Week 14 Game Notes

Steelers over Browns

• Why did colt McCoy come back in that game?  Indefensible move, Cleveland.

Ravens over Colts

• Dan Orlovsky has thrown a pass in 17 career games.  His teams are 0-17.

Falcons over Panthers

• Matt Ryan was on point, leading the Falcons back from a 16-point halftime deficit to win by 8.
• Ryan finished the day with 320 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Texans over Bengals

• Another comeback, the rookie TJ Yates can play.
• With their defense and running game, Yates won’t have to do a lot to keep Houston a playoff threat.

Lions over Vikings

• Call the facemask!

Jaguars over Buccaneers

• How are the Buccaneers so bad?  I didn’t think they were as good as 10 wins last year, but now they’re terrible.
• Raheem Morris is officially a lame duck head coach.  Reports out of Tampa Bay earlier this week were that Morris was going to be fired Monday, but they didn’t have enough coaches to pick up the slack if he were let go.

Eagles over Dolphins

• The Dolphins apparently didn’t have the Bucs’ problem.  So long, Tony Sparano.

Jets over Chiefs

• Two outta three ain’t bad.  Adios, Todd Haley.

Saints over Titans

• Give your guy a chance, Jake Locker.  Don’t hold the ball for a sack as the clock expires.
• The Saints are on a 4-game turnover-less streak, and subsequently, a 5-game win streak.
• Drew Brees recorded his tenth 300-yard passing game this year.  That ties Rich Gannon’s NFL record.

Patriots over Redskins

• Rob Gronkowski now holds the record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end.  He’s at 15 and counting.
• Those 15 receiving touchdowns lead all NFL players this year, not just tight ends.
• Wes Welker went over the 100 reception mark for the fourth time in his career.  Only Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison have had that many 100-catch seasons.

Broncos over Bears

• Oh, Marion Barber.  That was excruciating.
• In Tim Tebow’s eight starts, the Broncos have outscored their opponents by just six points.

Cardinals over 49ers

• John Skelton is an unstoppable force.  You can only hope to contain him.

Packers over Raiders

• Aaron Rodgers tied Brett Favre’s Packer record for most touchdown passes in a season with 39.

Chargers over Bills

• Welcome to December, Philip Rivers.  Where were you the rest of the year?

Giants over Cowboys

• The Cowboys have lost after giving up 12-point fourth quarter leads just twice in the franchise’s previous fifty years.  They’ve accomplished that feat three times this year.
• Eli Manning becomes just the second player to ever have three 400-yard passing games in a single season.  The only other was Dan Marino, who did it in 1983 and 1986.

Seahawks over Rams

• After what went down in Miami and Kansas City, how much longer will Steve Spagnuolo last?

--from @jeuneski

Week 14 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Browns at Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Colts at Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Falcons at Panthers	Panthers	Falcons
Texans at Bengals	Bengals	Texans
Vikings at Lions	Lions	Lions
Buccaneers at Jaguars	Buccaneers	Jaguars
Eagles at Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins
Chiefs at Jets	Jets	Jets
Saints at Titans	Titans	Saints
Patriots at Redskins	Patriots	Patriots
Bears at Broncos	Broncos	Broncos
49ers at Cardinals	49ers	49ers
Raiders at Packers	Packers	Packers
Bills at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Giants at Cowboys	Giants	Cowboys
Rams at Seahawks	Seahawks	Seahawks
	Adam	Eric
Week 13 Record	10-6	13-3
Season Standings	116-76	133-59

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks in the remaining games.

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens

The Colts are getting closer and closer to reverse perfection.  They'll take another step this week.

Prediction: Ravens 23 – Colts 3

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
I think the Panthers are the type of 4-8 team that can clearly see they are playing for the future, a future that holds a great deal of promise.  This is a team still looking to win and improve because they know it will carry over into next year, and everything starts with Cam Newton.  I say he's spectacular in this contest and takes out the up-and-down Falcons in a fun divisional game.

Prediction: Panthers 30 – Falcons 24

Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals aren't quite ready to beat the big boys in their division, but they're strong enough to take down an injury-depleted Texans squad at home.  Houston's defense and terrific running attack will keep things close though.

Prediction: Bengals 20 – Texans 17

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Even without Ndamukong Suh, the Lions should be able to handle the downtrodden Vikings.  I like what Christian Ponder has shown, and Percy Harvin is a dynamic playmaker.  But with Adrian Peterson still coming back from an ankle injury, I just can't pick Minnesota on the road.  I'm not impressed with the Lions’ play in the second half of the year, but they should be able to move the ball at will through the air.

