Every Sunday throughout the 2011 NFL season I’ll compile quick-hit reactions from the day that was in football. I vow to always overreact, side with sensationalism over rationalism, and draw conclusions based on small sample sizes instead of cold, hard facts. It’s the only way I know how to write…

- Vince Young threw some ugly passes in the Eagles’ 38-20 loss to the Patriots, none bigger than his “touch” pass to Brent Celek in the back of the end zone on fourth down midway through the third quarter when the score was still relatively close. But he also deserved a better fate in the end. He threw for 400 yards and one touchdown, and should have had two more scores had DeSean Jackson not dropped two passes in the end zone. For a guy who is so concerned about his contract, Jackson isn’t playing with much concentration, focus, or drive right now. He was also benched by Andy Reid late in the fourth quarter, which signals that he’s just as likely to get the boot in Philly than a new deal.

- Matt Leinart admitted following the Texans’ 20-13 win over the Jaguars that his season is likely over. Dude waits two years to get another shot to start in the NFL and when he does, he breaks his collarbone in his second quarter back. That’s a tough break, both literally and figuratively. Now Houston’s playoff hopes ride on fifth-round rookie T.J. Yates, although it’s not like the Texans were pinning their hopes on great quarterback play from here on out anyway. If they win, it’ll be because of their running game and defense – not Leinart, Yates, or whomever they find while dumpster diving next week.

- I loved how CBS kept showing Tim Tebow sitting on the bench as the Chargers marched down the field in overtime trying to get into field goal range for a game-winning score. As if Tebow was going to summon some magical higher power to help Denver’s defense stuff Mike Tolbert on a 4-yard loss on 3rd-and-6 and force the Chargers to attempt a 53-yard-field goal instead of a 49-yarder. And then magically lead the Broncos down the field, get into field goal range and then win in come-from-behind fashion once again. I mean, let’s get real…….say again? That’s exactly what happened? For Tebow’s sake, are you serious? That CBS is genius…

- …in all seriousness, Denver’s defense deserves most, if not all of the credit for the team’s sudden turnaround. Tebow is 5-1 and has been incredibly clutch in the fourth quarter and in overtime, but without the Broncos’ defense holding opponents to 13 points or less he may not win a game. Von Miller is something special and John Fox has done wonders for Denver’s entire defense.

- Their mismanagement of Blaine Gabbert has made the front office and coaching staff in Jacksonville look like a bunch of clowns. Gabbert clearly wasn’t ready for NFL action when the Jaguars drafted him with the 10th overall pick last April, which was fine because David Garrard was still the starter. Gabbert could have held a clipboard in his first year before taking over next season or in 2013 when he was ready. But instead, the front office released Garrard and the Jaguars shoehorned Gabbert into the starting role right away. Then, because he’s been so ineffective over the past two months, the team had to bench him today against Houston in favor of Luke McCown. Had the Jags remained patient from the start this situation could have been avoided. But now Gabbert’s confidence has likely taken a huge hit and GM Gene Smith may lose his job for his poor decision-making this offseason.

- The Chargers are done and you wonder whether or not Norv Turner’s time in San Diego is up. If it is, maybe he should give serious consideration to staying an offensive coordinator. Stripped from all of his head-coaching responsibilities, I think the guy could win multiple Super Bowls again just calling plays. Granted, the Chargers only scored 13 points today but Turner’s version of the Air Coryell offense can often be very explosive. He just lacks whatever guys like Mike Tomlin have in order to inspire a football team. I don’t want to say what’s best for Turner because only he knows that. But as an outsider, I don’t think it would be such a bad thing if he finishes his coaching career up in the booth calling plays. (If the Chargers end his tenure in San Diego, that is.)

- Only Mark Sanchez could throw for four touchdowns and still leave people doubting his abilities. I watched a good portion of the Jets’ 28-24 win over the Bills on Sunday and while Sanchez certainly executed in the red zone, he was shaky against a miserable Buffalo defense (which should have finished with more than just one interception). But at least New York picked up the win, which was big given New England’s victory against Philadelphia late on Sunday.

