And then there were two.

Being one of them was the prize this week. The early game saw two teams play pretty well, with the game taking two distinct characters. The first 28 or so minutes was played much to the Jets’ liking, and the scoreboard bore that out. The final 32 minutes were played at a pace much more to the Colts’ liking, and the scoreboard reflected that. Ultimately, the better team took control and advanced.

The late game was not nearly as tidy. The Vikings and Saints traded blows in the first half fairly evenly. The dying minute of the second quarter proved to be an omen, with the Vikings squandering a golden opportunity to take a lead into halftime and seize momentum. Minnesota then controlled most of the second half after a big Saints opening kickoff return. But a funny thing happened on the way to the ball: The Vikings kept losing control of the football. They dropped it, tossed it to the Saints and then, with victory almost at hand, buffooned their way to a penalty that would jeopardize their shot at victory, and then threw that shot away for good with an ill-advised pass. Thus the Saints advance.

Thanks for reading this season. My goal was to keep this going through the playoffs, and thanks to Team Ugly we achieved that. We may do a year-end wrap up after the Super Bowl depending on the material available and everybody’s time. If not, this is probably the last GBU for the 2009 season, since doing one for one game seems somewhat pointless.

As for me, I can’t say enough how having the amount of help I had was appreciated. Reading and critiquing your own stuff gets old after a very short while. To Arj, Hannah, Any, Stig, Ben, Ward and Goldie, your contributions helped me immensely and also made me laugh more than once.

The Good
Indianapolis – The Colts found themselves down by 11 to a scrappy Jets team late in the second quarter in a game played to the pace the New Yorkers had to like. Indy then charged down the field to the tune of 80 yards in 4 plays in less than a minute to cut the gap to 4 by halftime. This kicked off a 24-0 run the rest of the way, where the Colts scored on 4 of 5 drives. The Jets were not inert during this stretch, but could not turn their possessions into points and were not able to slow down the Colt offense. During this stretch, the Colts proved they could slice up a strong defense and proved themselves worthy AFC Champions.

The Bad
Minnesota – The Vikings did a lot right. They amassed over 450 yards, their defense looked strong and held the Saints to under 225 yards and about 23 minutes of possession during regulation time. This would have easily warranted a Good. The problem was five turnovers. The first robbed the Vikings of a golden opportunity near the Saints goal line in the waning seconds of the first half after a gift Bush fumble on a punt return. The other four occurred in the final 17:06 of a very close game. One fumble turned the ball over to the Saints on the Viking 6. The others occurred inside the Saints 30, the crowning jewel an interception on the 25 in the dying seconds of a tie game with the Vikes driving for a FG. Add a too-many-men in the huddle penalty on the prior play and you have something that was Keystone Kops Ugly. When you average a Good and an Ugly, then factor in a loss in OT after squandering an opportunity to set up the game winning FG attempt, you wind up with a Bad. It was an infinitely winnable game, but the Vikes shot themselves in the feet.

Honorable Mention
NY Jets – It was tempting to award the Jets a Good despite the loss, which is not unprecedented. The Jets established a pace to their liking for much of the first half and created enough big plays on both sides of the ball to establish a surprising 17-6 lead near the end of the first half. Manning and company then kicked it into another gear and the Jets simply could not slow them down or keep up that pace. This was not a game the Jets lost. It was a game they forced Indy to win.

It was the NFL’s version of the Elite Eight. In reality, four of the teams did not look very elite. Once again, the first three games of the weekend were varying degrees of non-competitive. The favored home teams pretty much had their way in those games. Heading into the home stretch, the Saints, Colts and Vikings all had tickets in hand for next week.

Then came the fourth game. Could the top two seeds in each conference possibly advance to the championship games? No. The Jets put another fine defensive effort on display coupled with a solid running game while the Chargers looked like a Norv Turner coached team.

The end result of all that is that each of the eight teams contributed to its own fate, Good, Bad or Ugly. The playoffs are a time when relatively evenly-matched teams square off, and it is entirely possible for a team to play well and lose or play less than well and win. That was not the case this week.

Now onto the Final Four.

Thanks for reading this season, Team Ugly.

