Which teams are biggest surprise contenders?
Mike Florio and Peter King pick their biggest surprise playoff contenders with Week 13 almost done and the postseason approaching.
Video Transcript
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MIKE FLORIO: It's time now for PFT on Yahoo Sports. Peter King and Mike Florio looking at the big stories in the NFL. We're getting closer and closer to playoff time. Peter, let's take a look at some of the surprise contenders, some of the teams that we maybe don't expect or didn't expect to be in the mix that are actually going to make it. Who are the first teams that come to mind for you when we think about surprise contenders this season?
PETER KING: Well, Cleveland being 9 and 3. You thought that Cleveland was going to turn the corner a little bit this coming season or this season, Mike, but being 9 and 3 and going to Tennessee and really, for two-plus quarters, destroying that defense, that surprises me.
I am not surprised so much by the Dolphins, really, but I'm surprised that they've won 2/3 of their games. And I only say that because I think they have had some unexpectedly surprising dominant wins. Winning by 26 points in San Francisco, especially against a battered San Francisco team I thought was a huge surprise. And they're playing well even though Tua Tagovailoa is not playing particularly well.
And then the last one, of course, I think would be the New York Giants. You know, talking to people there, talking to Leonard Williams this week, you know, their rising-star defensive lineman, I think one of the things that they appreciate about the environment with the Giants this year and now is that, A, it's all football. B, they listen to nobody other than Joe Judge. You know, they have really shut off-- they have no idea what's on the back page of the "Daily News." They just don't care, and I think that's one of the good things that Judge has done. I think he's got a rested team entering the home stretch of the playoffs. And, Mike, I think they're going to win that division.
MIKE FLORIO: That Marc Colombo firing from a few weeks ago could have gone either way for Joe Judge. They haven't lost since then, and it has proven to be a good decision by him that has helped bring the team together.
And in that same division, Peter, after what Washington did in Pittsburgh on Monday night to get to 5 and 7-- now, the Giants have the tiebreaker by virtue of the head-to-head sweep of Washington, but you have to take Washington seriously. Alex Smith arguably the best quarterback in the division. I would say he is right now given the ones who are playing. Obviously if everyone's healthy, Dak Prescott is.
But Alex Smith clearly the Comeback Player of the Year. You had said if he even takes one snap he's the Comeback Player of the Year. At this point, they should just give it to him. But I think Washington is a team that we never would have included in the mix for potential playoff qualification, and they're going to be right there with the Giants.
And the best news is both of those teams at 5 and 7. Maybe one of those teams are going to win three out of their last four and get to 8 and 8 to avoid the embarrassment of a losing team hosting a playoff game.
PETER KING: I think the amazing thing about Washington and the Giants if you think about it, Mike, they have each won two or more wins than Dallas and Philadelphia. And when you think about that, they're not just marginally better than Dallas and Philadelphia. The two teams that everyone was convinced would be on the bottom of this division are on the top of the division and deservedly so.
Carson Wentz has basically-- and the offensive line have taken the Eagles down with them. And in Dallas, obviously they were hurting before Dak Prescott got hurt, and now it's even worse than that. But there's no doubt in my mind that one of those two teams wins the division, and both of those teams are playing their best when it's most important.
MIKE FLORIO: What do you think the Raiders are going to do? Do you think they're going to make it? I mean, they have beaten the Chiefs and the Saints, arguably team number one and two in everyone's power rankings this week now the Steelers have lost. Do you think the Raiders are even going to make it?
PETER KING: I don't think the Raiders are going to make it, and I think they've lost too many games, marginal games. They should have lost Sunday. But that loss to Atlanta I think is going to doom them, Mike, really. I'd love to see them make it because they're a fun team to watch. I don't see it happening.
MIKE FLORIO: That's it for this edition of PFT on Yahoo Sports. Thanks for your time. We'll see you next time.
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