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It was only a matter of time before Peyton Manning got Emmanuel Sanders into the scoring mix. The Broncos would have to seriously falter in the second half to not take the No. 1 seed in the AFC. |
1
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2
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If anyone had doubts about the Cardinals, Sunday’s performance surely quashed them. The Eagles racked up more than 500 yards on Todd Bowles’ defence, but were held to just 20 points. Next up: the Cowboys for the NFC’s top seed. |
3
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3
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Remember when Tom Brady was done? Everyone is singing a different tune after one of the best statistical games of Brady’s career. Obvious statement of the week: Rob Gronkowski at 100 percent is unstoppable. |
10
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4
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Was bringing Tony Romo back into the game the right call? Probably not. Romo was clearly in pain and not nearly as mobile as usual – it was plain to see on that last play – and it might’ve cost the Cowboys. |
2
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5
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That’s now two weeks in a row that the Lions have rallied from sizeable deficits to pull out a one-point win. This team has guts, I’ll give them that. Golden Tate’s impact in the Motor City has been immeasurable. |
9
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6
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Well, we can put aside those questions about the Seahawks’ defence for a while; the defending champs shut down Cam Newton. The offence is another story, as Russell Wilson continues to be its only lifeline. |
12
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7
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Ultimately, it was costly mistakes that doomed the Eagles, none bigger than the blown coverage that resulted in a 75-yard winning touchdown pass to John Brown. |
4
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8
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The Bengals seemed to be up to their old tricks after giving up an 11-point lead thanks to a pair of Andy Dalton turnovers, but pulled out a character win against the feisty Ravens. Warning: don’t jump back on the bandwagon just yet. |
14
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9
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The difference between last season’s win in Denver and last Thursday’s loss? The running game. The Chargers racked up 177 yards and a touchdown on 44 rushes last December, but just 61 yards on 15 carries this time around. |
8
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10
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Unless Aaron Rodgers’s injury is serious, don’t worry about the Packers. The Superdome is a hard place to play as it is, but it looked like no team could’ve slowed down the Saints Sunday night. |
7
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11
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The 49ers have been battered and bruised, and the week off should help. Glenn Dorsey, Mike Iupati, Chris Culliver, Patrick Willis and maybe even suspended Aldon Smith could return Sunday against the Rams. |
11
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12
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A late fourth-quarter touchdown had the game wrapped up, but the offence and defence both stalled in the final minutes of the game, putting a serious dent in their division title hopes. |
6
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13
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Sunday’s win was an example of exactly what the Chiefs need to do in order to get back into the playoffs: tough defence, a time-consuming run game, and an efficient, mistake-free Alex Smith. |
17
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14
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Whatever good the Colts had done on defence this season was thrown out the window Sunday in Pittsburgh. Greg Manusky’s group gave up a staggering 639 yards of offence to the Steelers, worthy of a nine-spot drop. |
5
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15
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This may sound harsh coming off a blowout win in New York, but the Bills could’ve been much better. The offence left a lot of points on the field in the first half and the run game was ineffective. Good thing they played the Jets. |
15
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16
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Big Ben put in one of the best performances ever by a quarterback on Sunday. He was just 32 yards from the most passing yards in a single game (set by Norm Van Brocklin in 1951) and became the first player to throw for 500-plus yards twice. |
18
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17
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Arian Foster is playing arguably the best football of his career, averaging almost 110 yards a game on the ground, and trails only DeMarco Murray in rushing this season. Who would’ve predicted that? |
19
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18
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After six quality quarters from the offence, Ryan Tannehill and company were AWFUL in the first half Sunday. The Jags – yes, those Jags – had outgained Miami 226-46 by halftime. |
17
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19
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Drew Brees had his most solid game of the season, by far, but it was the Saints defence that finally stepped up. New Orleans held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to their lowest point total since Week 3, and forced them into a season-high three turnovers. |
22
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20
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Like the Seahawks, the Panthers’ defence answered back in a big way, allowing less than 24 points for the first time since Week 2. Unfortunately for them, Seattle’s defence was just a bit better. |
16
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21
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Another ugly performance from the Browns, but big plays late in the game helped them avoid becoming the only team to fall to two winless teams consecutively this late in the season. |
21
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22
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Colt McCoy did something that neither RG3 nor Kirk Cousins had been able to do: protect the football. And look at the result. |
25
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23
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If things were tense in the Bears’ locker room last week, imagine what it’s like now? Chicago is in shambles. The bye week couldn’t come at a better time. |
20
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24
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Thanks to losses from the Cowboys and Eagles, the Giants come off the bye in a much better position than they were entering it. Can Tom Coughlin get this team in the NFC East race? |
20
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25
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You had to think the Rams were going to fall back down to earth after last week’s tricky win over the champs. Boy, did they fall hard. Is Austin Davis the next Tom Brady? Yeah…about that… |
23
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26
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Teddy Bridgewater continues to improve with each game, a good sign for the Vikings, who haven’t had much to be happy about in this tumultuous 2014 season. |
28
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27
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A statement victory over the Lions could’ve been a turning point for the Falcons, but instead the trip to London was just another notch in the loss column. Atlanta won’t recover from that loss. |
26
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28
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The biggest question surrounding the Titans in what has been a disastrous campaign thus far was who’s the quarterback of the future? Zach Mettenberger has officially entered his name in the hat. |
29
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29
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It was just a terrible day in every way for the Jets. Rex Ryan has an interesting decision to make at QB: Vick moved the offence much better than Geno, but he still turned the ball over a lot. But can either save Ryan’s job? |
27
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30
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It seems for the Bucs, games end in either a blowout loss or a heartbreaking overtime defeat. A three-point lead with two minutes left in the game ends with a lost fumble and Tampa’s second OT loss of the season. |
31
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31
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The Jags had a real opportunity to shock the Dolphins, but the offensive gaffes continue to be Jacksonville’s downfall. Example: two interceptions-for-touchdowns from Blake Bortles. |
30
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32
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If the Raiders had any semblance of a run game, Sunday’s loss could’ve been Oakland’s first win. A rookie quarterback should never throw the football 54 times. |
32
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