The Good
Indianapolis – The Colts defense held the Ravens to 3 points (a franchise low opponent’s score in the playoffs) after scoring 33 the previous week. The Indy offense put up enough points in the second quarter to go on cruise control the rest of the game. In Caldwell’s first playoff appearance as head coach, he showed good decision-making with time clock management and timeout usage to allow a second quick score by his offense before half-time. Another quiet victory for a team that seems to have a resolve and determination that has not been seen in previous years.

Minnesota – Many agreed before the game that it was almost an even match so its not surprising the home team triumphed. What is a bit surprising is the total domination exhibited in almost every facet of play. I wouldn’t go so far as to call Brett Favre ageless, but did even the most die hard Viking fans expect anything quite like this at the start of the season? Meanwhile, the defense withstood three early Dallas drives and yielded only 3 points in the process. They menaced Romo all day, sacking him six times, five by the D-Line.

New Orleans – This performance was dominant on both sides of the ball. This performance, at worst was good enough to silence the ranks of their detractors, both new wary faces confused by the 0-3 finish, and many season long critics who have accused the Saints of being paper tigers throughout. I can understand why many feel that Minnesota has the edge in the upcoming NFC championship, but if nothing else New Orleans has proven they belong in the game. How terrible for Minnesota’s defense that this offense, already pretty menacing, now puts Shockey back into the hopper (love him or hate him you have to admit he brings another facet to an offense) and has Reggie Bush seemingly finding a groove at the best time possible.

New York Jets – You can’t help but tip your hat to this defense almost every week they take the field, but particularly here in containing one of the better offenses in the league. During the game an announcer commented after a 3-and-out for the Chargers, that it was only the 3rd time all season the Chargers had done so. The drive itself was of minor consequence in the grand scheme, but that stat stood out as the perfect punctuation point on the statement of how out of sync the Jets Defense made Rivers and Co. look throughout the game. The Jets offense was a bit more sluggish out of the gate, failing to achieve a 1st down until midway through the 2nd quarter, but they found a comfort zone, started producing on the ground. Sanchez, while not putting up eye popping stats,did play a solid game and staved off the typical rookie QB playoff implosion may expected.

The Bad
Arizona – This team would have pulled a Good if only NFL games were 9 seconds long. Hightower’s run was a thing of beauty and a lot of Saints fans had to have a knot in their stomach after Arizona hit paydirt on their first play from scrimmage. Unfortunately for the Cards, the other 59:51 was not so kind to them. It goes without saying that the Arizona defense decided to take the postseason off, but the offense certainly doesn’t get a pass here either. Hightower’s 70 yd run accounted for over two thirds of their rushing yards on the day, and Warner/Leinart and the WRs didn’t fare much better.

Baltimore – The Ravens seemed flat after a big win in New England. Their execution was sloppy and lifeless leading to penalties on key plays and turnovers. Indianapolis played a solid game but left the door open for Baltimore to jump into it at any point. Baltimore failed time and again to make any kind of a move. You aren’t going to win a lot of road playoff games stepping on your own feet the way the Ravens did.

The Ugly
Dallas – By game play alone I would only have given them a Bad but its a matter of conduct that pushes them into the ugly for me. I realize a playoff loss is particularly frustrating and, embarrassing when it is a rout like this and emotions are running high, but it somehow makes defeat even more embarrassing for me when players from the team getting beat whine onfield, right after getting beat. There are documented cases of NFL teams scoring 2 or even 3 times in very short order and you just don’t mess around with that in the playoffs over a matter of chivalrous face saving for the down team.

San Diego – They looked unprepared, sloppy, and arrogant. They didn’t take their competition seriously and that falls on the head of Norv Turner. They went from the sideline telling Jets players they didn’t even belong in the game to getting flogged down the field by a relentless run game and a rookie QB that looked calmer than the “pro-bowler” Rivers on the other side. The Jets defense kept Sproles and LT in check, allowed zero big plays, forced dumb turnovers and penalties, and generally made the “best offense in the league” look like amateurs. The hottest team in the league looked like they dismissed this game and were already on their way to the AFCCG. Instead, they are on their way to the golf course.

