NFL Sunday Round-Up: Week 15

We are closing in on playoff time in the NFL and almost every game has some kind of impact on the playoffs (well, except Washington vs. the Giants....). With so many games to follow during yesterday's NFL action, you have come to the right place for a quick recap on all the games mixed in with a little bit of stupid humor....because that's just what we do here at the 67th best football website on the Internet. Enough with the nonsense.....

Shit just got serious

Arizona - 12 (11-3) @ St. Louis - 6 (6-8)

When the Arizona Diamondbacks meet up with the St. Louis Cardinals, anything can happen. 

Oh wait.

You mean........

This was a football game, and not a baseball game? 

But.....that score?

The only thing that could make this weirder is if Larry Fitzgerald just showed up on a Segway for no reason at all......

I'm done.

Arizona Offensive MVP: Kerwynn Williams (15 carries, 75 rushing yards, 2 catches, 11 receiving yards)

Arizona Defensive MVP: Frostee Rucker (4 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss)

St. Louis Offensive MVP: Stedman Bailey (5 catches, 74 receiving yards, 1 carry, 13 rushing yards)

St. Louis Defensive MVP: Alec Ogletree (5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 passes deflected)

Up next for Arizona: vs. Seattle (10-4)

Up next for St. Louis: vs. New York Giants (5-9)

Oakland - 13 (2-12) @ Kansas City - 31 (8-6)

A couple of weeks ago, the Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs to get their first win of the season and people everywhere laughed. I then mentioned that it wasn't a big deal because the Chiefs were coming off a tough physical game against Seattle and then had to travel and play the Raiders on a Thursday night game. A short week is never good for an NFL team, especially one that is coming off a win where the Chiefs were forced to grind it out against the Super Bowl Champions. I didn't jump to conclusions then because I knew the Chiefs were a better football team and they proved it this past weekend. Kansas City took their AFC West rivals back behind the wood shed and proceeded to spank them until the Raiders waved the white flag. The Chiefs really needed this win in order to stay in the playoff hunt (I don't think they're getting in personally), and plus, it's always a good game when my boy De'Anthony Thomas returns a punt for a touchdown.....

Going, Going, Going.........GONE

Things get tough once again for the Chiefs when they play the Steelers in what will be a ginormous game as far as playoff implications are concerned. Are you excited yet?

Oakland Offensive MVP: James Jones (8 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD)

Oakland Defensive MVP: Ricky Lumpkin (5 tackles, 1 sack)

Kansas City Offensive MVP: Alex Smith (18 of 30 for 297 yards, 2 TD's, 3 carries, 17 rushing yards, 115.6 QB rating)

Kansas City Defensive MVP: Tamba Hali (3 tackles, 1 sack, 4 QB hits)

Up next for Oakland: vs. Buffalo (8-6)

Up next for Kansas City: vs. @ Pittsburgh (9-5)

Pittsburgh - 27 (9-5) @ Atlanta - 20 (5-9)

Pittsburgh = good football team, not great though

Atlanta = bad football team, with good pieces

Pittsburgh = in the thick of the playoff hunt in the very packed AFC North

Atlanta = in the thick of the playoff hunt in the very weak NFC South

Le'Veon Bell = really good running back

Steven Jackson = used to be

Mike Smith = needs to be fired

Mike Tomlin = one of the best coaches in the NFL

Antonio Brown = has an argument as the best wide receiver in the league

Julio Jones = also probably has an argument as the best wide receiver in the league, but he didn't play in this game because of an injury

This joke = getting old

Pittsburgh Offensive MVP: Le'Veon Bell (20 carries, 47 rushing yards, 5 catches, 72 receiving yards, 2 TD's)

Pittsburgh Defensive MVP: William Gay (8 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception, 1 TD)

Atlanta Offensive MVP: Matt Ryan (26 of 37 for 310 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 3 carries, 27 rushing yards, 102.3 QB rating)

Atlanta Defensive MVP: Paul Worrilow (11 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 2 QB hits)

Up next for Pittsburgh: vs. Kansas City (8-6)

Up next for Atlanta: vs. @ New Orleans (5-8)

Washington - 13 (3-11) @ New York Giants - 24 (5-9)

NOW WE'RE TALKING BABY! WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THESE TWO AWESOME TEAMS PLAY EACH OTHER???

..........sorry.



