Week 16 Thoughts

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:31 am

Here are some random thoughts and observations with every game but one in the books for Week 16:

I understand what Jim Caldwell is doing but I think when you have a chance to make history, you should "play to win the game" as Herm Edwards would say. His decision to yank his key offensive players yesterday not only smelled of quitting it significantly impacted the AFC playoff picture. The Jets now are in the driver's seat after being handed a gift by Indianapolis yesterday and they may get another one next week if the Bengals sit their key players as I expect. Shouldn't the playoffs be about the best teams and not the ones lucky enough to catch a team or two that isn't trying?

Just when you think Vince Young is becoming an NFL quarterback, he turns into Vince Young again.

Few things irk me with the NFL more than teams that give up. Case in point - the Detroit Lions. They're down 17 yesterday with 8:34 to go. It's fourth and short. So what do the Lions do? They punt. Of course they punt. After all, they have an outstanding defense and an explosive offense so it makes perfect sense that if they hold the 49ers on the next series they'll be able to score three times in about five minutes. Seriously, you deserve to be a losing team if that's going to be your approach.

Going into this week, I thought the Eagles were the best team in the NFC. After yesterday, I'm starting to think anybody in the conference could get to the Super Bowl if they just get hot like the Cardinals last season and the Giants in 2007.

I hope everyone got a chance to read Mike Sims-Walker's Tweet after the game yesterday. Let's just say I doubt he'll be buying David Garrard dinner anytime soon. And I don't blame him one bit.

I'm still at a loss to explain how it's happening but the Browns are on a three-game winning streak.

Did the Giants forget they had a game on Sunday? Just wondering.

There aren't many teams that can lose a running back of DeAngelo Williams' caliber and not miss him one bit. But Jonathan Stewart is some kind of good.

I think it's safe to say Randy Moss is back on the same page with Tom Brady.

The Chiefs don't have much but with Dwayne Bowe and Jamaal Charles, they have two very nice building blocks offensively.

Can someone explain to me why the Bengals-Jets game got flexed to Sunday night instead of the Cowboys-Eagles? First off, the latter is for a division title and has HUGE ratings potential. Meanwhile, the Bengals have nothing to play for and could treat the game like a preseason matchup. Why would anybody think that's the game that should be moved to Primetime? What an incredibly awful decision by NBC.

Calvin Johnson had nearly twice as many rushing yards yesterday as Knowshon Moreno. I think the Broncos may want to take a good look at that stat and re-think their draft approach in 2010.

I'm not sure if Matt Moore is the long-term answer for Carolina at QB but he's played well enough the past two games to be given every opportunity to be the starter in 2010.

Looks like Jerome Harrison is this year's Pierre Thomas.

There are some bad teams in the NFL this season but I'm not sure there's anyone worse right now than the Seahawks. Even the Raiders are showing a little fight lately. The Seahawks look like they've quit.

I'm trying to figure out how Brent Celek can go for over 100 yards in the first half against Denver yesterday and not see a single target in the second half. Wouldn't he be someone you might want to keep throwing passes to since the Broncos couldn't cover him?

I hope Brian Westbrook's concussion issues are a thing of the past and I have to say he looked like he had very fresh legs yesterday. But like the Cowboys, I think the Eagles create more problems then they solve by utilizing three RBs. Pick one or two and then go.

What's the over/under on how many yards Chris Johnson gets against Seattle next week? 250?

I know Brett Favre has had December issues and cold weather issues but I simply can't see any way the Vikings lose to the Bears tonight. There aren't many QBs in the league playing worse right now than Jay Cutler. This is a game the Vikings should win and simply have to win.

3INTBOY · Post by **3INTBOY** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:06 am

"Can someone explain to me why the Bengals-Jets game got flexed to Sunday night instead of the Cowboys-Eagles? First off, the latter is for a division title and has HUGE ratings potential. Meanwhile, the Bengals have nothing to play for and could treat the game like a preseason matchup. Why would anybody think that's the game that should be moved to Primetime? What an incredibly awful decision by NBC."

Yes I can Tom( Speculation of course)...

1-This is a likely preview of a 1st round playoff matchup. So the world needs to meet the Jets. And not the team that played in that god awful game against the Bills.

2-The "play up" on the terrible tragedies in Cincy this season will be huge.

3-Hard Knocks covered the Bengals, which leads back to #1.

4.Why show the Cowboys vs. Eagles? Everyone will watch that first round game when it happens anyway. Which leads back to #1 & #3.

3'

GOD Loves You · Post by **GOD Loves You** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:27 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:

I understand what Jim Caldwell is doing .

Few things irk me with the NFL more than teams that give up. Case in point - the Detroit Lions. They're down 17 yesterday with 8:34 to go. It's fourth and short. So what do the Lions do? They punt. Of course they punt. After all, they have an outstanding defense and an explosive offense so it makes perfect sense that if they hold the 49ers on the next series they'll be able to score three times in about five minutes. Seriously, you deserve to be a losing team if that's going to be your approach.

Going into this week, I thought the Eagles were the best team in the NFC. After yesterday, I'm starting to think anybody in the conference could get to the Super Bowl if they just get hot like the Cardinals last season and the Giants in 2007.

I think it's more management than Caldwell making the decisions.

How about the Lions, on 4th and 5 kicking a FG from the 20 yard line, with 4 minutes left, down by 17....guess they thought they could make up those 14 points. :rolleyes: I complained about that for a good 10 minutes to my wife.

How about the so-called INT by the Browns near the end of the game, in the end zone....two officials right there, plain as day only on foot came down in the field of play. How do two people miss something right in front of them? Also, how do the Raiders not attempt a single run there....at the 2 yard line they throw four incomplete passes....hmmm, Charlie Frye, Michael Bush...Frye...Bush. I'd take my chances with the bruiser and not the journeyman.

I've been thinking for a few weeks now, the Packers are the team from the NFC. If they play to their ability, they can beat anyone. I would love to see Rodgers beat Favre!

FYI, David Garrard stinks, he shouldn't be starting. The only team he should be starting on is the 00-01 Baltimore Ravens. That team needs a change, Del Rio isn't going to take them anywhere. They are one of the most blah teams in the league and have been for years.

Also, the Saints deserved to lose. Like many teams, they try to milk the clock/their lead and eventually squander it. You think Carney misses that easy FG??

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:53 am

Originally posted by 3intboyBFD:
"Can someone explain to me why the Bengals-Jets game got flexed to Sunday night instead of the Cowboys-Eagles? First off, the latter is for a division title and has HUGE ratings potential. Meanwhile, the Bengals have nothing to play for and could treat the game like a preseason matchup. Why would anybody think that's the game that should be moved to Primetime? What an incredibly awful decision by NBC."

Yes I can Tom( Speculation of course)...

1-This is a likely preview of a 1st round playoff matchup. So the world needs to meet the Jets. And not the team that played in that god awful game against the Bills.

2-The "play up" on the terrible tragedies in Cincy this season will be huge.

3-Hard Knocks covered the Bengals, which leads back to #1.

4.Why show the Cowboys vs. Eagles? Everyone will watch that first round game when it happens anyway. Which leads back to #1 & #3.

3' I disagree Lou. Dallas-Philly has MAJOR playoff implications, it features two of the league's most prominent teams and it's one of the league's fiercest rivalries. That game was an absolute no-brainer to choose. Instead, they pick a meaningless game which will likely feature one of the teams not even trying.

With regard to the Packers, I think they have a shot to get to the Super Bowl. That's how wide open the NFC is right now. Every team features standout QBs and every team has some issues they will have to overcome. I was very disappointed with what I saw from the Eagles yesterday. They had Denver buried and let them off the map and almost lost as a result. That's not the way championship teams perform. I still think they're the current best team in the NFC but I'm not as confident in them as I was going into this week.

CREATiVESPORTS-MARC · Post by **CREATiVESPORTS-MARC** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:25 am

Cowboys may have hit their season limit for number of NBC/ESPN/NFL Network games. They did move that game to 4:15 from 1:00.

Still cannot believe that I watched the Colts quit yesterday. Or that I watched the Giants defense completely not show up.

How can Wes Welker catch 10+ passes every week, but Randy Moss gets all the touchdowns?

How does an NFL receiver catch 8 passes in a game for only 39 yards (Brandon Marshall)? Great tackling by the Eagles yesterday.

Would the Panthers be in the playoff chase if Jake Delhomme was injured earlier in the season?

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:38 am

Originally posted by CREATiVESPORTS-MARC:

How does an NFL receiver catch 8 passes in a game for only 39 yards (Brandon Marshall)?
That's what happens when your QB has a noodle arm.

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:58 am

Originally posted by Tom Kessenich:
quote:Originally posted by 3intboyBFD:
"Can someone explain to me why the Bengals-Jets game got flexed to Sunday night instead of the Cowboys-Eagles? First off, the latter is for a division title and has HUGE ratings potential. Meanwhile, the Bengals have nothing to play for and could treat the game like a preseason matchup. Why would anybody think that's the game that should be moved to Primetime? What an incredibly awful decision by NBC."

Yes I can Tom( Speculation of course)...

1-This is a likely preview of a 1st round playoff matchup. So the world needs to meet the Jets. And not the team that played in that god awful game against the Bills.

2-The "play up" on the terrible tragedies in Cincy this season will be huge.

3-Hard Knocks covered the Bengals, which leads back to #1.

4.Why show the Cowboys vs. Eagles? Everyone will watch that first round game when it happens anyway. Which leads back to #1 & #3.

3' I disagree Lou. Dallas-Philly has MAJOR playoff implications, it features two of the league's most prominent teams and it's one of the league's fiercest rivalries. That game was an absolute no-brainer to choose. Instead, they pick a meaningless game which will likely feature one of the teams not even trying.

[/QUOTE]1) The game isn't meaningless. The Jets probably have to win to be in. The question is how hard will the Bengals try. I think they will try hard, because they've been yearning for some national exposure and after the flak that the Colts just deservedly received, the Bengals will not want that negative PR. I think it's a close game, sort of like that Week 17 contest between the Giants and Patriots.

2) More practically, though, the Sunday Night Flex contract with NBC stipulates that an equal number of AFC and NFC must be flexed by the end of the contract (2013) so that the other networks (CBS and FOX) don't get preferentially screwed by losing marquee games. NBC is already in the hole with 4 more NFC than AFC games, so this lowers the gap to 3 rather than expanding it to 5.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:15 am

It's not meaningless for the Jets but it is for the Bengals and if they sit their key guys (which I expect them to do), then the game itself becomes meaningless. Keep in mind, the Bengals could play the Jets in the first round of the playoffs so I doubt they'll want to show them much, if anything, Sunday night.

They could put the Titans-Seahawks game on. Sure that one has no playoff implications but Chris Johnson is making a run at NFL history. That's more interesting (at least to me) than watching the Jets play the Bengals' third stringers.

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:34 am

The Bengals have had nothing but a bad rep for years and have been a joke on the field. Now they finally have a respectable team, they've won some hearts with the recent tragedy, and they're finally in a national game.

Personally, I don't think they sit their starters. There's just as much argument that a team benefits from going all out and keeping their edge and promote winning as there is going in the opposite direction and rolling over.

Of course, I could be wrong, so we'll see...