This is it. Week 17. Everything on the line.
One more time, we quote John Randall.
(Grabbing a bullhorn): THIS…IS…WHEN…THE…BIG…DOGS…COME…OUT!
Football doesn’t need flowery hyperbole, not in Week 17. Let’s get it on.
The goal is a championship, and before getting to 16 NFL games, my team “Kiss Da Baby” won our championship. Here is our celebration. Like the 1985 Bears, we were so good that we did it before the actual game, which was a formality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcXlYUrATco
New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings–The Vikings came in needing a win and a Philly loss at Dallas to get the # 2 seed. Brad Childress, who I bald and Catholic, had to be pleased the way this game started as Brett Favre and the offense easily sliced through the listless eliminated Giants. Brett Favre hit Vincent Shiancoe for the 10 yard touchdown. Minnesota got the ball back and Favre went deep to Bernard Berrian for a 40 yard gain. Minnesota got no further and punted.
On the first play of the second quarter, the Vikings were in the red zone. On 3rd and 1, Adrian Peterson came up just short. Brad Childress initially decided on the field goal, but changed his mind. The Vikings blew it with a false start, and they settled for the 36 yard Ryan Longwell field goal to lead 10-0. On the next Minnesota drive Favre went deep to Sidney Rice for a 50 yard gain, and then found Shiancoe for a 27 yard gain inside the 5. Peterson took it in from one yard out as the Vikings led 17-0.
On the next drive for Minnesota the Giants committed a defensive facemask penalty, and on 3rd and 3 from the Giants 10, the Giants jumped offsides. Favre found Rice for the short touchdown as Vikings led 24-0. Manning was intercepted again. The only thing to go right for the Giants was when a 40 yard touchdown pass from Favre to Percy Harvin was called back due to offensive pass interference. On 3rd and 18, a short swing pass led to 4th and inches. Childress kept his foot on the accelerator and again decided to go for it. Favre acted like he was rolling out, but he had already handed the ball off. A second effort picked up the 1st down. Favre found Rice for the touchdown anyway as the Vikings coasted 31-0 at halftime.
The Giants came all the way back for the miracle win. No, not really. Another field goal made it 34-0 Vikings, and Manning was stripped of the ball by Jared Allen inside the Giants own 10. On 4th and goal from the 2 the Vikings stayed on offense as Favre hit Tahi for the score to make it 41-0.
At that point the overblown Childress-Favre feud must have boiled over because Childress benched Favre and brought it Tarvaris Jackson. Apparently 41-0 was not good enough for Childress, as Favre as taken out of a game they had a chance to win. Favre accepted the benching and rested up by cracking jokes on the sidelines. Childress showed he was right to bench Fave as Jackson heroically led the Vikings to another field goal and a 44-0 lead. Apparently Favre will be starting the playoff game despite being washed up years ago and barely getting his team to 12-4 and passing for 4200 yards. The Giants collapsed to finish 8-8 after a 5-0 start, as Tom Coughlin prepared for a miserable offseason. 44-7 Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cleveland Browns–Jacksonville needed a miracle to make the playoffs while Cleveland wanted to end the season with 4 straight wins. The Walrus Mike Holmgren is the new team President, and the players want him to keep Eric Mangini. Phil Dawson got the Browns on the board with a 27 yard field foal to make it 3-0. Josh Scobee tied it up 3-3. In the second quarter a 14 yard Joshua Cribbs touchdown out of a wildcat snap had the Browns up 10-3, and an interception of David Garrard led to a 21 yard field goal and a 13-3 Cleveland advantage at intermission.. In the third quarter Jerome Harrison ran it in from 6 yards out to have the Browns comfortably ahead at 20-3.
Early in the fourth quarter David Garrard hit Zach Miller for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 20-10. Yet Jack Del Rio could only watch as Derek Anderson led a 14 play, 60 yard drive that carved up his defense and bled over 8 minutes off of the clock. Dawson nailed another field goal to make it 23-10. Garrard did throw a touchdown pass on the final play of the game, but being down by 13 points made the garbage touchdown just that. The Jaguars were eliminated from contention.
