NFL WEEK 17, WHAT I SAW
That's it, the 2011 256-game regular season is finished, now it's onto the playoffs. We watched all or part of 13-games today, here's what I saw.
First things first, next weekend's playoff schedule:
Saturday
Cincinnati at Houston 3:30PM CT NBC
Detroit at New Orleans 7PM CT NBC
Sunday
Atlanta at NY Giants noon CT FOX
Pittsburgh at Denver 3:30 CT CBS
2012 NFL Draft order:
1. Indianapolis
2. St. Louis
3. Minnesota
4. Cleveland
5. Tampa Bay
6. Washington
7. Jacksonville
8/9. Tie(coin toss) Carolina/Miami
10. Buffalo
11/12. Tie(coin toss) Kansas City/Seattle
13. Arizona
14. Dallas
15. Philadelphia
16. NY Jets
17. Oakland
18. San Diego
19. Chicago
20. Tennessee
21-32 determined by playoff finish
Records fall all over the place & one just missed in Minnesota.
Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's 27-year old record for passing yardage this past Monday night. But with Tom Brady breathing down his neck, Brees had to stay & play Sunday. He extended the record to 5,476-yards. Brady followed with 5,235, also surpassing Marino's 5,084. Detroit's Mathew Stafford also made it over the 5,000-yard threshold with 5,038.
New England's Rob Gronkowski set the all-time NFL record for receiving yardage with 1,327 & touchdowns with 17.
Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew won the league rushing crown with a franchise record 1,606-yards. The fact he did this on an offensively challenged team that only won 5-games was very impressive.
San Francisco placekicker David Akers had already set the league record for field goals in a season with 42. He kicked two more on Sunday in St. Louis along with 4 PAT's, giving him 165-total points for the season, beating the old record of 164 held by Gary Andersen. Akers also did something he'd never done before. He threw a third quarter touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree out of field goal formation. The Rams were caught completely asleep.
In Green Bay, Mike McCarthy decided to sit QB Aaron Rodgers until the playoffs begin, a decision that was hard to argue with. Enter Matt Flynn, backup QB & future unrestricted free agent. For the past twenty years only two men have started at quarterback in Green Bay, Brett Favre & Rodgers. Flynn had a franchise record-breaking performance that had never been seen. Flynn completed 31 of 44 passes for 480-yards & six touchdowns. The last one with under two-minutes to play, gave Green Bay their 21st consecutive home win over the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson had a season finale that capped his best year ever. He caught 9-passes for 162-yards & 3 scores, giving him 15 for the year. Lions QB Matthew Stafford also had a monster day, throwing for 520-yards & 5 touchdowns. His leading receiver, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, also had a big day, catching 11-passes for 244-yards & a score. He stands to collect a $4.5 million bonus for his season stats. The 45-41 final score could have been different, but because of the NFL's lame challenge rule, Detroit was robbed of a sixth Stafford TD pass to Titus Young, who clearly was inbounds with both feet in the endzone. But because Detroit has used their three challenges, they got an extra for winning a previous challenge, the call on the field was allowed to stand. If it had been ruled a TD, it would have been reviewed by the replay official like every other scoring play. But since it was ruled incomplete(wrongly), there was no review. I don't play fantasy football nor did I have a wager on the game's outcome, I just want a touchdown to count as a touchdown.
In Minnesota, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen had 3.5 sacks at halftime, giving him 22 for the season, just 1/2 behind record holder Michael Strahan. Sadly Allen didin't get another to break the record. But to see a guy flying around like he does on a 3-13 team, makes you appreciate the type of professional Jared Allen is. He also had 5 other tackles & 4 QB knockdowns. Maybe next season Jared.
The Raiders managed to set a pair of rather dubious records, most penalties in a season & most yards penalized in a season. So they have that going for them. They needed 4 penalties to break Kansas City's record from 1998, they were flagged 8 times for good measure. Oakland needed 11-yards to break the old mark & whizzed past it with 64. When the record was broken, CBS put up a graphic that showed the "Most Penalized Seasons." The Raiders, both the Oakland & Los Angeles versions, were six of the eight teams listed. Commitment to Excellence baby. Oh yeah, the Raiders had a chance to win the AFC West with a win over the Chargers. Of course they came thru in regular Raider clutch fashion, losing 38-26 even tho they gained 520-total yards of offense in the game. Some things never change do they?
