Revisiting the Weekend

A 3-1 record over the weekend puts me at an impressive 25-15, good for exactly 10 games over .500 (like I predicted last week). I need to start shooting myself in the foot and predicting games before the official injury reports are released. If I would’ve known Kurt Warner’s health status before he shredded the Vikings, I would’ve definitely picked Arizona. Nevertheless, I’ll take 3-1 and from now, I’ll start giving myself a cushion should any serious health concerns arise by predicting a score favoring an injury report and one not favoring a report. Great weekend in football though. As the playoffs loom, games get more and more important. In case you missed anything:

 

 

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

What I predicted …

Colts 30–17

What I said would happen …

“If Indy can slow Johnson and force Young to beat them they should be in good shape. Although Tennessee’s defense has been playing well, Manning is playing on another planet right now. The Colts are on a title mission and when it comes to the regular season, Indy could care less about going undefeated but the job of securing home field advantage isn’t done yet and a win against the Titans will put them one step closer.

What actually happened …

The Colts won 27-17. Indianapolis kept their regular season winning streak alive and tied the mark for most consecutive wins at 21. The Colts kept the electric Chris Johnson in check from breaking any long runs on them and held Vince Young to a 77.8 passer rating. Indianapolis led 24-10 at the top of the fourth and was never really threatened by the Titans. Colts running back Joseph Addai hasn’t had an outstanding season in terms of yardage but the third-year runner but his two touchdowns against Tennessee pushed his total up to 12 for the year.

My reactions …

What else can you say about the Colts? At 12-0, it would take a major collapse to keep them from securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs and with Peyton Manning taking the snaps, well, that’s probably not going to happen. The defense doesn’t get a lot of recognition and probably never will as long as 16 is behind the center but they’re tied for second in the league in points given up at 16.8 per game. Pretty good combination when you have a walking Hall of Famer at the quarterback position and your defense is among the stingiest in the league at not giving up points. Let’s see how far it takes them. Stay tuned…

Well … Sunday’s loss probably ends all chances for the Titans to make this year’s playoffs. A 5-7 record would require the Titans to win out and some other teams to lose a few games which neither scenario is highly likely. Tennessee will undoubtedly benefit from an early draft pick considering they’ve showed with a midseason five-game winning streak that they can play with any team. Johnson has played his way into the discussion for best running back in the league and Young’s play of late has bought him some extra time in a Titan uniform and with some likely mid-round draft picks, Tennessee will probably return to playoff form next season.

 

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants

 

What I predicted …

Giants 27-18

 

What I said would happen …

“The Giants have beaten the ‘Boys in three out of their last four meetings and have done so in confidence crippling fashion. In Dallas in ’07’s playoffs, a 35-14 humiliation in New York in ‘08 and a 33-31 triumph early in the year to christen Dallas’ new all-everything stadium. If you went off stats and who’s playing better than Dallas would be the obvious pick but with their backs against the wall, a must win game and in front of their home crowd, if New York doesn’t win this game, it’ll be more of a testament to how bad the Giants have gotten instead of how good the Cowboys are and I don’t think the Giants are as bad as the last few weeks have shown.”

What actually happened …

The Giants won 31-24. New York bounced back in a big way, trumping the division-leading Cowboys and fighting their way back into playoff contention. After getting ran on in their first meeting for 251 yards and allowing a whopping 8.7 yards per carry, the Giants held the Cowboys to a measly 45 yards on the ground, allowing a dismal two yards per carry. The Giants blew the game open after Domenik Hixon’s 79-yard punt return upped the score 31-17 with 5:33 left in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys actually had a chance to get right back into the game on the following possession but Dallas QB Tony Romo overthrew receiver Roy Williams on a for-sure touchdown and Dallas turned the ball over on downs two plays later.

My reactions …

Good game by the Giants (7-5). Their sweep of the Cowboys (8-4) gives them the ultimate trump card should things come down to a tie breaker later in the month. The Giants will get the Philadelphia Eagles at home next week for a chance to further help their playoff cause with a win. The Eagles trounced the G-Men 40-17 in their earlier meeting this season but things shouldn’t be so lopsided this time around. Giants QB Eli Manning looked recovered from his foot injury and running back Brandon Jacobs looked as fresh as he has in weeks. New York really pumped the life back into its season and Sunday’s date with the Eagles could have the G-Men sitting back atop the division if things fall correctly. Stay tuned…

It’s December for the ‘Boys and that usually spells trouble. Usually. Even with their disappointing loss to the Giants, Dallas should have some renewed faith considering how well Romo has been playing in recent weeks. Romo threw for 392 yards and three touchdowns against New York, his highest totals ever in the month of December in both categories. Romo’s play alone has been troubling in the later stages of previous seasons but he seems to have matured into a very reliable quarterback for the ‘Boys this year. If Romo can continue his heady play, Dallas may be able to break their December curse and make a strong push for a top seed as the postseason nears but it won’t be easy. Dallas’ next two opponents are a combined 21-3. Stay tuned…

 

Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals

What I predicted …

Vikings 31-20

What I said would happen …

“If it’s one way to attack Minnesota, it’s through the air. The Vikes are 19^th against the pass but will get a boost in their coverage if top corner Antoine Winfield is able to play this weekend after missing the last five games with a foot injury. Coming back against Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin isn’t exactly a welcomed return but the Vikes are definitely better with Winfield than without. Warner could be a little trigger shy in his first game back from a concussion and playing against the Vikings stout dline could tamper the Cards’ offense. I would feel better about Arizona’s chances if Warner was healthy, but he’s not, so I don’t.”

