JC's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 15 of the NFL

Game of the Week: San Francisco 41  New England 31
-This game was nowhere close to being the game of the week. At one point, the 49ers were up 31-3 on the Pats in the cold and rain in Foxboro. But, you can never let Tom Brady and Co. back into the game. New England came roaring back and tied the game in the 4th quarter. But the 49ers answered with a good kickoff return and a TD less than a minute later. Bill Bellicheck then decided to go for it on 4th and 3 inside their own 30 late, and they failed yet again on Sunday night. It was a gutsy move, but it shows you don't trust your defense to stop the 49ers. Colin Kapernick continues to play well and has brought new life into this 49ers team. They are more dangerous with him under center. The 49ers are still my pick in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl.

NFL Week 17 Picks

Last week of regular season picks. I will do a preview for each round of the Playoffs as well, then more than likely an off-season preview in March and April, along with a Draft preview as well.

Last Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date Record: 153-87

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints
This is a match-up of two offenses that are fun to watch for different reasons. For Carolina, they have the always entertaining Cam Newton for them at QB. Newton's big arm and play making abilities on the ground make him a duel threat under center. Along with Johnathan Stewart and DeAngleo Williams, the Panthers have one of the best running attacks in the league. The Panthers are going to be a popular playoff pick next year, and this match-up could be a bigger game next year for both teams. The Panthers need to get healthy on defense and if they do that, watch out. The Saints offense is fun to watch because they have Drew Brees at QB. Brees has one of the best football minds in the game. He finds his open WR every play. It doesn't matter if it is his first option or fourth option, Brees finds him. Brees just broke Dan Marino's single season passing record, so he doesn't have that to play for this game. But the Saints are still fighting for a 1st round bye, but that seems unlikely with the 49ers easy match-up. But the Saints will play hard here. The Panthers almost knocked off the Saints earlier in the season, but a late Saints TD drive stopped that. I think the Saints pull out a close one here. Brees will pick apart a weak Panthers secondary.

New Orleans 35  Carolina 24

NFL Week 16 Review

It is almost Playoff time. Lets take a look at Week 16 action first!

Team of the Week: Detroit Lions
-The Lions get this spot for clinching their first playoff berth since 1999. There were high hopes for the Lions at the start of the season, and they lived up to that hype with a 5-0 start. The Lions encountered some road bumps in the middle of the season but have won three in a row, and they dominated the red hot San Diego Chargers on Saturday to secure their Wild Card berth. Matthew Stafford has turned into a promising franchise QB, and the Lions have found ways to make their offense work when teams shut down Calvin Johnson. The defense is still a bit shaky, but if the Lions passing game keeps playing as well as they are, they can give teams fits in the playoffs. The Lions would be a tough out for the Giants or Cowboys.

Game of the Week: Indianapolis Colts 19  Houston Texans 16
-Not a lot of good choices this week. Nothing really stood out. So I'm giving the nod to this game. The Colts drove down the field on the Texans and Reggie Wayne caught the game winning TD pass with under one minute left to win their second straight game and put their chances at Andrew Luck in jeopardy. The Colts face a bad Jaguars team next week, and with the Rams facing a good 49ers team, the Rams could steal the #1 pick. And the Rams could get a boatload in return for that pick. The Texans have lost two in a row and the offense has sputtered a bit in recent weeks. The Texans defense also shouldn't let Dan Orlovsky drive down the field like he did on Thursday. The Texans have some kinks to work out before the Playoffs start, otherwise they could be one and done.

Dog of the Week: Rex Ryan, NY Jets Coach
-I'm sorry Rex, but it is time to shut that yap of yours and only open it when you are able to back what comes out of it up. Ryan talked a big game heading into the big Giants/Jets showdown in the Big Apple, and his Jets didn't show up. Apparently, Giants RB Brandon Jacobs told him to shut his mouth after the game, and it is about time someone else did. Even if the Jets find a way to sneak into the Playoffs, they won't have the success they have had the last few years. The team regressed badly this year, especially QB Mark Sanchez. Why is he throwing the ball 40+ times in a game. He isn't that good of a QB to do that. Ryan's mouth hasn't backed up anything yet, and until he gets a ring of his own, he will always be second fiddle in New York.

Other Week 16 Notes
-I think it is safe to say that the luster is finally off of Tim Tebow. Tebow's Denver Broncos were blown out again, this time by a Buffalo Bills team that had lost seven in a row headed into this week. The Bills defense used a four man front and forced Tebow to stay in the pocket and throw. And watching Tebow in person, he does not have a very good arm. If Tebow can't run and make plays, he isn't a very good QB. Now the Broncos face a must win situation this week against Kansas City. Win and the Broncos are in the Playoffs. But you know Kyle Orton, the man Tebow replaced, is dying to help keep his former team out of the Playoffs. The Chiefs defense has been playing very well as of late. Even in defeat, the Chiefs have only allowed one team since Week 12, the Jets in Week 14, to score more than 16 points. Tebow might need all of the magic he has left to help his Broncos win the AFC West.

-If I look back at my AFC Preview, I'm pretty sure I said the Bengals would be the worst team in the AFC this year. Well, it looks like I was completely wrong. The Bengals are one win away from getting the last Wild Card Spot in the AFC. Beat Baltimore at home this week and the Bengals are in. The Bengals got lucky against the Cardinals. Had Cardinals WR Early Doucet not tripped over the goal line, that game would have been going to overtime. But the Bengals control their own destiny, and that is all you can ask for heading into Week 17. The question is: Can a young Bengals team rise up to the challenge and beat a very good Ravens team that will be fighting for the AFC North Title? With the Steelers playing the Browns, the Ravens know they are going to have to win this game to clinch the AFC North and get a first round bye. The AFC North may be the best division in all of football.

-Watching Drew Brees and the Saints offense on Monday night, you have to wonder if they are the actual favorites to win the NFC. The Saints offense with Brees under center is almost unstoppable. They put up 41 points against a good Falcons defense. With the Packers heading into the Playoffs, you have to worry about their defense and if it can stop Brees for even one possession. Brees broke Dan Marino's NFL single season passing yards record last night and deserves some consideration for MVP this year. I know Aaron Rodgers had his team undefeated all year, but the Saints would be absolutely nowhere without Brees. I don't see anything preventing a Saints/Packers rematch for the NFC Championship, and I think these two are the heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl again.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Good thing it isn't up to Raheem Morris if he has to fire himself or not.

-Do the Rams take Andrew Luck and trade Sam Bradford? Or vice versa?

-Can T.J. Yates get the Texans out of the 1st round?

-The only way the 49ers are winning in the Playoffs is if the defense shuts down everyone.

-How did the AFC South become the worst division in football?

-Watch out for the Panthers next year.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New England Patriots  12-3  vs Buffalo
2. Baltimore Ravens  11-4  at Cincinnati
3. Houston Texans  10-5  vs Tennessee
4. Denver Broncos  8-7  vs Kansas City
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  11-4  at Cleveland
6. Cincinnati Bengals  9-6  vs Baltimore
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7. Oakland Raiders  8-7  at San Diego
8. Tennessee Titans  8-7  at Houston
9. New York Jets  8-7  at Miami

The Wild Card Scenarios for all of the 8-7 teams are a bit complicated, so let me just tell you what I think happens. I think every team in the Wild Card race loses except the Titans. In that scenario, the Bengals and Titans both finish 9-7, and the Bengals would get in because they beat the Titans earlier in the year. I also think the Broncos beat the Chiefs and win the AFC West. The Pats clinch home field, and the Ravens win the AFC North, leaving the playoffs like this in the AFC.

1. New England
2. Baltimore
6. Cincinnati Bengals vs 3. Houston Texans
5. Pittsburgh Steelers vs 4. Denver Broncos

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Green Bay Packers  14-1  vs Detroit
2. San Francisco 49ers  12-3  at St. Louis
3. New Orleans Saints  12-3  vs Carolina
4. New York Giants  8-7  vs Dallas
5. Detroit Lions  10-5  at Green Bay
6. Atlanta Falcons  9-6  vs Tampa Bay
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7. Dallas Cowboys  8-7  at NY Giants

Everything spot wise is set in the NFC besides the NFC East crown. Seeding is still up for grabs. I think the Giants beat the Cowboys in the finale. I also think the Lions beat the Packers in Lambeau. The Lions will play for the 5 seed because it means not going to New Orleans or San Francisco in Round 1. I think the seeds stay exactly as they are now in the NFC.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants: The team that makes the least amount of dumb mistakes wins.
Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals cap a surprise season in front of 45,000 "fans."
Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos: Can TEBOWMANIA rebound after two bad performances.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 16 Picks

Not a good week for me last week, maybe I can rebound.

