26CornerBlitz

Mahomes gets away with what Allen and Darnold didn't.

Mahomes Magic!

Nice run by one of those bad RBs.

How the West will be won: AFC's game of the year is Thursday night Dan Graziano - ESPN Staff Writer When the NFL released its schedule last spring, we figured the game of the year in the AFC would be in Week 15, and we were right. What we didn't realize was that it would be in Kansas City, not Pittsburgh. Yeah, the New England Patriots are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers again Sunday in what used to be the game that determined the AFC's No. 1 seed. But this year, New England is oddly vulnerable on the road and Pittsburgh has lost three games in a row and they don't look like the powerhouses they appeared to be when they met around this same time last year. Maybe they'll get there, but for now, that game has definitely lost some of its luster. By contrast, Thursday night in Kansas City, the two best teams in the AFC square off in a game that could determine everything from the AFC West champion to the conference's No. 1 seed to the Los Angeles Chargers' sense of self-worth. Andy Reid has waited his entire career for the 2018 Chiefs Adam Teicher - ESPN Staff Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For 14 years Joe Banner worked side-by-side with Andy Reid to build the Philadelphia Eagles, Banner as president and Reid as head coach. Banner knows well the kind of team Reid has in his mind's eye, the type he always has wanted to coach: One so dynamic and versatile on offense that it can overcome any obstacle an opposing defense can present and possibly carry the team to a Super Bowl championship. Reid, a few times, has been close to having that kind of team, particularly when he was with the Eagles. You don't get to be the eighth winningest coach in NFL history without some good teams. But he has never quite been there. Until now. Can a fully healthy Joey Bosa put Chargers atop the AFC? Eric D. Williams - ESPN Staff Writer COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has noticed a difference in Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Joey Bosa the past few weeks, one that may signal the return of a dominant defensive end who tormented the league last season. "Every game that he plays, every series that he plays, you start seeing him come back to who he is," Bradley said. "... He can feel it from the game, the effects, and that tells you that he's not quite maybe in game, tip-top shape where he's at, but he's getting closer. So we really like the progress he's making." After not recording a sack in his first game back after missing nine games with a foot injury, Bosa has four sacks in his past three games. He's starting to play to his immense potential and at just the right moment. The Chargers are on the verge of playing in the postseason for the first time in five years. On Thursday night against the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs, they could be playing for even more. The Chiefs (11-2) lead the Chargers (10-3) by one game in the division, and to beat the AFC's top team, the Bolts will need the best from Bosa.

QB Index: Brady Inches Closer to Top Five Ranking NOTE: This is the Quarterback Index. The QBs are ranked based on 2018 play alone. The next ranking of all 32 starters comes after Week 17. Nearly three years after the 2016 NFL Draft, the Rams and Eagles wouldn't change a thing. The debate between Jared Goff and Carson Wentz had no wrong answer, although it certainly didn't look that way two years ago at this time. Goff's career trajectory is yet another lesson in allowing players to mature before removing hot takes from the oven. It's no surprise that a 22-year-old quarterback didn't thrive under Jeff Fisher, but I am struck by how these two quarterbacks' early paths have diverged since Wentz tore his left ACL in a shootout with Goff's Rams in Los Angeles this week one year ago. Sunday's rematch was supposed to be a chance for Wentz to put that memory behind him, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that tests revealed Wentz has a fracture in his back, which makes him unlikely to play this week and could keep him out the rest of the season. Wentz has struggled with injury luck dating back to his final season at North Dakota State, when he suffered a broken wrist. The bigger concern after 40 NFL starts remains his accuracy. His completion percentage went up this season (from 60.2 to 69.6) coming off his knee injury, although that was largely due to a dink-and-dunk Eagles offense that failed to push the ball down the field. Wentz still looks like a star, though, and mixed in some of the jaw-dropping plays that had him rated as a strong MVP candidate a year ago. He's among the toughest quarterbacks to bring down and completes high-degree-of-difficulty throws. But too often this year, Wentz made poor decisions or missed routine passes, with the back issues, which Rapoport says date back to October, as a potential explanation.

Rivers vs. Mahomes.

