If the Colts are for real, they will knock off the Cowboys

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If the Dallas Cowboys are for real , they will win their sixth straight game and clinch the NFC East at Indianapolis on Sunday. and stamp themselves as true contenders for the AFC playoffs.With three games remaining, Dallas (8-5) is in control of its division, thanks to a staunch defense and a revived air game with the addition of Amari Cooper. Has any veteran been more worth a first-round draft pick in a midseason trade?“I didn’t know we were going to get all that, honestly,'” says NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott about Cooper, acquired from Oakland. “But when I finally saw him in person, when I saw him catch the ball, I saw him run around and run after the catch, that’s when I really realized he’s truly special.”A Cowboys win does the trick in the NFC East, as would losses by Philadelphia and Washington. Dallas has almost no chance at a first-round playoff bye, though.So what? The Cowboys were 3-5 and sinking and now look where they are.Talking about sinking, Indianapolis was 1-5 two months ago. Then the Colts (7-6) won five straight before that string ended with an awful performance at Jacksonville. So they went to AFC South leader Houston, winner of nine in a row, and won.In his comeback from a 2017 season lost to a shoulder injury, Andrew Luck has been sensational, working behind an offensive line that has gone from sieve to sturdy. Luck has been sacked 16 times, second fewest in the league.Indy is in a four-way tie for the second AFC wild-card slot with Baltimore, Tennessee and Miami.“Most people call this the dash for cash,” Colts tight end Eric Ebron says. “So you just try to win.”Two road teams won Saturday, with Cleveland edging Denver 17-16, and Houston beating the New York Jets 29-22 , and.Baker Mayfield’s 2-yard TD toss to Antonio Calloway with just under 12minutes left provided the winning margin for the Browns (6-7-1). They snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Broncos (6-8).Houston’s Deshaun Watson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins with 2:15 left. The Texans are 10-4, and the Jets 4-10.The weekend began Thursday night with the Los Angeles Chargers‘ 29-28 comeback victory at Kansas City.Philip Rivers led the Chargers to a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes, then hit Mike Williams for the go-ahead 2-point conversion with 4 seconds remaining. The Chargers (11-3) trailed 28-14 before Justin Jackson scored with 3:49 to go.Not only did the Chargers clinch a playoff berth, they forged a first-place tie with the Chiefs (11-3) in the AFC West while ending a nine-game losing streak to their longtime division rivals.New England (9-4) at Pittsburgh (7-5-1)Tampa Bay (5-8) at Baltimore (7-6)The AFC North has become a jumble with Pittsburgh’s slump (three successive defeats) and Baltimore’s resurgence.These matchups don’t bode well for the Steelers, especially if Ben Roethlisberger’s rib and James Conner’s ankle are factors.The Patriots have won the past five meetings. Of course, the 2017 version is unforgettable: Roethlisberger threw an interception in the end zone with 5 seconds remaining after tight end Jesse James‘ apparent go-ahead touchdown with 29 seconds left was overturned on review. Officials ruled the catch did not “survive the ground;” James jostled it after stretching across the goal line.So the league amended the rule in the offseason to allow some movement by the ball if a receiver maintains possession.New England can clinch its 10th straight AFC East title with a win or tie and a Miami loss or tie.Baltimore, meanwhile, will sit the now-healthy Joe Flacco behind first-round pick Lamar Jackson, who has won three of his four starts with Flacco (hip) sidelined. The Ravens‘ ground game has been sensational with the rookie behind center:Jackson has 336 yards rushing over the past four games, the most by any NFL quarterback in his first four starts during the Super Bowl era. Baltimore also is allowing an NFL-low 18.5 points per game.Philadelphia (6-7) at Los Angeles Rams (11-2)New Orleans (11-2) at Carolina (6-7), MondayTop seed in the NFC is what it’s all about for the Saints and Rams, who lost to New Orleans this season.The Rams and Saints each clinch a first-round bye with a win and a Chicago loss or tie, or a tie and a Chicago loss.New Orleans has struggled offensively the past two weeks, but this is a matchup Drew Brees enjoys. The Saints beat the Panthers three times last season, including the