Divisional Playoff Weekend Preview

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans

Ravens Special Teams: A special teams play would be huge for either of these teams. Tom Zbikowski had a nice return last week and may be there best shot at a big return, unless the Ravens are able to put Ed Reed back for punt returns which would be a great move.

Titans Special Teams: The kick game is amongst the best in the league. Rob Bironas was perfect inside of 40 this year and hit 28 field goals overall. Craig Hentrich is a Pro Bowl Punter. Chris Carr is their best returner and he’s a pretty good one. They are not great at kick coverage.

Ravens on Offense: As I said last week, Joe Flacco is not going to beat a playoff defense. He was terrible against Miami and now has to face the markedly better Titan secondary. That means that somehow the Ravens will have to find some success against the Titans rush defense. They should use Leron McClain early and set up a possible late game home run by Willis McGahee.

Titans on Defense: With Haynesworth and Vanden Bosch both healthy the Titans defense should be able to interrupt the Raven O. McClain does his best running up the middle and he’s a big powerful runner, still it’s difficult to imagine him running through Haynesworth and that big Titans line. Tennessee does not create great pressure, though eliminating the run game is often enough to create the illusion of pressure on a QB. In the pass game Cortland Finnegan will man up with Derrick Mason and try to force Joe Flacco to find somebody else to throw the ball to.

Titans on Offense: It could read like a carbon copy of the Ravens offense. They are not going to ask Kerry Collins to carry the load here. The difference between he and Flacco is that Collins has a lot of playoff experience, including a Super Bowl Start. His best success in the pass game will come in the 10-15 yard range and especially to his tight ends. Their run game will be a polar opposite of Baltimore’s. They will use rookie Chris Johnson early and hope to catch Baltimore off guard with his explosiveness. If they can get a lead then they will use LenDale White to protect it.

Ravens on Defense: Look for Baltimore to try to exploit the absence of Pro Bowl Center Kevin Mawae by blitzing up the middle with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Both will also be key in the pass game. Lewis will often be assigned to cover Bo Scaife, the Titans leading receiver, and Reed will roam free and hope to get another playoff interception and hopefully touchdown. The Ravens are not going to give up big run plays easily either. They have been incredible against the run in recent weeks and are not likely to lose their focus in this one.

Summary: I could regret repeatedly going against the Ravens, but I’m going to do it again. These two teams match up so evenly on the field that you have to go to the sidelines to differentiate them. There stands Jeff Fisher with a home playoff game and I have to believe that’s going to be a difference maker here. This should be almost a mirror-image of their week 5 game. Not a lot of points or yards, but some big hits and lots of trash talking. Great January football.

Prediction: Titans 13, Ravens 10

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers

Cardinals Special Teams: We didn’t see much out of Arizona’s Special Teams Unit last week, other than a very good performance from punter Ben Graham. The Cardinals struggled some in kick coverage.

Panthers Special Teams: John Kasay had another very good year, missing just 3 kicks. Punter Jason Baker was also consistently reliable. Not much happens in the return game when the Panthers play. They don’t have a great return game, but they are very good on coverage.

Cardinals on Offense: Arizona can only hope to run the ball as well as they did last week against Atlanta. The law of averages says it is unlikely. They face a much better, though not great, defense in Carolina this week. Look for Kurt Warner to put the ball up 38-45 times and find some success. Anquan Bolden’s status is still uncertain, but the Cardinals will still have Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston so the pass game will be fine.

Panthers on Defense: Carolina is not quite as good on defense as you might think from reputation. Julius Peppers had a resurgent season and came up with 14 sacks, but nobody else had more than six. They also don’t create a lot of turnovers. They will need to in this game. If they have success stopping the run, which they should, they have to make Warner regret airing the ball out constantly.

Panthers on Offense: There game plan will be similar to that of Atlanta last week. The difference is that Jake Delhomme is not a rookie and will not allow the Cardinals to get off the ball as quickly as they did against the Falcons.  DeAngelo Williams will have more success running the ball than Michael Turner did last week and Carolina will mix in rookie Jonathan Stewart. They had over 2,300 yards combined. Delhomme will take shots downfield for Steve Smith every chance he gets. Roddy White had 11 catches last week against Arizona, if Steve Smith does the same they are in trouble. The effect of Mushin Muhammad can not be underestimated in this game either.

Cardinals on Defense: Regardless of the snap count, the Cardinals need to hope to be as good on the line as they were last week. That opens up the opportunities for guys like Antrel Rolle and Rodgers-Cromartie to make plays in the secondary. If Carolina gets desperate Delhomme tends to try to force the ball to Steve Smith, who often bails him out. The Arizona secondary needs to try to play the ball better than Smith in those situations.

Summary: Arizona has struggled going to the East Coast all year. They don’t just lose, they’re awful. Bolden being limited isn’t going to help and neither is the fact that they are playing such a well-balanced and experienced team. The two things that surprised me last week from Arizona, the run game and the defensive line, will not be as good this week and thus neither will the Cardinals.

Prediction: Panthers 24, Cardinals 20

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants

Eagles Special Teams: Kicker David Akers and punter Sav Rocca both had great weeks in Minnesota last week. It will tougher sailing this week in the swirling winds of the Meadowlands. DeSean Jackson had a 60+ yard punt return last week and could be a difference maker in this game.

Giants Special Teams: They have the league’s oldest kicking duo in Jeff Feagles and John Karney, but both had very good years. One of the consequences of the Plax issue is that the Giants have quit using Domenik Hixon on kick returns which is a shame because he is there most explosive guy on that unit. They may want to turn to him in this must win game.

Eagles on Offense: They will need a better output from this unit this week. McNabb played okay last week, but his numbers are somewhat padded by the long screen pass near the end of the game to Westbrook. Speaking of Westbrook, he goes from the frying pan into the fire. He struggled last week against the Vikings and now must go against another top 10 rush defense. He has had success against the Giants in the past. In the passing game, McNabb needs to stretch the field more. His leading receiver last week was back-up tight end Brent Celek.

Giants on Defense: Part of the problem with the Giants lately is their sudden inability to pressure the QB. Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are great pass rushers but have not had great success against Philadelphia this year. This is an underrated defensive unit, top 10 in every category, but the offense’s fall off recently has hurt the defense. They were used to playing a very short game as the Giants offense eats up a lot of clock. When the offense is off the defense falls off. One player in particular who needs to play better in January than he did in December is linebacker Antonio Pierce.

Giants on Offense: New York will obviously benefit from the return of Brandon Jacobs, the teams leading rusher. They will also give plenty of touches to Derrick Ward who also went for 1,000 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Eli Manning will have to make some plays in this game as well. He has yet to find a number one that he trusts as much as Plax. Somebody has to step up in this game.

Eagles on Defense: The Eagles are no strangers to pressuring the QB. They do it well and in a variety of ways. It will be an interesting side note on this game to see whether Jim Johnson or Steve Spagnuolo is better at finding ways to catch a very familiar offense off guard. With no number one receiver to cover look for Asante Samuel to simply cut off a side of the field on Manning and hope that he forces one under pressure.

Summary: This should be a very competitive game as always. Neither team has a distinct advantage, because both know each other so well. I think the Eagles do more better right now than New York though. The Eagles are peaking at the right time, winning 4 of 5 and there is no intimidation going to the Meadowlands, because they do it every year. The Giants will be able to run the ball, though not as consistently as they’d like and big plays will be available downfield for McNabb and the Eagles.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Giants 17

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Chargers Special Teams: Much has been made about Mike Scifres performance against the Colts last week and for good reason. He put all six punts inside the 20. In a game like this in Pittsburgh, a good punt game is a must. On the downside, with Darren Sproles likely to carry the ball more, he probably won’t be used in the return game.

Steelers Special Teams: Jeff Reed continues to be a very good kicker, especially considering the environment he kicks in. The same can not be said for punter Mitch Berger, who has a very strong leg but put just 19 of his 66 kicks inside the twenty. The Steelers do not have  return man who makes plays, but they make up for it with a great coverage team.

Chargers on Offense: San Diego did not fare well on offense against the Steelers earlier this year. Points will not be easy to come by this time either. Philip Rivers continues to play well, in spite of the fact that his offensive line does not do a great job protecting him. That latter fact will be a problem against Dick Lebeau’s defense. San Diego will likely start Darren Sproles at RB and while he provides the potential from a big gain at any moment, it will be hard for him to carry the load against the big hitting Steelers defense. That means Michael Bennett will get plenty of looks.

Steelers on Defense: This is where they butter their bread. Nob0dy has looked good against this defense this year. They smother your running game and give you no time to throw the ball. They are the smartest defense in football as they seem to know what you’re going to do before you do it.

Steelers on Offense: Such glowing endorsements are not due this unit. I like Big Ben, but at the end of the day he had more turnovers than touchdowns and was sacked nearly three times per game. He has been very good at the end of games and that’s good enough for the Steelers, but it might not be good enough in a playoff game. The passing game is not helped by the fact that they have struggled to run the ball. Their leading rusher went for less than 800 yards and nobody averaged better than 4.2 per carry.

Chargers on Defense: This unit has played extremely well in recent weeks. They’re getting after the quarterback and making plays. They have improved quite a bit since the first meeting between these two teams, which could be scary for Roethlisberger.

Summary: As a caveat, I don’t think the Steelers are anywhere near as good as their record. They were 3-4 against playoff teams and two of those wins were over the Ravens, the second one very questionable. I think they were exposed by the Titans a couple of weeks ago and that will happen again this week.

Prediction: Chargers 24, Steelers 13

Top 50 Quarterbacks of the Past 25 Years: The Best

John Elway- Denver Broncos

John Elway was the number one overall pick of the Baltimore Colts in the 1983 NFL Draft. Because of the uncertainty surrounding that franchise Elway announced prior to the draft that he would not play for the Colts and would instead play for the New York Yankees, who also drafted him, if he was not traded. Baltimore did trade him to the Denver Broncos for two players and a first round pick in 1984.

Elway struggled in his ten starts in 1983, throwing twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and accumulating a 4-6 record. Things would improve drastically in 1984 when Elway led the Broncos to a 12-2 record and a playoff berth. Elway threw 18 touchdowns that season, the most by any QB under Dan Reeves up to that point. In his first playoff game Elway threw two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Broncos fell 24-17. In 1985, the Broncos went 11-5, but missed the playoffs. Elway threw for 3,800 yards. Elway accumulated these yards not by throwing screens and slants to Roger Craig and Jerry Rice, but by throwing the ball downfield to an underwhelming group of receivers.

