NFL Week 13-14

Week 13


Is there any other place to start than the beat down at Foxborough this past Monday Night...The class and decorum of the Brady/Belichick era laid an ass-whoopin' on the brash, and often arrogant and ignorant, New York Jets...For Tom Terrific this was the 26th straight Regular Season game in New England that he has won...that is an NFL record...the last time the Brady Bunch lost at home with Tom at the helm was over 4 years ago...when was the last time your team lost at home?!?!  For me it was days ago as my Dolphins lost to the Browns...Cincy, Detroit, Tennessee, Indy, San Diego, Arizona, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay all lost at home days ago...for Brady the last home loss was November 2006 17-14 to the Jets...and as for the Jets, only one of their 9 wins - Week 2 home win vs New England - came vs a team with a winning record so perhaps they could have been SIGNIFICANTLY less arrogant heading in to Foxborough...Rex Ryan I am looking at you...and while I am looking at you Rex let me ask how you managed only 149 net passing yards vs the last ranked Secondary in the NFL?!?!...not only was your conduct leading up to the game embarrassing, but so was the game plan...

Side note - In a 2010 NFL season that has seen the Legend of QB's Brett Favre...Peyton Manning...Carson Palmer...Donovan McNabb all take hits, Tom Brady continues to add to his Best Ever resume...another QB that I feel warrants a nod this season is Matt Ryan in Atlanta...Falcons have lost only 1 game at home since Matty Ice took the helm as a rookie in 2008...Honourable mention to Rams QB Sam Bradford...11 TD's vs just 2 INT's in winning 4 of the last 7 games...this is a Rams team that won 1 football game last year...

Philly outscores the Texans 14-0 in the 4th Q to get their 8th W of the season...are you sold on Philly?  Let me throw a scenario at you that has had me drooling for a while now...imagine this...Hotlanta maintains their level of play and enters the playoffs as the NFC #1 seed thus hosting the NFC Title game (they will be off Wildcard weekend and then have to win at home in week 2 of the playoffs) and if you are sold on Philly then you likely have them going to the NFC Title game...Michael Vick going back to Hotlanta!!!  Wow...the winner goes to the Super Bowl...it writes itself

Speaking of the Texans surely this latest failure to make the playoffs will cost Gary Kubiak his Head Coach job putting another talented Offensive Coordinator on the market...Norv Turner will follow...possibly Ken Whisenhunt too...they will join Brad Childress and Josh McDaniels as talented Offensive Coordinators who are much better served in that role as apposed to Head Coach...the Defensive Coordinator equivalents would be Wade Phillips with guys like Marvin Lewis, Jeff Fisher, and John Fox likely available too...

The coaches above are all likely ex-Head Coaches...guys like Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville, Lovie Smith in Chicago, Steve Spagnola in St. Louis, Todd Haley in KC, Tom Cable in Oakland, Raheem Morris in TB have all seemingly done enough in 2010 to get them off the hot seat...


Dez Bryant helped off field with season-ending injury

The Colts lose in OT to the Cowboys...Interim Head Coach Jason Garrett did get his 3rd win vs only 1 loss, but it came at a cost...rookie WR Dez Bryant fractured his ankle thus ending his 2010 rookie campaign...For the 2nd straight game Peyton Manning tosses the ball to the other team 4 times...that is now 11 INT's in the past 3 weeks...wow...things are really catching up to the Colts...the running game is non-existent which is horror for a QB as good at the play-action pass as Peyton is...these days ain't nobody falling for play-action vs Indy...couple that with the loss of 3 big-time studs...Dallas Clark done for the year, and WR's Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez have been out for a while...all that also allows teams to double team WR Reggie Wayne which also means he is limited for Peyton too...

The San Diego Charges blow a chance to keep pace with the KC Chiefs in the AFC West as they are humbled at home by the Raiders

Did Bills fans enjoy the fact that ex Bills RB Marshawn Lynch scored 3 TD's for the first place Seattle Seahawks last Sunday?!?!  Bills RB CJ Spiller has 199 yards and 0 TD's on the season......ahem.............


Week 14

Indy @ Tennessee...Thursday Night tilt...the winner will remain in the AFC South race while the loser will have their 2010 season all but ended...

Green Bay @ Detroit...the Lions are in the midst of an NFL record 19 game losing streak vs teams in their Division...amazing futility

Oakland @ Jacksonville...the winner continues their surprisingly strong 2010, while the loser will be brought back to reality

St Louis @ New Orleans...The Rams have won 2 straight on the road the last 2 weeks, but a trip to the defending Champs will surely prove to be a major test...the Rams are tied for 1st in the NFC West, while the Saints need a W to keep pace with the NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons...this game features current great QB Drew Brees vs future great QB Sam Bradford

1985 Super Bowl shuffle...2010 Bears singing too?

New England @ Chicago...this is a game I have had circled all season as a litmus test for both teams...The Pats Secondary is amongst the League's worst so I think New England likely has placed heavy importance on finishing with the AFC's #1 seed so that D does not have to go on the road...the Pats remaining schedule after this game is home vs Green Bay and Miami and @ Buffalo...3 winnable games there so if the Pats can get this big road W they will be in the driver seat for the #1 seed...For Da Bears they need this W to keep one step ahead of the Packers for 1st place in the NFC North...I love this Bears team and I am in the minority there...not a lot of believers in this team, but the O has improved and the D has been awesome...this is a D who has a goal of getting 3 turnovers each game...a lofty goal indeed, but they are so damn good that they actually have the talent to accomplish that...Super Bowl preview?!?!

KC @ San Diego...the Chargers laid an egg in Week 13 vs a Division foe (Raiders) and a Week 14 loss to Division foe KC will end their season...no team in the AFC West has a chance to be a Wildcard team so only the Division winner will qualify for post-season play and the winner of this game has a great chance to be that team...

craig.ballard@hotmail.com