Consider this a continuation of yesterday’s column. That’s right, close your eyes and imagine it is yesterday. Although you will have to open them at some point in order to read this column.
Do you know what I learned yesterday? That there are gay people that try and get the HIV virus on purpose. Humanity can be so effed up. I am un chien andalucia. Oh ho ho ho.
1. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (13-2); CLINCHED #1 Seed in AFC, 11-1 v. AFC
LOST at Seattle 13-28
Hey remember the preseason? Of course you don’t. Well, the Colts were perfect in the preseason. Perfectly terrible. They went 0-5. They then went out and won 13 in a row once the real thing started.
The Colts are now in preseason mode, and have said as much. Throw in that they are missing their head coach indefinitely at this point, and things are a little weird in Indy right now. How will this team respond once the games begin to count again ?
Maybe fine, maybe not. It took a while for the Colts to really hit their stride this year. Not until after their Week 8 bye, when they went into Foxboro and slayed their Patriot demons for the time being, did they really begin to play like a team that could go undefeated.
They are going to have to avoid coming out flat in the playoffs, or they are going to get bounced. Their loss to San Diego was at home, and if the Chargers can go into Indy and get a win, any one of the teams that are going to be in the AFC Playoffs can too. The Colts have lost 2 in a row, and no, it’s not time to panic and resort to cannibalism, but all I’m saying is that three weeks ago this team looked like a slam dunk Super Bowl Champ. You can’t really say that about them right now.
KEY STATS
– Peyton Manning played one quarter. He was 9 of 12 for 116 yards. The Colts trailed 7-3 when he exited the game.
– The Colts defense gave up 5.8 yards per rushing attempt in this game.
– Seattle was held to 1 third down conversion in 7 attempts.
– The defense surrendered TDs in all 4 of Seattle’s trips to the red zone.
Too Much Time To Sit and Think for the Colts
2. DENVER BRONCOS (12-3); CLINCHED #2 seed in AFC; 9-2 v. AFC
WON v. Oakland 22-3
Regular season success hasn’t been a problem for the Denver Broncos. They are a fixture in the AFC Playoffs year after year. This year, more will be expected of them then just getting there. They will get a first round bye, they will play a divisional playoff game at home where they haven’t lost all year, and the top seeded team in the conference is looking more and more wobbly by the week.
So, can the Broncos go to the Super Bowl?
My answer, is no, they cannot. The reason they can’t is the same reason why their division rivals San Diego and KC are going to miss they playoffs. It’s because their pass defense is bad.
The Broncos rank 29th in the league against the pass. There are 3 teams in the AFC Playoffs who rank in the top 5 in the NFL in passing offense (New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis). The Broncos had best hope they get a first round matchup against Jacksonville or Pittsburgh, or else they very well could be looking at another one and done.
KEY STATS
– The Broncos were undefeated at home this year for the first time since 1998, the last year they won the Super Bowl.
– Mike Anderson went over 1000 yards for the season. It’s the second 1000 yard season of Anderson’s career.
– The pass defense played very well in this game, holding the Raiders to only 178 passing yards.
– WR Ashley Lelie had a huge game, catching 6 passes for 110 yards.
– The offense was great on third downs, converting 8 of 15 chances. The defense was not so great. Oakland converted on 6 of 14 opportunities.
NICK PICKED
BRONCOS 30, RAIDERS 14
Are the Broncos About to Rock the Playoffs?
3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (11-4); Clinched AFC North Title, 7-4 v. AFC
LOST v. Buffalo 27-37
The Bengals’ loss at home to the Bills last week was the biggest upset of this NFL season. Consider that the Bills were 0-6 on the road heading into this game, had lost 5 in a row, and 7 out of their last 8. I mean, my God. How do you lose this game?
Well, for starters they lost because the defense was completely powerless to stop the Bills passing game. Maybe it’s because Kelly Holcomb has experience playing against Marvin Lewis coached defenses from his days with the Browns, more likely it’s because the Bengals defense is just bad.
Earlier in the season they were creating turnovers, and setting the offense up for easy scores. They are not doing that anymore. What they are doing is not getting themselves off the field so Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, and the rest of the Bengals offense can light it up.
At this point, the Bengals are better off losing their game in KC this weekend, and slipping down to the 4th seed. You know why? Because if they are the 4 seed, they play Jacksonville. If they are the 3 seed, they most likely will get Pittsburgh, and the way the Steelers are playing right now, they would kill the Bengals.
KEY STATS
– How does a complete mismatch on paper turn into an upset? Special teams. The Bengals gave up almost 300 yards in punt and kickoff returns in this game, including one return for a TD.
– The Bills came within 1 yard of having a pair of 100 yard receivers. Lee Evans had 107, Eric Moulds had 99.
– The star of this game was Bills DB Terrence McGee. Not only did he have 220 yards in kick returns, but he also took an INT back for a touchdown to seal the victory.
– Kelly Holcomb became the first Bills QB to throw for over 300 yards in 45 GAMES!!?! That’s what happens when you make JP Losman your starting QB for some reason.
NICK PICKED
BENGALS 31, BILLS 13
Is There a Defense In There?
4. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-5); CLINCHED AFC East Title, 7-4 v. AFC
WON v. NY Jets 31-21
The Patriots are back to doing what they do best, win with machine like efficiency. They’ve put up 5 straight victories, and thanks to the Bengals’ stunning loss to the Bills, can move up to the third seed in the AFC Playoffs this weekend if the chips fall according to plan.
The Pats are hot, and there are a lot of people jumping back on the bandwagon right now. I’m still not convinced. If I take the Jacksonville Jaguars to task for being a team that has benefited tremendously from a very weak schedule, and I do at every opportunity, then I have to do the same for the Patriots.
