NFL picks: Woody Johnson and the Jets deliver laughs and another win for the Los Angeles Rams

Around the AFC

Allen on top: As great as Josh Allen has been over seven seasons in Buffalo, he’s almost always been in the shadow of at least one other quarterback in the league. In his one All-Pro season, it was Aaron Rodgers with the Packers. Since then, it’s been Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs or Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Now, the Wyoming product is very clearly at the top of the heap — as he demonstrated once again in a 48-42 win at Detroit last Sunday that included two touchdowns passing and two rushing. Coming on the heels of a five-touchdown game at the Los Angeles Rams, the MVP is now Allen’s to lose. And maybe the Super Bowl, too.

The Ambassador: The Athletic’s takedown of Jets owner Woody Johnson, a former ambassador to the United Kingdom under the Trump administration, came with more than a few laughs. The best one involved the Broncos, who, according to the report, were pretty far down the road in trade talks with the Jets in a deal involving Jerry Jeudy when Johnson suddenly shut it down because the receiver’s “Madden NFL” video game rating wasn’t high enough. It’s just the sort of anecdote that sounds almost too good to be true. But given how dysfunctional the Jets have been this century, would you really put it past them?

Race for No. 1: Speaking of dysfunction, the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft appears to be down to two teams: the 2-12 Las Vegas Raiders and the 2-12 New York Giants. A look at the schedule gives a slight edge to the Giants, whose final three games all come against teams (at Atlanta, Indianapolis, at Philadelphia) vying for playoff spots. Meanwhile, the Raiders go into this weekend’s home game against Jacksonville favored by 1.5 points. Both teams desperately need QBs, but would either of them dare pass on Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the top pick?

Around the NFC

Penix time: Just 14 games into a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Kirk Cousins has been benched. Sound familiar, Broncos fans? It never made much sense that the Falcons decided to give Cousins all that money months after he snapped an Achilles tendon. And it made even less sense after they drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall a few weeks later. Now Penix is set to make his first start in the middle of a playoff race with the Falcons (7-7) a game behind Tampa Bay (8-6) in the NFC South with three weeks to go. No pressure, young fella.

Notes of Musk: It appears the Washington Commanders won’t be returning to the nation’s capital because of … Elon Musk?! Yes, everyone’s favorite eccentric billionaire helped kill a provision in the recently passed spending bill that would have given Washington, D.C., control of 177 acres around mothballed RFK Stadium after he circulated a false report stating that the bill included “$3 billion for a new stadium in D.C.” There was no such promise of stadium cash in the bill — although it was widely assumed D.C. would use the land to house the next Commanders stadium if the provision had passed. Instead, RFK will remain an empty, lifeless vessel for many more years to come. Good news for squirrels. Bad news for the Commanders.

Pass-ive aggressive: Kudos to Philadelphia receiver A.J. Brown for taking a victory lap after his not-so-subtle jabs at his QB Jalen Hurts in the press led to a breakout performance for the Eagles’ passing game against Pittsburgh last Sunday. “I’m OK with being whatever bad guy I have to be for the city, the town, whatever the case may be, to hold everybody accountable, be accountable, and to get better,” Brown told reporters this week. And if he has to take credit for it afterward, he’ll be that guy, too. We call that leadership.

Game of the Week

Philadelphia at Washington

After last Sunday’s flurry of fantastic football games, the NFL was nice enough to schedule a Sunday full of duds just three shopping days before Christmas. This is one of just two games featuring two teams with winning records — Minnesota at Seattle is the other — with the Commanders getting 3.5 points at home against the red-hot Eagles. Washington was a two-point conversion away from losing to Spencer Rattler and the Saints last week in New Orleans. That can’t be good.

Eagles 30, Commanders 17

Lock of the Week

L.A. Rams at N.Y. Jets

If you’ve got $9, you too can get in the stadium for this highly anticipated matchup. The Rams are peaking at the right time once again, having won three straight to rise to the top of the NFC West standings. And the 4-10 Jets … just won a football game in Jacksonville. It would take heavy doses of ayahuasca for us to see Aaron Rodgers and New York winning this one as three-point home dogs.

Rams 24, Jets 17

Upset of the Week

Arizona at Carolina

Someone made a big mistake here. There’s no world in which the wildly inconsistent Cardinals should be favored by 4.5 points against anyone on the road. Even the lowly Carolina Panthers, who are actually friskier than they first appear. A matchup of No. 1 overall picks goes to Bryce Young, who authors a last-minute drive to all but eliminate Kyle Murray and the Cardinals from playoff contention.

Panthers 21, Cardinals 20

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