Some big games on tap this weekend as the NFL playoff picture continues to come into focus.
To be brutally honest, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the hopeless Carolina Panthers on Thursday night was like a glorified live scrimmage. Yes, there was some hitting and Ben Roethlisberger had his nose bloodied again, but the game was never in doubt.
Now the Steelers are on the verge of locking up the second seed in the AFC and they get some extra time with their families over the holiday weekend.
After watching Jimmy Clausen struggle through another loss, it seems likely the Panthers will go after Andrew Luck, if the Stanford quarterback decides to enter the draft.
Time now to take a look at some of the big games this weekend.
The Battle for the Lamest Division in the NFL game
Niners-Rams
One of the biggest games in Week 16 takes place in St Louis as the Rams host the 49ers. I know it might be a Christmas miracle, but would it be too much to ask to have the winner of the NFC West end up with at least an 8-8 record? As it stands now, one of the Rams, 49ers or Seahawks will likely win the NFC West and host a playoff game with a 7-9 record.
For the Rams to clinch the NFC West, Steve Spagnuolo desperately needs Sam Bradford to get back to his productive mid-season form. In his last three games, Bradford has struggled, throwing zero touchdowns and five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 53.4.
Meanwhile, 49ers coach Mike Singletary has taken to changing starting quarterbacks more than he changes his underwear. After watching Alex Smith start the last two games, Singletary has gone back to Troy Smith. If you think you're confused, how do you think the rest of the 49ers offensive players are feeling? The 49ers have a respectable run defence so if they can control Steven Jackson, that will put even more pressure on Bradford to win the game with his arm.
The Feet Don't Fail Me Now game
Jets-Bears
I hate the way he pouts, but Jay Cutler has an amazing arm. The Bears are 6-1 in their last seven games. If you take away that ugly loss to the Patriots, Jay Cutler has 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions in the Bears’ six wins. As far as I know, I don't believe that Lovie Smith has developed a fetish for Cutler's laser beam of an arm.
This brings us to the Jets. This game has nothing to do with Rex Ryan's alleged love of feet and all about his quarterback Mark Sanchez's shoulder. While the New York tabloids have gone haywire delving into “Foot-gate” -- a bigger issue will be whether or not Sanchez is even able to play Sunday. Sanchez has a cartilage tear in his throwing shoulder and was limited in practice this week. Ryan has declared that Sanchez will be a game-time decision. If he can't go, the ancient Mark Brunell would get the start against the Bears. How old is Brunell? Sanchez was seven-years old when Brunell broke into the NFL with the Green Bay Packers back in 1993.
Still under duress from the fallout of "Trip-gate” -- Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff now has to worry about containing the Bears’ Devin Hester. It is never easy with the Jets, is it?
The Doctor Phil game
Giants-Packers
Tom Coughlin and Matt Dodge need to get themselves booked onto Dr. Phil so they can hug it out after their meltdown at the end of the Eagles game.
After suffering a crushing defeat like they did against the Eagles, the Giants can go either one of two ways: A) They come out swinging, take out their anger on the Packers and come away with a much-needed win; B) They are still emotionally rattled from giving up 28 points in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter against the Eagles and they get their butts kicked in Green Bay.
As desperate as the Giants are to get a win to erase the memories from the Eagles game, the Packers are even more desperate. With Aaron Rodgers resting his concussed noggin, the Packers have lost two straight. A loss to the Giants and the Packers will be eliminated from the post-season. The Packers were in a position to beat the New England Patriots last week but they got burned by an offensive lineman who returned a kickoff for 71 yards and a backup quarterback who couldn't run the two-minute drill.
Defensively, the Packers have allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL and are more than capable of dealing with the Giants’ vaunted running game. The big question revolves around Rodgers and the offence and whether or not they can withstand the Giants’ ferocious pass rush.
The Sweet Georgia Dome game
Saints-Falcons
A win and the Atlanta Falcons will lock up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and ensure the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through the Georgia Dome. Now in his third year in Atlanta, Matt Ryan is 19-1 at the Georgia Dome.
If there is one big difference between the Saints and Falcons this year, it is running back Michael Turner. The entire Saints team has run for 1,341 yards and eight touchdowns this year. The powerful Turner has run for 1,246 yards and 11 touchdowns all by himself. That is big difference between the Falcons and Saints, if their passing game is shut down; Atlanta is capable of grinding it out on the ground.
The Saints had their six-game winning streak snapped by the Baltimore Ravens last week and realize that they are likely going to have to defend their Super Bowl title on the road. No matter what happens Monday, the Saints are still a dangerous team and with Drew Brees at quarterback, they have what it takes to beat anyone. I would not be surprised to see these two teams meet again in the post season.
The Eagles Believe They Can Do Anything game
Vikings-Eagles
Last week, the Eagles scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and DeSean Jackson scored the first-ever walk-off punt return for a touchdown in the history of the NFL as they stunned the Giants.
Last week, Brett Favre got hurt again as the Minnesota Vikings put together an uninspiring effort in their loss to the Bears. Now, a Vikings team that appears to be merely playing out the string will walk into the Linc for a date with one of the hottest teams in the NFC. Michael Vick and the Eagles have won three straight, six of their last seven games and they have the No. 1 offence in the NFL. A win Sunday and the Eagles will take the NFC East and move one step closer to being the No. 2 seed in the Conference.
Lost in all the love for Vick and Jackson is the fact that the Eagles lead the NFC with a plus-14 in the turnover ratio. The Vikings are dead-last in the NFC in the same category at a minus-14. Mercifully for Vikings fans, it looks like Favre's concussion will likely keep him out of the lineup.
The AFC Playoff Puzzle games
Redskins-Jaguars in Jacksonville at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Raiders-Colts in Oakland at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Coming off a tough loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars have to realize they can still win the AFC South. If the Jags win out and the Colts lose once, they will take the AFC South.
First up, they have to take care of business against the Washington Redskins and then start cheering for the Raiders. Jack Del Rio's message to the Jaguars in the aftermath of the loss to the Colts was very simple: “What we need to do is focus on playing our very best football in those next two games and then let the rest of it take care of itself.”
Over the course of this season, the Redskins have degenerated into the most-dysfunctional team in the NFL. Just to rub salt in Donovan McNabb's fresh wounds, Rex Grossman threw four touchdowns last week in his first start of the year. Maurice Jones-Drew has been hampered by a knee injury all week and is listed as doubtful. That means back-up Rashad Jennings, who is averaging 6.8 yards per carry, would get the start.
Thanks to their 7-7 record, Oakland has become the Black Hole once again and picking up a win there will be anything but easy for the Colts. Equally concerning for the Colts is the Raiders’ running game. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush are two big, strong running backs and they have combined to run for 1,611 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Last week against the Jags, the Colts defence held MJD to only 46 yards rushing. On the same week the Colts announced that receiver Austin Collie was being placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering his second serious concussion this year, the team received some good news with the return of running back Joseph Addai. In his last two games, both Colts wins, Peyton Manning has thrown four touchdowns, zero interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 112.1. No matter how well the Raiders defence plays, if Manning plays another mistake-free game, the Colts win.
Finally, I would like everyone to have a healthy and happy holiday.
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