As we close the books on 2009 and forge ahead to 2010, the playoff picture is become more clear. The NFC is set, although where five of the six teams are seeded is still up in the air. The AFC wild card situation is still a bit messy.
This week’s GBU is largely, but not exclusively focused on playoff relevancy. As the dust settles on the 2009 regular season, some teams are making names for themselves one way or another, and not all involve post season plans. Some new ground is being plowed in various places, or some fields that have not been planted in some time are being seeded.
The result is we have a lot of honorable mentions. The line becomes a little blurry. In general, teams that gave away sizable leads but survived anyway got penalized for the gaffe.
So grab a glass of your favorite beverage, listen to the tired old “Auld Lang Syne” rendition and enjoy the last week of the regular season. The playoffs are nearly upon us. Our best to you and your families in 2010.
Many thanks to the GBU contributors (Team Ugly): Any, Arj, Ben, GFC, Hannah, Stig, and Ward. And many thanks to you for taking a helping.
The Good
Carolina – It was tempting to classify this as Bad, since the outcome probably helped save John Faux’s job for another year. Still, the Panthers stuck to the eternally successful blueprint of rushing for 247 yards, being efficient through the air (Moore was 15 of 20 for 147 yards and 2 TDs) and playing sound defense. Jonathan Stewart ran for 206 yards in 28 carries to set the pace. In back to back weeks the Panthers have shown up the Vikings and Giants. The only question is where was this earlier. Don’t get me started.
Dallas – We’ll give the Cowboys a Good here even though their opponent is truly Ugly. While the Cowboys didn’t grind the Redskins into dust, they pretty much made them a non-factor and Dallas notched a 2-2 December record in the process, locking up a playoff berth. The defense held the Redskins under 50 yards rushing, which is always a good way to notch a win against Washington. Overall, this was a Good performance when it counted in what could have been a trap game.
Houston – This was a close call. The real good is that in a playoff game of sorts, they vaulted themselves to a 27-0 lead in Miami, scoring on their first five possessions. The not-so-good is that they then hung on for dear life and walked away with a 27-20 victory. They make the list based on the fact that they never really came close to giving away the last 7 points. The Texans put up over 400 yards of offense in the process of building their lead. In doing so, they keep their playoff hopes alive heading into the final week and can notch their first winning season if they can trip up the Patriots Sunday.
New England – This is a less asterisked version of Dallas. The Pats are not the first team to pount the Jaguars, who are fading fast. But in the process, New England looks like it may be hitting its stride in time for post season play. They outgained the Jags by almost 200 yards, Brady was nearly perfect (23 of 26 for 267 yards and 4 TD passes), they put up almost 200 yards on the ground and seemed to toy with Jacksonville. While fading, Jacksonville still had playoff aspirations, so this is not some typical drone that was pounded.
New York Jets – Sure, some are going to howl that Indy gave them this game. Well, that and $2 will buy them a cup of coffee in the morning. The fact is the Jets outscored the Colts 26-6 in the second half, a 106-yard kickoff return and the game’s final 19 points to strengthen their playoff chances. Regardless of the situation, the Jets had to capitalize. This team did, particularly on defense. While Manning and company scored three times in the first half, each was a mere FG. That defensive performance held this game close until the special teams and defense both scored in the second half.
San Diego – This was an obvious trap game. A short practice week, on the road in a meaningless game against a team that clung to playoff aspirations. The Chargers responded by outgaining the Titans by 150 yards and controlling the game from about the middle of the first quarter on. Rivers was his usual self, tossing 21 completions in 27 attempts for 264 yards and a pair of TDs. While the defense added its name to the list of teams that did not stop Chris Johnson, they did put a lid on Vince Young, holding the Titans under 100 yards in the air.
The Bad
Baltimore – Losing to the Steelers in Pittsburgh is not Bad by itself. In fact, it was somewhat expected. This was not an aesthetically pleasing game, with drops, penalties, and a handful of turnovers. It was a bit of a grinder. What landed the Ravens here was the game was within their grasp and the outcome might have been different had they had maybe half of the 11 penalties or 113 yards that resulted. They did enough other things right, running for 175 yards and not being outplayed noticeably in any aspect. In other words, the Steelers might have won anyway, but the Ravens virtually ensured they did.
