Pro Football History.com Blog
December 15th, 2025
The 2025/26 NFL season is coming to close, with just a couple of game weeks remaining - and there's still many playoff spots to fight for. In fact, none of the eight NFL divisions has a mathematically guaranteed winner even at this late stage in the season. But what have been the biggest surprise packages of this highly competitive year so far?
The main surprises of the season have mostly been quarterback related. A few teams have had surprise turnarounds, and a few teams have fallen off. Things are looking quite different now than they were in the early weeks, with some early MVP contenders dropping off in form and others gathering pace. These, are three of the biggest surprise stories so far.
The Kansas City Chiefs Have Fallen Off Hard - How Did that Happen?
Although in the preseason many thought the dominant era of the Chiefs might be on the decline, few will have predicted just how far they've fallen this year. After winning the AFC West nine years in a row, at 6-7 the Chiefs are now mathematically out of the running for the division title and face a difficult battle to even make the playoffs.
Interestingly this fall off comes just as Missouri legalized sports betting - meaning a fair few Chiefs fans will have likely already lost money betting on their team. Since the market opened on December 1, the Chiefs have played one game - a shock 10-20 home defeat to the Houston Texans. At least sports betting Chiefs fans can console themselves with DraftKings Missouri sign-up promotion details, listed with expert analysis of the very best options.
The Chiefs were especially known for their tight execution, making the most of their chances in key moments during one-score games - but this season those games have gone 0-5 against them. A combination of the decline of the formerly imperious Patrick Mahomes (who threw 10 intercepted or missed passes in a row against the Texans in game week 15) and defensive lapses have cost the Chiefs in vital moments, and this has undoubtedly been their worst season in years.
Sam Darnold Pushed the Seahawks to the Strong Playoff Contenders
While the Chiefs are a team on the spinout with a declining legend at quarterback, one of the big surprises of the season has been The Seattle Seahawks and their new QB Sam Darnold. Having not won a division title since 2014, the Seahawks' 10-3 record in the NFC West sees them well in contention with only a few games to go.
The Seattle team has had an unexpectedly explosive offence this year, including the recent 37-9 blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons to hit the 10 win mark. And a lot of that success has come through Sam Darnold. At his fifth team in six years, Darnold had a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings last year - but few expected him to light it up as much as he has in the Pacific Northwest. He has compiled 3,162 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes so far, with a passing rating of 103.8 putting him among the league's best.
Although the Seahawks' remaining scheduled games mean contending with late-season Super Bowl favorites the Los Angeles Rams for their division title, they currently have the momentum with three straight wins and shouldn't be counted out just yet.
Drake Maye Has Stepped up as the New England Patriots Rebound
After back-to-back losing seasons in the AFC East, the Patriots have come back in 2025 with a bang. They currently have the best record in the League at 11-2, and a lot of that is down to the heroics of second-year QB Drake Maye.
In fact, his performances this season have already seen him take a franchise record formerly held by the one most legendary quarterbacks in NFL history Tom Brady. He’s thrown for over 3,400 yards with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions, across the longest streak in Patriots' history of consecutive 200+ yard, 100+ rating games.
The Patriots' resurgence has obviously also influenced by the arrival of new head coach Mike Vrabel, who few expected to have such an immediate impact. Although not winning anything in his four seasons in charge of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel did lead them to four winning seasons in a row - the kind of stability that the Patriots sorely needed as they look to get back to the dynastic form of a decade ago.
As a former Patriots line-backer himself, Vrabel knows the systems that helped the Patriots to win three Super Bowls between 2014 and 2018 and he has instilled some of that in team. In fact even Brady himself has had big praise for Maye, saying that he sees the new Patriots system as fitting the quarterback perfectly - just as it did for him in his day.
December 11th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
With just a few weeks to go, the NFL MVP award is a competition between two quarterbacks remaining: Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye. As these quarterbacks continue leading their teams’ to the number one seed in their conference, other contenders last week have been fading from contention behind injuries, unexpected losses, and a general downturn in play. While we look at our updated MVP ranking for Week 14, consider looking at the melbet download apk to look at various games throughout the week.
Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams, Quarterback
Stafford continues to lead the way off the back of his best season of his seventeen year career. Stafford and the Rams got back to their winning ways this week with a 45-17 win over divisional rival Arizona Cardinals. Stafford threw another three touchdowns in victory, bringing his league leading total to 35 on the season. With four games to go, Stafford has a good chance of surpassing his career-high of 41.
But it’s not just touchdowns where he’s having one of his best seasons of his career. He’s also been more protective with the football in 2025. Last season was his career-low in interceptions for a full season (8), but through twelve games he’s only thrown four this season.
The Rams will need Stafford to continue his high level of play for the remainder of the season. The Seattle Seahawks are hot on the Rams’ tail for both the division lead and the first overall seed in the playoffs. The Rams have the tie-breaker currently based on their prior win in Week 11. The two rivals will face off in Week 16 for what could determine the first seed in the playoffs.