Washington Offensive MVP: Robert Griffin III (18 of 27 for 236 yards, 1 TD, 5 carries, 46 rushing yards, 106.4 QB rating)

Washington Defensive MVP: Perry Riley (10 tackles, 2 passes deflected)

New York Giants Offensive MVP: Odell Beckham Jr (12 catches, 143 yards, 3 TD's)

New York Giants Defensive MVP: Jason Pierre-Paul (7 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB hits)

Up next for Washington: vs. Philadelphia (9-5)

Up next for New York Giants: vs. @ St. Louis (6-8)

Miami - 13 (7-7) @ New England - 41 (11-3)

The Patriots are one of the best teams in the NFL. Some people thought the Dolphins were one of the best teams in the NFL (not me). This game should have convinced those people that isn't the case. I picked the Patriots to win the AFC and as of right now, I'm feeling comfortable with that pick. 

Miami Offensive MVP: Mike Wallace (5 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD)

Miami Defensive MVP: Jason Trusnick (10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

New England Offensive MVP: Tom Brady (21 of 35 for 287 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT, 3 carries, 18 rushing yards, 93.4 QB rating)

New England Defensive MVP: Patrick Chung (10 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Up next for Miami: vs. Minnesota (6-8)

Up next for New England: vs. @ New York Jets (3-11)

Houston - 10 (7-7) @ Indianapolis - 17 (10-4)

Rookie Tom Savage from Pittsburgh got his first taste of NFL action today against the Colts and guess what Texans fans? He doesn't look like the answer to fix your problem at quarterback. The good news is, with guys like Jameis Winston, Connor Cook (if he changes his mind and comes out, he's the best pocket passer in the draft), and Marcus Mariota in the draft....there's hope for Texans fans next season if they can grab one of those guys. Now, I'm not saying you should totally give up on a guy like Savage yet, but if he hasn't been good enough to beat out Ryan Fitzpatrick in practice, is he ever going to be good enough to be an NFL starter? I don't have a whole lot of hope myself. As for the guys on the other side of the ball? This wasn't a pretty win by any means for Indianapolis, but they eventually picked up the win because they have.....

The Colts find themselves in great shape heading into the playoffs, but does anyone think these guys can actually beat the Patriots or the Broncos? Andrew Luck is a fantastic quarterback, but it's just not his time yet. It will be eventually, but unfortunately he's going to have to take a back seat to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning for another round of playoffs (or two?).

Houston Offensive MVP: Arian Foster (26 carries, 99 rushing yards, 3 catches, 18 receiving yards)

Houston Defensive MVP: Kendrick Lewis (5 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception, 1 TD)

Indianapolis Offensive MVP: Hakeem Nicks (2 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD)

Indianapolis Defensive MVP: Vontae Davis (3 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Up next for Houston: vs. Baltimore (9-5) 

Up next for Indianapolis: vs. @ Dallas (10-4)

Jacksonville - 12 (2-12) @ Baltimore - 20 (9-5)

The Ravens did their best to give this game away, they really did. You would think that with a playoff spot on the line, and facing a team that has only won two games this season, the Ravens would come out and completely roll the Jaguars. Instead, they tried their best to blow this game in the first half, before stepping up their defense and finally shutting the horrible Jaguars offense down in the second half. Baltimore is one of those teams (like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati mind you...) that I'm just afraid to touch in the gambling world because you never know which team will show up. Thankfully for Ravens fans, they got the job done and their spot in the playoff race remains in tact. Next week they travel to Houston and play a hungry Texans team that is looking to finish the season with a winning record. Baltimore is far from a lock to make the playoffs, but they are still my team to watch if they do. 

Jacksonville Offensive MVP: Cecil Shorts (6 catches, 76 receiving yards)

Jacksonville Defensive MVP: Josh Evans (8 tackles, 1 fumble recovery)

Baltimore Offensive MVP: Joe Flacco (20 of 30 for 221 yards, 1 TD, 99.4 QB rating)

Baltimore Defensive MVP: Timmy Jernigan (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 QB hits)

Up next for Jacksonville: vs. Tennessee (2-12)

Up next for Baltimore: vs. @ Houston (7-7)

Green Bay - 13 (10-4) @ Buffalo - 21 (8-6)

This was a game of "huge". This was a "huge" let down for the Packers who currently find themselves in a very tight NFC playoff race with the Seahawks, Cowboys, Lions, Eagles and Cardinals. The Packers really couldn't afford a loss here because thanks to the NFC South, a really good team in the NFC is going to be on the outside of the playoffs looking in, and the Packers don't want to be that team. This was a "huge" win for the Bills who, because of New England locking up the division today, can only lock up a wildcard spot if they want to see any post-season action. No one really gave the Bills much of a chance against the Packers, but what a lot of people don't understand is, Buffalo is actually a pretty good football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. You should never sleep on the Bills at home and the Packers and Aaron Rodgers found out why. I know I said it already, but this was a massive win for the Bills. If they do find themselves playing football in January, they'll probably look back at this game and continue to pat each other on the back. 

