NFL Week 13
What a week we just completed! Never before has offense dominated the story the way it did in Week 12 where high scoring affairs and blow-outs ruled. Case in point, the Buffalo Bills who started the season brilliantly but have been equally mediocre lately took out their frustrations on the lowly Kansas City Chiefs 54 to 31. For a game that was supposed to be closely matched where much was riding on two 5-5 teams, the New Orleans Saints obliterated the Green Bay Packers 59 to 29 for Monday Night action. Meanwhile up in Boston, folks might be starting to say “Brady who?” as the Patriots knocked off the Miami Dolphins 48 to 28. There was one more “over 40” affair showing just how far the Atlanta Falcons have come beating the Carolina Panthers, perhaps the leading choice in the NFC South, 45 to 28.
Though it wasn’t a blowout on the scale of the games above, what happened here in Baltimore was perhaps the nastiest blowout of all as the Ravens pounded the Philadelphia Eagles 36 to 7 throwing the entire Philadelphia organization into total upheaval. The Ravens defense shutout their NFC rivals with the only touchdown for the Eagles coming on a kickoff return. While the score stood at the Raven ahead by 3, 10 to 7 at halftime, Coach Andy Reid was so rattled by his team’s first half show on offense, long time starter, Donovan McNabb, was benched for the second half. Hoping to find new energy from understudy, Kevin Kolb, who was every bit as ineffective. Meanwhile, through the first three quarters, the Ravens offense with rookie Quarterback, Matt Flacco, definitely looked like a work in progress until the 4th quarter when they absolutely poured it on scoring 24 points, but the most dramatic score was a 107 interception return by Ed Reeves, his second clutch interception of the day.
The slaughter on the Patapsco was of such magnitude that after the game not only were the switchboards jammed for Philadelphia sports talk stations politely calling the Baltimore defeat and benching of McNabb, the end of an era, fans and talk show hosts alike were demanding the removal of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. “Blow it up, blow the whole thing up, start this thing over!” was the consensus of opinion echoing up and down the Delaware Valley. The Eagles’ meltdown was so severe that as triumphant as the Ravens’ victory was and bold Ed Reeves and the rest of the Ray Lewis/Rex Ryan defense was, even in Baltimore, most of the talk focused on the Eagles’ debacle.
For earthshaking stories, could it be Brett Favre, castoff in the preseason soap opera drama with Packers’ management has helped lead the New York Jets to the strongest team in the AFC? After dominating the undefeated, Tennessee Titans, 34 to 13 tying them for the second best first place record with Pittsburgh.
Also of note, while somebody’s going to represent the AFC West in the playoffs as the first place team, neither Denver nor San Diego look like post season material. The chaotic silver and black Raiders smashed the Denver Broncos on their home field 31 to 10. San Diego did flash good defense against the Colts in the Sunday night conflict but Payton Manning and the Colts still prevailed. At 4 – 7, it would be easy to count San Diego out but given Denver stands at 6 – 5 and is struggling horribly with no discernable defense, who knows?
As such, the Titans have the top record dominating for home field advantage in the AFC while Pittsburgh and the New York Jets, sit at 9 – 3 battling for the other first round bye. If the season ended right now, the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens would go in as wild cards with Indy getting the #5 seed having beaten Baltimore in head-to-head action.
The races aren’t quite as clearly defined in the NFC other than the New York Giants clearly are in the drivers seat looking to have home field advantage all the way while the Arizona Cardinals (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?) are on the verge of clinching the NFC West. This is a year of historical significance for a team that has defined futility since it was the Second City’s second team when they played in Chicago in the 1950’s. The NFC North has three teams locked in a tight race for their top seed and to top that, all four NFC South teams have a shot with the New Orleans Saints two games back but possibly with the best talent to make a run. Take all that into consideration, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, however, from the NFC East, appear to be the best bets right now for the Wild Card berths while both teams face some tough competition before the end of the season.
Let them eat Turkey and let the games begin.