Drake Maye - New England Patriots, Quarterback
We continue to have Maye behind Stafford in the race for the MVP, it is still well within reach with a strong finish to his second NFL season. While Stafford may have the best personal story for the award, it will be hard for voters to deny the New England Patriots having the best team story for the award. This time last season, the Patriots were listless and one of the worst teams in the league. Less than a year later, the team has life and a bright future ahead of them. While new head coach Mike Vrabel will have a lot to do with that, it’s hard to deny the night-and-day impact of Maye’s improvement.
While improvement would be expected between someone’s first and second season, Maye is leading the league in completion percentage, second in passing yards, and has thrown eight more touchdowns than all of last season. And he has managed this while cutting down his interceptions. The Patriots will continue to leave some skeptical of how good they actually are this season because of their schedule, but the worst-to-first story in the AFC East is a compelling one for voters.
The Field
As the season draws closer to an end, the field of contenders has dramatically thinned. Perennial candidate Patrick Mahomes suffered one of his toughest losses of his career this week at home against Houston, all but eliminating him and the Chiefs from the playoffs for the first time in his career. Daniel Jones, once one of the most surprising stories of the 2025 NFL season, unfortunately tore his Achilles’ tendon this week, leading to a heartbreaking end to his season. And while reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Bills had a much-needed victory this week over the Bengals, his candidacy likely will only be boosted by a strong finish to the season with victories over the Patriots and the Eagles with four games to go. A strong finish like that could potentially move the team into yet another AFC East title, and with a little help, the first overall seed.
November 25th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
With Week 12 behind us, we have a new #1 seed in the NFC after the Los Angeles Rams won their ninth game of the year. There was quite a bit of movement in the NFC, with the top three playoff spots changing teams from Week 11. With the short week ahead for many teams, let’s look through the NFC standings.
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#1 - Los Angeles Rams (+2)
One week after taking over first place in the NFC West, the Rams have continued to move up in the NFC with a 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The victory has put the Rams at 9-2, good for the best record in the NFC. The Rams defense harassed Baker Mayfield into his worst game of the season, a 9-19 showing with one touchdown and two interceptions before exiting the game with a shoulder injury. The victory sent the Bucs to their fourth loss in five weeks, who are now only a half game up for the lead in the NFC SOUTH. The Rams will go on the road this week to face the Carolina Panthers.
#2 Philadelphia Eagles (-1)
The Philadelphia Eagles are reeling after a stunning loss to the Dallas Cowboys. After leading 21-0 in the second quarter, the Eagles gave up 24 unanswered points to lose to the Cowboys on a walkoff field goal by Brandon Aubrey. The Eagles lost after leading by at least 21 points for the first time since 1999, and the division loss makes it sting even more. The Eagles have a tough rebound game ahead when they host the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears on Friday.
#3 - Chicago Bears (-1)
Coming off a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bears continued their hold on the NFC North. The team won 31-28 after Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a late scratch for the matchup. Bears fans would have rather had an opportunity to beat their old Packers’ foe, but will take the victory over backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. The Chicago Bears move down to third in the conference based on the tie breaker with the Eagles over the better win percentage in conference games, but they will have an opportunity to overtake them when they play each other on Friday.
#4 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The final division leader is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 6-5. We previously remarked on the Buccaneers relatively easier path to the playoffs, but they have given up that lead with their third consecutive loss - this one at the hands of the #1 Rams. The Bucs' slide has given up their divisional lead and now sit only half a game above the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs will look to right the pirate ship next week against the Arizona Cardinals.
#5 - Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks continued to lead the NFC Wildcard chase with a 30-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans, who remain in the hunt for the first pick overall in April’s draft. The Seahawks played a clean game, giving up zero turnovers while wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba had yet another stellar game. Smith-Njigba had 167 yards receiving and two touchdowns, and his big day put him on pace for the first ever 2,000 yard receiving season in NFL history. The Seahawks will host the Minnesota Vikings this week, who may be without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy after he entered the concussion protocol on Monday.
#6 - Green Bay Packers
The Packers held steady at the sixth seed in the NFC after a complete victory against their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The 23-6 victory was led by running back Emanuel Wilson’s first career start. Wilson carried the ball 28 times for two touchdowns. The defense forced three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble) while sacking McCarthy five times. The Packers have a tough road test ahead on Thanksgiving Day, travelling to Detroit to take on the Lions.
#7 - San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers continued to hold the last wildcard after a 20-9 victory at home against the Carolina Panthers. It was a turnover-prone game, as the teams combined for five interceptions and one lost fumble. The best source of offense for the 49ers was former Panther Christian McCaffrey, who had 142 yards of offense and one touchdown. The 49ers will go on the road to face the Cleveland Browns next week.
November 25th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
After twelve games, we have a new #1 seed in the AFC. With a 26-20 victory over the Bengals, the New England Patriots have passed over the Denver Broncos for the top seed in the AFC and owners of the best record in the league. With one new playoff team in the picture after the Steelers dropped out of first place in the AFC, let’s look at the latest standings after Week 12.