Honorable Mention
Gary Brackett – Maybe the most underrated Colts player ever had another great performance.
Drew Brees – 23 of 32 for 247 yards and 3 TDs. Brees looked sharp after a long layoff from meaningful play..
Reggie Bush – 84 yards rushing and a TD in 5 carries. More important was how he did it, choosing to run through traffic instead of trying to run around it.
Ray Edwards – The Viking DE registered 3 sacks, 5 total tackles and a force fumble.
Brett Favre – Rather pedestrian numbers at 15 of 24, but then you get to the 234 yards and 4 TDs with some pinpoint throws.
Pierre Garcon – The play of the day was forcing a fumble on a pass picked off by Ed Reed.
Shonn Green – 128 yards in 23 carries and a big 53-yard TD run. Add in his single 4 yard reception and you have more than half of the Jets total offense and the bulk of the work in this win.
Sidney Rice – 6 catches, 141 yards and 3 TDs, including the initial 47-yarder.

The Wild Card week is now in the books, and it was a mixed bag. Two teams hit the Good while their oppoenent mailed in an Ugly. The results were predictable based on those grades. A third play pretty well while its opponent was Bad and on the verge of Ugly. The result there was also predictable based on the grades. Finally, entering the last game looking for anything positive in the way of competitiveness, a Good was produced without an opponent stinking up the joint. The result there was anything but predictable, particularly how the outcome was sealed.

So, four luck contestants move on to the Divisional Round.

Thanks for reading this season, Team Ugly.

The Good
Arizona – Kurt Warner put on a clinic: 29 of 33 for 379 yards and 5 TDs, for a rating of 154.1. This was an offensive explosion resulting in the highest combined score in playoff history. Although the Cardinal defense had trouble stopping the Packer offense most of the game, they came up with a strip of the ball in OT that won the game.

Baltimore – The beastly Baltimore defense reared its head again. The analysts were only able to utter the phrase “Tom Brady has never lost a home playoff game” until around the middle of the first quarter as they watched the Ravens jump on a three TD lead. Brady has been an interception machine in the playoffs in recent years and the Ravens made him pay. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee ran wild on the suspect Patriot defense and killed the clock in the fourth quarter. The final score was closer than the actual game.

Dallas – This was almost a carbon copy of the week 17 domination over the Eagles. Tony Romo looked comfortable and the Cowboys defense never allowed McNabb and Co. to get into a groove. Wade Phillips’ challenge early in the game resulted in an overturn of an INT and kept the momentum in the Cowboy’s hands. That may have ended the competitive phase of this game, as they never looked back from that point.

The Bad
Cincinnati – Carson Palmer was just atrocious. His passes were all over the place and mostly above his receivers’ heads. The Bengals were so beat up and looked like the walking wounded out there. This was an impressive year for the Bengal team but it was obvious that they didn’t have anything left in the tank at the end. Perhaps only Cedric Benson prevented this from being in the Ugly.

The Ugly
New England – I think the crowd is still booing in Foxboro. The Pats amassed under 200 yards of total offense and coughed up four turnovers to end their home playoff magic. On defense, they surrendered an 83 yard TD rush on the first offensive play of the game, which was the first of 52 rushes against their defense for 234 yards. A fumble and two interceptions later and the Pats were down 24-0 after only 13-½ minutes. Aside from the huge run, the Ravens needed only 41 additional yards to gain the other 17 points thanks to the turnovers. The Ravens scored 26 points on 5 drives totaling only 111 yards.

Philadelphia – So much for the “big play” Eagles. It looks like they missed their flight to Dallas. The Eagles followed the tried-and-true formula attempting 43 passes out of 56 plays. These numbers were similar to week 17, and so were the results. Philly established next to nothing on either side of the ball. Defensively, they gave up another 426 yards to the Cowboys. In two weeks, this team went from talk of the Super Bowl to flushed out of the wild card round of the playoffs.

Honorable Mention
Cedric Benson – With 169 yards rushing, he was the Cincinnati offense. Unfortunately for the Bengals, he is not twins.
Felix Jones – A 73 yard TD run followed up with 75 more yards in his other 15 carries for the Cowboys.
Jermichael Finley – 159 yards in 6 catches for the Packers tight end, who is still open even as we speak. He may have been carrying pepper spray to keep the Cardinals defenders away.
Shonn Greene – 135 yards and a 6.4 per carry average for the Jets.
Ray Rice – He opened the game with an 83 yard TD run against the Pats and finished with 159 yards in 22 carries. He and the Ravens defense pretty much were the Ravens offense.
Aaron Rodgers – Just an amazing performance for his first playoff game. It’s too bad his defense did not show up.
Sanchize – Good performance by the rookie and a gem of a quote regarding Carroll afterward.
Kurt Warner – A simply great performance.

