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Sunday, December 27, 2009Week 16: Bengals playoff scenarios
The Cincinnati Bengals can claim their second AFC North title this week with either a win at home over the Kansas City Chiefs or a Baltimore Ravens loss in Pittsburgh. If neither happens, it will set up a nerve-wracking situation in Week 17 in which the Bengals will likely need to record their first ever win at Giants Stadium in what might be the final game played there!
With San Diego's win on Christmas, the Chargers have clinched the #2 seed, meaning that the Bengals are now fighting with the Patriots over the #3 seed. If both the Bengals and Patriots win out, the seeding will be decided by strength of victory, the total W-L record of the opponents the team has defeated. Right now, the Patriots hold a slim 1.5-game advantage in that category, and it's likely that the winner won't be decided until the very end of Week 17. Both the #3 and #4 seeds host a Wild Card game, so there isn't a lot of difference between them unless they end up meeting in the AFC Championship game. Still, it will determine which team the Bengals face first— provided that they take care of business and beat the Chiefs to ensure they are in the playoffs. Sunday, December 27, 2009Week 16: Ravens playoff scenarios
A blizzard prompted the Ravens to move the start time of their game against Chicago a few hours later. It also delayed the Bears' arrival in Baltimore— if, indeed, they could be said to have arrived at all. The Bears turned the ball over six times and the Ravens destroyed Chicago 31-7. QB Joe Flacco threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns in Baltimore's regular season home finale.
Entering Week 16, the Ravens still have a shot at the AFC North championship. The Bengals own the tiebreaker with the Ravens thanks to wins in both of their meetings, but the Ravens can still finish with the best record in the division if they win out (at PIT and at OAK) and the Bengals lose out (vs. KC and at NYJ). Thanks to Miami's loss to the Titans last week, the Ravens now control their own destiny for a Wild Card berth. If the Ravens finish 10-6, they are guaranteed the #5 seed in the AFC playoffs. The only teams that can finish tied with Baltimore at 10-6 are DEN, who the Ravens defeated head-to-head in Week 8; and CIN and NE, who will both clinch their divisions by winning a 10th game. If the Ravens lose to the Steelers on Sunday, however, they will be thrust into a chaotic situation, with possibly as many as six teams aiming for a 9-7 finish in the final weeks. Here's how the Ravens stack up against their potential competitors in that scenario. (The order of the list is based on how much of a threat each team poses to the Ravens' playoff chances in that scenario, from most threatening to least threatening)
Pretty confusing! That's why beating Pittsburgh is important— it keeps the Ravens' path to the playoffs under their own control. The Ravens can lock up a playoff spot this week with a win and one of the following scenarios:
Most of these scenarios involve Ravens fans rooting for home teams that will be favored, so Baltimore has a decent chance of clinching a playoff berth this week. Saturday, December 26, 2009Week 16: Steelers playoff scenarios
So, what needs to happen for the Steelers to make the playoffs? Well, first of all, they need to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and the Miami Dolphins on January 3 to finish 9-7.
This would secure the AFC North championship for the Bengals and the AFC East championship for the Patriots, meaning that neither CIN nor NE would interfere with the Wild Card race. It would also remove MIA from the scenario, since the Dolphins would be able to finish no better than 8-8. That would leave 8-6 BAL and DEN, and 7-7 JAX, NYJ, HOU, and PIT all fighting for just two Wild Card spots! If they win out, the Steelers need 4 out of 5 things to happen:
Not so clear, huh? Well, another way to put this is that in addition to rooting for the Steelers against the Ravens, Pittsburgh fans can root for:
All four of the above are home teams, and all except the Colts are competing for playoff positions. The Colts are trying to stay undefeated. If the Steelers defeat the Ravens and all four of the above games go Pittsburgh's way, the Steelers would control their own destiny heading into the final week of the regular season! In any case, the Steelers will not be eliminated in Week 16 unless they lose to the Ravens. It remains to be seen whether the Steelers can muster a complete performance against their rivals, however. The defense has not been the same without this year without DE Aaron Smith and SS Troy Polamalu, and WR Hines Ward may not be able to play either; the Steelers have signed veteran receiver Joey Galloway to attempt to fill the gap on offense. Saturday, December 26, 2009Bengals deal with tough week
The Bengals missed a chance to clinch the AFC North and contend for a first-round bye when San Diego kicker Nate Kaeding hit a 52-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 27-24 win over Cincinnati. The Bengals offense gained over 400 yards, but they were only able to turn one of their four red zone trips into a touchdown, so they were never able to take a commanding lead against their conference rival.
