Bengals Smashed by Steelers

The Bengals ran into a steel buzz saw on Sunday, in their worst loss of the season.

It was an ugly football game to watch and the Bengals were outplayed in every facet of the game. The offense was hurt by penalties, the line could not block James Harrison, the defense could not come up with a stop when it needed one, and why Brandon Tate continues to return kicks is beyond me.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is sacked by Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in the second quarter. Harrison had three sacks in the game.
Andy Dalton was harassed all day by the Steelers pass rush
as the Bengals were blown out 35-7.
(AP Photo/Don Wright)
Andy Dalton had no time to throw all day and when he did have time, the only guys who could catch the ball were A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham. Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell were held without a catch, which is inexcusable. The offense was so abysmal that Dalton was taken out of the game and Bruce Gradkowski came in to finish.

Things started off well with a Jermaine Gresham touchdown, but it was called back because of an A.J. Green false start. The Bengals then have to settled for a field goal, that was moved back five yards because of a delay of game penalty, and then it ended up being blocked. So, instead of starting the game up 7-0 or even 3-0, the Steelers went on to score three straight touchdowns in the second quarter before the Bengals could put any points on the board.

I think Sunday's game proved that the Bengals are still a young team and they have a long way to go if they are going to compete with teams like the Steelers. They are still in the playoff picture as the sixth seed based on their conference record, but next week's game at home against Houston is a must win. 

"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS

RB Chris Johnson, Titans: Chris Johnson is heating up after having really nice games the last two weeks. After rushing for 190-yds last week, CJ went for 153-yds and 2 TD this week against the Bills.

LB Justin Houston, Chiefs: A career day for the rookie out of Georgia, who had seven total tackles, three of them sacks, and a forced a fumble in the Chiefs upset of the Bears.

Miami Dolphins: Head coach Tony Soprano may not be the head coach for the Dolphins next season, but that hasn't stopped him, or his team from competing. Since starting the season 0-7, Miami has won three of their last four and they steamrolled the playoff hopeful Oakland Raiders on Sunday 34-14. The Dolphins defense help Oakland to just 46-yds on the ground and RB Reggie Bush rushed for 100-yds and a touchdown. Miami might be out of playoff contention, but they are a team no one wants to play right now, especially teams looking to make the playoffs.

Denver Broncos: Tebow did it again, I don't know how, but the Broncos won another game late in the fourth quarter and are now in first place in the AFC West. Denver trailed for much of the game, but with three minutes left, you knew Tebow was going to lead the Broncos back. It was Tebow Time, as Denver drove down the field for a game tying field goal. The Denver defense came up big again with by intercepting Christian Ponde, leading to a game winning 23-yd field goal as time expired.

title
Tebow and the Broncos have now won five in a row.
Are they headed to the playoffs?
John Leyba/The Denver Post
I know that Tebow gets all the media attention, but he is not the only reason for the Bronco's success. Head coach John Fox deserves a lot of credit for putting Tebow in situations in which he can succeed. RB Willis McGahee has carried the ball a lot in Denver's run heavy offense and he had a good game on Sunday with 111-yds and a touchdown. WR Demaryius Thomas also had big day with 4 receptions for 144-yds and 2 TD. Then there is the defense that has turned into one of the best in the league.

So, can Tebow and the Broncos make the playoffs? They have a shot at 7-5 and we might find out the next two weeks, because the Bears and Patriots come to Denver.

WR Percy Harvin, Vikings: Tebow's former Florida Gator teammate had a big day too in Minneapolis with 8 receptions for 156-yds and 2 TD.

WR Pierre Garcon, Colts: The French waiter had 9 receptions for 150-yds and 2 TD, as the Indianapolis offense put up 437-yds of offense with Dan Orlovsky at quarterback. They still lost though, falling to 0-12.

QB Dan Orlovsky, Colts: I know the Colts still lost, but at least they got a solid effort from their quarterback. Orlovsky should start for them the rest of the season, barring a Peyton Manning comeback, after going 30/37 for 353-yds, 2 TD, and a interception against the Patriots.

WR Wes Welker and TE Rob Gronkowski: The Patriots duo continued their great seasons against the Colts on Sunday. Welker had 11 receptions for 110-yds and Gronkowski had 5 receptions for 64-yds and 3 TD (Rush TD).

QB Cam Newton, Panthers: Newton did it all on Sunday for the Panthers in their 38-19 win. Cam threw for 204-yds and a touchdown, he ran for 54-yds and 3 TD, breaking the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season. Newton even caught a pass for 17-yds, making a strong case for him being the NFL's Rookie of the Year.

