One close game between the three on Christmas and Boxing Day in the NFL. And the one close one was...well, hardly impressive.
Still, there were considerable playoff ramifications hanging on each.
So let's take a look:
Christmas Day Games (Wednesday):
Kansas City 29, Pittsburgh 10 - The Chiefs jumped out early and never looked back in this one. At some point, it seemed like they took away Pittsburgh's belief in themselves, which perhaps underscores why this Kansas City team has been to four of the last five Super Bowls, and have the best overall record in the league, as they improve to 15-1. That means that they now officially have clinched the top overall seed in the AFC. Once again, the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC appears to go through Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs looked good both on offense and on defense. They also afford themselves the luxury of a de facto bye next weekend, and then have another weekend off (the bye that they earned as the top overall seed) before they host their first playoff game in the divisional round. So this road win not only came against a playoff team, but gives the defending champs a chance to get healthy, on top of that. That's a scary prospect for the rest of the league. As for the Steelers, they appeared to be an elite team in the AFC. But their current three game skid has taken them largely out of that discussion. And it's not just that they lost, but how they are losing. Each of those losses - at Philadelphia, at Baltimore, and now at home against the Chiefs - were pretty much lopsided in favor of the other team. This slide has moved them out of first place in the AFC North, even though they seemed to be far ahead (two games) just two or so weeks ago. It is also taking place just in time for the postseason, which also does not bode well for Pittsburgh.
My pick: Accurate
Baltimore 31, Houston 2 - This is the reason why I almost always pick against the Houston Texans when it comes to big games. Sometimes, there is a lot of billing and hype surrounding this team, as there was in the preseason. A hot young quarterback, a tough defense, and everything looked promising. Yet, they too frequently lose games which you do not expect them to lose, such as that one to the Titans a few weeks back. And perhaps more tellingly, they almost systematically lose the games which you expect them to lose, as they did this season against the Vikings, Packers, Lions, Chiefs, and now the Ravens. They should get credit for beating the Bills, the one big game against a playoff team that they did manage to win, but that does not feel like enough of a saving grace. The Texans are suspect, and just very hard to believe in. That is why it is difficult for me to take the hype about them too seriously. Because you have to figure that they will lay an egg, as they did here in this big showdown against the Ravens. The Texans just did not show up. This one was a real blowout. Baltimore's defense was on fire, and actually shut out Houston's offense, since the safety was scored by the defense. The Ravens offense also proved to be simply too much for the Texans, who just had no answers here. Any chance that Houston might move up to the third overall seed seemed like it was gone long before this result became final. The Ravens are a legitimate and dangerous contender, and seem to be peaking at the right time. This surprisingly easy and very convincing win, coupled with Pittsburgh's loss to the Chiefs, gives the Ravens sole possession of first place and control of their own destiny. Win their final game, and they win the AFC North, and may even get the second overall seed if they get lucky, although the third seed seems far more likely.
My pick: Accurate
Boxing Day:
Seattle 6, Chicago 3 - I watched most of the second half of this game. But it was a sloppy game, at least for the offenses. The defenses on both sides stepped up in a big way. However, Seattle's offense looked like it is struggling, and that is not a good sign when they are battling for an appearance in the postseason. That said, Chicago's offense looked even worse. They looked barely any better or more effective than the offense of my favorite team, the Giants. Trust me, that's saying something. You could see why Da Bears saw their current losing streak extend now to 10 games, tied with the Giants for the longest active losing streak (although the Bears won two more games than have the G-Men). Poor time management, a lot of sacks allowed, and just a general feeling that they really did not pose much of a threat to do anything. As bad as the Seahawks looked, the Bears were even worse. Still, it was not the Bears fighting for their playoff lives here. The Seahawks are still trying to qualify for the playoffs, and in fact still hope to win the NFC West. But if this is the level at which we can expect their offense to play, it seems frankly doubtful that they will have anything close to what it takes to win the division or make the postseason. The offense just seemed lifeless, and that in a big game that offered them a huge opportunity. I had expected them to show far more urgency and signs of life than what they did.
My pick: Accurate
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