Great hair, better arm. Tom Brady continued his MVP-form by tearing apart the Jets.
"We got out coached, we got outplayed."
Rex Ryan's post-game statement perfectly summed up what happened to the New York Jets Monday night at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Brady ripped apart the Jets defence with four touchdowns as the New England Patriots sent a loud and clear message to Ryan and the rest of the league that they are the best team in the AFC.
Star of the Week
An obvious choice would be Tom Brady after another stellar performance. But this week, I would like to give the Star of the Week award to safety Troy Polamalu and the Pittsburgh Steelers defence. Take nothing away from the Baltimore Ravens defence, but the Steelers defence was that much better in their AFC North grudge match. With the Steelers trailing late in the fourth quarter, Polamalu roared in off the edge and was able to come up with a crucial strip sack of Joe Flacco. That game-changing play by Polamalu allowed the Steelers to score the game-winning touchdown.
Who will be MVP?
Heading into the stretch drive of the NFL's regular season, it is time to take a look at the top candidates for the MVP award.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady: Great arm, great hair and one of the greatest quarterbacks in the modern era of the NFL. In his last four games, Brady has 13 touchdowns, zero interceptions and a quarterback rating of 136.9. In those four games, the Patriots have beaten the Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions and New York Jets. What makes Brady's season even more impressive is the fact he has less of a star-studded supporting cast on offence to work with than in previous years.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan: A big reason why the Falcons are 10-2 and are on pace to have home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs is Ryan. Trailing 24-21 late in the fourth quarter on the road in Tampa, Ryan led the Falcons on a 10-play, 67-yard drive that he capped off with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: There is little question that Rodgers has made the jump to being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. So far this season, Rodgers has 23 touchdowns and he's a major reason behind the Packers 8-4 record.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew: Jones-Drew has five straight 100-yard games and the Jags are 4-1 in that stretch. Without him, there is no way Jacksonville would be in a position to win the AFC South.
Stiff of the Week
The Washington Redskins received a lot of votes in the wake of their loss to the New York Giants. A combination of six turnovers and bad tackling played right into the Giants' waiting hands. Peyton Manning received his fair share of votes after another four-interception game in the Colts OT loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Manning has now thrown 11 interceptions his last three games and four of those have been returned for touchdowns. After the loss to the Cowboys, Manning said he's going to keep chucking the football. "I'll keep throwing; I just hope I throw to our guys."
The ultimate stiff of the week is former Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. Once thought of as the hottest coaching candidate in the NFL, McDaniels was fired Monday after a disastrous tenure in Denver. I really feel for Broncos fans; they have lost Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Peyton Hillis and now the guy that got rid of all them, McDaniels, is out of a job.
Team on the rise
If the season ended today, not only would the Jaguars be in the playoffs, but they would host a post-season game. Toiling in relative obscurity in one of the NFL's smallest markets, the Jags have the inside track to winning the AFC South. Coach Jack Del Rio deserves credit, but the man that deserves the most credit is running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
What were they thinking?
If by some miracle, Lions quarterback Drew Stanton goes on to be named MVP of the NFL four times in his career, people will still be talking about his bizarre end-zone celebration dance against the Chicago Bears. After Stanton's three-yard touchdown run, he proceeded to break it down with a version of the dance called the "Dougie" that would have got him kicked off Dancing with the Stars on the first episode.
I would really love to know what went through the mind of the person who thought these hideous Green Bay Packers throwback uniforms would look good in high definition.
The Race for No. 1
Well the 1-11 Panthers will almost certainly be 1-12 after they take on the Atlanta Falcons next week in Carolina. After that, the Panthers will have one last shot at a second win this season when they take on Mister Happy, Derek Anderson and the Arizona Cardinals.
The Ronnie Lott Award
Bills linebacker Arthur Moats wins the award for his blindside hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. Moats knocked Favre out of the game with a nasty, but clean, hit. Of course, a lot of Vikings fans were happy to see Moats' hit on Favre, but that is a completely different story.
The Unsung Hero
It has to be Marshawn Lynch. Some people might have forgotten that the former Buffalo Bills running back is now plying his trade out in Seattle. Well, Lynch ran for three touchdowns in the second half of the Seahawks win over the hopeless Panthers.
Big injury of the week
Heath Miller's concussion is right at the top of the list of bad injuries suffered in week 13. Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain clearly hit Miller in the head when he was in a vulnerable position. For some reason, there was no penalty called on the play. An equally significant injury was suffered by the Cowboys when they lost their dynamic rookie receiver Dez Bryant for the year with a broken ankle.
Rex Ryan Watch
It was a somber Rex Ryan who met with the media after the Jets got theirs butts whipped at Gillette Stadium. It must have pained Rex to no end to grudgingly pay respect to his arch nemesis, Bill Belichick, in the aftermath of the beat-down.
"I came in to kick his butt, and he kicked mine," Ryan said.
Now it is back to the drawing board for the Jets as they prepare to face the Miami Dolphins Sunday at the Meadowlands.
Hot Cheerleaders Award
Hurray for football and the Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders.
What to watch for next week
Week 14 will go a long way to determine which teams are pretenders or contenders. First, the Bears will take on the Patriots at Soldier Field. Then, the Chargers host the Chiefs in the battle for the AFC West. And anytime the Eagles take on the Cowboys in Dallas, it is a game worth checking out.
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