Thursday Night Football - Denver 25, Indianapolis 13 - An irrelevant game, but obviously, both of these teams were hoping to win. The Broncos ended up winning, and fairly convincingly, to boot, as they end the year on a positive note. They started off 3-1, and looked very much like a serious playoff contender, at the very least. But then came that horrific eight game losing streak, and they wound up being well out of the playoff picture. Still, they are recovering fairly strongly, with a big shutout win against the Jets last week, and then a win over Indy on the road for this one. They will not be a factor in January, but this might serve notice that they should indeed be a more serious threat next season. A good win for them, and another loss for Indy - one of many. My pick: Inaccurate
Saturday Games
Detroit 20, Chicago 10 - The Lions need to win this game, and they found a way once again. With this success, they keep their playoff hopes still alive, particularly with Seattle losing. They could not afford to lose to Chicago, but they avoided a letdown, and now need to win out in their games against Cincinnati and Green Bay - two games which, frankly, look winnable. This was a disappointing outcome for Chicago, but their season has been done for a long time, now. This was just another loss, while Detroit has every reason to keep hope alive that they might still sneak into the playoffs, although they still would need some help, particularly from the NFC South. My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 30, L.A. Chargers 13 - Apparently, I overestimated the Chargers. This loss was devastating for the Chargers and their hopes for a division title, or even for a historical playoff entrance. They could still become only the second team to overcome an 0-4 start to qualify for the postseason, although now, they need some considerable help, particularly from the Bills and Titans, assuming that those teams might lose. It still could happen, since the Titans are struggling, and are facing teams that have already clinched the playoffs as their final two opponents. But the division title is surely out, as they could not avoid getting swept by KC. The Chiefs looked like their season was spiraling out of control, but they suddenly found themselves just in the nick of time, as they produced solid wins against their closest division rivals, the Raiders and the Chargers, before disaster truly struck. A solid win for them, and they likely will be the AFC West champs, barring an unforeseen collapse. My pick: Inaccurate
Sunday Games
Washington 20 Arizona 15 - Arizona is a tough team to make predictions for, although one trend seems to be clear: they are much, much tougher at home than away. At home, they seem capable of beating some serious, legitimate team. On the road? Not so much. In fact, they rarely ever seem to win on the road at all, even if they face mostly weak teams, as their 2-5 road mark this season suggests. They had to win this game to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive, and instead, they got beat. They played well enough to keep it close, but in the end, they lost a key game that effectively ends their playoff hopes. Washington is not a fantastic team, but they were able to produce a win to keep their home fans happy. My pick: Inaccurate
Baltimore 27, Cleveland 10 - The Ravens needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and win they did. They made it convincing, and avoided what would be a disastrous letdown with a loss. This was key, because with the win, they avoid handing the Browns their first (and likely only) win of the year, but they set themselves up in a favorable position, facing two bad teams, with both games in Baltimore. Frankly, I like the Ravens chances to qualify for the postseason right now. As for the Browns, they matched last year's 0-14 start, and have two games remaining to try and produce one win to avoid the indignity and embarrassment of a winless season. That said, I am wondering if it might not be better just to go winless, which will rightly be viewed as a disaster, but which might shake this franchise up and force some kind of a strong response. It seemed to work, more or less, for the Detroit Lions, who overcame the same embarassment of a winless season, but who qualified for the playoffs two seasons later, and who have been an on again, off again playoff contender ever since. And it worked for Tampa Bay back in the 1970's, who also suffered a winless season, but were in the NFC Championship Game with a chance at qualifying for the Super Bowl in 1979. Dallas in the late 1980's and New England in the early 19890's were other examples of horrible teams who turned it around after reaching rock bottom on several levels. And as a Giants fan, I remember that the Giants turnaround success of the 1980's was essentially made possible after a truly horrific loss that lives on in infamy, with the "Miracle at the Meadowlands." So, maybe it would be best right now for the Cleveland Browns to really hit rock bottom, and not just to produce yet another 1-15 season. My pick: Accurate
Minnesota 34, Cincinnati 7 - The Vikings left absolutely no doubt in this one, as they tore the Bengals apart to finally make their status as NFC North champions official. Case Keenum had what is likely to be a career best, completing 20 of 23 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Minnesota jumped ahead 17-0 in the first quarter, and never let the Bengals up or out of the corner. For the Bengals, this was just yet another in a long and growing number of losses, but for the Vikings, this was a statement blowout win to clinch the NFC North, and edge closer to at least a playoff bye, if not home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. My pick: Accurate
Carolina 31, Green Bay 24 - This was a big game with huge playoff ramifications. But once again, the Panthers seemed to have the Packers number, despite the return of Aaron Rodgers. He had a decent day, completing 26 of 45 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had three interceptions. Also, Cam Newton had a better day, completing 20 of 31 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns, with zero interceptions, and Carolina won the big showdown that virtually locks up a playoff position for them, and effectively eliminated Green Bay from playoff contention. My pick: Inaccurate