Somewhere, probably in Texas, Don Meredith is singing “turn out the lights, the party’s over” to 20 NFL teams. On the stage, Bob Seger is singing “The Famous Final Scene.” The lights have been turned up, the bouncer has made his presence known, the bartender is wiping the season away and the plebes are sweeping the floors, with the mops not far behind once everybody is out. In the back room, 12 teams have been invited to stay for the after-hours party.

The NFC was easy. There was a distinct break between team 6 (Philadelphia) and team 7 (Atlanta), who is walking towards the door.

The AFC is messier. The distinct break is between team 2 (San Diego) and team 3 (New England). Alas, the rules state 6, not 2 teams make the AFC playoffs. The next noticeable break, based on recent performance, not record, is between team 8 (Pittsburgh) and team 9 (Denver). Both are heading out the door, but the Steelers keep peeking back towards the bar while the Broncos are hustling out.

There was some drama Sunday and NFC teams played for 5 of the 6 seeds. The AFC saw 7 teams play for the final two playoff spots and two more jockeying for seeds above that. Ironically, both lost and the seeds remained unchanged.

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
Atlanta – It is probably a minor victory against one of the lesser opponents, but Atlanta’s win in Tampa secured a 9-7 record and their first consecutive winning seasons in franchise history. The Falcons won this game with almost 400 yards of offense, 183 of which were on the ground at almost 5 yards a carry with Jason Snelling accounting for 147 of those. The defense held the Bucs to just over 200 yards and only one sustained drive. The playoffs were out of reach, but the Falcons did achieve a franchise milestone.

Cleveland – The Good here was the Browns finished the 2009 season on a four-game winning streak. The Browns pretty much controlled the majority of this game with a 214-yard rushing attack, 127 courtesy of Jerome Harrison. Both Harrison and Cribbs scored en route to this win.

Dallas – It isn’t December anymore, but the Cowboys have not exactly been a January success story either. However, the Cowboys opened 2010 by pounding the Eagles and securing the NFCE title. In the process, Dallas held over a 2:1 edge in time of possession, first downs and total yards. Romo was again solid, completing 24 of 34 for over 300 yards and a pair of TDs. Both Barber and Felix Jones ran for over 90 yards at over 6 yards a carry. This game was effectively over by halftime, and that includes Dallas squandering a red-zone opportunity by throwing an interception.

Green Bay – This was close to being another Jets Honorable Mention case since Arizona did not set the world on fire. Still, with Warner under center for the Cards, the Pack rolled to a 14-0 lead and then coasted to a 33-7 victory. The win secured the #5 NFC seed, so the victory was not meaningless, and sets up a rematch also in the desert in round one.

Houston – The Texans deserve some credit. They came back from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the playoff-bound Patriots, earning their first winning season in franchise history in the process. Schaub had a 300-plus yard day in the air and Arian Foster rang up almost 120 yards on the ground. Unfortunately, that was not enough to get the Texans into the playoffs for the first time in history, but the season did wind up on a positive note.

Minnesota – Destroying the once-respected Giants isn’t what it used to be, but it was important for the Vikings. In the process of this rout they secured the #2 seed in the NFC with some help from Dallas. The Vikes outgained the Giants by over 300 yards and controlled all facets of this game. In the process, they charged to a 44-0 lead by the end of the third quarter.

The Bad
Arizona – This was a tossup between Bad and Ugly, but we will defer to Bad since the game meant very little to the Cards or anybody else. While they were on the Ugly side of Bad, their lack of motivation plus the fact they did not reach the level of Ugly the Bengals found puts them here.

New England – It was not a good day for the Pats. Their loss opened the door for the Bengals to capture the #3 seed in the AFC. In the end, the Bengals slammed their hands in the door, but that is not the problem. Nor was getting outscored 21-7 in the fourth quarter, turning a 14-point lead into a 7 point loss. Nor was the Bad due to the 440 yards the Pat defense surrendered, nor the 5-plus yard a carry average on the ground. It was week 17 and things happen. The real bad was the loss of Wes Welker 5 minutes into the game. That is harder to shrug off heading into the playoffs.

New Orleans – The Saints were bad, but they had no reason to be anything but bad. When Mark “Noodle Arm” Brunell starts for you, it will be offensively Ugly. It was. It was irrelevant to everyone, but it was still Bad.