Will Rex & Rob Ryan just go away until next season....not a word okay?
For all their huffin' & puffin' the Jets & Cowboys stink. Think I'm kidding? let's examine the 2011 wins for both teams.
The Jets beat Dallas, Jacksonville, Miami, San Diego, Washington, Kansas City & Buffalo twice.
Dallas beat Frisco in O.T., St. Louis, Seattle, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Miami & Washington twice.
Between the two of them, they beat one team(SF) with a winning record. Both teams faced do-or-die games on Sunday, both failed. It is my fervent hope the Ryan twins will take long, long vacations out of the country or take a vow of silence because I'm so sick & tired of hearing them run their mouths, week after week & get zero results.
"Santonio quit a few weeks ago" claims a Jet teammate. He did it again in Miami.
For a guy who was elected captain by his teammates, Jets WR Santonio Holmes has a funy way of showing respect for those teammates. During the 4th quarter in Miami, Holmes got into a heated argument with a teammate, it looked to be all-pro center Nick Mangold, in the offensive huddle. One play later he was benched by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, not to return to the game. He showed his leadership by sitting on the bench & never looking at the field to see how his teammates were doing. RB Ladainian Tomlinson, in what was probably his last NFL game, said he was very disappointed in Holmes as a captain. Rex Ryan, looking to save his own ass, answered questions about Holmes' 4th quarter absence with "yeah I looked out there & didn't see him, but that's up to the coordinator." I said earlier this week, Schottenheimer would get fired, but at least he got some payback on one of the guys who helped get him fired.
Don't look for Buffalo to resign Stevie Johnson.
Johnson, another prima dona at the top of my sh*t list, Bills WR Stevie Johnson once again showed his lack of any respect for his teammates or the people who pay his salary. After being in trouble with the league office, Bills management & coach Chan Gailey, Johnson showed again his selfish, immature side & it'll cost him again. After scoring a first quarter touchdown against New England, he yanked his jersey up so fans & TV viewers could read the "Happy New Year" message handwritten on his undershirt. The officials threw flags for unsportsmanlike conduct & marked off 15-yards on the ensuing kickoff. Gailey had seen enough & benched Johnson for the remainder of the game. This is the third time Johnson has committed such a foul, each time costing his team, each time being fined by the league. He's sure to be fined yet again. For those of you who don't recall, he's the brave soul that cut Eric Berry when he was nowhere near the play, putting him out for the season. Johnson is an unrestricted free agent & they'll be some interest in him, just like there was with T.O. & Santonio Holmes, but don't look for Buffalo to be amongst the bidders, they've seen enough.
Atlanta rolls the Bucs, then signs Tony G. for another season.
The Falcons stormed out to a 42-0 first half lead over Tampa Bay & then cruised to a 45-24 win, their 10th. Immediately after the game, the Falcons signed future Hall of Fame tight end, Tony Gonzalez to a 1-year contract extension for $7 million. The guy can still play at a very high level, he caught 80-passes for 875-yards & 7 touchdowns this season. Sorry, but I don't see Atlanta beating the Giants next Sunday.
Titans give it their all, but don't make the playoffs.
The Houston Texans on the other hand appear to be "one & done" playoff candidates. Whether it's T.J. Yates or Jake Delhomme at QB, the Texans' offense doesn't scare anyone. Yes, Arian Foster is always a threat, but they just don't press defenses like they did when they had QB Matt Schaub. Since he went down to injury, they've scored 22 or fewer points in 6 consecutive starts. Houston scored with like 10-seconds to play yesterday to get within 1-point of tying the game. Coach Gary Kubiak elected to go for 2, which I agreed with, but his guys made a mockery of it. First TE Joel Dreeson false starts to move the try back to the 7-yard line. Then the centers snaps the ball way over Delhome's head ending any chances to win. of course I had Houston in the office pool picks.