Elway made his first Pro-Bowl in 1986 when he threw for 3,400 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also led the Broncos back to the playoffs after another 11-5 season. After defeating the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs, Denver had to travel to Cleveland for the AFC Championship Game. This would be the first NFL Game I ever watched. It would also be the game that would take John Elway from being a hot prospect to an elite QB. With 5:02 remaining and trailing by seven, the Broncos got the ball back on their own two yard line. What would follow is still the most famous “Drive” in NFL History. Elway accounted for all 98 of the yards, with six pass completions and 5 runs. Denver tied the game with :37 remaining and won in overtime, leading to the team’s first Super Bowl appearance in nine years. Denver lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXI 39-20, though Elway did throw for 304 yards and accounted for 2 touchdowns.

Elway was the NFL MVP of a strike-shortened 1987 NFL Season. He led the Broncos to an 8-3-1 record and to a second straight Super Bowl. The Broncos were handled easily 42-10 by the heavily favored Redskins. Elway threw three interceptions in the game, though that was as much a result of him taking chances once the team trailed 35-10 as it was anything else.

After a disappointing 1988 season, Elway would return to the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl following the 1989 season. Denver was once again embarassed on the big stage, falling to the San Francisco 49ers 55-10 in the worst drubbing in Super Bowl History. Elway did not play well at all, though he did score the Broncos only touchdown.

At this point in his career Elway was amongst the most respected QB’s within the league. Outside of his peers though, Elway was the punchline of jokes. Every comedian, late-night talk show host and sitcom had a joke about futility that surrounded John Elway. Little attention was paid to the fact that as a team the Broncos had no place in the Super Bowl. Find me another team that played in three Super Bowls in four years and will end up with just 2 Hall-of-Famers. Elway took a team that would be 6-10 every year without him to three Super Bowls. Elway was asked after the third loss if he ever wanted to go to the Super Bowl again? Elways response was that he wanted to go every year, even if they kept on losing.

From 1990 to 1994 under Dan Reeves and Wade Phillips the Broncos were a fairly mediocre team. Though they made the AFC Championship Game in 1991 and lost by only 3 points to the Buffalo Bills. Elway would make three Pro-Bowls in that five year period and win the NFL MVP Award for a second time in 1993. That year he threw for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.

In 1995 Elway’s former Quarterbacks Coach Mike Shanahan was hired as the new coach of the Denver Broncos. In that first year Elway threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 1996 he led the Broncos to the best record in the NFL and threw 26 more touchdowns. The Broncos were upset in the playoffs by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In 1997 Elway and the Broncos would go 12-4 and make the playoffs for a second straight year. After defeating the Jaguars, Chiefs and Steelers in the playoffs the stage was set for a match-up between Elway’s Broncos and Brett Favre’s Packers. In one of the greatest Super Bowl Games ever played Elway finally led the Broncos to a Super Bowl Victory, 31-24. Though Elway spent most of the game handing off to Terrell Davis, the two defining moments of that game involve him. Elways “Helicopter Run” on 3rd and 6 in the fourth quarter that set up a game-tying touchdown. The other was of course Broncos owner Pat Bowlen saying what all Broncos Fans were thinking, “This One’s for John.”

The Broncos would start the 1998 season 13-0. After finishing with a 14-2 record the Broncos would storm through the playoffs, culminating with a second straight Super Bowl win over the Atlanta Falcons 34-19. This time Elway carried much of the load and won the game’s MVP Honor. Elway would retire following the season.

Why number 1?

• Elway won 148 regular season games and was 14-8 in the playoffs. Of the QB’s with at least 100 wins, he has the best winning percentage.
• Elway is the only QB to start five Super Bowls. He won two of them.
• He is the sixth leading rushing QB in NFL History and the only one to throw for more than 34,000 yards. He is also one of only two players to rush for a TD in four Super Bowls.
• He holds the NFL Record with 47 career fourth quarter comebacks.
• Elway is the only member of either the 50,000 yard or 300 touchdown pass club to win multiple Super Bowls.
• Elway is the only player to throw for at least 3,000 yards and rush for at least 200 in seven straight seasons.
• He was selected to nine Pro Bowls.

Most of all, there’s no yeah, but…for Elway. His accomplishments came despite the fact that he never played with a Hall-0f-Fame Wide Receiver or Running Back. When he finally did have a running back, he won two Super Bowls. He did most of this despite the fact that he had a coach who held him back and tried to make him fit what he thought an offense should look like, instead of letting him just do what he did best. Until he would let him loose in the fourth quarter.

He has the stats, he has two rings, he’s in the Hall of Fame and he is universally respected by his peers. Though it’s not important to the countdown, he is also a brilliant businessman.

Want me to say something bad? He’s a republican.

Baltimore Ravens 9-5 @ Dallas Cowboys 9-5

Announcers: Bob Papa, Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk a.k.a. Train Wreck

Storylines: Two teams who control their own destiny. A loss for either team would mean they would need a win and/or major help in week 17 to earn a wild-card bid. This is also the final game at Texas Stadium.

The Key to a Ravens Victory: Baltimore can’t abandon the run game. It could be tough going early against a very motivated Dallas defense, but the Ravens need to continue pounding away at them and hopefully get Willis McGahee involved late in the game to provide a possible home run threat.

The Key to a Cowboys Victory: Dallas needs to blitz Joe Flacco. He played very poorly last week against Pittsburgh, in the face of constant pressure. Baltimore can’t score a lot of points with their pedestrian run game so the key is to not let them score any through the air. If they force Flacco into another awful game, 17 points would be enough to win.

Pick: Cowboys. The emotional high of the game, a prime-time game for the final time in Texas Stadium, mixed with the experience difference in the two QB’s gives Dallas the edge. Look for the Cowboys to settle for short passes and set up a couple of deep ones later. I just haven’t seen that Flacco is able to win a “playoff caliber” game yet.

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) @ Tennessee Titans (12-2)

Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Storylines: This game will go a long way towards deciding not only the favorite in the AFC, but also home-field advantage.

The Key to a Steelers Victory: Pittsburgh needs to take advantage of Kerry Collins mistakes. They will do a good job against the run, which means Collins will have to throw the ball 25+ times. Pittsburgh needs to turn some of them into interceptions and give a suspect offense a short field to work with.

The Key to a Titans Victory: With Albert Haynesworth out, can they continue to dominate at the line? The Steelers don’t have a great O-line or run game, which is why they always have to win in the last couple of minutes. They are not able to sustain a flow on offense. The Titans can’t let them create one here.

Pick: Steelers. I’m not a huge Pittsburgh believer yet, but with Tennessee missing it’s best defensive player in a game that seems destined to be an under 24 total, you have to go with the Steel Curtain 2008.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-11-1) @ Cleveland Browns (4-10)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon

Storylines: Just the pride and the chance to beat an in-state rival. Also a loss here, and Pittsburgh next week, could land the Browns in last place in a year when many thought they could make the playoffs.

The Key to a Bengals Victory: Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to be able to get the ball downfield to T.J., while avoiding a defense that is tied for first in the league in interceptions.

The Key to a Browns Victory: The Browns need to score touchdowns, something which they haven’t done in four weeks on offense. With nothing to lose they should play as aggressively as possible and take a lot of shots at the end zone.

Pick: Is there a third team to choose from? No? Then Bengals.

San Francisco 49ers (5-9) @ St. Louis Rams (2-12)

Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan (who’d they piss off)

Storylines: The 49ers face the Rams and the Redskins the next two weeks and are winners of 3 out of the last 5. Finishing 7-9 would be good momentum going into next year. The Rams just try not to get anybody injured. They also welcome back Isaac Bruce to St. Louis.

The Key to a 49ers Victory: San Francisco needs to be much better in the red zone this week. They were very good on offense last week, until they got into scoring distance, settling for 3 field goals. They need to be better than that against a team giving up more than 4 touchdowns per game.

The Key to a Rams Victory: St. Louis needs to figure out a way to create turnovers on defense. The 49ers will give up the ball sometimes and if the Rams can give their struggling offense easier drives, they at least have a chance.

Pick: 49ers. San Fran is playing decent football lately and decent should be more than enough to beat the Rams.

San Diego Chargers (6-8) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5)

Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Storylines: Once more the Chargers are a loss away from elimination. A win leaves the door open for a possible playoff position. Tampa Bay has loss two in a row in their division, but still have a great shot to make the playoffs if they can win here.

The Key to a Charger Victory: Philip Rivers needs to continue to get the ball downfield to Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd. Tomlinson is not what he once was and teams try to take Gates out of the picture. That has often times, like last week in KC, left WR’s wide open downfield. Steve Smith and Roddy White both had good games against the Bucs defense the last two weeks.

The Key to a Bucs Victory: Tampa needs to disrupt the passing motion of Philip Rivers. Like many QB’s he is at his best once he gets into a rhythm. If they make him move or hurry his passes, he will make mistakes.

Pick: Buccaneers. I think either Garcia or Griese would be able to make throws against the San Diego defense. The Chargers have played poorly on the road this year and now must travel all the way to the East Coast.

Miami Dolphins (9-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-12)

Announcers: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross

Storylines: After winning one game last year, a win in Arrowhead would put Miami one week away from a match-up with the Jets, with the AFC East Title likely being on the line.

The Key to a Dolphins Victory: Miami needs to have Ronnie Brown involved in the game plan, both running the ball and receiving. He has lost carries in recent weeks to Ricky Williams, but he is their best shot at an explosive play.

The Key to a Chiefs Victory: Kansas City had just six sacks in their first twelve games. But they had three last week against San Diego. If they can put the same kind of pressure on Chad Pennington they could get the chance to blow another late lead.

Pick: Dolphins. Chad Pennington will make the playoffs this year. Herman Edwards Will Not.

New Orleans Saints (7-7) @ Detroit Lions (0-14)

Announcers: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli

Storylines: The Lions try to avoid becoming the first 0-15 team in NFL History. They get their last best shot at a win this year against the Captains of Mediocrity, the Saints.

The Key to a Saints Victory: Pierre Thomas needs to outnumber Reggie Bush’s carries by a 2-1 margin. He is a pure running back and is their most productive out of the backfield. Get Reggie the ball in the open field, but his chances to prove he can be a 3 down back are running out.

The Key to a Lions Victory: Take your shots at Calvin Johnson. He is the lone bright spot in a hapless season. If they can get him the ball deep early, they will have an opportunity to hand the ball off to the promising rookie, Kevin Smith.