Last Week's Record: 7-9
Year to Date Record: 143-81

Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts
Could this be another trap game for the Texans? The Panthers went up early on the Texans last week and didn't look back. T.J. Yates didn't play terrible, but he didn't do enough to help his team win, and that could be a problem come playoff time. The Texans pass defense, which had been strong all year, was beaten by Cam Newton. Maybe it was Wade Phillips not being there, but the Texans defense just seemed a bit off last week. The Colts finally won last week, and it was their defense that made some plays. Surprisingly, the Colts shut down Chris Johnson last week. The Colts have been playing hard the last few weeks, and it finally paid off for them last week. You bet the Colts remember the beating the Texans gave them in Week One, but I don't know if the Colts have enough to pull off an upset for the second week in a row. I think the Texans right the ship this week and win a close one.

Houston 21  Indianapolis 17

Oakland Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
The slow collapse of the Raiders continues. Losers of three in a row, the Raiders once bright Playoff chances now appear to be dim. The Raiders had a win in their sights last week, but they let the Lions drive 96 yards downfield to take the lead. A lot of the poor play can contributed to the defense, which has given up 34, 46, and 28 points during this three game losing streak. But a lot of the blame can be given to Carson Palmer as well, who hasn't been playing as well as he did during his start with the Raiders. He sure doesn't look worth a 1st round pick right now. The Chiefs, meanwhile, pulled off the upset of the year last week when they handed the Packers their first loss. The team played hard under interim coach Romeo Crennel, who made a strong case to get the permanent head coaching gig. The defense stepped up big time for the Chiefs, holding the Packers to their lowest point total of the year. If the Chiefs can hold the Packers to 14 points, I think they can keep the Raiders in check. Give me the Chiefs here.

Kansas City 23  Oakland 13

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Tennessee Titans
What else is their to say about the Jaguars at this point? Blaine Gabbert continues to look terrible, the defense got shredded by the Falcons last week.This is an organization in need of a complete overhaul in the off-season. The Titans lost a crucial game last week against the then winless Colts, pretty much crushing their playoff chances in the process. The Titans have looked better the last few weeks with Jake Locker in at QB and not Matt Hasselbeck. I think Locker is the QB next year for sure, but who gets the nod this week? It's Hasselbeck if he is healthy, but does he give the Titans the best chance to win? I don't think so. I would start Locker, but I'm sure Coach Munchak thinks the veteran gives him the best chance. Either way, the Titans should take care of the lowly Jags here. The Titans playoff hopes stay alive.

Tennessee 20  Jacksonville 10

Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots
The Dolphins are doing just enough to make sure they aren't in position to get a top QB in the draft next year. Matt Moore is playing well enough to warrant a chance at the starting next year, but he did the same thing when he was with Carolina, and it didn't work out as well as they hoped. The good news for the Dolphins is that Reggie Bush is surprising everyone with his performance as the featured back in Miami. I never thought Reggie Bush would be a featured back, but he's proving me wrong. The Patriots showed last week again why they are the constant class of the NFL. Going into Denver against a red hot Broncos team, the Pats put up 41 points against a good Broncos defense. Tom Brady relied on some of his secondary options in the game, specifically Aaron Hernandez and Chad Ochocinco. The defense did enough to help its team win. They still aren't all the way there, but if the offense can put up 30+ points on a constant basis, then the defense's flaws can be hidden. The Pats win here. They are the better football team.

New England 38  Miami 24

Arizona Cardinals vs Cincinnati Bengals
All John Skelton does is win. The Cardinals are now 7-7 and are clinging to their playoff lives. I don't think they make it, but they definitely showed signs of improvement towards the end of the year. I don't think Skelton is the QB of the future either, but it definitely shows that the Cardinals may have made a mistake in trading for Kevin Kolb this off-season. Beanie Wells is finally living up to his potential at RB, and the defense has played better in recent weeks. And Patrick Peterson is turning into the next Devin Hester of punt returns. The Bengals are in a tie for the last playoff spot in the AFC with the Jets. The Bengals play their last two games at home, but that may not even help considering no one shows up for those games. The defense will face a big test with Larry Fitzgerald coming to town. Skelton looks his way often, and the Bengals pass defense has been shaky the last few games. I expect a heavy dose of Cedric Benson from the Bengals in this one, especially with A.J. Green a bit banged up. The Cardinals are playing good football right now, but I'm not a fan of teams going from west to east coast to play early games. Give me the Bengals here.

Cincinnati 24  Arizona 21

Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills
TebowMania was brought back down to Earth last week. Tebow himself didn't play bad, but the defense did not hold up its end of the bargain. If the Broncos expect to make the Playoffs and compete, then they need to put up a better showing then they did against New England. The good news for the Broncos is that they face an easy rebound game here against a down and out Bills team, losers of seven straight. Their run defense is still awful, so expect a lot of Tebow and Willis McGahee here. With Von Miller and Elvis Dumervill rushing Ryan Fitzpatrick, expect a lot of bad throws leading to turnovers. The Bills may already be regretting Ryan Fitzpatrick's contract. The Broncos know a win here could clinch the AFC West for them, so they give their all and take down the Bills.

Denver 28  Buffalo 17

St. Louis Rams vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers don't know if Ben Roethlisberger can play this week, but does it really matter? A Charlie Batch lead team should be able to beat this lowly Rams squad. All they have to do is take advantage of cornerbacks number 11 and 12 who are starting for the Rams this off-season. And they can do that when they pound the ball with Rashard Mendenhall, setting up the play action. I don't know if Kellen Clemons can lead the Rams into the end zone in this one. Steelers win easily.

Pittsburgh 27  St. Louis 6

New York Giants vs New York Jets
It's the Battle of New York, and both of these teams are coming off horrible losses. The Giants, after going to Dallas and winning, lost to the Redskins at home last week. That's a bad thing to do. The Giants looked like they had all of the momentum headed down the stretch, but they just hit a serious road block. It was the Giants second bad home loss of the season, with this loss going with their Seattle loss. The Giants offense was shut down by a defense that gave up 30+ points to the Patriots and Jets the last two weeks. The secondary, which was burned by Tony Romo two weeks ago, was burned again by Rex Grossman. The Giants can still make the playoffs if they win out, but they are facing a just as hungry Jets team in this one. The Jets were embarrassed in Philadelphia. They were never even really in the game. Mark Sanchez looked awful. The defense was burned by Mike Vick constantly. The Jets just looked like they didn't show up to play. The Jets have played well against bad teams this year, but have only beaten one team with a record over .500, and that is the Cowboys in Week 1. This one really is toss up, but I think the Giants are the slightly better team, and they win this one.

NY Giants 27  NY Jets 23

Minnesota Vikings vs Washington Redskins
The Redskins have shown signs of life in the last few weeks, and it makes you wonder why Mike Shanahan ever switched to John Beck during the season. The Redskins improved play can also be contributed to the emergence of Roy Helu in the backfield. Helu has become the centerpiece of the Skins offense, and it is allowing the passing game to open up with Santana Moss, and Brandon Banks throwing trick passes.The Vikings are also showing fight on offense, but the defense is so banged up that it is tough for them to stop anybody, especially in the secondary. The Vikings offense is better because everyone is finally healthy. Percy Harvin is now a duel threat and just as dangerous as Adrian Peterson. I'm still going with the Vikings here. They are playing the better overall football right now.

Washington 31  Minnesota 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers
Tampa continues falling, falling falling. They didn't look like they cared last week against Dallas. Just like Jacksonville, there is nothing new to write about this team. It looks like the Bucs have packed it in and are ready to hit the off-season. The Panthers are coming off of a big road upset last week against Houston. I said during my Week 15 Review that the Panthers are a team to watch next year, especially when they get healthy on defense. Cam Newton is the next Mike Vick at QB, and the running game has finally emerged after a slow start. They also have a duel threat at TE with Greg Olson and Jeremy Shockey. The Panthers are the better team, and they win here.

