2021 NFL season, Week 18: What we learned from Chiefs-Broncos; Cowboys-Eagles

1. The Cowboys made a comeback just as they expected. Dallas needed a positive night to close out the regular season after falling in a disappointing home loss to Arizona and got exactly what was once a one-score game and turned it into a blowout with relative ease. . The Cowboys racked up 475 yards of total offense, converting 8 of 13 third-down attempts and all for no turnover, a negative trend in games in which they did not record at least one takeaway. did. The Cowboys enter the playoffs feeling good about their chances, starting with a performance by Dak Prescott (21/27, 295 yards, 5 TD). They will hope to repeat this type of night a week from now.

2. Eagles fans shouldn't take this defeat too seriously. With a postseason berth already secured, Philadelphia made it clear it was not about injury risk in Week 18 and played a significant amount of backup on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Gardner Minshoo. The second-stringers fought back before the Eagles' skeleton-crew secondary surrendered two passing touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half, tying the game 17-17. From there, Dallas' start proved to be the better one. No worries, PHILADELPHIA - The Beginnings will be back next week and Super Wild Card is ideally ready to go over the weekend.

3. Cedric Wilson should make some money this season. Wilson stepped up and capitalized on the Eagles defense full of backup, catching five passes for 119 yards and two scores in the latest performance that proved he was capable of making a difference when targeted. Wilson finished his regular season with 45 catches for 602 yards and six touchdowns in an offense that also included Amari Cooper and CD Lamb. He is set to sign for a bigger role elsewhere, and at his production base in 2021, he will answer calls. Dallas will be happy to have him at least for the postseason, which begins next week for the Cowboys.

4. Now, Dallas is waiting to see how things shake out in NFC. The Cowboys are currently seeded fourth in the NFC, meaning they will be next in line to face the highest-seeded wild-card team in the conference in a home game next weekend. That team may have been Arizona, a team that scored a close win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in week 17. Dallas was back on the winning track after that defeat and would need to build up their momentum in a matchup like this to survive. Repeat performance. If the Rams and Cardinals both lose on Sunday, the Cowboys will move on to seed third. Add in a Buccaneers loss and Dallas claims the second seed. If none of this happens, it is seeded fourth and there will be a rematch with the Cardinals.

NFL Research: Duck Prescott passes Tony Romo for the most touchdown passes by a Cowboys quarterback in a season with 37.

Next-Generation Status of the Game: All five of Dak Prescott's touchdown passes came off the shotgun without pocketing and not even being thrown on the run.

1. It wasn't pretty, but got off like major winners. Kansas City again found themselves in a tight game on the road, with one of those early offensive successes in the second half. Contrary to a Week 17 loss to the Bengals, the Chiefs got the defensive game they needed to turn the tables in their favor, and Patrick Mahomes' keeper returned them in control for a two-point conversion. From there, it was about to finish the job, which the Chiefs did by catching Denver to a field goal, then bleeding the rest of the clock with a nine-play, 71-yard drive that included a crucial third-down conversion. And the final was eaten up at 4:37 of the game. It's a sign of a winning football team, even if it hasn't been as impressive as last season. Victory all count equally.

2. The Broncos gave it their all, but it wasn't enough. Denver struggled with its tail throughout Saturday's game, overcoming an early 7-0 deficit to take a 14-7 lead and keeping pace with the Chiefs in the fourth quarter. But as has happened in Denver's 2021 season, the Broncos couldn't close the deal. His entire year was characterized by a play when Melvin Gordon was blown into the backfield by former Chargers teammate Melvin Ingram, and rookie linebacker Nick Bolton saw it back for a touchdown. From there, the Broncos again struggled with the climb and never reached the summit.

3. The Chiefs enter the playoffs with some major health questions. Tyrek Hill suffered a heel injury in the pregame warmup and was not able to handle a full workload, and although he still contributed to the spot, it was nowhere close to Hill's typical performance. To make matters worse, a crucial third-down completion for Travis Kelce was described by an ESPN broadcast as a hip injury. Coach Andy Reid later stated that Kells was fine, but it was still worth monitoring, and with the Chiefs needing the loss of the Titans to earn a bye in the first round, he needed a time to correct Hill and Kells. Can't get week off. The good news: their depth can be increased if needed. Saturday was the day for Jerich McKinnon, who contributed on the ground and through the air in several key moments, ending with a touchdown over 50 scrimmage yards and eight touches. Kansas City may need this type of help from others - Mecole Hardman was another who stepped down on Saturday, especially on the game's final possession - if they don't finish with the No. 1 seed and get a positive report. On Hill and Kelsey.

4. The end of the road could be near Vic Fangio -- and Drew Locke. Fangio's team certainly played for him on Saturday and nearly scored an upset that could have been enough to convince the Broncos to keep him in 2022, but the fashion in which Denver lost could be the final blow. Fangio chose to kick a field goal, while trailing seven with less than five minutes to spare, choosing to rely on his defense to get the ball back once more. He never did, as Kansas City pounded the defensive-minded Fangio's team strength for 44 yards, then did enough to prevent a change of possession. Even if Denver took the ball back, their chances of winning were long. Locke was very inconsistent when passing, finding the receiver for critical perfection, but also missing open goals in other instances, eventually finishing 12 out of 24 for 162 yards and a 71.9 passer rating. His future in Denver is uncertain, and several league sources associated with the Broncos believe Fangio will be sacked, with a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and James Palmer this morning, Saturday's result. Definitely doesn't help. We'll wait to see what happens in another momentous off-season as the Broncos head.

NFL Research: Mecole Hardman finished with eight receptions for 103 yards, marking the first 100-yard game of his NFL career.

The game's next-generation situation: Kansas City had a 56.3 percent increase in win chances, with Nick Bolton's return of fumble for a touchdown, which increased his chances of a 32 percent win to 88.3 percent.