RB Shonn Greene, Jets: Greene had a very effective day running the football for the Jets with 88-yds and 3 TD on the ground, as New York kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 34-19 win in Washington.

LB London Fletcher, Redskins: 17 total tackles, 9 of them solo, is certainly worthy of a "Holy Crap."

LB James Harrison, Steelers: Harrison gave tackle Andrew Whitworth and Andy Dalton fits all day with 6 total tackles and 3 sacks.

Houston Texans: The Texans keep on winning no matter who is at quarterback. Rookie T.J. Yates out of North Carolina got his first career start for Houston and played fairly well going 12/25 for 188-yds and a TD. RB Arian Foster carried much of the load on offense with 31 carries for 111-yds and a TD. Houston is now 9-3 and are more than likely head to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Rice and the Ravens ran all over the Browns on Sunday. Rice ran for a career-high 204-yds, 94 of those yards after contact, and 2 TD. The Ravens rushed for 290-yds as a team in a 24-10 win.

LB Clay Matthews, Packers: Two total tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, and a 38-yd interception returned for a touchdown for Matthews who wreaked havoc on the Giants all day.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a shutout of the Rams on Sunday in which they won by 26 points, forced two turnovers, held the Rams to just 1.3-yards per carry on the ground, and only gave up 157-yds of offense. QB Alex Smith was also very effective throwing for 274-yds and 2 TD.

QB Philip Rivers, Chargers: Rivers finally played like everyone thought he would this season with 294-yds passing and 3 TD on Monday night.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars: MDJ is the only offensive weapon the Jaguars have and he showed why Monday night with 97-yds rushing, 91-yds receiving, and a touchdown.

Tiger Woods holds his trophy after winning the Chevron World Challenge golf tournament at Sherwood Country Club, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Tiger hoists up his trophy after winning the
Chevron World Challenge on Sunday,
something he hadn't done in more than two years.
(AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Tiger Woods: For the first time in more than two years, Tiger Woods has won a golf tournament. It wasn't technically a PGA Tour event, but winning the Chevron World Challenge has to feel good. Tiger made clutch birdie putts on the 17th and 18th holes to take the lead from Zach Johnson and win by one stroke. It's still a ways off from April's Masters, so who knows if Tiger will be in contention for the Green Jacket. One thing that is for sure, whether you like Tiger Woods or not, the game of golf is much more intriguing when he is in contention.

"Holy Crap" Performers of the Week
QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers: Anybody see the drive Rodgers orchestrated with 58 seconds to go in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Giants? Well, if you didn't, it was a thing of beauty as the Packers stayed undefeated. Rodgers was 4/4 on the final drive -- 28/46, 369-yds, 4 TD, Int for the game -- and he is having one of the best seasons I have ever seen. More on Rodgers and the Packers in this week's Bold Prediction.

QB Drew Brees, Saints: Brees and the Saints offense just continue to impress. Brees was 26/36 for 342-yds and 3 TD, which put him over the 4,000-yard mark for the season, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in his team's first 12 games. Brees also joined Peyton Manning, as the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000-yards in six straight seasons.

"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES

QB Caleb Hanie and the Chicago Bears: The Bears season looked so promising, but now it's taking a nosedive. Since Jay Cutler was lost for the rest of the season with a hand injury, the Bears have lost two straight, including a 10-3 defeat at home this past Sunday against the woeful Chiefs.

Kansas City's only touchdown came on a Hail Mary to end the first half, which was batted right into the hands of WR Dexter McCluster by Bears LB Brian Urlacher. The Bears also lost RB Matt Forte for several weeks with a MCL sprain and Caleb Hanie struggled without him, going 11/24 for 133-yds and 3 Int. Hanie did not get much help from his offensive line though, being under constant pressure all day and he was sacked seven times. Chicago's playoff hopes are certainly fading fast.

Oakland Raiders: Oakland controlled their own destiny in the AFC West, but after losing to the Miami Dolphins by 20, and Tebow and the Broncos winning again in Minnesota, the Raiders find themselves out of the playoff picture if the season were to end today. And it doesn't get any easier, as Oakland travels to Green Bay to take on the 12-0 Packers next week. Good luck.

Atlanta Falcons: With the Lions, Bears, Giants, and Cowboys all losing on Sunday, the Falcons could have solidified their playoff position with a win in Houston. However, a rookie quarterback making his first career start, got the best of them. Atlanta was penalized seven times and two Matt Ryan interceptions did not help matters, as Atlanta's two game winning streak was snapped.