Prediction: Lions 28 – Vikings 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars

Still gotta like Josh Freeman over Blaine Gabbert.

Prediction: Buccaneers 20 – Jaguars 13

Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins
The Eagles were supposed to be good.  The Dolphins used to be awful.  With the turmoil in Philly and all hope for the playoffs lost, I seen no reason to pick the Eagles...unless they play the Colts at some point.

Prediction: Dolphins 20 – Eagles 14

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets
I don't have a lot of faith that the Jets are any kind of threat to do major damage in the postseason, but they know how to get to the playoff party and are 5-1 at home.  Against the banged up and offensively inept Chiefs, the Jets will make that 6-1.

Prediction: Jets 17 – Chiefs 6

New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans
Two reasons I'm picking the Titans: (1) Eric picked the Saints and I need to catch him.  (2) I want the Saints to lose so the Niners can put a strangle hold on the two seed in the NFC.  The Titans with Chris Johnson finally emerging behind a stout offensive line and a good veteran quarterback in Matt Hasslebeck should be able to control the clock and keep Drew Brees off the field as much as possible.

Prediction: Titans 24 – Saints 23

New England Patriots at Washington Redskins
The Redskins just have no way to score enough points to keep up with the Brady Bunch.

Prediction: Patriots 27 – Redskins 14

Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos

No Jay Cutler, no Matt Forte, a good Broncos defense playing at home, and a little Tim Tebow at the end of the game should be just enough.

Prediction: Broncos 16 – Bears 10

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are playing better football of late, but they should be dominated on both lines of scrimmage by the brutish 49ers.  I just can't see San Fran losing in the division this year.

Prediction: 49ers 24 – Cardinals 13

Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers

I don't see how the Raiders keep pace with Aaron Rodgers.  Plus, Carson Palmers is good for at least a few turnovers against the ball-hawking Packers defense.

Prediction: Packers 31 – Raiders 16

Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers

Umm…Chargers!

Prediction: Chargers 30 – Bills 20

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

I figure this to be a close game, and I like Eli Manning in the fourth quarter more than Tony Romo.

Prediction: Giants 24, Cowboys 23

St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

The Rams are pitiful, and the Seahawks at least play semi-competitive ball.

Prediction: Seahawks 20 – Rams 9

NFL Week 14 Game Notes

Colts over Titans

Adam: -Playoffs?  The Colts can talk about playoffs now with this win, which wasn't as close as the score indicates, and an upcoming matchup with division-leading Jacksonville.
-The Jaguars, Raiders, and Titans remain on Indy's schedule; those are all extremely winnable games.  Only the Raider game is on the road, and I see the Colts finishing 10-6 on a bit of a hot streak.
-Who is going to want to play Peyton Manning in the playoffs, especially considering that if Indy makes the postseason they will play their first game at home?
-The Titans are done and Jeff Fisher looks like Golem after about 100 years hanging out with the ring of power.  He's a great coach but he's got disruptive players and no quarterback.  Come to San Fran, Jeff.  The weather's fine.

Eric: -Two teams on the slide met up in this one, but it was Peyton who didn't let his team drop a fourth straight game.  The Titans have now lost six in a row.

Patriots over Bears

A: -Now I think everyone knows where they stand.  The Bears are pretenders as Super Bowl candidates.  The Patriots are Super Bowl favorites.  New England has beaten the Ravens, Chargers, Steelers, Colts, Jets, and Bears this year.  This is the best team in football.
-Tom Brady is incredible with 19 touchdowns and no interceptions in his last eight games and a 29-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the year.  He's the MVP, no questions asked.

E: -The look of this game reminded me an awful lot of a snowy day in Foxboro last year when the Patriots whupped on the Titans to the tune of a 59-0 win.
-With this win, the Patriots became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth.

Steelers over Bengals

A: -The Steelers had a mid-season lull but are right where they wants to be at 10-3.  The Jets come into visit next week.

E: -Cincinnati's lost ten straight.  What's the likelihood that they win even one more game on the season?  The Browns come to Cincy this week, followd by San Diego, and then they travel to Baltimore.  Looks like the Bengals might have to go into that all too familiar phase, rebuilding mode.

Lions over Packers

A: -With remaining games against the Patriots, Giants, and Bears, the Packers certainly can control their own destiny, but they also could have really used this win with such a difficult upcoming slate.  This loss could be the kind of game that derails the playoff hopes for Green Bay.  Hopefully Aaron Rodgers will be back next week, otherwise this team is doomed.
-The Lions proved they have a very nice defensive foundation, especially with their front four.

