The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Opinion
San Antonio-(RYM)-Let us never forget Demaryius Thomas #88
Teams on Bye-Colts, Dolphins, Patriots, Eagles
Steelers 28, Vikings 36
That was way to close
Vikings RB Dalvin Cooks Runs into the End Zone for during Thursday Nights Game versus The Steelers(Vikings)/Minnesota Vikings
Good:
Just 11 days after Cook dislocated his shoulder, he lined up in the backfield and took advantage of all the room the OL was giving him. Cook set a franchise record with 153 rushing yards in the first half and only needed 14 carries to do so.
In the second half, Roethlisberger, who had been sacked five times, threw touchdown passes to Najee Harris, James Washington, and Freiermuth. Harris also ran for the score, as the Steelers rebounded from their poor start. Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Kirk Cousins twice after the break to fuel the rally.
Bad:
The Vikings won, but we will talk about the disaster of a second-half in the ugly.
The Steelers had done well in close games, but with a 29-point deficit to over, it was just too much for them. The slow start put them in a hole they could not dig themselves out of. It also didn't help that Claypool on fourth and 1 celebrated the first down rather than immediately throw the ball at the referee to get set. In the end, it was just a horror show for The Steelers, and now they are in danger of missing the playoffs and having Tomlins first losing season.
Ugly:
The Vikings had a 23-0 lead going into the half and dominated all aspects of the game too, but non more than the running game, and yet they allowed they allowed The Steelers to score 28 points and let them run down the field multiple times. Kirk Cousins threw 2 second half INTs that could have lost the game for The Vikings; now they are close to making the last spot in the playoffs, but if they want to win and make a run at an SB, they will need to stop with the close games keep the significant leads and pray Kirk Cousins to stop throwing inconvenient INTs. And Adam Thielen comes back sooner rather than later.
Overall:
The good news for the Vikings is their next game is versus The Bears, so it should be the game to get them back to .500. The Steelers lost a heartbreaker after winning a heartbreaker, but like The Vikings, they have good news; they face a battered Titans team in Pittsburgh, and they are 4-0-1 at home, so the odds are in their favor.
Ravens 22, Browns 24
Congrats to Myles Garrett for breaking The Browns sack record.
Good:
It was not pretty, but The Browns got themselves back into the AFC North race with their win over The Ravens. Still, there is a long way to go, but hey, they are heading in the right direction.
Tyler Huntley is not a starter in the NFL, but he was close to pulling off a win after being thrown in the game due to an injury to Lamar Jackson. He threw for 270 yards and ran for another 45.
Bad:
The Browns were dominant the whole game, and yet even then still almost blew a 21-point lead; thanks to the defense, they stayed alive, but even with a strong defense, Cleveland's offense has only passed 17 points once. If you take away Garrett's defensive touchdown on Sunday and again the Browns failed to score 17 points, Baker Mayfield was sharper after a week off, but unless this offense gets another level, Cleveland's playoff push looks set to fail in the end.
Let us move to the ugly.
Ugly:
The severity of Jackson's ankle injury was unknown. Still, suppose Jackson is out for a while or even less than 100% capacity. In that case, the Ravens will struggle to win the rest of the season and considering Baltimore has one of the most demanding end-of-season schedules with home games against The Packers, Bengals and at home versus The Rams and Steelers. If they are not careful, they will not only not win the division but miss the playoffs altogether.
Overall:
The AFC North will decide who is healthier at the end of the season.
Jaguars 0, Titans 20
GOOSE EGG!!!!!!
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill escapes Jaguars S Rayshawn Jenkins during Sunday games (Joe Howell)/ Tennessee Titans
Good:
The Titans returned to the positive side of the turnover column. The defense intercepted Trevor Lawrence four times, which is why they won the game in a commanding fashion.
If anyone saw anything good from The Jaguars, please let me know.
Bad:
The Titans need to get healthy because they have no one to threaten opposing defenses without A.J Brown, Henry, and a banged-up Julio Jones.
Trevor Lawrence has stopped developing, and it showed, if HC Urban Meyer had not caused so much drama, then the idea of seating Trevor could work, but if he does it now, he will lose the locker room if he has not already. No matter what, we can all agree that something needs to change, or Trevor Lawrence will be looking at his career end sooner rather than later.