We need football on Thanksgiving. Nothing could destroy the male gender more convincingly than not having NFL football on Thanksgiving where often neighbors and relatives who wouldn’t have much to talk about can rally ‘round the TV catching some pigskin action while the ladies rule the kitchen scolding each fellow who sneaks into the kitchen on a beer run if the host isn’t smart enough to have the cold ones located somewhere else.
Whatever story lines there could be for the Detroit Lions hosting the Tennessee Titans was pretty much put to rest with the Titans losing to the Jets Sunday. It would be the battle of the lossless versus the winless. Oh well, one can look at what will play out in Fords Field as being pretty much like the butchers against the fowl in the early game. Seattle at Dallas is not too exciting either, but the night game, necessitated by the NFL Networks’ emergence which only a select few football fans have matches the Cardinals ready to clinch their division against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. To the extent that the football fans can lobby the kitchen for serving time, an early feast might be in order for those who have enough alertness left after all the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, veggies, fresh baked rolls, pecan, apple, and pumpkin pie, all served with some fine wine noting that stuffing in some parts of the country is enhanced with oysters, sausage, or other delights and here in Baltimore, sauerkraut is another Thanksgiving staple. Who can be alert enough to watch football while the digestive system takes about as much pounding as an offensive skills player against the Ravens defense?
Tennessee (-11) at Detroit
Forget about it! Things are so bad in Detroit that Detroit Free Press writer, Mitch Albom, noted fans wearing bags over their heads at the Lions last home shellacking as over-dressed. The Titans will tear apart the Lions the way drumsticks easily pull off a properly prepared Turkey. After one of these blowouts, perhaps Ford Field will be renamed Toyota Turf.
Seattle at Dallas (-13)
Forget about it! The Dallas soap opera will be only a whisper as surely those not too engaged in conversation will surely hear, “Romo to T.O…TOUCHDOWN” and other such exclamations of Cowboy dominance in this one.
Arizona at Philadelphia (-3)
After the slaughter a few exits down I-95 last Sunday in Baltimore, there’s no telling how many Eagles are playing for their future the rest of the season. The Eagles are still in striking distance of the playoffs. Only reaching that threshold could get Reid and McNabb off the hot seat. Meanwhile, Curt Warner and gang will stand to clinch their division with a win. The way Philadelphia folded in Baltimore, it’s hard to believe the odds makers giving them three points. Arizona should march into Philly and bag the turkey.
Baltimore (-7) at Cincinnati
All systems are go for the Ravens as long as there’s not a letdown facing a seemingly easy foe. the Bengals do have some talent. It’s just not focused.
New York Giants at Washington (-3)
The Giants will probably lose another game before the playoffs and the Redskins at home are a tough opponent. Still, the edge goes to New York.
San Francisco at Buffalo (-7)
Buffalo should feel fired up after their performance clobbering Kansas City, but on the flip side they did give up 31 points. Still, west coast teams seldom win one o’clock games in the east and San Francisco stinks.
Indianapolis (-5) at Cleveland
So it’s not Brady Quinn, huh? Entering the year, the future looked so bright for Cleveland, but now, the Browns are one of the NFL’s most troubled franchises. So Derek Anderson is back in for now, then what? At 4-7 and Cincinnati beneath them, the Browns might not look as miserable as some of the really bad teams in the NFL, but after 10-6 last year and so many pieces appearing to come together, it’s another defeat for fans who have known frustration for years.
Carolina at Green Bay (-3)
Carolina is not strong on the road and Lambeau field gets tougher and the Tundra gets colder, as such, Green Bay looks to be the favorite as long as their complete self-destruction in New Orleans is a thing of the past. Green Bay’s season is on the line and with the home crowd’s support should keep hope alive for at least another week.
Denver at New York Jets (-7 ½)
It’s party time in the New Jersey swamp on Sunday. With Denver’s miserable defense and New York offense pulling together behind Brett Favre, this could be a fun game for Jets fans to celebrate.