Pick: Lions. If anybody’s going to lose to Detroit, it’s the Saints.

Arizona Cardinals (8-6) @ New England Patriots (9-5)

Announcers: Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston

Storylines: The Cardinals spot is set. The Patriots could well fall out of the playoff race with a loss.

The Key to a Cardinals Victory: Kurt Warner needs to protect the football. Arizona is 0-4 on the East Coast and a big reason for that is that Warner averages 2 interceptions per game. Opportunities will be there against a less than stellar Patriots DB group, but he needs to be patient and wait for the best shots. Until they’re there, underneath stuff to Boldin and Fitz can be just as effective.

The Key to a Patriots Victory: New England ran for 277 yards against Oakland last week and Arizona’s run defense isn’t much better. That kind of output on the ground sets up Matt Cassel to be very effective. They need to run Sammy Morris early, mix in Lamont Jordan and get Kevin Faulk touches with screens an draws.

Pick: Cardinals. Call me crazy, but I think Warner and the two Pro Bowl Receivers get it done in Foxboro.

Houston Texans (7-7) @ Oakland Raiders (3-11)

Announcers: Bill Macatee and Steve Beurlein

Storylines: The Texans look to go .500 for the second consecutive year under Gary Kubiak, and possibly better.

The Key to a Texans Victory: Get the Ball to Andre Johnson. The Raiders have a talented secondary, but have been beaten for big plays all year. Johnson is one of the most talented receivers in the game and the Texans are a much better team when the offense runs through him.

The Key to a Raiders Victory: Maybe beating the Broncos really was the Raiders Super Bowl. They haven’t played a game since then. There best chance is by finding some way to create a spark and some points. Whether that be on special teams, defense or gadget plays.

Pick: Texans. Houston is playing terrific football and though a trip to the Abyss is not easy, it should be no problem for a Mike Shanahan protege.

New York Jets (9-5) @ Seattle Seahawks (3-11)

Announcers: GUS JOHNSON! and Steve Tasker

Storylines: The Jets need to keep winning in order to win the East. That means Brett Favre needs to once again get the better of his old coach, Mike Holmgren.

The Key to a Jets Victory: The Jets need to play well on the defensive line. That unit was excelling during the Jets winning streak, but has really fell off over the past three weeks.

The Key to a Seahawks Victory: Seneca Wallace must be careful with the football. Wallace has just one pick in six games, but he has three fumbles. Stripping the ball is something the Jets excel at, see last week against Buffalo. Wallace and Seattle can not give Favre and the Jets easy points.

Pick: Seahawks. Seattle is 0-3 against East Coast teams in Qwest Field. New York is 0-3 on the West Coast. Something has to give. I have been completely underwhelmed by the Jets over the past month and think Seattle could steal this one from them.

Atlanta Falcons (9-5) @ Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

Announcers: Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger

Storylines: Atlanta needs a win to stay alive. A Vikings win gives them the NFC North Title. Don’t expect Minnesota to call on Gary Anderson to attempt a game-winning field goal.

The Key to a Falcons Victory: Atlanta needs to be able to take advantage of the missing Pat Williams. Minnesota will still be very capable against the run, but Atlanta needs to continue to pound with Michael Turner if they are going to have a chance to win.

The Key to a Vikings Victory: They need to exploit the mobility of Tarvaris Jackson. They need to find John Abraham before the snap and roll away from him with keepers and bootlegs.

Pick: Vikings. I think Minnesota has it figured out right now and will be able to get the job done at home against what should be a very game Atlanta Team. As long as Peterson outruns Turner, they should win this game.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-5-1) @ Washington Redskins (7-7)

Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Storylines: An elimination game in the NFC East.

The Key to an Eagles Victory: If Donovan McNabb can avoid the mistakes he made last week, the Eagles will have an excellent chance.

The Key to a Redskins Victory: The Redskins need to show something different. They are vanilla on offense and predictable. If they could come out with a no-huddle or a spread offense, they might catch the Eagles.

Pick: Redskins. I do realize it seems kind of out there given the different directions these two teams have gone in, but I think Campbell and the Skins have a good feel for what to expect from Philadelphia and will have answers for it.

Buffalo Bills (7-7) @ Denver Broncos (8-6)

Announcers: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

Storyline: If the Broncos win, they’re in.

The Key to a Bills Victory: Buffalo needs to feed the ball to Marshawn Lynch and hope their defense is successful against the Broncos. If Lynch has less than 20 carries in this game, it will be a Bronco Blowout.

The Key to a Broncos Victory: Keep Jay Cutler Standing. Jay should have success against the Bills defense, as long as he’s not sacked three times, as he was last week.

Pick: Broncos. If they don’t win this game, they have no right to be in the playoffs. No matter what the Chargers do.

Carolina Panthers (11-3) @ New York Giants (11-3)

Announcers: Al Michaels and John Madden

Storyline: Winner gets home-field advantage throught the NFC playoffs.

The Key to a Panthers Victory: Carolina needs to balance their offense, running the ball enough that the Giants can’t pin their ears back, but taking enough shots downfield to give Steve Smith an opportunity to dominate.

The Key to a Giants Victory: The Giants need to ride the arm of Eli Manning. There is always debate about how good Eli really is. This is the kind of game where he needs to prove he’s elite.

Pick: Panthers. I think they’re the best team in football right now and their style is built to travel.

Green Bay Packers (5-9) @ Chicago Bears (8-6)

Announcers: Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski

Storyline: The oldest rivalry in football. A Viking win on Sunday would render this game meaningless. If they lose though, the Bears would need to win to stay alive.

The Key to a Packers Victory: Green Bay needs to play a west coast style of offense and get the ball into their wide receivers hands as quick as possible.

The Key to a Bears Victory: Chicago needs to score early and force Green Bay to become desperate.

Pick: Bears. I never pick a sweep in this series.

Looking Back at Week 15

Chicago Bears 27

New Orleans Saints 24

Bears: Chicago remains one game behind Minnesota in the NFC North. They did so despite a less than stellar performance from their defense. Special teams were a key as Daniel Manning compiled 135 return yards. That was more than the Bears had on 28 offensive plays. One concern for Chicago was that they seemed to be trying to prove they could win by throwing the ball. Matt Forte rushed just 11 times. You can’t get into a shootout mentality if you don’t have to.

Saints: While mathematically alive, the Saints probably saw their playoff hopes go up in flames with the overtime loss. Two key pass interference calls, including the one in overtime, covered over 70 yards and set up 10 Chicago points. The Saints will say they were a few plays away from being 10-3, but their inconsistency put them in their current position. They also need to stop trying to make Reggie Bush a great back and just accept that they have a very good back in Pierre Thomas.

Atlanta Falcons 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

Falcons: Atlanta proved they are able to win even when their QB plays poorly. A big part of that was the 152 yards that Michael Turner had on the ground. He has become one of the two or three biggest acquisitions from last off-season. Another reason was John Abraham, who had three sacks. He now has 15.5 on the season, silencing critics who were calling him a flop in Atlanta.

Bucs:  I talked a little bit about it last week and we saw it again against Atlanta. This team’s age is showing. Garcia missed last week and may miss this one. Derrick Brooks will probably miss his first game in 13 years this Sunday. The defense looks slow against the run and Joey Galloway has been a non-factor this season. Their schedule is favorable, but there is a real chance that they could miss the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals 20

Washington Redskins 13

Bengals: This game wasn’t even as close as the score indicates. The Bengals dominated from the opening whistle. Ryan Fitzpatrick played easily his best game of the season, accounting for 2 touchdowns and no turnovers and mixing it up well amongst his receivers. Cedric Benson had 163 yards from scrimmage and the defense held Clinton Portis to just over 3 yards per carry.

Redskins: I said it months ago and several of our loyal readers owe me an apology. The Redskins aren’t just now blowing up, they were never that good. All it took was for the rest of the league to realize that Jason Campbell can’t beat them and they can play man on man with an 8 man box. Like the Bucs they are clearly slowing down. Might be because they are a collection of parts (Taylor, Fletcher, Hall, Springs, Carter) rather than a well coordinated team. Such is the Redskin Way.

Houston Texans 13

Tennessee Titans 12

Texans: Don’t the Texans wish they could replay September. This has been a very good team over the past two months, on both sides of the ball. They throw the ball well, especially to Andre Johnson, they’ve found their RB and they have some dynamic playmakers on defense. Here’s hoping they can finally turn it into something meaningful next year. Steve Slaton is one of only two running backs to go over 100 yards against the Titans and he’s done it twice.

Titans: It’s not time to jump off the bandwagon yet, but there are some problems on this team. The game plan against them has been let Collins beat us for a while now. We saw on Sunday what happens when Collins doesn’t play well. They were 2-13 on third down. The longer-term question for the Titans is which Collins shows up in the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Green Bay Packers 16

Jaguars: David Garrard had his best game of the season, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Had he been able to play that well all season, the Jaguars might not be a huge disappointment.

Packers: Speaking of huge disappointments. I never totally bought into the Packers, but who could have thought they’d lose six out of seven and end up a below .500 football team?

Miami Dolphins 14

San Francisco 49ers 9

Dolphins: Does any team win uglier than the Dolphins? Of course after a 15 loss season last year, I don’t think they’re complaining. The Dolphins defense has been amazing since Thanksgiving. They haven’t given up a TD in three weeks. Chad Pennington continued to play very well and has been the most effective Dolphin QB in nearly a decade. Miami has two road games to finish the season, but winning both would likely make them a playoff team.

49ers: The 49ers dominated this game. They had the ball for 17 more minutes than Miami. But they could not turn their 60 more yards of offense into points. I think a 5-9 team can take some positives out of the fact that they had no turnovers and committed just 4 penalties, but they are clearly a couple of playmakers away.

Seattle Seahawks 23

St. Louis Rams 20

Seahawks: Seneca Wallace is a free-agent after the season. He’s played well enough in the last 3 weeks that he may get some good offers. Mike Holmgren got his 160th win, two of the three he got this year came at the expense of the Rams.

Rams: They took a 17-7 lead into halftime, but as is the case with most bad teams they couldn’t finish. They can not wait for this season to be over and should be one of the more interesting teams to watch in the off-season.

