#playoff-race

#playoff-race

It would also see third-year franchise centerpiece Connor Bedard exit the game; with less than a second to go, Bedard would suffer an upper-body injury that would keep him out of action for almost a month. He would later be placed on the injured reserve, a move which would not only end his chance at making Canada's Olympic roster, but also shelve him for four weeks.

We're now well past the halfway point of the NHL season, and things are still quite wacky. From all eight teams in the Atlantic being separated by just thirteen points to just six points separating eight teams in the Western Conference wild card race, it's still going to take some time to truly see some separation in the NHL. And the statistics don't even begin to paint such a picture. Here's just five of the wildest numbers from another chaotic month of NHL hockey.

This stretch will demand more from the Raptors' bench, and that is where things get complicated. Toronto has found success with its second unit this season. The team's leaders in net-rating include Jamal Shead at +5.5, Gradey Dick at +5.3, and Sandro Mamukelashvili at +5.2. Those numbers are encouraging, but expanded roles bring added pressure. Additionally, young and unproven players behind the usual bench rotation will be asked to take on expanded roles.

And especially not the way he played against the New York Jets on Sunday. Lawrence threw for 330 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and ran for another in the Jaguars' 48-20 rout at EverBank Stadium. That makes him the only player in NFL history with five or more passing TDs, one or more rushing TDs, and at least 50 rushing yards in a single game, per ESPN Research.

The Cowboys are the 19th best team by DVOA, which feels about right. With 14 teams making the playoffs, that means they're just on the outside of that threshold. It's worth noting that three of their four remaining opponents all rank below them in DVOA, as do two of the teams ahead of them in the conference standings. Let's highlight special teams real quick, because it's been bad.

During last night's broadcast, with the absence of Adam Fox, Kenny and Dave gave Vlad Gavrikov the moniker "Vlad Park" after Rangers legend Brad Park. While the entire Rangers team has brought us back from the brink over the last few games, Gavrikov in particular is showing just why the Rangers were so keen on signing him in free agency. Between last night in Ottawa and Monday's against Dallas, Gavrikov has essentially carried the team into looking this good.

MIAMI GARDENS - The AFC playoff road is paved for the Miami Dolphins (5-7) to increase their winning streak to four consecutive games and remain in the "playoff hunt," as the TV graphics say. Of course, the the Dolphins must go on the road and defeat the New York Jets (3-9) on Sunday to stay "in the hunt," and that won't be easy. Yes, the the Dolphins are 5-2 against the Jets under coach Mike McDaniel, but only 1-2 at MetLife Stadium.

As relentlessly inept as the Cleveland Browns football franchise has been since its return in 1999, your San Francisco 49ers had actually not won a game in Cleveland since 1984, the days of Joe Montana and Dwight Clark (back then, Jerry Rice was still just a senior at Mississippi Valley State). Granted, the Niners don't play very often at a Cleveland Stadium that locals have taken to call the Factory of Sadness because of how frequently the Browns lose there.

The third-year quarterback missed the past three games after suffering a concussion in Week 9, but Houston (6-5) has clawed its way back and is rolling in comparison to the bleak night of Sept. 21, when it was coming off a 17-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and sat 0-3. Stroud characterized what the Texans were able to do in his absence as "amazing."

"When I put the tape on yesterday, I was like 'Wow,'" Reich said. "This is the real deal. This looks like the best team we've played all year. ... It's an opportunity to measure our program against someone like that."

"You've got to win every game now -- and hope that's enough," Mahomes said of the Chiefs' attempt to make the postseason with just five games left in the regular season. With a 6-6 record, and outside the AFC's playoff picture, the Chiefs' chances of clinching a postseason berth dropped Thursday from 63% to 47%, according to ESPN Analytics. All five games left on the Chiefs' schedule, starting Dec. 7 against the Houston Texans, will be against AFC opponents, too.

It's always nice when the best team in the NFL shows itself early; it's even better when you can see the process go from good to great as a season progresses. The Rams have undeniably become the team to beat in the NFL with Matthew Stafford, Davonte Adams, and this incredible defensive front putting the hurt on anybody in their path.