Cardinals win their 4th home overtime game.
An NFL record, all 4 overtime wins came in the last 8-weeks of the season. This is a team that could make a major surge next season. Seattle, the team they beat, has also shown major improvement in 2011. Picking 12th & 13th, both teams could have legit shots at the playoffs next season.
Ravens & Steelers finish 12-4, right now they're the class of the AFC.
Yes, I know the Patriots have Tom Brady, but they don't have a defense nearly on a par with either Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I see these two facing off in the division round of the playoffs.
I think the Tebow thing is pretty much over.
I will be shocked if the Denver Broncos can score enough points to defeat Pittsburgh next Sunday, especially after watching their anemic attack against Kansas City. In two starts against Romeo Crennel's eleven, Tim Tebow had 8 completions in 30 attempts for 119-yards. If you haven't noticed, Pittsburgh plays better defense than the Chiefs, much better. The gameplan is pretty simple, keep him in the pocket & make him beat you with his arm. Bring good pressure & jam his receivers at the line, it's just about that simple. Oh yeah, you have to stop Denver formidable running game led by Willis MaGahee. Pittsburgh defenses have been stopping the run for decades.
Playoff injuries of note:
Denver right guard Chris Kuper sustained a broken tibia & dislocated ankle.
New Orleans RB Mark Ingram's turf toe will shelve him for the remainder of the season.
Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark may not be able to play in Denver. Two years ago after a Monday night game, Clark lost his spleen & gall bladder after a sickle-cell-like blood trait struck him due to Denver's altitude. Clark also lost 30-pounds & missed 7-games. His illness was very mysterious, but I doubt the Steelers will risk playing him on Sunday.
Steelers starting running back Rashard Mendenhall suffered what is being called a sprained knee, but in reality, it's probably a torn ACL. We'll know for sure after an MRI later today.
The New York Giants appear to be healthier than they've been in months, which could be very bad news for other NFC playoff teams.
First things first, next weekend's playoff schedule:
Saturday
Cincinnati at Houston 3:30PM CT NBC
Detroit at New Orleans 7PM CT NBC
Sunday
Atlanta at NY Giants noon CT FOX
Pittsburgh at Denver 3:30 CT CBS
2012 NFL Draft order:
1. Indianapolis
2. St. Louis
3. Minnesota
4. Cleveland
5. Tampa Bay
6. Washington
7. Jacksonville
8/9. Tie(coin toss) Carolina/Miami
10. Buffalo
11/12. Tie(coin toss) Kansas City/Seattle
13. Arizona
14. Dallas
15. Philadelphia
16. NY Jets
17. Oakland
18. San Diego
19. Chicago
20. Tennessee
21-32 determined by playoff finish
Records fall all over the place & one just missed in Minnesota.
Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's 27-year old record for passing yardage this past Monday night. But with Tom Brady breathing down his neck, Brees had to stay & play Sunday. He extended the record to 5,476-yards. Brady followed with 5,235, also surpassing Marino's 5,084. Detroit's Mathew Stafford also made it over the 5,000-yard threshold with 5,038.
New England's Rob Gronkowski set the all-time NFL record for receiving yardage with 1,327 & touchdowns with 17.
Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew won the league rushing crown with a franchise record 1,606-yards. The fact he did this on an offensively challenged team that only won 5-games was very impressive.
San Francisco placekicker David Akers had already set the league record for field goals in a season with 42. He kicked two more on Sunday in St. Louis along with 4 PAT's, giving him 165-total points for the season, beating the old record of 164 held by Gary Andersen. Akers also did something he'd never done before. He threw a third quarter touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree out of field goal formation. The Rams were caught completely asleep.
