NFL Week 11 Recap

Week 11 NFL Recap

Buffalo Bills over Miami Dolphins

The torture continues!  In all seriousness though the Bills do keep their season alive as they move to 4-6 and 2 games behind the Indianapolis Colts, the team they happen to play next week.  The Bills dominated the game from beginning to end, and really the fact that the game was that close is an indictment of the coaching staff.  While they fed CJ Spiller more than usual with Fred Jackson out, he was curiously left of the field on crucial 3^rd down plays when he would seem to be most valuable.  The defense played like the unit everyone was expecting before the season and not one of the worst in football like they have been.  The Bills season is alive though as they go on to play the Colts next week and try to put themselves in the wild card chase.  The Dolphins on the other hand are a team that is trending down losing its 3^rd straight game as Ryan Tannehill is struggling mightily and the offense is in shambles.  The team is who everyone thought they were before the season began and seem to be no better than that. 

Cincinnati Bengals over Kansas City Chiefs

Well after winning 2 games in a row I guess the Bengals have to be considered contenders for the 6 seed in the AFC.  There seem to be only 5 good teams in the conference and with the 6^th playoff spot up for grabs it seems like any team could take it.  This includes the 5-5 Bengals who have the advantage that they can throw to AJ Green any time something begins to break down.  He is probably the best receiver in football at this point, catching touchdowns in the team’s last 9 games and being a force of nature on the offensive end.  To me the Bengals are without question an average team, but in a conference of below average teams that just might be enough.  Now the Chiefs really made a statement this week as the worst team in all of football.  I’m pretty sure they have only an offense that can’t move the ball and a defense that can’t stop anyone, seems to be a recipe for disaster.  It was clearly a horrible decision to keep Romeo Crennel on as coach and the quarterback situation is a total disaster.  Really as a fellow fan of a poorly run sports team I can’t help but feel some sympathy. 

Houston Texans over Jacksonville Jaguars

In a game that nobody expected was going to be close, the Jaguars were able to force the Texans into overtime in a game closer than anyone expected.  The Jaguars led by backup quarterback Chad Henne put up a fight scoring time after time against the prolific Texans defense but it just wasn’t enough.  Andre Johnson played like the receiver everyone had grown to fear and not the one constantly fighting injuries.  If this is the case that gives the Texans a vertical threat that they have lacked all season.  However the game did expose holes in the defense, and the running game which has underperformed all season.  The Jaguars put everything on the table and even though they came home with the loss you have to give them credit for that. 

New York Jets over St. Louis Rams

The Jets are another one of these teams that just doesn’t seem to die.  They are far from a good team but this team seems to get a big victory every time their season seems to be on the brink of failure.  They might not make in to the playoffs, and probably won’t but they will compete till the very end.  Really people when they look at the dysfunction and assume the team is underachieving but that might not be the case.  They have a horrible offense that might not have one above average player at a skill position and a defense who is missing its best player.  In some ways that the team is even 4-6 at this point is a testament to Rex Ryan’s abilities, something that right now are shockingly underrated.  The Jets put forth a solid defensive and a conservative offensive effort to take home the win.  Now the Rams move to 3-6-1 and seem to be a fairly inconsistent team week to week.  At this point is it still unclear whether or not Sam Bradford is the answer at quarterback but as of now the answer seems to be no.  The defense is still decent pretty good and the offense has a few playmakers but the team just isn’t that good.  They can compete with some teams week to week but generally they can’t be counted on to play well consistently. 

Dallas Cowboys over Cleveland Browns

Well the Cowboys kept pace in the race for the NFC East with a win in a game that was probably a lot closer than most Cowboys fans would have liked.   However a 2^nd half comeback led by Tony Romo won them the game as they pulled out a victory over the underrated Browns.  The Cowboys probably won’t make it into the playoffs but considering the difficulty of their schedule in comparison to the Giants, it is a distinct possibility.  This team will likely find a way to blow it though because they are in fact the Cowboys and have showed a tendency to do that.  Well the Browns were able to pull off having another close game.  They have been in 4 games all season where the point differential was in double digits, winning one of them, and are still only 2-8 right now.  If you are looking for one team to be a 2^nd half sleeper this year look at the Browns, despite everything Pat Schumer is doing to prove otherwise.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Carolina Panthers