- I know it was only Minnesota but the Falcons’ offense is finally starting to resemble the unit that everyone thought it would at the beginning of the year. Matt Ryan went his second-straight game without turning the ball over and threw three touchdown passes, while Roddy White had his second straight 100-yard performance and made a sweet catch in the back of the end zone for his lone score during Atlanta’s 24-14 win. After two months of wasting his talent, OC Mike Mularkey has also finally figured out what a weapon Harry Douglas is in the slot. The next thing Mularkey has to do is stop using Julio Jones as just a complementary piece in the offense. Once that happens, the Falcons will really be firing on all cylinders.

- Speaking of firing on all cylinders, I give you the New England Patriots. Wes Welker: Eight catches, 115 yards, two touchdowns. Deion Branch (from my fantasy bench): Six catches and 125 yards. Aaron Hernandez: Six catches and 62 yards. Rob Gronkowski: A very quiet four catches for 59 yards and one 24-yard touchdown catch. Tom Brady topped everything off with 361 yards threw the air and three touchdowns. The Patriots are at their best when they get everybody involved a la the Saints and Packers. That was a very sound performance out of New England, which never panicked even though it was down 10-0 early to the Eagles.

- If Beanie Wells could only stay healthy he could be one of the league’s premier backs. The Rams don’t have the greatest of defenses but Wells looked explosive while rushing for a record 228 yards on 27 carries in the Cardinals’ 23-20 win. He and Patrick Peterson (who returned his fourth punt return for touchdown this season) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat (other wise known as John Skelton).

- Outside of Chris Johnson’s 190 rushing yards, it wasn’t a great effort by the Titans in their 23-17 win over the Bucs. But all wins are huge for Tennessee from here on out. The Titans only trail the Texans by two games in the AFC South and now that Houston is down to T.J. Yates at quarterback, Tennessee has a very realistic shot of catching Houston down the stretch. For Tennessee, it’s “Just win baby” from here on out.

- The Browns are something else. They find new ways to lose every week. They managed to catch the Bengals sleepwalking today in Cincinnati but they squandered a 17-7 halftime lead and a 20-10 third-quarter lead to lose 23-20 on a last-second field goal. Joe Haden (who is a star in the making) was stuck to A.J. Green like Velcro for 58 minutes and the one big play Green makes goes for 51 yards to set up the Bengals’ game-winning field goal. Unreal. And Colt McCoy does just enough not to win every week. The kid threw two touchdown passes but he his average pass went for 4.4 yards. Four-point-four yards! The Browns need a little more out of McCoy than that.

- Want to know how bad things are right now for the Vikings? Percy Harvin had a 107-yard kickoff return today and still didn’t score a touchdown. That’s tough to do.

- You have to love Mike Shanahan. Five days ago he basically said that Roy Helu wasn’t ready to be the Redskins’ full-time back and then handed the rookie 30 touches in the team’s 23-17 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Helu finished with 108 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards, with one touchdown and seven receptions to boot. I’m sure Evan Royster will start and receive the same opportunities next week as Shanahan continues to ruin fantasy football owners’ lives.

- While the Seahawks remain a highly perplexing team, Marshawn Lynch continues to be one of the steadiest backs in the league. For the third time in his last four games, Lynch rushed for over 100 yards and for the seventh straight week, he found the end zone. It came in a losing effort but he’s a free agent at the end of the year and if he continues to run like he has, he’ll be earning a long-term contract next offseason.

With two pushes, one loss and one win in Week 11, my season record is now 18-24-2. I’m sure I go undefeated from here on out though, so make not of my selections below.

Browns @ Bengals, 1:00PM ET
This is a trap game for the Bengals. They’re coming off two hard-fought losses to the Steelers and Ravens and have another matchup with Pittsburgh coming up next Sunday. Thus, it’ll be easy for them to overlook a bad Cleveland team that somehow has four wins on the year. The Browns’ offense packs as much punch as a dead raccoon but their defense has kept them in most games this season. Divisional games are usually tight and I think Cleveland catches Cincinnati trying to sleepwalk through what should be an easy victory.
THE PLAY: CLEVELAND BROWNS +7.5

Vikings @ Falcons, 1:00PM ET
The Falcons rarely blow opponents out, which is why so many people think they’re overrated. Thus, I’m reluctant to lay almost 10 points on them this week but this is as good a spot as any. Adrian Peterson is out and Christian Ponder is good for at least two interceptions. Outside of its near collapse last Sunday against the Titans, the Falcons’ defense has been very good for over a month now. I think the Vikings will have trouble generating points and Atlanta will methodically build a big lead. That said, if the Falcons have as much trouble in the red zone this week as they did last Sunday, then the outcome of this game will be closer than it should be.
THE PICK: ATLANTA FALCONS –9.5