Miami (-8) at St. Louis
Miami continues to become a respectable team as they start to amass wins on the road. Barring an offensive resurgence from the St. Louis air attack. That Miami is an 8 point favorite on the road in November shows the progress they have made in 2008.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-3 ½)
New Orleans faces a real defense this time around but have to win this game on the road to stay in the hunt for a shot at the NFC South lead. Only two teams have given up fewer points than the Buccaneers while New Orleans is among the worst teams on defense. This game looks like Coach Chucky will prevail with room to spare.
Atlanta at San Diego (-5)
Atlanta continues to grow together as a solid team as San Diego seems to disappoint when it is most embarrassing to them. It might be a stretch to call for Atlanta to go west and get the job done, but these appear to be two teams heading in opposite directions.
Pittsburgh at New England (-1)
Tom Brady’s out and they’re playing Pittsburgh?? Pittsburgh wins, right? Hardly, the New England Patriots function like the “Borg” in Star Trek, one unit out, uninstall, plug in new unit, no problem. Has anyone noticed Matt Cassel’s performance lately? He pumps the ball reliably to Randy Moss and New England wins. If the Colts or Ravens falnter, boom, New England’s right back in the playoff seedings not that they’ve given up hopes being just one game down from the Jets. Pittsburgh has been just good enough to win many of its contests and can be exploited. They were not expecting to have the Baltimore Ravens nipping at their heels the way they are right now and they still face Baltimore in Crab Town later on. Their trip to New England will hurt while this is just one of several tough teams remaining on the schedule.
Kansas City at Oakland (-3)
Urgh!!! Here’s a “Toilet Bowl” if we’ve ever seen one. Both teams have terrible offenses but at least Oakland has a slightly better than average defense. Both teams are also ones that will lie down and quit when the going gets rough. This is one to avoid.
Chicago at Minnesota (-3)
Does anybody really want to win the NFC North? All four teams are in contention. These are two pretty evenly matched team but Minnesota stands out as having a distinct home field advantage.
Jacksonville at Houston (-3)
Both teams were expected to do better this year. At this time last year, Jacksonville got on a roll making Pittsburgh look silly and rode their way into the post season. This year has been a disaster. That Jacksonville has such a dreadful offensive showing in 2008 offsets how poor Houston is on defense. Houston should win by a nose.
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What a week we just completed! Never before has offense dominated the story the way it did in Week 12 where high scoring affairs and blow-outs ruled. Case in point, the Buffalo Bills who started the season brilliantly but have been equally mediocre lately took out their frustrations on the lowly Kansas City Chiefs 54 to 31. For a game that was supposed to be closely matched where much was riding on two 5-5 teams, the New Orleans Saints obliterated the Green Bay Packers 59 to 29 for Monday Night action. Meanwhile up in Boston, folks might be starting to say “Brady who?” as the Patriots knocked off the Miami Dolphins 48 to 28. There was one more “over 40” affair showing just how far the Atlanta Falcons have come beating the Carolina Panthers, perhaps the leading choice in the NFC South, 45 to 28.
Though it wasn’t a blowout on the scale of the games above, what happened here in Baltimore was perhaps the nastiest blowout of all as the Ravens pounded the Philadelphia Eagles 36 to 7 throwing the entire Philadelphia organization into total upheaval. The Ravens defense shutout their NFC rivals with the only touchdown for the Eagles coming on a kickoff return. While the score stood at the Raven ahead by 3, 10 to 7 at halftime, Coach Andy Reid was so rattled by his team’s first half show on offense, long time starter, Donovan McNabb, was benched for the second half. Hoping to find new energy from understudy, Kevin Kolb, who was every bit as ineffective. Meanwhile, through the first three quarters, the Ravens offense with rookie Quarterback, Matt Flacco, definitely looked like a work in progress until the 4th quarter when they absolutely poured it on scoring 24 points, but the most dramatic score was a 107 interception return by Ed Reeves, his second clutch interception of the day.
The slaughter on the Patapsco was of such magnitude that after the game not only were the switchboards jammed for Philadelphia sports talk stations politely calling the Baltimore defeat and benching of McNabb, the end of an era, fans and talk show hosts alike were demanding the removal of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. “Blow it up, blow the whole thing up, start this thing over!” was the consensus of opinion echoing up and down the Delaware Valley. The Eagles’ meltdown was so severe that as triumphant as the Ravens’ victory was and bold Ed Reeves and the rest of the Ray Lewis/Rex Ryan defense was, even in Baltimore, most of the talk focused on the Eagles’ debacle.