BCS: Enough with the BCS, enough. College football teams, players and fans are sick of the BCS, and everyone wants there to be a change. This year the computers put Alabama and LSU into the National Championship, who are probably the nation's two best teams, but they left out Oklahoma State. The Cowboys went 11-1, with that one loss coming on the same day after their women's basketball coach and his assistant were killed in a plane crash. I guess the computers have no sympathy for things like that.

The BCS also left out teams like #6 Arkansas, #7 Boise State, #8 Kansas State, #9 South Carolina, and #12 Baylor. Instead they put in teams like #23 West Virginia, #13 Michigan, and #11 Virginia Tech. To be honest it's a joke, the Cotton Bowl features #6 Arkansas vs. #8 Kansas State, while the Sugar Bowl features #13 Michigan and #11 Virginia Tech. While #7 Boise State plays in the Las Vegas Bowl against a 6-6 Arizona State team who fired their coach a few weeks ago. "C'mon Man."

The BCS games are supposed to feature the year's ten best teams, if Michigan is a top ten team then somebody please explain why. Nothing against Michigan, they have a good team and Denard Robinson is a great player, but they are not worthy of a BCS bowl game, sorry. Boise State, Baylor, Kansas State, South Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan State, and Georgia are all better than Michigan, and West Virginia for that matter. There needs to be at least a four team playoff implemented and I would even like to see an eight team playoff. Here's what this year's college football playoffs should look like.

You take the winners from all the major conferences, excluding the Big East. I go to the University of Cincinnati, but the Big East is not worthy of a BCS bowl bid or automatic playoff spot, at least not right now. 2013 might be a different story however. So, this year there would be LSU (SEC), Oklahoma St. (Big 12), Oregon (Pac-12), Wisconsin (Big Ten), and Clemson (ACC). Then the final three spots go to the next best teams, no matter what conference they are in, and this year it would be Alabama, Stanford, and Boise State. Seed them however you want and go from there.

That's a lot more intriguing than Clemson vs. West Virginia in the Orange Bowl and Michigan and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. BCS, "C'mon Man."

"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week
Jason Garrett, Cowboys: Who ices their own kicker? Well, this week it was the Dallas Cowboys and head coach Jason Garrett. Dallas should have won it at the end of regulation with a Dan Bailey 49-yard field goal, but Jason Garrett called timeout right before the snap.

"The play clock was running down. We just wanted to make sure that he had a real clean opportunity at it," Dallas coach Jason Garrett explained. "It was at about 6 (seconds) and we were still getting settled in, so we banged a timeout to give him the opportunity to get the snap, hold and kick as clean as possible." Bailey missed on the next attempt and the Cowboys eventually would lose in overtime. Now that's a tough way to lose and I bet owner Jerry Jones was not happy about this one. Jason Garrett, "C'mon Man."

BOLD PREDICTION

The Cheese Will Stand Alone. After seeing what Aaron Rodgers and the Packers did on Sunday, I think they are not only going to win the Super Bowl for the second straight year, but will finish the season 19-0 as well. Yes, the defense may not be as good as it was last year, and they did give up 35 points and 447-yds of offense to the Giants, but no one can stop the Packers offense.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers smiles as he leaves the field after the Packers 38-35 victory over the New York Giants in their NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Packers won the game 38-35. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers sure have
been fun to watch this season.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Aaron Rodgers has already locked up league MVP, the Packers clinched the NFC North with the Lions losing Sunday night, they are going to clinch home-field advantage in the next week or two, and why not go undefeated in process. Green Bay has games remaining against Oakland, Chicago, and Detroit at home and a road trip to Kansas City, which they should all win and here's why.

The Raiders just got blown out in Miami and now have to travel to Lambeau. Chicago will be without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. Kansas City is a tough place to play and they have a good defense, but their offense is not very good. And Detroit has lost five of their last seven and they continue to hurt themselves with stupid penalties.

If the Packers go for it, they will win all four of these games and with home-field advantage in the playoffs, they should reach the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. San Francisco and New Orleans can will them because of their defense and offense, respectively, but I don't see them winning at Lambeau in January. As for the AFC, I don't see anyboyd with the overall team capable of beating them. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Houston have the defenses to do it, but not sure about their offenses. New England certainly has the offense, but their defense is terrible.

It's the NFL, so anything could happen, but as a football fan, I would love to see the Packers finish the season undefeated on their way to a second straight Super Bowl.

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