The next day, the Bengals took a flight to New Orleans to attend the funeral of their teammate Chris Henry. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh were there to pay their respects as well. WR Chad Ochocinco had planned at one point to wear Henry's #15 jersey against the Chargers, creating yet another discussion about the NFL potentially fining him for violating the uniform code. The NFL player's association announced that they would pay any fine Ochocinco incurred from the league, but Ochocinco ultimately chose to wear his normal jersey, deciding that the whole ordeal was focusing too much attention on himself when his intention was to honor Henry. When Ochocinco caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals the lead in the second quarter, he dropped to his knees and put his right hand over his heart. Friday, December 25, 2009Roethlisberger sets team passing record in wild win
The Steelers' season might not be done just yet. It took all 60 minutes, all 37 points, and every one of QB Ben Roethlisberger's record-setting 503 passing yards, but the Steelers snapped their 5-game losing streak with a thrilling win at home against the Green Bay Packers.
In a drive reminiscent of the finish of Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger led the Steelers 86 yards with just over two minutes left, converting a 4th and 7 with a 32-yard completion to WR Santonio Holmes and connecting with rookie WR Mike Wallace at the edge of the end zone as time expired. K Jeff Reed's extra point gave the Steelers a 37-36 win over the league's top-ranked defense. The win kept the Steelers mathematically alive to sneak into the playoffs, and a surprise upset of the Denver Broncos by Oakland improved Pittsburgh's chances enough to make this Sunday potentially very interesting for scoreboard-watching fans. The big question now is whether the Steelers defense will be able to do its part. When the Steelers' losing streak started in November against the Bengals, the defense seemed strong while the offense and special teams struggled. Now that situation is reversed, and it's clear that head coach Mike Tomlin realizes it. At a crucial moment late in the game against Green Bay, he called for an onside kick rather than trusting the defense to protect a two-point lead with four minutes remaining. The decision seemed to shock the Fox network announcers, particularly after the onside kick attempt failed, but Tomlin explained after the game that he didn't think the defense would be able to stop the Packers— and as it turned out, they couldn't. By giving the Packers a short field, the decision at least ensured that the Steelers would get the ball back with just enough time to answer Green Bay's score. Roethlisberger's passing mark is all the more impressive in that the previous record was held by QB Tommy Maddox in 2002 against Atlanta in a game that ended in a tie, and was therefore 15 full minutes longer. Tuesday, December 22, 2009Browns make history twice in the same game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, added two Cleveland Browns jerseys to its collection yesterday. WR Josh Cribbs and RB Jerome Harrison both turned in historic performances to help Cleveland to a 41-34 win in Kansas City on Sunday.
Cribbs, who has without a doubt been the MVP of the team this season, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, taking the ball 100 and 103 yards. He is only the second player in NFL history to return two kickoffs 100 yards or more in the same game, joining Miami's Tedd Ginn Jr., who did the same against the Jets on November 1 of this year. Coming into the game, Cribbs had been tied with five other players for the most kickoffs returned for touchdowns in a career, with six. Now he is in a class by himself, with eight kickoffs returned all the way. This is Cribbs' fifth season in the league, and he has had at least one kickoff return TD in each year. The really amazing thing, though, is that Cribbs' spectacular day was almost overshadowed by Jerome Harrison's 286 rushing yards. The 4th-year RB nearly doubled his season yardage total in a single game and secured the win for the Browns with his 3 touchdowns. Aside from Cribbs and Harrison, the Browns didn't really have much offense, but their 5 touchdowns proved to be all Cleveland needed to outscore Kansas City.
Harrison's 286 rushing yards are the third most for any NFL player in a single game, breaking Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown's team record of 237 yards, which Brown set in 1957 against Los Angeles and equaled in 1961 against Philadelphia. Harrison also now holds the record for the most rushing yards gained in a road game. Saturday, December 19, 2009Bengals-Chargers: a rivalry revisited
The Cincinnati Bengals face the Chargers in San Diego this Sunday in a game with enormous playoff implications. A Bengals win will clinch the division for Cincinnati and give them a chance to claim the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs and the valuable first-round bye that comes along with it. A Chargers win will put San Diego in the playoffs and limit the Bengals to the #3 seed at best.
The matchup brings back memories of the early 1980s, when Bengals QB Ken Anderson and Chargers QB Dan Fouts lit up the scoreboard in several pivotal games. In 1981, the Bengals and Chargers met once in the regular season and again in the AFC Championship. If Cincinnati had not won the regular-season game in San Diego, the famous Freezer Bowl at Riverfront, the coldest game in NFL history, would never have happened-- that win was what gave the Bengals homefield advantage over the warm-weather Chargers in the game that allowed them to advance to their first Super Bowl appearance. Could we see a repeat of that situation this year? In order for it to happen, the Cincinnati offense will need to come to life in a way it hasn't for the past several weeks. Paradoxically, the defense has proved to be the strong link for the Bengals this season. Will Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco be able to keep up with Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and the rest of one of the NFL's hottest offenses? Friday, December 18, 2009Winter weather pushes back Ravens kickoff
Now, this is football weather!
