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One team in particular seemed to benefit from what happened this weekend, and they were one of the teams that did not even play a game. Yes, the New England Patriots strengthened their playoff positioning. The Bills lost, which outright gave the Pats a two-game lead in the race for the AFC East division title. Moreover, the Ravens and Bengals both lost as well, which is good news for the Patriots. It helped the chances that New England could be the top seed in the AFC or, failing that, one of the top seeds in the AFC. The more things change in the NFL, the more they stay the same, eh?
Another big winner this weekend was Cleveland. They did play, and beat the Ravens, avenging a heartbreaking, close loss just a couple of weeks ago. Baltimore still is clinging to first place in the division, but not by a very wide margin. Also good for the Browns: the other two teams in the division lost, which means that the Browns are no longer in sole possession of last place in the division. As it stands right now, in fact, they are right behind the Bills presently for that final spot in the AFC playoffs.
Of course, there were other big winners, as well as big losers, after this weekend's NFL action. Let's take a closer look:
New Orleans 30, NY Jets 9 – This win was exactly what the Saints needed. They absolutely had to stop the bleeding from a five game losing streak that was threatening to knock them out of the playoffs, if it extended any longer. But with this win, coupled with losses by the Panthers, Giants, Bears, and Washington, the Saints are probably feeling a lot better. Not that their playoff positioning is ideal, as they are still on the outside looking in, currently with three teams also chasing Washington for that final playoff spot still ahead of them. But New Orleans needed something to get back to winning football games, and boy, they managed a dominant win here. They held onto the ball for almost 39 minutes, gained 344 yards and 21 first downs, to just 256 yards and 13 first downs for Gang Green. Also, the Saints committed no turnovers. They were winning this game from early on, but really took the game by the throat in the second half, putting it out of reach midway through the fourth quarter. They played well on offense and defense, and should feel a whole lot better now, as they improve to 6-7. With this loss, the Jets now fall to 3-10, and are one of only four teams in the league, and three in the AFC, to have already officially been eliminated from playoff contention. My pick: Accurate
Dallas 27, Washington 20 – The Cowboys jumped all over Washington early on, taking a commanding 18-0 lead in the first quarter, and going into the locker rooms at halftime with a 24-0 lead. By the time Washington finally recovered and started to mount a comeback, it was pretty much too late, with the game almost out of reach. They played well, seriously outplaying Dallas in the second half. Yet, their dominance in the first half was not nearly as good as the Cowboys dominance in the first half. Overall, Dallas hung onto the ball for well over 34 minutes and gained 323 yards and 19 first downs, to just 224 yards and 14 first downs for Washington. Plus, Washington committed four turnovers, to just two for Dallas. What all of that translates to is that the ‘Boys escape with a huge divisional win on the road, solidifying their overall division lead, and once again, putting themselves in the position where it seems unthinkable to imagine any other team winning the NFC East. My pick: Accurate
Atlanta 29, Carolina 21 – The Falcons held onto the ball for over 34 minutes, and took advantage of three Carolina turnovers, while turning the ball over only once themselves. Those were some key factors in why Atlanta won this huge game for both of these teams. Neither team could really afford to lose this game, because they are also both still in the hunt for the playoffs, at least for the time being. But the Falcons responded well the first two times that the Panthers scored touchdowns, scoring multiple times after each, and taking control of the game. Simply put, they took better advantage of their opportunities in this one. A huge win for Atlanta, who improves to 6-7 on the season, and remain very much in playoff contention. This loss hurt the Panthers, who drop to 5-8 and now are in sole possession of last place in the NFC South. My pick: Inaccurate
Cleveland 24, Baltimore 22 – The Browns got off to a dominant start, taking a 24-6 lead by halftime, and then hung on for a very important win. They held onto the ball for just shy of 34 minutes, although the Ravens actually outgained them, 389 yards to 290. However, Baltimore committed two turnovers to just one for Cleveland. Again, the Ravens did rally, and even made it interesting towards the end. However, that comeback attempt fell just short of being a success, and the Browns preserved this hugely important win that improves their overall record to 7-6, as they benefit from the loss by the Bengals and Steelers to move to second place in the AFC North, and get within a game of the division leading Ravens, who fall to 8-5 with this defeat, their second straight loss. My pick: Inaccurate
Seattle 33, Houston 13 – The Seahawks needed to win, and they did, picking up their second straight win exactly when they needed it the most. They did it despite allowing the Texans to win the time of possession battle. But the Seahawks made more of their offensive opportunities, particularly in terms of scoring. Houston got more first downs, but Seattle picked up 453 yards, to just 380 for Houston. It was a close game through to the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that was when the Seahawks got the job done and showed a killer instinct that has frankly been lacking for them this season. A solid win that improves their record to 5-8, while Houston drops to 2-11. My pick: Accurate
Tennessee 20, Jacksonville 0 – The Jaguars hung tough defensively. But when your star quarterback throws four interceptions, your chances of winning are very slim. In fact, the Jaguars not only did not win, they were shut out. It was not an avalanche of points by Tennessee, but it was more than enough for a very comfortable win. The Titans held onto the ball for almost 37 minutes and picked up 263 yards and 22 first downs, to just 192 yards and nine first downs for Jax. Plus, the Titans committed no turnovers. All of that adds up to a convincing blowout win, and one that the Titans desperately needed, at that. They strengthen their overall lead in the AFC South and their playoff positioning as well, improving to 9-4. Jacksonville, meanwhile, falls to just 2-11 on the season. My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 48, Las Vegas 9 – It is hard to believe that the Silver and Black were ever 5-2 and appeared to rank among the elites in the AFC, and indeed possibly the NFL. Since then, the Raiders have lost five of the six games that they