Carolina 34  Tampa Bay 23

Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore Ravens
The bad Joe Flacco showed up last week for Baltimore, and that is a bad thing if he is going to play like that on the road in the Playoffs. The good news for the Ravens is that they may only need to go on the road once during the Playoffs. But they also steered away from Ray Rice too early in last Sunday's loss to San Diego. Rice should be getting 30 touches a game through the air and ground. It takes the pressure off of Flacco. But you also have to be worried about the defensive effort of the Ravens last week, giving up 34 points to the Chargers. They shouldn't do that against the lowly Browns this week. Seneca Wallace, Colt McCoy, Bernie Kosar couldn't help the Browns now. They could be the least relevant team in football. The Ravens win here.

Baltimore 28  Cleveland 10

San Diego Chargers vs Detroit Lions
To me, this is a more intriguing game then the Battle of New York. The Chargers are riding a 3 game winning streak and are one game out of the AFC West and the last AFC Wild Card spot. Phillip Rivers has lost only two games as a starter in December. There's something about this month that he likes. The Chargers running game has also come alive, with Mike Tolbert and Ryan Matthews complementing the other very well. The Chargers defense, which had been shaky all year, has given up 14, 10, and 14 points the last three weeks. And in the week they gave up 10 points against the Bills, the one touchdown was scored by the Bills defense. The Lions are one win away from clinching the team's first playoff berth in a decade. The Lions had a great come from behind win last week against Oakland. The Lions offense has done a good job of adjusting to the double and triple teams on WR Calvin Johnson. Matthew Stafford is spreading out the ball more to WRs Titus Young and Nate Burleson, as well as TE Brandon Pettigrew. The Lions defense is still a liability in the secondary, and that could be a problem with the Chargers coming to town. Even if the Lions shut down Antonio Gates, they still have to worry about all of the other Chargers weapons at WR. I've been switching my pick for this game all week. The Lions know they go to Green Bay next week, so they need the win. But the Chargers are red hot right now, and I don't think I can bet against them.

San Diego 35  Detroit 31

Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones said that he is scared of the Eagles. And he should be. Mike Vick and the Eagles offense has come alive in the last few weeks. It is the way they should have been playing all year. The Cowboys have had problems in the secondary this year, and you know Mike Vick and Co. will take advantage of it. If the Eagles played like they did all year the last two weeks, maybe they would actually be leading the NFC East right now. The Eagles three headed trio will look to shut down the Cowboys three headed trio of WRs. But they also have to worry about Jason Witten. The Cowboys passing attack, and offense hasn't been the problem this year. The defense, specifically the secondary, hasn't improved much under Rob Ryan. Tony Romo doesn't play the best all the time, but the secondary has been constantly bad all year. The loss of DeMarco Murray hasn't slowed down the Cowboys offense with Felix Jones playing his part well. This game has high scoring affair written all over it. The Eagles whipped the Cowboys in Philly, but it will be closer here. But I still like the Eagles to pull off a mild upset.

Philadelphia 35  Dallas 30

San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers fought through two separate power outages on Monday night to beat a very good Pittsburgh Steelers team. It keeps the 49ers hopes of a first round bye alive. It also showed just how dominant the 49ers defense is. They shut down the Steelers offense. Now sure Ben Roethlisberger was hurt, but it still takes a lot to shut down the Steelers. Alex Smith did just enough to help his team win. He still missed a couple of throws, but as long as he doesn't make mistakes then he will be fine. Seattle's hot streak continued with their third straight win last week in Chicago. They essentially ended the Bears playoff hopes while strengthening theirs. It will still take a lot for Seattle to get in. The only way Seattle gets in is with two straight wins and two straight Lions losses. It isn't out of the realm of possibility, especially with the Lions difficult schedule. The 49ers haven't given up a rushing touchdown all year, and Marshawn Lynch has scored a TD in 10 straight games. Something gives here, and I think Lynch finds his way into the end zone. I'm giving the edge to Seattle in a close, low scoring affair.

Seattle 16  San Francisco 13

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
This Christmas night game looked way more appealing about a month ago. Now the Bears are starting Luke McCown at QB after Caleb Hanie has looked terrible the last three weeks. It isn't all his fault, if Matt Forte was still in the backfield I think the Bears offense would be better. But Hanie also threw a couple of bad interceptions last week which were inexcusable. The Bears playoff hopes are on life support at this point, and they are getting an angry Packers team in Lambeau. The Packers suffered their first loss of the season last week at Kansas City. The offense finally met its match with a very good Chiefs defense. The Bears defense is just as good, but the Packers also put up 27 points on the Bears in Week 3. Aaron Rodgers should be able to pass the ball on the Bears. The Bears have a good run defense but the Packers don't rely on the run, so that doesn't matter too much. The Packers defense also should rebound nicely after last week. They didn't play terrible, but they also couldn't get the Packers offense the ball back when they needed to stop the Chiefs. The Packers clinch the #1 seed in the NFC with a win, and they get that here against a bad Bears offense.

Green Bay 34  Chicago 14

Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints
We all remember what happened the last time these two teams played. In over time, the Falcons went for a 4th and 1 at their own 28 yard line and they were stopped. Many people questioned Mike Smith's tactics. Did he not trust his defense to stop Drew Brees? Hell, I wouldn't trust the 85 Bears defense to stop Drew Brees at this point. Atlanta has won four of five since that game, and they still have a shot at winning the NFC South if they win in New Orleans. The Saints defense hasn't been that intimidating in recent weeks, and Matt Ryan has been playing very well. His WRs, Roddy White and Julio Jones, have played very well in recent weeks. While the Falcons offense has been playing well, the Saints offense is on another level. Drew Brees is trying to force his way into the MVP discussion. Brees has so many targets that it is almost too easy for him. He also has Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas at his disposal in the back field. The Saints offense is just too difficult to focus on one person to stop. You have to get pressure on Drew Brees, but even then, he can still get rid of the ball in a quick and timely manner. I think this game is high scoring, but the Saints pull out the win. Just too many weapons all around.

New Orleans 31  Atlanta 27

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 0-4 (Not So Money Huh?)
Year to Date Record: 34-25-1

Denver -3 at Buffalo: Bills can't score, and the Broncos defense is better than they showed last week.

NY Giants +3 at NY Jets: I think the Giants have more talent and have a better offense.

Pittsburgh -14 vs St. Louis: Rams might not score 14 points.

Green Bay -13 vs Chicago: The Bears offense is BAD.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 14 Review

I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who want a 3,000 page report on Tim Tebow. It isn't in the cards. Instead, it is our weekly review of NFL Action.

Team of the Week: New York Giants
-The Giants had many doubters heading into this week, with me being one of them. I just didn't see how the Giants went into Dallas on Sunday night and pull off a win. Well, I shouldn't have doubted Eli Manning. Eli lead another 4th quarter comeback that gave the Giants the lead. Then Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been a beast for the Giants all year, blocked a potential game tying field goal by Dan Bailey that sealed the victory for the Giants. The win gave the Giants 1st place in the NFC East. They now control their own destiny in the NFC East. Win out and the Giants are in the playoffs. After the Redskins at home this week, the Giants have the Jets "on the road" even though the game is in New York, then host the Cowboys to end the year. Even if the Giants lose to the Jets, they can still get in with a home win against Dallas. The Giants still have some flaws, specifically in their secondary, but this was a much needed win for a team that was losers of four straight heading into Sunday night.

NFL Week 13 Review

NFL Review time? You bet!

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-I think this may be the third time the 49ers won this award in the season. But the 49ers won the NFC West on Sunday with a great all around performance against the lowly St. Louis Rams. The 49ers shutout the Rams and had a great game offensively, taking the Rams to the wood shed. Alex Smith continues his career resurrection under Jim Harbaugh, which comes as a complete surprise to a lot of people. The defense is going to make this team a real threat come January. One under-rated guy on this team? Kicker David Akers. Akers has been pretty spot on this year, and he hit another four field goals on Sunday. I don't think Jim Harbaugh rests any players yet. Frank Gore may see a slightly lighter work load, but I don't know if anyone else rests considering the 49ers are still fighting for a 1st round bye. I predicted the 49ers to finish last in the NFC West. I will eat crow here, Congrats to the 49ers on a great season.

