Around the world of the NFL faster than Andre Davis taking not one, but TWO kickoff returns to The House, Crappafoni Pictures presents, spaghetti western style, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Week 17.
THE GOOD
New England Patriots: what more can be said? Perfection. 16-0. And the way they beat the Giants is the stuff legends are made of. Tom Brady got sharper as the game went on. But the playoffs are a totally different animal. The Pats better be prepared to win when they score in the teens.
Carolina Panthers: as has been a recent tradition under John Fox, the Cats went out and won their last game of the season on the road. Matt Moore was efficient, throwing for 174 yards and 2 TDs. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 121 yards and a TD. Granted, Tampa Bay was resting its starters after the first half of the game, but a win is a win, and the Cats will take it.
Washington Redskins: was that a DOMINATING defensive performance, or WHAT? The Skins defense held the Cowboys to one yard rushing. FOR THE GAME. Watching the game, I could sense the late Sean Taylor encouraging his mates; they played very inspired ball, particularly on defense. I saw the Redskins' D-line pushing the Cowboys' O-line around all game long. Now they're on to Seattle, and I think it's a very winnable game for the Redskins.
Green Bay Packers: they put an ####-kicking on the Detroit LLLLLLLLLLLLLions, plain and simple. They seemed to shake the hangover of the loss to the Bears from their systems.
Tennessee Titans: they got it done, on the road, in a hostile environment, minus Vince Young for the last third of the game. Granted, it was against the Colts' second and third string, but a win is a win in the NFL. Kerry Collins was sharp, keeping the chains moving, and extending drives. Now they're on to San Diego next weekend.
Atlanta Falcons: one of the rare times this season I've put them in the Good category. They did beat a playoff team, and scoreboard is everything in the NFL.
Houston Texans: or more specifically, Andre Davis. He returned two kickoffs to The House in a 42-28 win over Jacksonville. The Texans finished 8-8 for the first time in franchise history. The AFC South is the only division to have all four of its teams finish .500 or better.
THE BAD
Dallas Cowboys: one of the REALLY rare times (maybe the ONLY time this season) I've put them in the Bad category. They proceeded to set a franchise low for yards rushing in a game: ONE yard. Thirty-six inches. Three feet. That broke the previous low of seven yards set in 1998 against New Orleans. Tony Romo was not sharp. The Redskins' defense had a lot to do with that. The Cowboys' O-line was pushed around by the stout Redskins' D-line all game long.
St. Louis Rams: I know you wanted the season to end, but I didn't realize how desperate you were to finish it. They threw in the towel and were ready for their tee times. Now you're picking second overall.
Miami Dolphins: you were watching the back of Chad Johnson all game long as he was blowing by you. Ocho Cinco took a short pass and took it to The House from 70 yards away. You couldn't WAIT for the season to end; it couldn't end soon enough. Now comes the inevitable purging by The Big Tuna, Bill Parcells.
Detroit LLLLLLLLLLLLions: you, too, couldn't wait for the season to end. Ford Field will be a ghost town come tomorrow as the players can't leave fast enough. Many of them will be attending their alma maters' bowl games. Others will be taking a much-needed vacation. Still several others have played their last game in a LLLLLLLLLions' uniform, as they will either be released or leave via free agency.
THE UGLY
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets: this epic battle of bad teams was compounded by this game going into overtime. What, did neither team WANT to win?
Buffalo at Philadelphia: a 17-9 yawnfest played in rainy, chilly weather. It would be one thing if both teams were in the playoffs. But neither team is in the playoffs.
hey jon,
under "good" i might put the Ravens. they really had as major a meltdown as i can remember. give away the game to the Pats and then lose to the Dolphins? i'm surprised that they played hard today against the Steelers. granted that Charlie Batch was playing for Big Ben, but still give credit for running roughshod over the starting defense for the Steelers.
I'd have to put the Giants performance against the Pats in the good category. They didn't have to play hard being that they were already assured a playoff spot.
Hey Jon, Nice post! The only thing I would add was that I was impressed with the Giants performance against the Pats. They showed a lot of effort and I believe, at one point in the game, they had the Pats down by the most amount of points - all season! Not bad, I think I would put the Giants in your "Good" category. Enjoyed your post, nonetheless. Thanks!
Good to see you giving Houston's Andre' Davis some props. He's has been under utilized in Houston his short career until the injury this year to Andre Johnson. He'll draw mega-bucks attention in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent...
Every team in the NFC East is .500 or better. Also the NFC East has put 3 teams in the playoffs for 2 years in a row.
divine, you make a good case for the Ravens being put in the Good category. They played much better than in weeks past. They played like the Ravens of last year. Good points.
empty, my bad. I stand corrected. For some reason I had a brain #### and thought the Eagles finished 7-9.
Blue and Moondog and RH, my bad for not including the Giants in the Good category. They played very well, aside from Manning's one pick. They played hard for all 60 minutes and left it all out on the field.
Braves, the Colts starters pretty much played only the first quarter, although a couple of O-linemen played into the fourth quarter. Still, a good win by the Titans to get them into the playoffs.
Midnite, he made himself some jack. If the Texans are smart, they'll lock him up long term. He showed flashes of brilliance in Cleveland. Now that he's a bit older, he has started to show some consistency.
I am from Central California. I am passionate about sports, particularly the NFL and NASCAR. My favorite teams are: Panthers (NFL), Lakers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Dodgers (MLB). I am also a Kevin Harvick fan in NASCAR. I am a Fresno State honk. (I'll admit it!) And I am also a fan of MMA. Jackie Robinson to this day represents what is right about baseball. I also enjoy discussing the relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) issues of the day pertaining to sports. I will never understand why televised poker is so popular. Who wants to see a bunch of people sitting around a table, muttering to themselves? I do my best to keep politics out of my sports discussions. That is why I recently created a nonsports blog, cencalscribe. blogspot.com. That is where I post my nonsports topics.