New York Jets 31

Buffalo Bills 27

Jets: Talk about an early Christmas present. Despite doing everything they possibly could to lose this game, the Bills just wouldn’t let them. For every mistake the Jets made, and there were plenty, the Bills would make 2. Culminating with a JP Losman fumble inside their own 20, on 2nd and 5, with two minutes left in the game, returned by Abram Elam for a TD.

Bills: What the hell are they doing throwing in that situation? They had run for 187 yards in the game. Losman had already thrown two interceptions. It may well end up being the play that cost Dick Jauron his job. 

Indianapolis Colts 31

Detroit Lions 21

Colts: Indianapolis did a great job of taking the Lions seriously. They formulated a game-plan to take advantage of the Lions weaknesses at linebackers, getting the ball to Dallas Clark 12 times for 142 yards. They also ran the ball 27 times, showing 0nce again they are a far more balanced team than they were earlier this year. All that said, in the seven game win streak, six of them are against teams with a losing record. Even those often weren’t very impressive. I question how they’ll do in New England, New York, Denver or even San Diego.

Lions: I don’t think they’re quitting, you have to credit Rod Marinelli for that. They have their running back of the future and Dan Orlovsky played well. I’m sure they’re looking at a QB with that number one pick, but their real deficiencies are on defense.

San Diego Chargers 22

Kansas City Chiefs 21

Chargers: Well, San Diego felt robbed after the week 2 loss to Denver, Kansas City has more than made up for it. For the second straight game against San Diego, the Chiefs snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. How do you not catch that onside kick, if you’re the team’s number one receiver. More importantly how do you give up a 40+ yard pass play on the next play? The Chargers are now VERY much alive in the playoffs. It’s still a bit of a longshot, but with the Bucs injuries San Diego can beat them and is there anybody willing to guarantee a Bronco win in Mile High against Buffalo?

Chiefs: F-ing Chiefs

 Minnesota Vikings 35

Arizona Cardinals 14

Vikings: Minnesota is that team playing their best football at the right time. They have a great defense and a great running game. If they could get Tarvaris Jackson to play for the rest of the season like he did on Sunday, they’d be a real danger. The potential loss for the season of Pat Williams is obviously a major concern.

Cardinals: We’re seeing what often happens to teams that aren’t used to the spotlight. The good news for Arizona is they have a couple more meaningless games to get used to it. They have to figure out some way to get production out of the running game and play more consistenlty on defense. Arizona ran the ball just 7 times and none of the carries belonged to Edgerrin James.

Pittsburgh Steelers 13

Baltimore Ravens 9

Steelers: First of all, I think it was a touchdown. Secondly I have no idea how they could have overturned the initial call of short of the end zone. That being said, phenomenal drive orchestrated by Ben Roethlisberger. There are still a ton of questions about the Steelers, but they are 11-3 and headed possibly for home field advantage. They are also a team that I hope Denver gets to play in the playoffs, because I think we could beat them. I’ll explain why if the situation arises.

Ravens: They looked a lot like the Ravens of the past few years. Great defense, bad quarterback and an inconsistent run game. The playoff road is much tougher for the Ravens now, the weight lies on the shoulders of Joe Flacco.

New England Patriots 49

Oakland Raiders 28

Patriots: I didn’t learn anything new about New England in this game. They’re still tied for first. They still can put up points against bad defenses and their defense is still bad enough to give up 28 points to the Raiders. If you’re a QB and your dad dies you definitely want to play the Raiders that weekend.

Raiders: Did anybody think they could actually be worse than last year?

Carolina Panthers 30

Denver Broncos 10

Panthers: Best team in football today. They’re the kind of team that could lose that title pretty easily, but they were clearly the best team on the field on Sunday. The duo at RB is as good as anybody in the league, the defense is threatening and Steve Smith is starting to dominate. Who’d want to play them right now?

Broncos: I think their was a clear effect on the Broncos when they learned that the Chiefs had blown it. They were very good at the start of the game on offense, every other drive looked flat. They were never aggressive in the second half and the team looked to already be looking forward to Buffalo. They better get it done against the Bills. If not they will lose in San Diego and it will be one of the biggest collapses in NFL History.

Dallas Cowboys 20

New York Giants 8

Cowboys: I know the attention is on the offense, but give a lot of credit to the Cowboy defense. They have really been getting it done lately, even against Pittsburgh. In this game they gave up just 218 total yards and accumulated 7 sacks against an offensive line with three pro-bowlers on it.

Giants: Something is wrong with this team. Maybe it’s the missing parts, maybe it’s distraction, I don’t know. Whatever it is, they seem to be doing the opposite of last year. They are hitting their first pitfall at exactly the wrong time.

Philadelphia Eagles 30

Cleveland Browns 10

Alright this game sucked, so let me just comment on the announce team. I thought there could be nothing worse than Kornheiser, until I met giddy Jaworski. Could he have been any more excited about how well the Eagles were playing? You could just picture him in the booth rocking in his chair, with a huge grin and rubbing his hands together. It’s pretty well known that Jaws is one of the most bias announcers around, for Philadelphia and Kansas City, thanks in large part to his relationships with Dick Vermeil and now Herman Edwards. This was disgusting though. The Eagles made some huge mistakes in this game and Jaws had an excuse every time. He refused to even acknowledge that Andy Reid may throw the ball too often and could not accept even the notion that McNabb may not be back next year.

Week 15 Preview

Don’t you love December football?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (8-5)

Announcers: Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger

Storylines: Two teams in the ultra-competitive NFC South look to bounce back from divisional losses and solidify some playoff standing.

The Bucs Should Win If: Monday was a fluke instead of a sign of the times. Tampa has to play exponentially better against the run than they did on Monday. They can not let Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood repeat the Panthers success against them, especially in what will be a rowdy Georgia Dome.

The Falcons Should Win If: Roddy White is able to capitalize on a Tampa defense that may attempt to overcompensate against the run. The Buc defense will not be embarrassed twice in a row. So Atlanta will need some big plays to pull out the win.

Pick: Falcons. Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense are improving by the week. Tampa Bay on the other hand seemed to be showing signs of slowing down last week.

Washington Redskins (7-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-11-1)

Announcers: Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston

Storylines: The ‘Skins hope to take advantage of the first break in their schedule in quite some time to maintain some level of relevence. It is a must win game for them.

 The Redskins Should Win If: Two guys with ties to Miami get their game going. Former Hurricane Clinton Portis needs to be the center of attention on Sunday to take some of the pressure of a struggling Jason Campbell. Former Dolphin Jason Taylor needs to give Daniel Snyder some return on his investment and start playing up to his Hall-of-Fame credentials.

The Bengals Should Win If: T.J. Houshmanzadeh gets double digit catches. The Bengals can not beat the Redskins by playing conservatively. They will have to take shots downfield at their best playmaker.

Pick: Redskins. Nobody in the league needs a win any more than the Redskins this week. Not only to maintain playoff possibilities, but for the confidence of Jim Zorn and to make Clinton Portis happy for a week.

Tennessee Titans (12-1) @ Houston Texans (6-7)

Announcers: GUS JOHNSON!!! and Steve Tasker

Storylines: The Titans can lock up home-field advantage with a win over a team that they have traditionally dominated. It may not be as easy as it looks though.

The Titans Should Win If: Chris Johnson outrushes Steve Slaton. The Titans have struggled only when they are unable to be explosive on the ground. Chris Johnson should have plenty of opportunities this week, he can’t let this be a game where he doesn’t show up.

The Texans Should Win If: Matt Schaub is able to pick apart the 3rd ranked pass-defense in the league. It isn’t an easy task, but Schaub has played well over the past month and if Houston has any run game it will make his job a lot easier.

Pick: Texans. Yeah, going for the upset here. Houston is eliminated from the playoffs, which makes this their Super Bowl. They have played well which guarantees a great crowd and we know divisional games are where anything can happen.

Green Bay Packers (5-8) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)

Announcers: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli

Storylines: Arguably the two most disappointing teams in the league. Green Bay still has a glimmer of playoff hope, that disappears with a loss here. The Jaguars hope to finish strong and maintain some sense of dignity.

The Packers Should Win If: Aaron Rodgers throws three touchdowns. The Packers best hope appears to be that this somehow becomes a shoot-out. They have a terrible run defense and have struggled to move the ball themselves for much of the season.

The Jaguars Should Win If: They can avoid falling two scores behind. Jacksonville can’t overcome adversity with their offense. They need to be able to run the ball and not put the game on David Garrard’s shoulders. Especially with his best receiver, Matt Jones, finally being suspended.

Pick: Jaguars. Look for MJD to have a big game here and put the Pack out of their misery.

San Francisco 49ers (5-8) @ Miami Dolphins (8-5)

Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Storylines: The Dolphins have been hot and can get one step closer to one of the best turnarounds in league history by knocking off the 49ers at home. The 49ers have played well in the past couple of weeks and look to add another big road victory to Mike Singletary’s resume.

The 49ers Should Win If: They keep Shaun Hill’s Jersey Clean. Hill has been very good since replacing JTO as starting QB. If given time he can make some plays against the Dolphins secondary.

The Dolphins Should Win If: Chad Pennington outplays Hill. Chad has quietly had his best season this year and if he can continue to complete 66% of his passes and avoid turnovers we may be watching the Dolphins play in January.

Pick: 49ers. Miami has been walking a tight rope for the past few weeks, eeking out victories over teams they’re supposed to be much better than. San Francisco is playing just well enough at this point to make the Dolphins regret a poor performance.

Seattle Seahawks (2-11) @ St. Louis Rams (2-11)

Announcers: Matt Vasgersian and JC Pearson

Storlines: Ummm….

The Seahawks Should Win If: Seneca Wallace and the Seattle Offense gets into a rhythm. They were there for 3 quarters last week and once they fell apart in the fourth, they were done.

The Rams Should Win If: Marc Bulger takes advantage of the worst pass defense in the league and actually, you know, connects on some plays downfield.

Pick: Rams. They’re at home.

Buffalo Bills (6-7) @ New York Jets (8-5)

Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Storylines: Both teams have hurt their chances with their recent slides, the Bills worse than the Jets. Both teams should play this one as an elimination game.

The Bills Should Win If: Somehow they’re able to get the ball deep to Lee Evans. The Jets have given up nearly 300 yards passing per game over the past month. The Bills will have to stretch the field, not just accept the underneath stuff and settle for a field goal on the scoreboard.

The Jets Should Win If: Brett Favre plays like he was prior to the Denver game. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown in two weeks and the offense has become anemic. They may not need many big plays to win the game, but they will to get back into a flow headed towards the playoffs.