Bills @ Jets, 1:00PM ET
We know Buffalo won’t score without Fred Jackson because there’s no way Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the best of Rex Ryan’s defense this week. (He certainly didn’t the last time these two teams played, and that was when Jackson was healthy.) That said, I don’t trust Mark Sanchez to finally snap out of it and play with confidence so the under seems like a great play in this one. Buffalo’s defense is brutal and turnovers could be an issue but there’s a good chance that this game is a field-goal fest.
THE PICK: UNDER 41.5

Broncos @ Chargers, 4:15PM ET
Tim Tebow’s ratio of bad quarters to good quarters is about 3:1 right now. He’s unwatchable for three quarters but he turns it on in the fourth and everyone gives him the credit for the win even though the defense has to basically pitch shutouts. Thus, I get why many people aren’t buying into the Broncos as a serious playoff threat. That said, have you seen Philip Rivers play lately? The guy is almost willing his team to defeat. That interception he threw at the end of the Bears game last week looked like a guy who had money riding on the outcome. Denver’s defense is legit and could give Rivers fits if he continues to play as poorly as he has, which is why I love the points here.
THE PICK: DENVER BRONCOS +6

Check out the most current NFL Football Betting odds.

Packers @ Lions, 12:30PM ET, Thursday
I truly believe that it’s Green Bay and then everyone else when it comes to the power structure of the NFL. But don’t think for a second that the Lions can’t beat the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. They’ve been waiting a long time to be strong enough to finally punch the bully back and they’ll have their opportunity tomorrow. The key for Detroit is its front four. If they can rush Aaron Rodgers with only Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril, Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch, then they’re going to be fine. And with how suspect Green Bay’s defense has been this year, if its still a game in the fourth quarter then the Lions have a shot to pull off the upset.

Dolphins @ Cowboys, 4:15PM ET, Thursday
This is definitely the weakest of the Thanksgiving matchups but this game still offers plenty of intrigue. The Cowboys are now tied with the Giants for first place in the NFC East but they’ve turned in inconsistent performances all season. And during Miami’s three-game winning streak, the Dolphins haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 quarters. This is going to be a bigger challenge for Tony Romo and Co. than people think.

49ers @ Ravens, 8:20PM ET, Thursday
Forget the Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh stuff – this is a great matchup between two physical teams that will fight for four quarters. The Ravens have been playing up and down to their competition all season and their offense has sputtered at times. On the other side, San Francisco’s defense has been a rock for nine straight weeks but Baltimore’s run defense is outstanding so it’ll be interesting to see how the Niners fare when they have to lean on Alex Smith and the passing game. There doesn’t figure to be much scoring in this game but if you like hard-nosed football, then it doesn’t get better than this.

Vikings @ Falcons, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
This isn’t a very exciting matchup with Adrian Peterson out with an ankle injury but it’ll be interesting to see if the Falcons stay with their no-huddle attack on offense. They ran the no-huddle exclusively in their 23-17 win over the Titans last Sunday and had great success with it (outside of settling for field goals when they reached the red zone, that is). Matt Ryan looks most comfortable running that offense but will OC Mike Mularkey make it Atlanta’s identity on offense? He’s been hesitant to ditch his “smashmouth” approach but at some point the Falcons need to develop more consistency on offense. Maybe running the no-huddle full-time is the answer.

Texans @ Jaguars, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
It’s time to see if Matt Leinart has matured as a quarterback. He failed in Arizona because he wasn’t ready to lead a young team with potential (unlike Kurt Warner, who prospered in the situation). Now Leinart is at the controls of a veteran club that has an outstanding running game and a sound defense. Can he manage games and make plays when his number is called or will he crumble under the pressure? In Jacksonville’s defense, he’ll face a stiff test right out of the gates.

Buccaneers @ Titans, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
One of these teams will keep its playoff hopes alive on Sunday while the other could be looking at a long offseason. The Titans remain two games behind the Texans in the AFC South but with Matt Schaub out for the season, Tennessee has a golden opportunity to get back into the divisional race if it can string some wins together. On the other side, the Bucs continue to fall further behind the Saints and Falcons in the NFC South. In some respects, this might as well be an elimination game for these two teams (although more so for the Bucs).

