NFL Week In Review, Week 16

With two games to go later today, the NFL finds itself in a dogfight for playoff position as it leaves Week 16.

In the AFC, San Diego needs one more win to clinch home field throughout the playoffs. Baltimore needs one more win to clinch a bye in the first round. Indianapolis and New England have a chance at a bye, if either of them win and the Ravens lose next week. The wild card race is a dogfight, as Denver has a leg up for one spot, and the New York Jets have a an inside track at the other one. Cincinnati, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Kansas City have an outside chance at the playoffs in the AFC. The Jets are set to play the Miami Dolphins in rainy south Florida as I write.

In the NFC, Chicago has clinched home field all the way throughout the playoffs. Good thing for Bears DT Tank Johnson, because he needs a judge’s permission to leave Illinois. The New Orleans Saints have now clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia can win the NFC East with a win, and Seattle has won the NFC West, and is locked into the #4 playoff position. The wild card race is a zoo, as Dallas has clinched one of the spots, at 9-6. There is then a gaggle of 5 teams with records of 7-8: New York Giants, Carolina, Atlanta, Green Bay, and St. Louis. None of those five play one another in Week 17, and there is the slight chance that all five could lose, placing a team with a 7-9 record in the playoffs. As it stands now, there will be at least one team in the NFC playoffs with an 8-8 record.

The Dallas Cowboys got kicked all over the field by the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 23-7. Andy Reid is a genius, for picking up Jeff Garcia as a backup quarterback to the injury-prone Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have picked it up a notch, winning four in a row, including three in a row on the road in the division. The Cowboys are going to be in the playoffs, but are not playing like a Super Bowl team. At the same time, going in as the 5th seed earns them a trip to Seattle to face the reeling Seahawks. The way the Cowboys are playing at home, it may be worth taking a chance on a road game in Seattle.

The once-mighty Indianapolis Colts came to Reliant Stadium, and lost to the Houston Texans, 27-24. Peyton Manning had three touchdown passes, but the Colts’ rush defense made Ron Dayne look like the Heisman Trophy winner that he is. Dayne had 153 yards and two touchdowns, as the Texans scored their biggest win since their inaugural game against the Cowboys in 2002. The Colts are staring a first-round playoff game in the face, unless the Ravens lose to Buffalo next week.

Speaking of the Ravens, Baltimore manhandled Pittsburgh, 31-7. Pittsburgh still had a chance at a playoff spot, but chose to not show up on Christmas Eve, and got kicked by the Ravens. The Ravens are looking tough to beat. I wouldn’t want to go the City By Chesapeake Bay during the playoffs, if I were the Colts or anyone else.

Another AFC team that lost a big opportunity was the Jacksonville Jaguars. New England went into Alltel Stadium and came away with a 24-21 win. The Pats have clinched the AFC East, and have a slight chance to finish in higher playoff position.

The Cincinnati Bengals had their hearts broken. Down 24-17, and playing in the snow in Denver, Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with :41 left in the game. The Bengals then botched the snap on the extra point, and lost 24-23. The Bengals missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, and the Broncos are now in line to finish as high as fifth in the AFC race. That’s too bad. I like the Bengals, though their uniforms are a little much. The Bengals still have a chance to make the playoffs, but will need some help in Week 17.

Don’t look now, but it’s Week 17, and Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans can still make the playoffs. The Titans are now 8-7, after a 30-29 win in Buffalo. The Bills are now 7-8, and would dearly love to be in the NFC right now.

The San Diego Chargers staged a comeback, as Phillip Rivers threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with 29 seconds left, giving the Chargers a 20-17 win in Seattle. The Chargers can clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win next week. The Seahawks have lost three games in a row, but clinched the NFC West title, thanks to San Francisco’s loss.

In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers rose from the dead, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 10-3 win over Atlanta. Chris Weinke finally got off the schnide, winning the game as a starter for the first time in 18 games. Hey, a backup QB job in the NFL still pays well.

There was a wild one in St. Louis, as the Rams used a Steven Jackson TD run to beat the Washington Redskins in overtime, 37-31. The Rams are 7-8, but can still make the playoffs with a win and some help.

The New York Giants are still in command of their own destiny for the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. However, they got kicked around by the New Orleans Saints, 30-7. The Saints have clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants, as bad as they have looked recently, can still make the playoffs with a win.

Last Thursday night, in the NFL Network special, the Green Bay Packers won a 9-7 snoozer over the Minnesota Vikings. All the Pack needed were three field goals from Dave Rayner. The Pack also finds themselves in that group of five teams at 7-8 with a chance to make the playoffs.

Also on the NFL Network, the Kansas City Chiefs got a win on Saturday night in Oakland, defeating the Raiders, 20-9. The Raiders are just plain putrid. The Chiefs have an outside chance to make the AFC playoffs.