Buffalo – The Bills would hae been Ugly had there been any expectations of them. They managed only 178 yards of offense while giving up nearly 400 in a mega loss to the Falcons in Atlanta. Even for a bad team, this was a Bad showing.
Denver – The Bad is not the result: a 3 point loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Bad is in the details. The Mules win when they play hard, disciplined defense and a deliberate offense. They did not do nearly enough of either in this game. It is prevented from being worse because they came back from a 17-point third quarter deficit. But, the loss puts them in a scrum for a wild card in which they do not control their own destiny. That is a hard pill to swollow after starting 6-0.
New Orleans – The Saints tasted defeat last week and seemed to like it. How else can a loss and giving up 439 yards of offense to Tampa be explained? The Saints wasted a 32 of 37 performance out of Drew Brees, although it yielded only 258 yard passing. They didn’t lose the turnover battle, either. But they did manage to blow a 17-0 second quarter lead, which was 17-3 entering the final stanza, to a team not exactly known for point production. Alas, the Vikings did bail them out by losing to the Bears, clinching the top seed in the NFC for the Saints.
Washington – The Redskins are simply playing out the string, using the term playing liberally. We can not confirm the rumor that the pathway between the Redskin locker room and the field is now referred to as “the Green Mile.”
The Ugly
New York Giants – In the span of six days, the Giants went fromt he penthouse to the outhouse. After spending a long opening drive looking like they were going to expand on last week’s successes, Mario Manningham fumbled a first down reception inside the Panther 20 and it looked like the Giants never recovered. The offense was largely ineffective when it mattered and the defense surrendered almost 250 yards on the ground. The game pretty much ended in second quarter, when the Giants were outscored 21-0 and outgained 152-40, with 39 of their offensive yards coming in futility in the final 38 seconds. This was an Ugly way to end the Giants Stadium era and close out their playoff hopes.
Seattle – The Seahawks were pretty much a non-factor in this game. They ventured into Green Bay territory three times in the first half and walked away with 3 points and 2 interceptions, 1 in the red zone. Of the 5 times they found themselves inside the Packer 30, they wound up with 10 points, an interception and two drives ending on downs. The Hawks were intercepted four times in this fiasco.
Honorable Mention
Arizona – Similar in nature to Dallas except the Cardinals already had a playoff spot locked up, thus there was nothing to mitigate that it was only St. Louis. Still, it gives the Cards their first 10-win season in over 30 years, something worth mentioning honorably.
Atlanta – Sure, it was only Buffalo, it was in Atlanta and it was about what one would expect. But the underlying story is the Falcons quest for their first back-back winning seasons. Having soundly dispatched the Bills, only this Sunday and the Tampa Bay Bucs and their season-high winning streak of one in a row stand in the Falcons way.
Chicago – We like the way they controlled the first half against Minnesota. We don’t like they way they then threw away a 17 point lead in the second half. We like the way they re-engaged the thrusters in overtime and took advantage of a receovered fumble to hand the Vikings a damaging loss, in terms of the playoff picture. It was Good, Bad and Good again. We don’t quite have a category for that.
Cincinnati – Not a stellar performance overall, but Cedric Benson racked up 133 yards on the ground as the Bengals wrapped up the AFC North. Those last seven words land them here. A division title might not be a big deal for New England, Indy or San Diego, but for the Bengals it is noteworthy.
Cleveland – Much like Cincinnati, it was not a Good performance, but it was the Browns third win in a row. Even against the up and down Raiders, that is worthy of a pat on the head. Of particular note is the defense picked off Charlie Frye (yea, that Charlie Frye) 3 times to negate 333 yards passing. Jerome Harrison ran for 148 yards to pave the way for this win.
Green Bay – Another “see Dallas” performance except at home, by a larger margin, but against a non-rival who is swirling at an increasing rate towards the septic tank. Of note were the four interceptions that Green Bay grabbed. Despite the migitating factors that caused us to not label it Good, the Pack wrap up a playoff spot with this win, so here is a tip of the cap.
Philadelphia – The Eagles racked up almost 400 yard of offense against the Broncos at home en route to a close win that, combined with other factors, tentatively vaults them into the #2 slot in the NFC. The downside is they blew a 27-10 lead before salvaging the victory as time expired.
