The Week That Was

  

Not the most exciting weekend in the NFL. The games that were good lacked much in the way of interesting storylines, and the most interesting thing anyone can find to talk about in hindsight is what team is having the worst collapse. That said, most of the games had at least a nugget of interesting action lurking within, so an NFL roundup seems in order.

-Chargers vs. Titans, 42-17

This seemed like an interesting game on paper, but the Titans couldn’t muster up any more magic to save their season. Chris Johnson was spectacular in defeat, as he always is. Little in football is as enthralling as watching defenders try in vain to catch him once he gets moving. The Chargers have snuck under the radar due to their slow start and the Colts record, but they have the Colts number in January. With a bye on their side, they just have to hope they can avoid New England, and the Super Bowl seems like a strong possibility.

-Bills vs. Falcons, 3-31

Did anyone watch this game? Buffalo stinks, the Falcons are mediocre, and Roddy White is good. Next.

-Chiefs vs. Bengals, 10-17

The Chiefs have fought hard in every game, which is more than can be said of some other awful teams (Seahawks). The Bengals are not as good as their record indicates; their best wins are over the Steelers (mediocre or slightly better) and the Ravens (good, but enigmatic and prone to self destruction). They beat Green Bay close, and every other win is over a bad team. I’m thinking a one and done in January, not unlike the last time they made the playoffs. Lets hope Palmer’s knee makes it out intact this time.

-Raiders vs. Browns, 9-23

None of us watched this game. If you did, that means you are a fan of one of these teams (I’m sorry) or a masochist. Either way, let’s just pretend it didn’t happen.

-Seahawks vs. Packers, 10-48

Do the Seahawks have any hope for the future? No quarterback, no running back, dubious effort, and their best win this year was over Jacksonville. San Francisco and Arizona are at least decent teams that give some effort. I struggle to see how they will be competitive for a playoff spot anytime soon.

The Packers, on the other hand, are another team that has snuck under the radar. Other than that inexcusable loss to the Buccaneers, they have lost to the Vikings twice, the Bengals, and the Steelers. Only the second Vikings loss was by more than 7 (26-38). If they can avoid the Vikings in the playoffs, they have a legitimate shot at going to the Super Bowl. This would simultaneously cause Brett Favre to throw everyone he could think of under the bus, and remind Packers fans of how much they protected him over the years. Have faith, Rodgers. Have faith.

-Texans vs. Dolphins, 27-20

Every good team was praying for this outcome. The Texans are the easiest first round opponent the Patriots/Bengals could hope for, since they are down to 1 real offensive threat (Johnson). They lose to every decent team they play (Their best win was against the Bengals; their second best was against the Titans week 2) and they have a habit of collapsing at the end of games. They play the Patriots this week, so normally I would say no playoffs for them, but I would not put it past the Patriots to manipulate the outcome to earn the privilege of playing them again a week later (if that’s a possibility).

I’m looking forward to seeing the Dolphins next year with a healthy Ronnie Brown and a more experienced Henne. I would be surprised if they didn’t make the playoffs, and they’re one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL. It’s a shame they couldn’t pull this game out, but alas, there’s always next year.

-Jaguars vs. Patriots, 7-35

The Jaguars decided not to show up for this game, so I’m deciding not to write about them. It only seems fair.

With regards to Randy Moss’ lack of effort, can we please agree that this is not (and has never been) an issue? Football players, and athletes in general, hate teammates who don’t give their best effort. Do you think Moss has traversed his entire career without being called out publicly by a single teammate on accident? When he was a Raider he stopped running after 30 yards because no one could throw it that far. If the play is a pass that isn’t called for him, he might not kill himself on his route. But watch any game and you will see that he always blocks hard on runs, he works to get open on broken plays, and his teammates respect him. Sportswriters like to tear down athletes who seem infinitely talented but indifferent. They believe that if they only had Moss’ talent, they could be so much better than him. They would care so much more than he does. They would run every play like it was their last. The truth of the matter is that even an athlete as supremely talented as Moss has to work hard, and he showed the past two weeks that what the media perceived as indifference was simply a dry spell. Relax, and try to brace your fall off of the high horse.

The Patriots seem to be rounding into form just in time, but they still lack impressive wins. I have trouble believing that they can beat the Colts and the Chargers on the way to the Super Bowl, but if anyone is going to do it, it’s them.

-Buccaneers vs. Saints, 20-17

I have to give the Buccaneers credit for giving it their all. Their talent level is abysmal, and they don’t have a very good coaching staff (Morris needs to be fired; they’re delaying the inevitable if they keep him), but they have still managed wins over the Packers and Saints. Effort counts for something, and in a couple years the Freeman/Cadillac duo could conceivably have them winning games (I doubt more than 8, but that’s better than 3).

The Saints, meanwhile, are the requisite team that everyone panics about because they have lost two consecutive games to fall to an abysmal 13-2. The 1998 Broncos also went 13-0 and then lost 2 games, to an 8-8 and a 10-6 team. They went on to win the Super Bowl. The Saints may have lost to a fairly abysmal Buccaneers team, but their best running back was hurt for the entire Buccaneers comeback, and their kicker missed an easy field goal. The Cowboys are a good team that desperately needed a win against the Saints. I’m not saying there is no need for concern, but the sky isn’t falling, either. They still have the best crowd in football, the most offensive weapons, and a fast, playmaking defense. Combine those with a bye and an inconsistent NFC, and I’m not too concerned.

