In the NFL, it has been the year that once was.

Make sense? It has been a league in which several projected contenders have slipped, and a few considered on or off the fence have reached new heights.

With two weeks left, the playoff picture has still not rounded into shape with 15 teams vying for positioning.

Will the Bills and Eagles play their share of starters this weekend with both of them having clinched playoff spots?

What Once Was ... At the start of the season, the Eagles, Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Packers and Rams were considered Super Bowl contenders.

The Rams were the only team that has had a rather smooth ride, while the Eagles and Bills have had a bumpy one.

Of course, the Chiefs were knocked out once Patrick Mahomes went down, but they were inconsistent throughout the season. The Packers were deemed probable NFC champs when they acquired edge rusher Micah Parsons from the Cowboys, but Parsons didn’t live up to expectations and eventually was lost for the season.

The Ravens lost Lamar Jackson for a period, but their defense didn’t live up to expectations.

Shuffling Off ... With their second straight NFC East title and a current No. 3 seed in the playoffs, the Eagles (10-5) may not have too much to play for in Sunday’s game.

Yet, the Birds will play their starters in what can be a playoff tune-up against the Bills (11-4), who also will have all hands on deck in pursuit of still winning the AFC East away from the Patriots.

The Eagles should have defensive tackle Jalen Carter — recently a Pro Bowl choice — tackle Lane Johnson, and linebacker Nakobe Dean back in the lineup.

As far as their seed, the Eagles appear to be locked at No. 3. They could get to No. 2 if they win out and the Bears lose their final two games.

Buffalo has won four straight and five of their last six, and quarterback Josh Allen has thrown 10 touchdowns, five interceptions, and has rushed for 281 yards during the span. Allen has run for 532 yards — 436 of it scrambling — according to Pro Football Focus.

The Eagles have allowed 328 yards of quarterback scrambles, which is the fifth highest in the league.

A difference in the game could be Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who missed a pair of field goals against Washington last week, and it would have been more if the Commanders didn’t jump offsides. He is six of 11 in his last five games, and 17-of-24 for the season, recording his lowest percentage (70.8) of his nine-year career.

A consoling point is that Elliott was 10-of-11 in last year’s Super Bowl run.

A Memorable Game? ... Winning at Buffalo won’t be easy.

The last time the two teams met was in 2023 at the Linc, and it was one of the better games of the season.

Philly rallied for two fourth-quarter Jalen Hurts’ touchdown passes to take a 28-24 lead before Buffalo regained the lead at 31-28 on Josh Allen’s touchdown pass with just under two minutes to play.

Jake Elliott’s 59-yard field goal tied the game with 20 seconds left.

In overtime, Hurts’ 12-yard touchdown run was the difference in a 37-31 victory.

The win pushed the Birds to 10-1, and they seemed like a lock for the division.

Unfortunately, the Eagles dropped five of their next six games and finished 11-6.

They were then bounced by Tampa Bay, 32-9, in the Wild Card round.

A Baked Mayfield ... At the start of the season, the Tampa Bay Bucs were presumed favorites to win the NFC South, especially with the revived play of quarterback Baker Mayfield last season.

Mayfield continued to play like the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Through the first six games, Mayfield had 12 touchdowns and one interception, throwing for 1,539 and averaging 27.5 points per game. Their lone loss during their opening stretch was a 31-25 defeat to the Eagles in Tampa. Mayfield was then seen as the league’s top MVP candidate.

Since then, Mayfield has again regressed like he has throughout his career.

In the last nine games, Mayfield has 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions for 1,605 yards, and Tampa (7-8) has dropped seven of those contests, averaging 21.9 points per game. Five of their losses have been by five points or less.

Roaring Cats ... Two of the league’s biggest surprises have been Carolina and Jacksonville, who are on the top of their respective divisions.

Carolina (8-7) is 4-2 in its last seven games, winning all four games by three points. Quarterback Bryce Young has found his groove, throwing 10 touchdowns with two interceptions over the last five weeks. They found their mark winning three straight in October after a 1-3 start.

The hottest team in the league is Jacksonville (11-4) with six straight wins, its latest a signature win in Denver that snapped the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.

Trevor Lawrence is living up to his generational talent label, throwing 16 of his 36 touchdowns and three of his 11 interceptions during their span. Jacksonville will win its division, and it could be the No. 1 seed.

