Philadelphia over Houston. Michael Vic continued his path to MVP with another solid performance. The Eagles with all their talent and speed on offense held to 34 points with two more dropped touchdown passes and taking a long halftime heading into the third quarter letting the Texans get back into the game. The bad news for the Eagles is that Vic was hit hard by a defense that is considered the weakest in the league. Vic isn’t the greatest quarterback in the league, but he is stronger than he looks but, many times after taking a hit, he gets up very slowly. The good news for him and the Eagles is that they have ten days to ice the bumps and bruises and for coach Andy Reid to find a way to lessen the punishment Vic is taking. The Eagles badly need a healthy Vic down the stretch.
The Texans also have an explosive offense but their defense has been their Achilles heel all season. That will be the cause of not winning the division. The Texans have Andre Johnson and now he’s so feared, even angry Eagle fans were seen giving him money before the game to help pay off the fine for the past few weeks.
Pittsburgh over Baltimore. The Steelers won a game that was tough and brutal as advertised. It was like old school football where anything goes. Ben Roethlisberger just earned the World’s Toughest Man title by playing through a broken bone in his foot and snapping his spike and spraining it early in the first quarter. Oh! Not to mention, he had to fight bloodthirsty Terrell Suggs throughout the game. The Steelers overcame injuries, poor officiating (Ben was hit in the head and Miller was knocked unconscious without a personal foul call) and blunt Ravens defense to take control of the division. Troy Polamalu’s sack and throw was the turning point of the game. Polamalu’s ability to make these kinds of plays is unreal. The Ravens never saw it coming. Isaac Redman’s catch and breaking up an inning was also huge. The Steelers’ determination kept them in the game until their big players made big plays.
The Raven blew an opportunity to take control of the division and earn a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. They beat and bled Roethlisberger throughout the game. I’m not sure the Steelers would have scored a touchdown if Joe Flacco hadn’t fumbled after being hit by Polamalu. It’s easy to look back, but how come the Ravens didn’t see Polamalu lurking in their line of scrimmage? It would be so easy to switch to a running play on the other side. It was second and five. There was no reason to pass in that situation. Flacco also put together the fourth short and two passes. The receiver was wide open. You can’t miss those opportunities. I can’t fault Harbaugh’s decision not to attempt a 48-yard field goal in the swirling winds and cold. I can only criticize the execution on the pass. Now, most likely, the Ravens have gone on the road for the playoffs and that won’t be easy. The good news is that their defense will keep them in the road game.
Dallas beating Indianapolis. The Cowboys won a game they would have lost earlier in the season. They made key plays when they had them too and pulled off a terrific break when the Colts were penalized for using leverage on a drive late in the quarter. That allowed the Cowboys to score a much-needed touchdown. They controlled the clock with over two hundred rushing yards led by Tashard Choice and got turnovers when they needed them. Jon Kitna was solid and didn’t turn the ball over. Even the most maligned kicker, David Buehler, received a decisive kick in overtime.
The Colts badly need this game and they didn’t get it. Falling behind 17-0 is never good. The Colts have no running game and Peyton Manning’s four interceptions cost them the game again. Manning is pressing and his footwork is terrible. He often stands on tiptoe and does not see the whole field. He is also making bad decisions. Even with Manning’s error-prone play, the Colts still had a chance to win. The leverage penalty on a field goal attempt was as great as Manning’s four interceptions. The Colts now face an uphill battle just to sneak into the playoffs.
Chicago over Detroit. The Bears just find a way to win close games. It’s just his year. The Lions just find a way to lose close games. It’s not his century.
Green Bay over San Francisco. The Packers won a game wearing the ugliest uniforms in NFL history. They must be burned immediately. The 49ers haven’t beaten a team in cold weather since Joe Montana was quarterback.
Kansas City over Denver. The Chiefs almost got caught looking forward, but they escaped with a win. The Broncos have now shown that they can lose by being boring, too.
Atlanta over Tampa Bay. The Falcons and Matt Ryan team up to win another close game. The Buccaneers had this game under control until their old-school orange jerseys caused 11 players to miss tackles on a kickoff return for a Falcons touchdown.
New Orleans beats Cincinnati. The Saints are just as explosive on offense, but they needed the Bengals to fall in love with what has never been done before. “Lure yourself offside with a strong count” trick.
New York Giants defeating Washington. The Giants did what they wanted on offense and defense. The Redskins were inept in every way except being on time.
Minnesota destroying Buffalo. The Vikings proved they can win without Brett Farve. But Farve was there in spirit making Tarvaris Jackson throw interceptions as well. The Bills ultimately suffered a non-heartbreaking loss and seemed relieved in the process.
Cleveland beating Miami. The Browns have now won two in a row since the first time this season. Too bad it’s not the win over Miami that the city of Cleveland really wanted. The Dolphins are now heading into the ever-dreaded 500 season.
Oakland over San Diego. The Raiders came out on top and won a game that many thought was impossible since the Chargers haven’t lost in December since 2005. The Chargers must have spent the week checking out the real estate market in Los Angeles.
Seattle over Carolina. The Seahawks’ win allowed the Seahawks to keep their goal of a bowl berth intact. The Panthers hope the season ends today so they can have the first pick in the draft.
St. Louis over Arizona. The Rams finally ended a losing streak against the Cardinals. Cardinal coach Whisenhunt is finding out it’s hard to win when your quarterback is Kurt Warner