Pick: Jets. Aside from the loss to Denver, the Jets defense has played well in the past two months. I don’t think the Bills offense will be able to score enough points to beat a Brett Favre who is backed into a corner.

San Diego Chargers (5-8) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-10)

Announcers: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

Storylines: You know the refrain by now. A Chargers loss means they’re done, a win may keep their slim hopes alive. Just ask the Talking Heads, they’ll tell you all the reasons the Chargers are still the favorites to win the West.

The Chargers Should Win If: LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for 100 yards. I know they’ve won games without LT coming up big, but not many of them. He only had 78 yards in their win earlier this season over KC, but many argue that was a game they were lucky to win.

The Chiefs Should Win If: Tyler Thigpen is able to make throws to Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzales. The Chargers are susceptible in the pass game and KC has had success when these two guys are focus points of the offense.

Pick: Chargers. I really want to go the other way and a Chief win wouldn’t shock me, because I actually don’t think the Chargers are much better than them right now. San Diego played motivated last week and had 10 days to get ready for the Chiefs.

Detroit Lions (0-13) @ Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

Announcers: Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick

Storylines: The Colts look to hold off their wild-card competition. The Lions are still looking for that elusive win.

The Lions Should Win If: {crickets}… alright, if the Lions QB can avoid turnovers and Kevin Smith is able to dominate the game, they have a puncher’s chance.

The Colts Should Win If: Hell is Hot. It will be even easier if their talented defensive ends are able to force Orlovsky or Stanton into 3 or 4 interceptions.

Pick: Colts. The Colt defense has been playing really well recently. The offense is still off a step, but that shouldn’t matter much in this game. They are also way too smart to overlook anybody.

Minnesota Vikings (8-5) @ Arizona Cardinals (8-5)

Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Storylines: The only meeting of the week between two division leaders. The Cardinals spot is secure, the same can not be said for the Vikings thanks to Chicago’s win on Thursday.

The Vikings Should Win If: They are able to hit Kurt Warner early. With little hope of getting a first-round bye, the Cardinals have little to play for. Fear of losing their franchise QB could turn them conservative in a hurry.

The Cardinals Should Win If: They are able to force Tarvaris Jackson to attempt more passes than Kurt Warner.

Pick: Vikings. Adrian Peterson should have a good game against the Cardinals defense and be able to protect the young QB. I know the Cards will play hard, I just think teams have a tendency to play too vanilla when they know they have more important games down the line.

New England Patriots (8-5) @ Oakland Raiders (3-10)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon

Storylines: The Patriots have been on the West Coast all weekend to avoid having to make the trip on consecutive weeks. They didn’t play all that well in Seattle last week, so we’ll see how this strategy works out. They would not make the playoffs as of now, a loss obviously can only hurt their chances.

The Patriots Should Win If: Their potpourri of linebackers plays well. They have young guys (Jerod Mayo and Pierre Woods) and not so young (Mike Vrabel and Junior Seau) starting. They looked confused last week and hope to have worked out all the kinks during the week.

The Raiders Should Win If: Zach Miller has a big day. He is the player most apt to take advantage of the previously mentioned linebacker problems. John Carlson had a nice week for Seattle in their near win, the Raiders should target him no less than 10 times.

Pick: Patriots. There are obvious traps here, but with Oakland running such a generic offense, the Patriots defense should actually find it fairly easy to adapt to.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (9-4)

Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Storylines: The two best defenses in football, for first place in the AFC North. A loss could take the Ravens out of the current playoff picture.

The Steelers Should Win If: They are able to get to Joe Flacco. This will be the biggest game of his career and he is playing the best pass-rushing linebackers in the league in Harrison and Woodley. He will need to accept the occasional sack and not make a poor decision.

The Ravens Should Win If: Ed Reed is the safety making plays instead of Troy Polomalu. The Ravens are certainly scoring more than they have in recent weeks, but that has as much to do with their defense as offense. They will have to find ways to give Flacco and maybe Matt Stover, as short of fields as possible.

Pick: Ravens. The biggest game in Baltimore in years and a team that defensively, feeds off that fire better than any.  I think they will force more mistakes and win a very good game.

Denver Broncos (8-5) @ Carolina Panthers (10-3)

Announcers: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross

Storylines: The Panthers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help. They can at least create some real seperation with the Saints already losing and the Bucs and Falcons playing each other. The Broncos clinch the AFC West with a win and if the Ravens beat the Steelers, the Broncos join the conversation for a bye.

The Panthers Should Win If: They are able to do what everybody thinks they will do. Run for 200 yards on one of the worst defenses in the league.

The Broncos Should Win If: The Panthers don’t turn all of those yards into touchdowns. Jay Cutler has been playing very well and will put up points on any defense. The Panthers can’t just outgain the Broncos, they have to outscore them.

Pick: Broncos. They have been very good on the road this year and the Panthers are just the kind of team to have a letdown after a great week. We saw on Monday that their are shots to be had downfield against Carolina and Cutler and Marshall, Royal are more equipped to exploit it than even Garcia and Bryant were.

NewYork Giants (11-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (8-5)

Announcers: Al Michaels and John Madden

Storylines: A bunch of off-field crap and what should be a great game with playoff implications for both teams.

The Cowboys Should Win If: They are able to get at Manning consistently. The Passing game was off last week and one of the keys for Dallas is to keep them out of rhythm. Especially since Brandon Jacobs isn’t playing, the Giants will be much easier to make one-dimensional.

The Giants Should Win If: Their receivers step up and play much better than last week. They can’t drop balls and run poor routes. They play a much softer secondary this week and they all, especially Hixon, need to take advantage of that.

Pick: Cowboys. I think Jacobs not playing is huge. They don’t have the power back in short yardage situations that they need which could result in a much less relaxed offensive unit.

Cleveland Browns (4-9) @ Philadelphia Eagles (7-6-1)

Announcers: Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski

The Browns Should Win If: They are able to find ways to get the ball in Josh Cribbs hands. He is the player most capable of an explosive play right now on the Browns roster.

The Eagles Should Win If: They stick to last week’s game plan and get the ball into Brian Westbrook’s hands 30 times.

Pick: Eagles. I don’t know if Andy Reid can keep running the ball, but it might not matter against the Browns.

Power Rankings: Week 13

NFC

1. GIANTS (1) The Clear Cut Favorite in the NFC, though maybe not by as much as people think.

2. BUCCANEERS (2) Very consistent. Do you think the Browns and Lions would love to have Garcia?

3. FALCONS (5)  Not intimidated by anybody and a steadily improving team.

4. PANTHERS (4) Some questions about Delhomme recently, but great defense and great run game.

5. COWBOYS (6) Romo makes all of the difference in the world.

6. VIKINGS (11) Easy favorites to win the North and have won 6 out of 8 now.

7. CARDINALS (3) Can this team win a road game? If not, they are fairly meaningless in the playoffs.

8. REDSKINS (7) Still very much in the hunt, but offensive woes are becoming more obvious.

9. EAGLES (12) Stayed alive, but very unlikely to make it.

10. SAINTS (9) A threat to win on any week, but not a threat in the playoff race.

11. BEARS (8) Could still make a late run, but it’s getting tougher.

12. PACKERS (10) Is there still a question about whether the Packers did the right thing?

13. 49ers (13) Of the Bottom Four in the NFC, they seem to have the most upside.

14. SEAHAWKS (14) Next year, they try again, without one of the best coaches of our generation.

15. RAMS (15) I actually think they’re the worst team in the NFC, but they have two wins

16. LIONS (16) I still think they could steal one from Minnesota or New Orleans

AFC

1. TITANS (2) Yeah it was the Lions, but the win was impressive enough to get back the top spot.

2. STEELERS (3) Incredible Defense.

3. RAVENS (4) Still a very good chance that this team wins the North.

4. JETS (1) Needed to get that win on Sunday to be an elite team

5. COLTS (6) There’s questions here, but they are very good at finding ways to win.

6. BRONCOS (7) Will win the West. If they can play at home like they have on the road, could be scary. 

7. PATRIOTS (5) Very easy schedule down the stretch, they’ll make the playoffs.

8. DOLPHINS (9) Easy Schedule, but they won’t make the playoffs.

9. BILLS (8) 2-6 in the past 8, wha’ happened?

10. CHARGERS (10) Only this high because they’re technically still alive in the West.

11. TEXANS (13) As has been the case the past couple of years, they’ll be optimistic next year.

12. JAGUARS (11) A lot of people thought they’d go to the Super Bowl. Oops.

13. BROWNS (12) What a waste of a season. Can’t even get Quinn ready for next year.

14. CHIEFS (16) Who Cares?

15. RAIDERS (14) Yep, the Raiders still suck. My post-season article on them is going to be sweet.

16. BENGALS (15) As bad as the Lions, Rams or anybody Else.

MVP

1. KURT WARNER (1) In a year without a clear-cut winner, it will go to the stat monster.

2. JAY CUTLER (3) Take Cutler off the Broncos, they have 2 wins.

3. PEYTON MANNING (4) Bad week, but he’s a media darling.

4. TONY ROMO (9) If the Cowboys make the playoffs, it will be because of him.

5. ELI MANNING (6) Doesn’t have huge numbers, but he’s proven to be a winner.

6. MICHAEL TURNER (8) A bigger reason for the turnaround than Ryan, who will be ROTY.

7. THOMAS JONES (-) Why is this guy on his fourth team?

8. BRETT FAVRE (7) Will likely get some votes from the heart.

9. MATT CASSEL (5) Can’t deny the impressiveness of what he’s done.

10. DEANGELO WILLIAMS (-) Any regrets about using that first pick on a RB?

Week 13 Preview

MIami Dolphins (6-5) @ St. Louis Rams (2-9)

Announcers: GUS JOHNSON!! and Steve Tasker

Storylines: The Dolphins look to stay alive in the AFC Playoff Race against the Rams.

Key to the Game: The Rams have been outscored 123-13 in the past four games and look to have quit. It should be fairly obvious early in this game if they have any pride left.

Fantasy Note: Rookie Davone Bess would be a good pickup to replace Greg Camarillo, he had 5 catches for 87 yards last week.

Pick: Rams. The Dolphins secondary was exposed somewhat last week and I look for the Rams to show some pride at home this week. Look for Bulger to hit Donnie Avery on a couple of deep balls and pull off a tight upset over the suddenly reeling Dolphins.