-Panthers vs. Giants, 41-9

The Panthers have to get rid of Jake Delhomme. I don’t care whom they replace him with (although Jason Campbell makes an awful lot of sense); he is holding back the franchise. Move on with the best pair of running backs in the league and someone who won’t throw four interceptions a game. Moore seems decent, but it’s hard to say what will happen when the league gets a better look at him.

The real story of the game, though, was the shockingly poor effort the Giants gave. They were in a must win game, at home, against a clearly inferior opponent, in the final game at their home stadium, and they gave absolutely no indication that they cared in the slightest. The Panthers pushed them around on the offensive and defensive lines and ran the ball with impunity. I have always felt that the Giants were overachievers, particularly Eli Manning, but I did expect them to win the last two games and make things interesting for the Cowboys.

Despite their abhorrent effort, the Giants will be returning a litany of weapons for the upcoming season, and I suspect that if they can figure out what is wrong with Jacobs and replace some of their departing defensive personnel, they’ll be near the top of the NFC next year. Losses like this can fester, though (see: Carolina, 09 playoffs), and that is something that cannot be overlooked.

-Ravens vs. Steelers, 20-23

Probably the second best game of the week, but one that ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied. The Ravens gave the game away with drops and penalties, and despite the fact that they are much better than their record indicates, they have to stop holding themselves back at a certain point. Their point differential is +122; the Colts is +132. Somehow, this has left them with 6 fewer wins. In any case, no opponent wants to see them in the playoffs, and a win will likely land them there.

The Steelers, conversely, have probably overachieved given their injuries. They have gotten by on experience and fourth quarter heroics for the better part of the year, and they’ll need them this week if they want the opportunity to defend their title. I doubt they would make any waves if they got that far, but stranger things have happened.

-Rams vs. Cardinals, 10-31

I hope you didn’t watch this game, if only for the plausible scenario in which it could have made your eyes bleed. I never have much faith in the Cardinals, but they have two of the best receivers in the NFL and a quarterback who can get it to them if he has time. We saw last year that sometimes, that’s enough.

-Lions vs. 49ers, 6-20

It’s a shame that Calvin Johnson has to waste his time on such a terrible team. Stafford has shown promise, but the team’s miserly (not to mention incompetent) ownership will undermine the player’s efforts more often then not.

The 49ers, conversely, are moving towards being at least a shadow of their former selves. They have finally figured out how to use Vernon Davis, Crabtree is a very talented receiver, their defense is allowing the 6th fewest points, and they have an excellent young coach. If they can find a quarterback, they could quickly rise to the level of contender. Easier said than done.

-Cowboys vs. Redskins, 17-0

The Cowboys avoid yet another December collapse while the Redskins count the days until they can overpay a name head coach. We’ll see how the Cowboys do in January. Nothing matters until then.

-Broncos vs. Eagles, 27-30

As a Bears fan, I was only too confident that people would realize the error in their ways. Orton simply isn’t as good as he was playing early in the year, and while his first and second half statistics are similar, the team’s scoring has not been. They had four 20-point games in the first 6, while they have had only three such games in their last 9. Orton has, admittedly, been much better than I thought he would be, and the improvement from Bears receivers to the Broncos', namely Marshall, has no doubt buoyed his rise. If they do make the playoffs, I expect a thorough thrashing at the hands of their opponents.

As for the Eagles, they almost squandered a considerable lead, only to steal the game back at the end. Jackson, Celek, McCoy, and Maclin represent the best set of skill position players McNabb has ever had, and their defense is good enough, 16th in points allowed. They’re a legitimate threat in the playoffs, and with Minnesota choking away the second seed, they could potentially only have 1 road game. If that’s the case, I like their chances. If they have to play three games, two of which will be on the road? Not so much.

-Jets vs. Colts, 29-15

At this point everyone has thrown out their opinion as to attempting to go 16-0. I feel strongly that going for it is the only correct choice. The players want to, it helps them keep their mental edge, and nobody forgets the team that does the impossible. Those points have been beaten to death elsewhere, though, so I feel no need to expand upon them.

What I do find odd is the decision to play the starters for almost the entire game before pulling them. Were they more likely to get hurt at the end? How did this decision help the Colts in any way? I’m befuddled. It seems to me that the move succeeded in doing nothing but angering and confusing the players. Obviously if they win the Super Bowl this will all be called a masterstroke, but I’m failing to see the logic.

-Vikings vs. Bears, 30-36

Who knew this would be the game of the week? Normally I would chalk the Vikings' failure up to a divisional road loss, nothing to be ashamed of. The Vikings haven't looked impressive in defeat, though, and apart from their ability to overcome a deficit, I don’t see much to lead me to believe that they’re a potential Super Bowl winner. Their defense, especially against the pass, is a weakness that teams will exploit, and they're going to have to win a shootout or two to win a title. Then again, the Saints look vulnerable, and if the Vikings can get to the Super Bowl, anything can happen.

I expect an extremely exciting playoffs. The NFC in particular is awash in potentially awesome matchups. The AFC should join suit after the first week, and since they’re giving us such an exciting week 17, I’m willing to let one bad week slide.

It’s the NFL playoffs. Sure, it’s still just a ridiculous game of grown men hurting each other, Brett Favre drama and overreaction to the slightest sign of weakness. But now it’s for keeps.

Image via MSNBC

You can email Chris with questions or comments at TheSportsKiosK@gmail.com