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#1 New England Patriots (+1)
The Patriots take over the #1 seed in the AFC after a road victory against the Bengals. They clinched their ninth straight victory for the first time since 2015. The Patriots overcame an early 10-0 deficit with a big 17-point second quarter, but their victory wasn’t clinched until the defense forced a turnover on downs with 18 seconds remaining in the game. The Patriots will host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
#2 Denver Broncos (-1)
The Broncos dropped down to the #2 seed on their bye week after the Patriots victory. However, the Broncos have two fairly easy road games coming up against the Washington Commanders (3-8) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) coming up the next two weeks, so they will have a great opportunity to retake home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Colts continue their brief slide with a 23-20 Overtime loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Leading 20-9 entering the fourth quarter, the Colts gave up 14 unanswered points to the Chiefs offense. The defense did a good job of keeping the Chiefs out of the end zone, but in the end they couldn’t overcome five field goals from Harrison Butker. Despite the lead, the Colts abandoned the run, leading to the offense not picking up a single first down in the fourth quarter as their lead unraveled. The Colts will face AFC South rival, the Houston Texans, this upcoming week.
#4 Baltimore Ravens (+6)
Appearing on the Playoff Board for the first time this season, the Baltimore Ravens are rolling right now. After a 23-10 victory against the New York Jets, the Ravens have now won five straight games. After looking dead in the water after falling to 1-5, the Ravens have rallied to restore their season. The Ravens will look for their sixth straight victory when they host the Bengals on Thanksgiving Day.
#5 Los Angeles Chargers (+1)
After a bad loss to the Jaguars last week, the Chargers had a bye week to rest and recover. They have remained in the wild card picture in the off week, and will play host to the Las Vegas Raiders this upcoming week. The Chargers beat the Raiders on the road 20-9 in Week 2, and a win this week will be very important to maintain pace with the other wild card teams, who all sit at 7-4.
#6 Jacksonville Jaguars (+1)
The Jaguars moved up in the standings after a tight 27-24 overtime victory against the Arizona Cardinals. The Jaguars were able to overcome a sloppy game filled with numerous turnovers to win their third game in the last four weeks. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence three three interactions and lost a fumble while throwing three touchdown passes to lead the scoring for the Jaguars. The Jaguars will go on the road Thanksgiving weekend to take on the Tennessee Titans, owners of the worst record in the league.
#7 Buffalo Bills (-2)
After their second loss in three weeks, the Bills are close to missing the playoffs all together if they do not right the ship soon. The Bills lost 23-19 against the Houston Texans this week, with Josh Allen failing to throw for a touchdown pass for only the second time this season. The offensive line failed the offense this week, with the Cardinals sacking Allen eight times on the day. The Bills will go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
November 25th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
After Week 12, the NFL MVP award has been turning into a two-man race between Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye. As these quarterbacks continue leading their teams’ to the number one seed in their conference, other contenders last week dropped down rankings because of unfortunate losses. While the MVP field narrows this week, there are contenders on the fringe that could make a run with a stellar end to the season.
Being an MVP requires lots of work in the classroom for these NFL players, studying film of their opponents, reviewing the new gameplan for the week, and lots of hard work in the offseason. They can’t phone it in, or say “Coach, I want someone to do my assignment for me”. They’ve got to put in the work day after day, week after week.
Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams, Quarterback
Stafford has continued to solidify his chance for his first ever MVP. With a very efficient 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay, Stafford threw for three more touchdowns to extend his touchdown lead over the rest of the league (30 touchdowns) with only two interceptions on the season. Only one other player in the league has more than 1,500 yards passing with fewer interceptions, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. With each passing week, Stafford puts up better stats.
This last week was his fifth straight game with multiple touchdown passes without an interception, and during that run he’s been careful to not take sacks either. It’s been since September since he’s been sacked three or more times in a game. Stafford has always lit up the stat sheet, but with the Rams leading the NFC, he’s turned this into his award to lose with six games to go in the season.
Drake Maye - New England Patriots, Quarterback
While Stafford is the wily old vet, his competition for the MVP is a second-year player out of North Carolina. Drake Maye has led the New England Patriots to a stunning turnaround from the 2024 season, with the team leading the entire NFL with a 10-2 record after coming in last in the AFC East just a season ago. While Stafford is leading the league in passing touchdowns, Maye leads the league in passing yards (3,130).
Maye has been remarkably consistent all season long. At least a touchdown in every game (except one). He protects the football with zero games with more interceptions than touchdowns. And his season low for passing yards is 203, while his season high was this week with 294 yards. Hardly a subpar game this season, and if his steady hand continues to lead the Patriots to the #1 seed, his MVP candidacy is hard to look away from.
The Field
With Stafford and Maye emerging as the likely candidates, other players may only get consideration with a dramatic finish to the season in the form of a major win streak. We had Colts running back Jonathan Taylor on the list last week, and he followed that up with his second worst game of the season when he only ran for 58 yards. Reigning MVP Josh Allen has fallen farther down our list after their second loss in three weeks, which now has them on the cusp of missing the playoffs. And one name that can’t be ignored is two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes, whose Kansas City Chiefs are sitting outside the playoffs looking in right now, but if they were able to close out the 2025 season with a playoff berth, it will likely be on his arm making big plays through the stretch.
This late in the season, it’s very likely that one of these five players will be hoisting the MVP trophy in February.