Ugly:
The Jaguars' offense has been appalling in the last six games, and it got worse on Sunday. The Jaguars OL struggled with pass protection and committed five penalties, and of course, we cannot forget how the receivers dropped passes they needed to catch. The result: the fourth-worst loss in franchise history.
Overall:
The Titans won, but it was versus The Jaguars, so we aren't counting it. The Jaguars are getting worse by the week with no change in sight.
Raiders 9, Chiefs 48
OUCH!!!! Just Ouch!!!!
Good:
The Chiefs are set up perfectly for their bout versus The Chargers on Thursday night, and as long as they bring the same energy they had on Sunday on Thursday, we can see a very different game than what we saw in September.
The Raiders are still, per the math, in the playoff race.
Bad:
Nothing bad here
You know what to do.
Ugly:
Is Hunter Renfrow the only player on The Raiders? Renfrow had a career-best 13 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, but with TE Darren Waller out for his second straight game since injuring his back and knee, the more modest Raider was the only Raiders player that showed any signs of life on Sunday. The Raiders have not been the same since their bye week. The Raiders, who started 5-2, are now 6-7, and in fact, the Raiders became the first team to lose four fumbles in a game this season.
Overall:
If The Chiefs keep playing lights out, then the top seed in the AFC is there to lose. The Raiders, at this point, are only playing for pride because I am not sure they will come back from that performance.
Jets 9, Saints 30
Things are getting worse for The Jets, but looking up for The Saints
Good:
The Saints needed Alvin Kamara back, and he went off on The Jets for 145 yards and a touchdown. It also helped that the defense was unstoppable.
The Jets only good thing that came from the 30-9 loss is that this time last year, they were playing for a Draft position but now had they won, they were still in playoff contention, they had a tiny chance, but a chance non the less. So in the grand skim, we can consider this improvement.
Bad:
The Saints are still having issues with the passing game, and it's looking like it may be due to Taysom Hill's finger injury; if they want to make the playoffs, they will need to do more than what we saw today versus the 32nd-ranked defense.
It has been an Ugly kind of day for a lot of teams.
Ugly:
Zach Wilson's rookie season went even further in the wrong direction in the 30-9 loss to the Saints. His accuracy was terrible; he had only 86 yards after three quarters. At least it was his first game without an interception. The Jets wanted to see Wilson build on last week's performance, but he was out of sync from the start.
Overall:
If they can get 100% healthy, The Saints will be very dangerous. The Jets are getting worse by the day.
Cowboys 27, WFT 20
Way to close but at least I can say it again
HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS?!!!!!!!!
WFT QB Taylor Heinicke gets sacked by Cowboys LB Micah Parsons who also forces a fumble that is turned into a TD during Sundays game (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)/ Dallas Cowboys
Good:
Cowboys. Mike McCarthy was correct about the Cowboys winning against the Washington football team, but the defense won the game. Randy Gregory's sack, forced fumble, and a first-quarter interception were taken for a touchdown. LB Micah Parsons also helped control Washington's offense when he sacked and forced fumble Taylor Heinicke which led to Dorance Armstrong's 37-yard return for a touchdown. The Cowboys had two more takeaways; they have 27 on the year, which is second in the NFL.
Washington's offense did all it could to keep the game close, which they should be happy with considering they are missing their two top DL.
Bad:
The Cowboys current offensive game was better than it has been but not as explosive as it had been in the first half of the season, especially with the absence of Tony Pollard. Prescott had two wiretaps, and three others could have been INTs. They've only scored one touchdown in six red-zone visits versus Washington, The Cowboys have four games to regain form and be taken seriously, but it is better to do it quickly.
Just look at the Ugly.
Ugly:
Washington was slammed with injuries, and now it's worth wondering what they have left for their last four games. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin left Sunday's game with a concussion, and still no J.D. McKissic. The team is also without TE Logan Thomas and his first three centers. Next week they may have James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill back, but it's uncertain. Washington has been resilient in that four-game win streak which has helped them keep a playoff spot. But to keep it, they will need a few players back and can't afford to have any more injured.
Overall:
The Cowboys defense is better than expected, but the offense still needs work. Health is the main focus for Washington, nothing else.