With a snowstorm predicted to hit Baltimore this weekend, the NFL has moved the start time of the Ravens' game against the Bears this Sunday from 1:00 ET to 4:15 ET. The city is expected to see 10 to 15 inches of snow accumulation from Friday through Sunday, and the later kickoff will allow more time to clear the roads. Thursday, December 17, 2009Baltimore's Wild Card outlook
The Ravens are technically still alive for the AFC North title, but the only way they can win the division is for Baltimore to win out and Cincinnati to lose out. So realistically, the Ravens are hoping to snag one of the AFC's two Wild Card berths. Last season, Baltimore advanced all the way to the AFC Championship as a Wild Card.
The Ravens will need to win their remaining games, starting Sunday in their home finale against the Bears, in order to finish 10-6. Their playoff chances drop considerably if they suffer a seventh loss. But even if the Ravens win out, they will need some help. The biggest obstacle is 7-6 Jacksonville. With only 3 AFC losses to the Ravens' 4, the Jaguars would win a tiebreaker between the two teams if they both win out. So for tonight, at least, Ravens fans will be hoping that Indianapolis stays unbeaten and gives the Jaguars a loss. But then there's the AFC East to sort out. The 8-5 New England Patriots, 7-6 Miami Dolphins, and 7-6 New York Jets are all in the fight for the AFC East championship. Here's how the tiebreakers work out, assuming a 10-6 finish for all the teams involved:
The Ravens are in pretty good shape in this department, as long as they don't end up tied with the Patriots. The confusing part is that it matters most who comes in second in the AFC East, not who comes in first. So the Ravens could avoid a tie with the the Patriots if New England loses enough games to finish third in the division or if New England wins enough games to finish first in the division. It's the in-between scenario they need to avoid, and that's why the Ravens and their fans will probably be scoreboard watching all the way to the end if Baltimore finishes the season strong. Thursday, December 17, 2009Chris Henry, 1983-2009
Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has died at the age of 26. Henry suffered fatal injuries from a fall out of the back of a pickup truck during an apparent domestic dispute with his fiancee in North Carolina.
Chris Henry's death comes as a shock in part because it seemed like he was finally getting his life on the right track. Henry had had multiple run-ins with the law, both while he was in college at West Virginia University and as a Cincinnati Bengal. In 2007, the league suspended him for half a season. After Henry was arrested for the fifth time on an assault charge, the Bengals released the troubled wide receiver, and it seemed unlikely any other team would consider signing him. But the Bengals gave Chris Henry one more chance, despite skepticism from fans and media, and Henry worked hard in preparation for the 2009 season. "I kind of felt like I dug myself out of the hole and started doing the right things. People say, 'How you feeling now Chris? You doing all right?' I just tell them I'm blessed." Henry and his fiancee planned to get married and raise their three children together. This Bengals team has already been hit by loss this season, with the death of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife. Now they are faced with the loss of a teammate as well. Wednesday, December 16, 2009What's gone wrong with the Steelers?
The Cleveland Browns pulled off a shocking 13-6 upset last Thursday, snapping the Steelers' 12-game winning streak against their old rivals.
Or was it really so shocking? The Steelers have now lost five games in a row. In addition to the 2-win Browns, they have fallen to 3-win Oakland and 4-win Kansas City. Losses to division rivals Cincinnati and Baltimore put the Steelers in a hole, but their loss at frigid Cleveland Browns Stadium looks like the final straw that will end the Steelers' quest for a repeat championship before it really begins. As halfhearted championship defenses go, the Steelers are entering unfamiliar territory. They join the 1987 New York Giants as the only Super Bowl winners to post a five-game losing streak the following season-- and the Giants' string of losses happened during a players' strike that had the teams fielding replacement players. So there really is no precedent to explain the 2009 Steelers. It's hard to point to one specific cause for the slide. "We've found new and different ways to not rise up at critical moments and we're losing football games because of it," said head coach Mike Tomlin. "This one happened in all three phases." The Browns fans who braved the subzero wind chill factor by Lake Erie were rewarded by their team's finest performance of the season. Cleveland sacked QB Ben Roethlisberger 8 times and shredded the vaunted Pittsburgh defense by running WR Joshua Cribbs from the Wildcat formation. Cribbs, who has made many big plays against the Steelers only to see the Browns' lead evaporate, was elated with the win. "It means everything. There are a lot of Steelers fans around the city so I hope people go to work and kick those Steelers fans." Wednesday, December 16, 2009Delay of game
I'm sorry about the long gap in posting over the past few months, everyone. As much as I enjoy working on this site, it is just a hobby and often has to give way to other things. I've been updating the playoff race and draft pick race pages each week, but I still haven't come up with a good way to keep the front page of the site up to date without requiring a lot of time for writing that I don't always have.
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