No one can catch DeSean Jackson while cameras catch Tashard Choice making the wrong choice in Week 14.
As a result of a massive snow storm that hammered Minnesota this weekend, the Vikings and New York Giants game ended up being played Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit.
Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined to run for 219 yards as the Giants beat the Vikings 21-3 and improved to 9-4. But the game and score was a sidebar to the biggest story of the night: the end of Brett Favre's streak of 297 consecutive starts. The streak started back in September of 1992 and it will never be broken.
After the game, Favre admitted to the media that "it's probably been long overdue, it's probably been a lot of times that the streak should have ended."
With only three games left to play, it is doubtful that Favre's shoulder injury will be healed in time to allow him to play one more game. Favre said if it is indeed the end of the line for him in the NFL, "it's been a great run, a great run."
Love him or hate him, it's pretty hard to argue with Favre that is has indeed been a great run.
John Harbaugh must have mixed feelings after his Baltimore Ravens beat the Houston Texans 34-28 in overtime to improve to 9-4 on the year. Harbaugh watched helplessly as Matt Schaub and the Texans put together scoring drives of 99 yards and 95 yards late in the fourth quarter to force OT. Yes, the Ravens found a way to win in overtime, but it never should have come to that.
Star of the week
This week’s star goes to one of the most exciting players in the NFL: Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson. Jackson turned four catches into 210 yards in Philly’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. Jackson also provided the highlight of the night with his electrifying 91-yard touchdown. A guy from New York that follows me on Twitter shared this cool new DeSean Jackson commercial:
He might not be the fastest man alive, but there are very few players in the NFL that can catch him in the open field.
Who will be MVP?
We continue with our look at the top candidates for the Most Valuable Player award.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady: Can anyone or anything stop Tom Brady right now? Dealing with some of the nastiest weather imaginable, Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots humiliated the Chicago Bears and clinched a playoff spot in the process. Meanwhile, Brady hasn't thrown an interception in eight games. (One more Brady note: he told WEEI in Boston that he wears a scuba wetsuit under his equipment to keep warm in cold weather games.)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan: Matt Ryan had his usual productive game as the Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew: There are reports that MJD gave a stirring half-time speech to inspire the Jaguars in their win over the Oakland Raiders. The Jags went out and scored 31 points in the second half and Jones-Drew backed up his words by scoring the game-winning, 30-yard touchdown.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees: A big reason the Saints are on a six-game winning streak is the fact Drew Brees has recovered from his Super Bowl “hangover” and is putting up big numbers once again.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: Any chance of Rodgers winning the MVP was lost after struggling against the Detroit Lions and then suffering a concussion.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick: With the year Brady is having, Michael Vick won't win, but he will receive a few votes. Despite the beating he's been taking out there, Vick has thrown 17 touchdowns and ran for seven.
Stiff of the Week Award
The entire New York Jets organization wins the Stiff of the Week Award. For a team that Rex Ryan dubbed “soon to be champs” in training camp, the Jets have scored a total of nine points in the last two weeks. Even worse from the Jets was the stunt that their strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi pulled in their loss to the Dolphins. Alosi stuck his leg out and tried to trip Miami's Nolan Carroll. Alosi was suspended without pay for the rest of the season. A bigger concern for Ryan and the Jets right now is trying to get QB Mark Sanchez and the offence back to life.
Team on the rise
Can a team that lost their first five games of the season actually make the playoffs? Well, it could happen if the San Francisco 49ers run the table. After their decisive win over the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers are one game out of first place in the NFC West and their final two games of the year are against the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. The problem for Mike Singletary is next week's game against the San Diego Chargers. If the 49ers can find a way to beat the Chargers, they will have a legitimate shot at winning the NFC West.
What were they thinking?
First off, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has to learn how to slide feet first when he's running in the open field. But the biggest “what were they thinking?” moment took place at the end of the Eagles win over the Cowboys. Dallas running back Tashard Choice came running up to Michael Vick with a sharpie and asked him to sign one of his gloves for his nephew. There's nothing wrong with that, but Choice should have waited until he was in the tunnel and away from the cameras.
The Race for No. 1
While the Carolina Panthers still have the inside track at the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, watch out for the Cincinnati Bengals. Losers of 10 straight games, the Bengals are making a serious late-season charge to grab that coveted top overall pick.
The Ronnie Lott Award
This week's award has to go out to former B.C. Lion Cameron Wake. In a tight defensive struggle, Wake saved his best for last as he pounded Mark Sanchez to the turf with two sacks in the Jets’ final three plays to seal the win for the Dolphins. Wake now leads the entire NFL with 14 sacks.
The Unsung Hero
Honourable mention goes out to the Kansas City Marriott, Detroit Westin and Continental Airlines for taking care of the Giants on what must have been a very stressful weekend of travel before their game with the Vikings. The Unsung Hero Award goes out to Jaguars back-up running back Rashad Jennings. With the Raiders focusing their game plan on stopping Jones-Drew, Jennings came up with an important 74-yard touchdown run. The previous longest run for the second-year running back out of Liberty was 28 yards.
Big injury of the week
The Eagles lost a key member of their defence when linebacker Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow in their win over the Cowboys. The sad thing about this injury is the fact that Bradley had come back from a serious knee injury that wiped out his entire 2009 season.
Rex Ryan Watch
After watching his team lose their second straight game and his offence score a grand total of nine points over those two defeats, Ryan didn't mince any words when asked if he was concerned about what is going on. “I'm very concerned. You look at our next opponent (Pittsburgh) and if you think this defence is good, just wait until next week. Pittsburgh is going to be a huge challenge and down the road, we need to make sure we find a way to get better. We have to get better.”
Hot Cheerleaders Award
What to watch for next week
One of the biggest games in Week 15 will take place in Indianapolis as the Colts host the Jaguars with the AFC South title on the line. The Jets will attempt to get off the schneid when they take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Coming off of a bizarre, short week, the Giants will host the Eagles in a game with huge playoff implications in the NFC East. And finally the juggernaut that is the Patriots will try to extend their winning streak to six games when they host the Packers.
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