Week 10 of the NFL is in the books and the playoff picture is definitely coming into focus. Teams are starting to pull away in their various divisions and we need to start talking about who is going to sneak in as a wildcard. The week was much more interesting than I thought it would be, which just goes to show you the unpredictable nature of the NFL. On to The Rundown!
Interesting – All 4 division leaders in the AFC won (Broncos, Patriots, Texans, Ravens) while all 4 division leaders in the NFC did not (Bears, Giants, Falcons, Niners). The aforementioned Niners were involved in the first tie game since 2008, which may be huge when it comes down to who gets a bye in the playoffs. Eleven non-offensive touchdowns were scored on Sunday which just happened to be 11/11. If it had been 2011, I would have been in my bunker waiting for the apocalypse. If the Colts manage to sneak into the playoffs, who doesn’t want to see Broncos/Colts in the first or second round? The headlines write themselves for that one.
Tie Game – Depending on how you look at it, the Niners/Rams contest was either a gritty, hard fought duel that ended in a tie or a game that neither team seemed to want to win. I choose to look at it as the latter but never the less it was highly entertaining. Both teams had plenty of chances to put the game away, but the Rams shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with delay of game penalties at key moments while the Niners (operating without Alex Smith) seemed to be picking up their own key penalties down the stretch and Akers missed (for him) a chip shot field goal. No matter how you look at it, it was a roller coaster of emotions for both teams and I’m sure many fans across the country broke remotes, had heart attacks and/or will be getting divorced.
Concussion City – Moving forward, 3 pretty big name quarterbacks went out with concussions: Cutler in Chicago, Vick in Philadelphia and Smith in San Francisco. Chicago may be in the best shape because their defense is playing on another level entirely but,I’m not so sure about the other two teams, especially if they lose their starters for an extended period of time. The hit on Vick was pretty mild, the turf did most of the damage. The hit on Cutler was illegal and the hit on Smith was his own fault for not sliding properly.
Dominating – The Broncos, Texans and Patriots are beginning to pull away from the rest of their respective divisions. The Broncos have one of the easiest remaining schedules on paper and should pretty much glide into the playoffs the way the offense is clicking. Nobody in the Patriots’ division is challenging them this year (Watch out next year for Miami, unless they blow the team up again.). The Texans believe this is their year and by beating the Bears in Chicago maybe people will shut up about them not beating a quality opponent. (“Cutler got hurt!” they cry.)
Resurgent – Who wants to play the Saints right now? Nobody, dat’s who. I’m annoyed people are talking about the Cowboys as a potential playoff team, because they suckity suck suck. Look for the Seahawks to edge out any competition for the final wildcard spot in the NFC.
Slumping – The Giants are riding a 2 game losing streak and recent history shows that they are not such a great November team. The Chargers are pulling their annual “we don’t really want to be in the playoffs” routine. The Lions should probably start trying to figure out what went wrong and plan for next year. Miami, despite early promise is quickly fading from the playoff picture.
Cooked – As in finished. The Eagles are a terrible team right now. Andy Reid is just waiting to cash his check and go back to his summer job at Sea World. The Jets should probably just start Tebow and get it over with. The Cardinals were probably grateful for the bye after a 5 game losing streak. Expect a lot more sulking press conferences from Cam “Supersulk” Newton.
Cutler Tough – I’m tired of people talking about his toughness. I’m not a Bears fan but I have a piece of advice for them: get over it. Yes he is a bit whiny when he is losing, but the guy plays behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and gets hit a lot. Frankly I’m surprised he isn’t injured more often. The Bears’ playoff run 2 years ago was tanked because of his knee injury (which turned out to be a sprained MCL) and last year they didn’t even make the playoffs because he broke his thumb on his throwing hand. The 2011 campaign included a falling out with O-Coordinator Mike Martz when Cutler gave him the Dick Cheney treatment. Mike Tice replaced Martz this year but that still hasn’t solved the line problems. Why am I telling you all of this? Because despite all his faults, Cutler is a tough bastard who just wants to win. Yes, maybe he lets his emotions get the better of him but he plays behind an offensive line that couldn’t stop my grandma. After taking a semi-illegal hit in the game (I question the flag, Cutler looked like he was going to run for it instead of pass the ball and it didn’t look like a head shot) ,Cutler got back in the huddle and, later in the same drive, ran for a first down in which he dove head first. This is the hit I believe gave him the concussion. Question his attitude all you want, but never question his toughness.
Your Game of the Week Might Suck – Next week’s Niners/Bears matchup could end up being a defensive struggle helmed by 2 backup quarterbacks as both Cutler and Smith may miss the game due to concussions. Frankly I hope they both sit for the betterment of their personal health. Also it will make their potential playoff meeting all that much better. Any pro-wrestling fan can tell you, you keep the big stars away from each other until the big PPV (read: Playoffs) matchup. Still nobody wants to see two teams violently battle it out for a 9-6 final score. If both QBs are out, I give the edge to the Niners. Colin Kaepernick seems to possess a dimension to his game lacking in Jason Campbell (competence). Also f**k you Colin, I hate your last name.
Weekly Picks (Home Team in Caps)
Bye Week – Titans, Vikings, Giants, Seahawks
Mr Ross’s Picks
BILLS over Dolphins, FALCONS over Cardinals, COWBOYS over Browns, Packers over LIONS, CHIEFS over Bengals, REDSKINS over Eagles, Bucs over PANTHERS, TEXANS over Jaguars, RAMS over Jets, Saints over RAIDERS, BRONCOS over Chargers, Colts over PATRIOTS, Ravens over STEELERS, NINERS over Bears.
Last week 7-6-1
Total 80-73-1
Mrs. Ross’s Picks
Dolphins, Falcons, Browns, Lions, Bengals, Redskins, Bucs, Texans, Rams, Saints, Broncos, Patriots, Ravens, Niners
Last week 8-5-1
Total 80-73-1
