If you’re seeking evidence that there’s no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL, you need only to look at the handful of teams that looked elite just a few weeks ago and now appear flawed as the playoffs approach.
At the front of that line are the Rams, who started the season 8-0 and were all the rage with their ferocious defensive front led by Aaron Donald and their prolific offense that goes through running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff.
The Rams looked like a lock to own the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with home-field throughout. But they’re 3-3 since then, having lost past two in a row and looking ordinary in the process. Entering Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, Gurley looks like he won’t play because of a knee injury.
The Rams, who were 13 ½-point favorite at home and lost to the Eagles last week, now are chasing the 12-2 Saints for the top seed. Through their first 12 games, the Rams had just 10 turnovers. But in their past two, they’ve turned it over seven times — including six Jared Goff interceptions.
“[We’re] doing stuff that’s not us, so we need to get back to ourselves,” Gurley told reporters during the week.
“We’re not tripping,” Rams cornerback Marcus Peter told reporters. “We just have to get back to our P’s and Q’s.”
The Patriots also look like a team that needs to get back to its P’s and Q’s. They looked like they were about to make a run at the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC, and they enter Sunday’s game against the Bills riding a disturbing two-game losing streak that threatens to keep them from having a first-round bye — which has been a rite of winter in Foxborough, Mass., for nearly two decades.
The Patriots, who committed a rash of pre-snap penalties in last week’s sloppy loss to the Steelers, suddenly look very vulnerable. The week before, their lackadaisical coverage gave a win to Miami on a miracle final play. These represent the primary thing Bill Belichick-coached teams never do: beat themselves.
The Chiefs, like the Rams, were in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 seed and, thanks to a loss last week and the Chargers’ four-game winning streak, are suddenly in a fight merely to win the AFC West title.
Even Dallas, which owned a two-game lead on the Eagles and Redskins in the NFC East, have made things interesting after being shutout by the Colts last week. The Cowboys’ lead over the Eagles and Redskins is now a slim one game with two to play.
So with two remaining weeks to the NFL regular season, nothing is as it seemed it was only a couple of weeks ago. No such thing as a sure thing.