In Green Bay, Mike McCarthy decided to sit QB Aaron Rodgers until the playoffs begin, a decision that was hard to argue with. Enter Matt Flynn, backup QB & future unrestricted free agent. For the past twenty years only two men have started at quarterback in Green Bay, Brett Favre & Rodgers. Flynn had a franchise record-breaking performance that had never been seen. Flynn completed 31 of 44 passes for 480-yards & six touchdowns. The last one with under two-minutes to play, gave Green Bay their 21st consecutive home win over the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Jordy Nelson had a season finale that capped his best year ever. He caught 9-passes for 162-yards & 3 scores, giving him 15 for the year. Lions QB Matthew Stafford also had a monster day, throwing for 520-yards & 5 touchdowns. His leading receiver, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, also had a big day, catching 11-passes for 244-yards & a score. He stands to collect a $4.5 million bonus for his season stats. The 45-41 final score could have been different, but because of the NFL's lame challenge rule, Detroit was robbed of a sixth Stafford TD pass to Titus Young, who clearly was inbounds with both feet in the endzone. But because Detroit has used their three challenges, they got an extra for winning a previous challenge, the call on the field was allowed to stand. If it had been ruled a TD, it would have been reviewed by the replay official like every other scoring play. But since it was ruled incomplete(wrongly), there was no review. I don't play fantasy football nor did I have a wager on the game's outcome, I just want a touchdown to count as a touchdown.
In Minnesota, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen had 3.5 sacks at halftime, giving him 22 for the season, just 1/2 behind record holder Michael Strahan. Sadly Allen didin't get another to break the record. But to see a guy flying around like he does on a 3-13 team, makes you appreciate the type of professional Jared Allen is. He also had 5 other tackles & 4 QB knockdowns. Maybe next season Jared.
The Raiders managed to set a pair of rather dubious records, most penalties in a season & most yards penalized in a season. So they have that going for them. They needed 4 penalties to break Kansas City's record from 1998, they were flagged 8 times for good measure. Oakland needed 11-yards to break the old mark & whizzed past it with 64. When the record was broken, CBS put up a graphic that showed the "Most Penalized Seasons." The Raiders, both the Oakland & Los Angeles versions, were six of the eight teams listed. Commitment to Excellence baby. Oh yeah, the Raiders had a chance to win the AFC West with a win over the Chargers. Of course they came thru in regular Raider clutch fashion, losing 38-26 even tho they gained 520-total yards of offense in the game. Some things never change do they?
Will Rex & Rob Ryan just go away until next season....not a word okay?
For all their huffin' & puffin' the Jets & Cowboys stink. Think I'm kidding? let's examine the 2011 wins for both teams.
The Jets beat Dallas, Jacksonville, Miami, San Diego, Washington, Kansas City & Buffalo twice.
Dallas beat Frisco in O.T., St. Louis, Seattle, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Miami & Washington twice.
Between the two of them, they beat one team(SF) with a winning record. Both teams faced do-or-die games on Sunday, both failed. It is my fervent hope the Ryan twins will take long, long vacations out of the country or take a vow of silence because I'm so sick & tired of hearing them run their mouths, week after week & get zero results.
"Santonio quit a few weeks ago" claims a Jet teammate. He did it again in Miami.
For a guy who was elected captain by his teammates, Jets WR Santonio Holmes has a funy way of showing respect for those teammates. During the 4th quarter in Miami, Holmes got into a heated argument with a teammate, it looked to be all-pro center Nick Mangold, in the offensive huddle. One play later he was benched by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, not to return to the game. He showed his leadership by sitting on the bench & never looking at the field to see how his teammates were doing. RB Ladainian Tomlinson, in what was probably his last NFL game, said he was very disappointed in Holmes as a captain. Rex Ryan, looking to save his own ass, answered questions about Holmes' 4th quarter absence with "yeah I looked out there & didn't see him, but that's up to the coordinator." I said earlier this week, Schottenheimer would get fired, but at least he got some payback on one of the guys who helped get him fired.
Don't look for Buffalo to resign Stevie Johnson.