Well the Bucs continued their amazing streak, winning their 4^th game in a row and moving right in the thick of a playoff hunt.  The offense is becoming one of the most dynamic in all of football led by rookie sensation Doug Martin and emerging star Josh Freeman.  Their defense is good enough to keep them in games while their offense begins to take over.  The Panthers on the other hand found a way to blow a game again, partly due to the incompetence of Ron Rivera.  Given the opportunity to end the game on a 4^th and 1 or punt to the Bucs from midfield, they made the decision to kick to the Bucs and give them an opportunity to tie.  You may remember they were presented with this scenario earlier in the year against the Falcons and choose to punt and ended up losing as a result.  They did it again despite having a bad defense and a strong running game that the team has invested a lot of money in between Cam Newton, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart.  Rivera shows an unwillingness to play of the team’s strength because it is an unconventional decision and is costing his team games as a result. 

Atlanta Falcons over Arizona Cardinals

That the Falcons were able to beat the Cardinals in this game still puts me in shock.  The Falcons turned the ball over 6 times including 5 Matt Ryan interceptions and the Cardinals still found a way to lose the game.  You have to give the Falcons credit for being 9-1 right now, but they were extremely lucky to win this game and considering they have been pretty lucky all season they are without question a worse team then their record indicates.  The Cardinals on the other hand have nothing but an embarrassing offensive display to blame for their 6^th loss in a row.  The combination of John Skelton and Ryan Lindley was embarrassing in regard to their ability to move the ball.  Ken Whisenhunt handled the entire situation horribly, giving Skelton 2 weeks of first team reps then at the first sign of trouble benching him.  This recipe for disaster cost the Cardinals dearly and speaks to the larger dysfunction of the team’s offense as a whole. 

Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions

The Packers played a game much closer than people were expecting, but pulled out a W to win their 5^th game in a row.  While the offense wasn’t as sharp as usual it was able to put up enough points, and the defense was able to force enough turnovers to get a victory, despite a bad game from Mason Crosby.  Rodgers is slowing bringing himself into the MVP discussion, an award he likely won’t win because of his victory last season, but without question has to be under consideration.  The Lions on the other hand are a team just stagnate after last year’s playoff run.   They are 4-6, matching their total number of loss from last season and having declined because of a clear slippage in offense play.  While Calvin Johnson seems to be returning from his level of play of last season, Stafford is still struggling and unless he starts playing better the team is going to continue to struggle.

Washington Redskins over Philadelphia Eagles

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this before, but Robert Griffin III is really really really good at football and the Redskins got a steal despite giving up everything they did to get him.  14-15 200 yards 4 TDs passing and 12 carries for 84 yards running.  That is the type of performance you would expect from 2004 Madden Michael Vick, not an actual quarterback.  While the Redskins still aren’t that good this season, they are going to be for a very long time thanks to their young quarterback.  On the other hand the situation in Philadelphia is getting worse and worse.  The team has now lost 6 games in a row Andy Reid’s time with the team is clearly coming to an end, but it seems like neither side is willing or able to let go.  The team is just a mess on offense with a horrible offensive line and a confusing quarterback situation while defensively I’m not sure they have recovered from having an offensive line coach be defensive coordinator for a season and a half.  It’s a tough and complex situation in Philadelphia that will take some time to rebuild, hopefully it is handled correctly. 

New Orleans Saints over Oakland Raiders

Well the Saints seem to be making their run.  Winners of 5 of the last 6 games they are now .500 and seem poised for a surprising playoff run, the question remains will they make it.  I’m going to say no mainly because, they are still too far behind in a difficult NFC, and I haven’t been that impressed by the run.  They have 2 quality victories in that stretch, beating the overrated Falcons and not yet hot Bucs, but besides that they have beaten a slew of dysfunctional teams.  This team now faces a difficult part of their schedule where they have to play the 49ers, in Atlanta, and at the Giants consecutively.  If they play impressively in those games maybe I will change my tune.  Now the Raiders without question are one of the NFL’s dysfunctional teams.  Their Carson Palmer led offense can’t stop turning the ball over and their defense is just plain awful.  This team is actually probably worse than its record indicates, and considering the team is 3-7 that is not a good sign. 

Denver Broncos over San Diego Chargers

The Broncos fell behind early off of a Peyton Manning interception that was returned for a touchdown, but it didn’t matter as the Broncos won by a touchdown in a game that wasn’t even that close.  After struggling in the first quarter, Manning played like his MVP self the rest of the game in leading the Broncos to victory.  Their defense played really well, limiting the Chargers offense most of the game and forcing multiple turnovers.  This team has transformed from the Tebow blessed team of last season to the actually elite team of this year.  Well the Chargers continue their dissent this season mostly due to the fact that they have a bad coach, the embattled Norv Turner, and the rest of the team isn’t that talented.  As much well deserved criticism as Phillip Rivers gets, the talent pool is pretty barren for the Chargers offense.  They have no LT, no Vincent Jackson, and an Antonio Gates that isn’t consistently healthy.  The team still hasn’t beaten a good team all season and is far from the underachieving talent laden team that we have come to expect. 

New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts

Well that’s a statement victory.  The Patriots dominated the Colts and in doing so clearly defined the tiers of teams in the AFC.  There is the tier that consists of the Patriots, Texans, Ravens, Broncos, and a healthy Steelers team, the contender tier and there is a tier that consists of the Colts, Bills, Jets, Bengals, the also-rans that might somehow make the playoffs tier.  The Patriots offense totally destroyed the Colts as they were basically able to score at will on the team while their defense and special teams also got in on the act.  That is the Patriots at their best and if they are able to play like that every Sunday they will practically be unbeatable.  The only real worry from the game is the broken forearm of best Tightend in football Rob Gronkowski, but he should be back for the postseason, when it really matters.  The Colts struggled on Sunday and really played up to their abilities, which frankly aren’t that high.  Their defense is probably the worst in all of football as they are completely unable to defend the pass.  Their offense is built around a rookie quarterback that while great and talented is still a rookie and will continue to go through growing pains.  The team is still the favorite to earn the AFC’s 6^th seed but their hold on the spot is far from strong.

Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers

Have we seen this before?  The Ravens and Steelers playing in a low scoring game on Sunday Night Football that might help decide the AFC North race.  The Ravens came away with the victory but I’m not sure how good they can feel about themselves following that game.  The team was only able to score 13 points against the Steelers and that is including a punt return touchdown that they cannot count on consistently.  The Ravens defense was able to play well but I’m not sure how impressive that is considering it was against a clearly injured Byron Leftwich.  I have to believe that if Big Ben was in there the game likely would have ended differently.  However the Ravens got the victory and considering the health concerns of Big Ben probably wrapped up the division title in the process.  The Steelers move to 6-4 as they try to stay afloat with Big Ben’s injury.  Overall the team has to fell pretty good about itself after that game.  The defense played great, completely shutting down the Ravens, and the offense was able to move the ball at times against the Ravens despite horrible quarterback play.  The Steelers should be in the playoffs as a Wild Card considering the weakness of the AFC and if they get their they are going to be dangerous. 

San Francisco 49ers over Chicago Bears

This is probably the single most impressive game played by any team this season.  The team completely dominated the Bears, not just defensively but offensively against what has been the best defense in football this season.  Jim Harbough put together an amazing gameplan while young quarterback Collin Kaepernick executed in to perfection in this annihilation of the Bears.  Aldon Smith finished with 5.5 sacks by himself and made life hell for Jason Campbell all day.  The 49ers that have at times been inconsistent this season made a statement Monday Night and at this point look like the best and most complete team in football.  For the Bears this is their 2^nd straight loss against a top tier team, but this time it happened in more embarrassing fashion.  The defense is still probably the best in football despite their performance as the 49ers exploited their few weaknesses which I’m sure will be cleaned up in the weeks to come.  The offense is a bigger worry since for the 2^nd straight season it has completely collapsed without the presence of often criticized quarterback Jay Cutler.  The team is going to need Cutler healthy and playing well if the team is going to make the playoff run that it is so hopeful to make. 

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