Golden Anniversary ... Speaking of the Bucs, it’s their 50th year in the league.

In their inaugural season of 1976, Tampa Bay finished 0-14 under former USC head coach John McKay.

If you remember any of their team leaders, you are either a diehard Bucs fan or a roster geek.

Steve Spurrier was their starting quarterback and Terry Hanratty was the backup, Louis Carter was the lead running back, and Morris Owens was their leading receiver.

Their closest games were a loss to fellow expansion team Seattle, 13-10 (Seattle won two games), and a 23-20 defeat to cross-state Miami.

Where Have You Gone, George Blanda? ... At 44, Philip Rivers still looks good, as he tried to keep the Colts in the playoff race. Indianapolis had to win out, and Houston had to lose its final two games for the Colts to get into the postseason.

However, Rivers looked like a 44-year-old throwing the football.

At 42, Aaron Rodgers has looked like his old Packers’ days over the last five weeks. During that span, Rodgers has thrown 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in leading the Steelers to four victories and atop the AFC Central.

With Mahomes’ season-ending injury and Gardner Minshew’s recent exit, 43-year-old Matt Cassel, who last played for Kansas City in 2012, voiced his desire to be considered to join the Chiefs. However, KC elected to sign one-time Chief Shane Buechele off the Bills’ practice squad to fill the role.

Finally, former 49er and Hall of Famer Steve Young stated he still could be effective on the field at age 64.

Blanda still holds the league mark for longevity, playing 26 seasons as a kicker and retiring at age 48 in 1975.

Scrapbook ... Each column, I will peel back the pages to review the career of a former local standout.

Robert “Yogi” Edwards was a football, baseball and basketball standout at Northern Lehigh.

The 1975 graduate nabbed 11 interceptions in his senior year, and accumulated 21 in his career. Edwards was a team captain, and was also a first-team Lehigh Valley League (LVL) for three consecutive seasons, as well sa a first-team LVL wide receiver his senior year.

In addition, Edwards was instrumental in the team’s 1974 LVL championship in his senior year. Edwards was an all-area choice and honorable mention all-state selection.

During his final season with the Bulldogs, Edwards was voted the team’s MVP, and was Northern Lehigh’s Scholar Athlete in football.

Edwards went on to play football at Muhlenberg where he earned three varsity letters, and led the team in interceptions and in punt return yardage. He received the ECAC Scholar Merit Award, and the Sidney G. Weikart Award given to Muhlenberg’s top athlete

He was elected into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2000.

Topping Off ... Here’s my take on the top five teams:

1. Jaguars (11-4) - The league’s hottest team in all three phases.

2. Patriots (11-3) - Drake Maye is still very good.

3. Seahawks (12-3) - Maybe Sam Darnold can reach the Super Bowl.

4. Rams (11-4) - They still have all the tools.

5. Broncos (12-3) - Can win despite Bo Nix.

Bottoming Out ... Here’s my take on the five worst teams:

1. Raiders (2-13) - Pete Carroll is leaning toward retirement.

2. Giants (2-13) - Can they hold onto the No. 1 pick?

3. Browns (3-12) - It is a complete brown-out.

4. Jets (3-12) - Have no Pro Bowlers and interceptions.

5. Cardinals (3-12) - Does anybody care about them?

Time Passages ... Each column, I’ll look back at a former player, coach, game, or situation from the past gridiron.

The last time the Eagles and Bills met this late in the season was on Dec. 27, 1987 on the final week that year that was shortened to 15 games due to the earlier players’ strike.

Buffalo entered Veterans’ Stadium with a 7-7 record, while the Eagles were 6-8.

The Eagles staked themselves to a 17-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter behind Anthony Toney receiving and rushing touchdowns, and Paul McFadden’s 36-yard field goal. Toney finished the day with five catches for 46 yards, and also rushed for 48 yards. Keith Byars ran for 102 yards on 23 carries.

Both quarterbacks had modest days, as Randall Cunningham was 16 of 27 for 177 yards with an interception, and Jim Kelly went 20 of 39 for 154 yards with a pair of picks and a late fourth-quarter touchdown to Andre Reed.

Cunningham was sacked five times, four by Cornelius Bennett, while Kelly was sacked four times, two by Reggie White.

Sunday will be the 16th meeting between the two teams, and Buffalo leads the series, 9-6.

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Hope you have a great and safe holiday!