playoffs. Brees has completed 76.7 percent of his passes for 2,714 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions in the past 10 NFC South games and has 46 TDs and 20 INTs vs. the Panthers, who have lost their past five overall. But Carolina is 5-1 at home.With the Rams coming off the lowest-scoring performance under Sean McVay, a 15-6 loss to the Bears, they try to avoid falling in consecutive games with McVay in charge. Indeed, he has won at least two straight after all seven of his career defeats.Eagles QB Carson Wentz is battling a back injury. He tore up his knee at LA last year and missed his team’s run to the championship.Tennessee (7-6) at New York Giants (5-8)The other weekend game at MetLife Stadium; notice the neutral end zones.New York once was 1-7, yet has a very long shot at making the playoffs. A retooled offensive line has provided time for Eli Manning to show he isn’t over the hill, and for rookie running back Saquon Barkley to go wild.Tennessee has had at least 400 yards in each of the past two games , and hasn’t managed three straight since Oct. 1-16, 2000. It has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the league this season, 27.Green Bay (5-7-1) at Chicago (9-4)Miami (7-6) at Minnesota (6-6-1)Chicago’s last-to-first climb in the NFC North could be finalized against its biggest rival. A win over Green Bay, which leads the NFL’s longest series 97-94-6, gets it done. So does a Minnesota loss or tie.The Bears lead the NFL in turnover differential (plus 13) and interceptions (25).Green Bay, under interim coach Joe Philbin, must win out for any chance to play in January. The Packers have won eight in a row at Soldier Field and nine of the past 10 meetings overall. But with a win, Chicago would finish 7-1 at home for the first time since 2005.Miami’s stunning “Drake Escape” victory against New England kept it viable in the AFC playoff chase. The Dolphins are second in the NFL with 19 interceptions and tied for third with 25 takeaways.Minnesota was overwhelmed last Monday night at Seattle, and fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. In their past three losses, all on the road, the Vikings have averaged just 274 yards and 12 points per game. But they’re at home and the Dolphins are 0-5 on the road since beating the Jets in Week 2.Seattle (8-5) at San Francisco (3-10)Surging Seattle has won four straight and its defeats are to opponents who are a combined 36-16, with two of losses to the 11-2 Rams. The Seahawks have the league’s top rushing team and have become as stingy as anybody on defense despite being in a rebuild.A win gets them into the postseason, and they have won 10 straight in this NFC West rivalry, starting with the conference title game in January 2014. Linebacker Bobby Wagner , making a hefty statement for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, seeks his eighth straight game with at least eight tackles. Wagner had 12 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two passes defensed and a 98-yard interception return for a TD in the Week 13 win over San Francisco.Detroit (5-8) at Buffalo (4-9)Don’t look for much scoring here.With 3,187 yards passing, Detroit QB Matthew Stafford is in jeopardy of ending his seven-season streak of topping 4,000 yards. His counterpart , first-round pick Josh Allen, has a combined 335 yards rushing in the past three games. He’s the second NFL QB to top 90 yards rushing in three consecutive games, joining Green Bay’s Tobin Rote in 1951.Arizona (3-10) at Atlanta (4-9)Atlanta might do some scoring here, while Arizona ranks at the bottom in most offensive categories. Its pitiful 178 points are 23 lower than the next-worst team, Buffalo. The Cardinals started five rookies on offense last week.After being held without a TD catch in the first seven games, Atlanta WR Julio Jones has five in the past six games. Jones leads the NFL with 1,429 yards receiving and has topped 100 yards in nine games.Oakland (3-10) at Cincinnati (5-8)Banged-up Cincinnati has been in freefall, dropping five in a row and seven of eight. This is its final home game. The Bengals have averaged 51,673, the second-smallest attendance since Paul Brown Stadium opened in 2000. They’re 3-4 at home.The Raiders fired GM Reggie McKenzie on Monday, one day after a stunning upset of Pittsburgh.Washington (6-7) at Jacksonville (4-9)What does a team do when its top two QBs have broken legs and the third guy has a broken career? In Washington’s case, it turns to someone who hasn’t started since 2011, is 0-5 in the NFL and recently had a contract with the startup Alliance of American Football, Josh Johnson.Redskins RB Adrian Peterson needs 112 yards rushing to pass Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (13,259) for eighth most in NFL history. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams realize they’re heading into one of the NFL’s most intimidating environments when they visit the top-seeded New Orleans Saints in the deafening Superdome for the NFC championship game.Leave it to Aqib Talib, their voluble veteran cornerback, to remind his teammates about the upside of the New Orleans fans’ famed investment in the game.“As a defense, man, we like playing in it,” Talib said. “It’s going to be quiet (when the Saints have the ball). We can talk. We can communicate good, so as a defense , we enjoy it.”That’s exactly the type of vocal, clever leadership the Rams desired when they acquired Talib last spring to bolster a defense lacking in big-game experience. They’ll need every bit of Talib’s expertise and skill when they attempt to slow Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and a New Orleans (14-3) offense that already carved up the Rams (14-3) once this season.The Rams have one significant reason to think the rematch will be better: Talib was out with an ankle injury two months ago when the Rams gave up 346 yards passing to Brees during their first loss of the season, 45-35 at the Superdome.Talib is healthy and eager to make a difference Sunday, although he deflects any attempt to put the spotlight on him.“Everybody is preparing for this game different,” Talib said. “This is a huge game, so everybody is having real sharp meetings, and we’re all going to bring something a little different to the table.”The Rams acquired Talib and Marcus Peters to be the shutdown cornerbacks needed in the schemes of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who also coached Talib with the Broncos. Los Angeles even gave up linebacker Alec Ogletree, their leading tackler for most of his career, to create the cap space necessary to get Talib in a trade.While many of his teammates got their first career playoff victory last week against Dallas, Talib has seen it all before — from big playoff games in New England to a Super Bowl championship run with Denver. The 32-year-old cover specialist was named a captain by his teammates before he had even played his first game with the Rams, although he downplays his own leadership role.“I just be myself, you know,” Talib said. “I just communicate with guys, ask questions in the meeting room, and I don’t know. Maybe if I was on the outside looking in, I would see it.”Los Angeles’ defense has experienced a clear upswing in performance since the Rams’ epic 54-51 victory over Kansas City in late November. The Rams’ defense forced five turnovers by the Chiefs, but also gave up 546 yards.That was the eighth game missed by Talib due to a high ankle sprain. He returned for the next outing after their bye week in early December — and not coincidentally, the Rams have held four of their last six opponents under 23 points.“It changes things,” Phillips said. “Since Aqib has been back, we haven’t given up a lot of big plays in the passing game. He helps with communication , he helps with his talent, and we don’t have to change people around to cover up for a guy that hadn’t been playing. It gives us a versatility that we didn’t have when he wasn’t in there.”Phillips typically doesn’t like to assign one cornerback to a single receiver, preferring versatility and flexibility. The Rams also have a strong third cornerback, Nickell Robey-Coleman, who typically handles receivers lining up in the slot, as Thomas sometimes does.But it seems highly likely the Rams would consider matching up Talib with Thomas as much as possible. After all, Thomas posted 211 yards receiving against his hometown team in November largely against Peters .Talib understandably wouldn’t give away the Rams’ potential strategy for the NFC title game, and neither would Phillips. But Phillips made it clear how much he relies on the veteran to act as an extension of himself on the field.“He’s pretty proactive about everything,” Phillips said. “He’s a big personality, so you can’t help but be drawn to him. I tell him he always takes the other side. Whatever side you take, well, he’s going to argue the other side. You know, that’s him. He gets going, he gets excitable about a lot of things, and he’s a lot of fun to be around. And he made me drippin’ in the Super Bowl, so that was nice.”

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