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Week 16: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
January 10, 2010 - 4:55 pm · 0 comments
by Zack Kelberman
in Community Commentary, Weekly Segments
As we close the books on 2009 and forge ahead to 2010, the playoff picture is become more clear. The NFC is set, although where five of the six teams are seeded is still up in the air. The AFC wild card situation is still a bit messy.
This week’s GBU is largely, but not exclusively focused on playoff relevancy. As the dust settles on the 2009 regular season, some teams are making names for themselves one way or another, and not all involve post season plans. Some new ground is being plowed in various places, or some fields that have not been planted in some time are being seeded.
The result is we have a lot of honorable mentions. The line becomes a little blurry. In general, teams that gave away sizable leads but survived anyway got penalized for the gaffe.
So grab a glass of your favorite beverage, listen to the tired old “Auld Lang Syne” rendition and enjoy the last week of the regular season. The playoffs are nearly upon us. Our best to you and your families in 2010.
Many thanks to the GBU contributors (Team Ugly): Any, Arj, Ben, GFC, Hannah, Stig, and Ward. And many thanks to you for taking a helping.
The Good
Carolina – It was tempting to classify this as Bad, since the outcome probably helped save John Faux’s job for another year. Still, the Panthers stuck to the eternally successful blueprint of rushing for 247 yards, being efficient through the air (Moore was 15 of 20 for 147 yards and 2 TDs) and playing sound defense. Jonathan Stewart ran for 206 yards in 28 carries to set the pace. In back to back weeks the Panthers have shown up the Vikings and Giants. The only question is where was this earlier. Don’t get me started.
Dallas – We’ll give the Cowboys a Good here even though their opponent is truly Ugly. While the Cowboys didn’t grind the Redskins into dust, they pretty much made them a non-factor and Dallas notched a 2-2 December record in the process, locking up a playoff berth. The defense held the Redskins under 50 yards rushing, which is always a good way to notch a win against Washington. Overall, this was a Good performance when it counted in what could have been a trap game.
Houston – This was a close call. The real good is that in a playoff game of sorts, they vaulted themselves to a 27-0 lead in Miami, scoring on their first five possessions. The not-so-good is that they then hung on for dear life and walked away with a 27-20 victory. They make the list based on the fact that they never really came close to giving away the last 7 points. The Texans put up over 400 yards of offense in the process of building their lead. In doing so, they keep their playoff hopes alive heading into the final week and can notch their first winning season if they can trip up the Patriots Sunday.
New England – This is a less asterisked version of Dallas. The Pats are not the first team to pount the Jaguars, who are fading fast. But in the process, New England looks like it may be hitting its stride in time for post season play. They outgained the Jags by almost 200 yards, Brady was nearly perfect (23 of 26 for 267 yards and 4 TD passes), they put up almost 200 yards on the ground and seemed to toy with Jacksonville. While fading, Jacksonville still had playoff aspirations, so this is not some typical drone that was pounded.
New York Jets – Sure, some are going to howl that Indy gave them this game. Well, that and $2 will buy them a cup of coffee in the morning. The fact is the Jets outscored the Colts 26-6 in the second half, a 106-yard kickoff return and the game’s final 19 points to strengthen their playoff chances. Regardless of the situation, the Jets had to capitalize. This team did, particularly on defense. While Manning and company scored three times in the first half, each was a mere FG. That defensive performance held this game close until the special teams and defense both scored in the second half.
San Diego – This was an obvious trap game. A short practice week, on the road in a meaningless game against a team that clung to playoff aspirations. The Chargers responded by outgaining the Titans by 150 yards and controlling the game from about the middle of the first quarter on. Rivers was his usual self, tossing 21 completions in 27 attempts for 264 yards and a pair of TDs. While the defense added its name to the list of teams that did not stop Chris Johnson, they did put a lid on Vince Young, holding the Titans under 100 yards in the air.
The Bad
Baltimore – Losing to the Steelers in Pittsburgh is not Bad by itself. In fact, it was somewhat expected. This was not an aesthetically pleasing game, with drops, penalties, and a handful of turnovers. It was a bit of a grinder. What landed the Ravens here was the game was within their grasp and the outcome might have been different had they had maybe half of the 11 penalties or 113 yards that resulted. They did enough other things right, running for 175 yards and not being outplayed noticeably in any aspect. In other words, the Steelers might have won anyway, but the Ravens virtually ensured they did.
