Bengals Still in Playoff Hunt
It was anything but pretty, but in the NFL all that matters is winning, and the Bengals did just that on Sunday. They looked awful in the first half against the 2-11 St. Louis Rams and went into the locker room at halftime down 6-3.
The second half was better, but still nothing to get really excited about, Running backs Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott finally got the Bengals headed in the right direction with touchdown runs and WR A.J. Green was spectacular as usual with 6 receptions for 115-yds. He suffered a grade three shoulder sprain early in the game, but Green pulled through and is expected to play in Saturday's must win game against Arizona. DT Geno Atkins also had a nice game with 4 total tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and two hits on the quarterback. If Atkins is not voted a Pro Bowler, there is something wrong, because the guy has had an excellent season.
As bad as the Bengals played at times on Sunday, they still won the game 20-13, and got back in the playoff hunt with help from the rest of the league. With the Raiders, Jets, and Titans all losing, the Bengals improved their chances of making the playoffs. The Bengals are out of the playoffs right now, but that can all change.
If the Bengals win their remaining two games against Cardinals and Ravens, and the NY Jets lose one of their last two games against the NY Giants or Miami Dolphins...hello playoffs. There are other scenarios that The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy goes into and there is even a spreadsheet that some guy put together to explain mathematically how the Bengals get into the playoffs. It's worth a look, but to put it in plain English, Bengals need to win out and the Jets have to lose at least once.
The Cardinals are red hot and the Ravens could still be playing for the division crown, so it's not going to be easy. The Giants will be playing for their playoff lives this coming Sunday and the Dolphins are playing better right now than they have all season, so it's not going to be easy for the Jets either.
For the sixth time this season, this Sunday's game against Arizona is blacked out, which leads the league, but you can bet Bengals fans will still be rooting for their team and the Giants where ever they may be. Who would have thought that with two games left in the season, the Bengals would be in a playoff race? "Holy Crap!"
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
QB Tony Romo, Cowboys: Dallas now controls their own destiny with their win Saturday night in Tampa and the Giants loss on Sunday to the Redskins. Romo played a major role in the Cowboys win with 249-yds passing and 4 TD (Rush TD). He will have to play this well and maybe even better the final two games if Dallas is to win the NFC East.
RB Reggie Bush, Dolphins: The Dolphins have now won five of their last seven with their 30-23 win over the Bills on Sunday, in which Reggie Bush ran wild with 25 carries for 203-yds and a TD.
Seattle Seahawks: I will admit that I thought earlier this season that the Seattle Seahawks were one of the worst teams in football, but they have won five of their last six games and are still in the playoff hunt. Behind Skittle eating RB Marshawn Lynch, who had 2 TD, and a solid defense, which recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, the Seahawks can still make the playoffs with some help.
Indianapolis Colts: The Indianapolis Colts have had a very difficult season without QB Peyton Manning, losing 13 straight games, but that losing streak finally came to end against Tennessee. RB Donald Brown had 161-yds and touchdown on the ground and CB Jacob Lacey had a 32-yard interception return, as the Colts got their first win of the season and stayed atop the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the process. Now that's what I call a win, win.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants: JPP is quickly becoming one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL and he dominated on Sunday with 16 total tackles, 11 of them solo, two for loss, a sack, and three hits on the quarterback.
Panthers Trick Play: In the movie, "The Little Giants," which is one of my all-time favorite movies, they have a trick play called "the annexation of Puerto Rico" (fast-forward to the six minute mark) that helps them beat the rival Cowboys on the final play of the game. On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers dug deep into the playbook and ran their version of "the annexation of Puerto Rico" to score a touchdown against the Houston Texans.
QB Matthew Stafford, Lions: For the fourth time this season, most all-time, the Lions overcame a 13+ point deficit to win. Stafford led the charge going 29/52 for 391-yds and 4 TD, as the Lions clinched their first winning season since 2000.
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders: Good game for the former number one pick who had 8 receptions for 155-yds and a TD.
New England Patriots: The Patriots put an end to Tebow Time in Denver on Sunday in a 41-23 victory. Tom Brady threw for 320-yds and 2 TD; TE Aaron Hernandez had 9 receptions for 129-yds, and a TD, while DE Mike Anderson had two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Patriots dominating performance.
Philadelphia Eagles: As bad as the season has been for the Eagles, they are still in the playoff hunt with two games to go. At 6-8, if the Giants and Cowboys finish the season 8-8, and the Eagles win out, they win the NFC East...unbelievable. And the Eagles look pretty good Sunday against the Jets. RB LeSean McCoy had 102-yds and 3 TD on the ground, TE Brent Celek had 5 receptions for 156-yds and a TD, and DE Jason Babin had 3 sacks in the Eagles 45-19 victory.