San Francisco 49ers (3-8) @ Buffalo Bills (6-5)

Announcers: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli

Storylines: After a hot start, the Bills look to save a season that looked to be sinking a couple of weeks ago. The 49ers need to win in order to keep Arizona from clinching the NFC West.

Key to the Game: The 49ers convert just 33% of their third downs on the season. They will need to improve dramatically on that in order to stay in this game.

Fantasy Note: Trent Edwards was responsible for four touchdowns last week and will take on the 29th ranked 49er pass defense this week.

PIck: Bills. Buffalo should be able to dominate in all three facets of the game this week. They will be able to throw and run the ball. They are very good against the pass and they have one of the best special teams in the league. San Francisco is also a west coast team heading east which has not been good this year.

Indianapolis Colts (7-4) @ Cleveland Browns (4-7)

Announcers: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross

Storylines: The Colts look for their fifth straight win as they begin to jockey for playoff positioning. The Browns are forced to turn back to Derek Anderson who may be playing for a starting job elsewhere in 2009.

Key to the Game: Both teams have a positive turnover ratio, but the Browns have been prone to mistakes in their recent losses. Derek Anderson will have to do a good job of protecting the ball to keep Manning off the field and the defense will need to force misakes. The winning formula is the same as Cleveland’s upset of the Giants.

Fantasy Note: Joseph Addai is averaging nearly 5 yards per carry the last couple of weeks. He seems to be healthy and the Colts are dedicated to giving him plenty of touches.

Pick: Colts. All of the Colts stars are on fire right now, from Manning to Addai to Freeney. The Browns meanwhile seem lost, with inconsistent play at quarterback, wide receivers dropping balls and a resistant to letting Jamal Lewis carry the load.

Carolina Panthers (8-3) @ Green Bay Packers (5-6)

Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Storylines: The Packers face a must win situation at home. A loss would put them two games off in the playoff race. The Panthers face their second straight tough road situation. They lost last week in Atlanta and now must travel to Lambeau.

Key to the Game: In the Packers five wins they average 24 carries per game. In their six losses, they average just 16. Michael Turner had a field day against Carolina last week and Green Bay will have to show a similar dedication to the run.

Fantasy Note: DeAngelo Williams has had 100 yards and a touchdown in four consecutive games, making him one of the most valuable backs in fantasy football.

Pick: Packers. The one thing consistent about Green Bay this year is their inconsistency. But that goes both ways. They have been very good at bouncing back from disappointment and they are aided by the fact that this game is at home.

Baltimore Ravens (7-4) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-9-1)

Announcers: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

Storylines: The Bengals have no shot at accomplishing anything this year. Except possibly helping to spoil the Ravens season. This is nearly a must win for Baltimore as their schedule is tough down the stretch and their are at least 5 teams fighting for the two wild card spots.

Key to the Game: The Ravens are 6-1 when Joe Flacco does not turn the ball over. 1-3 when he does. He needs to not look past a Cincinnati defense which actually pretty good at intercepting the ball.

Fantasy Note: Ray Rice is a strong start this week as he is Baltimore’s best receiver out of the backfield, and the Bengals linebackers are very suspect in coverage.

Pick: Ravens. The Bengals can not run the ball which puts too much of the game on Ryan Fitzpatrick’s shoulders and he will be throwing the ball into a secondary full of playmakers.

New Orleans Saints (6-5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)

Announcers: Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger and Brian Billick

Storylines: A huge game in the NFC South. The Bucs begin a stretch of three straight games against their division that will go a long way towards deciding their fate on the season. The Saints really need this win in order to get back into contention in the South.

Key to the Game: With rookie Clifton Smith becoming a force for TB and Reggie Bush returning to the Saints, the return game could go a long way towards deciding this game.

Fantasy Note: Lance Moore and Antonio Bryant should both be starters for your playoff run.

Pick: Buccaneers. Jeff Garcia has something to prove in this game. He was benched by Jon Gruden after a poor performance against the Saints in week 1. He gets a chance to redeem himself this week and also get TB that much closer to winning the division for a second straight season.

New York Giants (10-1) @ Washington Redskins (7-4)

Announcers: Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston

Storylines: The Redskins try to avoid being swept by the Giants on the season, while simultaneously putting themselves in a very good playoff position. The Giants focus may be on staying healthy for the playoffs.

Key to the Game: The Redskins offense has been inconsistent this season and never looked worse than they did in week one. This game may be the best test of Jim Zorn’s coaching acumen that he has faced to this point. He will need to win the chess game this time around.

Fantasy Note: Brandon Jacobs has 246 rushing yards in his past two games against the Redskins.

Pick: Redskins. I have a feeling that the Giants may play this game a little too conservatively. They have some nagging injuries and the recent gunshot wound to Plaxico Burress. They may not want to get into the physical war they faced in week 1 against the Skins.

Atlanta Falcons (7-4) @ San Diego Chargers (4-7)

Announcers: Matt Vasgersian and JC Pearson

Storylines: In one game we could see the culmination of one of the most surprising turnarounds in NFL History, coinciding with one of the most disappointing season in history. Also, Michael Turner returns to San Diego to show the Chargers what they’re missing. Turner has 300 more rushing yards than LT and 8 more touchdowns.

Key to the Game: The Chargers are in the middle of the three game homestand that was supposed to get them back into contention. They lost the first game to Indianapolis. Philip Rivers is 18-3 at home as a starter and will need to play big this week.

Fantasy Note: Turner is a stronger start than LT, but you’ll probably start either. Roddy White is the strongest of the receivers as he has five 100 yard games in his last 9 played.

Pick: Chargers. Just hard to imagine the Chargers losing at home again. Look for LT to be more of a focal point receiving than rushing. The Chargers have to know that their season rides on this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) @ New England Patriots (7-4)

Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Storylines: The Patriots are gaining confidence offensively and are starting to believe that they still have a shot at the ring. The Steelers tough defense hopes to take that gleam out of Matt Cassel’s eyes.

Key to the Game: This game, like most really, comes down to the lines. Ben can’t spend the game on his back and Cassel can’t be reduced to simply throwing the check down passes and ignoring Randy Moss.

Fantasy Note: I don’t think any offensive player is a strong start this week, but if I had to pick somebody I’d take Santonio Holmes who I think could come up with some big plays against an undersized New England Secondary.

Pick: Patriots. I don’t think the Steelers offensive line can match up with the 3-4 defense of the Patriots. They could struggle in both running the ball and protecting the passer.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) @ Oakland Raiders (3-8)

Announcers: Bill Macatee and Steve Beurlein

Storylines: The Chiefs have dominated the Raiders in recent years, but did lose earlier this season at home. They look to finish a game this season and get their first win on the road.

Key to the Game: If the Raiders can hold Larry Johnson to 22 yards again then this game will be fairly easy for Oakland.

Fantasy Note: Oakland Running Backs are a good start.

Pick: Raiders. Oakland ran for 300 yards in the first game against KC and are healthier this time. Kansas City has not gotten any better against the run and don’t figure to suddenly have a breakout game on the road.

Denver Broncos (6-5) @ New York Jets (8-3)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon

Storylines: The Broncos look to bounce back from their worst loss of the season to gain their biggest win of the season. The Jets look to stay strong in the AFC Playoff Race and get an important home victory.

Key to the Game: The Broncos have the 29th ranked pass defense in the league and will have to face a hot Brett Favre this week. On the bright side, they will have future Hall-of-Famer Champ Bailey back in the lineup.

Fantasy Note: Leon Washington has 4 touchdowns in the past two games and is the type of scat back who excels against Denver’s 27th ranked run defense.

Pick: Jets. Did you read where I said 29th pass defense and 27th run defense?

Chicago Bears (6-5) @ Minnesota Vikings (6-5)

Announcers: Al MIchaels and John Madden

Storylines: A Prime Time match-up for first place in the NFC North. The Bears beat the Vikings 48-41 in week 7.

Key to the Game: The Bears lost CB Nathan Vasher for the season, hurting an already spotty secondary.

Fantasy Note: Bernard Berrian had 81 yards and a touchdown against his former team earlier in the year. This week he won’t have to face Vasher.

Pick: Vikings. Adrian Peterson has had good games against Chicago in the past and is superb at home. The Vikings are not likely to give up 48 points again, and should score enough to win this one.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) @ Houston Texans (4-7)

Announcers: Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski

Storylines: Coaches fight for their job.

Key to the Game: Both teams turn the ball over too often. The turnover battle will be as important in this game as any.

Fantasy Note: Kevin Walter has 14.2 yards per catch this season and if Rashean Mathis does a nice job on Andre Johnson, it should be open well for Walter.

Pick: Texans. Give them the edge at home in a game that doesn’t matter much.

Looking Back at Week 12

Pittsburgh Steelers 27

Cincinnati Bengals 10

Why the Steelers Won: For just the second time this season, the Steelers offensive line went the entire game without giving up a sack.

Why the Bengals Lost: On Cincinnati’s touchdown drive they were 3 for 3 on third down. They were 1-12 the rest of the game.

MVP: James Farrior had 11 tackles and led a dominant defensive effort by the Steelers.

What It All Means: The Steelers sweep the season series and are currently in line for a first-round bye. The Bengals put in their worst effort in a couple of weeks and looked completely outmatched in PIttsburgh.

Baltimore Ravens 36

Philadelphia Eagles 7

Why the Ravens Won: The Ravens defense allowed seven points and created 5 turnovers, turning those mistakes into 17 points.

Why the Eagles Lost: Trailing 10-7 at halftime, Andy Reid benched Donovan McNabb and turned instead to Kevin Kolb to lead the team. He did not inform the team of this at halftime and most players didn’t know until Kolb ran into the huddle at the start of the third quarter. The Eagles looked dejected from that point on.

MVP: Ed Reed set an NFL Record with a 108 yard interception return for a TD.

What It All Means: Good win for the Ravens, but the aftermath of this game will be focused on the Eagles. McNabb has been named the starter for Thursday Night against the Cardinals, which makes the move on Sunday even more curious. The Coach, QB and franchise seem to be in a state of shock and confusion at this point.

Houston Texans 16

Cleveland Browns 6

Why the Texans Won: Houston entered Sunday 32nd in the league in turnover ratio. On Sunday they won that battle 5-2.

Why the Browns Lost: The Browns used both QB’s both struggled. Meanwhile, Jamal Lewis was averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He had just 10 carries.

MVP: Kevin Walter had 7 catches for 93 yards and the game’s only touchdown.