E: -With no running game to speak of and no Rodgers, it's pretty easy to see how the Packers only put up 3 points on the Lions.
-Led by Ndamukong Suh, Detroit's tenacious front four dominated the Packers' offensive line all day and threw off any rhythm the Packers attempted to build.

Giants over Vikings

A: -Historically, this game will be remembered as the first time Brett Favre couldn't answer the bell.  297 consecutive regular season starts is the most impressive streak in the history of sports.  When you consider that the average NFL career is about three years long and that many guys never start for one single season, you have to credit Favre's unbelievable longevity.  This is the most violent American sport, and the quarterback gets hit on nearly every play.  For Favre to survive this position for eighteen years of unfettered starts truly defies description.  Not only did Favre endure massive hits, but he avoided the freak injuries like falling awkwardly on an elbow, planting wrong and tearing a knee ligament, or separating your shoulder—or he just flat out played through them.  He was on the field playing for his team or his self for the better part of two decades.  I can't stand Favre personally, but I have nothing but respect for his accomplishment and the resolve and toughness required to put together such a streak.  His career is likely over, and now it's simply a matter of arguing over his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.
-The game itself between the Giants and Vikes is relevant this season only for the NFC East.  New York kept pace with Philly, and now gets set for a monster matchup with the Eagles this coming weekend.
-The Giants were able to rack up well over 200 rushing yards and controlled the game throughout.  What happened to the vaunted Vikings rush defense?  The Giants absolutely pushed Minnesota all over the field.
-To make matters worse, Tarvaris Jackson was unable to develop any rhythm with the offense.

E: -Craziness.

Jaguars over Raiders

A: -If the Jags beat Indy this coming week, they claim the division because they will have nine wins, which Indy would have to win out to equal, and they will have beaten the Colts twice.  Amazing.
-The Raiders likely lost their way out of the AFC West race with this loss.

E: -I do not give the Jacksonville Jaguars enough credit for being a good football team.  Well, here you go Jacksonville: you get my mad props. ~Eric
-The Jags find ways to win, whether it's in a shootout, a grind-it-out defensive battle, or just something completely insane happens.  That's why they lead the AFC South with a chance to clinch the division this Sunday with a win against the Colts, whom they already beat once this year.
-Darren "Run DMC" McFadden is fantastic; there's a reason why Al Davis always drafts the most ridiculous athlete he can find.

Bills over Browns

A: -This was an important game for Eric Mangini.  6-7 would have been downright respectable for this Cleveland team, but 5-8 doesn't have a great ring to it.
-The Bills have been really competitive over the second half of the season.  Since Week 7, four of the Bills five losses have come by a combined 12 points, and they've also won three ball games.  While the Bills will likely go for a quarterback in the first round next year, Ryan Fitzpatrick is plenty good to start for a year or two while the draft pick incubates.  Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, and Stevie Johnson are a decent young corps of offensive players.

E: -Both of these teams have played slightly better than their records would indicate, so in a pretty even matchup, the home team came out on top.

Buccaneers over Redskins

A: -The Bucs found a way to win, or really, let the Redskins lose.
-Tampa welcomes the Lions and Seahawks in the next two weeks, and then close at New Orleans.  Detroit just won a game and will be on the road next week.  How likely is it that Detroit will not only win on the road, but also win two in a row?  Next to impossible.  So that's a win for the Bucs, and they should be heavily favored to take care of Seattle.  That would set Tampa at 10-5 with perhaps a chance to take a playoff spot away from New Orleans on the last week of the season.
-Raheem Morris is the coach of the year.
-The Redskins are done, and despite signing a five-year contract extension earlier this season, Donovan McNabb may very well be one-and-done in Washington.

E: -Graham Gano-Good.  God, I'm clever.

Falcons over Panthers

A: -This game went exactly to plan; it was never close.
-The Falcons go to Seattle, host the Saints, and then get the Panthers again, this time at home.  They may not even have to beat New Orleans to claim the division and the NFC's number one seed.
-Andrew Luck for Carolina?  Are they invested in Jimmy Clausen at all?  I don't have any idea.

E: -Was there ever any doubt?

Saints over Rams

A: -The young Rams were not ready for this environment or this level of competition.
-The Saints have won six straight.  If they run that mark to eight, then they are Super Bowl favorites, as they will have won at Atlanta and at Baltimore.  And they host the Bucs Week 17.  This is a tough stretch for the defending champs.