Arizona Cardinals: Since starting the season 1-6, the Cardinals have won four straight and six of their last seven. With their 20-17 overtime win against the Browns, Arizona re-entered the playoff race, and they've done most of this without starting QB Kevin Kolb.
LB Antwan Barnes, Chargers: Barnes led the charge on defense for San Diego with 6 total tackles, four sacks, and two tackles for loss. The Chargers stayed alive in the playoff hunt with an electrifying 34-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
San Francisco 49ers: After watching the 49ers on Monday night, even after the two power outages, I think the San Francisco defense is the best in the NFL. The Steelers could do nothing offensively all night and rookie LB Aldon Smith was unstoppable. He had 4 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and seven hits on the quarterback. The other Smith on defense, DT Justin Smith, also had a great game with 3 total tackles, and he forced, and recovered a Ben Roethlisberger fumble. The 49ers may struggle on offense at times especially in the red zone, but they are going to be tough to beat with that defense.
"Holy Crap" Performances of the Week
Kansas City Chiefs: No one and I mean no one thought the undefeated Green Bay Packers would lose in Kansas City on Sunday. All the experts on ESPN picked them to win, 98.06% of people who play ESPN's Pigskin Pick'em thought the Packers would win, including me. But as we see quite often in the NFL, the unthinkable always has a chance of happening.
Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was fired earlier in the week, but that didn't stop interim head coach and defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, from having his team ready to play. Their defense stifled MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers all day. Led by LB Tamba Hali, who had 3 sacks, the Chiefs held the Packers to a season low 14 points and 315-yds of offense. QB Kyle Orton and the Chiefs offense had their best game of the season putting up 438-yds and controlling the ball for over 36 minutes. Believe it or not, but if the 6-8 Chiefs win out and get some help, they could still win the AFC West. "Holy Crap."
QB Drew Brees, Saints: Don't hand Aaron Rodgers the MVP award just yet. Brees was electric again on Sunday going 32/40 for 412-yds and 5 TD in the Saints 42-20 win over the Vikings. Brees needs just 305 more passing yards in the final two games to break Dan Marino's single season passing record, so sorry Marino, but consider your record broken.
WR Calvin Johnson, Lions: Mega-day for Megatron, 9 receptions for 214-yds and 2 TD. Holy S***. The guy is simply one of the best and the Lions are getting really close to clinching a playoff spot.
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After starting the season 4-2, Tampa Bay has now lost eight straight games. The Buccaneers came into the season with high hopes after just missing out on the playoffs last season at 10-6, but with games remaining on the road in Carolina and Atlanta, Tampa could go into the off-season on a 10 game losing streak.
Buffalo Bills: With their 30-23 loss on Sunday, the Bills have now lost seven in a row in which they have been outscored 224-100. One of the main reasons for the losing streak, besides terrible defense, the play of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was bad again on Sunday going 31/47 for 316-yds, 2 TD and 3 Int.
QB Caleb Hanie, Bears: The Bears looked poised to make the playoffs, but the injury bug has hit them hard, and backup QB Caleb Hanie has not played well filling in for Jay Cutler. Haine was just 10/23 for 111-yds on Sunday, throwing one touchdown and 3 Int. Chicago, who is in the midst of a four game losing streak, is 7-7 and with a trip to Lambeau up next, their playoff hopes are basically over.
QB Eli Manning and the New York Giants: After last Sunday night's win over Dallas, the Giants controlled their playoff destiny, but that power is now gone after losing to the Redskins 23-10. Eli Manning did not play well throwing 3 Int and the Giants must now win their remaining two games against the Jets and Cowboys to make the playoffs.
QB Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets: The Jets were in the driver seat for the final AFC Wild Card spot, but after getting embarrassed by the Eagles 45-19, they basically have to win out in order to the make the playoffs. Sanchez, who was 15/26 for 150-yds, 2 TD, 2 Int, and a fumble lost, has to play better in next week's elimination game against Eli and the Giants.
QB T.J. Yates, Texans: Yates has to play better than he did on Sunday -- 19/30, 212-yds, 2 Int -- if Houston is to clinch a first round bye and make a run in the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens: Rough day out on the West Coast for the Ravens, who were blown out 34-14 in San Diego where they turned the ball over twice, gave up seven sacks, and allowed 415-yds of offense. The Ravens got some help with the Steelers losing on Monday night, but they probably have to win out in order to clinch the AFC North and possibly get a first-round bye.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: I know Roethlisberger is one of the toughest players in the league and he wanted to be out there, but you have to wonder if the Steelers should've sat him for this one. Big Ben was playing with a high ankle sprain and was anything but successful Monday night in San Francisco. Roethlisberger was 25/44 for 330-yds, 3 Int, and he lost a fumble in the Steelers 20-3 defeat.
