By TLarner
Monday Night Football: New Orleans 17, Atlanta 14
Drew Brees and his Saints were able to sneak past NFC South rival Falcons with a close victory Monday night, leaving a chance for New Orleans to steal the division in Week 17. Brees, who threw for 302 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to Jimmy Graham, also threw two interceptions in the final period. Atlanta defensive ends John Abraham and Chauncey Davis each recorded a pick, and Davis took his 26 yards to give the Falcons a late 14-10 lead before the Brees touchdown. Atlanta’s offense was quiet. Matt Ryan was held to only 148 yards through the air. Ryan connected with receiver Roddy White for a seven-yard score in the first half.
Tuesday Night’s Results Minnesota 24, Philadelphia 14
In his first NFL start, rookie quarterback Joe Webb led the Vikings to a win over the Eagles. Webb was 17 of 26 for 195 yards. He also ran for 31 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson totaled 118 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Eagles on the other hand, struggled offensively. Michael Vick was under pressure all night. Minnesota corner Antoine Winfield sacked Vick twice, including a sack-fumble which he returned himself for 45 yards for a touchdown. Vick recorded 326 yards, two touchdowns (one rushing), two lost fumbles, and an interception.
Game of the Week: Chicago at Green Bay
In a weekend full of playoff scenarios, the Bears and Packers finish the season with an old fashion NFC North battle that can vault Green Bay (9-6) into the sixth seed. The Bears (11-4) are currently the second seed as NFC North Champions, and have a long shot of becoming number one.
The Bears are the surprise winner of the division, and have been playing well on defense. Star defensive end Julius Peppers, who has eight sacks, has recorded six sacks in the past six games. On the other end on the line, end Israel Idonije also has eight sacks on the season. Chicago is fifth in the league with 20 interceptions. They are also fourth best in the league allowing 18.4 points per game. Safety Chris Harris has a team high five interceptions, and corner D.J. Moore has four, including one returned for a touchdown. Offensively, running back Matt Forte has 978 yards, and hopes to break the 1,000 yard barrier for the second time in his career. Second year receiver Johnny Knox currently has 960 receiving yards, and would nearly double his total from last season by reaching the 1,000 yard mark.
The Packers were a preseason favorite to win the division, and can still make the playoffs with a win. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having another tremendous year. Green Bay has the fifth best passing offense in the league, and Rodgers has the fourth best passer rating at 101.9. Receiver Greg Jennings has passes the 1,100 yard mark for the third consecutive year. Jennings is second in the NFC with 1,168 yards, and his 12 touchdowns is tied with Calvin Johnson for the most in the conference. The Packers have a strong defense, too. The 15.8 points allowed per game is the second best in the league. Linebacker Clay Matthews his tied for third with 12.5 sacks in addition to the 62-yard touchdown return on his only interception. Corner Tramon Williams leads the team with six interceptions.
Key Matchup: Jay Cutler vs. Rodgers
Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler has played a lot better this season than last. His passer rating is up nearly 14 point to 90.6. He has also cut down on the interceptions, from 26 to 14. Cutler is coming off two consecutive games with three touchdown passes. Rodgers is coming off a 400-yard, four touchdown game against the Giants. Since the Green Bay bye week in Week 10, Rodgers has thrown 12 touchdowns to only one interception. Each QB is facing a tough pass rush in Peppers and Matthews. It is vital for each QB to minimize turnovers and sacks, and keep their respective offenses moving down the field.
Prediction
This game may mean more to the Packer than the Bears. Chicago is locked in the playoffs, while Green Bay needs to win to secure the sixth seed. Therefore, I believe Rodgers and the Packers will come out hotter than the Bears, and make strong playoff run as the last seed in the NFC.
Best of the Rest: (Home team in italics)
Atlanta over Carolina
Baltimore over Cincinnati
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Minnesota over Detroit
Kansas City over Oakland
New England over Miami
New Orleans over Tampa Bay
New York Jets over Buffalo
Denver over San Diego
Houston over Jacksonville
Indianapolis over Tennessee
Philadelphia over Dallas
Arizona over San Francisco
New York Giants over Washington
St. Louis over Seattle
Last Week’s Results: 8-5
Have NFL Splinters? Share them here.
Go Bears!
Underrated subplot: If Atlanta wins and Chicago tweets this game in, that would mean Philly killed the Giants three times — twice on the field, then a third time when it choked against Minnesota (handing that 2-seed to Chicago and by proxy handing this game and the 6-seed to Green Bay). A triple homicide! Hey Eagles fans, would you rather have the 2-seed, or the 3-seed with the added bonus that you destroyed Giants fans a third time? (Waiting.) You picked the 2-seed … but you had to think about it, right?
