The Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans have all advanced to the NFL’s Divisional Playoff next weekend.
On Saturday, the Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 19-13, and the Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-10. On Sunday, the Ravens defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-9 and the Seahawks beat the Redskins 24-14.
The Seattle/Washington game was the most intriguing matchup with two of the most exciting rookie NFL quarterbacks battling each other in Seattle’s Russell Wilson battling Washington’s Robert Griffin III.
The Redskins had a 14-0 first quarter lead, but during the opening 15 minutes, Griffin injured his knee, and only had 84 total yards passing throughout the game. The Seahawks dominated from the second quarter on, scoring 24 unanswered points, and 132 yards rushing from Marshawn Lynch.
All games were much more low scoring than what they were projected to be. The Texans secondary deserve significant credit as a unit for making Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton’s day complicated. Minnesota quarterback Joe Webb only completed 11 passes, and the Ravens’ defense looked like the defense from the past few seasons, rather than the one from 2012.
Two of the best teams in the NFC will battle this weekend as the Seattle Seahawks (9-5) host the San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1).
Both of these teams have played stellar defense all season long and rank 1-2 in the NFL in fewest points allowed. The 49ers have given up 218 points, and the Seahawks have given up 219 points.
However, it is the teams’ offenses that need to be praised just as much. Seattle has scored 108 points the last two games, and San Francisco put up 41 points against New England last week. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has had a minimum of 100 yards rushing in 8 games this season.
The Seahawks and 49ers will battle on NBC at 6:00 p.m. Sunday night.
Here are the other games I’ll be watching this weekend:
Saturday–NFL–Atlanta Falcons @ Detroit Lions–ABC–6:30 p.m.–With the NFL deciding not to have a game Christmas Eve, the Monday nighter has moved to Saturday. At 12-2 the Falcons can clinch first place in the NFC with a victory. The Falcons had a major statement game last week as they shut out the New York Giants 34-0. Julio Jones had two touchdown receptions in Atlanta’s win.
It might be too early to call a particular game a must win. But on Saturday night at the Shark Tank in San Jose, it could just be a must win for the struggling Edmonton Oilers (CBC, 8pm).
After a hot October where the Oilers at one time led the Western Conference, it has been a tough grind. Since November 5, the Oilers have been 6-13, and have fallen from first to twelfth.
Luckily though, there is still 51 games left for the Oilers to turn things around, but there could be no more important game to their 2011-12 schedule than tonight. The Oilers currently find themselves four points back of the San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes for a playoff spot in the West. So at the end of the night, they could be as close to two points back, or possibly as far as six points out.
Even though the Oilers lost 4-2 to Phoenix Thursday, a very positive sign was the play of Taylor Hall, who scored both Oiler goals. It was his first game back after missing three weeks with a shoulder injury.
We’re talking coaching changes, Rookie of the Month awards and trade rumors this week on 15 Minutes of Fame. Also: the Argos are fined for tampering and the groups are set for Euro 2012.
In the GABBYs: Ryan Jones, Ryan Jimmo, Marshawn Lynch, Nick Novak, Wayne Gretzky and the Chinese Basketball Association. This week’s Punchline is Ryan Miller!
No two teams in the National Football League mirror each other more than the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) and Baltimore Ravens (12-4). Both teams are known for their excellence in defence, but a relatively respectable offense as well. On Saturday afternoon, the two juggernauts will collide in a hard-nosed battle that will have fans wincing (CBS, 2:30PM) in an AFC Divisional Playoff match-up that should be extremely low-scoring, but an excellent football game to say the least.
I’ll be interested in comparing the Ravens’ Ed Reed vs. the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu. The two all-star defenders finished first and second in the NFL in interceptions this year. Reed had 8 and Polamalu had 7. Head-to-head, the Ravens won 17-14 in Pittsburgh on October 3 and the Steelers won 13-10 in Baltimore on December 5. My gut is telling me the Steelers because I feel they have a little more experience on offense, led by two-time Super Bowl Champion Ben Roethlisberger.
It seems like if the NY Jets aren’t talking trash in the lead up to a big game, there is something wrong…Don’t worry though, Jets fans, there is plenty of smack-talk coming out of that locker room this week!
Coach Rex Ryan is once again declaring an upcoming match as “personal” – last week it was “personal” between Ryan and Colts QB Peyton Manning, this time around, Pats coach Bill Belichick is his target. Ryan says there’s “no question” its personal after he admits he was “outcoached” in a 45-3 loss to the Patriots at the start of December.
For his part, Belichick says…well…not too much, but that’s what you expected, isn’t it?
The coach isn’t the only one running his mouth: Did you hear what Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said this week about Pats QB Tom Brady?
When asked what kind of guy Brady is, Cromartie replied that he’s an a-hole and threw in another swear word for good measure! He’s upset that Brady apparently pointed to the Jets bench after scoring a touchdown in that lopsided win on December 6th. What do you think Brady said about that? (more…)
This is the right time for me to blow my own horn.
I successfully predicted the Seattle Seahawks to win on Saturday. So how did they beat the Saints 41-36? A combination of excellence through the air and on the ground. Matt Hasselbeck was spectacular, posting a quarterback rating of 113, and throwing four touchdowns for 272 yards. Hasselbeck found his tight end John Carlson twice and wide receivers Brandon Stokley and Mike Williams each once.
First off, I would like to congratulate our captain John Short.
He has made the bold prediction for weeks that the Edmonton Eskimos will make the playoffs.
Well, there is only three weeks left in the 2010 CFL’s Regular Season, and the Eskimos, at 5-10 are currently in a playoff spot.
Can they hold off Winnipeg and British Columbia? Time will tell, but if the season was over today, the Eskimos would be punching their ticket for Regina in a Western semi-final showdown with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
It’s Personal…Again
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