As for the Browns, despite starting the season 1-11, they ended with 4 straight wins to get to 5-11. Mangini learned from Bellichick, who learned from Parcells. Parcells was 1-11 with the Patriots in his first year before winning 4 straight to get to 5-11. The next year they made the playoffs. Cleveland has reason for optimism heading into next year. 23-17 Browns
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers–Jonathan Stewart broke off a 67 yard touchdown run to get the Panthers up 7-0 less than one minute into the game. Despite losing 2 straight after a 13-0 start, Sean Payton rested his starters as Mark Brunell played instead of Drew Brees. The Saints have locked up home field, and were taking no chances. The Saints had a fumble return touchdown nullified when it ruled that quarterback Matt Moore was down. Then a punt return for a touchdown by Reggie Bush was nullified by an illegal block. In the second quarter the Saints managed a field goal to pull to within 7-3.
With 13 seconds left in the half Matt Moore found Jarrett for a 30 yard touchdown. The Saints fumbled the ensuing kickoff, allowing John Kasay to tack on a field goal and make it 17-3 Panthers at halftime. The second half was sominex.
A 39 yard Kasay field goal had the Panthers up 20-3 in the third quarter. Kasay tacked on another one to make it 23-3. As the third quarter was ending, Lionel Hamilton banged it in from one yard out to get the Saints to within 23-10. The Saints got no closer. They are a shaky # 1 seed, as 13 wins were followed by 3 straight losses. The Panthers really want Jerry Richardson to keep Jon Fox, as the players have fought hard down the stretch. One lingering offseason issue will be whether Matt Moore is their starter or injured Jake Delhomme reclaims his job. 23-10 Panthers
Pittsburgh Steeleres @ Miami Dolphins–Both of these teams were in playoff contention but needed to win and get help. A 7 minute drive was capped off with a 10 yard touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes as the Steelers led 7-0. Chad Henne brought the Dolphins right back with a short touchdown pass to tie the game 7-7. Big Ben then went deep to Mike Wallace for a 54 yard touchdown bomb to put the Steelers back in front 14-7.
Henne again came back, as the Dophins reached the Pittsburgh 8 yard line before having to settle for a 25 yard field goal as Miami trailed 14-10. Big Ben brought Pittsburgh down the field again, but at the 5 yard line the drive stalled and a Reed field goal had the Steelers up 17-10.
In the third quarter a 36 yard run by Rashaard Mendehall set up a 2 yard touchdown pass from Big Ben to Heath Miller, who made a leaping catch in the end zone and somehow got the toes down to make it 24-10 Steelers. After that the ultimate horror in football occurred. Every play is a collision, and backup quarterback Pat White came in for a snap, ran to the sidelines, and got blasted. He was taken off the field on a stretcher as players on both sides prayed. This game was meaningful for both teams, but it was another reminder of why starters should rest in games that don’t matter, as well as the ultimate reminder of the fragility of everything.
One minute into the fourth quarter the Steelers could not get past the 2 yard line, but a field goal had them up 27-10. The Dolphins came back, and defensive pass interference call on the Steelers led to a gorgeous reverse call that Hartline took for a 20 yard touchdown to get Miami within 27-17 with 11 ½ minutes in regulation. The Steelers got the ball back and Tyler Thigpen came in for Chad Penne and threw a deep touchdown pass to Bess as the Dolphins were right back in it down 27-24 with 8 ½ minutes to play.
Roethlisberger was then hit and fumbled, and former Steelers standout and all time trashtalker Joey Porter recovered for the Dolphins at the Pittsburgh 12. Yet 2 plays later Tyler Thigpen was intercepted, and the Steelers had the ball at their own 2 with 6 minutes to play. Roethlisberger, who is not Jewish, led a 14 play drive in an attempt to seal the victory.
Big Ben, with one arm dangling, handed off to Willie Parker. Parker converted a critical 3rd down, and then ripped off a big run. However, he went out of bounds rather than go down inbounds and let the clock stop. With 1:42 to play and the Dolphins out of timeouts, the Steelers had 3rd and goal at the 8. Parker ran it in for the touchdown, but offensive holding nullified the play and stopped the clock. On 4th and goal at the 11, the Steelers brought in the field goal team as the clock wound down. Mike Tomlin did not even use a timeout as a delay of game penalty set up Reed from 33 yards out. The kick was good but the Steelers only led by 6 points with 40 seconds left. Tyler Thigpen came in as the Dolphins took over at their own 21. He was intercepted by Ike Taylor to end it.