Buffalo – The Bills would hae been Ugly had there been any expectations of them. They managed only 178 yards of offense while giving up nearly 400 in a mega loss to the Falcons in Atlanta. Even for a bad team, this was a Bad showing.
Denver – The Bad is not the result: a 3 point loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Bad is in the details. The Mules win when they play hard, disciplined defense and a deliberate offense. They did not do nearly enough of either in this game. It is prevented from being worse because they came back from a 17-point third quarter deficit. But, the loss puts them in a scrum for a wild card in which they do not control their own destiny. That is a hard pill to swollow after starting 6-0.
New Orleans – The Saints tasted defeat last week and seemed to like it. How else can a loss and giving up 439 yards of offense to Tampa be explained? The Saints wasted a 32 of 37 performance out of Drew Brees, although it yielded only 258 yard passing. They didn’t lose the turnover battle, either. But they did manage to blow a 17-0 second quarter lead, which was 17-3 entering the final stanza, to a team not exactly known for point production. Alas, the Vikings did bail them out by losing to the Bears, clinching the top seed in the NFC for the Saints.
Washington – The Redskins are simply playing out the string, using the term playing liberally. We can not confirm the rumor that the pathway between the Redskin locker room and the field is now referred to as “the Green Mile.”
The Ugly
New York Giants – In the span of six days, the Giants went fromt he penthouse to the outhouse. After spending a long opening drive looking like they were going to expand on last week’s successes, Mario Manningham fumbled a first down reception inside the Panther 20 and it looked like the Giants never recovered. The offense was largely ineffective when it mattered and the defense surrendered almost 250 yards on the ground. The game pretty much ended in second quarter, when the Giants were outscored 21-0 and outgained 152-40, with 39 of their offensive yards coming in futility in the final 38 seconds. This was an Ugly way to end the Giants Stadium era and close out their playoff hopes.
Seattle – The Seahawks were pretty much a non-factor in this game. They ventured into Green Bay territory three times in the first half and walked away with 3 points and 2 interceptions, 1 in the red zone. Of the 5 times they found themselves inside the Packer 30, they wound up with 10 points, an interception and two drives ending on downs. The Hawks were intercepted four times in this fiasco.
Honorable Mention
Arizona – Similar in nature to Dallas except the Cardinals already had a playoff spot locked up, thus there was nothing to mitigate that it was only St. Louis. Still, it gives the Cards their first 10-win season in over 30 years, something worth mentioning honorably.
Atlanta – Sure, it was only Buffalo, it was in Atlanta and it was about what one would expect. But the underlying story is the Falcons quest for their first back-back winning seasons. Having soundly dispatched the Bills, only this Sunday and the Tampa Bay Bucs and their season-high winning streak of one in a row stand in the Falcons way.
Chicago – We like the way they controlled the first half against Minnesota. We don’t like they way they then threw away a 17 point lead in the second half. We like the way they re-engaged the thrusters in overtime and took advantage of a receovered fumble to hand the Vikings a damaging loss, in terms of the playoff picture. It was Good, Bad and Good again. We don’t quite have a category for that.
Cincinnati – Not a stellar performance overall, but Cedric Benson racked up 133 yards on the ground as the Bengals wrapped up the AFC North. Those last seven words land them here. A division title might not be a big deal for New England, Indy or San Diego, but for the Bengals it is noteworthy.
Cleveland – Much like Cincinnati, it was not a Good performance, but it was the Browns third win in a row. Even against the up and down Raiders, that is worthy of a pat on the head. Of particular note is the defense picked off Charlie Frye (yea, that Charlie Frye) 3 times to negate 333 yards passing. Jerome Harrison ran for 148 yards to pave the way for this win.
Green Bay – Another “see Dallas” performance except at home, by a larger margin, but against a non-rival who is swirling at an increasing rate towards the septic tank. Of note were the four interceptions that Green Bay grabbed. Despite the migitating factors that caused us to not label it Good, the Pack wrap up a playoff spot with this win, so here is a tip of the cap.
Philadelphia – The Eagles racked up almost 400 yard of offense against the Broncos at home en route to a close win that, combined with other factors, tentatively vaults them into the #2 slot in the NFC. The downside is they blew a 27-10 lead before salvaging the victory as time expired.
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