Jacksonville 45, Houston 7 - The Jaguars absolutely needed to win, and boy, did they ever deliver! They blew out and humiliated the hapless Texans, and with this big victory coupled with the loss by the Titans, the Jags are on the verge of clinching the division title. If they manage to beat the hot 49ers in San Fran next weekend, the Jaguars will clinch the AFC South, and a home game in the playoffs along with it. As it is, they are one of only three teams in the AFC to have clinched a playoff berth, the Patriots and Steelers being the other two. Yes, everything looks great down in Jax, while things could hardly look or feel bleaker for the Houston Texans, who seem to be addicted to being blown out. My pick: Accurate
Buffalo 24, Miami 16 - The Dolphins had to win, and they surely felt good going into this one after upsetting New England the week before. But going up to frigid Buffalo to face a fired up Bills team proved just a bit too much. The Bills had an especially solid second quarter to put the game effectively out of reach for Miami, and they gun on to win this key contest. Buffalo will be on the road the rest of the way, facing New England next week, and then going down to Miami for a rematch of this game for the final week of the season. If the Bills manage to win those two games, they are into their first playoffs of the 21st century! My pick: Accurate
New Orleans 31, N.Y. Jets 19 - Another game that went more or less exactly the way that most people would have expected it to. The Saints are for real this season, while the Jets are...well, pretty mediocre. They had some successes this season, but they just do not have what it takes to seriously challenge the a team like the Saints on the road in New Orleans. This win might not have officially, immediately clinched a playoff berth for the Saints, but it really just feels like a matter of time now, doesn't it? Maybe they will win the division, or maybe not. But they definitely are going to the playoffs for the first time in years, and this result was very, very predictable. My pick: Accurate
Philadelphia 34, N.Y. Giants 29 - No real surprises here. Philly won, but did not blow the Giants out. They scored a ton of points, and did enough to earn not only a win, but a playoff bye now, too. They will be NFC East champs, and will have that valuable playoff bye that we all knew they would get anyway. The Giants? This most dismal of seasons continues, as they now sink to 2-12. This is the worst record at this point in a season that I have ever seen the G-Men have, and they looked terrible defensively, although they did produce a lot of points - the most in either of the last two seasons. A good effort, but not enough to win, and even if it had been, it is obviously far too little and much too late to salvage this particularly disastrous season. My pick: Accurate
L.A. Rams 42, Seattle 7 - Wow! I guess I overestimated the Seattle Seahawks, or underestimated the Los Angeles Rams, or both. I really did not believe that the Rams would win this one, let alone slaughter the 'Hawks up in Seattle, which is usually a tough place to play. But then again, the Seahawks never seemed to really recover from that shocking loss to New England in the Super Bowl. This game kind of reminded me of when the New England Patriots blew out the Bills in Buffalo in 1994, and ended the Bills long AFC supremacy in the process. This was a statement kind of game, and the Rams will win the NFC West, while Seattle might outright miss the playoffs. What a huge win for the Rams, and what a crushing disappointment for the Seahawks! My pick: Wildly inaccurate
New England 27, Pittsburgh 24 - This was probably the biggest game of the weekend, as it likely should determine who has home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Pittsburgh has enjoyed tremendous success this season, but there was a feeling that they needed to prove themselves against the Pats, a team that they have had a very tough time beating in the Belichick-Brady era. It just does not feel very realistic to believe that they can defeat the Pats up in Foxboro, so they probably needed to win this game. But New England was coming off a disappointing loss to Miami, and still had neither clinched the division or the playoffs, much less a playoff bye or home field advantage. But in a back and forth game in which the Steelers brought their A game, and both quarterbacks stepped up to enjoy really good games, it was the Pats who came up with the goods at the very end, completing a come from behind victory that.could now go a very long way towards helping to launch yet another Super Bowl run. A huge win for the Pats, and a devastating loss for Pittsburgh, who now have to hope that they can win out, while simultaneously hoping that the Patriots lose at least one of their last two games, if they still hope to have home field advantage in the AFC. My pick: Accurate
San Francisco 25, Tennessee 23 - The 49ers have gotten hot ever since beating the Giants after San Fran's 0-9 start. They have won four of their last five, but until yesterday's win against the Titans, they had not beaten a decent quality team just yet. But they just might have played spoiler against Tennessee, who could ill afford the loss that they suffered yesterday to the 'Niners. Now, the Titans are very much on the outside in the AFC South race, although qualifying for the postseason is still have a real chance for the playoffs. Still, this was a big setback for them, and had to be a dispiriting loss. My pick: Inaccurate
Sunday Night Football - Dallas 20, Oakland 17 - This could have been a particularly important and intriguing game had the Silver and Black beaten the Chiefs last weekend. But with the loss, the Raiders are all but officially out of the playoff picture. Meanwhile, although their chances are not great, the Cowboys are fighting with everything that they have got for their playoff lives. A road trip to face a diminished Raiders team should not be too much of an obstacle as to derail the Cowboys chances, because Dallas simply cannot afford to lose this game, or they are done. They need a lot of help, but first and foremost, they need to help themselves by winning this, which I think they will. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football - Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 21 - The Falcons did not dominate Tampa Bay, as I thought they might do. However, they won, doing just enough to secure a tough road win, and keep their chances very much alive for a playoff position. In fact, Atlanta still not only has a chance at winning the NFC South, but actually controls it's own destiny. If they continue to win out their remaining games, they will be NFC South champions once again, regardless of whatever else the Saints or Panthers do. But they needed to win this one first, and that they did. Just another loss for Tampa in what had proven to be a bad season. But the Falcons have a chance to do something this year, and so they obviously absolutely needed this one! My pick: Accurate
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