Falcons 29, Panthers 21
Did not see that coming
Good:
Simple, The Falcons have found their identity with the run game behind the NFL MIP, Cordarralle Patterson. If they keep winning, they can see themselves sneak into the playoffs, but it does not get any easier from here, but they have hope, and that is all you can ask for.
It was a close game, but that has to do with who they were playing than being a good team.
Bad:
Nothing terrible here; I am happy for The Falcons.
The Panthers are not a playoff team, the talent isn't there, and Cam Newton is not the future at The QB spot. Newton is 0-3 as a starter and has lost 11 in a row as a Panthers QB. Cam is 32 and looks like he cannot lead a team even though that team has little to no talent.
Ugly:
With three straight losses with five in a row at home and two wins in the last 10, it begs the question, should they let Matt Rhule go? Especially with a remaining schedule as difficult as they have. Rhule tried to say that OC Joe Brady was the issue, but what do we still see? Struggles, so while Rhule is safe until 2022, if the Panthers finish 5-12, owner David Tepper won't give many more chances to show improvements, which they haven't delivered.
Overall:
The Playoffs are still in the sights for The Falcons. The Panther's schedule is way too hard for them even to consider a winning season.
Seahawks 33, Texans 13
They beat up on a two win team, but was it worth it?
Good:
It was the Rashaad Penny show with 137 yards and two touchdowns, and he made the case to be the lead back for The Seahawks, given that he stays healthy. Wilson looked like the version who fought with precision and did not make bad decisions. His decision-making was also good, often taking what was there instead of forcing deep throws. If Wilson is indeed back, that would be the best reason to think the Seahawks can do something with their last four games, even if their playoff chances are still slim.
Quarterback Davis Mills made his first 14 passing attempts against the Seahawks and the most consecutive passes to start a game as a rookie since 1991 and the most of any player in Texas history. So excellent start for Mills and a promising way to make his case for the future.
Bad:
Wilson did miss a few passes, but nothing like what they were, nothing like what they had done in the past few games.
Davis Mills had an excellent start, but Mills only completed 19 of his 35 attempts, and the Texans failed to score in the second half.
Ugly:
The Texans' running game took another blow on Sunday after Rex Burkhead left with a groin injury. After David Johnson went on the COVID19 list, Royce Freeman was Houston's only healthy running back. Freeman ran for only 15 yards on 11 carries. If Burkhead and Johnson are not healthy before next week, they will need to figure out something different to fix the run game.
Overall:
The Seahawks beat up on a two-win team, so we can't say they are back, but we can say they held together and had as solid a performance as we could ask for. The Texans are looking at the offseason.
Demaryius Thomas #88
1987-2021
(Lions 10, Broncos 31)
Justine Simmons, Bradley Chubb and Kareem Jackson amongst others stand in silence in remembrance of the late Demaryius Thomas, who passed away Thursday. (Ben Swanson)/ Denver Broncos
I will not talk about the game in Remembrance of Demaryius Thomas #88, who tragically passed away on Thursday, December 9, due to Medical Issues dealing with seizures.
These are some of DTs acolytes with The Broncos.
Super Bowl Champion (50)
4x Pro Bowl (2012-14, 2016)
2x Second-Team All-Pro (2013-14)
Broncos second-leading receiver (9,055 yards)
Broncos third in catches (655)
Receptions, playoff career: (53)
Receptions, playoff season: (28 in 2013)
Receptions, playoff game: (13 on February 2, 2014, against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII) (tied with Shannon Sharpe)
Receiving yards, regular season: (1,619 in 2014)
Receiving yards in a single game, regular season: (226 on October 5, 2014, against the Arizona Cardinals)
Receiving yards in a single game, playoffs: (204 on January 8, 2012, against the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Receiving yards, playoff season: (306 in 2013)
Receiving touchdowns in a regular-season: (14 in 2013) (tied with Anthony Miller in 1995)
Receiving touchdowns in a playoff season: (3 in 2013)
Receiving touchdowns in a playoff career: (6) (tied with Rod Smith)
Games with at least 100 receiving yards, career: (33)
Most games with at least 100 receiving yards, single-season: (10 in 2014)
Most games with at least two receiving touchdowns:(10) (tied with Ed McCaffrey)
Consecutive games with at least 100 receiving yards, season: (7 in 2014)
Consecutive with at least 100 receiving yards, playoffs: (2) (tied with Vance Johnson)
Consecutive games with at least five receptions: (16 in 2016)[193]
He also played for The Houston Texans, New York Jets, and New England Patriots, where he finished with 724 catches for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns for his ten-year career.