What It All Means: Which coach from the Belicheat Tree gets fired first? Crennel or Weis?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38

Detroit Lions 20

Why the Bucs Won: Special teams was key for Tampa Bay. They had 230 return yards and scored a 70 yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter that provided a cushion.

Why the Lions Lost: Detroit QB’s were a combined 10/26 which led to too many 3 and outs early and let the Bucs not only get back into the game, but run away with it.

MVP: Veteran Ronde Barber had two interceptions in the game and both resulted in points for Tampa Bay.

What It All Means: The Bucs have won 3 in a row and are the quietest 8-3 team in the league. With it being more and more likely that they will make the playoffs, and Atlanta looking strong, the fact that every talking head in the world said that three playoff teams would come from the NFC East looks kind of stupid, huh? Oh and the Lions are going 0-16.

Buffalo Bills 54

Kansas City Chiefs 31

Why the Bills Won: Buffalo’s defense created 5 turnovers, Buffalo’s offense committed none.

Why the Chiefs Lost: This game was not a blowout until late, yet Larry Johnson had just 7 rushes.

MVP: Trent Edwards ran for 38 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 273 yards and another pair of scores.

What It All Means: Herman Edwards is one of the smartest coaches in the league. Despite never building a winner he keeps his job or gets a new one each year. Why? He always finds a scapegoat. This year it is Larry Johnson, who did make mistakes off the field, but has barely been used even when on the field. Herm will call him a distraction at the end of the year and get rid of him and lead the Chiefs to a 6-10 record next year.

Chicago Bears 27

St. Louis Rams 3

Why the Bears Won: The Bears run defense stiffened considerably on Sunday, allowing just 14 yards to the Rams.

Why the Rams Lost: This team needs torn down as they appear to have quit, as is testified to by the way they come out of the gate each week. They have been outscored 99-16 in the first half the last three weeks.

MVP: If not for the other Matt, Forte would be a lock for Rookie of the Year. He went for 132 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.

What It All Means: The Bears are in first place and Kyle Orton appears healthy, which is good news for them. If they get into the playoffs they are a dangerous team.

New York Jets 34

Tennessee Titans 13

Why the Jets Won: They beat the Titans at their own game. They shut down the run and then ran it down the throat of the number one rush defense in the league. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington combined for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Why the Titans Lost: The Titans ran the ball just 11 times partly because they once again found themselves in a hole. They punted on their first five possessions.

MVP: Brett Favre was 25-32 for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

What It All Means: The Jets last two weeks were the most impressive back-to-back wins by any team this season. They are playing lights out football and were the best team in the league in November. The Titans have some serious question marks as their run defense and offense has fallen off in the past three weeks. They may not be as strong as many think heading into the playoffs.

New England Patriots 48

Miami Dolphins 28

Why the Patriots Lost: Matt Cassel threw for 400 yards for the second straight week and the offense looked like the juggernaut that it was last season.

Why the Dolphins Lost: They got just 25 yards out of 8 wildcat plays.

MVP: Randy Moss had 8 catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns.

What It All Means: The Dolphins had been showing signs of slipping for a couple of weeks so this should have come as no surprise. The media of course loves the opportunity to slobber all over Belicheat and the Patriots, but before we crown them we should remind ourselves why Matt Cassel had to throw for over 400 yards two weeks in a row. Their run game is still very inconsistent and their defense is far below what it once was.

Minnesota Vikings 30

Jacksonville Jaguars 12

Why the Vikings Won: Minnesota scored two touchdowns off of Jacksonville turnovers in the first 1:30 of the game. This took the Jags completely out of their offensive game plan.

Why the Jaguars Lost: Taylor and Drew combined for just 9 carries in the game.

MVP: The entire Vikings defense was terrific, Antoine Winfield had 11 tackles and a forced fumble.

What It All Means: It is officially over for Jacksonville. Minnesota is tied for first and host the Bears on Sunday Night with an opportunity to create some seperation.

Dallas Cowboys 35

San Francisco 49ers 22

Why the Cowboys Won: The Cowboys scored on long drives and on big plays and looked like the offense we expected to see all along.

Why the Niners Lost: Frank Gore had just 15 touches and continues to be the most criminally underused talent in the league.

MVP: First Moss and now TO. He had 213 receiving yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

What It All Means: The importance of Tony Romo can no longer be glossed over, yeah it was just the Niners, but remember the Romo-less Cowboys lost to the Rams. The Cowboys are firmly back in contention in the NFC and the return of Felix Jones, as well as figuring out how WR Roy Williams fits will make them an even more dangerous team.

Atlanta Falcons 45

Carolina Panthers 28

Why the Falcons Won: The Falcons not only ran the ball extremely well, but Matt Ryan played a fantastic game spreading the ball around and making no big mistakes.

Why the Panthers Lost: The Panthers committed 8 penalties and converted just 5 third downs.

MVP: Rookie Harry Douglas had 4 catches for 92 yards and a rushing touchdown.

What It All Means: The toughest division in football is far from wrapped up. The Falcons are very much alive in the division and three teams could easily come out of the South.

Washington Redskins 20

Seattle Seahawks 17

Why the Redskins Won: As Portis goes, so go the Skins. He had 143 yards rushing in this game.

Why the Seahawks Lost: They had just 22 minutes of possession. That means the Skins defense was much more fresh than the Hawks at the end of the game and it showed.

MVP: Despite his knee injury Portis had 143 yards on 29 carries.

What It All Means: Clinton Portis should be getting more MVP Love.

New York Giants 37

Arizona Cardinals 29

Why the Giants Won: The Giants started five drives in Arizona territory and all of them ended with scores.

Why the Cardinals Lost: They were unable to run the ball at all to compliment their potent pass attack. They ran for just 23 yards.

MVP: I said earlier in the year that I thought Domenik Hixon was good enough to make Plax expendable and he showed it again in a big game here, coming up with 270 all purpose yards.

What It All Means: I still think the Cardinals are good, but the Giants are clearly the class of the Conference as they won this game without Plax or Brandon Jacobs.

Oakland Raiders 31

Denver Broncos 10

Why the Raiders Won: The points came in bunches after a long drought for the Raiders they were able to catch the Broncos reeling for 21 points on just 18 plays in the second half.

Why the Broncos Lost: They couldn’t get up for this game? The Raiders at home? A chance to just about put the division to bed? A must win before having to travel to New York? For the third consecutive game at Mile High, the Broncos just didn’t seem to care that much.

MVP: Justin Fargas ran for 107 yards and set up both 4th quarter touchdowns.

What It All Means: The Raiders wanted this one way more than the Broncos and that definitely showed. Denver continues to be unable to overcome early mistakes. It happened against Jacksonville, Miami, New England and Oakland. If they turn the ball over before they score, they are unable to bounce back from it. Denver is going to win the West. But, it’s going to be with an 8-8 record.

Indianapolis Colts 23

San Diego Chargers 20

Why the Colts Won: Going for it on fourth down late in the game and throwing a 13 yard out route to Marvin Harrison was a very gutsy call that paid off with a win.

Why the Chargers Lost: They’re just not that good. They played their best game on Sunday and still got beat at home.

MVP: Peyton Manning threw for 255 yards and a pair of scores and was 4-6 on the game winning drive.

What It All Means: The Colts are a dangerous team right now and are building momentum for a playoff run. The Chargers are done and everybody that keeps waiting for them to turn it around shouldn’t hold their breath.

New Orleans Saints 51

Green Bay Packers 29

Why the Saints Won: New Orleans averaged an amazing 12 yards per pass play against a very good GB secondary.

Why the Packers Lost: Aaron Rodgers couldn’t keep up. In a shoot-out, his second half turnovers were key.

MVP: Lance Moore had 5 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

What It All Means: The Packers are hanging on by a thread. But, so are the Saints.

Looking Back at Week 11

New York Jets 34                    

New England Patriots 31

Why the Jets Won: Both teams piled up yardage, but the Jets were the more consistent offense, converting 56% of their third downs, to only 28 for New England.

Why the Patriots Lost: It was a game of ups and downs for Matt Cassel and ultimately the downs caught up with him. He was unable to successfully stretch the field and had to instead settle for underneath stuff or simply took off scrambling. He was his teams leading rusher.

MVP: Brett Favre was 26-33 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He completed five of six passes on the game-winning overtime drive.

What It All Means: The Jets are now in the driver’s seat in the East and control their destiny. They’ve won four in a row, but have some tough games left on the schedule, including Titans this week. The Patriots are unable to consistently win this year and are right now on the outside of the playoff race.

Carolina Panthers 31                

Detroit Lions 22

Why the Panthers Won: Carolina’s talented running back duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 250 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Why the Lions Lost: They moved the ball well, were decent on third down and committed only one penalty. But, Daunte Culpepper continues to struggle and turn the ball over. He was responsible for 3 of the Lions four turnovers.

MVP: You could give it to either back, but I’ll go with DeAngelo who averaged over 8 yards per carry and scored twice.

What It All Means: The Panthers continue to roll and are built for a playoff run, with a strong pass and a dominant run game. If the Lions were looking for something from a dreadful season to hang their hats on it may be rookie Kevin Smith. He has emerged over the last couple of games and ran for 112 yards against a stingy Carolina defense on Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles 13              

Cincinnati Bengals 13

Why the Bengals Didn’t Lose: The much-maligned Bengal defense forced 4 turnovers and TJ Houshmanzadeh dominated Pro-Bowler Sheldon Brown.

Why the Eagles Couldn’t Beat the Bengals: 17 touches for Brian Westbrook. Only 1 Carry by another RB. The Bengals are one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, Donovan McNabb clearly didn’t have it on Sunday, It was windy in Cincinnati and Andy Reid calls 58 pass plays.

MVP: TJ had 12 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.

What It All Means: Well, not a lot. It was a tie. This may have been the game that simultaneously saves Marvin Lewis’ job and costs Andy Reid his. Lewis showed that he can still get this team to play for him. Reid showed once again that he is one of the worst game day coaches in the NFL. Certainly the worst to have his job for a decade.

Green Bay Packers 37              

Chicago Bears 3

Why the Packers Won: The Packers had 6 drives that lasted more than four game minutes and controlled the ball for more than 15 minutes better than the Bears. They wore out the Bears defense and were opportunistic on offense.

Why the Bears Lost: The Bears averaged just under 10 yards per completion and had just one pass play of more than 20 yards. Once they fell behind by a couple of scores, they did not have the big play offense to catch up.

MVP: Ryan Grant finally showed up. He ran for 145 yards and a touchdown.