5 of New England’s 10 wins have come against the AFC East. The AFC East, in case you haven’t been paying attention, is very, very bad. Their record against teams that are still in the playoff race is 2-4.
But, as you may have surmised from reading this column so far, this past weekend revealed chinks in the armor of many of the AFC powers. The Patriots have not lost a playoff game in forever. I wouldn’t want my team playing them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think my team wouldn’t beat them.
KEY STATS
– Linebacker Mike Vrabel caught 2 TD passes. Whoop de doo!
– The Pats went for it on 4th down 4 times, and came away with a first down on three of those attempts.
– New England ran the ball FIFTY times in this game. FIFFFF-TEEE. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before in an NFL game.
– Because of that, the Pats held the ball for 43 minutes of this game. The Jets held it for only 16 ½. The Patriots ran 43 more offensive plays than the Jets did.
Ready For a Playoff Run
5. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (11-4); CLINCHED #5 Seed; 8-3 v. AFC
WON at Houston 38-20
We all know that the Jags are in the playoffs, and not the Chiefs and Chargers, mainly because their schedule has been ridiculously easy this year. That’s pretty much a fact and I’ve let it be known many times. But can this team do any damage in the playoffs?
That will depend on whether their defense is good enough to disrupt the opposing team’s gameplan. In looking at their 2 possible first round opponents, Cincinnati and New England, you see two teams who generally are stronger offensively than they are defensively. They are also teams that use the pass to set up the run. Take a guess who of the teams in the AFC playoff picture has the highest rated pass defense? That’s right, it’s the Jaguars. If the Jags can cause enough problems to frustrate the offenses of the Bengals or Pats, then maybe, just maybe, they can pull an upset.
Probably not though.
KEY STATS
– The Jags will return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
– Jax is 9-2 with Leftwich as QB, 2-2 with backup Dave Garrard.
– Backup running back LaBrandon Toefield had 3 TDs in this game.
– Fred Taylor had 101 yards and a TD on 22 carries. WR Ernest Wilford caught 4 passes for 118 and a touchdown.
– Josh Scobee missed a makeable field goal. He is only 21 for 28 this year on field goal attempts.
Does the Jags D Have Enough Bite to Carry Them?
6. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-5); 7-5 v. AFC
WON at Cleveland 41-0
You know what’s funny? What’s funny is that in both conferences, the hottest team right now is the bottom seeded team. It’s true in the NFC, where the Redskins have been on a tear, and it’s now true in the AFC, where the Steelers have looked unstoppable for the last 3 weeks.
All they’ve got to do to make the playoffs is beat Detroit at home, so, I am going to go ahead and say they WILL be in the playoffs. They can’t leapfrog Jacksonville for the 5 seed, so they are going to have a first round date in either Cincinnati or Foxboro.
You have to like their chances against either of those teams. The Steelers’ defense is tops among AFC playoff teams, and they are running the ball like they did last year. In last week’s demolishing of Cleveland, they ran for 209 yards against a pretty good defense.
Then there is Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers are a completely different team when he is their quarterback and he is healthy. What makes him so good is the same thing that makes like, Tim Duncan good, it’s accuracy and consistency. He is high percentage and high efficiency.
All season long we’ve been anticipating an AFC Championship game that would be something like “Colts vs. Bengals”, or “Colts vs. Broncos”. I gotta tell ya, at this point, I’m liking “Colts vs. Steelers”.
KEY STATS
– The Steelers sacked Charlie Frye eight times.
– Pittsburgh outgained the Browns 457-178.
– Roethlisberger is 21-3 as a starting QB.
– Willie Parker is the first Steelers RB other than Jerome Bettis to rush for 1000 yards since Barry Foster ran for 1690 yards in 1992.
– Cleveland had 1 yard of total offense in the first quarter.
Nobody’s Safe From the Steelers!
STILL ALIVE
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-6); 8-3 v. AFC
WON v. San Diego 20-7
They’re still MATHEMATICALLY alive. But, in order to make the playoffs, they will need not only to beat the Bengals at home, but they will need the Lions to win at Pittsburgh. Good luck with that.
GM Carl Peterson has made clear that the Chiefs’ head coaching situation will not remain up in the air throughout the winter. Dick Vermiel is 69 years old and in the last year of his contract. So, expect a tearful goodbye probably on Monday January 2.
The Chiefs Path to the Playoffs: Clear as Mud
SEE YA IN 06
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (9-6)
LOST at KC 7-20
The Chargers returned all 22 starters from last year’s 12-4 AFC West champion (the only team that returned all of its starters), but failed to make the playoffs this year.
You can say it’s because they had a tough schedule, and they did, but December losses against Miami and Kansas City, two teams they are more talented than, was what ultimately sealed their fate.
So, with the 05 season a failure, let the speculation begin on who will quarterback this team in 2006. Drew Brees is a free agent this offseason. Phillip Rivers is waiting in the wings for his chance. San Diego’s not big enough for the both of them. One will stay classy, the other will be out of San Diego.
Looking For Answers
AND THE REST…
(4-11) TITANS 10
(8-7) DOLPHINS 24
The Dolphins have won 5 games in a row? I don’t believe you. Ricky Williams ran for 172 yards? You’re on drugs.
Well, that’s it for this week. Since most of the Week 17 games are meaningless, this weekend’s column will be a year end awards column. I’ll also give a preview of the games that do matter, which by my count are:
NY Giants at Oakland
Washington at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Dallas
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Carolina at Atlanta
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Detroit at Pittsburgh
In the meantime I’ll leave you with this:
“I urge you not to take your relations for granted. Parents, hug your kids each chance you get. Tell them you love them each chance you get. You don’t know when it’s going to be the last time.”
– Tony Dungy at the funeral for his late son James, 18, who died of suicide last week
