1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
See. I'm a freaking genius people. Yes, I whiffed big-time on Oklahoma, but they were supposed to be way better than they were. Anyway, I also predicted that Florida State would defeat Oregon and go on to beat Alabama for the National Championship. For the sake of myself and all the other Duck fans reading this...let's hope I'm wrong.
The Pac-12 champs are coming for the Noles.....
Anyway, let's get to this weekend's NFL action.
Dallas - 41 (9-4) @ Chicago - 28 (5-8)
The Cowboys are a good football team and the Bears are a struggling team. This result shouldn't shock anyone who knows anything about NFL football. When Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys offense is clicking like they did on Thursday night (it does help that they were playing the Bears shitty defense), there are only a select few NFL defenses that can stop that train....if any at all. In the pre-season, I picked the Cowboys to implode this year and everything would go to shit. I had no idea how good their offensive line would play this season and the defense is playing better than anyone thought they could. That has all resulted in the Cowboys turning into a potential playoff team. For years, people have bashed Tony Romo, but the guy is finally getting the respect he deserves. It's really amazing what a QB can do when you surround him with a fantastic offensive line and great weapons. I'm all-in on the Cowboys bandwagon right now.
Dallas Offensive MVP: DeMarco Murray (32 carries, 179 rushing yards, 9 catches, 49 receiving yards, 1 TD)
Dallas Defensive MVP: Orlando Scandrick (9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception)
Chicago Offensive MVP: Alshon Jeffery (6 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD)
Chicago Defensive MVP: Jared Allen (5 tackles, 1/2 sack, 1 QB hit)
Up next for Dallas: vs. @ Philadelphia (9-4)
Up next for Chicago: vs. New Orleans (5-8)
Pittsburgh - 42 (8-5) @ Cincinnati - 21 (8-4-1)
This was a very important football game when it comes to the playoffs and the AFC North division crown. The Bengals really needed to win this football game, so of course they come out and blow it. Of course, when the Steelers offense is rolling like they were yesterday, good luck stopping them. Le'Veon Bell is one of the best running back's in the NFL and it really helps that he plays in an offense that also features the usually-reliable Ben Roethlisberger and a guy who's quickly turning into one of my favorite wide receivers in the NFL, Antonio Brown. How come the Steelers don't score 40+ points every week? There's no excuse with the weapons that they have on their roster that they can't be putting up 40+ on teams every week. There is good news for the Bengals though. Because they tied the Panthers way back in week 6, they still hold the tie-breaker advantage over Pittsburgh and will win the division as long as they can win out. The only problem with that is....they still have a rivalry game in Cleveland, a home game against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, and then they finish the season against these same Steelers in Pittsburgh. That's not an easy gauntlet for any team, especially a team like the Bengals that are very inconsistent. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I was carrying Cincinnati Bengals playoff stock right now....I'd probably sell it.
Pittsburgh Offensive MVP: Le'Veon Bell (26 carries, 185 rushing yards, 6 catches, 50 yards, 3 TD's)
Pittsburgh Defensive MVP: Arthur Moats (4 tackles, 2 sacks)
Cincinnati Offensive MVP: A.J. Green (11 catches, 224 yards, 1 TD)
Cincinnati Defensive MVP: Dwight Lowery (5 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1 interception)
Up next for Pittsburgh: vs. @ Atlanta (5-7)
Up next for Cincinnati: vs. @ Cleveland (7-6)
St. Louis - 24 (6-7) @ Washington - 0 (3-10)
Washington is a mess right now. There is so much controversy surrounding the team's head coach and it's quarterback right now, that it's borderline disgusting. In case you have been hiding under a rock, Washington head coach Jay Gruden has come out and pretty much publicly stated that Robert Griffin III won't be his QB moving forward. Well, this past week it was revealed that Washington owner Dan Snyder isn't quite ready to give up on RG III yet (he should, RG III sucks) and he may in fact be ready to give Gruden the old "heave-ho" following Gruden's first season in Washington. Firing a head coach after only one-season is one of the stupidest things you can do as an NFL owner, but Snyder has done it before (Marty Schottenheimer anyone?) so it wouldn't shock anyone to see him do it again.
