NFL Update and Biggest Storylines As The Postseason Gets Closer

Welcome to The Truda Report everybody. Sorry for my absence as of late, I've had a lot of work to do lately. Now that I have some time though, I'm ready to break down some of last week's games and what that means heading into this week and the playoffs. Make sure to share this article as it helps TTR grow. 

Game Spotlight - Jacksonville Jaguars 30 vs. 24 Seattle Seahawks
This was a huge game last week as it increased Jacksonville's chances to make the playoffs to over 90%, and pretty much sealed their chances of winning the division. It also was a statement victory, as the team who was a laughing stock just a year ago beat a perennial contender in the Seahawks. 
What Does It Mean This Week?
It means that if Seattle wants to keep its playoff hopes alive, it needs a win this week. They'll be taking on the L.A. Rams at home in a game that could give Seattle the division lead, since Seattle is 8-5 and the Rams are 9-4. This should be a great game, and one that holds huge value in terms of playoff seeding. The Jaguars are taking on the Texans who have been a mess ever since Deshaun Watson went down with a season ending ACL tear. This should be a division win for the Jags, and one that'll put them at 10-4.
What Does It Mean For The Playoffs?
This game pretty much proved that the Jaguars are a playoff caliber team, with a Super Bowl caliber defense. They intercepted Russell Wilson, my MVP pick, three times in that game showing why they are the most feared pass defense in the NFL. For the Seahawks, their loss makes this weeks game against the Rams almost a must win, especially since Aaron Rodgers is returning this week in hopes of leading the Packers back into the playoff picture. If Seattle drops to 8-6 this week, their two straight losses will make it hard to compete for a playoff spot.

Game Spotlight - Philadelphia Eagles 43 @ 35 Los Angeles Rams
This was the game of the week, as it was a battle to the end. It was also a huge story, since Carson Wentz, leading many MVP polls, was lost for the season after tearing his ACL. His backup, Nick Foles, is a decent quarterback but there is a huge drop off between an MVP candidate and someone incapable of starting for a team. The Eagles are a talented team, so it'll be interesting to see if they can continue their success without Wentz.
What Does It Mean This Week?
I've already talked a bit about the Rams playing the Seahawks this week, so I'll just quickly say that I see things in a similar light for L.A. as I do Seattle. One of those two teams is likely to be a wild card team this year, and the winner could hold home field advantages in some playoff matches due to a division title. The Eagles play the dumpster fire New York Giants this week. If they can't win this game, Wentz should win MVP just based on the assumption that he must have been the only one winning this team games.
What Does It Mean For The Playoffs?
The Rams are still right in the thick of things, but it showed they are vulnerable against strong teams. This doesn't bode well for them if opposing defenses find ways to get pressure on Goff and contain Todd Gurley, who accounts for almost 35% on L.A.'s offense. With the Eagles, this is obviously a huge blow. A lot of people are still taking them to come out of the NFC and make the Super Bowl, but I can't believe that unless Nick Foles plays really well. As of right now, I give Philly one playoff victory at most. The loss of Wentz killed their season, in my eyes.

Game Spotlight - Miami Dolphins 27 vs. 20 New England Patriots
I'm a Dolphins fan, so I've been ecstatic all week. I love seeing Tom Brady scream at everyone on the sideline because of his inability to play well in Miami. It makes my heart soar. Anyways, this was a huge game for the AFC playoff race. It has a lot of implications, but I'll talk about that in a second. Specific to this game, the Dolphins exposed a couple things the Patriots did. One, is they didn't allow Brandin Cooks to burn them deep forcing Brady to only throw underneath all game...which is usually what works. Miami consistently kept its linebackers in underneath coverage though, sometimes with underneath safety coverage as well, to contain those dump offs to running backs. That meant Brady was never able to catch the defense sleeping on the deep ball, and he had no success moving the ball with his quick underneath throws. Also, on offense Miami exposed the Patriots secondary with lots of misdirection, motion, and subtle pick plays, which is actually a page out of Bill Belicheat's book. Overall this game was dominated by Miami, and the close score due to garbage time points doesn't do it justice.
What Does It Mean This Week?
This week Miami plays the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo, where they sometimes struggle. This is a must win for both teams involved, as they are both fighting for the six seed in the AFC playoffs. Right now Buffalo is in that last spot, but with four other teams right in the mix this is a must win game. The Patriots play the Steelers in what should be the game of the week. Everyone expected this game to be the battle of two teams tied for the one seed in the AFC, but after Miami's win the Pats are one game behind Pittsburgh. That makes this a must win if New England wants to own home field advantage through the playoffs.
What Does It Mean For The Playoffs?
Miami currently sits at 6-7, and is one game out of the playoffs. The teams ahead of them right now either by tiebreaker or a one game better record are the Raiders, Chargers, Ravens, and Bills. The Fins play the Bills, Chiefs, Bills to end the season, all of which are winnable games. If Miami ends 9-7, the Bills would be out of playoff contention, the Chiefs would be at best 9-7 and Miami would own the tiebreaker, the Chargers would at best be 10-6, but in that scenario Miami automatically makes the playoffs, and the Raiders at best would be 9-7, and they would take the six seed. That is the least likely scenario though, so Miami, if they win out, could very well make the playoffs. The Patriots, like I already said, need to win this week if they want to hold the one seed, and if they lose they'll likely head to the postseason without home field advantage. That could be an issue if they need to play in Pittsburgh for the AFC title.

In my opinion, those were the three most important games of this week, since they seriously affected the paths teams need to take to make the playoffs, or get a high seed in the playoffs.