10 Thoughts on the NFL: Playoff Bears! Spoiler Lions?Pick up the ball, and more

1. Wow. Three days later, I still can’t quite believe the Bears won that game. After that, I’m not sure what’s better: the fact that the Bears then immediately clinched a playoff berth due to Detroit’s loss; or that Packers fans have been losing their ever-loving minds trying to cope with the “L” they just took.

2) Finally, everyone can shut up about Drake Maye not having a 300-yard passing game. Not that he NEEDED a 380-yard game to prove how well he was playing this year for the 12-3 Patriots. But the box score watchers weren’t going to be satisfied until he did. Well, there you go: 380 and a win, keeping alive their shot at the AFC No. 1 seed. All respect to Matthew Stafford, but that’s my MVP.

3) Lamar Jackson is still that guy, don’t get me wrong. But it’s time to sit him down for the rest of the year, even though the Ravens technically have a chance to come back and win the AFC North. He’s been battling through injuries basically all year, and it shows. He’s not playing with the kind of confidence and explosiveness you’re used to seeing from him, and the Ravens offense has been extremely stoppable this year as a result. Let him rest up and come back stronger in 2026. A healthy Lamar Jackson is still one of the three best players in football. He’s just not healthy right now.

4) Having two game-winning touchdowns wiped out because of offensive pass interference calls to end your season is brutal work for the Lions. Think they miss Ben Johnson this year? They’ve been here before in 2022, just missing the playoffs before surging to the top of the NFC the next two years. That window might not be completely closed yet, but they have to improve a lot next year if they don’t want it to slam in their faces. One thing’s for sure, though: they’re going to be ready to spoil the Bears’ shot at the NFC North title if they can.

5) Speaking of teams whose window might be closing: the Buccaneers might have hit their limit. They’re getting older. Injuries are catching up to them. Baker Mayfield fell off precipitously without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin consistently in the lineup, as one might expect. Todd Bowles can’t seem to get them up to play for their playoff lives right now. Change is coming for this team. The only question is how much. At any rate, it might be time to start thinking about the succession plan for Mayfield, no matter what.

6) Always, always, ALWAYS pick up the football when it’s on the ground. Doesn’t matter where it is, how the play leading up to it ended, or if the whistle blows. Pick. Up. The. Ball. The Seahawks literally own the No. 1 seed in the NFC because they did. Meanwhile, we all remember how the Bears arguably missed the playoffs in 2010 because they didn’t.

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