Unfortunately for Redskins fans, the drama in the locker room is spilling out onto the field as the team came out and looked flat this week and has obviously quit on the season. The Redskins are awful and anyone playing them should go ahead and just pencil in a win. As for the Rams, they are a team that is improving on a week-by-week basis and that's a good sign for a team that probably won't make the playoffs, even though they are playing good ball. If St. Louis can find themselves a franchise quarterback in the off-season (Jay Cutler may be a guy who's available and could be someone Jeff Fisher could coach up if they choose to go that route), they will be a playoff team next season and could even surprise some people by capturing an NFC West division title. Watch this team people. They are already good, but they have the potential to be great.
St. Louis Offensive MVP: Shaun Hill (16 of 22 for 213 yards, 2 TD's, 133.3 QB rating)
St. Louis Defensive MVP: Robert Quinn (5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 3 QB hits)
Washington Offensive MVP: No one. No one is the MVP on offense when you get shut out.
Washington Defensive MVP: Ryan Kerrigan (5 tackles, 2 sacks)
Up next for St. Louis: vs. Arizona (10-3)
Up next for Washington: vs. @ New York Giants (4-9)
New York Giants - 36 (4-9) @ Tennessee - 7 (2-11)
I feel ya......
NY Giants Offensive MVP: Odell Beckham Jr (11 catches, 130 receiving yards, 1 carry, 9 rushing yards, 1 TD)
NY Giants Defensive MVP: Jason Pierre-Paul (7 tackles, 2 sacks)
Tennessee Offensive MVP: Derek Hagan (6 catches, 62 yards)
Tennessee Defensive MVP: Michael Huff (2 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)
Up next for NY Giants: vs. Washington (3-10)
Up next for Tennessee: vs. New York Jets (2-11)
Carolina - 41 (4-8-1) @ New Orleans - 10 (5-8)
DEAR GOD! MAKE IT STOP!!!! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!
Carolina Offensive MVP: Cam Newton (21 of 33 for 226 yards, 12 carries, 83 rushing yards, 4 TD's)
Carolina Defensive MVP: Bene Benwikere (8 tackles, 2 passes deflection, 1 interception)
New Orleans Offensive MVP: Marques Colston (5 catches, 72 yards)
New Orleans Defensive MVP: Curtis Lofton (17 tackles, 1 tackle for loss)
Up next for Carolina: vs. Tampa Bay (2-11)
Up next for New Orleans: vs. @ Chicago (5-8)
New York Jets - 24 (2-11) @ Minnesota - 30 (6-7)
That's what watching the New York Jets play football can do for you. On the plus side, this was actually a pretty good football game. You would have enjoyed it if you are the type of person who likes to watch overtime football games between two crappy NFL teams (OK, I'm being a little too harsh on Minnesota...they aren't THAT bad).
New York Jets Offensive MVP: Percy Harvin (6 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD)
New York Jets Defensive MVP: Sheldon Richardson (7 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 QB hits)
Minnesota Offensive MVP: Jarius Wright (4 catches, 123 receiving yards, 1 carry, 23 rushing yards, 1 TD)
Minnesota Defensive MVP: Gerald Hodges (8 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception, 1 TD)
Up next for NY Jets: vs. @ Tennessee (2-11)
Up next for Minnesota: vs. @ Detroit (9-4)
Baltimore - 28 (8-5) @ Miami - 13 (7-6)
All I've been hearing for week is how the Miami Dolphins are a legit playoff team and people should really start to fear this team.
If there's any team that people should fear if they get into the playoffs....it's the Ravens. The other day I heard an NFL analyst (who's name is escaping me for the moment), mention that the Ravens are playing this season almost exactly the way they played when they won the Super Bowl a few years back. That's not good news for the rest of the NFL, especially the other AFC teams. I know a road win in Miami isn't exactly an easy thing, but I haven't been big on the Dolphins all-year, so I expected the Ravens to go in and handle their business. The schedule the rest of the way is actually not that bad for Baltimore. Next week they play the Jaguars in Baltimore, and then go to Houston to play the Texans, and then finish the season with the Browns in Baltimore. This week, I'm buying and selling playoff stock. I'm buying TONS of Baltimore Ravens playoff stock right now and you should to. It would be wise of you.