Green Bay Offensive MVP: Eddie Lacy (15 carries, 97 rushing yards, 1 TD)

Green Bay Defensive MVP: Clay Matthews (4 tackles, 2 sacks)

Buffalo Offensive MVP: Fred Jackson (20 carries, 71 rushing yards, 3 catches, 27 receiving yards)

Buffalo Defensive MVP: Baccari Rambo (2 tackles, 2 interceptions)

Up next for Green Bay: vs. @ Tampa Bay (2-12)

Up next for Buffalo: vs. @ Oakland (2-12)

Tampa Bay - 17 (2-12) @ Carolina - 19 (5-8-1)

This was such an important game to the playoff race in the NFC South, that the Ultimate Football Blog sent weekly UFB contributor Jeremy Lambert to the game live. Here is his report:

 @JeremyLambert88: Currently wearing a OKC Thunder shirt at the Panthers game.

This is why you come here folks. We focus on the important things.

Tampa Bay Offensive MVP: Doug Martin (14 carries, 96 yards)

Tampa Bay Defensive MVP: Lavonte David (12 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss)

Carolina Offensive MVP: Derek Anderson (25 of 40 for 277 yards, 5 carries, 14 rushing yards, 1 TD, 91.4 QB rating)

Carolina Defensive MVP: Luke Kuechly (6 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Tampa Bay: vs. Green Bay (10-4)

Up next for Carolina: vs. Cleveland (7-7)

Cincinnati - 30 (9-4-1) @ Cleveland - 0 (7-7)

OK people. Are we all in agreement that Johnny Manziel sucks now? I've personally known this for awhile now, but for some reason there was still a select group of people out there who were holding out hope that Johnny Football was going to be the "next big thing". Well, the Bengals and the rest of the NFL had different ideas in mind. With this win, the Bengals inch ever so closer to clinching a division title and earning another spot in the playoffs (where Marvin Lewis will once again come up short, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there). With this loss, the Browns all of a sudden have a bigger quarterback problem than they thought they had, because now even their "promising" rookie looks like the "next big bust" and their other guy (Brian Hoyer) hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire. The Browns were once considered playoff contenders, but now they will likely be either a 7-9 or an 8-8 team and will rot in mediocrity until they get their quarterback problem fixed. Tim Couch isn't going to come walking through that door anytime soon Cleveland fans.....

Cincinnati Offensive MVP: Jeremy Hill (25 carries, 148 rushing yards, 2 TD's)

Cincinnati Defensive MVP: Carlos Dunlap (6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 3 QB hits)

Cleveland Offensive MVP: No one. No one is the MVP on offense when you get shut out.

Cleveland Defensive MVP: Craig Robertson (10 tackles, 1 interception)

Up next for Cincinnati: vs. Denver (11-3)

Up next for Cleveland: vs. @ Carolina (5-8-1)

New York Jets - 16 (3-11) @ Tennessee - 11 (2-12)

It's the "BATTLE FOR MARCUS MARIOTA!". These two teams (that are in desperate need of a quarterback) are both expected to be in contention to draft my boy, "Heisman Winner" Marcus Mariota, in the NFL Draft in a few months. Mariota hasn't announced if he's even coming out for the draft this year (if Oregon wins the title, he's as good as gone, but if they don't.....there's a small chance he could return), but if he does, the Jets and the Titans are two awful teams that would jump at the chance to draft a quarterback who Bleacher Report's Matt Miller refers to as a 6'3" Russell Wilson. As a Mariota fan, am I excited to see him go to either the Jets or the Titans?

I'm just praying that a decent team will fall in love with Mariota (HI PHILLY!) and decide it's worth the risk to move up in the draft to help ensure that Marcus ends up on a team that already has a good roster. I really don't want to have to cheer for either one of these teams next season......

New York Jets Offensive MVP: Eric Decker (7 catches, 100 yards)

New York Jets Defensive MVP: Quinton Coples (2 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 4 QB hits)

Tennessee Offensive MVP: Nate Washington (6 catches, 102 yards)

Tennessee Defensive MVP: George Wilson (9 tackles, 1 sack)

Up next for New York Jets: vs. New England  (11-3)

Up next for Tennessee: vs. @ Jacksonville (2-12)

Denver - 22 (11-3) @ San Diego - 10 (8-6)

Alrighty.......

