The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Week 13

The Good
Baltimore – The Ravens put on a clinic on what good teams should do when playing bad ones, even on the road. The Ravens racked up roughly three times the offense of the Bengals, held the ball almost 18 minutes longer and did not turn the ball over. They controlled the second half, pulling away after holding a 10-point lead. In all aspects, this was a Good performance.

Dallas – The Cowboys dominated the hapless Seahawks from the start, jumping off to a 14-0 lead and gathering in a fumble before the Seattle put up a whimper of protest. They ultimately held the Seahawks to three field goals in a game that was true to the spirit of Thanksgiving – it was over by halftime. With almost 450 yards of offense, this performance placed them in the middle of the wild card mix.

Denver – This was pretty much a blueprint for a Broncs win. Almost 500 yards of offense, almost 400 yards allowed. Most of the offense is via the air, only one turnover and big plays both for and against. The result, beyond the boilerplate win is a very important road conference victory against a hot team. This Good effort finally makes a statement that the Broncs are interested in winning the AFCW.

Minnesota – Down 7-3 at home, with the Bears perched on the Viking 1 with 6:15 left in the first half, the Vikings gathered themselves and shut Chicago’s drive down on downs. They responded with a one-play, 99 yard drive to take the lead. From that fateful point they outscored the Bears 31-7, holding the opponent to a total of 10 first downs. This Good effort puts the Vikings in control of their own fate in the NFCN.

Philadelphia – Just when it looked like the Eagles were ready to be served up on a platter they spring to life at home to feast on the Cardinals. 32 first downs, 437 yards and almost 40 minutes of possession will cure a lot of ills. The defense helped themselves to three interceptions and a fumble. This was a statement game for McNabb and the Eagles, and that statement lands them in the Good.

Pittsburgh – With 6:45 left in the first half, this game was shaping up to be another of those 13-9 type games the Steelers often get involved in. They trailed the Pats 10-3 at that point. They proceeded to tie the game on their next drive, en route to 30 consecutive points and a 33-10 win in New England. The defense gathered in five Pats turnovers to solidify the Steelers’ playoff positioning for the stretch run. A Good performance on a rainy day.

Tennessee – It would be easy to slough off their 47-10 drubbing of the Lions because, well, it was the Lions. But the Titans were just four days and a road trip removed from a horrid home loss against the Jets. They took care of business early and often, sporting a 35-10 lead by halftime and reestablishing themselves as one of the league’s top contenders. 292 yards rushing reminds us of why the Titans got to 10-0.

The Bad
Chicago – In every season there are defining moments and lost opportunities. The Bears were on the verge of taking a commanding early lead in Minnesota and responded by failing to crack the end zone in four plays from the one and then being outplayed to the rest of the way. Their offense was barely a factor in a game that could have put them in position to grab the NFCN lead. The result of a Bad effort is that they must now chase down the Vikings to have a shot at the post season.

Jacksonville – The Jags put on a clinic of how not to play Monday in Houston. Turnovers, missed scoring opportunities and some curious calls from the bench provided the Texans enough chances to take home the win. The Jags were never really in this game thanks to a myriad of Bad efforts.

San Diego – Every week somebody bridges the gap between Bad and Ugly, and this week it is the Chargers. Losing to the Falcons is neither Bad nor Ugly by itself, but the Chargers looked a little like the Keystone Kops in this effort. They entered the day still in realistic contention for the woeful AFCW and responded with a 12 first down, 201 yard effort that included taking a safety. Take away a pair of Falcon fumbles and this game would have been a rout. It might have been better if they at least expressed some interest in game.

Washington – Losing to the Giants at home is not. But while the Redskins were never out of this game, they were only a genuine threat for a few minutes. In the roughly 32 minutes between the Redskins narrowing the gap to 13-7 and the Giants extending it to 23-7, the Redskins amassed only six first downs (one by penalty). The difference between the two teams was more accurately described by the 11:30 time of possession difference than the scoreboard. Curiously, the Redskins opted for a 2.5:1 pass/run ratio on offense. The Redskins are fading.

The Ugly
Arizona – Completing the three Thanksgiving turkeys are the Cardinals. Their first two drives produced interceptions, their third a punt and they were down 21-0 before they found any continuity. That is too deep a hole to deep a hole to dig in the NFL. The Cardinals were never in this game.

Cincinnati – When a team gains only six first downs, 155 yards and possess the ball over a full quarter less than your opponent you are not likely to win. When that opponent dresses the Baltimore Ravens defense, it is likely to get out of hand. This one did in the second half. Meanwhile, the Bengals defense warrants no mention.

Detroit – The Lions showed a national audience exactly what Ugly means. Had they been on stage a little closer to dinner time, turkey consumption would have been cut dramatically. The good news for their offense was they had a whopping 154 yards. The bad news was six first downs, three turnovers, four sacks and 23 minutes of possession. On defense, they were even less effective, giving up 35 first half points, 456 yards, 292 yards rushing and 37 minutes of possession. Turkeys everywhere responded to this performance by throwing themselves on knives. On the bright side, Lions fans were allowed to leave by halftime to tend to their Thanksgiving dinners.

Seattle – Statistically, the Seahawks were not run off the field. Still, the “turkey timer” popped up by halftime when the score was 24-6. The first two drives of the game pretty much summed things up: the Cowboys went 66 yards in 5 plays for a touchdown and the Seahawks responded by driving 45 yards in 6 plays and fumbled in Cowboy territory. The Seahawks failed to keep the Cowboys off the scoreboard in their first four drives, which yielded more than enough points to decide the game.