E: -This is the type of performance we expected to see every week from a team that started 13-0 a season ago.

49ers over Seahawks

A: -This was Alex Smith's best game as a 49er: no turnovers, pretty accurate, and he got the ball down the field.
-The Niners are still right in the mix in the NFC West with games remaining against the Chargers, Rams, and Cardinals.  If they can win those two division games they will likely tie Seattle, St. Louis or both at the end of the season, and would own the tiebreaker between either squad.
- The Seahawks continue their maddening inconsistency.  Matt Hasselbeck was horrible, and his receivers are dropping like flies.  It's not good when Ruvell Martin is your leading wideout.

E: -San Francisco threw up 40 points and returned the favor of Seattle's blowed out win Week 1.

Dolphins over Jets

A: -The Dolphins are 6-1 on the road, and 1-5 at home.  Huh?
-Mark Sanchez held the Jets back in this game, and this team hasn't really played well in weeks.  Yes they had a four game win streak a few weeks back, but they didn't beat any impressively.  Then they got blasted by the Pats and looked awful against the Dolphins.

E: -The Jets are now on a two-game slide with both losses coming to AFC East opponents, not good after starting out 3-0 in the division.
-Woops.

Cardinals over Broncos

A: -The Broncos have to be awful to get blown out by Arizona.

E: -Jay Feely is a BEAST.
-I plead complete ignorance on this one; I had no idea that Josh McDaniels got fired.  Eric Studesville loses his first game as the Broncos' interim head coach.

Chargers over Chiefs

A: -Matt Cassell deserves some "most valuable" consideration after seeing how bad his team played without him.  Brodie Croyle, I know that was a tough spot, but my god man.
-The Chargers made the AFC West very cozy yesterday.  San Diego gets the 49ers, Bengals, and Broncos to finish the year; that could easily be 10-6.

E: -San Diego's charging hard (God, I'm clever) and with this win is just one game behind the division-leading Chiefs.

Eagles over Cowboys

A: -Jerry Jones needs to back off.  What is he doing on the sidelines besides making every last person in that organization fear for their jobs?
-The Eagles held on in a game they really needed.  They are in a tight race with the Giants.  The Eagles obviously want home field advantage in the playoffs, but I honestly think they might do better playing at Atlanta, New Orleans or another dome/warm weather environment.  Vick needs a fast track and a nice field to be fully effective.

E: -Philadelphia moves to 9-4 and has a big showdown with the 9-4 New York Giants this coming Sunday.

Ravens over Texans

A: -When it was 28-7 in favor of the Ravens, I stopped watching.  Woops.  The Texans did what they and the Bengals do best, make a frantic comeback and then lose in the closing moments of the game.  Houston forced overtime and even stopped the Ravens offense only to have Matt Schaub throw a pick six on his first pass of the extra period.
-The Ravens looked shaky; the pass defense has to be a concern in Baltimore.  Even Ed Reed looked mixed up.
-The offense is talented for Baltimore, but they can be unpredictable, and sometimes they can't sustain drives.  They have some big play ability, but I'm not sure they are steady enough to score consistently in the playoffs.

E: -Schaub gave it one hell of an effort with a 21-point comeback in the second half, but his arm did in the Texans in overtime, throwing a Ravens pick six for the win.

Week 14 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Colts at Titans	Colts	Titans
Patriots at Bears	Patriots	Patriots
Bengals at Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Packers at Lions	Packers	Packers
Giants at Vikings	Vikings	Giants
Raiders at Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
Browns at Bills	Browns	Browns
Buccaneers at Redskins	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Falcons at Panthers	Falcons	Falcons
Rams at Saints	Saints	Saints
Seahawks at 49ers	49ers	Seahawks
Dolphins at Jets	Jets	Jets
Broncos at Cardinals	Broncos	Broncos
Chiefs at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Eagles at Cowboys	Eagles	Cowboys
Ravens at Texans	Ravens	Ravens
	Adam	Eric
Week 13 Record	10-6	10-6
Season Standings	110-82	115-77

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

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The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans

Peyton Manning has been bad lately, which is hard to believe considering his mind numbing consistency over his career.  Still, I have to give Manning the benefit of the doubt, and I believe he will figure out what he's doing wrong.  The Titans are sliding, and with injuries at receiver and quarterback, they don't look like they can get back on their feet.  This will be a good game to help the Colts get back on track.