"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week
WR Santonio Holmes, Jets: Holmes had 4 receptions for 40-yds and a touchdown on Sunday, but he got an unsportsmanlike penalty for his touchdpwn celebration, he fumbled once, and Holmes let a ball go right through his hands that was intercepted by the Eagles Asante Samuel. His performance was so bad that it was featured on ESPN's weekly "C'mon Man" segment.
| WR A.J. Green hauled in this 55-yd pass from Andy Dalton as the Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive in the win. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) |
As bad as the Bengals played at times on Sunday, they still won the game 20-13, and got back in the playoff hunt with help from the rest of the league. With the Raiders, Jets, and Titans all losing, the Bengals improved their chances of making the playoffs. The Bengals are out of the playoffs right now, but that can all change.
If the Bengals win their remaining two games against Cardinals and Ravens, and the NY Jets lose one of their last two games against the NY Giants or Miami Dolphins...hello playoffs. There are other scenarios that The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy goes into and there is even a spreadsheet that some guy put together to explain mathematically how the Bengals get into the playoffs. It's worth a look, but to put it in plain English, Bengals need to win out and the Jets have to lose at least once.
The Cardinals are red hot and the Ravens could still be playing for the division crown, so it's not going to be easy. The Giants will be playing for their playoff lives this coming Sunday and the Dolphins are playing better right now than they have all season, so it's not going to be easy for the Jets either.
For the sixth time this season, this Sunday's game against Arizona is blacked out, which leads the league, but you can bet Bengals fans will still be rooting for their team and the Giants where ever they may be. Who would have thought that with two games left in the season, the Bengals would be in a playoff race? "Holy Crap!"
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
QB Tony Romo, Cowboys: Dallas now controls their own destiny with their win Saturday night in Tampa and the Giants loss on Sunday to the Redskins. Romo played a major role in the Cowboys win with 249-yds passing and 4 TD (Rush TD). He will have to play this well and maybe even better the final two games if Dallas is to win the NFC East.
RB Reggie Bush, Dolphins: The Dolphins have now won five of their last seven with their 30-23 win over the Bills on Sunday, in which Reggie Bush ran wild with 25 carries for 203-yds and a TD.
Seattle Seahawks: I will admit that I thought earlier this season that the Seattle Seahawks were one of the worst teams in football, but they have won five of their last six games and are still in the playoff hunt. Behind Skittle eating RB Marshawn Lynch, who had 2 TD, and a solid defense, which recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, the Seahawks can still make the playoffs with some help.
Indianapolis Colts: The Indianapolis Colts have had a very difficult season without QB Peyton Manning, losing 13 straight games, but that losing streak finally came to end against Tennessee. RB Donald Brown had 161-yds and touchdown on the ground and CB Jacob Lacey had a 32-yard interception return, as the Colts got their first win of the season and stayed atop the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the process. Now that's what I call a win, win.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants: JPP is quickly becoming one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL and he dominated on Sunday with 16 total tackles, 11 of them solo, two for loss, a sack, and three hits on the quarterback.
Panthers Trick Play: In the movie, "The Little Giants," which is one of my all-time favorite movies, they have a trick play called "the annexation of Puerto Rico" (fast-forward to the six minute mark) that helps them beat the rival Cowboys on the final play of the game. On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers dug deep into the playbook and ran their version of "the annexation of Puerto Rico" to score a touchdown against the Houston Texans.
QB Matthew Stafford, Lions: For the fourth time this season, most all-time, the Lions overcame a 13+ point deficit to win. Stafford led the charge going 29/52 for 391-yds and 4 TD, as the Lions clinched their first winning season since 2000.
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Raiders: Good game for the former number one pick who had 8 receptions for 155-yds and a TD.
New England Patriots: The Patriots put an end to Tebow Time in Denver on Sunday in a 41-23 victory. Tom Brady threw for 320-yds and 2 TD; TE Aaron Hernandez had 9 receptions for 129-yds, and a TD, while DE Mike Anderson had two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Patriots dominating performance.
Philadelphia Eagles: As bad as the season has been for the Eagles, they are still in the playoff hunt with two games to go. At 6-8, if the Giants and Cowboys finish the season 8-8, and the Eagles win out, they win the NFC East...unbelievable. And the Eagles look pretty good Sunday against the Jets. RB LeSean McCoy had 102-yds and 3 TD on the ground, TE Brent Celek had 5 receptions for 156-yds and a TD, and DE Jason Babin had 3 sacks in the Eagles 45-19 victory.
Arizona Cardinals: Since starting the season 1-6, the Cardinals have won four straight and six of their last seven. With their 20-17 overtime win against the Browns, Arizona re-entered the playoff race, and they've done most of this without starting QB Kevin Kolb.
