The story is likely apocryphal, but Detroit Lions fans may want to seek out any of Bobby Layne’s living relatives to attempt to beg for forgiveness. Famously, the Lions’ Hall of Fame quarterback placed a hex on his team in 1957 that the franchise wouldn’t win for another 50 years after trading him. But the suffering of the Motor City has lasted even beyond the alleged timeline he set.
While Detroit is in a solid position to win its first division title since 1993, the Lions can’t wholly shake their history of brutal defeats. On Thanksgiving, the Lions struggled with turnovers and would see their late comeback fall short during a loss to the rival Green Bay Packers. With the loss, up-to-date sports news today shows Detroit fell to 8-3 on the season. The Lions, who traditionally play every year on Thanksgiving, haven’t won on the holiday since 2016.
The key to Green Bay’s 29-22 victory was a disastrous first quarter for the Lions. Detroit allowed 20 points and gave the ball away twice. Despite the defeat, the Lions have a 2.5-game lead over Minnesota for first place in the NFC North Division. While Detroit’s loss was tough to stomach for Lions’ fans, another NFL franchise that has a history of gut wrenching losses took another hit in the gut.
Buffalo on Life Support for Playoffs
The Philadelphia Eagles are a fantastic team that will likely be a serious contender come Super Bowl team. But Buffalo went into the City of Brotherly Love last Sunday and had them on the ropes. But the Bills couldn’t connect a knockout punch.
With an opportunity to win the game in overtime, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Gabriel Davis weren’t on the same page. Unfortunately, the incomplete pass would force the Bills to kick a field goal. Philadelphia would take advantage, according to Black sports news, by seeing quarterback Jalen Hurts score a touchdown on the next drive to grab a 37-34 win.
The Bills fell to 6-6 and are far from sure to make the AFC playoffs. A logjam of teams is on the fringe of the Wild Card race, and the Bills have a demanding schedule. One of the quirks in the NFL schedule is that teams that do well will get a more difficult schedule the next season. The Bills still have games against top NFC Contenders San Francisco and Dallas looming.
Was it Right to Blame Canada?
The groundswell in Pittsburgh was finally too much for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Before the Steelers played the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, recent sports news shows that Pittsburgh fired its offensive coordinator in the lead-up to the game. The fan base was happy with how the team responded.
For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers gained more than 400 yards of offense in a 16-10 win over the rival Bengals. Everyone noticed how willing Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was to do different things.
For the first time all season, tight end Pat Freiermuth was utilized. The Steelers’ second-year quarterback also threw frequently over the middle and down the field. While Pittsburgh’s offense only scored one touchdown, the fanbase seemed happier with the results. Whether or not it is sustainable will play out over the next few weeks.
Jaguars Regain Control of the South
It was a surprise when Jacksonville lost to Houston earlier in the season. The Jaguars were heavy favorites to win the division after their surprise playoff run last season. Houston also had a rookie quarterback who people thought would take time to develop.
But Texans’ rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has been a revelation, and Houston sprung an upset. Last Sunday, Jacksonville was prepared for the Texans. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 364 yards, and Jacksonville picked up a 24-21 win. But the Jaguars’ victory didn’t come easily.
Houston had a drive late in the game to try and tie things up, but a 58-yard field goal attempt late in the game hit off the crossbar.
Panthers’ Performance Sees Coach Fired
The Carolina Panthers went all in on Alabama product with the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft. People in the preseason worried Young was too small to handle the rigors of playing in the NFL. So far, Young hasn’t quite found his mojo.
Carolina lost to Tennessee and fellow rookie quarterback Will Levis. While Levis only threw for 185 yards, nine fewer than Young, Levis has the backing of veteran running back Derrick Henry. Henry scored twice to help Tennessee score a 17-10 win over Carolina. Unfortunately for Panthers’ coach Frank Reich, the loss cost him his job.
Reich was 1-10 in his only season with the Panthers. To make things worse for Carolina, the Panthers won’t be able to benefit from their poor play. In order to acquire Young, Carolina traded their first-round draft pick next season to Chicago. The Bears will get the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft if Carolina finishes with the league’s worst record.
Broncos Stating Their Case for Playoffs
Denver was left for dead after a tough start to the season. The Broncos allowed 70 points in a humiliating loss to Miami. Many wondered if first-year coach Sean Payton could still lead a team after that defeat.
More importantly, could Payton salvage the career of veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who looked way past his prime? While it hasn’t always been pretty, Denver has won five straight games after beating up Cleveland 29-12 last Sunday. The Broncos took advantage of Cleveland playing backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson last week.
But make no mistake, the Bronco’s current winning streak hasn’t featured the team just feasting on cupcakes. Denver also beat first-place Kansas City and put a significant dent in Buffalo’s playoff hopes with a last-second win.
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