What We Learned From Week 14
Added on Dec 11, 2012 by Scott in
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It was one of those weeks in the NFL that usually occur in early December when contenders hit a wall and lose to lesser opponents. The Falcons, Ravens, Bucs, Steelers and Bears all dropped games to teams behind them in the standings and watched their playoff hopes take a significant hit in the process. Scoring was at a premium again as a dozen franchises totaled 27 or more points, including 50-plus performances by the Seahawks and Giants. Here’s what we learned during Week 14.
Camtastic! – It might be too little too late, but Cam Newton is finally posting the kind of gaudy stats that made him a superstar in 2011. In upsetting Atlanta on Sunday, he threw for 287 and two touchdowns and rushed for 116 and another score. In his last three starts, Newton is responsible for ten TDs and zero turnovers. That’s the kind of disciplined football he needs to play to take the Cats to the next level.
Beware the Browns? – Three wins in a row… for Cleveland? Sounds strange, but the Brownies are playing smart, fundamental ball as of late. The defense has been decent all season and now the offense is starting to yield positive results. Unfortunately, their final three games are home to Washington and road trips to Denver and Pittsburgh, so the good times may be over soon.
Won’t get fooled again – The Jets have won two in a row and are two games out of the last AFC playoff spot. At 6-7 with games versus the Titans, Chargers and Bills remaining, Rex’s boys are still smack dab in the hunt. Even though they are terrible. Should this miracle of miracles happen don’t for a second think it will be enough to save Mark Sanchez’s (and Rex Ryan’s) jobs. Unless of course they win the Super Bowl. LOL!
Premature enshrinement – Eagles fans have had it rough in 2012, which is why they are starting to beat the ‘Nick Foles is the answer’ drum as loud as possible. Before we start inducting the promising but raw rookie into Canton, realize that his scintillating comeback win in Tampa came against the 32nd ranked pass defense in the league. The kid is improving, but the stench of Kevin Kolb and Bobby Hoying still lingers on the streets of Philadelphia. Let’s not rush to judgement.
MVP for RG III – If the Redskins earn a playoff berth, Robert Griffin III should win the MVP. Forget Peyton. Forget Brady. Forget Aaron. Forget Luck. Forget stats. Forget tradition. RG III is the only reason the Redskins are vying for the NFC East crown. Unlike recent freshman phenoms, he plays under control and rarely makes mistakes (six turnovers in 13 starts). He won’t win it, but he certainly deserves to.
58 pickup – Arizona’s 58-0 defeat at the hands of Seattle was one of the most humiliating and lopsided losses in decades. The Seahawks ferocious defense recovered four fumbles, recorded four interceptions, racked three sacks and scored a pair of touchdowns. Ugly doesn’t even begin to describe how one-sided this atrocity was. Adding insult to further insult, the Cards have lost ten nine straight.
Sound the alarm – Texans fans shouldn’t panic, because they’re 11-2 and in the AFC’s top spot. However, the two best offenses they faced — Green Bay and New England — both rolled up 42 points. Winning a championship normally means beating an elite quarterback or two. Again, there’s no reason to panic, but ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away.
