In terms of the playoff picture, the Patriots did catch a huge break Thursday night when the Raiders melted down in the closing minutes. Up 16-3, Vegas couldn’t finish off the Rams and lost in the final seconds. A win would have brought the Raiders to 6-7, a game behind the final playoff competitors, and a Raiders win in Vegas over the Patriots would have given them a realistic shot. Awful loss to a banged-up team going nowhere with a quarterback who was with the team for less than 48 hours. … Truth be told I’ve never really gotten the league-wide fascination with Niners coach Kyle Shanahan but I have to admit what he’s done with rookie Brock Purdy the last two weeks has been impressive. Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the 2022 draft, came off the bench to help the Niners beat Miami last week, and in his first-career start he demolished Tom Brady and the Bucs. Not bad. … Speaking of Brady, I’m not quite ready to call it but the end certainly seems near. Brady looked old and slow Sunday as the vicious Niners defense swarmed all around him. He was off target a number of times and just seemed like an angry man throughout, alternating yelling at his teammates, coaches and the officials. In fairness he also yelled at himself more than once, taking responsibility for a number of bad plays. Brady may indeed have more left in his illustrious career, but it’s hard to view the 6-7 Bucs as a viable threat even in the weak NFC. … Injuries continue to wreak havoc with virtually every contending team. Cincy lost wideouts Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd early in their win over Cleveland while Baltimore lost backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in the Ravens victory in Pittsburgh. The most impactful injury of the week came in San Francisco where Deebo Samuel was carted off the field with what looked like a serious knee/ankle injury. Shanahan told reporters after the game that he avoided major issues but could be dealing with a sprained MCL and an ankle sprain. The Niners need Samuel’s toughness and if those reports are true he should be a factor in the postseason.