A couple weeks ago the Dolphins were 7-7, with 2 games at home. They lost them both. Although Tony Sparano is the coach, this is a typical Bill Parcells situation. His teams always turn around, take a step back, and then surge forward. Miami going from 1-15 to 11-5 and back to 7-9 follows this pattern. The Dolphins were eliminated, while the 9-7 Steelers remained alive but needed a ton of help in the afternoon games. 27-24 Steelers
New England Patriots @ Houston Texans–Matt Schaub fired a 25 yard touchdown pass to Joel Dreesen to put the Texans up 7-0. Tom Brady played with 3 cracked ribs in a game where meaning was debated. Wes Welker then went down with a knee injury in the first quarter in a game that should end the discussion of what to do with stars in meaningless games. You bench them. Instead Welker is done for the year woth a torn ACL and MCL. Bellichick left them his other starters in and Brady led the tying drive with a short Fred Taylor touchdown run capping it off.
In the second quarter a Stephen Gostkowski field goal had the Patriots up 10-7. Schaub moved the Texans right back. An incomplete pass to the end zone led to a defensive personal foul for a late hit on a defenseless receiver, placing the ball inside the 10. On 4th and goal at the 1, Schaub threw the ball to nobody as the Texans turned it over on downs.
Yet Brady was now out of the game and supposedly done for the day as Bellichick took no more chances. The backup quarterback is as famous as Peyton Manning’s backup. A handoff from the one led to a fumble and recovery by the Houston defense for the easy touchdown. The extra point was no good, as the Texans led 13-10. Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 53 yard field goal to tie the game 13-13 late in the half. The Texans missed a long field goal as the half ended.
Early in the third quarter Brady was back in the game, proving that Bellichick truly is insane. Brady got hit but got up. Midway through the third quarter the Texans were driving when disaster struck. Darrius Butlet intercepted Schaub and returned it 91 yards the other way to put the Patriots up 20-13. Kris Brown has missed more field goals than any kicker in the league, and another miss kept the Texans from closing the gap in this game.
One minute into the fourth quarter an 11 yard touchdown run by Fred Taylor had the Patriots up 27-13. Schaub brought the Texans back, and a short touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones had the Texans within 7. Jones got past 2 defenders, leapt, and somehow got his feet down. Kris Brown, who had already missed 2 field goals and an extra point, was jeered by the crowd when he came out for the extra point, a rare occurrence. He made it, and the Texans were down 27-20 with 9 ½ minute left. Brady remained in the game.
Brady got sacked, the Patriots went 3 and out, and Jacoby Jones returned the kick 30 yards inside the New England 35 with 7 ½ minutes left. Foster, which is Australian for beer mate, ran it in from one yard out as the game was tied 27-27 with 4:43 to play. Brady remained in the game and was intercepted by Marcus Pollard, who ended Brady’s season last week in week 1. The Texans were in total control at the New England 28, although the erratic Kris Brown was a wild card. 4 straight running plays to Foster ended with him running it from 3 yards out as the Texans now led 34-27 with 1:54 to play.
The ever ridiculous Bellichick brought the backup in to replace Brady for the 2 minute drill after letting Brady get knocked around all game. Brady fumed on the sidelines with his arms folded. Randy Moss was also on the sidelines. For those who care, Brian Hoyer is the backup quarterback. Hoyer fired to Slaton at the Houston 13, but offensive holding nullified the play. With 18 seconds remaining and the Patriots facing 4th and 3 at the Houston 35, Hoyer fired to Edelman, who dropped it.
The Texans were 5-3, lost 4 straight, and then won 4 straight to have their very first winning season at 9-7. Gary Kubiak was walking the plank a month ago, and now it seems Bob McNair’s patience will have been rewarded. The Texans did their part, but still needed help later in the day to make the playoffs. 34-27 Texans
Indianapolis Colts @ Buffalo Bills–In a snowstorm, Peyton Manning was intercepted. Ryan Fitzpatrick fired 15 yards to Fred Jackson. Manning came back with passes to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and then handed off to Mike Hart for a 2 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
The starters for the Colts were then done for the day as Curtis Painter got his chance at glory. Yet it was Fitzpatrick hitting Lee Evans for a 21 yard touchdown to put the Bills up 14-7. Curtis Painter fumbled, and Fitzpatrick then threw a 41 yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens, who has no Super Bowl rings, to make it 21-7 Bills. A Ryan Lindell field goal just before the half had the Bills up 24-7.