May his smile be remembered always.
Giants 21, Chargers 37
What a throw from Herbert!!!!
Good:
Despite not having a star catcher Keenan Allen, the Chargers claimed a second straight win for the first time since early October. Backups Joshua Palmer and Justin Jackson appeared when needed, WR Mike Williams played well again, and Jalen Guyton caught an excellent touchdown pass from Justin Herbert. It was essential for them to win to keep pace with The Chiefs in the AFC West.
I'll start leaving this part empty for The Giants.
Bad:
The Charger's backups played well, but they need to get healthy; otherwise, their approach to winning won't be as easy to execute as they would like to be.
The Giants (4-9) couldn't stop Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Chargers had 289 total yards and eighteen first downs in the first half alone. The Giant's defense had zero pressure on Justin Herbert, which allowed him to sit in the pocket and tear them apart in the air. It just showed the glaring need for a pass rusher for The Giants.
Ugly:
We know that GM Dave Gettleman is on the way out but as for Joe Judge is job is still in question. He needs things to get better, but it does not look like it will with Dallas coming to town next week. If Joe Judge wants to keep his job, he will need things to change on and off the field; otherwise, as much as The Giants do not want to switch HC every two seasons, they will need to.
Overall:
The Chargers won and are keeping pace, but Thursday game versus The Chiefs can very well decide who wins The AFC West. The Giants are bad, and things won't get better anytime soon.
49ers 26, Bengals 23-OT
I was rooting for The Bengals
Good:
If The 49ers do not qualify for the playoffs, this season will be counted as a disappointment. The 49ers played smart; they let The Bengals make the mistakes and then capitalized on those mistakes. The 49ers are 7-6 now, and with The Falcons coming to town next week, they can get a tight hold on the 6th playoff spot. Lucky for them, they have the tiebreakers versus both Vikings and Eagles, and even though it's a close race at the bottom of the NFC playoff race as long as they can get to 10 wins, the 6th spot is all there.
They made it a game, and I mean, they are a young team, so what more can anyone say?
Bad:
The loss of LB Azeez Al-Shaair is pretty significant; he is the defense's emotional leader, and with LB Dre Greenlaw also hurt, The 49ers find themselves shorthanded once again and during December non the less.
With consecutive losses, the pressure is back on the Bengals and third-year coach Zac Taylor. Sunday's loss showed costly turnovers, lack of defense, and mistakes that cost them in the end. They need to fix the issues because now they have no room to make mistakes if they still want to make the playoffs.
Ugly:
Right now, The Bengals offense is the issue. They are inconsistent and cannot get out of their way. The Bengals spend a lot of money on the offense, so being as unreliable as they are is baffling.
Overall:
The 49ers should be happy they are in a perfect spot to make the playoffs. The Bengals need to win or say goodbye to the playoffs.
Bills 27, Bucs 33-OT
So close Bills, So close.
Bucs QB Tom Brady runs past a Bills defender for the first down during Sundays game(Jason Parkhurts)/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Good:
The Bucs did all they could to dominate at the beginning of the game, holding The Bills to 2 of 13 on third down and sacked Josh Allen three times, and that helped them stay focused in OT to take home the win.
The Bills have lost two straight, but lucky for them with games at home versus The Panthers, Falcons, and Jets, they can keep their playoff hopes alive. They still have The Patriots, but winning or losing that game won't mean much as long as they beat the other teams.
Bad:
Despite a lackluster 2nd half wherein they allowed the Bills to erase a 21-point lead, The Bucs' defense was just not able to get off the field. They surrendered a hundred yards to Allen and The Bills' offense with three touchdowns and an FG. What made it worse was that the Buc's offense could only muster three points in the second half.
The Bills came up short on Sunday afternoon but let us look at the ugly.
Ugly:
Despite Josh Allen's second-half heroics, The Bills could not come up with a win. The Bills protection was just not able to hold on in OT. The Bill's defensive line struggled, especially with the DT Star Lotulelei out with a toe injury. On the opposite side of the ball, Allen had little time to throw early, frequently compelled to make terrible decisions because of the pressure.
Overall:
The Bucs can clinch the NFC South next week, but as long as they keep pushing forward, they can make another SB run. The Bills still have a chance to make the playoffs, but they have a lot to fix before they get there.
Packers 45, Bears 30
The Bears made it a challenge for The Packers
Packers WR Davante Adams celebrates a TD with teammate WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Evan Siegle)/Green Bay Packers
Good:
Here is a list of Chicago Bears Ownership
A.E. Staley Company (1920-1921)c
George Halas & Dutch Sternaman (1921-1932)
George Halas (1932-1983)
Virginia Halas McCaskey (1983-Present)
Aaron Rodgers (2008-Present)
I mean, what more can you say about that?
The offense looked so good against one of NFC's best. After a rib injury, Justin Fields put in a solid first half in his first game. The rookie quarterback helped Chicago get a 10-0 start and showed growth after throwing a pick with a fantastic throw to Damiere Byrd for a 54-yard touchdown pass on the next drive from Chicago. Fields went for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter and then fell in the third quarter (1 of 4 for 5 yards) before bouncing back in the fourth quarter.
Bad:
The Packers have a special team's problem, it almost cost them against Chicago on Sunday, but if they don't fix it, it could be doom at the end of the season and playoffs. It was pretty bad, Grant had a 42-yard punt return, and Khalil Herbert had a 41-yard kickoff return. Mason Crosby also had a kick that went out of bounce, and kick-returner Malik Taylor touched the ball before it went out of bounce at the 5. Then Rookie Amari Rodgers got a penalty and messed up an onside kick in the fourth quarter. Bedroom. The heat is on STC Mo Drayton because mistakes can cost them in playoffs.
The Bear's offense looked less anemic than usual and scored the most points of the season with 30. The OL let Justine Fields get sacked twice, and while rookie Teven Jenkins had a brutal outing by taking four penalties, the experience he's gained is essential for his future with the team. Next week will be a massive test because the result will not be happy if they do not keep evolving.
Ugly:
It's hard to imagine The Packers overcoming all the OL injuries. When they lost RT Billy Turner, who left with a knee injury in the second quarter, they only had Rookie RG Royce Newman, who could replace him. But the OL is looking thinner since, especially with Elgton Jenkins being out for the season due to an ACL injury. Left tackle David Bakhtiari is playing this season but has not seen any action since his cruciate ligament rupture on December 31st. There's a similar hope for center Josh Myers.
Overall:
We still trust The Packers, but that OL and ST need to get better, or that first seed spot won't last long. The Bears need to keep evolving; they played great on Sunday, but it's growth time or failure time.
Cardinals 23, Rams 30
Where have this Rams been all year?
Rams WR Cooper Kupp celebrates an AMAZING TD catch through Cardinals CB Marco Wilson(Brevin Townsell)/LA Rams
Good:
After a disastrous November that left many doubts as to whether the roster created by The Rams was Super Bowl-worthy, but they proved on Monday night that they deserve to be among the teams to make a deep playoff run. They even had four key starters who made it onto the reserve / COVID list over the weekend: CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Tyler Higbee, RB Darrell Henderson, and RT Rob Havenstein, despite not having them, they still pulled off a dominant win versus a division opponent.
The Cardinals can still win the division, and that is all I will say that is good for them.
Bad:
The Rams looked dominant right now, but the big issue is have they taken control of The Covid-19 outbreak they had. They overcame the problems on Monday night, but if they do not get it under control, I am not sure they can overcome them, especially in the playoffs.
While quarterback Kyler Murray produced 444 yards, it wasn't enough to top two interceptions, zero takeaways, and a dominant performance from Aaron Donald. If they want to prove they are the team to beat in the NFC and the NFL, they will need to figure out how to get back on track, especially at home.
Ugly:
If the Cardinals win the division or get the bye in the NFC, they will either play the first round at home or the whole playoffs at home and as we have seen, they seem to struggle at home; this is a big issue for them if they cannot figure it out and fast they will have an early out in the playoffs.
Overall:
The Rams looked like a contender, but it is one game they need to keep playing like that to make a run. The Cardinals have a lot of issues and have us question if they are the team to beat in the NFC.