What It All Means: A three-way tie atop the NFC North. Everybody likes the Pack to win it now, but that could change by the week. All three teams travel this week and GB has the toughest assignment in New Orleans.

Indianapolis Colts 33                

Houston Texans 27

Why the Colts Won: The Colts converted 10-15 third downs, including two long ones on the game-winning drive.

Why the Texans Lost: They were 0-4 on the road and missing two key defensive pieces coming in. Also, in a shoot-out they underutilized their best bullet. Andre Johnson had just 4 catches for 55 yards.

MVP: Joseph Addai showed up this week also. He had 153 total yards and 2 scores. See those first round picks you used on Addai and Grant are great for the playoff run, fantasy geeks.

What It All Means: The Colts have played themselves right back into the playoff hunt and already have wins over wild-card contenders Baltimore and New England. The Texans will likely fall back below .500 this year and look to rebuild once again.

New Orleans Saints 30             

Kansas City Chiefs 20

Why the Saints Won: New Orleans fell behind early in this game and it would have been easy for them to fold. The vocal leaders on the team Drew Brees and Deuce were seen on the sidelines keeping their team fired up and their heads in the game.

Why the Chiefs Lost: Twice the Chiefs had first-and-goal and had to settle for field goals. Hard to figure that out since they had LJ back.

MVP: Pierre Thomas had 141 total yards and a rushing TD. He likely will make Deuce expendable in the off-season.

What It All Means: The Saints remain alive, though hanging by a thread. They could help their cause a lot with a win Monday over GB. The Chiefs continue to play teams hard, but are unable to come away with victories for their effort.

Miami Dolphins 17                   Oakland Raiders 15

Why the Dolphins Won: Though the points don’t show it, the Dolphins were efficient with the ball. Chad Pennington completed 60% of his passes and Ronnie Brown went for 101 yards. They committed just 3 penalties and one turnover.

Why the Raiders Lost: The Raiders offense is terrible. I mean in epic proportions. Historically. They have converted under 25% of their third downs for the season and score less than 10 points per game. They played their best game in a while on Sunday, with no turnovers, but that hardly matters if you accumulate less than 200 yards of offense and your only touchdown comes on special teams.

MVP: Ted Ginn Jr. continues to impress. He finished with 166 total yards and a 41 yard rushing touchdown.

What It All Means: The Dolphins last two wins, against Seattle and Oakland, were less than impressive, but they were wins and the Dolphins now sit in second in the East and would make the playoffs if the season ended today. The Raiders are still the Raiders. No sign of hope, change or success in the future. Unless their new Coach is Barack Obama I don’t see how that will change any time soon.

New York Giants 30

Baltimore Ravens 10

Why the Giants Won: The Giants ran for 207 yards against the best rush defense in the league. They did it with 3 different backs all contributing. Though, I guess the Ravens defense can still say that they haven’t given up a 100 yard rusher in over 2 years. Ahmad Bradshaw finished with 96.

Why the Ravens Lost: The offense was worse than the defense. Joe Flacco led the team with 57 rushing yards and his twenty completions were worth less than 8 yards a pop. Baltimore completed no pass for greater than 16 yards.

MVP: Aaron Ross had 6 tackles and two interceptions.

What It All Means: The Giants have a tremendous shot at repeating as Champs as they are better than last year and getting better by the week. This was an extremely impressive win. Baltimore doesn’t travel well, which we knew and though I think they will make the playoffs, could have a hard time in a wild card game in the Meadowlands, Heinz Field or Mile High.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19

Minnesota Vikings 13

Why the Bucs Won: Tampa sacked Gus Frerotte 5 times and forced 2 fumbles.

Why the Vikings Lost: Minnesota was unable to come up with big plays on either side of the ball. They had just 1 sack and after the first quarter had no play for longer than 20 yards.

MVP: Jeff Garcia’s mobility was huge in this game, I think somebody predicted that, as he was able to scramble and find open receivers for 255 yards.

What It All Means: The Bucs are pretty close to being a playoff lock and have a win over division leader Carolina. The Vikings are in the muddle that is the NFC North.

Denver Broncos 24

Atlanta Falcons 20

Why the Broncos Won: That Jay Cutler is not mentioned in the MVP Debate more is ridiculous. With little run game, a rookie left tackle and an injury-plagued underperforming defense, Cutler seems to be able to will the Broncos to victory and gets there by making throws that no other QB in the league can make. The game winning throw to Daniel Graham being an example.

Why the Falcons Lost: The Falcons controlled the clock and ran 15 more plays than Denver, but failed to cash in early, settling for 2 field goals from inside the 20.

MVP: Rookie Spencer Larsen played the entire game at FB, MLB, on the kick return team and on the kick coverage team.

What It All Means: Aside from the jets winning in Foxboro, this was the most impressive win of the week. Denver started rookies at MLB, ROLB, CB, FS, FB, RB, LT, WR, K, KR and still went into Atlanta where the Falcons were 4-0 and playing great and pulled out the win. Anybody still question how great Mike Shanahan is?

San Francisco 49ers 35               St. Louis Rams 16

Why the Niners Won: The 49ers were able to score TD’s on all five red-zone trips.

Why the Rams Lost: Apparently they still haven’t figured out that you can’t spot the other team 35 points in the first half and win.

MVP: Why wasn’t Shaun Hill starting all along? Was it just because Mike Martz wanted to prove that he could make another nobody QB a household name? Hill was 15/20 for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

What It All Means: Well not a whole lot. Maybe the 49ers have found a QB and a system that could work for them next year. The Rams are probably starting to shop their veterans and see if they can find a big name head coach to excite their fan base next year.

Arizona Cardinals 26

Seattle Seahawks 20

Why the Cardinals Won: Anquan Boldin had 186 yards. Larry Fitzgerald had over 150 and they didn’t even score. JJ Arrington, the third RB had both scores. Too many weapons.

Why the Seahawks Lost: Matt Hasselbeck’s comeback didn’t go quite as planned. He was picked off three times, twice by Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie.

MVP: Adrian Wilson had 5 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. It would be a crime if you all forgot about him on your pro-bowl ballot again this year.

What It All Means: The Cardinals will still win the West. Matt Hasselbeck is not the cure to what ales the Hawks.

Tennessee Titans 24

Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Why the Titans Won: Kerry Collins was once again able to pick up the slack. He threw for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns to compensate for the backs each going for less than 65 yards.

Why the Jags Lost: Jacksonville had 3 punts and an interception while the score was 17-14.

MVP: Justin Gage became the first Titan WR to go over 100 yards this season. Finishing with 146 yards and two touchdowns.

What It All Means: The Titans will go undefeated. No, I actually still think they lose, but I have no idea how. Jacksonville is done. They could chalk this season up to injuries and start looking towards next year.

Pittsburgh Steelers 11

San Diego Chargers 10

Why the Steelers Won: In terrible weather, they were the team that was able to run the ball. Willie Parker gained 115 yards on the ground.

Why the Chargers Lost: LT gained just 57 rushing yards and Philip Rivers, an MVP candidate a few weeks ago, continue to struggle by throwing two interceptions.

MVP: Big Ben completed 31 passes for over 300 yards in the snow.

What It All Means: The Steelers needed this win bad and put some seperation between them and the Ravens. The Chargers are also done, though you wouldn’t know it by watching the talking heads who still insist that the Week 17 match-up between the Chargers and Broncos will be for the division. If Denver goes 3-2 in the next five games, that game will be irrelevant.

Dallas Cowboys 14

Washington Redskins 10

Why the Cowboys Won: Marion Barber iced the game in the fourth quarter, eating up 114 yards in the game and the final six minutes.

Why  the Redskins Lost: Their offense runs through Clinton Portis and when he only gets 17 touches in a game, they are gonna lose.

MVP: The MVP was Barber, but I’d also mention Jay Ratliff who had 2 sacks and dominated the line of scrimmage all night.

What It All Means: While the East has likely escaped both teams, the wild-card race in the NFC is going to be alot of fun with 8 teams still fighting for 2 spots.

Cleveland Browns 29

Buffalo Bills 27

Why the Browns Won: They won the turnover battle 4-0. They turned them into 16 points.

Why the Bills Lost: Four turnovers.

MVP: Braylon Edwards had a key drop early, but finished with 108 receiving yards. He’s Mr. Monday Night, as his two best games this year have both come in the week’s final game.

What It All Means: Romeo Crennel may be able to use this game as a launching pad towards saving his job. The Bills, once the darlings of the league, are now all but done.

 

Week 11 Power Rankings

Number in paranthesis is their ranking a week ago.

NFC

1. GIANTS (1)

2. PANTHERS (2)

3. CARDINALS (3)

4. BUCCANEERS (5)

5. FALCONS (4)

6. PACKERS (11)

7. COWBOYS (9)

8. REDSKINS (6)

9. EAGLES (8)

10. SAINTS (12)

11. BEARS (7)

12. VIKINGS (10)

13. 49ERS (14)

14. SEAHAWKS (13)

15. LIONS (16)

16. RAMS (15)

 

AFC

1. TITANS (1)

2. JETS (2)

3. STEELERS (3)

4. RAVENS (3)

5. BRONCOS (8)

6. PATRIOTS (5)

7. DOLPHINS (6)

8. COLTS (7)

9. BROWNS (12)

10. BILLS (9)

11. CHARGERS (10)

12. JAGUARS (11)

13. TEXANS (13)

14. RAIDERS (16)

15. CHIEFS (14)

16. BENGALS (15)

 

MVP POWER RANKINGS

1. KURT WARNER

2. JAY CUTLER

3. PEYTON MANNING

4. BRETT FAVRE

5. CLINTON PORTIS

6. ADRIAN PETERSON

7. MICHAEL TURNER

8. BRANDON JACOBS

9. CHAD PENNINGTON

10. DEANGELO WILLIAMS

 

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. MATT RYAN

2. CHRIS JOHNSON

3. JAKE LONG

4. JOE FLACCO

5. RYAN CLADY

6. MATT FORTE

7. EDDIE ROYAL

8. DESEAN JACKSON

9. STEVE SLATON

10. JOHN CARLSON

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. CHRIS HORTON

2. JEROD MAYO

3. LEODIS MCKELVIN

4. KENNY PHILLIPS

5. BRANDON FLOWERS

6. TOM ZBIKOWSKI

7. DWIGHT LOWERY

8. XAVIER ADIBI

9. JACK WILLIAMS

10. DOMONIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE