Tag: NFC Playoff Picture (Page 5 of 8)

      NFL Week 15 Speed Read: Talkin’ Colts, Dolphins, Herm Edwards and more

      December 14, 2008 /

      Here are some quick-hit thoughts from the early games in Week 15:

      Peyton Manning– The Indianapolis Colts might be the most dangerous team in the AFC right now and nobody is talking about them. They’re 10-4, have won seven in a row after beating the lowly Lions on Sunday, and Peyton Manning has thrown four touchdowns to zero interceptions the last two games. That said, they need to get healthier on defense – and fast. They won’t go very far in the postseason without Bob Sanders, especially considering they’ll be playing on the road the entire time.

      – Not that they’ve played any explosive offenses of late, but how good has the Miami Dolphins’ defense been the past three weeks? They’ve allowed just 24 total points in their last three games and haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 consecutive quarters. That’s impressive, I don’t care who they’ve played during that stretch.

      – Herman Edwards should take his own advice. You play the game to win, Herm? How about going for it on one of the multiple fourth and one’s your team faced on Sunday? Seriously your team is 2-12 – grow some nuggets and take some chances.

      – I know they did it against the Chiefs, but the Chargers come-from-behind win on Sunday was amazing. Even though San Diego’s season has been a massive disappointment, that’s one game you look back on as a fan and just say, “Damn that was fun to watch.”

      – Stick a fork in the Redskins – they’re done. You can’t be considered a legitimate playoff threat when you lose to a previously two-win Bengals team. What’s amazing is that this team was once 6-2 and everyone couldn’t help but to look ahead and see that they had a very manageable rest of the season. So much for that as they’ve now lost five of their last six games.

      – Does anyone else think Seneca Wallace can start in this league? I for one think Matt Hasselbeck still has some game left in him, but Wallace has been pretty good after getting the opportunity to play more regularly this year. He has eight touchdown passes and only one interception this season. Maybe he deserves a shot to be a full-time starter next year.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Is Michael Turner the Falcons’ true MVP this season?

      December 14, 2008 /

      Michael TurnerRookie Matt Ryan has been everything the Atlanta Falcons dreamed of having in a quarterback when they drafted him third overall in April’s NFL Draft. But has running back Michael Turner been the key reason for the Falcons impressive turnaround this season?

      Turner rushed for 152 yards on 32 carries and scored the Falcons’ lone touchdown in their crucial 13-10 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. On a day when Ryan threw two uncharacteristic interceptions that kept Tampa in the ballgame, Turner gashed the Bucs’ suddenly poor run defense and was the key in keeping the Falcons’ playoff hopes alive.

      Turner has carried the ball 300 times this season for 1,269 yards and 14 touchdowns, which set a Falcon single-season record. He’s also forced opposing defenses to jam the box in efforts to stop Atlanta’s dynamic rushing game, which has allowed Ryan to find open receivers all season. For as good as Ryan has been (and rookie or not he’s been absolutely fantastic), Turner has allowed him to make an easy transition from the college level to the pro. Of course, one could say that Ryan has also helped Turner excel seeing as though he hasn’t made the mistakes that usually doom a rookie.

      One more note on Atlanta – how good has defensive end John Abraham been this year? He added three sacks to his amazing season total of 15.5. For as good as Ryan and Turner have been on offense, Abraham has taken games over this year for the Falcons and he certainly did so again on Sunday while producing huge plays – none bigger than a sack on third down in overtime to force the Bucs to punt.

      For Tampa, this was a huge blow. They’ve now lost back-to-back divisional games, although they’re still in great shape because they host the Chargers and Raiders in their final two games. But their run defense has been gashed the last two weeks and they continue to have issues putting the ball in the end zone when they’ve moved into opponents’ territory. Barring a collapse over the next two weeks, the Bucs should still make the playoffs. But this has looked like a weary group the last two games.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Jeff Garcia to be game time decision?

      December 11, 2008 /

      The Tampa Tribune is reporting that Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Jeff Garcia will be a game time decision this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

      Jeff GarciaTampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jeff Garcia was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice again and his playing status for Sunday’s game against Atlanta remains up in the air.

      Garcia injured his calf earlier this week and has been limited on Wednesday and Thursday. Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden said Garcia injured the same calf that limited him during training camp, but it was not the same part of that calf.

      “It’s a concern,” Gruden said. “It’s a calf injury. It’s not the same part of the calf, but it is a concern. It’s a part of life. Hopefully he can get well in the next day or two. We need him.”

      Gruden said backup QB Luke McCown has taken the majority of reps during practice this week and he will likely play if Garcia is unable to go. As of right now, it appears Garcia will be a game-time decision in Atlanta.

      “That’s the first time in the last couple of months we’ve seen him throwing the ball as well as he is,” Gruden said. “It’s a good sign for us.”

      Garcia should play but this has to be a major concern. The Falcons have only lost once at home this year and haven’t lost back-to-back games all season. (They’re coming off a 29-25 loss to the Saints last Sunday.)

      This is a pivotal game for both teams in the NFC South, so one would assume Garcia will play. If not, Atlanta might load up to stop the run and force McCown to beat them through the air. Of course, this could be Gruden playing a mind game with the Falcons, too.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Saints could start living up to expectations Thursday in Chicago

      December 11, 2008 /

      Sean PaytonIt’s essentially now or never for the New Orleans Saints. After a season in which some thought they would make a deep postseason run, the Saints need a victory to keep their slim playoff hopes alive in the NFC.

      Tonight the holy men are in Chicago to do battle with a Bears team that is in desperate need of a win themselves. The Bears remain one game behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North and considering the Vikes are likely to start backup Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback on Sunday against Arizona, a win over New Orleans could leave Chicago tied for first in the division by Sunday evening.

      But nobody outside of Chicago expected too much from the Bears this year. The same cannot be said for the Saints.

      In the offseason, New Orleans made a great effort to rebuild their beleaguered defense by adding LB Jonathan Vilma (trade/Jets), DT Sedrick Ellis (draft/first round) and CB Randall Gay (free agent/Patriots). The moves were supposed to be enough to keep opponents in check while the explosive Saints’ offense put up 30 points a game. But while the offense has done its part (No. 1 in the NFL in total yards), the defense has yielded just over 25 points a game and ranks in the bottom half of the league in stopping the run (20th) and pass (26th).

      Part of the issue this year has been injuries as both Mike McKenzie and Charles Grant, two starters, have missed more than half the season. But the main issue for the Saints has been a lack of consistency – on both sides of the ball. The defense has done a decent job of loading the box and taking away the run at times, but then leaves itself vulnerable to opponents’ passing attacks. And up until last week when they beat the Falcons, head coach Sean Payton has been publicly criticized for abandoning the run and not having enough offensive balance.

      A win tonight in Chicago would go a long way in saving the Saints’ season. It won’t be easy – Solider Field is a tough environment to play in December – but the Bears have only beaten one quality opponent in their last seven games (Week 7 vs. the Vikings) and have struggled mightily with consistency themselves. The key will be weather or not Payton will show the patience to stick with the run against a Bears’ defense that has been solid in taking away opponents’ rushing games. If they can, Chicago has proven that its not afraid to give up the sideline route and has had issues all season putting opponents away when they have a lead. And can the New Orleans defense force Kyle Orton to make mistakes? If they load up to stop Mike Forte, they better get pressure on Orton because he’s had success throwing vertically this season.

      Should be a good one.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Are the Carolina Panthers the most dangerous team in the NFC?

      December 9, 2008 /

      Carolina PanthersAnybody catch the Panthers’ 38-23 win over the Buccaneers on Monday night? If you didn’t, you missed ESPN’s Monday Night Football crew waxing poetically about how Carolina could wind up being the No. 1 seed in the NFC. (Seriously, I know it’s their job to create storylines but I thought the trio of Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski were going to fall out of the booth trying to make love to the Panthers.)

      Carolina’s win over NFC South Division rival Tampa Bay was impressive. They ran the ball extremely well (like, 299 yards well) against one of the best defenses in the NFC, Steve Smith made big plays and for the most part, the defense was solid.

      But before we even remotely toy with the idea that the Panthers will leapfrog the New York Giants in the NFC, maybe we should slow down and take dose of reality.

      Yes, the Panthers’ win over the Bucs to capture first place in the NFC South was imposing and dare I say, dominant. But NFC South teams are now 0-10 on the road against other NFC South teams, so while Carolina’s victory was a nice statement, it wasn’t necessarily shock.

      Tampa has often struggled on the road throughout this season. If it weren’t for double-digit come from behind wins against Kansas City and Detroit, the Bucs would be 7-6 right now. They’re currently allowing close to 24 points a game on the road this year, compared to just 12.6 at home. For as good as Monte Kiffin’s defense has looked this season, it’s simply been a different unit on the road than it has been at home.

      But let’s get back to Carolina. The Panthers are currently atop the exciting NFC South at 10-3 and are home against the Broncos this Sunday, then at the Giants and at the Saints to end the year. Those are three winnable games, but a daunting final stretch to say the least. Assuming they can beat the Broncos this week (which won’t be easy coming off a short week and with Denver trying to clinch the AFC West), does anyone see this team beating both the Giants and Saints on the road? New Orleans might be knocked out of the playoff race by then, but they would certainly love the opportunity to play spoiler against a division rival.

      The Panthers are definitely a playoff team and one that could make noise when the postseason starts. They have a veteran quarterback, an unbelievable playmaker in Smith and a running game that could shred any opponent. But let’s relax a little on the idea of them earning home field advantage throughout the postseason. The Giants are still the best team in the NFC (if not in the league) and the Bucs and Falcons still have a shot to upend Carolina in the division. And teams can look vastly different from game to game in the NFL.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