NFL RECAP – WEEK FIFTEEN
STATE OF THE GAME
The NFL has instituted rules
to protect defenseless receivers. I am
all for these rules. I don't think there
is any reason for a DB to lay the wood to a receiver two seconds after a pass
has sailed over the receiver's head. I
think though, based on several plays in recent weeks, that the league has all
but made defensive backs defenseless.
Exhibit A: The Cowboys are
driving against the Bengals in week fourteen.
On third and twenty Dez Bryant is about to make a first down catch along
the sidelines. Before Bryant can secure
the ball Bengal safety Reggie Nelson dislodges the ball with a vicious
hit. He did not lead with his head. He did not hit Bryant in the head. He timed the hit perfectly in what appeared to
be a textbook play. The officials didn't
see it that way. They called Nelson for
unnecessary roughness.
Exhibit B: On Sunday night
Niner safety Dashon Goldson jarred the ball loose from Aaaron Hernandez as the
Patriot tight end sought to tuck away a pass over the middle. As with Nelson, Goldson appeared to do
nothing wrong other than to hit Hernandez hard while he was preoccupied with
trying to make the catch. Really? Is that what we have come too? Please don't hit receivers hard while they
are trying to make a catch because they are kind of defenseless at that
time. Amazing. Why don't we just let receivers signal a fair
catch when the quarterback is passing them the ball? Come on NFL. A receiver assumes certain legitimate risks
in the heroic act of going for a catch.
Apparently the only way the
refs know how to make things fair is to call three (yes three) offensive pass
interference calls on the Bear's Alshon Jeffery. Then, when the Bears are trying to keep a
late game drive alive, the Packers mug Jeffery and the officiating crew turns a
blind eye. I would take it all a little
personally if I were Mr. Jeffery. I
guess the NFL owes the Packers one.
5-10 MUSINGS FROM THE GAMES
50/50
If I told you that an NFL
team would score 50 points in back-to-back weeks this season and gave you
twenty guesses to pick the team, I doubt many would have selected the
Seahawks. Following the same script from
the 58-0 thumping of Arizona last week, the Hawks hung 50 on the Bills. Russell Wilson threw a touchdown and ran for
three. Wilson and Marshawn Lynch
combined for over 200 yards rushing and the Seattle defense and special teams
kept Seattle in control of field position (the defense added a return touchdown
for good measure).
I saw a stat that said this
was the first time since 1950 that a team scored 50 or more points in
consecutive weeks. Then people made Hawk
coach Pete Carroll feel bad about running a fake punt that led to a field goal
that produced the 50th point. Hey, the
guy was making history. If you don't
want a guy to run a fake punt and kick a field goal to get to 50, don't give up
47 points in the first three quarters.
Packer Coaching Brain Fart
I have much less issue with
Pete Carroll's coaching then I do with that of the Green Bay brain trust. Carroll may have lost some friends. The Packer coaches got all charitable and
Christmas spirity against a division rival and nearly lost a huge game.
The Packers led 21-10 with a
little over half the fourth quarter still to play. The Bear offense was in "we will never
score mode". The Bears punted to
the Packers and Packer return man Randall Cobb fielded the ball cleanly on his
own 15-yard line near the left sideline.
Cobb then turned and lateraled the ball across the field to Jeremy
Ross. Ross flubbed the catch and the
Bears recovered deep in Packer territory.
Ross should have caught the
ball, but that is hardly the story. This
may have been the most ill-advised, planned gadget play I have ever seen. There was no need for the play under the game
circumstances. Even if Ross had caught
the ball he wasn't going anywhere. The
Packers breathed life into a dead Bear team.
It wasn't much life as the Bears had to settle for a field goal. Still, the play call was quite a
head-scratcher. I hope the Packers have
satiated their thirst for unwarranted risk.
Man on Fire II
This was the week that the
stout defense of the Rams was going to slow down AD's pursuit of the single
season rushing record. Jeff Fisher would
surely devise a scheme to take away Peterson's bursts and make Christian Ponder
beat his Rams. Or Not.