Johnson, another prima dona at the top of my sh*t list, Bills WR Stevie Johnson once again showed his lack of any respect for his teammates or the people who pay his salary. After being in trouble with the league office, Bills management & coach Chan Gailey, Johnson showed again his selfish, immature side & it'll cost him again. After scoring a first quarter touchdown against New England, he yanked his jersey up so fans & TV viewers could read the "Happy New Year" message handwritten on his undershirt. The officials threw flags for unsportsmanlike conduct & marked off 15-yards on the ensuing kickoff. Gailey had seen enough & benched Johnson for the remainder of the game. This is the third time Johnson has committed such a foul, each time costing his team, each time being fined by the league. He's sure to be fined yet again. For those of you who don't recall, he's the brave soul that cut Eric Berry when he was nowhere near the play, putting him out for the season. Johnson is an unrestricted free agent & they'll be some interest in him, just like there was with T.O. & Santonio Holmes, but don't look for Buffalo to be amongst the bidders, they've seen enough.
Atlanta rolls the Bucs, then signs Tony G. for another season.
The Falcons stormed out to a 42-0 first half lead over Tampa Bay & then cruised to a 45-24 win, their 10th. Immediately after the game, the Falcons signed future Hall of Fame tight end, Tony Gonzalez to a 1-year contract extension for $7 million. The guy can still play at a very high level, he caught 80-passes for 875-yards & 7 touchdowns this season. Sorry, but I don't see Atlanta beating the Giants next Sunday.
Titans give it their all, but don't make the playoffs.
The Houston Texans on the other hand appear to be "one & done" playoff candidates. Whether it's T.J. Yates or Jake Delhomme at QB, the Texans' offense doesn't scare anyone. Yes, Arian Foster is always a threat, but they just don't press defenses like they did when they had QB Matt Schaub. Since he went down to injury, they've scored 22 or fewer points in 6 consecutive starts. Houston scored with like 10-seconds to play yesterday to get within 1-point of tying the game. Coach Gary Kubiak elected to go for 2, which I agreed with, but his guys made a mockery of it. First TE Joel Dreeson false starts to move the try back to the 7-yard line. Then the centers snaps the ball way over Delhome's head ending any chances to win. of course I had Houston in the office pool picks.
Cardinals win their 4th home overtime game.
An NFL record, all 4 overtime wins came in the last 8-weeks of the season. This is a team that could make a major surge next season. Seattle, the team they beat, has also shown major improvement in 2011. Picking 12th & 13th, both teams could have legit shots at the playoffs next season.
Ravens & Steelers finish 12-4, right now they're the class of the AFC.
Yes, I know the Patriots have Tom Brady, but they don't have a defense nearly on a par with either Baltimore or Pittsburgh. I see these two facing off in the division round of the playoffs.
I think the Tebow thing is pretty much over.
I will be shocked if the Denver Broncos can score enough points to defeat Pittsburgh next Sunday, especially after watching their anemic attack against Kansas City. In two starts against Romeo Crennel's eleven, Tim Tebow had 8 completions in 30 attempts for 119-yards. If you haven't noticed, Pittsburgh plays better defense than the Chiefs, much better. The gameplan is pretty simple, keep him in the pocket & make him beat you with his arm. Bring good pressure & jam his receivers at the line, it's just about that simple. Oh yeah, you have to stop Denver formidable running game led by Willis MaGahee. Pittsburgh defenses have been stopping the run for decades.
Playoff injuries of note:
Denver right guard Chris Kuper sustained a broken tibia & dislocated ankle.
New Orleans RB Mark Ingram's turf toe will shelve him for the remainder of the season.
Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark may not be able to play in Denver. Two years ago after a Monday night game, Clark lost his spleen & gall bladder after a sickle-cell-like blood trait struck him due to Denver's altitude. Clark also lost 30-pounds & missed 7-games. His illness was very mysterious, but I doubt the Steelers will risk playing him on Sunday.
Steelers starting running back Rashard Mendenhall suffered what is being called a sprained knee, but in reality, it's probably a torn ACL. We'll know for sure after an MRI later today.
The New York Giants appear to be healthier than they've been in months, which could be very bad news for other NFC playoff teams.
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