The NFL’s favorite stat is the one that’s now been updated to say the league is officially riding a 36-season streak of at least four teams making the playoffs that didn’t qualify the year before.

New England, Jacksonville, Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco are in.

The Chiefs, Commanders and Vikings are out. The Lions, 8-7 and needing to win out while the Packers lose out, could join them on skid row as early as Christmas Day if they lose to the Vikings (7-8) at U.S. Bank Stadium.

So …
What the heck happened in Detroit?

When kickoff arrives on Christmas, it will have been only 354 days since the 14-2 Lions throttled the 14-2 Vikings 31-9 to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed at Ford Field on Jan. 5. Now Detroit is staring at a 6% chance of making the playoffs, according to Next Gen Stats, and pratfalling past even the Vikings for the NFC’s most disappointing faceplant of 2025. (Let’s give the overall league nod on the disappointment-o-meter to the Chiefs.)

The seeds of disappointment in Detroit were planted shortly after last season ended when coach Dan Campbell lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching gigs for the Bears and Jets, respectively.

The next two blows were worse. Center Frank Ragnow retired and right guard Kevin Zeitler signed with Tennessee, crushing the soul of a dominant offensive line.

Injuries from last year lingered into this year. Nose tackle Alim McNeill missed six games as he recovered from a torn knee ligament. 

Helpful former second-round defensive picks Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. have missed the entire season.

The injuries kept coming. Tight end Sam LaPorta has missed six games. Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch has missed three, while All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph has missed nine.

Cornerback Terrion Arnold has missed seven games. Cornerback D.J. Reed has missed six. DB desperation became a recurring theme.

Unlike last year, when Johnson and the planet’s top-ranked scoring unit carried a beat-up defense into the postseason, this year’s offense has been good, but it has lost a touch of its creativity and most of its tough-guy identity.

Guard Christian Mahogany broke his leg and has missed six games. Tackle Taylor Decker has had a down year. Ragnow tried to unretire but failed his physical.

Needing a victory at home on Dec. 21 against the Steelers to keep their playoff hopes realistic, the Lions ran the ball 12 times for 15 yards in a 29-24 loss.

Quarterback Jared Goff played well, as he has all season, completing 34 of 54 passes for 364 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 101.2 rating. But the Lions couldn’t control the line of scrimmage or the game like they always did a year ago.

Detroit got Mahogany back for the Steelers game. But, typical of their luck this season, the Lions were without their starting center, Graham Glasgow, and his veteran backup, Trystan Colon. So the Lions started undrafted rookie Kingsley Eguakun at center.

Detroit’s inability to control the game’s tempo with its offensive line helped Pittsburgh’s average-at-best run game pound out 230 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries (8.5).

And, typical of any down year, the breaks aren’t going Detroit’s way. The Lions were flagged for one of the rarest of NFL penalties — offensive pass interference — twice in the final 25 seconds.

First, a 1-yard touchdown pass from Goff to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was nullified. Then the walk-off winner — a lateral from St. Brown to Goff on fourth-and-goal from the 9 — was waved off.

That dropped the Lions to 5-6 in their past 11 games and 3-4 since Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton. Now, Detroit finishes with two NFC North road games at the Vikings and Chicago.

A year ago, the Lions were 6-0 in the division and 8-0 on the road. This year, they are 1-3 in the division, including a home loss to the Vikings, and 3-4 on the road.

But, cheer up, Lions Nation. Ditto, Vikings Nation.

Not making the playoffs this year means your favorite teams now have at least four cracks at helping the NFL stretch its favorite here-yesterday-gone-today-here-again-tomorrow stat to a 37th consecutive season come 2026.

Strib

Vikings will officially sew-up a 4th place schedule in 26

Take the good news where you can get it this year

Much as I would luv to ruin others football dreams, I honestly dont see the Vikings winning either remaining home game with Brosmer at QB.

That would leave us with a 7/10 record - sure feels worse than that doesn't it? 

I had em at 9 wins for their floor. 

   
Happy Holidays to all & a very Merry Christmas! 

Apparently McCarthy hurt is hand well before the sack/fumble. In fact, he threw a pass to Jones and scrambled for the TD AFTER the injury. After the score, he spun the ball on the turf and slapped hands aggressively with Jurgens in no apparent pain. On the next drive, he handed off to Jones on 1st down. The sack fumble occurred on 2nd down when McCarthy tries to dirt the ball but loses his grip. Brian Burns makes no contact with JJ's hand. Immediately after, JJ was seen on the sidelines in dramatic pain. 

