NFL Week 15: Strangest Week of the 2011 Season; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Week 15 in the NFL was the wackiest and wildest week of the season thus far. An undefeated team and a winless team saw their fortunes change, a few teams clinched playoff berths and the NFC East got further convoluted. Let's take a look at The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Week 15 in the NFL.

The Good

Atlanta Falcons: Matty Ice showed up big time and led the Falcons to a pouncing over the Jaguars. Although their divisional race is basically decided, the Falcons furthered their chances of becoming the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys: After a dismal fourth quarter collapse against the Giants last week, Tony Romo and the defense bounced back with a dismantling Tampa Bay. Look for the Boys to carry this momentum into the next two weeks against Philly and the G-Men.

Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck is smiling. For once, these Colts found themselves on the right side of the scoreboard. Kudos to the team for staying determined and staying away from the daunting 0-16 mark.

Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy. Enough said.

The Bad

New York Giants. This was an embarrassing performance for a streaking Giants team who had a chance to take a commanding step in the NFC East playoff race. The G-Men did not show up, Eli did not know what color his team’s jersey was and sure-handed Hakeem Nicks could not hold onto a football. Not to mention, their defensive effort against a lackluster Redskins offense was horribly ineffective.

Green Bay Packers: For once, these Packers have made the “bad” list. An upset unlike any other, these Packers somehow let their perfect season slip away against a Chiefs team who played their hearts out all game. Kudos to the Chiefs. On the bright side, the focus for the remainder of the season will be to repeat as champions, rather than their drive to perfection.

The Ugly

Chicago Bears: A promising start was all for nothing once Caleb Haine continued to play like Caleb Haine. This Bears team has been decimated by one too many injuries, and their great start has been nullified due to the poor play of the offense.

Houston Texans: TJ Yates was on seventh heaven after his previous two performances, and the Texans defense was rolling through opponents of late. Against a Cam Newton-led offense, these Texans simply got outplayed. Although they have clinched their division already, this lackluster effort might be a sign of things to come in the future.

- New York Jets: If the Jets played as well as Rex Ryan talked, their season would be different. This game was a microcosm to a horribly under-achieving season the Jets had. The Eagles exploited the Jets defensively and toyed with their slim playoff hopes in a competitive AFC.