What actually happened …

The Cardinals won 30-17. Warner was healthy and shredded the Vikings secondary for 285 yards and three touchdowns. In a battle of future Hall of Famers, Warner out dueled Minnesota’s Brett Favre, who finished the night with a 79.4 passer rating. The Cardinals defense really shined against the high-scoring Vikings, limiting Minnesota to 10 points for a majority of the game until Favre struck late with a touchdown strike with 1:20 remaining in the game. Arizona’s defense kept Adrian Peterson in check, allowing the proverbial “best back in the league” to 19 yards on 13 carries.

My reactions …

Minor setback for the Vikings (10-2) but sometimes, games like these help a contender’s chances later down the road. Sunday’s loss will probably knock Minnesota out of the hunt for home field advantage as the New Orleans Saints continue their undefeated march. Unless something major happens in terms of injury for the Saints, the Vikings should start focusing on locking up the second seed and resting their stars while New Orleans deals with the pressure of going undefeated. Minnesota still has a very strong team and if it means anything for the Vikes, neither of the NFC’s last two top ranked teams made it out second round of the postseason.

It’s hard to believe that Arizona (8-4) doesn’t get a lot of recognition as one of the league’s better teams, even after last year’s Super Bowl appearance. What’s scary is that with Warner healthy, the Cards are an even better team than last year’s squad. They run the ball better. They play better defense. They have a 5-1 road record (5-0 with Warner starting). The aerial attack might be the best in the league and they just held Adrian Peterson to 19 yards. The Cards are going to win the NFC West with ease and they’ll probably annihilate whoever their visiting first round opponent is. A lot of talk gets thrown around about the Saints, Vikings, Giants and Cowboys but with Sunday’s demolition of Minnesota, the Cards might be the second best team in the NFC.

It’s a shame the Cards were forced to play without Warner against the Titans because they probably would’ve won the game had he been available. A win against the Titans would’ve put Arizona in a serious race for the second seed in the NFC and hope is not lost but regardless of wherever the Cards finish, no team is going to be raising their hands to play them in the postseason.

 

Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers

What I predicted …

Packers 26-16

What I said would happen …

“The Packers D has been flying around all season and even with the losses of Aaron Kampman and Al Harris, the unit has enough talent to continue to play at a high level. It’s hard to go wrong when you have the league’s best defense and Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback. The Ravens defense may limit Rodgers and the Packers offense but Green Bay still scores enough points in an off game that opposing squads have to come with a 23-plus effort and the Packers defense won’t allow that at Lambeau Field.”

What actually happened …

The Packers won 27-14. Rodgers and Co. picked apart the Ravens depleted secondary, drawing several pass interference penalties and totaling 263 passing yards and three touchdowns. Green Bay’s defense was even more impressive, holding the Ravens to 185 total yards. Ray Rice, Baltimore’s sophomore sensation at running back, was held to 71 total yards, 54 rushing. The Packers intercepted Baltimore QB Joe Flacco three times, once in the end zone. Trailing 24-14 in the fourth, Baltimore had first-and-goal at the Packers’ one-yard line but cornerback Charles Woodson dropped the Ravens’ Willis McGahee for a two-yard loss on first down and Flacco’s pass across mid-end zone on the following play was picked off by Tramon Williams that gave the Packers the defensive stand of the game.

My reactions …

Green Bay (8-4) didn’t play one of their better offensive games but that was expected against a strong Baltimore defense. There’s little hope for the Packers to win the NFC North but their wildcard chances are alive and well. Wins over the Cowboys give Green Bay a valuable trump card should they tie with Dallas down the stretch. But their remaining schedule is stuffed with tough matchups and it will take some work (and maybe luck) for the Packers to make it in. Stay tuned…

Even with the loss, Baltimore (6-6) remains alive in their playoff hunt. As of this week, the Ravens don’t play a single team over .500 the rest of the year and it’s not out of the question for the Ravens to win out. Another date with Pittsburgh looms in a few weeks but the Steelers have lost four-straight games and clearly isn’t the same team they were last year. The Ravens will need some help to make the playoffs but they have to win first and Sunday’s date with the Detroit Lions should be the perfect opportunity to get back on track. Stay tuned…