Game of the Week: Green Bay Packers 38  New York Giants 35
-This one really isn't close. The Giants were blown out at New Orleans on Sunday night, so you were kind of expecting something similar here. But the Giants stood toe-to-toe with the Packers on Sunday. They drove down the field with less than 5 minutes remaining to tie the game with a touchdown and 2 point conversion. Problem is, they left time on the clock for Aaron Rodgers to go 4 plays down the field to get into field goal position. It reminded me a lot of the Giants/Patriots game from the Patriots undefeated season. The Giants hung with the Pats the entire game before Tom Brady & Co. pulled it out in the end. The Giants fell to 6-6, but the Cowboys also lost so it wasn't a season-ender. The Packers just continue to roll and have already clinched the NFC North. The Packers are showing some flaws on defense, and I wouldn't consider them a lock to roll to the Super Bowl in the NFC.

Dog of the Week: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
-Come on man, really? That was some terrible clock management by the Dallas Cowboys at the end of their game against the Arizona Cardinals. They wasted 20 seconds getting lined up to spike the ball when they still had two timeouts in their pocket. Then, Garrett called a timeout right before kicker Dan Bailey booted the kick right through the uprights. So what happened on Bailey's next attempt? He was short and to the left. Garrett said after the game he thought the play clock was getting low. It wasn't low enough to prevent Bailey from getting the kick off on time. If you think the kick isn't going to get off on time, call the timeout before your kicker gets set. The Cowboys went on to lose the game in overtime and blew the chance to take a two game lead on the Giants.

Other Week 13 Notes
-Did you know that all Tim Tebow does is win? He did it again on Sunday, and this time he did it with his arm. Tebow had 2 TD passes in Denver's win over Minnesota. The Broncos are now 6-1 this year under Tebow, and that is all that matters when it comes down to it. Tebow won one of those games by only completing two passes, and he won another by scoring all of the team's points in the final 3 minutes. The Broncos now sit on top of the AFC West thanks to Tebow, and some much better play by their defense. The next two games are huge for the Broncos, home against the Bears and Patriots. If the Broncos can win those two, especially against the Patriots, then there's no reason to think they won't make the playoffs.

-At what point do you just start feeling bad for the Bears and Texans? Lets start with the Bears. First they lose Jay Cutler for what looks like the rest of the regular season. Then, they lose Matt Forte for 2-6 weeks with a sprained MCL. Now who do the Bears turn to on offense? Caleb Hanie has not done well his first two games, and Marion Barber is not an every down back. The Bears remain in a 3 way tie with the Falcons and Lions for the last 2 Wild Card spots, and it won't be easy. The Texans lost Andre Johnson again for another couple weeks after injuring his other hamstring. So the Texans lost Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. They get Johnson back then lose him again. They still pulled out a good win at home against Atlanta. The defense stepped up big time, holding the Falcons to only 10 points. It was big because it doesn't look like the Titans are going away. Being up 2 games with 4 games left is a huge advantage.

-The last Wild Card spot in the AFC may very well come down to the final week of the season. The Bengals, Jets, Titans, and Broncos/Raiders are all 7-5 and all have difficult schedules ahead. The Bengals looked particularly bad this past week against Pittsburgh. They went from being competitive against the Steelers at home to getting blown out on the road. Youth may be catching up to Cincinnati. The Jets pulled away late against Washington but looked shaky for 3 quarters. The Raiders were blown out in Miami and now go to Green Bay next week. Tennessee has won three of their last four but go to New Orleans next week. The Broncos are playing the best football, but they will win the AFC West in my opinion. If I'm a betting man, I'm going with the Jets to get the last Wild Card spot. They always find a way to sneak into the playoffs and I think they will again.

-I think it is finally to the point where this dysfunction in Philadelphia will cost Any Reid his job. The Eagles look like they have given up on Reid, and you don't need any more evidence than Thursday nights game against Seattle. That team just doesn't care anymore. They were suppose to be Super Bowl contenders but now they are contenders for a Top 10 pick. If Reid is back, DeSean Jackson won't be. I doubt Jackson will be back anyway. The defense, specifically the linebackers, look like a joke. I guess that is what happens when you make your offensive line coach your defensive coordinator. At this point, I wouldn't even  risk further injury to Mike Vick. Finishing 4-12 isn't out of the realm of possibility if this team really has quit, but I think they win their final game against Washington to get to 5-11.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Are you happy you gave Jacksonville two home MNF games now, ESPN?

-Is it really just Ndamukong Suh that is dirty in Detroit?

-I would still take all of this Tebow talk over a potential Brett Favre return.

-Is the NFC West actually better than the NFC East?

-Can I play QB for the Rams this week?

-Hey Donovan McNabb, take all of this as a sign that it is time to retire.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New England Patriots  9-3  at Washington
2. Baltimore Ravens  9-3  vs Indianapolis
3. Houston Texans  9-3  at Cincinnati
4. Denver Broncos  7-5  vs Chicago
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  9-3  vs Cleveland
6. Cincinnati Bengals  7-5  vs Houston
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7. Tennessee Titans  7-5  vs New Orleans
8. Oakland Raiders  7-5  at Green Bay
9. New York Jets  7-5  vs Kansas City

This week would be the perfect opportunity for the Jets to grab the #6 Wild Card spot. They get a bad Kansas City team coming into their building. The Titans and Bengals both have tough home games, while the Raiders travel to undefeated Green Bay. If the Jets can win this week, they may be all alone in the #6 Wild Card spot come weeks end.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Green Bay Packers  12-0  vs Oakland
2. San Francisco 49ers  10-2  at Arizona
3. New Orleans Saints  9-3  at Tennessee
4. Dallas Cowboys  7-5  vs NY Giants
5. Chicago Bears  7-5  at Denver
6. Atlanta Falcons  7-5  at Carolina
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7. Detroit Lions  7-5  vs Minnesota
8. New York Giants  6-6  at Dallas

Obviously the big game this week is Giants/Cowboys. Winner takes the lead in the NFC East race. Atlanta and Chicago have tough road tests. That gives the Lions the opportunity to take advantage with a win against a bad Vikings team.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans: If the Titans want some attention, a win here would help.
Houston Texans vs Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals stop their apparent downfall?
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants: Hopefully Jason Garrett freezes the other kicker this week.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 12 Review

It's NFL Review Time!

Team of the Week: New Orleans Saints
-Sure they had a bye week to prepare for the Giants, but they absolutely dismantled them Monday night. They took a good Giants defense to the woodshed. Drew Brees was on his game last night. No sacks, no turnovers, no interceptions. Brees has a ton of weapons at his disposal and he knows exactly how to use each one. The Saints spread the ball out so much that you can't gameplan for just one weapon. The Saints defense under Greg Williams brings the pressure almost every down. Williams loves to blitz and isn't afraid to leave their secondary in single coverage. The Saints have a shot at the #2 seed with San Francisco losing this week. They won't get home field, but a bye week helps.

Game of the Week: New York Jets 28  Buffalo Bills 24
-Good back and forth game throughout. This game went a long way to helping out the Jets playoff chances, and probably put the nail in the coffin for the Bills. Mark Sanchez didn't play his best game, but he did throw 4 TD passes, including a great scramble and throw to Santonio Holmes with under 2 minutes to play. Sanchez also made a big throw to Plaxico Burress on 3rd and 11 to keep that drive going. The Bills had multiple opportunities to win late. Stevie Johnson dropped a wide open pass at the 20 that probably would have gotten the Bills inside the 10. On the next play, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw slightly behind an open Johnson in the end zone. It was a nice win for the Jets after losing two in a row. For the Bills, they have no one to blame but themselves after another crushing defeat.