For earthshaking stories, could it be Brett Favre, castoff in the preseason soap opera drama with Packers’ management has helped lead the New York Jets to the strongest team in the AFC? After dominating the undefeated, Tennessee Titans, 34 to 13 tying them for the second best first place record with Pittsburgh.
Also of note, while somebody’s going to represent the AFC West in the playoffs as the first place team, neither Denver nor San Diego look like post season material. The chaotic silver and black Raiders smashed the Denver Broncos on their home field 31 to 10. San Diego did flash good defense against the Colts in the Sunday night conflict but Payton Manning and the Colts still prevailed. At 4 – 7, it would be easy to count San Diego out but given Denver stands at 6 – 5 and is struggling horribly with no discernable defense, who knows?
As such, the Titans have the top record dominating for home field advantage in the AFC while Pittsburgh and the New York Jets, sit at 9 – 3 battling for the other first round bye. If the season ended right now, the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens would go in as wild cards with Indy getting the #5 seed having beaten Baltimore in head-to-head action.
The races aren’t quite as clearly defined in the NFC other than the New York Giants clearly are in the drivers seat looking to have home field advantage all the way while the Arizona Cardinals (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?) are on the verge of clinching the NFC West. This is a year of historical significance for a team that has defined futility since it was the Second City’s second team when they played in Chicago in the 1950’s. The NFC North has three teams locked in a tight race for their top seed and to top that, all four NFC South teams have a shot with the New Orleans Saints two games back but possibly with the best talent to make a run. Take all that into consideration, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, however, from the NFC East, appear to be the best bets right now for the Wild Card berths while both teams face some tough competition before the end of the season.
Let them eat Turkey and let the games begin.
We need football on Thanksgiving. Nothing could destroy the male gender more convincingly than not having NFL football on Thanksgiving where often neighbors and relatives who wouldn’t have much to talk about can rally ‘round the TV catching some pigskin action while the ladies rule the kitchen scolding each fellow who sneaks into the kitchen on a beer run if the host isn’t smart enough to have the cold ones located somewhere else.
Whatever story lines there could be for the Detroit Lions hosting the Tennessee Titans was pretty much put to rest with the Titans losing to the Jets Sunday. It would be the battle of the lossless versus the winless. Oh well, one can look at what will play out in Fords Field as being pretty much like the butchers against the fowl in the early game. Seattle at Dallas is not too exciting either, but the night game, necessitated by the NFL Networks’ emergence which only a select few football fans have matches the Cardinals ready to clinch their division against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. To the extent that the football fans can lobby the kitchen for serving time, an early feast might be in order for those who have enough alertness left after all the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, veggies, fresh baked rolls, pecan, apple, and pumpkin pie, all served with some fine wine noting that stuffing in some parts of the country is enhanced with oysters, sausage, or other delights and here in Baltimore, sauerkraut is another Thanksgiving staple. Who can be alert enough to watch football while the digestive system takes about as much pounding as an offensive skills player against the Ravens defense?
Tennessee (-11) at Detroit
Forget about it! Things are so bad in Detroit that Detroit Free Press writer, Mitch Albom, noted fans wearing bags over their heads at the Lions last home shellacking as over-dressed. The Titans will tear apart the Lions the way drumsticks easily pull off a properly prepared Turkey. After one of these blowouts, perhaps Ford Field will be renamed Toyota Turf.
Seattle at Dallas (-13)
Forget about it! The Dallas soap opera will be only a whisper as surely those not too engaged in conversation will surely hear, “Romo to T.O…TOUCHDOWN” and other such exclamations of Cowboy dominance in this one.
Arizona at Philadelphia (-3)
After the slaughter a few exits down I-95 last Sunday in Baltimore, there’s no telling how many Eagles are playing for their future the rest of the season. The Eagles are still in striking distance of the playoffs. Only reaching that threshold could get Reid and McNabb off the hot seat. Meanwhile, Curt Warner and gang will stand to clinch their division with a win. The way Philadelphia folded in Baltimore, it’s hard to believe the odds makers giving them three points. Arizona should march into Philly and bag the turkey.
Baltimore (-7) at Cincinnati
All systems are go for the Ravens as long as there’s not a letdown facing a seemingly easy foe. the Bengals do have some talent. It’s just not focused.
New York Giants at Washington (-3)
The Giants will probably lose another game before the playoffs and the Redskins at home are a tough opponent. Still, the edge goes to New York.
San Francisco at Buffalo (-7)
Buffalo should feel fired up after their performance clobbering Kansas City, but on the flip side they did give up 31 points. Still, west coast teams seldom win one o’clock games in the east and San Francisco stinks.
Indianapolis (-5) at Cleveland
So it’s not Brady Quinn, huh? Entering the year, the future looked so bright for Cleveland, but now, the Browns are one of the NFL’s most troubled franchises. So Derek Anderson is back in for now, then what? At 4-7 and Cincinnati beneath them, the Browns might not look as miserable as some of the really bad teams in the NFL, but after 10-6 last year and so many pieces appearing to come together, it’s another defeat for fans who have known frustration for years.
Carolina at Green Bay (-3)
Carolina is not strong on the road and Lambeau field gets tougher and the Tundra gets colder, as such, Green Bay looks to be the favorite as long as their complete self-destruction in New Orleans is a thing of the past. Green Bay’s season is on the line and with the home crowd’s support should keep hope alive for at least another week.
Denver at New York Jets (-7 ½)
It’s party time in the New Jersey swamp on Sunday. With Denver’s miserable defense and New York offense pulling together behind Brett Favre, this could be a fun game for Jets fans to celebrate.
Miami (-8) at St. Louis
Miami continues to become a respectable team as they start to amass wins on the road. Barring an offensive resurgence from the St. Louis air attack. That Miami is an 8 point favorite on the road in November shows the progress they have made in 2008.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-3 ½)
New Orleans faces a real defense this time around but have to win this game on the road to stay in the hunt for a shot at the NFC South lead. Only two teams have given up fewer points than the Buccaneers while New Orleans is among the worst teams on defense. This game looks like Coach Chucky will prevail with room to spare.
Atlanta at San Diego (-5)
Atlanta continues to grow together as a solid team as San Diego seems to disappoint when it is most embarrassing to them. It might be a stretch to call for Atlanta to go west and get the job done, but these appear to be two teams heading in opposite directions.
Pittsburgh at New England (-1)
Tom Brady’s out and they’re playing Pittsburgh?? Pittsburgh wins, right? Hardly, the New England Patriots function like the “Borg” in Star Trek, one unit out, uninstall, plug in new unit, no problem. Has anyone noticed Matt Cassel’s performance lately? He pumps the ball reliably to Randy Moss and New England wins. If the Colts or Ravens falnter, boom, New England’s right back in the playoff seedings not that they’ve given up hopes being just one game down from the Jets. Pittsburgh has been just good enough to win many of its contests and can be exploited. They were not expecting to have the Baltimore Ravens nipping at their heels the way they are right now and they still face Baltimore in Crab Town later on. Their trip to New England will hurt while this is just one of several tough teams remaining on the schedule.
Kansas City at Oakland (-3)
Urgh!!! Here’s a “Toilet Bowl” if we’ve ever seen one. Both teams have terrible offenses but at least Oakland has a slightly better than average defense. Both teams are also ones that will lie down and quit when the going gets rough. This is one to avoid.
Chicago at Minnesota (-3)
Does anybody really want to win the NFC North? All four teams are in contention. These are two pretty evenly matched team but Minnesota stands out as having a distinct home field advantage.
Jacksonville at Houston (-3)
Both teams were expected to do better this year. At this time last year, Jacksonville got on a roll making Pittsburgh look silly and rode their way into the post season. This year has been a disaster. That Jacksonville has such a dreadful offensive showing in 2008 offsets how poor Houston is on defense. Houston should win by a nose.
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