Each Friday throughout the 2024 NFL season, we perform a leaguewide check-in with quick-hit takes about all 32 squads based on news, fodder, trends and results.

Coming off Thanksgiving, we're officially into the home stretch.

Let's jump into what's dominating the national football conversation this week.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen has overtaken Lamar Jackson in the MVP race, which makes sense based on his heroics against the Chiefs, but it helps that Buffalo has a much better shot at the top seed than the 8-4 Baltimore Ravens. The Bills quarterback could wrap it up with strong showings against San Francisco, the Rams and Detroit over the next three weeks.

Miami Dolphins: They've now lost eight consecutive games against teams that are above .500, dating back to last winter. In most of those cases, the Dolphins haven't even been competitive. Something's missing, and it might not be an easy fix.

New England Patriots: What's with this chatter about Jerod Mayo's job? He's a 38-year-old rookie head coach with one of the least talented rosters in the NFL. Chill out. Give the guy some time.

New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers has helped take attention away from a defense that was supposed to be so good this year but has just eight takeaways in 11 games and has now surrendered 59 points in back-to-back season-crushing losses. It runs a lot deeper than the grumpy old quarterback in New York.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: They've had a good chance to win all 12 of their games. What does it say about them that they're 8-4? The Ravens have got to make a statement Sunday against streaking Philadelphia.

Cincinnati Bengals: Like Baltimore, they just aren't finding ways to win winnable games, but it's a more extreme issue in this case. I wonder if the Bengals will consider big changes this offseason, including anything related to the future of head coach Zac Taylor.

Cleveland Browns: If Jameis Winston continues to jolt them into wins, it could be a lose-lose situation. They could miss out on considerable draft capital while also getting fooled into believing the 30-year-old is the long-term answer under center. A difficult closing schedule should help prevent that.

Pittsburgh Steelers: They can't afford to slip up against Cincinnati and Cleveland the next two weeks, because that could send them into a hole with Philly, Baltimore and Kansas City to close out December.

AFC South

Houston Texans: This is no longer a rut for a team that is 2-4 in its last six games and just fell to the hapless Titans in Houston. The Texans are lucky to be in a soft division, but it's hard to imagine them making any sort of run in January.

Indianapolis Colts: Extremely inconsistent play from quarterback Anthony Richardson is a factor, but there aren't many things the Colts are particularly good at. That's not ideal, especially because there isn't much they can do but wait and see.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Just counting down to the blowup now, and wondering if it means even including Trevor Lawrence despite that big new contract.

Tennessee Titans: As nice as it must have felt to take down a superior division rival in Houston, the Titans need losses for draft capital. They have to maximize the quick rebuild and make things difficult on quarterback Will Levis this offseason.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: They're going to win double-digit games. The AFC West is probably a lost cause, but the Broncos are giving us plenty of reason to view them as a potential Super Bowl contender next year with some continued building in the 2025 offseason. Who knows, they might even spoil a party or two in this year's playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs: Dating back to their Week 6 bye, the Chiefs have been the second-worst team in the AFC West. It's as simple as that.

Las Vegas Raiders: Sadly, the Black Friday matchup with the Chiefs isn't even the last time we'll be forced to watch the Raiders on national television this season. That said, I do expect them to put up a fight in Kansas City, as they often do.

Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers' loss to the Ravens last week probably gets the Chiefs off the hook, but all the right ingredients appear to be in place for L.A. How the Bolts fare in Atlanta and Kansas City the next two weeks will determine if they'll be a factor down the stretch in 2024.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: Free Trey Lance. That is all.

New York Giants: The key to landing the No. 1 pick might come down to next week's game at home against New Orleans. The Giants can't afford to accidentally win that one. The good news is the Saints are playing solid football again.

Philadelphia Eagles: Fun fact: The Eagles and Detroit Lions both lost to the Buccaneers in September, and neither has been defeated since. It feels as though they're on a collision course for the NFC Championship Game.

Washington Commanders: The defense has never been as good as it was earlier this season, and that's caught up to a team that has hit a wall despite a sensational rookie campaign from Jayden Daniels. Even if they take care of Tennessee on Sunday, the post-bye schedule to wrap up the season is horrible.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: They continue to find unique and ridiculous ways to lose, and that has to fall on the head coach. The Matt Eberflus era should end between now and early January.

Detroit Lions: If they lack the same execution they did on Thursday when they host the Packers and Bills the next two weeks, their winning streak will come to an end in emphatic fashion. Hopefully that was just a blip with no consequences.

Green Bay Packers: The easy win over the Miami Dolphins was the first of four consecutive prime-time games for a team that has a chance to make some statements between now and Christmas. You're about to get very familiar with Jordan Love and Co., America.

Minnesota Vikings: This division is wild, with three teams now six-plus games above .500. However, it feels less sustainable for Minnesota than it does for Detroit and Green Bay. A critical three-game homestand to kick off December starts Sunday against the unpredictable Cardinals.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Kirk Cousins will never change in terms of extreme fluctuations in his play. He's now posted a 110-plus passer rating in four games and a sub-90 rating in six games. That leaves one "average" performance out of 11. It's all or nothing, which doesn't bode well for the Falcons' chances beyond the regular season.

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young isn't suddenly a phenom, but he's been markedly better since returning to a starting role. Unless things change dramatically, the Panthers have to commit to a do-or-die third season at this point for the 2023 No. 1 pick next year.

New Orleans Saints: At the very least, a rejuvenated Saints team looks primed to play spoiler against Washington and/or Green Bay in December.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They've got the best scoring margin in a weak division, so there's little reason to give up even if the ceiling is fairly evident. The schedule is also soft, so we can't write them off as they sit one game back of Atlanta.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: They've now been outscored by 34 points in five road games this season, and that loss to Seattle really hurt. How they fare in Minnesota on Sunday and at home against the Seahawks in Week 14 will determine if they're contenders or pretenders.

Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford is still trucking pretty well, but the supporting cast just isn't there. They have a big call to make on the 36-year-old quarterback this offseason, which will probably commence in the second week of January.

San Francisco 49ers: I'm starting to think the 49ers are going to have their fourth defensive coordinator in a four-year span in 2025, with Nick Sorensen playing the scapegoat role in this case. This team isn't right, and it's not just due to injuries.

Seattle Seahawks: One of the streakiest teams in the league is back on a run of wins, but it gets tough after a Week 13 trip to play the Jets in New Jersey. I still don't trust the Seahawks, or their quarterback, but the NFC West is wide open.