Sometimes meaningless games can have meaningful results. This was not that game, especially in a second half that produced little action, although the winter wonderland snowstorm looked pretty from my warm Los Angeles condo. The Colts have home field while the Bills have some interviewing to do. 30-7 Colts
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions–Robbie Gould got the Bears on the board 3-0 in a game with no playoff implications. However, if the Lions lost they would have a chance at the # 1 pick in the draft. In 2006 the Lions needed to lose their last game to get the top pick. They won their final game and picked # 2. Oakland took JaMarcus Russell and Detroit got Calvin Johnson, allowing the Lions to protect the integrity of the game and get the better player. Again the Lions tried to win as Jason Hanson tied it up 3-3. Gould nailed another one to put the Bears up 6-3. Lions, Bears, and field goals, oh my.
Dante Culpepper did throw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Johnson to put the Lions up 10-6. The Lions may have had nothing to play for, but Culpepper certainly did as he tries to revive his career. Jay Cutler came back with a 7 yard touchdown to Greg Olsen with 14 seconds left in the half to make it 13-10 Bears.
In the third quarter the Lions tried a fake punt that did not work, as a fumble set up another Cutler touchdown pass. Cutler hit Aromashodu from 9 yards out to put the Bears up 20-10. Culpepper led the Lions back, and Hanson nailed a 48 yard field goal to get the Lions to within 20-13 after three quarters.
The Lions got the ball back, and Culpepper led a 5 minute drive that culminated in a 5 yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson that tied the game 20-20 with 9 ½ minutes left in regulation. Yet the Lions defense had no answer for Jay Cutler. A 48 yard bomb to Devon Hester followed by a 31 yard strike to Olsen set up Cutler hitting Clark from one yard out to put the Bears in front 27-20 with 7 ½ minutes left.
Culpepper brought the Lions right back, but the drive went dead at the Chicago 14 under a hail of incompletions. With 4 ½ minutes to play, Jim Schwartz opted for a field goal rather than go for the tying touchdown. This seemed curious given that the Detroit defense was a sieve the entire game. The Bears took over clinging to a 4 point lead.
Matt Forte broke off a 53 yard run. On 3rd and 5 from the 12, with everything on the line, Cutler’s 4th touchdown pass, a 12 yarder to Aromashodu, put the game out of reach. For good measure, the Lions fumbled the kickoff, setting up another field goal. At 2-14, the Lions were an improvement over 0-16. They even don’t have the top pick in the draft yet. Lovie Smith saw his team finish on a high note and end 7-9, with a chance he may get a chance to turn it around with a healthy team next year. 37-23 Bears
San Francisco 49ers @ St. Louis Rams–The 49ers played in a game that some of their relatives may have cared about. A scoreless first quarter was not followed by the refunding of tickets. A loss by the Rams would guarantee them the top pick in the 2010 Draft. With 4 minutes left in the half, a 54 yard field goal had the Rams leading 3-0. Midway through the third quarter the 49ers took a 7-3 lead as Rams fans prepared a draft party. The Rams kicked another field goal in the second half to trail 7-6. Even this game had one exciting play, as Alex Smith went deep to Vernon Davis for a 73 yard touchdown to have the 49ers up 14-6 midway through the fourth quarter. Mike Singletary was prepared to fire the entire team if the 49ers lost. A Frank Gore 1 yard run ended that chance. The St. Louis Rams are now on the clock. 21-6 49ers
Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–Last week’s hero Connor Barth gave the Buccaneers up 3-0 on the Falcons in a game with no playoff possibilities. Atlanta tied the game 3-3 in a game that was every bit as exciting as advertised. With no time on the clock, the last play of the half had the Falcons at the one yard line. Matt Ryan found Justin Peale for the touchdown as the Falcons led 10-3 at intermission.