The Ugly
Cincinnati – This was Ugly to a lot of others, but it also had little reason to be anything other than Ugly to the Bengals. 5 first downs and 72 total yards, a 4-19 effort from the QBs (1 of 11 from Palmer) for 0 (zilch, nada, none) passing yards defines Ugly. Oh, and the Jets ran for 257 yards against the Bengal defense. On the bright side, the FG team didn’t bollux a single place kick. This was beyond Ugly, it was Horrid. But their prize is a rematch in Cincy this weekend as opposed to hosting Baltimore again.

Denver – Mike Shanahan, where are you? When this game was played, the Broncos had a shot at a wild card slot. The offense rang up 512 yards, but the defense gave up 524 itself. But don’t let the offense off the hook based on that since they were intercepted 3 times, one for a pick-six. Of the “needed help” teams, the Broncos needed the least help and were at home against a weak opponent. They responded by surrendering 86 yards in four plays on the Chiefs first drive, and then being outscored 34-14 in the second half of what had been a tie game. Given the fact that this meltdown concluded a 2-8 finish after a 6-0 start, somebody has a lot to think about.

New York Giants – Nobody gave the Giants the note that the regular season switched from 14 to 16 games in 1978. For the second consecutive week, the Giants were hardly noticeable on the field. The primary concern is they gave up 44 points and nearly 500 yards this week. Almost as bad as they gained only 181 yards and their only points came in the fourth quarter to post a whimper of protest in the 44-0 lead. This was an Ugly effort for the second consecutive week. The Giants showed no heart.

Philadelphia – The Eagles did it again. Faced with an opportunity to win the division, the #2 slot in the NFC and a bye next week, the Eagles panicked when they fell behind early and ran the ball a whopping 10 times. Of course, they only ran 50 total plays for less than 20 minutes of possession, but the forumal is simple. When the Eagles get pass happy, they inevitably lose. The defense was lackluster itself, giving up 474 yards. If this was a game that would have wound up with a rematch next week regardless of the outcome, one could understand the Eagles not wanting to show their hand. It meant much more, but believe me, the Eagles did not show their hand.

Honorable Mention
New York Jets – They won, they won big and they secured the #5 AFC playoff slot. They wind up here because the Bengals were so Ugly, we can’t honestly tell how Good the Jets were. We suspect they were Good, unfortunately there is no way to prove it. It was a little like watching a game of Jeopardy with the contestants being the President of Mensa, PacMan Jones and Jose Canseco.

Pittsburgh – We’ll give the Steelers a little love. In a matchup between two teams that still had some ray of hope for the playoffs, the Steelers played three-plus solid quarters before again making Tomlin bite his tongue in the fourth. Pittsburgh racked up over 400 yards of offense and over 200 of those on ground at about 5.6 yards a carry. It may not have been enough to overcome some Bad and Ugly losses earlier in the season, but they kept themselves in the running for a few more hours on Sunday.

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.

Every now and then, usually as the playoffs approach, there is a week like this week. There were really only a handful of notable Goods, Bads and Uglies. Some playoff contenders won but were unimpressive. Others lost, but weren’t particularly notable other than they didn’t take care of business. Sometimes things just go that way, almost like no one is particularly interested in the playoffs or making our list.

That also leads to a more muddled playoff picture. Green Bay’s loss narrowed the gap between the first NFC wild card slot and being team seven in a six team field to one game. That gap is also one game in the AFC, but eight teams are scratching and clawing for the two spots instead of three. That should make for an interesting week 16.

As for the spirit of the season, the Skins gave the Giants the week off. The Bears did the same for the Ravens. Seattle handed the Bucs a nice gift. Others were not so generous. The Lions, Rams and Bills made the Cardinals, Texans and Pats work. The Jags gave the Colts all they could handle. The Cowboys had Saints fans shooting their TVs. And let’s not overlook that the Raiders will be getting a little coal in their stockings this year courtesy of the Broncos.

Happy Holidays to all. While wrapping this and placing it under your tree was not feasible, we hope you enjoy the season.

Team Ugly: Any, Arj, Ben, GFC, Hannah, Stig, and Ward.