Cardinals @ Rams, 1:00PM ET, Sunday
Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney’s jobs seem safe for now in St. Louis. But any more displays like last Sunday and the Rams could be searching for a new head coach and/or general manager this offseason. Sam Bradford and Co. were pitiful on offense in their 24-7 loss to Seattle last weekend.

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Anthony Stalter (under @TheScoresReport) and I (under @fantasytips) will be tweeting throughout Week 12. Feel free to ask us questions, call us names, whatever…

Last Thursday, St. Louis offensive linemen Richie Incognito criticized Rams fans for not knowing when to cheer and for being too quiet during games.

Then he did this following the Bears’ smack down of the Rams last Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome:

Before stepping into the tunnel, Incognito cupped his hands to his ears, apparently egging on angry Rams fans to spew more venom his way.

Here’s a video that also shows Incognito saying, “I can’t hear you,” to fans as he walked off the field, as well as him denying that he did any of it in a postgame interview.

What an ass. Rams fans don’t know when to cheer? Cheer for what? What have you or any of your worthless linemates given Ram fans anything to cheer about this season?

When you have people spending over $200 in a bad economy, they shouldn’t have to deal with a smug punk criticizing them for not knowing when to cheer.

This was great though:

As Incognito left the field, one of the signs hoisted by a fan above the tunnel read: “Richie, I Don’t Cheer For Bums.”

The Rams need to clean house. There are plenty of linemen out there that can act like revolving doors to the quarterback who don’t criticize fans off the field.

After waxing division rival Chicago 37-3 two weeks ago, one could have made the argument that the Green Bay Packers were on the upswing in the NFC North. But after their brilliant performance Monday night in New Orleans (a 51-29 Saints victory), it would be tough for anyone outside of Green Bay to back the Packers right now.

The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, but the Packers did them a favor by not creating any pressure on Drew Brees. It’s a sound concept to drop eight men in coverage and rush only three down linemen on a third and 15, but if you give Brees 10 seconds to find a receiver, he’s probably going to convert. Green Bay’s defensive game plan last night was passive and conservative, and the result was disastrous. (Of course Aaron Rodgers’ three picks didn’t help matters, either.)

But back to the NFC North – can anyone say with any conviction that the Bears (currently in first) are the best team in the division? The Vikings have played better over the last month, but they could lose most of their defensive line once the league starts handing out suspensions to those players who were caught using performance-enhancing drugs.

Here are the remaining schedules for the Bears, Packers and Vikings:

Bears – at Vikings, vs. Jaguars, vs. Saints, vs. Packers, at Texans
Vikings – vs. Bears, at Lions, at Cardinals, vs. Falcons, vs. Giants
Packers – vs. Panthers, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Bears, vs. Lions

Out of those teams, the Packers have the easiest remaining schedule. Carolina hasn’t played well in weeks, the Texans, Jags and Lions are a mess and they just crushed the Bears two weeks ago. That said, they have to figure out a way to get more pressure from their front seven or they stand zero chance at making the postseason.

The Week 16 game between the Packers and Bears might determine the division.

After he was benched at halftime of the Eagles’ embarrassing 36-7 loss to the Ravens on Sunday, there’s little doubt that the writing is on the wall for quarterback Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.

But what about head coach Andy Reid?

After a couple of dreadful performances (and I mean dreadful), it’s hard to back McNabb at this point. His play last week in a tie against the Bengals was downright embarrassing and even hard to watch. It seriously looked like he was trying to throw into double and triple coverage just to see if he could still complete the pass. And his brilliant outing Sunday against the Ravens was JaMarcus Russell-esqe: 8 of 18 for 59 yards, two interceptions, one fumble.

But Reid deserves plenty of criticism for throwing an unproven Kevin Kolb to the wolves after the Eagles had just cut their deficit to 10-7 at halftime. They were still in the game and while McNabb didn’t necessarily deserve to go back under center, Reid’s decision was inexplicable. It’s not like Kolb had a full week to prepare – he was thrust into a horrible situation, unprepared and against one of the nastiest defenses in the league. Reid essentially sealed his, and his teams’ fate by benching McNabb when a win was still very much in reach.

So now what, Andy? Go back to McNabb in hopes he can save your fleeting playoff hopes? Or go with a second-year quarterback and pray he does his best Matt Cassel impression?