Dog of the Week: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit Lions
-Lots of choices for this week's award, but this clearly goes to Suh. Suh stomped the arm of a Packers offensive lineman during their Thanksgiving day game. Suh has a reputation for being a dirty player, and clearly this incident didn't help. Suh originally claimed that he was trying to get his footing under him, which might be one of the worst lies I have ever heard. Suh later apologized, but he is still facing a suspension. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Suh will be suspended for two games. The suspension seems just about right, I might have given him an extra game. This will definitely hurt the Lions defensively, especially going to New Orleans next week.

Other Week 12 Notes
-Lots of WRs have come under the gun this week, and deservedly so. I already talked about Stevie Johnson. His TD celebration was a bit excessive, and it cost the Bills field position. Then there is Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, who shied away from hits multiple times and it caused him to drop a few passes, including one in the end zone. Jackson was benched in the 4th quarter because of it. Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe jumped for a pass late in the 4th, but he never put his arms up and the ball sailed over his head into the arms of the Steelers secondary. You could label all 3 of these guys pre-madonna WRs, and they showed that label this week. Jackson probably won't be back in Philadelphia next year. Johnson is a UFA and may not be back in Buffalo. Bowe may not survive a potential coach change in Kansas City. Someone will sign these guys, but they have to deal with the excess baggage they potentially bring along.

-At this point, you have to feel sorry for the Houston Texans. Sure they are still 8-3, but now they lost Matt Leinart for the rest of the year with a broken collarbone. Now the Texans will rely on rookie T.J. Yates to lead this team into the playoffs. Yates wasn't bad in relief this week, but he was also playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. The good thing for Yates is that he is taking control of one of the better offenses in the league. He has a great two headed running attack with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Andre Johnson is a playmaker at WR. The Texans defense is also one of the better defenses in the league. The Texans next two games are tough, home to Atlanta and at Cincinnati. A split there would be great. The last 3 are winnable: home to Carolina, at Indianapolis, home to Tennessee. 11-5 is doable, 10-6 should still win the AFC South. But can T.J. Yates really lead this team to the Super Bowl? Sorry, but I don't think so. The Texans had a chance with Matt Schaub, but not with Yates.

-Well, it looks like the New York Giants are destined for another late season collapse. They started off their brutal second half well after beating New England. But they've lost 3 straight and their loss to New Orleans is by far the worst loss yet. The Giants defense was just torn apart by Drew Brees. The Saints bottled up the Giants pass rush, and that exposed the Giants secondary. The loss of Ahmad Bradshaw has hurt the Giants offense as well. Eli Manning played well, but he can't do everything as well. Now the Giants get the undefeated Packers in New York this week. Even if the Giants lose this week, they still get the Cowboys twice and can win the NFC East. But the Cowboys are playing much better football than the Giants are. If the Giants don't get things right quickly, Tom Coughlin's head may be on the chopping block.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Has Andrew Luck been fitted for his Colts jersey yet?

-Are the Bengals the only 7-4 team that can't sell out their home games?

-When will John Elway just learn to love Tim Tebow?

-I bet Kyle Orton wishes he was still in Denver.

-Who's starting the "When Will Tony Romo Choke" calendar?

AFC Playoff Picture
1. Houston Texans  8-3  vs Atlanta
2. New England Patriots  8-3  vs Indianapolis
3. Baltimore Ravens  8-3  at Cleveland
4. Oakland Raiders  7-4  at Miami
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  8-3  vs Cincinnati
6. Cincinnati Bengals  7-4  at Pittsburgh
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7. Denver Broncos  6-5  at Minnesota
8. New York Jets  6-5  at Washington
9. Tennessee Titans  6-5  at Buffalo

A big game in the AFC Wild Card race with the Bengals visiting Pittsburgh. A loss their by the Bengals opens up the last Wild Card spot for every team below them. The Broncos are playing the best football of all four of these teams in my opinion, but they have a rough schedule after Minnesota. The Jets are very hot and cold, and they could just as easily lose to Washington as beat them.

NFC Playoff Picture
1. Green Bay Packers  11-0  at NY Giants
2. San Francisco 49ers  9-2  vs St. Louis
3. New Orleans Saints  8-3  vs Detroit
4. Dallas Cowboys  7-4  at Arizona
5. Chicago Bears  7-4  vs Kansas City
6. Atlanta Falcons  7-4  at Houston
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7. Detroit Lions  7-4  at New Orleans
8. New York Giants  6-5  at Green Bay

Big games for all parties involved in the NFC Playoff race. The Packers/Giants and Lions/Saints match-ups could bring some separation to the picture. The Falcons face a big road game at Houston with them down their QB. Chicago looks to rebound against a down Kansas City team. And if I were the Cowboys, I wouldn't overlook the Cardinals. They are playing good football as of late and could play spoiler for the Cowboys.

THE COACHING HOT SEAT
1. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville: FIRED!
-Early this morning Del Rio was fired as coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Del Rio's record was 69-73 as Jacksonville's coach and was 1-2 in the playoffs. Del Rio has publicly blamed the team's offensive coordinator in recent losses, which is never a good thing to do. And now there are reports that Jacksonville has been sold. I find it difficult to believe the Jaguars will land a big time coach. Maybe Brian Billick if they get lucky. But they are more than likely looking at a coordinator promoted to first time coach.

2. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams
-Yes, the Rams have been decimated by injuries this year. Yes, they have had a difficult schedule. But there were high expectations in St. Louis this year after the team finished 7-9 last year and looked like a young, up-and-coming team in the process. But the Rams have taken a drastic step back this year. They have no one to protect Sam Bradford, and the defense gets continually burned by opposing running backs. Spags can't go 3 season with only winning 10 games. Expect a change. They may just promote Josh McDaniels, but the Rams may attract a good coach because of the young talent on the team. Jeff Fisher would be an ideal fit.

3. Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers
-Norv Turner has always found ways to bring his team back after a slow first half of the season, but that isn't happening this year. The Chargers aren't the same Chargers they have been in years past. Philip Rivers looks off, and the defense can't get offenses off the field. Turner has had numerous opportunities to win the Super Bowl with this team, but that time is up. Turner and GM A.J. Smith are probably both gone this odd-season. That means a new front office will evaluate this roster of veterans and see who fits, and who doesn't.

4. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles
-Philly fans are ready with their pitchforks. There was a very audible "Fire Andy" chant at the Eagles game this past Sunday. Reid seems to have lost control of his team. There is a clear disconnect with WR DeSean Jackson, and who knows the real story behind the injury to Mike Vick. The star-studded secondary hasn't lived up to the billing either. Reid is a good coach, and he might have faced to high expectations coming into the season. If Reid stays Jackson is probably gone. If it were me, I would keep Reid around. If he does get fired, he will probably get hired almost immediately.

5. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-The Bucs were expected to be competitive this year after finishing 10-6 last season. With a 4-7 record this season, they will definitely finish with a worse record. Morris takes some of the blame for not continuing to build on a young offense that looked good last year. Josh Freeman has regressed a bit, and the defense can't stop anyone in the running game. With Ron Rivera turning the Panthers around into a fun team, the Bucs are staring at the division cellar if they can't get going and turn things around.

OTHERS
-Todd Haley, Kansas City: Haley's team has regressed tremendously since winning the AFC West last year. Losing Matt Cassel, Eric Berry, and Jamaal Charles hurts, but they aren't excuses.

-Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins: The team is playing better, but expect a change. Owner Stephen Ross wants to make a big splash and finally get people into the seats.

-Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts: No Peyton Manning and injuries have hurt, but if the team finishes 0-16, you almost have to make a change. Can't let that stain be on the team forever.

-Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals: He finally got his veteran QB, but he has played worse than expected. The defense as a whole is a mess. Wisenhunt may not get another year.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Can the Bengals finally pass a big test?
Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints: Saints look to stay hot, Lions look to make a statement.
Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants: Can the Giants save their season with a huge upset?

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 11 Review

NFL Time! Two for one today. Because of the short week for me, I will have my picks up later!

Team of the Week: Denver Broncos
-Tim Tebow gets all of the attention on this team, but they have been putting together some solid all around efforts the past few weeks. This week against the Jets was no different. They shut down the Jets offensive attack and drove 95 yards down the field on a good Jets defense to win. The Broncos have won four out of their last five and are one game back of the Raiders in the AFC West. You have to give credit to coach John Fox, who has tailor made an offense that works for Tim Tebow. Can the Broncos win the AFC Wes or make the playoffs? Its possible. They have two winnable road games at San Diego and Minnesota, then two tough home games against Chicago and New England. It will be an interesting month ahead for Denver.