The Good
Carolina – If you heard no other details of this game aside from “DeAngelo Williams went out at the end of the 1st Quarter, and Brett Favre only threw one INT, in garbage time,” you’d probably guess the end result was just about anything other than a Carolina rout. Stewart carried the load admirably alone against a stout run defense (especially considering how the Sportsline “experts” who effectively ended my fantasy season, said his nagging injury was worsening and he might not even play or would have very limited touches if he did) and Matt Moore continues to impress and make apparently everyone but John Fox more and more sure every week that the Panthers have solved their QB problem

Cleveland – Who is Jerome Harrison and why didn’t I have him on my fantasy team? 286 yards rushing always gets our attention. The Browns went through the hapless Chiefs like a hot knife through butter. Josh Cribbs returned two, yes TWO, kickoffs for TDs setting the NFL record. On the field, this game probably doesn’t warrant a Good by itself since it took all of those scores to dispatch the Chiefs. But, the Browns also gained a new leader in Holmgren. That makes it a Good week. The next question is ill Mangini still be with them in 2010?

Dallas – Romo maybe played his best game ever. The Cowboy defense was all over Drew Brees with an injured Damarcus Ware leading the way. The Cowboys came out with determination and fire and were not going to be denied a win over the 13-0 Saints. They used the dismissive media’s proclamations of certain loss to light a fire under their asses and win the game. They outgained the Saints by 100 yards, held the ball almost 13 minutes longer and held the fort after Nick Folk pushed the door open for the Saints to complete a comeback. The Folk issue has been addressed. Now, will they continue playing this way for the rest of the season and playoffs? Time will tell.

New York Giants – They completely dominated the Redskins who looked like they didn’t even want to be in the stadium. Eli played great and the dominant pass rushing of the Giant defensive line returned. On offense, the Gents moved the ball at will. They did not punt until the final 2:00 of the first half, by which the score was 24-0 and the game had been over for almost 10:00. On defense, the Giants showed an aggressive streak reminiscent of what everyone expects. This was a complete domination which is only lessened by the fact that the Redskins took the field waving the white flag.

Philadelphia – The Eagles put the 49ers on the ropes in the first half and never quite threw the knockout punch, but never the less played well enough throughout to earn an important home win and a spot here. In the process, they amassed 422 yards while holding the Niners to 261. McNabb had a 300 yard day in the air and Reid somehow maintained a balanced offense of 33 runs vs. 36 passes. In the process, the Eagle defense also collected four turnovers that led to 13 points. The one that produced no points did negate another one of those 4th and 1 inside your own 30 gambles, which failed. While turnovers caused some points to be left on the field and allowed the Niners back in the game, the Eagles were dominant enough to overcome their own mistakes en route to this win.

The Bad
New York Jets – They allow a hobbling dome team to come in and beat them when they are in a must win situation? The Falcons are a much different and generally lesser team on the road, and the weather should have worsened that. Yet it was the Jets who looked more like the team used to the Great Indoors. They may have the best defense in the league but they couldn’t hold down the Falcons in the most important drive in the game. File this under “blown opportunities.”

The Ugly
Chicago – Way to blow chunks guys. Four interceptions, two lost fumbles and a collective 37.5 completion percentage. We know you didn’t arrive in Baltimore until almost 11pm Saturday night, but you could have sleep walked through this game and accomplished more. To put this in perspective, the Bears completed a 30 yard pass on the first offensive play of the game. That was roughly 1/7th of their offensive total for the game, and yes, three plays later the interceptions started to rain from the skies. Two of their five first half possessions ended with interceptions, one on downs at the Raven 1, one lasted 3 plays and one was the kneel down at the end of the half. They did return a punt for a TD. The second half was more futility, with a fumbled kickoff return, their subsequent 8 possessions ended with 2 interceptions, a fumble, four punts (the successes) and one on downs. U-G-L-Y, they ain’t got no alibi, their Ugly, whoa, their Ugly.

Denver – We thought very seriously about only making this a “Bad” since Oakland has been a solid spoiler team this year knocking off some pretty big names. But with the Broncos previously in the WC driver’s seat, and the game being in Denver, I decided this was ugly because it sort of epitomizes the dichotomy of the Broncos’ season. They opened to a surprising 6-0 on the strength of a brutal defense, which has now cooled to the point that it can surrender 20 in a near must win contest with the “juggernaut” of an Oakland offense led by Russell/Frye.

