NFL Week 13 Game Notes

Eagles over Texans

Adam: -At 8-4, the Eagles are right where they want to be, but LeSean McCoy needs to see more action in the ground game as the weather gets colder.
-The Texans hung around for three-plus quarters, but ultimately their secondary was their undoing again, as they could not find a way to stop Michael Vick and company.

Eric: -Vick continues his comeback season with a victory against a team that just cannot finish their wins.  The ex-con is now the leading vote getter in Pro Bowl balloting.

Jaguars over Titans

A: -The Jaguars are a real threat to take the division considering the Colts' struggles.  They have a one game lead with four to play, which include some very winnable games.
-The Titans are fading fast.  Without a healthy quarterback, they just haven't been able to sustain any offense.  Chris Johnson has 58 rushing yards the last two weeks combined.

E: -The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only team playing well in a tight AFC South race, 4-1 in their last five games.
-Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for a career best 186 yards in this one.

Vikings over Bills

A: -What a hit on Brett Favre, and what a bad game for the Bills.
-Tarvaris Jackson did some good things, and the Vikings showed that they are best when they lead with a punishing running attack.  Adrian Peterson is the most dominant player on their team and they should never forget that.

E: -Minnesota's defense is predicated entirely on getting pressure with the front four.  When that wasn't happening in the first half of the season, the defense struggled as their secondary is average at best, but it looks a lot better when quarterbacks don't have time to locate receivers.  In this game against the Bills though, Jerad Allen and his mates were really getting after it.  That set the tone for the whole defense, which was flying around and making plays.
-I love Favre's stat line: 0-1, 0 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception.

Saints over Bengals

A: -Drew Bress got the Bungles to jump offsides with under a minute in the game, allowing New Orleans to go for the winning touchdown rather than the tying field goal.  That sequence demonstrates the razor thin margin between really good and really bad in the NFL.

E: -The Cincinnati Bengals manage to lose a late lead once more, extending their losing streak to nine games.
-The Saints are one of the least talked about threats in the NFC despite their 9-3 record and their status as defending Super Bowl champs.

Packers over 49ers

A: -Being at this game really showed me how just a few plays can decide the outcome.  Three early trips to the red zone for the 49ers resulted in three field goals and no touchdowns.  Troy Smith missed a wide open Michael Crabtree in the end zone, Vernon Davis dropped a potential 50 yard completion, and Ted Ginn couldn't get a second foot in bounds on a potential deep pass play.  Ultimately, Aaron Rodgers got touchdowns while Smith got field goals, and that decided the game.

E: -Marty McFly those unis back to 1929, Green Bay.

Chiefs over Broncos

A: -It wasn't pretty, but the Chiefs survived and now have some breathing room with a two game lead in the AFC West.  A 6-0 home mark makes Arrowhead a very imposing place for anyone to play.
-The Broncos are really struggling right now to put together any kind of explosive offense.

E: -The Chiefs continue to roll at home as one touchdown was all it would've taken to beat the woeful Broncos, but they added another field goal to really put it out of reach, winning 10-6.

Falcons over Buccaneers

A: -The Falcons are just a big, hairy American winning machine.  They keep it close and hand the game to Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter, where he has won them a lot of games.  This team is balance epitomized and has a great chance to be the NFC's number one seed.
-The Bucs were close yet again against a quality opponent but blew it down the stretch.  This loss really hurts their playoff hopes.

E: -There were a number of penalties against Tampa that allowed the Falcons' go ahead drive to continue, and Josh Freeman threw an interception in the red zone when the Bucs were driving down to go back up.  The Bucs are a good, young team, but looking up at the Saints and Falcons, this is not quite their year.

Browns over Dolphins

A: -The Dolphins' playoff hopes are all but gone. Even if they won out, 10-6 may not be good enough.
-Eric Mangini is making a push for another year running the Browns.  They have been a competitive team each week and are lately even finding ways to win.

E: -The Browns out-slopped the Dolphins in a game where Chad Henne threw three interceptions.

Giants over Redskins

A: -We may be seeing one-and-done for Donovan McNabb in Washington.  Without a single imposing target for McNabb to throw to, the offense is totally inept.
-The Giants have steadied the ship just a bit with consecutive wins over Jacksonville and Washington.