AD continued his torrid
streak with 212 yards on Sunday, including an 82-yard romp for a
touchdown. Peterson needs to average 147
yards over the next two games against the Texans and the Packers. That is a tall order, but you never
know. I hope he does it, but my sense is
that the playoff seeding desires of both opponents mean they will play these
games hard and try and lock down Peterson.
Plus Minnesota can't afford to make the record a priority as they are in
the thick of the hunt for the last NFC playoff spot and must be prepared to win
with a more balanced attack.
Falcons Shut Me Up
I opined last week that the
Niners, Packers, and Giants were more likely to represent the NFC in the Super
Bowl than the Falcons. Yesterday the
Falcons served notice that the Giants would not likely pose much a threat to
the Birds in the Dome. The Falcons
spanked the Giants early and often in a 34-0 demolition.
The Falcons were
business-like and efficient on offense while the defense forced Manning into
bad throws and drive-stopping turnovers.
The Giants are now in a dogfight jut to make the Playoffs. I know the Giants are a weird team and
capable of late-season runs to glory.
Still, I think the Falcons delivered a big blow to the psyche of the G
Men. The Giants no longer control their
destiny in the NFC East. They do control
the last wildcard spot that at the moment would get them a first round game
against the Packers who they mauled three weeks ago.
Super Bowl Preview
I am not sure what to make of
the flawed but wildly entertaining Sunday Night game between the Pats and the
Niners. Did the Pats give the game away
through a near comedy of turnovers, or did the Niner defense press the Pats out
of their comfort zone? Is Colin
Kaepernick the genius that tossed three perfect deep touchdowns, or the bumbling
third grader that could not secure a snap from Center? Are the Patriots the outfit that got stymied
31-3 by a stout defense, or the offensive whirlwind that nearly pulled off the
most epic rally in NFL history? Are
these two teams going to play each other again in February?
Both the Pats and the Niners
are serious Super Bowl contenders. The
Patriots made their road to the Super Bowl considerably harder with the loss
last night. The Patriots now stand in
the number three seed in the AFC behind Houston and Denver. That means New England would not have a bye
and would likely match up in round one against the Steelers, Ravens, or
Bengals. Assuming they win the wild card
game the Pats would travel to Denver to play Peyton Manning and the
Broncos. That wouldn't suck from a
football fan perspective.
Cousins II
Kirk Cousins got the job done
against the Browns and allowed the Redskins to give RGIII an extra week to
mend. Cousins made some mistakes early
but rallied the Redskins in the second half.
Cousins passed for 329 yards and two TDs as Washington won going away
38-21. The Giants are stumbling and the
Redskins are rumbling. Washington wins
the division and caps an improbable playoff run if it wins in Philadelphia next
week and at home against Dallas in the season's final week.
WEEKLY AWARDS
MVP
I am going to give the award
to the Falcon defense. Atlanta dominated
Eli Manning and the Giants from the opening kick-off to gain a 34-0
victory. The Giants never really mounted
a threat as the Falcons sent a message to a team that demolished them in last
year's playoff derby. The NFC goes
through Atlanta. That didn't help the
Falcons in 2010 but hope springs eternal.
EL BUSTO
Eli Manning is in a super
funk. He has played one good game the
second half of the season and does not look like the magic man of last
year. Yes, the Giants have taught us not
to gauge them by the regular season.
Still, they are running out of time to get on a roll and could slip out
of the playoffs entirely.
SURPRISE-SURPRISE-SURPRISE
This week's Jim Neighbor's
award goes to the Seattle Seahawks. What
happened to the little conservative offense that wins 19-16? These Hawks look angry and mean in dishing up
50 points two weeks in a row. Next week
the Niners visit Seattle and the house will be rocking in what could be one of
the year's best games. Seattle could win
the division. They could also miss the
playoff entirely. The last two weeks in
the NFC will be epic.
TREASURE OF THE WEEK
The Cowboys and the Steelers
always seem to play compelling games.
Yesterday the Cowboys rallied to force overtime and then finished off
the Steelers with an interception and short field goal. This was a playoff game in the fifteenth week
of the season and both teams played well.
TRASH OF THE WEEK
The 4-10 Raiders shut out the
2-12 Chiefs in a game without any touchdowns.
I think that speaks for itself.
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