Game of the Week: Dallas 27  Washington 24- OT
-Hey, who knew that the Redskins could score 24 points? They gave Dallas everything they could handle. It almost seemed like the Redskins played the game against Dallas as if it were their Super Bowl. The Cowboys found a way to pull out the game in the end, and it gave them the lead in the NFC East thanks to their tiebreaker over the NY Giants. Tony Romo connected on 3TD passes, including a nice pass to Jason Witten. The Redskins caught a bad break on Graham Gano's missed field goal. You got to give the Skins credit for playing hard and not quitting. Where has this effort been the last few weeks?

Dog of the Week: New York Jets
-Had a tough time handing out this award this week. No one really did anything stupid. Rex Ryan cursed at a fan, so he was given a $75,000 fine by the NFL. But the Jets also failed to show up offensively for a second week in a row, and have now fallen a game out of the last Wild Card spot in the AFC and two games back plus a tiebreaker of the Patriots in the AFC East. The Jets play the Bills this week, a team they completely dominated a few weeks ago. But neither team can score recently. The Jets better win here, if not they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

Other Week 11 Notes
-Another week, another injury to a starting QB on a potential playoff team. Jay Cutler broke his thumb and underwent surgery on it, and will likely be out for the rest of the regular season. Coach Lovie Smith thinks Cutler might be able to return, but that would be stretching it I think. This means Caleb Hanie takes over the reigns at QB. Hanie showed during the NFC Championship last year that he can play, and almost lead the Bears to the Super Bowl. The Bears play the rest of the AFC West then home to Seattle before finishing the season at Green Bay and Minnesota. The Bears have a good shot at the playoffs because they hold the tiebreaker over Atlanta and may over Detroit by years end, but the road just got a lot tougher. Expect more Matt Forte from the Bears from here on out. I still think the Bears make the playoffs. They have an easier schedule than Detroit, who have to play the Packers twice still.

-Does anyone want to claim the last playoff spot in the AFC? The Bengals are currently sitting in 6th place at 6-4, but they've lost 2 in a row. Then the Broncos, Titans, Jets, and Bills are all 5-5. The Jets have lost two in a row after winning three in a row. The Bills have lost 4 of their last 5, and the Titans like to trade off wins and losses every week. At this point, you would have to consider the Broncos the favorite for the last Wild Card Spot. They're playing the best football out of everyone in this group of teams. No one really knows what is going on with the Bills. All of the sudden they can't score points. Mark Sanchez is playing like bad Mark Sanchez for the Jets. Maybe Tim Tebow really is Jesus and he will lead the Broncos to a playoff birth on Christmas Eve right before his return? Who knows.

-So are the Eagles relevant again now? You know football analysts. When a team wins a big game like Philadelphia did, they are all of the sudden back in the playoff mix. But when they lose like they did last week against Arizona? Nope, they're done. That is why I hate most football analysts. They just go by how a team plays for the most part. They flip flop every week. But the Eagles defense finally played the way people expected them to play all year. They shut down the Giants offense and got a nice revenge win after the Giants beat the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Giants are now tied for 1st with the Cowboys, and the Giants have the Saints and Packers coming up. I still don't think the Eagles make the playoffs. They're 3 games back of Chicago and 2 back of Atlanta, and both of those teams have tiebreakers over the Eagles. If Mike Vick is back in time, maybe they can get to 9 wins, but the playoffs seem out of reach.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-A 49ers win and a Seahawks loss this week gives San Fran the NFC West. Will the 49ers ease up?

-Maybe that ends the John Skelton/Kevin Kolb debate in Arizona.

-Cam Newton just scored 3 TDs. So ESPN, I don't think he hit a rookie wall.

-Hey, at least the Colts didn't lose this week!

-Is there anything better than football, turkey, and family on Thanksgiving?

AFC Playoff Picture
Place  Team  Record  Next Opponent
1. New England Patriots  7-3  at Philadelphia
2. Baltimore Ravens  7-3  vs San Francisco
3. Houston Texans  7-3  at Jacksonville
4. Oakland Raiders  6-4  vs Chicago
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  7-3  at Kansas City
6. Cincinnati Bengals  6-4  vs Cleveland
---------------------------------------------------------------
7. Denver Broncos  5-5  at San Diego
8. Tennessee Titans  5-5  vs Tampa Bay
9. New York Jets  5-5  vs Buffalo
10. Buffalo Bills  5-5  at NY Jets

NFC Playoff Picture
Place  Team  Record  Next Opponent
1. Green Bay Packers  10-0  at Detroit
2. San Francisco 49ers  9-1  at Baltimore
3. New Orleans Saints  7-3  vs NY Giants
4. Dallas Cowboys  6-4  vs Miami
5. Detroit Lions  7-3  vs Green Bay
6. Chicago Bears  7-3  at Oakland
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7. Atlanta Falcons  6-4  vs Minnesota
8. New York Giants  6-4  at New Orleans

Three Games I Would Like To See Next Week
Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions: Can the Lions end the Packers perfect season?
San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens: Which Ravens team show up? And a big statement game for the 49ers.
New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints: Can the Giants stop themselves from going into a free fall?

Kept it short this week, but I'm crunched for time starting tomorrow. Have to get picks done today too.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 10 Review

A promising week of NFL action lead to a few good games as well as a couple of unexpected blowouts. I will preview the rest of the year and the playoff race at the end. No power rankings this week.

Team of the Week: Chicago Bears
-Talk about making a statement. The Bears beat Philadelphia last Monday night in Philly. This week? They man-handled the upstart Detroit Lions in Chicago. Chicago now controls their own destiny in the NFC Wild Card Race. They split with the Lions, which could help them in the long run. They also have the tiebreaker over Atlanta thanks to their Week 1 victory over them. Jay Cutler, when given time, can find his open WRs. And what else can you say about Devin Hester. If you punt that man the ball and your coverage team does not get downfield in time, he can make a big play. The defense also stepped up huge in shutting down the Lions offense. I think right now they make the playoffs as a Wild Card. They've won four straight and are playing some of the best football in the NFL right now.

Game of the Week: New Orleans 26  Atlanta 23
-Of course, the big story of this game is Mike Smith's decision to go for a 4th and an inch on his own 29 yard line in over time. Pretty much everyone is bashing Smith today, but I'm not. How much did they need for a 1st down? A chain length? If your team can't pick that up, then they don't deserve to win the football game. If anything, I had a problem with the offensive package they brought out, with all 11 players bunched up together. Spread it out a bit. Give the idea that hey, maybe we will throw a play action pass in here. But the Falcons pretty much sold run, and they ran, and the Saints got the better push up front and stopped Michael Turner. It was a good game throughout. The Falcons had a chance to win the game late in the 4th but Matt Ryan couldn't find any open WRs in the end zone, so they settled for a field goal. The Saints now control their own destiny in the NFC South.

Dog of the Week: Buffalo Bills
-Sorry boys, but you've disappointed your home town these last two weeks. Fans were ready to get over the Jets loss, but then you follow it up with an even worse loss to the Cowboys? That loss was worse than the two Super Bowl losses. The secondary was getting thrown on at will. I'm pretty sure I could have completed a couple passes against them. The secondary was suppose to be the strength of the defense. They can't get any pressure on the QB. And the offense has come to a complete stand still. The passing attack is getting shut down. Of course, when the defense puts you in a whole and can't get off the field, you have to throw to get back into the game. I thought this team was different from the 2008 team that started 5-1 and finished 7-9, but I don't know now. I don't even know if they can beat the Dolphins next week.