A thrilling second half had the Buccaneers tie the game 10-10 and the Falcons retake the lead 17-10. With 4 minutes to play Josh Freeman went deep and was intercepted. The Falcons tacked on a field goal to lock up the win. Mike Smith, an average non-descript white guy who looks like a guy named Mike Smith, saw the Falcons improve to 9-7. While they missed the playoffs, the Falcons now have back to back winning seasons for the first time in the entire history of their franchise. As for the Buccaneer, Jon Gruden is still in the Monday Night Football booth. 20-10 Falcons
Baltimore Ravens @ Oakland Raiders–The Ravens came in knowing that if they win, they are in the playoffs, and if they lose, they are out. The Raiders wanted to end the season strong and play spoiler as they did last year. Tom Cable started Charlie Frye, while the Ravens won the toss and deferred, counting on the ineptness of the Oakland offense. On 3rd down Frye hit Chaz Schillens for a 1st down and then hit Marcell Reese for an 11 yard gain and another 1st down. On 3rd and 5 from their own 45, Frye threw incomplete.
The Raiders punted, but the defense sacked Joe Flacco as the Ravens punted it back. The Raiders went nowhere, and a 2 yard pass from Flacco to Todd Heap set up Willis McGahee from 2 yards out to put the Ravens up 7-0. Frye came back and hit Schillens for 15 yards and Johnny Lee Higgins for 16 more on a play action pass that fooled the cameraman. Frye then scrambled around, avoided tacklers and bought tons of time, and found Higgins for another 1st down at the Baltimore 23. On 3rd and 6 from the 19, a pass to Darren McFadden in the end zone was ruled out of bounds. Sebastian Janikowski did his job and the Raiders were within 7-3.
The defense held, and Frye hit Schillens for 22 yards, as Schillens hurdled a defender on the play. A sack of Frye ended the drive as the Raiders punted on 4th and from the Baltimore 45. Shane Lechler did his job as the Ravens started from inside their own 5. The Oakland defense did not do their job. From the Baltimore 23, McGahee broke a couple of tackles, and at midfield , took the last defender Eugene and stiff armed him to the ground and raced the distance. The 77 yard touchdown run had the Ravens up 14-3.
With 2 ½ minutes left in the half, the Raiders faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26. Frye threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference kept the drive alive. Frye then hit Higgins for 21 yards. Frye hit Louis Murphy for 17 yards and 5 more yards had the Raiders at the 18. A neutral zone infraction moved the Raiders to 2nd and 1 at the 13. On 3rd and 1 Frye scrambled for the 1st down, just past the marker. With 47 seconds left in the half, Frye found Zach Miller in the back of the end zone with a perfectly thrown ball over 2 defenders to get the Raiders within 14-10.
The Raiders again broke down as a strong kickoff return had the Ravens at the Oakland 37. Flacco hit Derrick Mason at the 20 with 23 seconds left. On 3rd down Flacco threw an incomplete pass, and he was also beyond the line of scrimmage. Billy Cundiff came in for a 37 yard field field goal attempt. The kick was no good. With over 200 yards passing from Frye in the first half alone, the Raiders were within 14-10 at the break. Yet Charlie Frye was getting beaten up in the first half, and spent the entire half limping.
The Raiders were totally in this game when disaster struck. The Ravens went 3 and out, and the Raiders took over. JaMarcus Russell came out to start the second half. Bruce Gradkowski coming out in a wheelchair would have been preferred. Heck, get Ken Stabler out of retirement. Russell took over at his own 10 as the entire Raider Nation prayed for him to just hand the ball off. Charlie Frye hit the exercise bike in a desperate attempt to get back in the game.
Russell has been every chance under the sun, and he has been given another one. Russell hit Schillens for a 21 yard gain. The dormant running game got going when Michael Bush ran for 5 and caught a pass for 5 more to set up 3rd and a foot. Shockingly enough an entirely predictable off tackle run was blown up in the backfield as the Raiders punted again. An illegal block on the return had the Ravens starting deep in their own territory. Flacco was sacked by Michael Huff, as the Raiders took over after a punt on their own 48. Once again, an ounce of offense could give them the lead.
Russell hit Murphy for 12 yards to the Baltimore 40. On 3rd and 9 the Raiders suffered a false start. On 3rd and 14 Russell hit Schillens for the 1st down. Give Russell an ounce of credit. A perfect pass between defenders got it done. The guy has talent. He just has not lived up to his potential. Yet on 2nd and 9 from the Baltimore 26, Russell burned a timeout. On 3rd and 9 Russell completed a pass short of the first down. Seabass nailed a 39 yarder to give him 1000 career points. The Raiders were within 14-13.
