AFC Champion New England PaÂtriÂots
Down and … out?
Tom Brady utÂtered these words back in OcÂtoÂber: "We're all disÂapÂpointÂed." It came afÂter the PaÂtriÂots dropped to 2-2 folÂlowÂing a loss to the PanÂthers. Doubts beÂgan to seep in — had Brady lost it? Was the dyÂnasÂty dead? As it turns out, it was unÂnecesÂsary hyÂperÂvenÂtiÂlaÂtion. They won their next eight games and 11 of the last 12 in the reguÂlar seaÂson.
Statement game
The PaÂtriÂots and SteelÂers met Dec. 17 with the winner gaining the edge for the AFC playoff home-field advantage. RunÂning back Dion Lewis scored a go-aÂhead touchÂdown with 56 secÂonds left. Ben Roethlisberger was picked off by DurÂon HarÂmon in the end zone to seal the outÂcome. With the 27-24 win, the PaÂtriÂots picked up their ninth straight AFC East title and were on their way to seÂcurÂing home-field advantage.
Key pickup
LineÂbackÂer James Harrison was reÂleased from the SteelÂers deÂspite colÂlectÂing 80½ sacks in PittsÂburgh. MayÂbe there wasn't room for him anyÂmore there, but the sage Bill BeÂliÂchick signed a playÂer nearÂly as old as Tom Brady and the 39-year-old beÂgan to conÂtriÂbute. In his last 14 games in PittsÂburgh, he played just 40 snaps. In the AFC Championship Game against the JaguÂars, Harrison played 32 snaps and reÂcordÂed three tackÂles and a quarterback hit. He can't go all game long, but in spurts, Harrison can make his presÂence known.
InÂjuÂry obÂstaÂcles
It seems like ages ago now, but reÂmemÂber when PaÂtriÂots naÂtion pressed the panÂic butÂton when JulÂian Edelman went down with a torn ACL? ComÂing off a year in which he caught 98 balls for 1,106 yards — an avÂerÂage of 11.3 yards per catch — Edelman's inÂjuÂry felt omiÂnous. In the end, it was not. Brandin Cooks, acquired from New Orleans in a trade, caught 65 passÂes, Danny Amendola caught 61 and tight end Rob Gronkowski led the team with 69 grabs. Gronk was placed in conÂcusÂsion proÂtoÂcol durÂing the AFC Championship Game but hopes to reÂcovÂer in plenÂty of time for SuÂper Bowl LII.
DisÂtracÂtion deÂferred
Jimmy Garoppolo, the playÂer all asÂsumed was the heir apÂparÂent to Brady, was sent to the 49ers on Oct. 31. Many are still tryÂing to make sense of it, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly when you conÂsider Garoppolo went 5-0 as the startÂer in San Francisco. But for all of the dust-up afÂter that, inÂcludÂing an ESPN exÂpose, the PaÂtriÂots stayed the course. PaÂtriÂots brass tried to knock down sugÂgesÂtions that there was disÂharÂmoÂny withÂin the orÂganÂiÂzaÂtion. All seemed bent on makÂing sure the outÂside noise wouldn't prove probÂlemÂatÂic, and so far, at least as is eviÂdent on the field, it has been busiÂness — and winÂning — as usuÂal.
NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles
Down and … out?
The Eagles enÂtered the Dec. 4 game at Seattle on a nine-game winÂning streak, avÂerÂagÂing 31.9 points per game. But the Eagles failed the big road test, losing 24-10 to a team fighting to stay in the playoff hunt. Carson Wentz was sacked three times, threw an inÂterÂcepÂtion and lost a fumÂble. For perÂhaps the first time all season, there was slight skepÂtiÂcism aÂbout the Eagles.
Statement game
This could have been the beÂginÂning of the end. It wasn't. Wentz threw four touchÂdown passÂes in the 43-35 win over the Rams but left the game afÂter sufÂferÂing a torn ACL that would end his seaÂson. Nick Foles came in and comÂpleted six of 10 passÂes. Foles' strike to NelÂson Agholor on third down with 1:45 left helped put the game away, and Brandon Graham's touchÂdown afÂter reÂcovÂerÂing the Rams' fumÂbled latÂeral capped the big win. The Eagles needÂed to win, reÂgardÂless of Wentz's staÂtus, and they did.
Key pickup
If the Eagles were conÂtendÂers beÂfore the trade deadÂline, they beÂcame heavÂy NFC favorites afÂter pickÂing up runÂning back Jay Ajayi from the DolÂphins. SitÂting at 7-1, the Eagles sent a fourth-round draft pick to the DolÂphins for Ajayi. He gained 1,272 yards — an avÂerÂage of 4.9 yards a carÂry — in 2016. But early this seaÂson, runÂning behind Miami's poor ofÂfenÂsive line, he'd fallÂen to 3.4 yards a carÂry. In PhilÂaÂdelÂphiÂa during the reguÂlar seaÂson, he's gained 5.8 yards per carry and caught 10 passÂes for 91 yards.
InÂjuÂry obÂstaÂcles
The most obÂviÂous and troubÂling loss was Wentz, but his inÂjuÂry wasn't the only setÂback. The Eagles lost left tackÂle JaÂson Peters (knee) and midÂdle lineÂbackÂer JorÂdan Hicks (AÂchilÂles' tendon) vs. WashÂingÂton in OcÂtoÂber. And punt reÂturnÂer Darren Sproles sufÂfered a broÂken arm and a torn ACL against the Giants in SepÂtemÂber. SeÂcond-year tackÂle Halapoulivaati Vaitai stepped in for Peters and perÂformed well. Mychal KenÂdricks, the brothÂer of ViÂkings lineÂbackÂer Eric KenÂdricks, picked up time in Hicks' place. Through it all, the Eagles have conÂtinued to roll.
DisÂtracÂtion deÂferred
One playÂer didn't acÂcept a salÂaÂry all seaÂson long. AnÂothÂer spent time in the league ofÂfice in New York City throughÂout parts of the year. Chris Long and MalÂcolm Jenkins didn't sacÂriÂfice footÂball in their colÂlecÂtive and inÂdiÂvidÂuÂal efÂforts to enÂgage in soÂcial jusÂtice soÂluÂtions. HowÂever, one perÂvaÂsive argument ofÂten sugÂgestÂed by team ownÂers and coachÂes against such inÂvolveÂment is that the playÂers' acÂtions would beÂcome a "disÂtracÂtion" withÂin the lockÂer room. So much for that. Long caused the inÂterÂcepÂtion that startÂed the unraveling of the ViÂkings in the NFC Championship Game. Jenkins was the same on-field disÂruptÂer he has been.
RANA L. CASH