Baltimore Offensive MVP: Joe Flacco (25 of 33 for 269 yards, 7 carries, 16 rushing yards, 3 TD's, 1 INT, 106.8 QB rating)
Baltimore Defensive MVP: Elvis Dumervil (4 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4 QB hits)
Miami Offensive MVP: Ryan Tannehill (23 of 33 for 227 yards, 1 TD, 98.9 QB rating)
Miami Defensive MVP: R.J. Stanford (7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception)
Up next for Baltimore: vs. Jacksonville (2-11)
Up next for Miami: vs. @ New England (10-3)
Indianapolis - 25 (9-4) @ Cleveland - 24 (7-6)
I know I knock the Cleveland Browns a lot, but they showed up this week. This was a huge game with playoff implications for both teams and the Browns came out hot, but they just weren't good enough to stop the machine that the Indianapolis Colts call "Andrew Luck". The unfortunate truth is, even though the Browns played the Colts well this week, Indianapolis has an "X-Factor" that very few NFL teams possess and that counts when the game is on the line. Luck was far from perfect this game (his QB rating was only 59.8 as he threw 2 interceptions and completed only 24 passes while throwing for 53), but him and T.Y. Hilton have been the Colts' biggest play-makers the last few seasons and it happened once again as Hilton caught the touchdown winning pass to give the Colts the victory as the Browns sink further down the playoff race. Not only did the Browns sink further down the playoff race, but reports came out this week that QB Brian Hoyer likely won't be returning to the team for the 2015 season. Those reports were followed up by Hoyer's awful performance in this game against the Colts. Hoyer completed less than 50% of his passes, threw 2 picks, threw no touchdown's, and had a QB rating of 31.3! We all know what that means.....
It's Johnny Football time in Cleveland folks!
Indianapolis Offensive MVP: T.Y. Hilton (10 catches, 150 yards, 2 TD's)
Indianapolis Defensive MVP: Mike Adams (4 tackles, 1 interception)
Cleveland Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell (14 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD)
Cleveland Defensive MVP: Justin Gilbert (4 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD)
Up next for Indianapolis: vs. Houston (7-6)
Up next for Cleveland: vs. Cincinnati (8-4-1)
Tampa Bay - 17 (2-11) @ Detroit - 34 (9-4)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be paying close attention this weekend to the Heisman trophy presentation. There's a good chance their next franchise quarterback will be the one hoisting the trophy up when it's all said and done....
As for Detroit, good to see them win a "must-win" game. With the Packers doing what they are doing, the Lions need to keep winning in order to grab themselves a wildcard playoff spot so a loss to the Bucs at home would have been disastrous. Fortunately it didn't happen and as of right now, the Lions are looking good for the post-season. All they have left now is three divisional games and if they can handle their business, that week 17 game at Lambeau Field could be HUGE when it comes to the divisional title. We shall see though.
Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Vincent Jackson (10 catches, 159 yards)
Tampa Bay Defensive MVP: Jacquies Smith (4 tackles, 2 sacks)
Detroit Offensive MVP: Calvin Johnson (8 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD)
Detroit Defensive MVP: DeAndre Levy (5 tackles, 2 sacks)
Up next for Tampa Bay: vs. @ Carolina (4-8-1)
Up next for Detroit: vs. Minnesota (6-7)
Houston - 27 (7-6) @ Jacksonville - 13 (2-11)
A few weeks ago I called the Houston Texans an 8-8 team that wouldn't make the playoffs and it upset some people. Well, here they are currently sitting at 7-6 and if they can somehow win out, there's good reason to believe they could potentially sneak into the playoffs at 10-6 and I'm an idiot for predicting them to go 8-8. What does the rest of their schedule look like? Glad you asked.....
vs. @ Indianapolis
vs. Baltimore
vs. Jacksonville
I still have the Texans finishing 8-8 on the season and missing the playoffs. I think they get beat by the Colts next weekend in Indianapolis. I think the Ravens are a better football team and can beat the Texans at home in week 16, but the Texans will likely have a field day against the same Jaguars they just beat up yesterday to finish their season. An 8-8 season is disappointing to a lot of people (I hate them because it usually means you just missed out on the playoffs and you weren't crappy enough to get a really good first-round draft pick), but I would consider it a success for the Texans. This team was awful in 2013 and they'll continue to improve, especially if they can find a QB.
