchless offense. The lone lowlight for Minnesota tonight: Guard Nick Easton left with a fractured ankle that coach Mike Zimmer said will require surgery. Fortunately, these Vikings have shown they can weather injuries along the offensive line. They’ll have to do it again. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Fresh off an impressive Thursday night performance, Brock Osweiler is heading toward another chance to start under center.

The Broncos quarterback is expected to start against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Osweiler replaced the injured Trevor Siemian in Week 15 and accounted for three touchdowns in a 25-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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As the Steelers prepare for their Week 16 game against the Houston Texans, they received an inspirational boost from a familiar face.

Linebacker Ryan Shazier visited the team at the Steelers‘ facility on Saturday after their practice, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The defender underwent spinal stabilization surgery after suffering a spinal injury during Pittsburgh’s win over Cincinnati on Dec. 4. Flanked by his fiancee, Shazier arrived in a wheelchair and wheeled himself past the media workroom to the team offices, per the Post-Gazette. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Baltimore Ravens (9-6) outlasted the feisty but overmatched Indianapolis Colts (3-12) in a 23-16 win on a rainy Saturday evening in Baltimore. Here’s what we learned:

1. The Ravens avoided disaster Saturday (a loss to this Colts team would have been embarrassing at this point in the season) and also came one step closer to completing their remarkable playoff push by winning in a tough environment. Sure, Baltimore was playing at home, but with light rain becoming steady and winds picking up in the second half, it wasn’t a walk in the park. In outlasting the Colts, the Ravens grabbed control of their destiny, needing only a win in Week 17 to clinch a postseason berth, no matter what happens elsewhere. They rode their defense for much of the season, and though the offense has picked it up recently and the defense has lost a bit with Jimmy Smith‘s injury, it was again that unit that stood firm in the final two minutes to secure the win.

“We’re rolling right now,” safety Eric Weddle told CBS’ Jamie Erdahl after the game. “It’s a great feeling to know we control our own destiny.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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As the saying goes around here, if you ball, you get the call. And if you ball for the majority of the season, you’ll likely get a Pro Bowl nod.

We have 2017’s best in professional football, selected with the help of the fans who so passionately watch this game. (Coaches and players also contributed to the selection of the final rosters.) But with each popular vote comes a few snubs. With only a finite number of openings available, it’s inevitable. Not everyone can join exclusive clubs — otherwise, they’d just be clubs.

We’re here to bring you five of the biggest snubs from the AFC and five from the NFC. Feeling left out? So are these guys, probably. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Donald Penn‘s season is over.

Oakland’s rock at left tackle is undergoing foot surgery scheduled for Thursday and will miss the remainder of the regular season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Penn suffered the injury during the Raiders‘ close loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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A late-season divisional showdown hits national television on Monday night when the Atlanta Falcons travel to Tampa Bay to face the last-place Buccaneers. While the rest of the NFC South jockeys for playoff positioning, the Buccaneers — preseason sweetheart picks to make the leap into the postseason — are just trying to win a game.

Questions swirl around head coach Dirk Koetter in what has become a massive disappointment of a season. The campaign began with a publicized training camp (thanks to HBO’s and NFL Films’ Hard Knocks) and quickly unraveled after a 2-1 start. Since Tampa Bay’s thrilling win over the New York Giants in Week 3, the Buccaneers have gone 2-8. In a season that will be remembered for Jameis Winston‘s laughable pregame speech eating of a W, the Buccaneers have struggled mightily to actually secure one. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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New England (11-3) scored late to take the lead and staved off heartbreaking defeat in stunning fashion in a thrilling win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3). Here’s what we learned from a game that will go a long way toward determining playoff home-field advantage:

1. We saw the two best teams in the AFC at this point go toe-to-toe for a full 60 minutes, and for a while, it looked like Pittsburgh would simply be the better team. We forgot, of course, that Tom Bradystill quarterbacks for the Patriots, leading New England on a 77-yard drive in just 1:10 with multiple completions to Rob Gronkowski. Not to be outdone, Ben Roethlisberger‘s completion to JuJu Smith-Schuster on a simple drag route ended up going for 69 yards and had the Steelers on the doorstep of a win. They never crossed it — well, they did, but it was overturned — and melted down in the final 15 seconds, with Roethlisberger faking a spike, looking for the back-corner fade and forcing a pass into the middle of the field, which was deflected and intercepted by Duron Harmon. It was a thrilling, unbelievable finish in a battle between the two heavyweights of the conference. Should they meet again in Foxborough in the postseason, we see no reason to not expect a similar performance.

2. The Steelers lost Antonio Brown in the first half to what NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported is a partially torn calf. The injury will end his regular season, but with surgery not required, there’s hope Brown returns for the postseason, Rapoport added. In the meantime, Roethlisberger didn’t flinch without his star receiver, completing his next five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown on a 15-play drive that covered 78 yards and burned 8:39. Martavis Bryant stepped up to the challenge, catching two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown on the ensuing drive. He seemed to have his way with Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore on multiple occasions, both before and after the Brown injury. Any franchise would miss its all-world receiver — Pittsburgh sure did later, and will if he can’t return for the postseason — but the Steelers are also fortunate to have talent below Brown in Bryant and Smith-Schuster. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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After a decade-long wait the Jaguars are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the Houston Texans 45-7 on Sunday. Here’s what we learned from the game:

1. Jacksonville is officially headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, and a lot of it has to do with Blake Bortles. I’m convinced we’ve been watching a body double playing in place of Bortles for most of his career until this last month. The difference is stunning. Bortles has been a walking human torch in the last three weeks, posting passer ratings of 119.8, 123.7 and 143.7. His 21 of 29 passing line for 326 yards and three touchdowns — an excellent box score entry — almost lowballs how well he played on Sunday. Bortles dropped dime after dime, establishing a rapport with former practice squad man Jaydon Mickens (four catches, 61 yards, two touchdowns) and Keelan Cole (seven catches, 186 yards, one touchdown) and making throws we haven’t seen from him since his days at UCF. A team that was considered strong at every position except quarterback suddenly has one who is playing at a high level.

Is December Bortles’ month? We’ve never really known, since the Jags usually have found themselves well out of the race at that point. He posted a 103.5 rating on Christmas Eve last season in a win over the Titans and was surprisingly effective in December 2015 (posting ratings of 134.5, 114.6 and 124.5 in three of his final five games). This, with a playoff-bound team, is remarkable and a great reason for Jags fans to be feeling great about their team as we hurtle toward the new year. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Muhammad Wilkerson is back in the doghouse.

The Jets defensive end will not be making the trip to New Orleans with the team as a result of a coach’s decision, head coach Todd Bowles said Friday.

“I’m worried about the guys that I’m coaching,” Bowles said when reporters pressed him for a reason for the decision. “I’m not worried about [Wilkerson] right now.”

A team source told NFL Network’s Jane Slater that the decision stems from Wilkerson being late to a team meeting this month. Continue reading →