NFL RECAP – WEEK FOURTEEN
STATE OF THE GAME
December and January in the
NFL is in my opinion the best two-month period in any of the professional
sports. Teams battle in compelling do or
die games to secure playoff slots and improve their playoff seeding. Long shots make playoff runs. Veteran teams try to hang on for one more
year. Stars carry their teams and
unknowns emerge. Rookies rise to the
challenge to play key roles. Then the
playoffs start and the intensity really begins.
This week opened the gates to
a handful of intriguing and meaningful matchups. The Redskins looked legit and the Ravens may
be fading. The Cowboys and the Bengals
both needed a win and the Cowboys came out on top. The Vikings kept their hopes alive and the
Bears staggered a little more. The
Texans and the Patriots battle in a game of AFC leaders. The Seahawks look to
be peaking and maturing at just the right time.
The weeks ahead feature a
candy store of great matchups. The
Ravens finish with the Broncos, Giants and Bengals. The Packers still have games against he
Vikings and Bears. The 49ers must travel
to New England and to Seattle as they seek to protect their NFC West lead from
the charging Seahawks. The Steelers and
the Bengals have a head to head game that will likely decide the last AFC
playoff entrant. The Redskins and the
Cowboys play each other the last game of the season in a game that could mean
nothing, decide the NFC East, or decide a wild card spot. The Giants still have to face the Ravens and
the Falcons as they seek to hold off the Redskins and the Cowboys. The young Colts look almost certain to secure
a playoff spot but must play the Texans twice in the last three weeks. Should the Colts make the playoffs, it is not
too farfetched that we could see the Colts play the Broncos in the
playoffs. Manning vs his old team and
their new franchise quarterback? Yeah, I
saw that coming at the beginning of the year.
The Patriots could guarantee themselves the #2 seed in the AFC if they
win out, and could secure the #1 seed if Houston were to lose one of its last
three (home and away against the Colts and at home against the Vikings).
What a finish we should have.
5-10 MUSINGS FROM THE GAMES
Felt and Looked Like Old Times
There was a certain aura that
hung over the Ravens/Redskins game on Sunday.
The gray day coupled with a steady roar from the crowd cast an almost
theatric lens on the action. The Teams
looked more like the Browns and Redskins from the sixties as they ran more than
they passed. An explosive first quarter
gave way to a hard fought game where an unlikely hero emerged. Then the
relatively new blended with the old when Washington tied the game late on a
two-point conversion and won the game in overtime.
This game set the tone for
what I think will be a great December of action in the NFL. Given the stakes, the quality of play, and
the end game drama, this is the best game I have seen all year.
Flacco Fizzles Cousins Comes Through
Joe Flacco played a solid
game against the Ravens. He completed
nearly 80% of his passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. What I will remember most, though, is the one
interception he threw. The Ravens led
21-17 midway through the third quarter and faced a third and long on the
Washington 15. Under heavy pressure
Flacco made a poor decision and threw an easy interception in the middle of the
field. The turnover almost certainly
cost the Ravens three points in a game they would lose in overtime. I could forgive that throw to a rookie QB,
but not a veteran who needs to make better decisions in key situations.
Redskin backup QB Kirk
Cousins only threw two passes on the day. Cousins came in for an injured RGIII
and took the Redskins the remaining twenty-six yards for a TD that made the
score 28-26. Cousins then made like RGIII
and dashed into the end zone on a planned QB run to secure the game-tying
two-point conversion. Cousins is no
RGIII, but he showed he can come through in a clutch situation. Every team needs a capable backup QB. Mike Shanahan did not look silly yesterday
having the Michigan State rookie on the roster.
Cowboys Secure Crucial Win
The Dallas Cowboys played the
Bengals one day after learning of the death of practice squad player Jerry
Brown. Brown died when his teammate Josh
Brent lost control of the car he was driving, hit a curb at high speed, and the
car flipped. Authorities have charged
Brent with intoxication manslaughter.
The Bengals and the Cowboys
both needed a victory on Sunday as they each sit on the outside of the playoff
partyhouse. The Bengals led 19-10 in the
fourth quarter when the Cowboys rallied.
Tony Romo hit Dez Bryant with a touchdown in the middle of the field to
close the score to 19-17. The Bengals
could not put a drive together and the Cowboys regained possession. Romo efficiently moved the Cowboys into field
goal range. The Cowboys had time to
improve their field position but let the clock run setting up a last play
40-yard attempt from Dan Bailey. Bailey
nailed the kick as time ran out to secure an emotional win for the Cowboys.
The Bengals were left to stew
over a game that got away. Bengal QB
Andy Dalton did not make the plays he needed to make to put the game out of
reach.
This is Why
Cam Newton and the Panthers
dominated the now 11-2 Falcons 30-20 yesterday in a game that wasn't really
that close. Newton ran and passed the
Falcons silly as he threw for nearly 300 yards and rushed for 116 including a
72-yard touchdown dash.
Earlier in the week Panther
defensive end Greg Hardy proclaimed the then 3-9 Panthers a better team than
the 11-1 Falcons. Good one, Greg -- we
are all laughing. Then the Falcons
rolled over and died. Maybe it is just a
case of one team that does not match up well against another team. The Panthers gave away a game to the Falcons
early in the season. Maybe it is a case
of the Falcons having nothing to play for.
Whatever the reason, the Falcons reminded us why when we talk about the
eventual NFC Champs we focus on the Giants, Niners, and Packers.
Man on Fire
Adrian Peterson rushed for
100 yards for the seventh straight game putting 154 yards and two touchdowns
worth of hurt on the Chicago Bears. The win
moved the Vikings to within a game of the 8-5 Bears who have dropped four of
their last five games. The Bears' Jay
Cutler passed for 260 yards but threw two crucial interceptions. Chicago currently holds the last NFC playoff
spot but the Cowboys, Redskins and Vikings are all just one game back. Get out the tiebreaker matrix. Meanwhile Peterson stands 400 yards short of
2000 with three games to play and has set his sights on the all time mark.
Lost Opportunity
The Steelers had a great
chance to gain ground on the Bengals and Ravens who each suffered tough last
play losses. The Steelers needed only to
dispatch the San Diego Chargers who were 1-7 in their last eight games. The Steelers played an ugly first half and
trailed 13-3 at intermission. By the
time Big Ben got rolling the game was out of reach. Rothelisberger looked rusty at times in his
first game back since suffering an injury to his ribs. Though the Steelers didn't lose any ground,
they did not look like a team ready to make a playoff run.
WEEKLY AWARDS
MVP
He made the plays he needed
to make to win a game his team needed to win.
Redskins relief man Kirk Cousins gets the MVP award.
EL BUSTO
This time of the year the
teacher grades a little harder. Andy
Dalton did not play a terrible game, but his "average" play is a big
reason the Bengals let a game slip away against the Cowboys. If the Bengals finish out of the playoffs
they will remember this one.
SURPRISE-SURPRISE-SURPRISE
This week's Jim Neighbor's
award goes to the Arizona Cardinals.
Yes, the Seahawks are on a roll and can dominate at home. I was surprised though that a
"professional" team could really look that universally inept in all
three phases of the game.
TREASURE OF THE WEEK
I guess if it is the best
game I have seen all year then it must be the best game of the week. Ravens/Redskins had me at hello and thrilled
me with a surprise ending.
TRASH OF THE WEEK
The Jaguars played the Jets
and that is enough to win the award without much else to think about. Oh wait - -you say the Browns played the
Chiefs? Well, the Browns did look halfway
competent, so let's stick with the Jets and the Jags. What we call "must not see" TV.
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