NFL Week 15: True or False

The 49ers are the best team in the NFL: True

I was lucky enough to watch the 49ers play the Seahawks in person during Week 14. It was a critical game for both teams. Seattle needed the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the 49ers required the game to stay in contention for the one seed in the NFC. On the first play of the game, Christian McCaffrey received a typical handoff. After scrambling around the backfield for a few seconds, he identified a gap in the defence and took off. Seattle couldn't keep up. With unbelievable running and powerful blocking, the 49ers had turned what should have been a routine three-yard run into a 73-yard explosion. After just one play, the game was all but over. The offence was too explosive, the defence was too overwhelming, and Seattle wasn't good enough to make a comeback. The 49ers have no major flaws, something you can’t say about the other 31 teams.

Dak Prescott is the MVP: False

Dak Prescott is now the betting favourite to win MVP, which is fair enough when looking at his general stats. He's thrown for 3,505 yards, has 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions, leading the Cowboys to a record of 10-3. However, the MVP should be the player who consistently wins in the face of adversity, something the Cowboys have failed to do all season. They have one win against a team with a record over .500 and are 3-3 on the road, with losses to Arizona, Philadelphia and a brutal 10-42 loss to the 49ers. In that game, Prescott went 14-24 for 153 yards, threw one touchdown and three interceptions. The Cowboys needed to prove they could compete with the NFL’s best, and Prescott didn’t show up. It often happens that the MVP race becomes a battle between the quarterbacks performing the best near the end of the season, but we must put recency bias aside and consider the bigger picture. The Cowboys have beaten one good team, and Prescott regularly underperforms in big games. Other candidates like Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill lift their game when the lights get brightest, while Prescott has done the opposite. It's hard to deny his candidacy on paper, but other players are much more valuable when the game is hanging in the balance, something you can't account for when looking at numbers on a screen.

The Cheifs will win a playoff game: False

After the Chiefs' fourth loss in six weeks, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes used his post-game media availability to complain about the apparent offside penalty that cost his team a game-winning touchdown. It was a sight rival fans relished in. Mahomes looked broken, blaming others for the Chief's lack of discipline. They lead the league in offensive penalties with 62. It was inevitable that one would cost them a win. This team isn't good enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds, as drops have become as common as touchdowns, turnovers are a guarantee, and defences are evolving to deal with legendary tight end Travis Kelce. Mahomes isn't a god; the Cheifs are no longer the juggernaut of old, and for the first time since 2014 they will have to win a playoff game away from home. The post-game complaining was a microcosm of the Chief's biggest issues this year. The polish, discipline and finesse they used to possess is gone, and so is their ability to win against quality AFC opponents.