E: -With their top two wide receivers out with injuries, the Giants had to turn to their ground game and were not disappointed.  Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs both ran for two touchdowns and churned out a combined 200 yards rushing.

Bears over Lions

A: -The Bears just keep chugging.  They don't always play great, but they continue to win and beat the teams they should.
-Detroit has consistently put together 3 to 3 1/2 quarters of good football this season, but they are having trouble closing games, most of which has to do with quarterback injuries and the overall youth of this team.

E: -The game really is turning into flag football.

Raiders over Chargers

A: -Just when you thought San Diego was going to roll and win the AFC West again, they get blasted by Oakland in their own house.  The Chiefs have to love this result, figuring that Oakland is too inconsistent to challenge for the division and the Chargers now trail by two games with four to play.

E: -The Raiders complete the season sweep of the Chargers and give the Chiefs a two game division lead in the process.

Seahawks over Panthers

A: -Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and then allowed 31 straight points.  Ouch.  This team will have the top pick next year.
-Seattle is tough at home, but I still like St. Louis in this division.

E: -After a slow start, Seattle scored 28 unanswered in the second half to trounce the now 1-11 Carolina Panthers.

Cowboys over Colts

A: -The Cowboys may have to consider keeping Jason Garrett for next year, but if somebody sexy like Jon Gruden shows interest, Jerry Jones may not be able to resist.
-Peyton Manning has 11 interceptions in the last three games.  He has had entire seasons with less picks.
-The Colts are in big time trouble and may very well miss the postseason.  They need to get some help on the defense and offensive line by next year.

E: -Manning has had back-to-back 4 interception games, and four of those eight picks were returned for touchdowns.  You can't dig yourself a hole like that if you want to win.  The Colts are now in legitimate danger of missing the playoffs.

Rams over Cardinals

A: -Has any team missed a single player more than the Cardinals have missed Kurt Warner?  What was a team that could easily throw up 40 points a game last year is now a team that struggles to put up 10.
-The Rams and Seahawks have separated a bit from the rest of the dreadful NFC West, and I think Sam Bradford is the best QB in the division, which gives them the edge.

E: -The Cardinals have now lost seven straight.  Here's a hypothetical: where would the Cards be right now if they had traded for one of the Eagles' three quarterbacks, McNabb, Kevin Kolb, or maybe even Vick, prior to the season?

Steelers over Ravens

A: -This game played out just as it was supposed to: huge hits, great defense, and low scoring.
-And as has been the case so many times, Ben Roethlisberger makes immaculate and inconceivable plays down the stretch to lead his team.
-Troy Polamalu's strip sack was an unbelievable play, but why was Baltimore throwing the ball in that situation?
-Terrell Suggs was absolutely unblockable in this game; he may have had the game of the season for a defender.

E: -Whole lotta hittin' goin' on!  Did you see Roethlisberger's C-shaped nose?

Patriots over Jets

A: -Tom Brady just threw down the MVP gauntlet.  Against the 9-2 arch-rival Jets, the Patriots looked Super Bowl-ready.  They were hitting on all cylinders, and the defense absolutely befuddled Mark Sanchez.  Brady was incredibly accurate, and it seems like his arm was stronger than ever on Monday night.  He knew what the Jets were doing on every play, and he hardly missed a throw the entire game.  Their running attack was effective, and they interspersed it well with Brady's mechanically efficient intermediate passes.
-Sanchez was not ready for his close up in this showdown with Tom Terrific.  With three interceptions and no touchdowns, his play was the Jets' biggest weakness.  He not only made bad reads, but he also missed easy throws that would have led to nice gains.
-The Jets talked smack all week, but the Patriots did all the talking they needed to on the field Monday night.

E: -Being without Randy Moss actually helped the Patriots this game.  Whether it's Darelle Revis or Antonio Cromartie, the Jets have historically had Moss' number.  And now with an offense that isn't forced to go through a player that would've been a liability, the Patriots exploited the Jets' vaunted defense to the tune of 405 total yards and 45 points.
-Brady's on a seven game interception-less streak, and has now gone back-to-back games throwing for four touchdowns and no interceptions.