Another underrated subplot: Mike McCarthy doing his Andy Reid impersonation — it’s like watching the Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker of Bad Clock Management grabbing their light sabers for three hours. Don’t sleep on McCarthy: He’s the one who prompted Brad from Tampa to e-mail me, “Can you ask one of your readers to make a YouTube video of Mike McCarthy as MacGruber? Whenever McCarthy has to battle the clock, the clock always wins. I’m waiting for the day when he calls for a fake FG in the two-minute offense with the Packers down four. MCCARTHY!!!!!”
Love it. Here, I re-wrote the theme song for the YouTube clip maker …
MCCARTHY!
He can’t understaaaand that three zeroes are a bad thing
MCCARTHY!
It’s like crossing Herm Edwards with Andy Reeeeeeid
MCCARTHY!!!!!!
He goes through timeouts like an all-you-can-eat buffeeeet
MCCARTHY!!!!!!!
Heshouldspendthesummerplayingvideogamestopracticethecloc-
MCCARTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best way to describe either the 2010 Titans season or Kerry Collins’ career: During last week’s Chiefs game, Titans defensive end William Hayes was sitting innocently on the Titans’ bench when an errant Collins incompletion nailed him in the head and concussed him.
Underrated subplot: It will be interesting to see how Peyton Manning responds in this game, his first since the Colts placed Austin Collie on IR and Manning found out that he couldn’t break the record for “most times a QB led his receiver over the middle and right into a safety who was coming at him at 30 miles an hour” in one season.
Enduring lesson from 2010: If Bill Belichick is offering to trade you someone who is allegedly one of his best players during the season, and all he wants is a third-round draft pick for him, turn this trade down. And if the player’s new team waives him within three weeks, don’t put in a waiver-wire claim for him.
Houston fans want Gary Kubiak to be fired so badly that they’re organizing a “FIRE KUBIAK!” rally before the game. Meanwhile, the fading Jags need a win AND an Indy collapse against Tennessee to sneak into the playoffs, a sentence that just sent chills down the spine of every CBS executive because they’d have to downgrade their promos from “Manning! Lewis! Freeney! Flacco! It’s the Colts and the Ravens, Round 1, Sunday afternoon on CBS!” to “Baltimore! Jacksonville! (Three seconds of awkward silence.) Um … it’s a playoff game! WIN OR GO HOME! Sunday on NBC!” Lots going on here.
Enduring lesson from 2010: Don’t get too carried away with anything that happens in Week 1. A few days after the Texans crushed the Colts, I remember some moron fill-in host on “PTI” comparing Schaub-Foster-Johnson to Aikman-Smith-Irvin. What an idiot. He looked like Jason Kapono crossed with Stevie from “Eastbound and Down.” I bet he feels pretty dumb right now.
Enduring lesson from 2010: If a rival coach in your division offers to trade you his starting quarterback — someone who’s been a signature player for his franchise, no less — and all he wants is a second-round pick, definitely turn this trade down as fast as possible.
Plain and simple… after letting Philly somehow come back and win that game … what was it … 38-31 at the end of regulation on the punt return, the Giants simply don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. You cannot have meltdowns like that in divisional play and expect to escape with the spoils. Doh!
No kidding, Wally, although honestly, I really can’t make my mind up which is the worst team to make the playoffs this year: Seattle or Chicago.
The NFL sure does have this “parity” thing all figured out.
Or is that parody? 🙂
Chas —
I don’t have high expectations for either of those two. The Bears are one home playoff win away from playing for the NFC Championship. That in itself is a miracle.
What does Gary Kubiak have over the owner of the Titans that he is not fired?
Is it loyalty or stupidity?
As much as I hate the Jets – you have to love Rex Ryan.. He apparently has rebounded from the whooping by the Patriots. He beats up on the Bills and declares his team the Super Bowl favorite..
Peyton Manning should play in his bare feet on Saturday.. Should leave Ryan speechless and unable to coach.. 🙂
Ooops, that is supposed to be the Texans.. Maybe that is why Kubiak hasn’t been fired.. 🙂
Some interesting names could be looking for jobs.. Marvin Lewis, Jeff Fisher and Jon Gruden has to be getting the itch.
Anyone intrigued by Charlie Weis going back to the college game. Wally, I know you aren’t a favorite, but as an offensive coordinator, he is one of the best. Florida could be very interesting offensively next year.
Smitty –
I’m not sure Florida has the quarterback to be an elite team right now and near future. But Weis is a good OC, no doubt.