This was a strange weekend in the NFL, complete with some very impressive wins for some, while others suffered some terrible losses. In some cases, these losses were likely fatal to playoff hopes.
Let's start with the most impressive wins: the Eagles broke out of a low-scoring gridlock kind of game against Dallas to dominate towards the end. With the win, Philly basically locked up the NFL East, and perhaps dealt their division rivals, the Cowboys, an almost fatal blow to their suddenly flickering playoff chances. Philadelphia remains the team with the best record in the league at a very impressive 9-1.
New Orleans came back to force overtime, and then dealt their own fatal blow to the playoff chances of another NFC East team in the process.
Other division leaders scored some huge wins as well. Jacksonville avoided a letdown in Cleveland. The Steelers blew out the Titans, and the Patriots blew out the Raiders. And in Minnesota, the Vikings scored a decisive win against the Rams. Both teams were leading their respective divisions entering this contest, but Minnesota remains well ahead and in great shape with this win in the NFC North, while the Rams failed to capitalize on the chance to stay ahead of the Seahawks in the NFC West.
Out in the AFC West, only one team - the Chargers - were successful, as they demolished the Bills. But the Chiefs lost to the lowly Giants, thus blowing a great opportunity to virtually lock up the AFC West and stay relevant in the race for home field advantage, especially since the Raiders also lost. And, of course, the Broncos disastrous fall from grace continued with a sixth straight loss - this one at home to the Bengals.
The Packers, Cardinals, Dolphins, and Titans also all lost costly games that likely end any real hopes of reaching the playoffs, while the Ravens impressive shut out win on the road up at Lambeau Field keeps them relevant in the playoff hunt.
Let's take a closer look at the week that was in the NFL this past weekend:
Pittsburgh 40, Tennessee 17 - Not surprisingly, the Steelers picked the Titans apart to stay well ahead in the AFC North, as well as to stay ahead of the Pats in the race for home field advantage. This game remained relatively close until the third quarter, when Pittsburgh, then leading 23-17, managed to score a touchdown that made it a 30-17. At that point, as Warner Wolf used to say, turn off your television sets, which I did. The rest of the game was a laugher, as the Titans failed to do anything to get back into it, and the Steelers romped to a convincing victory. My pick: Forgot to make one, but I would have picked the Steelers. No, seriously, I would have.
Houston 31, Arizona 21 - What little chance the Cardinals had left pretty much ended with this loss. As a result of this, Arizona not only finds themselves three games behind the Rams and probably the Seahawks, but also find themselves three games behind in the Wildcard race, with six games to go. It makes you kind of wonder what happened to that impressive Cardinals team from a few years ago, a team that seemed like regular serious contenders to win the division, and could advance in the postseason. They have looked nothing like that for the past two seasons now. As for the Texans, this was a good, solid victory, but since they are so far behind in the AFC South, as well as the Wildcard race, you have to wonder if it is not too little, too late. Most likely, neither of these teams are going to the playoffs. My pick: Inaccurate
Baltimore 23, Green Bay 0 - Granted, the Packers seemed to get a good and timely win last week at Chicago. But as nice as that win must have felt is as demoralizing as this loss must have been. To simply lose would have been bad enough. But to get completely shut out, at home, is just awful. And to have it happen when they simply could not afford to lose? Well, it just underscores how bad the Packers season has been, and why they will fail to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The Ravens, in the meantime, earned a tough road win, and are at least still back on track for a possible late playoff run. Baltimore's defense looked as impressive as they were supposed to be this season in this particular game! My pick: Wildly Inaccurate
Detroit 27, Chicago 24 - It really is not surprising that the Lions managed to win this game. Detroit has been impressive on the road this season, and that is especially true against division rivals, as they won all three road games at Minnesota, Green Bay, and now Chicago. The Bears suffered a demoralizing loss last week against the Pack, and if there were any doubts remaining about Chicago's chances to sneak into the playoffs, those hopes were entirely extinguished with this blowout loss. A huge win for the Lions, who remain relevant, albeit barely, in the NFC North race, but still are alive in the Wildcard race. My pick: Accurate
Jacksonville 19, Cleveland 7 - The Jaguars did not overwhelm the Browns, and indeed, Cleveland held their own in this contest. Yet, the end result is all too familiar, as the Factory of Sadness produced more of the same. For the second straight season, the Browns start off a season with a dismal 0-10 mark, and once again, they will enter the final stretch following Thanksgiving as the last team remaining still searching for their first win. The Jaguars are looking mighty impressive right now, as they take advantage of Tennessee's loss at Pittsburgh by taking sole possession of the AFC South lead, at least for the moment. My pick: Accurate