Oh, I forgot to talk about the Jaguars......
Houston Offensive MVP: Arian Foster (24 carries, 127 rushing yards, 2 catches, 21 receiving yards, 1 TD)
Houston Defensive MVP: J.J. Watt (4 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection, 5 QB hits)
Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Marcedes Lewis (3 catches, 69 yards)
Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Telvin Smith (5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection)
Up next for Houston: vs. @ Indianapolis (9-4)
Up next for Jacksonville: vs. @ Baltimore (8-5)
Buffalo - 17 (7-6) @ Denver - 24 (10-3)
Peyton Manning didn't throw a touchdown pass for the first-time in forever, and the Broncos still won the game against a hungry Bills team.
Yep. Apparently Peyton isn't "God" himself and actually doesn't score in every game he plays. The fact that Manning didn't score a TD and the Broncos still won is either a testament to how good the Broncos are....or how bad the Bills are. I'll let you figure out which one it is.
Buffalo Offensive MVP: Sammy Watkins (7 catches, 127 yards)
Buffalo Defensive MVP: Corey Graham (5 tackles, 1 interception)
Denver Offensive MVP: C.J. Anderson (21 carries, 58 rushing yards, 3 TD's)
Denver Defensive MVP: Chris Harris (5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception)
Up next for Buffalo: vs. Green Bay (9-3)
Up next for Denver: vs. @ San Diego (8-5)
Seattle - 24 (9-4) @ Philadelphia - 14 (9-4)
This was easily the most anticipated game of the week as both teams are near the top of the NFC and could potentially be battling for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Seahawks are a team that is clicking at the right time. Seattle came into Philadelphia and took the Eagles best shot and brushed it off as if it were nothing. This Seahawks team of the last few weeks, has looked like the one that won the Super Bowl last year. It seems like it may have just taken a few weeks for the "Super Bowl Hangover" to wear off. On the other hand, if I were an Eagles fan, I would be downright scared to play this Seattle team in the playoffs, whether it be at home or away. Chip Kelly's teams historically don't fare well against physical teams, and a team like Seattle is built to perfectly counter anything Philly throws their way. If the Eagles have "NFC Champion wishes and Super Bowl dreams" than they had better figure out a way to beat teams that are more physical than they are. They also better figure out a way to get Mark Sanchez to play better than he did or they really have no prayer in the world when the post-season rolls around. There is good news looming in the off-season though in the form of......
Super Mariota
Seattle Offensive MVP: Russell Wilson (22 of 37 for 263 yards, 10 carries, 48 rushing yards, 3 TD's, 99.3 QB rating)
Seattle Defensive MVP: Jordan Hill (4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss)
Philadelphia Offensive MVP: Julio Jones (10 catches, 189 receiving yards, 1 TD)
Philadelphia Defensive MVP: Dwight Lowery (5 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1 interception)
Up next for Seattle: vs. San Francisco (7-6)
Up next for Philadelphia: vs. Dallas (9-4)
San Francisco - 13 (7-6) @ Oakland - 24 (2-11)
Raiders, what are you doing? You guys do realize that as nice as it is to pick up a win over a team like the San Francisco 49ers, it does more harm than good. All you are doing by beating teams like the Chiefs and the 49ers is potentially damaging your chances of landing the first overall pick in a stacked NFL Draft. Not only that, but you are probably also doing a good job of making Mark Davis (Raiders owner) think that your current interim head coach is doing a good enough job to remove the interim tag permanently. Now, there are rumors circulating that there could be a potential trade in the off-season between the 49ers and the Raiders for 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. I don't know if those rumors are true or not or if Harbaugh is even considerng leaving SF (it's all just talk to get people going), but losing to Oakland is a good way to convince the higher-up's on your team that maybe it is time to make a move. The 49ers are a Super Bowl contender that have somehow turned into a dumpster fire and man did it happen quick.
