Week 17

Andre Johnson is good, but why isn't this a picture of Arian Foster?

Well the last two weeks have been poor.   Rather than make excuses I’ll just give the teams I short-changed a little credit.  The Texans have found a finisher in Tennessee’s own, Arian Foster.   The Panthers’ offense has found new life under Matt Moore and knocked the Giants from the playoff hunt.  The Chargers took advantage of the 21 point spread allowed them by Vince Young, and the Ravens’ apparently didn’t want to beat the Steelers committing over 100 yards of penalties.  Finally, Coach Caldwell, both as an analyst and a fan, I hate you.  Thanks for giving up the perfect season, by not playing upwards of 10 starters the entire second half, and giving Rex Ryan his Christmas wish, and a free shot at controlling their destiny.   Now a league that has been so exciting to this point has imploded a bit.

NFC Playoff Picture

The NFC is wrapped up with the exception of seeding.  The Saints control the South, the Vikings the North, and the Cardinals the West.  The Cowboys, Eagles, and Packers all have locked up playoff berths.  The final 5 spots are all essentially up for grabs with the Vikings on a skid losing 3 of their last 4 games.  The winner of the Cowboys – Eagles game takes the NFC East.  The Packers hold the head to head with the Cowboys if they both finish 10-6, and the Cardinals can potentially step as high as 2^nd with a win and losses by the Vikings and Eagles. With all the spots taken, it may seem a bit boring, but the fact that five teams are still jockeying for position makes this a better race over all.  The will they’s and won’t they’s are out of the way, and now it’s down to who’s who.  With 2 potential first round previews playing out this week, and a what might have been as the Giants battle the Vikings who seemed to get back on track just a little too late versus the Bears Monday night.

AFC Playoff Picture

The Colts are no longer undefeated, and will rest players in Buffalo.  The Chargers have a first round bye.  The Patriots win the East and the Bengals win the North.  The final week will still sort out spots 3-6, but it’s not as dramatic as it may sound.  The Ravens and the Jets are both in with a win.  The Jets play the Bengals, who will play for the 3^rd spot.  The Ravens play an upset hungry Raiders team, as they try to lock up the second wild-card.  The Patriots play the Texans who will try to snake their way to 9-7, the first time the feat will have been accomplished, and potentially the franchise’s first playoff berth.  They need help, but it is possible.  The Broncos must beat a Chiefs team that almost got the Bengals last week, but that is only the beginning.  The Broncos still need one of the following:

The Ravens lose and the Jets lose

The Ravens lose and the Texans win

The Steelers make the playoffs with a win versus Miami and the Ravens and Jets Lose, or the Ravens and Broncos lose.  The Texans make the playoffs with a win in New England and three losses from the Ravens, Jets, Steelers, and Broncos.

The Jaguars can make the playoffs if they win in Cleveland and 4 out of those 5 lose.

The Dolphins can make the playoffs if they beat the Steelers and 5 out of those 6 lose.

The Titans were eliminated as they are at the bottom of the tie-breaker list.  They play only for CJ’s records.

The Game of the Week:

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets

The Jets hope Thomas Jones will carry them past the Bengals.

If the Bengals win they are the three seed.  If the Jets win they are in the playoffs.  The Jets have to win.  The Bengals want to win in case they have to play New England down the road.  The Jets have the best rushing attack in the league behind the quiet Thomas Jones, but the Bengals have the 2^nd best running defense.   The game will be close, but when the battle inevitably comes down to a battle between Carson Palmer vs. Mark “Dirty” Sanchez.  The Bengals take the win:

Bengals 24 – Jets 20

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns

The Jaguars imploded versus the Patriots.  They don’t implode twice.  Their offence comes out firing everything it has… in vain:

Jaguars 33 – Browns 21

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

If the Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC, then the Cowboys are the 2^nd.

Mcnabb versus Romo: even.

The Eagles DBs versus the Cowboys LBs: Even

Celek and company versus Witten friends: even.

Westbrook, Mccoy and Weaver vs. Barber, Jones, and Choice: Slight Edge Cowboys.

Desean Jackson vs. Ogletree:  Slight Edge Eagles.

So what will the game come down to?

Luck.  I’ve seen many a miracle bail out Brett Favre over the years, making up for either bad luck or a team falling short.  As when the lowly Cardinals beat Moss and Culpepper to allow the Packers in all those years ago, The Cowboys hand the Vikings the first round bye as they take the East:

Cowboys 33 – Eagles 28

New England Patriots at Houston Texans

The Patriots will play.  They always play.  The Texans won’t get an early double digit cushion.  They’ll have to win a battle at New England.  They won’t:

Patriots 38 – Texans 23

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins

The Steelers have to win to have any chance of making the playoffs.  So do the Dolphins.  The difference?  The Steelers just be the Ravens and the Packers.  The Dolphins just lost to the Texans and the Titans.  Roethlisberger thrives under pressure.  Henne apparently doesn’t.  The Dolphins will make the Steelers earn it:

Steelers 31 – Dolphins 24

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

The Packers are one of the hottest teams in the league.  The Cardinals may or not be.  I believe they roll a die pre-game and on a 4+ they show up.   This game might happen twice.  (As might the Eagles – Cowboys.)  Considering that the Packers won’t beat the Cardinals twice and vice versa.  The Cardinals are hot in the playoffs, and roll a 2 this week:

Packers 35 – Cardinals 24

Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders

The Ravens win the game they are supposed to and struggle vs. good opponents.  The Raiders lose the games they are supposed to, and pick on teams that sleep on them.  The New Browns just breezed by them.  The Old Browns will put up 40:

Ravens 42 – Raiders 18

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

The Chiefs are explosive.  So are the Broncos.  The Chiefs can’t stop the run.  The Broncos can.  If Jerome Harrison put up over 200 yards so will the Broncos’ double threat in Moreno and Buckhalter and Moreno.  The Broncos get the victory:

Broncos 30 – Chiefs 17

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

The Giants are embarrassed.  The Giants are angry.  Yet their run defense is horrible.  Eli will put up impressive numbers.  So will Favre.  Favre, whom everyone wrote off, did everything he could have to come back from a 17 point deficit on Monday night.  A blocked PAT against Longwell allowed the game to go to overtime, and a fumble by Peterson in overtime gave the Bears the win.  Two 50+ yard kick returns also allowed the Bears to pick up some easy points, and pointed out the next place the Vikings need to focus to be true Super Bowl contenders.  Despite all those flaws, Purple Jesus got back on a track as the offensive line came back alive.  Vikings win, and thanks to some help from Favre Junior take a first round bye:

Vikings 38 – Giants 28

Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks

Chris Johnson and the Titans are playing for 2 reasons:

2,105 Rushing Yards

And

2,429 yards from scrimmage

Chris Johnson needs just 75 yards from Scrimmage to break Marshal Faulk’s league record and 234 to catch Eric Dickerson’s 25 year old mark.  The Seahawks don’t want to let that happen.  The 75 is a gimme.  Sorry Marshell.  The 234 will be a harder peak to climb.  It will be close.  The Titans will win, but will they?

Titans 31 – Seahawks 28

Tags: afc, andre johnson, bon jovi, hampton forecast, nfc, nfl, thomas jones

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 at 10:52 am and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.