Denver Offensive MVP: Demaryius Thomas (6 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD)

Denver Defensive MVP: Aqib Talib (8 tackles, 3 passes deflected, 1 interception)

San Diego Offensive MVP: Antonio Gates (6 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD)

San Diego Defensive MVP: Andrew Gachkar (8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss)

Up next for Denver: vs. @ Cincinnati (9-4-1)

Up next for San Diego: vs. @ San Francisco (7-7)

San Francisco - 7 (7-7) @ Seattle - 17 (10-4)

I was never on the "Jim Harbaugh needs to go" bandwagon....until this week. The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and I know they have had some unfortunate suspensions and injuries this year, but so has every team. There is absolutely no reason for the 49ers to be an 8-8 or a 7-9 football team with the roster that they have built over the last few seasons. The only thing that would make sense is that the head coach has lost the locker room. It happens all the time in the NFL. Sometimes, a head coach can start to wear out on his players and they quit on the guy and they don't put out the effort they normally would. It seems as though we've reached that pinnacle in San Francisco. In my opinion, Jim Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL (his personality makes him difficult to get along with though) and someone (Oakland? Jets? Michigan?) is going to get themselves a good coach in the off-season. On the other hand, a new head coach is going to inherit themselves a damn good team in San Francisco. Maybe this will be the job that finally lures Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher out of the booth and back into the coaching game? Either way, a change is likely needed and I never thought I would find myself saying that. 

Anyway, enough with the Niners. They are a mess right now. Their NFC West rivals though are looking like the world beaters we all saw last season. Every year we see a team that gets hot at the right moment and carries that momentum into the playoffs where wonderful things happen. That team looks like it could be last year's Super Bowl Champs. The Seachickens are playing their best football of the season (minus that opener against Green Bay) and that should scare the rest of the NFC. Especially if they can manage to lock up home-field advantage, which they are trying to get in position to do so as we speak.

San Francisco Offensive MVP: Colin Kaepernick (11 of 19 for 141 yards, 9 carries, 46 rushing yards, 81.2 QB rating)

San Francisco Defensive MVP: Eric Reid (3 tackles, 1 interception)

Seattle Offensive MVP: Marshawn Lynch (21 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD)

Seattle Defensive MVP: Bobby Wagner (10 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss)

Up next for San Francisco: vs. San Diego (8-6)

Up next for Seattle: vs. @ Arizona (11-3)

Minnesota- 14 (6-8) @ Detroit - 16 (10-4)

After the Packers came out and laid an egg in Buffalo, the Lions needed to capitalize on Green Bay's slippage and come out and put a whooping on their divisional rival, the Vikings. While it was a lot closer than Lions fans wanted it to be, the important part is that the job got done and the Lions are now in a great position to grab one of the spots in the playoffs. Sometimes, it's good to be a Detroit Lions fan (you don't hear that one very often, do you?), especially when you have a division lead in December....

Maybe this is FINALLY the year???

Minnesota Offensive MVP: Teddy Bridgewater (31 of 41 for 315 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's, 3 carries, 30 rushing yards, 84.9 QB rating)

Minnesota Defensive MVP: Gerald Hodges (9 tackles, 2 passes deflected)

Detroit Offensive MVP: Joique Bell (15 carries, 62 rushing yards, 4 catches, 41 receiving yards)

Detroit Defensive MVP: Darius Slay (5 tackles, 2 passes deflected, 1 interception)

Up next for Minnesota: vs. @ Miami (7-7)

Up next for Detroit: vs. @ Chicago (5-8)

PLAYOFF RACE

NFC:

NFC South Division Leader: Carolina Panthers (5-8-1)

NFC North Division Leader: Detroit Lions (10-4)

NFC East Division Leader: Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

NFC West Division Leader: Arizona Cardinals (11-3)

NFC Wildcard Spot #1: Seattle Seahawks (10-4)

NFC Wildcard Spot #2: Green Bay Packers (10-4)

In The Hunt: Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), New Orleans Saints (5-8), Atlanta Falcons (5-9)

Mathematically Eliminated: San Francisco 49ers (7-7), Minnesota Vikings (6-8), St. Louis Rams (6-8), 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 (10-4)

AFC North Division Leader: Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1)

AFC East Division Leader: New England Patriots (11-3)

AFC West Division Leader: Denver Broncos (11-3)

AFC Wildcard Spot #1: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)

AFC Wildcard Spot #2: Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

In The Hunt: Kansas City Chiefs (8-6), San Diego Chargers (8-6), Buffalo Bills (8-6), Houston Texans (7-7), Miami Dolphins (7-7)

Mathematically Eliminated: Cleveland Browns (7-7), New York Jets (2-11), Tennessee Titans (2-11), Oakland Raiders (2-11), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)