First of all, what the hell's going on? I suppose it's possible the sack/fumble aggravated the injury, but there doesn't appear to be any contact at all with his hand. Second, how many times is this now that JJ has not disclosed an injury? I get that he's passionate about playing, but if I'm KOC I'm just a little bit furious with my young QB.

Kwesi accomplishments keep racking up.

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that they have entered into an agreement with the State of Kansas to play their games there beginning in 2031.

The announcement comes after Kansas lawmakers approved a proposal Monday to help pay for a new domed stadium for the team. The Chiefs have been seeking a new stadium to replace popular but aging Arrowhead Stadium.

The agreement includes a $3 billion domed stadium to be built in Wyandotte County and a new Chiefs headquarters and training facility in Olathe, Kansas.

"Today is an extraordinary day in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "We are excited to partner with the State of Kansas to bring a world-class stadium to our fans. This project represents another step in our legacy of innovation and our fan-first mentality, which started with my father, Lamar Hunt. The stadium, practice facility, and surrounding development will benefit the entire region, and further elevate Kansas City in the eyes of the country and the world."

The Legislative Coordinating Council, which includes the state's top lawmakers, voted unanimously inside a packed room at the state capitol to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of a stadium and accompanying district. The bonds would be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around it.

The Chiefs have played at Arrowhead Stadium on the Missouri side of Kansas City since 1972. Kansas City (Missouri) Mayor Quinton Lucas and city officials planned to address the media later Monday.

ESPN

New York Giants: 2-13 record; .530 strength of schedule
Las Vegas Raiders 2-13; .543 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 3-12, .490 SOS
New York Jets: 3-12, .536 SOS
Tennessee Titans: 3-12, .574 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 3-12; .575 SOS
Washington Commanders: 4-11; .502 SOS
New Orleans Saints: 5-10; .494 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 5-10; .516 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 6-9; .488 SOS
Atlanta Falcons (pick belongs to Los Angeles Rams): 6-9; .500 SOS
Kansas City Chiefs: 6-9; .518 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 6-8-1; .443 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 7-8; .504 SOS
15. Minnesota Vikings: 7-8; .520 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8, .528 SOS
Detroit Lions: 8-7; .492 SOS
Indianapolis Colts (pick belongs to Jets): 8-6; .531 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 8-7, .510 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-6; .508 SOS
Green Bay Packers (pick belongs to Cowboys): 9-5-1; .484 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 10-5; .478 SOS
Houston Texans: 10-5; .542 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 11-4, .460 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 10-4, .496 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 11-4; .459 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars (pick belongs to Browns): 11-4; .496 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 11-4, .531 SOS
Chicago Bears: 11-4; .448 SOS
New England Patriots: 12-3; .380 SOS
Denver Broncos: 12-3; .433 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 12-3; .500 SOS

Master Class in defensive football scheming this year...

Would love to see him him here another season or 2 - after that I think he'll get settled with the NFL and be a HC candidate for real

I put it at 50% - should be more imo. 

But there is enough smoke out there about him leaving that there may be some legitimacy to it.

to someone Ive been dogging all season...

Aaron Jones Sr yesterday could have tapped out and instead took a beating for the team. 

That was a hella example to set.

What a weird year in the NFL. Seriously. 

• Want to bag on a team? I give you the Detroit Lions. Their chances of making the playoffs are on serious life support (6.6% chance), so what's changed? I mentioned months ago that it was possible they just don't have the fight or grind in them after blowing and choking away 2 seasons where they were arguably the best team in the NFL. Is their window closed? 
  
• Along that vein, what happened to the Tampa Bay Bucs? Or even the Washington Commanders? I get it, Jayden Daniels has missed a decent part of the year but they look like complete ass. Add the Baltimore Ravens. And the Kansas City Chiefs. Maybe a handful of decent teams, but a buttload of mid to horrible teams. 
  
• So those fans that live in Minnesota and have PTSD about the Packers every year, how do you feel about Jordan Love now? How many more games do you need to see from him to feel that he's probably much closer to above average than great? 
  
• JFC, Drake Maye. You're smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. Nothing but major props to that kid. 
  
• Ashton Jeanty: overrated? Probably too early to say, but 3.7 yards a carry isn't 'generational' to me, despite the team you are on. 
  
• The Tush Push keeps getting less effective every year. Refs aren't letting their guards fire off the ball a millisecond early or line up illegally anymore which diminishes the effectiveness greatly.
  
• Dallas is the most underperforming organization in NFL history for all the media hype they get EVERY...SINGLE....YEAR. 
  
• The strangest thing this season is all the low-yardage games by QBs this year, its amazing. Josh Allen threw for 130 yards yesterday. Mayfield 145 yards. Take a stroll through various boxscores of games throughout the season and they are everywhere, for every team, almost consistently weekly.