San Francisco Offensive MVP: Anquan Boldin (4 catches, 54 yards)
San Francisco Defensive MVP: Chris Borland (14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss)
Oakland Offensive MVP: Derek Carr (22 of 28 for 254 yards, 3 TD's, 140.2 QB rating)
Oakland Defensive MVP: Charles Woodson (8 tackles, 1 interception)
Up next for San Francisco: vs. @ Seattle (9-4)
Up next for Oakland: vs. @ Kansas City (7-6)
Kansas City - 14 (7-6) @ Arizona - 17 (10-3)
The Chiefs are team that is on a big-time downhill slide and even though they are in the playoff hunt, I would be shocked if they made the playoffs. Something has happened to this football team over the course of the last few weeks, and they just don't look like the same team that crushed New England and beat Seattle a few weeks back. A big part of the reason they are slipping is they don't give Jamaal Charles the ball enough. For as good of a head coach that Andy Reid is, one of the biggest criticism of his career has been his reluctance to turn his running back loose on a regular basis. He did it while he was in Philadelphia and he continues to do it in Kansas City. The Chiefs lost a horrible game to the Titans in week one because they didn't give the ball to Charles enough and Reid addressed that fact during the press conference. Well, nothing has really changed. Charles was great against the Cardinals when he had the ball in his hands, but he only rushed the ball 10 times. This is a guy who should be running the ball 20+ times a game at the very least. When you are a team that hasn't scored a TD with a wide receiver all season because you're WR's are awful, you would think you would want to rely on your running back a little more. If you don't, you'll probably lose the game and that's exactly what Kansas City did. C'mon Andy. You have one of the best playmakers in the NFL on your offense. UNLEASH THE BEAST MAN!!!!!
Kansas City Offensive MVP: Jamaal Charles (10 carries, 91 rushing yards, 2 catches, 20 receiving yards, 2 TD's)
Kansas City Defensive MVP: Justin Houston (3 tackles, 2 sacks)
Arizona Offensive MVP: Kerwynn Williams (19 carries, 100 yards)
Arizona Defensive MVP: Frostee Rucker (3 tackles, 2 sacks)
Up next for Kansas City: vs. Oakland (2-11)
Up next for Arizona: vs. @ St. Louis (6-7)
PLAYOFF RACE
NFC:
NFC South Division Leader: Atlanta Falcons (5-7)
NFC North Division Leader: Green Bay Packers (9-3)
NFC East Division Leader: Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)
NFC West Division Leader: Arizona Cardinals (10-3)
NFC Wildcard Spot #1: Seattle Seahawks (9-4)
NFC Wildcard Spot #2: Detroit Lions (9-4)
In The Hunt: Dallas Cowboys (9-4), San Francisco 49ers (7-6), Minnesota Vikings (6-7), St. Louis Rams (6-7), New Orleans Saints (5-8), Carolina Panthers (4-8-1)
Mathematically Eliminated: Chicago Bears (5-8), New York Giants (4-9), Washington Redskins (3-10), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-11)
Mathematically Eliminated: Chicago Bears (5-8), New York Giants (4-9), Washington Redskins (3-10), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-11)
AFC:
AFC South Division Leader: Indianapolis Colts (9-4)
AFC North Division Leader: Cincinnati Bengals (8-4-1)
AFC East Division Leader: New England Patriots (10-3)
AFC West Division Leader: Denver Broncos (10-3)
AFC Wildcard Spot #1: San Diego Chargers (8-5)
AFC Wildcard Spot #2: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)
In The Hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-5), Houston Texans (7-6), Miami Dolphins (7-6), Kansas City Chiefs (7-6), Buffalo Bills (7-6), Cleveland Browns (7-6)
Mathematically Eliminated: New York Jets (2-11), Tennessee Titans (2-11), Oakland Raiders (2-11), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
Mathematically Eliminated: New York Jets (2-11), Tennessee Titans (2-11), Oakland Raiders (2-11), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
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