LB Antwan Barnes, Chargers: Barnes led the charge on defense for San Diego with 6 total tackles, four sacks, and two tackles for loss. The Chargers stayed alive in the playoff hunt with an electrifying 34-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
San Francisco 49ers: After watching the 49ers on Monday night, even after the two power outages, I think the San Francisco defense is the best in the NFL. The Steelers could do nothing offensively all night and rookie LB Aldon Smith was unstoppable. He had 4 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and seven hits on the quarterback. The other Smith on defense, DT Justin Smith, also had a great game with 3 total tackles, and he forced, and recovered a Ben Roethlisberger fumble. The 49ers may struggle on offense at times especially in the red zone, but they are going to be tough to beat with that defense.
"Holy Crap" Performances of the Week
Kansas City Chiefs: No one and I mean no one thought the undefeated Green Bay Packers would lose in Kansas City on Sunday. All the experts on ESPN picked them to win, 98.06% of people who play ESPN's Pigskin Pick'em thought the Packers would win, including me. But as we see quite often in the NFL, the unthinkable always has a chance of happening.
Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was fired earlier in the week, but that didn't stop interim head coach and defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, from having his team ready to play. Their defense stifled MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers all day. Led by LB Tamba Hali, who had 3 sacks, the Chiefs held the Packers to a season low 14 points and 315-yds of offense. QB Kyle Orton and the Chiefs offense had their best game of the season putting up 438-yds and controlling the ball for over 36 minutes. Believe it or not, but if the 6-8 Chiefs win out and get some help, they could still win the AFC West. "Holy Crap."
QB Drew Brees, Saints: Don't hand Aaron Rodgers the MVP award just yet. Brees was electric again on Sunday going 32/40 for 412-yds and 5 TD in the Saints 42-20 win over the Vikings. Brees needs just 305 more passing yards in the final two games to break Dan Marino's single season passing record, so sorry Marino, but consider your record broken.
WR Calvin Johnson, Lions: Mega-day for Megatron, 9 receptions for 214-yds and 2 TD. Holy S***. The guy is simply one of the best and the Lions are getting really close to clinching a playoff spot.
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After starting the season 4-2, Tampa Bay has now lost eight straight games. The Buccaneers came into the season with high hopes after just missing out on the playoffs last season at 10-6, but with games remaining on the road in Carolina and Atlanta, Tampa could go into the off-season on a 10 game losing streak.
Buffalo Bills: With their 30-23 loss on Sunday, the Bills have now lost seven in a row in which they have been outscored 224-100. One of the main reasons for the losing streak, besides terrible defense, the play of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was bad again on Sunday going 31/47 for 316-yds, 2 TD and 3 Int.
QB Caleb Hanie, Bears: The Bears looked poised to make the playoffs, but the injury bug has hit them hard, and backup QB Caleb Hanie has not played well filling in for Jay Cutler. Haine was just 10/23 for 111-yds on Sunday, throwing one touchdown and 3 Int. Chicago, who is in the midst of a four game losing streak, is 7-7 and with a trip to Lambeau up next, their playoff hopes are basically over.
QB Eli Manning and the New York Giants: After last Sunday night's win over Dallas, the Giants controlled their playoff destiny, but that power is now gone after losing to the Redskins 23-10. Eli Manning did not play well throwing 3 Int and the Giants must now win their remaining two games against the Jets and Cowboys to make the playoffs.
QB Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets: The Jets were in the driver seat for the final AFC Wild Card spot, but after getting embarrassed by the Eagles 45-19, they basically have to win out in order to the make the playoffs. Sanchez, who was 15/26 for 150-yds, 2 TD, 2 Int, and a fumble lost, has to play better in next week's elimination game against Eli and the Giants.
QB T.J. Yates, Texans: Yates has to play better than he did on Sunday -- 19/30, 212-yds, 2 Int -- if Houston is to clinch a first round bye and make a run in the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens: Rough day out on the West Coast for the Ravens, who were blown out 34-14 in San Diego where they turned the ball over twice, gave up seven sacks, and allowed 415-yds of offense. The Ravens got some help with the Steelers losing on Monday night, but they probably have to win out in order to clinch the AFC North and possibly get a first-round bye.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: I know Roethlisberger is one of the toughest players in the league and he wanted to be out there, but you have to wonder if the Steelers should've sat him for this one. Big Ben was playing with a high ankle sprain and was anything but successful Monday night in San Francisco. Roethlisberger was 25/44 for 330-yds, 3 Int, and he lost a fumble in the Steelers 20-3 defeat.
"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week
WR Santonio Holmes, Jets: Holmes had 4 receptions for 40-yds and a touchdown on Sunday, but he got an unsportsmanlike penalty for his touchdpwn celebration, he fumbled once, and Holmes let a ball go right through his hands that was intercepted by the Eagles Asante Samuel. His performance was so bad that it was featured on ESPN's weekly "C'mon Man" segment.
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