played. But none of their losses were quite as embarrassing or seemingly hopeless as the two blowout losses to their division rivals, the Chiefs. KC took over this game right from the outset, scoring early and often, building up a 35-0 lead in the second quarter before the Raiders even got any points on the board. But the Chiefs were just overwhelming in this one, hanging onto the ball for over 33 minutes and picking up 372 yards and 21 first downs on offense, to just 290 yards and 19 first downs for the Raiders. But what really hurt Las Vegas were the five turnovers, to none for KC. The Chiefs now improve to 9-4 on the season, earning their sixth straight win and strengthening their position in both the division and the overall playoff picture. They appear to be arguably the hottest team in the league, along with the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Raiders fall to 6-7 and are watching their season spiral out of control. If they do not turn it around soon, they will be out of the playoff picture shortly, even after that remarkably promising hot start to the season. My pick: Accurate
LA Chargers 37, NY Giants 21 – Well, the West Coast trip for the G-Men did not go so well. The Chargers dominated this game, showing more intensity and thoroughness of offense. They clearly were driven to win, as they took command from the outset, building up to a 24-7 lead, and then continuing that until it got to 37-7 by the beginning of the final quarter. Then, the Giants scored a couple of mostly meaningless touchdowns to make the final score look more respectable. But Los Angeles held onto the ball for over 34 minutes and gained 423 yards and 26 first downs, to just 316 yards and 20 first downs for the G-Men. Also, New York committed two turnovers, to none by the Chargers. All of which led to a convincing win for the hometown team, as the Chargers improve to 8-5 and strengthened their playoff positioning. The Giants, meanwhile, fall to 4-9 and edged closer to irrelevancy in the NFC playoff picture. My pick: Accurate
Denver 38, Detroit 10 – The Broncos absolutely had to win this one, and they did. Convincingly. They scored two first quarter touchdowns, and still led 17-10 when the Lions rallied a bit in the second quarter. Then, the second half completely belonged to Denver. They scored three unanswered touchdowns to put the game well out of reach, and shut Detroit out the rest of the way. Overall, the Broncos held onto the ball for over 32 minutes and gained 358 yards and 25 first downs, to just 316 yards and 17 first downs for Detroit. With the win, Denver improves to 7-6 and strengthens their chances of qualifying for the postseason. Detroit, meanwhile, falls to 1-11-1 on the year. My pick: Accurate
Tampa Bay 33, Buffalo 27 (OT) – The Buccaneers responded to this tough game like the champions that they are, while the Bills responded like a team that is going through some serious issues, which they are. In fairness, Buffalo actually played well in this game, fighting hard and showing character and resolve after Tampa Bay had taken a commanding 24-3 halftime lead. The Bills outplayed the Bucs in the second half, and convincingly at that, pulling even to force OT. However, the Bucs finally iced it with a 6-play, 94 yard drive that culminated in the winning touchdown, as Tom Brady completed a 54-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman. A great game that improves Tampa Bay to 10-3, and tied for the top seed in the NFC with a 10-3 mark. Meanwhile, the Bills fall to 7-6, and while they are still hanging onto that last playoff spot for the moment, they simply have no margin for error anymore, and need to stop the bleeding from this swoon. They have lost more games than they won following an impressive 4-1 start to the season, and need to get that swagger from last season and earlier this season back, or they may be in big trouble. My pick: Accurate
San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 23 – Man, it seems that the 49ers just have the Bengals number throughout the decades. These two teams met in some very memorable meetings, especially in the eighties, when they played in two Super Bowls together. San Francisco won both. The Niners also handed the Bengals some particularly devastating losses during that same time period, in the eighties and early nineties. The league has changed greatly since then, of course. Yet sometimes you are reminded that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The 49ers once again came out on top, handing the Bengals a painful loss in a close game, with this one going to overtime. It was a back and forth game, to be sure. In the end, it was San Fran that came up with the goods. The two teams were fairly even in most categories, and the Bengals actually had a convincing advantage in terms of overall yards gained, 397 to 355. However, they also committed two turnovers, to none by the 49ers, and that proved costly. My pick: Accurate
SNF: Green Bay 45, Chicago 30 – Here was another game where one team seems to have entirely mastered the other team. The Packers almost always seem to get the better of Da Bears, ever since Brett Favre arrived on the scene. That dominance continued once Aaron Rodgers took over as quarterback, and the Bears just cannot seem to catch a break. They did not even play poorly, and seemed to be keeping up with the Packers in the first half, even owning a 27-21 lead by halftime. But then, predictably, things fell apart for Chicago. Once again, Rodgers and the Pack came alive and lit up the Bears. The Packers allowed a lot of points in this one, true, but they also scored a hell of a lot of points. Yes, Green Bay won to improve to 10-3 on the season. One more win will officially clinch the division title. As for Chicago, they fall to 4-9 on the season, and their playoff hopes are, frankly, in critical condition, with no margin for error left. My pick: Accurate
MNF: LA Rams 30, Arizona 23 – The Rams exacted a measure of revenge for a loss at their home earlier this season by beating the Cardinals convincingly on the road in Arizona. Had the Cardinals won, they would have led the NFC West by three games over the second place Rams, and with four games remaining for each, that very likely would have de facto clinched it. But Los Angeles managed to avoid that, and this race is suddenly much tighter, with the 10-3 Cardinals now only one game ahead of the 9-4 Rams. Arizona actually enjoyed a significant advantage in terms of yards an first downs gained, with 447 yards ad 22 first downs, to just 356 yards and 18 first downs for Los Angeles. However, the Cardinals committed two turnovers, while the Rams committed none. In the end, the Rams effectively took over the game with two touchdowns in the third quarter, and the Cardinals just did not quite have enough of an answer to actually complete the comeback. The NFC West race remains quite close as a result. My pick: Inaccurate
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