A funny thing happened on the way to a second straight Super Bowl. The Giants played like crap against the Eagles (zero points generated by their offense in the first 58 minutes) and now they will have to fight the Panthers for home field advantage in the playoffs. If the Panthers win this week (at home against Denver) or the Giants lose (in Dallas), when the two teams meet in Week 16 (a game that was flexed by NBC to the Sunday night slot) it will be for that number one seed in the NFC.
And Meanwhile Across Town
The New York Jets went from Subway Super Bowl talk to possibly missing the playoffs. How does a team beat the Patriots and Titans then lose to the Broncos and 49ers? And Brett Favre wasn't even really to blame in this one. Sure he threw an interception but a bigger culprit was the defense which got pushed around by the 49ers and allowed them to hold the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Third downs were also key (as indicated by time of possession). San Francisco converted on 8 of 16 while the Jets were only 1 of 10 on third down. The Jets play Buffalo and Seattle but their fate could still be decided in Week 17 against the Dolphins.
A Team That Will Go Down in Infamy
The Detroit Lions may have let their last best chance for a victory slip through their fingers. With games remaining against the Colts, Saints and Packers, beating the Vikings seemed to be their shot to avoid the first 0-16 season in NFL history. Note: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went winless, but during a 14-game schedule. The Lions had a 13-10 lead entering the 4th quarter and the normally inept Tarvaris Jackson was in at QB for the Vikings. But Jackson led the Vikings on two scoring drives and the Vikings won 20-16, sinking the Lions even deeper.
Game of the Week
Pittsburgh Steelers 20 Dallas Cowboys 13
A gutty win for the Steelers but a game the Cowboys never should have lost. Dallas did just about everything wrong yet they were still winning 13-3 with 9 minutes left in the game. To that point they had overcome 2 interceptions, a fumble and 2 short failed attempts on fourth down. But it was Romo's last interception that stuck the dagger in their hearts. After the Steelers first touchdown of the game with 2 minutes to go, the Cowboys took over at their own 15 yard line on their second play, a miscommunication between Tony Romo and Jason Witten led to an interception returned for a touchdown by Deshea Townsend. Just another on the growing list of heartbreaking losses for the Cowboys in the Tony Romo era.
Game of Next Week
Pittsburgh Steelers are Baltimore Ravens
There's going to be some hitting in this one. Two great defensive teams will be on display meaning it could be the offenses that decide this one. Ben Roethlisberger seems to have a clear advantage over Joe Flacco but I could see Big Ben making a key mistake and getting picked by Ed Reed. Plus this one is in Baltimore. A lot is at stake here. The winner could very well earn the second seed and a bye in the AFC playoffs. While the loser would be the 5th seed even though it could quite possibly have a better record than the division winners from the West and the East.
A Brief Rant About the Redskins
They are absolutely horrible right now. They can't do a thing on offense. They have now scored 53 points in the their last 5 games, combined. I know they've played some good defenses (Pittsburgh, Giants, Baltimore) but this is ridiculous. Jason Campbell went to an MVP candidate to a question mark for the future. I know the offense line hasn't been protecting him (and now Samuels is out for the season) but Zorn's playcalling has become so vanilla he's putting the team in difficult 2nd and long situations too often.
Oh, and Shaun Suisham has to be cut.
Cheerleader of the Week
Lisa of the Carolina TopCats
If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Tennessee Titans 20 New York Giants 14
The Giants loss was disheartening but probably just a blip on their radar screen. If they don't play well against the Cowboys and Panthers, it could reveal a serious problem, namely missing Plaxico Burress a little more than expected. The power conference for years has been the AFC. When Tom Brady went down it seemed like the NFC was taking over. But right now Tennesse, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Baltimore are all on fire while the NFC doesn't seem so strong anymore.
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