Other Week 10 Notes
-I almost gave the Dog of the Week award to Eagles WR DeSean Jackson. Jackson missed a team meeting on Saturday and was told to stay home Sunday as he was not going to be active for the game against Arizona. Jackson has been somewhat absent the last couple weeks from the Eagles offensive attack, so it wasn't too big of a loss. But it just adds to the joke that is the Eagles season. The team is now 3-6 and has pretty much no shot of making the playoffs. Some people are saying this may have to do with Jackson's on-going contract dispute with the Eagles, but I doubt the teams would go that far to have it affect their chance to win a football game. While Jackson has struggled in recent weeks, he is still a game changer with big play ability. The Eagles are a comedy of errors this year, and it may cost Andy Reid his job.

-Who is the best team in the AFC? It may just be the Houston Texans. Four straight wins headed into their bye next week. They've dominated every opponent they faced in that stretch too. They are clearly the class of the AFC South this year. They already beat their biggest competition, the Tennessee Titans, 41-7 in Week 7. And they are doing all of this without their best playmaker on offense, Andre Johnson. They have the number one rated defense in the NFL, without their best defensive playmaker Mario Williams. The Texans are 7-3 and currently the top seed in the AFC. But can they keep it up now with Matt Leinart at the helm? It's a good thing they have a two game lead on the Titans. Leinart is very unproven and never looked good anyways under center in Arizona. I still think the Texans win the division. But it gets tricky near the end. This is Matt Leinart's shot at redemption.

-Are the Denver Broncos about to revolutionize offense as we know it in the NFL? Tim Tebow threw eight passes against Kansas City, completing only two of them. But the Broncos still won 17-10 and are only a game out in the AFC West. The Broncos have brought the option offense into the NFL. Lots of teams think they are above that type of offense, but if it works with the personnel package you have, why not use it? Tebow is not going to win you games with his arm, so play to his strengths. Although I will admit, that TD pass to Eric Decker was a pretty good pass. I'm sure teams will begin to stack the box against Tebow, but it is tough to defend against the option if you don't have time to prepare for it. That's the problem the Jets might run into this week. They are down after a bad loss to the Patriots at home, and only have 3 days to prepare for the Broncos Thursday night. Denver has a legitimate shot at winning the AFC West.

-And just when you think the Patriots are down for the count, they get right back up and KO you with a surprise roundhouse. The Patriots knew it was a must win against the Jets, and they brought their A game on BOTH sides of the ball. I'm still not sold on their defense. Mark Sanchez didn't show up to play Sunday night. The defense was confused by the offensive looks of the Patriots. Tom Brady took advantage of the Jets safeties. The Jets now fall back down to earth, and as I said above, only have three days to prepare for Tim Tebow and the Broncos option offense. The Patriots have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. They play at Philadelphia, which doesn't look tough anymore, as well as at Denver and the Option and home to Buffalo. It's quite conceivable they could run the table and go 13-3, even with their terrible defense.

-So if Houston and New England are the favorites in their division, who is the favorite in the AFC North. Right now, I guess you have to say Pittsburgh again. But it almost changes by the hour. The Bengals were knocked down a peg after their home loss to Pittsburgh. The Ravens, who many people considered the favorite after beating the Steelers last week, lost on the road to Seattle. Next week's game between Cincinnati and Baltimore is big for both teams. The loser of that came falls to 6-4 and into a potential tie with the likes of the NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Tennessee Titans. The winner goes to 7-3 and has the inside track on the first Wild Card Spot, and if it is Baltimore that wins, they move back into first place in the AFC North. The Bengals lost Cornerback Leon Hall for the year with a torn ACL, which is a big blow to the defense. The Bengals have a tougher schedule with two games against Baltimore, at Pittsburgh, and Houston coming to town. The AFC Playoff race is a jumbled mess at this point.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-The 49ers Defense is good, but can their offense hang with the Packers?

-Do the Cardinals stick with John Skelton or go back to Kevin Kolb?

-Hey Mike Shanahan, any chance I could get a shot at playing QB?

-Will the Colts even come back to play after their bye week?

-Cam Newton, I just traded for you in my fantasy league. Don't falter now.

-Tony Sparano isn't coaching for his job. He's coaching to screw the next coach out of Andrew Luck.

The Head Coaching Hot Seat: The Top 5!
1. Tony Sparano, Miami: These last couple wins are nice, but I still don't think Sparano is around after this season. The fans want a big name in Miami. They can't sell out the stadium. Look for either Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, or maybe even Jeff Fisher.

2. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis: I know, Peyton Manning isn't playing. But if the Colts finish 0-16, you almost have to fire Caldwell. There is still talent on that team despite the injuries and loss of Manning. But Caldwell just can't seem to motivate that team and that may force a change in Indy.

3. Todd Haley, Kansas City: Haley is coming off a division title, but the honeymoon ended quickly after a bad start. Sure he lost Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, but there's no excuses for Matt Cassel's poor play the last two weeks, or all season for that matter. Look for a potential new coach/QB combo next year.

4. Andy Reid, Philadelphia: I still don't think Reid gets fired at the end of the year, but if he continues to lose to terrible teams, he may just get the ax. The Philly front office may feel the overwhelming pressure from fans and the team thinking that Reid has lost control of the team and can't manage all of the ego that he has.

5a. Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona: Wisenhunt got his QB this year in Kevin Kolb. He still has Beanie Wells at running back and Larry Fitzgerald at WR. But the Cardinals are struggling in a bad division and can't seem to fin any rhythm on offense. They pulled off a couple wins in a row, but that was without Kolb at QB. They blew a big lead against Baltimore and the NY Giants. Wisenhunt may need a big second half and signs of progress to save his job.

5b. Norv Turner, San Diego: It almost seems like Turner is on the hot seat every year. There is a lot of talent in San Diego, but they can never seem to put it together come playoff time. The Chargers are struggling more than ever this year. They are 4-5 in a down year for the AFC West. Philip Rivers is having an off year, and the defense is having problems stopping people, specifically through the air. This may be Turner's last chance to right the ship in San Diego.

Looking Into the Playoff Picture
With 7 weeks left in the NFL season, lets take a look at the playoff picture and where I think every team will finish. I will list the current standings, then underneath each team their remaining schedules. Black bold means a win, red means a loss.

AFC

1. Houston Texans: 7-3

Bye, at Jacksonville, vs Atlanta, at Cincinnati, vs Carolina, at Indianapolis, vs Tennessee

Final Record, 11-5: There are some tough match-ups for the Texans left, especially the back to back games against Atlanta and Cincinnati. And now with Matt Schaub out, those match-ups look even tougher. I thought the Texans had a chance to win out, but not with Matt Leinart at QB. The Texans will still win the division because they have more talent than anyone else in the AFC South, but they will now lose a few games.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-3

Bye, at Kansas City, vs Cincinnati, vs Cleveland, at San Francisco, vs St. Louis, at Cleveland

Final Record, 12-4: The Steelers benefit from playing the lowly Cleveland Browns twice in there last 6 games, as well as having the Rams come into town late in the year. Right now the Steelers are playing at Kansas City Sunday night, but I think that might be flexed out of prime time. Monday night against San Fran will be tough, especially if the 49ers are still fighting for home field.

3. New England Patriots: 6-3

vs Kansas City, at Philadelphia, vs Indianapolis, at Washington, at Denver, vs Miami, vs Buffalo

Final Record, 12-4: As I said, I think the Patriots have a really easy schedule from here on out. I gave them a loss in Philadelphia because I don't think they match up well against Philly. Now I'm sure Philly will find a way to lose that game, but I like the match-up in their favor. I was also tempted with the Denver game to give the Pats a loss, but I think Bellicheck will find a way to keep Tebow in check.

4. Oakland Raiders: 5-4

at Minnesota, vs Chicago, at Miami, at Green Bay, vs Detroit, at Kansas City, vs San Diego

Final Record, 9-7: I was thinking of looking at the whole AFC West, but I'm pretty sure this record will be good enough to win the AFC West. The Chiefs might not win another game, Denver has a brutal schedule ahead, and I think teams will figure out how to stop the option sooner rather than later, and San Diego will lose at least three more games. So I'm giving this to Oakland almost by default. I don't know if they can't beat Baltimore, or even the Jets for a second time, but being in the Black Hole will help.