Flacco was sacked again as the Ravens punted again. The Raiders took over at their own 27. Russell scrambled for 3 yards and hit Miller for 6 more to set up 3rd and inches. This time Cable called a quarterback sneak, and Russell picked it up. It sure beats starting a handoff behind the line of scrimmage that stays there. With seconds left in the third quarter, Russell had been doing everything right. He then threw an interception, and the Ravens took over at the Oakland 22. The Ravens had 0 yards in the third quarter as the period ended with a 6 yard McGahee run. Yet the Ravens were in control.
McGahee scored is third touchdown, a one yarder with 13 minutes in the game. The Ravens led 21-13, and Russell was being asked to atone for his mistakes again. On 3rd and 7 from the Oakland 40 after a Baltimore timeout, Russell again threaded the needle for a 20 yard strike to Murphy. On the next play a perfectly executed pitchout had Murphy take the end around for another 1st down to the Baltimore 26. Then it happened again. Russell, who has no pocket presence, got hit and fumbled the ball away, killing the drive.
With 6 minutes to play, Flacco completed a short pass, as terrible defender Stanford Routt failed to stop it. The 3rd down conversion got the Ravens closer to icing it. On the next 3rd down, Flacco was being taken down when he threw it incomplete. Intentional grounding was not called, which allowed Billy Cundiff to try a 51yard field goal to end it. Cundiff was no good again, and the Raiders had 3:43 to play and the ball at their own 41. JaMarcus Russell got it done against Denver, and last year at Tampa Bay to end their season. He was again being asked to overcome his myriad of mistakes with great field position and plenty of time.
A false start, 3 yard dink, and incomplete pass set up 3rd and 12. Russell fired low to Murphy. With 3 minutes left, Cable decided to punt and rely on the defense. Lechler got it done, and the Ravens took over at their own 7. If the defense could get a stop, there was slim hope. On 3rd and 5, the Raiders had no timeouts. It came down to one play. McGahee killed the Raiders all game, and he killed them again. He ripped off a 30 yard gain and Flacco took 3 kneel downs to win. The Ravens not only clinched a playoff spot, but they also eliminated hated Pittsburgh.
As for the Raiders, they suffered their 7th straight season of losing at least 11 games. I still maintain that Al Davis should give Tom Cable another year, but with Bruce Gradkowksi at quarterbackand Charlie Frye as the backup. JaMarcus Russell must stay on the bench, and never play again until he develops pocket presence and a work ethic. This game was less painful than losing 16-3 to the Ravens in the 2000 AFC Title Game, but it still sucked. 21-13 Ravens
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys–The Eagles and the Cowboys were fighting for the NFC East crown. Last year in Week 17 the Cowboys traveled to Philly for a do or die game and got belted by the Eagles 44-6 to send the Eagles to the playoffs and send Dallas home. This year both teams were assured of playoff spots, and the final game was in Dallas in the 1.2 billion dollar Jerry Jones metropolis. An Eagles win would make them the # 2 seed with a 1st round bye. Due to the Minnesota win earlier in the day, Dallas could not get the # 2 seed. However, they could still host a playoff game. The loser was most likely the # 5 seed.
Tony Romo hit Jason Witten for a short touchdown pass after strong running by Marion Barber as the Cowboys led 7-0. Romo on the next drive led the Cowboys 12 plays to a 3rd and goal at the 8. A pass was then batted up in the air and intercepted, killing the Dallas drive. The Eagles did nothing with it, and in the second quarter Romo hit Patrick Crayton for a touchdown as the Cowboys led 14-0. Dallas tacked on a field goal to lead 17-0 at intermission.
In the third quarter the Eagles tried to get back in it, but normally reliable David Akers barely missed a long field goal. Dallas put the nail in the coffin when Felix Jones took a pitchout and raced 50 yards for the score to make it 24-0 Cowboys.
The Cowboys won the NFC East, and ended up as the # 3 seed. The Eagles with a win would have been the # 2 seed. Instead they fell all the way to the # 6 seed on the road as a wildcard. Ironically enough, these teams play again next week in Dallas in a rematch. Wade Phillips is off the hot seat unless the Cowboys lose next week. Andy Reid is on the hot seat unless the Eagles win next week. Actually Reid is safe, but the media will idiotically crucify him. The same goes for Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo, who will have seven days of media scrutiny and then a rematch. 24-0 Cowboys
Kansas City Cheifs @ Denver Broncos–Denver needed to win at home against dreadful Kansas City and get help. As Chris Berman says, that’s why they play the games. In the beginning they did not do their own job, as the 6-0 team that collapsed to 8-7 fell behind in this game 7-0. After a ridiculous Kansas City gadget play resulted in an interception for the Broncos, they got on track, and Knowshon Moreno ran it in from one yard out to tie the game 7-7. In the second quarter, the Chiefs kicked a field goal and the Broncos responded with a short one of their own to send the teams to the locker room at 10-10.
In the third quarter Jamal Charles ran it in to have the Chiefs leading 17-10. Kyle Orton came back and went deep for a 40 yard pass to Brandon Lloyd to set up Moreno from one yard out again as the game was tied 17-17. Matt Cassel then went deep to Chris Chambers for 43 yards to have the Chiefs on the move again. This led to a field goal and a 20-17 Chiefs lead. In a well played game, Kyle Orton made the first mistake, as he was intercepted by Derrick Johnson, who took it 45 yards for a touchdown to have the Chiefs leading 27-17 with 5 minutes still to play in the third quarter.
Things turned again when Ty Law intercepted Matt Cassel. Orton hit Brandon Stokely for the touchdown to get Denver within 27-24.Yet Charles broke off a 30 yard run and Kansas City was on the move again. With 13 minutes in regulation, a Ryan Succop field goal had the Chiefs up 30-24. Orton came right back with a 31 yard game to Lloyd. Then everything turned as Orton was intercepted by Johnson again. Johnson made a leaping catch, and again took it the distance in front of a shellshocked Denver crowd as the Chiefs led 37-24 with 10 minutes to play.
Jamal Charles ran wild, and a 56 yard run gashed the Broncos for good. 259 yards on the ground completed the blowout as Orton was intercepted by Flowers in the end zone. Todd Haley ended the year on a high note, and Josh McDaniels saw 6-0 followed by 2-8 and home for the year. For the second straight year Denver collapsed, this time at home against an inferior opponent. Last year 8-5 saw 3 straight losses. This year 8-4 saw 4 straight losses. Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler watched Josh McDaniels make decisions much worse than the ones that got his predecessor fired by Pat Bowlen. Denver missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. 44-24 Chiefs
Tennessee Titans @ Seattle Seahawks–At 7-8 the Titans were eliminated, but Chris Johnson was only 99 yards from 2000 for the season. The pathetic Seahawks gave Johnson his chance. The Titans jumped out in front 7-0, but Matt Hasselbeck hit Carlson for the tying score at 7-7. Sometimes meaningless games can be thrillers. This was not that game The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter to make it 10-10. With 12 minutes left in regulation Olindo Mare connected from 20 yards out to have Seattle up 13-10.
Needing only 8 yards to reach 2000, Chris Johnson burst through for a 62 yard touchdown as the discussion was about to focus on Eric Dickerson. Instead offensive holding nullified the play as Jeff Fisher and Mike Heimerdinger exploded on the sidelines. A few plays later Johnson did top 2000. More importantly, Johnson ran it in from one yard out to give the Titans the lead. Matt Hasselbeck responded with an interception to end the miserable season.
Walrus Mike Holmgren is in Cleveland, the Seahags are a mess, and the Titans overcame an 0-6 start to finish 8-8. Chris Johnson joined the 2000 club, and the Titans have hope for next year t get back to elite status. 17-13 Titans
Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals came in knowing that with the earlier Minnesota win, the # 2 seed was not possible. The Packers were locked in as a wildcard and the Cardinals hosting a playoff game. Defensive pass interference set up a short Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass, and a 51 yard pass to Nelson set up Aaron Rodgers from one yard out as the Packers led 14-0 on the road. Kurt Warner was taken out of the game to rest as the Cardinals had nothing to play for. Matt Leinart came in, and there went hopes for a win. Leinart went back to pass form his own end zone, where offensive holding meant a safety and 16-0 Packers lead. The Packers took the free kick and kicked a field goal to lead 19-0. Leinart was then intercepted by Charles Woodson, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown as the Packers were leading 26-0 in a blowout.
For some reason Mike McCarthy left his starts in the second half in a meaningless game as Rodgers hit Finchen to make it 33-0. These teams play again next week in Arizona. 33-7 Cardinals
Washington Redskins @ San Diego Chargers–The Chargers were locked into the # 2 seed, but perhaps Norvelous Norv Turner played his starters just to throw dirt on the face of the Redskins, who were right to fire him. Jim Zorn is on the hot seat, but nobody has succeeded in Washington since Joe Gibbs the first time. Daniel Snyder has banned signs criticizing him. San Diego began with a field goal and a Philip Rivers touchdown pass to Antonio Gates to make it 10-0 Chargers.
The Chargers added a field goal to lead 13-0 before the Redskins finally got going. Jason Campbell led a 12 play drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Todd Yoder to get Washington within 13-7. Another Jason Campbell touchdown pass from one yard out actually had the Redskins up 14-13.
In the third quarter a field goal gave the Redskins a 17-13 lead. Norv Turner decided that winning 10 in a row was not good enough, and Rivers was benched for Billy Volek. Keeping Rivers healthy with a bye assured could have played a role, as the Volek era was expected to be the rest of this game. Volek was intercepted. The Chargers got the ball back, and Nate Kaeding kicked a 45 yarder to get the Chargers within 17-16. The Redskins kept the pressure on with another field goal to lead 20-16.
With one minute to go the Chargers reached the Washington one yard line. Billy Volek found a wide open Mike Tolbert from one yard out with 35 seconds left to end the misery for Jim Zorn and the Redskins. After nearly sleeping through this game, the Chargers get a real week off next week, ending the season with 11 straight wins. 23-20 Chargers
Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets—The Bengals had nothing to play for, if one takes the position that the difference between the # 3 and # 4 seed is nothing. The Bengals get the # 3 see dif they win and the # 4 seed if they lose. The Jets had everything to play for, with a win getting the in the playoffs and a loss eliminating them and sending Houston to the postseason. Those criticizing the Jets for getting to play against backups for 2 straight weeks should pipe down. The Jets played by the same rules as everyone else. Playing backups is not the same as deliberately trying to lose, as San Diego proved earlier in the day. The Jets were hoping that Rex Ryan, the brashest Jets person since Joe Namath, would back up his boast and end 4 decades of giving away golden opportunities.
Brad Smith, who returned a kickoff 106 yards for a score last week, took a handoff 57 yards to the one yard line this week, setting up Thomas Jones to quickly put the Jets up 7-0. The Bengals punted, and the Jets led an insane 20 play…yes 20 play…drive. The Jets had the ball 14 of the first 15 minutes, but on 3 plays from the one yard line all the Jets did was lose a yard. Early in the second quarter they settled for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.
The Bengals again did nothing, despite having starters Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson in the game. Brad Smith continued to drive the Bengals bats, as a 32 yard touchdown run had the Jets up 17-0. Things were so lopsided that the Bengals did not get a first down until standout Jets cornerback Darrell Revis was called for illegal contact. A short swing pass from Mark Sanchez to Jerricho Cotcherry became another touchdown to make it 24-0 Jets with only 30 seconds left in the half. It got worse as Palmer was then intercepted. The Jets added another field goal to lead 27-0 as the half ended.
The Jets had 251 yards to only 7 total yards for the Bengals. Palmer was 1 for 10, with the one completion worth 0 yards. The Jets had the ball for over 25 minutes in the first half compared to less than 5 for the Bengals. Knowing that these teams would face each other next week in Cincinnati for the wildcard game, Marvin Lewis and Rex Ryan kept it pure vanilla in the second half. The Bengals played their backups, and the Jets cruised. The Jets had every right to celebrate, but the rematch is on the road. 37-0 Jets
One aspect of disappointment for football fans is that 3 of the 4 wildcard matchups are rematches from today. Nevertheless, the NFL playoffs are upon us.
NFC:
# 1 Saints and # 2 Vikings have the bye week.
# 5 Packers @ # 4 Cardinals
# 6 Eagles @ # 3 Cowboys
AFC:
# 1 Colts and # 2 Chargers have the bye week.
# 5 Jets @ # 4 Bengals
# 6 Ravens @ # 3 Patriots
eric