NFL Week 15 game picks THURSDAY, DEC. 13 Kansas City Chiefs 30, Los Angeles Chargers 26 8:20 p.m. ET (FOX/NFL Network/Prime Video) | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.) Although these two proud franchises have been going at it for 59 seasons, all the way back to the early days of the AFL, I don't think any of their previous 117 matchups carried this much weight. The only instance that would even come close: a 1992 wild-card game that the Bolts won going away. That Dave Krieg-quarterbacked Kansas City team couldn't produce any points against Junior Seau and friends. The Chiefs' quarterback of today is a unique talent. While Krieg was a streaky player, Patrick Mahomesseems to be stuck in a hot streak defenses can't pull him out of. Even the Ravens' formidable defense couldn't hold Mahomes down in Week 14. With Austin Ekeler out and Melvin Gordon questionable, rookie back Justin Jackson might have to be a hoss for the Chargers. The rookie did rack up 139 yards from scrimmage in Weeks 12 and 13 (8.7 yards per touch), but was comparatively quiet in Week 14 (12 rushing yards on seven carries, with two catches for 23 yards). Chiefs back Spencer Ware was banged up last week, which might translate to Mahomes throwing at least 40 times. Thus, the key for K.C. will be getting Joey Bosa (another sack last week) and Melvin Ingram blocked. Crowd noise will be a factor for the other quarterback. In case you are wondering, Philip Rivers has lost his last four starts at Arrowhead, with the Chargers scoring 50 points. Total. Now that is a stat. Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 8:20PM Thursday Night Football Los Angeles Chargers 0 vs. Kansas City Chiefs 0 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO Head To Head for: Los Angeles vs Kansas City

Nice to see you again Mitts!

The Buffalo Bills are preparing to take on the Detroit Lions this coming weekend, though rookie quarterback Josh Allen has come under fire from some national pundits that have had some staunchly negative reviews of his first eight starts. Joe Buscaglia and Matthew Fairburn discuss this, and broader points about the quarterback position as to how to truly gauge players as they go through their careers. That, plus a quick Bills-Lions preview with predictions. In this week's episode, Sal Maiorana and Leo Roth share some thoughts on LeSean McCoy's future with the Bills, Tremaine Edmunds taking over leadership of the defense, and Josh Allen's continued baptism under fire.

VS. NFL.com Game Preview THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEW It's About to Get Wild in the West At stake tonight: A spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 for the Chargers and a first-round bye for the Chiefs. Who will come out on top? Austin Knoblauch breaks down the "TNF" showdown.

Do all women coordinate this? Is it some kind of march we should know about?

Scouting Report: Week 15 - Bills-Lions Top 3 Individual Matchups 1 – Robert Foster vs. Nevin Lawson 2 – Jerry Hughes vs. Taylor Decker 3 – Tre’Davious White vs. Kenny Golladay Bills Top 2 Advantages Good advantage – Third down defense Best advantage – Pass defense Bills Number 1 Must Finish strong Scouting Eye Wounded Lions Missing in the middle Locking down two minute Red zone woes Getting home Game Preview: Lions vs Bills (1:31) John Murphy breaks down the week 15 matchup between the Lions and Bills at New Era Field.

Bills Life: Why “A Football Life: Thurman Thomas” is a must-see for Bills fans 1. Why “A Football Life: Thurman Thomas” is a must-see for Bills fans For Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas, this year has been one he’ll never forget. One of the best players in Bills franchise history, Thomas added to his already impressive resume this season when his jersey number 34 was retired by the Bills forever. The emotional moment, which captivated Thomas, his family and thousands of Bills fans around the world, is just one of the many career milestones that is featured in the NFL Network’s "A Football Life: Thurman Thomas.” The one-hour documentary, which debuts this Friday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on the NFL Network, will take viewers on a journey with Thomas. From his college days at Oklahoma State to his Super Bowl years with the Bills, and everything in between, fans will get to know more about the Bills Legend through interviews with Thomas himself, his family members, Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, Marv Levy, Bill Polian and several of his former teammates.

Film Room: Top Plays vs. Jets (3:26) In this week's episode of Inside the Film Room, HC Sean McDermott and Steve Tasker break down the top plays from the Week 14 game against the New York Jets.

Numbers to know • Jack Eichel enters tonight's contest with five goals in his last three games, marking his longest such streak since March 3 to 7, 2016. He has recorded two points in five of his last six games and ranks one shy of league leaders Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen with 15 multi-point outings this season. Read more on the remarkable start to Eichel's season here. • Sam Reinhart is currently riding a career-best seven-game point streak (5+5). He has 23 points (8+5) in his last 23 games, including eight two-point outings in that stretch. • With 21 goals in 31 games, Jeff Skinner is on pace for 56 goals this season. It would mark the second-highest total in Sabres history, behind Alexander Mogilny's record tally of 76 goals in 1992-93. Projected Lineup 53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart 43 Conor Sheary - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo 72 Tage Thompson - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 29 Jason Pominville 71 Evan Rodrigues - 22 Johan Larsson - 28 Zemgus Girgensons 26 Rasmus Dahlin - 4 Zach Bogosian 24 Lawrence Pilut - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 82 Nathan Beaulieu - 5 Matt Tennyson 40 Carter Hutton 35 Linus Ullmark