5. Baltimore Ravens: 6-3

vs Cincinnati, vs San Francisco, at Cleveland, vs Indianapolis, at San Diego, vs Cleveland, at Cincinnati

Final Record, 11-5: Baltimore is really tough to predict. You think they would beat Cleveland both times, but they might lose one of them. Could they actually struggle against Indianapolis? I think the Ravens are a veteran enough team to win late down the stretch. They need to get Joe Flacco right or else they won't have any kind of chance to win a playoff game. The Ravens are my Super Bowl pick from the AFC, and I'm still sticking by them.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-3

at Baltimore, vs Cleveland, at Pittsburgh, vs Houston, at St. Louis, vs Arizona, vs Baltimore

Final Record, 9-7: The loss of CB Leon Hall is going to hurt this team, no questions asked. He is their top corner and a cornerstone of the defense. The Bengals showed they can hang with the big boys against Pittsburgh, but I don't know if they can do it for the long haul. Pittsburgh and Houston back-to-back is tough, and going to St. Louis late has all the signs of a trap game. The Bengals were a nice early story, but I think they falter down the stretch.

7. NY Jets: 5-4

at Denver, vs Buffalo, at Washington, vs Kansas City, at Philadelphia, vs NY Giants, at Miami

Final Record, 10-6: This coming week against Denver is a big game. Can the Jets solve the option offense in time? After that, they already proved they are better than the Bills. Washington and Kansas City have no offense to speak of. I think going to Philly makes it tougher for the Jets, as they struggle on the road. The Giants have enough weapons to expose the defense. But I think in the end, the Jets get in because they will have the tiebreaker over the Bills.

8. Buffalo Bills: 5-4

at Miami, at NY Jets, vs Tennessee, at San Diego, vs Miami, vs Denver, at New England

Final Record, 10-6: If the Bills don't beat Miami this week, then they may lose out. This team has taken a few knockout blows in the last couple weeks, so they need this one bad. The Bills should win their last 3 home games. They can beat San Diego on the road. It may come down to the last week against San Diego, and even if the Pats have a seed wrapped, you don't think they still have revenge on their mind against Buffalo. The Bills just miss out.

9. Tennessee Titans: 5-4

at Atlanta, vs Tampa Bay, at Buffalo, vs New Orleans, at Indianapolis, vs Jacksonville, at Houston

Final Record, 8-8: The Titans have a brutal schedule late. They did a good job of shutting down Cam Newton, but the Falcons and Saints offenses are a different story. Houston already wiped the floor with Tennessee in Tennessee, no reason they couldn't do it again in Houston. The Titans will probably win the games they are suppose to win, but lose the ones they are suppose to lose.

FINAL AFC STANDINGS

1. Pittsburgh Steelers  12-4

2. New England Patriots  12-4

3. Houston Texans  11-5

4. Oakland Raiders  9-7

5. Baltimore Ravens  11-5

6. New York Jets  10-6

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7. Buffalo Bills  10-6

8. Cincinnati Bengals  9-7

9. Tennessee Titans  8-8

NFC Playoff Picture

1. Green Bay Packers: 9-0

vs Tampa Bay, at Detroit, at NY Giants, vs Oakland, at Kansas City, vs Chicago, vs Detroit

Final Record, 15-1: I really thought about giving the Packers a perfect record. Three weeks ago I would have thought they lose at Detroit on Thansgiving, but I don't think that happens anymore. I think the Giants pass rush will do just enough to disrupt Aaron Rodgers and not allow him to throw at will on the Giants secondary. The Packers are a great offensive teams with defensive flaws in their secondary which might be a problem come January.

2. San Francisco 49ers: 8-1

vs Arizona, at Baltimore, vs St. Louis, at Arizona, vs Pittsburgh, at Seattle, at St. Louis

Final Record, 15-1: The 49ers must love the fact that 5 of their last 7 games are against divisional opponents. They face the AFC North's two best teams, but they can beat both of them. Baltimore is very up and down, and they get Pittsburgh at home which will be a plus. I think the 49ers win out. Their defense is that good. This is why I wanted Jim Harbaugh in Buffalo. He took pretty much the same group of guys from last year's team, adopted to their strengths, and got them playing winning football. And in this scenario, the 49ers would get home field in the NFC due to a better record in common games compared to Green Bay. San Fran beat the Giants, Green Bay wouldn't in my scenario.

3. New Orleans Saints: 7-3

Bye, vs NY Giants, vs Detroit, at Tennessee, at Minnesota, vs Atlanta, vs Carolina

Final Record, 13-3: Another win out scenario. These aren't the same Saints of old. They can be beat, but I don't see it. It helps to have two weeks to prepare for the Giants. Detroit looks like they could be on a downfall, and having Atlanta again in the Superdome helps. There is a blue print to stop the Saints offense, but I don't know if any of these teams have the personnel to stop it. I think the Giants do, but the Saints have two weeks to prepare for the Giants which is a big help for them.

4. New York Giants: 6-3

vs Philadelphia, at New Orleans, vs Green Bay, at Dallas, vs Washington, at NY Jets, vs Dallas

Final Record, 11-5: The Giants have a brutal end schedule, but they should still win the division. They get a wounded Philadelphia team next week at home. New Orleans and Green Bay back to back is tough, and if they can get a split there that would be great. I think they split with Dallas because the Cowboys are good enough to win at least one game. But the Giants still win the division in the end.

5. Detroit Lions: 6-3

vs Carolina, vs Green Bay, at New Orleans, vs Minnesota, at Oakland, vs San Diego, at Green Bay

Final Record, 10-6: The Lions started off hot and were the darlings of the NFC. But they slowed down recently and have a rough end schedule to take care of. They have a back-to-back slate against New Orleans and Green Bay as well. The final game at Green Bay could be the deciding game, and I expect the Packers to still be fighting for home field in Week 17. The Lions were a good story at first, but they've been exposed as of late, especially for their lack of a running game with Jahvid Best out.

6. Chicago Bears: 6-3

vs San Diego, at Oakland, vs Kansas City, at Denver, vs Seattle, at Green Bay, at Minnesota

Final Record, 11-5: I think the Bears have finally turned the corner, but I think they lose one of those weird games like they have a tendency to do at times. I picked the Denver game because it seems like the best spot to do so. The Bears are playing some good football and I don't see how they miss the playoffs with this schedule, especially with the AFC West four weeks in a row. But Mike Martz has finally found a way to mold an offense around Jay Cutler, and with Matt Forte in the back field and the always dangerous Devin Hester, this team could be a threat in January.

7. Dallas Cowboys: 5-4

at Washington, vs Miami, at Arizona, vs NY Giants, at Tampa Bay, vs Philadelphia, at NY Giants

Final Record, 11-5: Another team that benefits from a lackluster end of the season schedule. There would really be no excuses for the Cowboys to lose the next few games. All of them are games they should win. The Giants game at home will be a big one. If they don't win that one, then they might as well kiss a chance at the division good bye. That Tampa Bay game may be a tricky one if the Bucs could ever get their stuff together and show the promise they had last year. I think the Cowboys finish strong though and find a way to get into the playoffs.

8. Atlanta Falcons: 5-4

vs Tennessee, vs Minnesota, at Houston, at Carolina, vs Jacksonville, at New Orleans, vs Tampa Bay

Final Record, 10-6: Despite getting shut down Sunday by Tennessee, I've maintained all along that the Panthers could play spoiler the rest of the year. I think they have a good shot of doing it here. They hung with the Falcons for the most part in Atlanta, and I think they win in Carolina. The home loss to New Orleans may hurt, but like I said above I defend Mike Smith's decision. If your offense can't get a quarter of a yard, you don't deserve to win that football game. But unfortunately, that decision keeps the Falcons out of the playoffs.

FINAL NFC STANDINGS

1. San Francisco 49ers  15-1

2. Green Bay Packers  15-1

3. New Orleans Saints  13-3

4. New York Giants  11-5

5. Dallas Cowboys  11-5

6. Chicago Bears  11-5

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7. Atlanta Falcons  10-6

8. Detroit Lions  10-6

Three Games I'd Like To See Next Week

NY Jets vs Denver Broncos: Can the Jets shut down the Broncos Option Offense?

Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens: Which Ravens team will show up, and can the Bengals rebound?

Tennessee Titans vs Atlanta Falcons: Two teams fighting for their playoff lives.

Until Next Time,

Justin C

Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka