Three more teams clinch an NFL playoff berth

The GIST: Week 15 was as dramatic as ever, filled with coaching outbursts, Taylor Swift f-bombs, and epic, tear-inducing send offs as the end of the regular season inches closer.

Three teams clinch a playoff berth: The Dallas Cowboys locked in their third straight playoff berth before even taking a snap yesterday, advancing after the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers both lost their respective games earlier in the day. And Cowboys quarterback (QB) Dak Prescott should thank them, because the previous MVP favorite and his ’Boys were utterly dominated 31–10 by the resurgent Buffalo Bills.

• Joining Dallas in the postseason are the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens. Like the Cowboys, the Eagles clinched their spot through another team’s defeat yesterday, while the Ravens did it the old-fashioned way: beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 23–7 on Sunday Night Football.

The Carolina Panthers pull off second W of the season: As mentioned, the super-struggling Panthers were narrowly victorious yesterday, defeating the Falcons 9–7 to knock Atlanta out of the top spot in the lowly NFC South. Must be those all-black uniforms.

Four more squads eliminated: The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, and NY Jets were all eliminated from playoff contention yesterday. That makes it unlucky number 13 straight years missing the postseason for the Jets — the longest streak in North American professional sports.

QB questions linger ahead of Monday Night Football: Both the Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks could be without their QB1s tonight: Philly’s Jalen Hurts is sick and listed as questionable, while Seattle’s Geno Smith is battling a groin injury. Stay tuned.