Prediction: Colts 31 – Titans 17

New England Patriots at Chicago Bears

The Pats carved up the blitz happy Jets on Monday, but now they get the Cover 2 Bears.  Chicago is much more likely to pressure the quarterback with just four rushers and drop back into zone coverage.  They have been very effective this year, allowing less points than any defense in the NFL.  New England will need an entirely different game plan than this past week if they want to move the ball.  Fortunately for the Pats, they have Bill Belichick, and developing a brilliant gameplan is his kind of thing.  I think the Pats have found out exactly who they are as a team, and know precisely what they must do to win games.  Tom Brady is the MVP right now, and I expect him to lead his team better than Jay Cutler can.  The Bears' defense will win some battles against the Pats, but not enough.

Prediction: Patriots 27 – Bears 23

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

There's not much to this one.

Prediction: Steelers 24 – Bengals 16

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

Detroit's shaky secondary will not slow down Aaron Rodgers and company.  The Pack need every game, and they'll be ready to put it on Detroit.

Prediction: Packers 37 – Lions 19

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

I don't know what kind of team Minnesota really is under Leslie Frazier.  Sure they're 2-0, but those wins came against the Redskins and Bills.  Brett Favre will likely play, but considering his performance this year, I'm not sure that's a good thing for Minnesota.  The Giants have injuries to the offensive line and receiving corps, and they have not played great lately.  This could go either way, but with both teams underwhelming me at the moment, I'll ride the home team who has a little momentum.

Prediction: Vikings 22 – Giants 16

Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Raiders are the Seahawks of the AFC.  Nobody can figure them out, but at 6-6, Raiders fans won't complain.  They are still in the AFC West race, but I just don't trust them to put any consistent play together.  The Jaguars befuddle me as well, but they seem to put a more consistent week-to-week product on the field than Oakland does.  David Garrard has been solid, and Maurice Jones-Drew is the focal point of the Jags offense.

Prediction: Jaguars 26 – Raiders 17

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills

The Fire Eric Mangini train is losing steam, and with a win, the Browns will be dangerously close to .500.   To get this team to 6-7 would be a  feat considering their situation at quarterback and overall lack of explosive players on offense.  Playing the Bills, I expect the Browns to run Peyton Hillis 35 times, throw mostly off of play action, and protect the football.

Prediction: Browns 17 – Bills 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins

This is a win Tampa needs to stay in the playoff race.  The Redskins can't get anything going on offense, and things are chaotic due to the Albert Haynesworth situation.   I trust Josh Freemand to put up some points; I don't trust Washington to keep up.

Prediction: Buccaneers 24 – Skins 13

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers

We got the best team in the NFC vs. the worst team in the NFC.

Prediction: Falcons 30 – Panthers 9

St. Louis Rams at New Orleans Saints

We should see a lot of offense between two good quarterbacks in a dome environment.  Drew Brees has more help than rookie Sam Bradford, and the Rams' secondary will be completely overmatched against the Saints receivers.

Prediction: Saints 33 – Rams 24

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

This game harbors Alex Smith's not so triumphant return after Troy Smith was medicore in his last two starts.  Alex gives the Niners a different look, but it's not really a better look.  Both quarterbacks have been ultimately ineffective, and neither looks like a perennial starting-level signal caller.  Amazingly, the Niners could move just a game back in the West yet again if the Rams lose at New Orleans and they win this game against Seattle.  The Niners' defense has been playing better of late, and playing at home, San Fran will have enough to beat the up-and-down Seahawks.

Prediction: 49ers 20 – Seahawks 16

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

The Dolphins' passing game has been far too inconsistent, and I expect the Jets' defense to bounce back after that embarrassing Monday night showing.

Prediction: Jets 21 – Dolphins 13

Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals

Who cares?

Prediction: Broncos 21 – Cardinals 10

Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers

The Chiefs are great at home, but this game is on the road, and despite the fact that Kansas City has been the more consistent team, I think San Diego has a higher ceiling because of Phillip Rivers.  Ultimately, Rivers will put San Diego right back in contention for an AFC West title with a win against the division-leading Chiefs.

Prediction: Chargers 28 – Chiefs 24

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

Jason Garrett has done a really good job of getting this team to play hard.  They have plenty of talent, and they are now matching that talent with good effort.  Still, Jon Kitna is not Tony Romo, nor is he Michael Vick.  The Eagles need every game in a tight NFC East race with the Giants, and I expect them to come out swinging in this one.

Prediction: Eagles 31 – Cowboys 20

Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans

It's a matchup of the terrible Texans secondary against Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, and Ray Rice: advantage Baltimore.

Prediction: Ravens 27 – Texans 17