N.Y. Giants 12, Kansas City 9 - Finally, the Giants showed up for a game. Now that it might behoove them to keep losing games, they win in overtime against KC, and may have played spoiler should the Chiefs continue to struggle and lose. More likely, they cost the Chiefs any chance that they had at home field advantage in the playoffs. This had to be a hugely disappointing loss for KC, who had a chance to pull three games ahead with a win, and a Raiders loss (and Oakland did lose). The Chiefs had been contending for the top seed in the AFC, but now, they have dropped all the way down to the fourth seed, at least for the moment. As for the Giants, this was a good win, and their first home win of the season. But obviously, it is also far too little and much too late. My pick: Inaccurate
Minnesota 24, L.A. Rams 7 - In a huge game that had enormous implications for both teams, the Vikings managed to slow down and ultimately wear down the previously high-flying Rams. Sure, L.A. had come in with the highest scoring offense, but they were held to a pedestrian 7 points total. For the Vikings, this was a key win, as they manage to at least stay two games ahead of the Lions in the NFC North. Also, they keep their winning streak alive by ending the Rams win streak. Very impressive win by Minnesota, and a tough loss for the Rams, who now will have to wait and see if Seattle wins tonight to draw even in the NFC West. My pick: Inaccurate
Tampa Bay 30, Miami 20 - The battle of Florida teams was a tough game, but in the end, the Bucs managed to outlast the Fins. This loss probably ends any real hopes that the Dolphins still held out to squeak into the postseason. It was a good win for Tampa, who stop their own bleeding with a good road win. Their offense looked good, scoring some serious points, and they get to win the battle of Florida pride, to boot. My pick: Miami
New Orleans 34, Washington 31 (F/OT)- Washington looked really good for a while, and appeared fully capable of pulling off a hue upset to end the Saints surprising win streak. But then, New Orleans came alive, coming from far behind in the fourth quarter to force overtime, and then getting a field goal in overtime after first stopping Washington's drive. Another impressive win for New Orleans - their eighth straight win. And obviously, a tough loss against Washington, especially with the playoffs looming. My pick: Barely Accurate
L.A. Chargers 54, Buffalo 24- When I saw the score at 37-7 in this game for halftime, it was hard not to remember "The Comeback," when the Bills overcame a 35-3 lead to knock off the Oilers in the Wildcard Game nearly a quarter of a century ago. But these are not the same Bills. That Buffalo team went on to the Super Bowl, one of the record four straight appearances that the franchise achieved back then. These Bills, by contrast, look vulnerable and will likely miss the playoffs, keeping alive the longest active drought in the league in terms of failing to qualify for the postseason. Buffalo has not been to the playoffs yet in the 21st century! A mighty display by a still explosive Chargers team, and they manage more or less stay relevant (although they need a lot of help) with everyone else in the division losing on this weekend. My pick: Accurate
Cincinnati 20, Denver 17- It was a back and forth contest between two weak AFC opponents. The Broncos has home field advantage, which usually helps them simply because of the altitude, and the difficult breathing that this can produce for opposing teams. However, the Broncos proved to be still more inept than Cincy for this season, as this loss likely ensures that Denver will be among the very worst teams in the league this year. A good win for the Bengals, although their hopes for the playoffs remain extremely thin. My pick: Accurate
New England 33, Oakland 8 - Few would suggest that they were shocked by this result, right? The Raiders ave been floundering since an impressive 2-0 start, while the Pats are starting, once again, to resemble a championship caliber team. And whether or not this game was played in Mexico or Oakland or Foxboro, the end result would likely have been the same. New England dominated, and the Raiders were unable to provide a serious challenge. The Raiders come closer to complete irrelevance, while the Pats seem destined to yet another AFC East title. My pick: Accurate
Sunday Night Football - Philadelphia 37, Dallas 9 - It was a tough game for a while and, in fact, the Cowboys looked like they could win it through most of the first half, and even into the second. But at some point, Philly showed what they were capable of, and simply took over. It was an avalanche of unanswered points by Philly and mistakes by Big D that essentially doomed the 'Boys, and likely ended their flickering playoff hopes. A huge win for Philly, as they virtually lock up the NFC East, while the Cowboys are sinking fast, with a ton of problems suddenly both on the field and off of it. My pick: Accurate
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