Everyone likes to criticize Mike Martz for not running the football more, but what about Reid? He’s had success throwing the ball over his career, but he also continuously kills his team by not creating offensive balance. He might be the most overrated coach in the NFL and his decision to bench McNabb might not only cost him the playoffs this season, but also his job in Philadelphia. If McNabb goes, shouldn’t Reid, too?

With their back-to-back road wins over the Patriots and previously unbeaten Titans the past two weeks, the talk of the NFL world is now Brett Favre and the New York Jets. Some are even suggesting that the J.E.T.S, Jets, Jets, Jets are even the best team in the AFC right now.

While there is still some debate over which team is the best in the AFC (remember, the Titans are still pretty damn good at 10-1), there’s no question that the New York Giants are the top team in the NFC, especially after they knocked off the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale on Sunday.

What are the chances that we could see an all-New York Super Bowl come January?

Let’s look at the Giants first. With their win over the Cards, they improved to a conference-best 10-1 on the year and sit comfortably atop the NFC East Division by three games with only five remaining. However, they have a tough schedule down the stretch: at Washington, vs. Philadelphia, at Dallas, vs. Carolina, at Minnesota. NFC East games are always tough, and the Panthers and Vikings will be competing for playoff berths themselves, so they won’t be pushovers either.

Barring a total collapse, the G-Men will make the playoffs and of the top teams in the NFC – Arizona, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta – nobody outside of maybe the surging Cowboys should scare the Giants. (Although the Bucs’ defense should keep o-coordinators up at night.)

Conversely, the Jets have an easier road. They play the inconsistent Broncos next week, travel to San Fran, home against Buffalo, at Seattle and home against Miami to end the season. Considering they just crushed the Titans, one could probably assume the Jets finish no worse than 11-5.

The one main thing to consider in all of this is that the Jets would have a tough road in the postseason. The Steelers are flawed, but they’re a veteran team with a solid defense, while the Pats and Colts remain dangerous, although they’re more beatable now than ever. And if the Jets have to go back to LP Field, they can probably bet the Tennessee defense won’t surrender 400 total yards like it did Sunday.

Still, the possibility of an all-NY Super Bowl is a reality and it would be a cool sight come playoff time. And think about the story lines: Favre leads Jets to Super Bowl; Giants try to defend title; Clash of New York; etc, etc.

It’s fun to think about the scenario.

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that we are watching the greatest rookie quarterback to ever play in the NFL in the Falcons’ Matt Ryan.

Tom Brady threw three passes his rookie season; Brett Favre threw four. Bart Starr and Joe Montana each started one game as rookies. Troy Aikman had to be benched midway through, having gone 0-11 as a starter. Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions his first season. John Elway completed 47.5 percent of his rookie passes, Terry Bradshaw 38.1 percent.

Joe Namath was 3-5-1 as a lavishly salaried — he was making $400,000 — rookie. Fran Tarkenton was 2-8 as a first-year starter; Johnny Unitas was 4-3, Bob Griese 3-7. Ben Roethlisberger was 13-0 as a rookie quarterback on a loaded Pittsburgh team but didn’t start until Week 3. Sammy Baugh made All-Pro as a rookie but threw six more interceptions than touchdown passes. Bob Waterfield was league MVP as a rookie but started only four games. (Doubtless he got bonus points for being married to Jane Russell.)

Dan Marino is considered the gold standard of rookie quarterbacks, but his first start only came in Week 6, and he joined a team that had reached the Super Bowl the previous season. And now we consider Matt Ryan, who has started from Day 1 for a dilapidated team the Sporting News pegged to finish 1-15, who stands now as the chief reason the refurbished Falcons are 7-4.

Ryan has been unbelievable, but I think we should wait until the end of the year before making claims that he’s the best rookie quarterback ever. What Big Ben did his rookie year was pretty astonishing, although Bradley’s point about him playing on an already stacked Steelers team is just. Still, Ryan still has five games left and if he leads the Falcons to the playoffs, then maybe we can talk about him being the greatest ever.

That said, he is absolutely remarkable. Pundits figured the Falcons would win no more than two or three games not only because Ryan is a rookie, but also because the roster is devoid of overall talent. But with a little help from Michael Turner, John Abraham and Roddy White, Ryan has done some amazing things as a rookie. His poise, confidence and demeanor have been incredibly impressive and he looks like he has a bright future ahead of him.