Seattle – They deserve as Ugly a ranking as they can get. Just an abysmal effort from everyone involved, from the coaches to the clipboard holders. They couldn’t cover Tampa’s receivers. T hey couldn’t put pressure on a rookie QB. They couldn’t stop a moribund running game. They couldn’t put the ball in the end zone. They couldn’t convert 3rd downs. They couldn’t protect the ball. Jim Mora was outcoached by a rookie coach who is widely considered not up to the responsibilities of the position. They got blown out of the water by 17 points by a previously 1-win team. And this was all at home, in front of their home crowd. Completely unacceptable.

Washington – The Redskins may have set a new standard for Ugly. The Redskins were not a factor in this game, save a couple of drives after the dirt had been shoveled over them. This was such a complete fiasco they should have entered the field by piling out of a Volkswagen. And what exactly was that Ugliness to end the first half? Not even Cerrato’s dismissal earlier in the week could pull this out of the low side of Ugly. The only thing that could have made Zorn look like he was trying to get fired more was if he coached the second half without any pants.

Honorable Mention
Atlanta Defense – Couldn’t quite give a full team “Good” here since the offense was sub-par, but the collective D was very impressive. They slipped big one time in the 1st quarter to allow a pretty 65 yard TD pass to Edwards. That was the only time a Jet-controlled football (aside from a Jay Feely missed FG) crossed the Falcons 30 yard line all day. This was accomplished by shutting down all of the Jets options thoroughly. Though steady pressure only netted 2 sacks, it disrupted Sanchez enough to stop drives with incompletions, and contributed heavily to at least one of 3 INTs. On the other end, the Jets running duo of Jones and Greene were held to an anemic 3.03 ypc average on 27 attempts.

On the other side, the Packers and Steelers defenses – This gets the double award. This game featured a whopping 973 yards of offense combined for both teams. Tomlin actually decided to onside kick when up 2 points to try to avoid putting his defense on the field. This game had to have several members of the Steel Curtain doing the .

Cincinnati – OK, the downside is they lost. But having to handle the death of a teammate, travel to the west coast and play one of the two best teams in the AFC who is on a 8 (thanks PP) game winning streak (entering the game) is a tall order. The Bengals traded blows with the Chargers and gave them all they could handle before being betrayed by a penalty that helped set up the game-winning FG. Despite it all, they gave the Chargers something to think about entering the playoffs. This winds up here only because the loss draws the Bengals one game closer to the Ravens in the divisional race, which can not be considered a Good outcome. Oddly, had the Ravens invented a way to lose to the Bears, this would have made the big list.

One more week is in the books and the playoff picture is arguably less clear than a week ago. Indy is in, so is New Orleans as is Minny. San Diego is not mathematically, but is for all practical purposes. All four took care of business and have established their credentials for a post season run. The rest still have work to do, to one degree or another.

Philly took a major step forward, aided by the fact it is December in Cowboyland. New England held serve, albeit in an uninspiring manner. Green Bay did what it needed to in Chicago to tighten their grasp on an NFC wild card slot. Miami stayed in the hand. Baltimore and the Jets had byes, scrimmaging with a bunch of tackling dummies dressed in Lions and Bucs uniforms.

Cincy didn’t help their cause, although it was hardly a must-win game. The Giants virtually ceded any claim to the NFCE, as we mentioned, it is December in Dallas and Pittsburgh all but said, “good night, Gracie.”

There really are no surprises this week in our ranks. A few teams fell from Good to HM due to the fact they were unopposed this week, which is a little like winning an election with only one candidate. They still distinguished themselves.

All that leaves us with a very interesting week 15. Several teams face must-win situations and some games feature two teams that should approach the contest as must-win.

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
Houston – We’ll say this much, the Texans are never dull. They bounce between Good, Bad and Ugly on a regular basis. This week they lit up the Seahawks early and often. Matt Schaub did his best Dan Fouts impersonation, with over half of his 365 passing yards (193 to be exact) going to Andre Johnson. That passing total was over 80 yards more than the entire Seahawk offense.

Indianapolis – The Colts won their 22nd consecutive regular season game which passes the previous record set by the Patriots of 06-08. They also became the winningest team of a decade in NFL history. Further, they clinched the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. Peyton had four touchdowns and passed Warren Moon to take fourth place in all-time passing yardage. The defense held on despite a banged up secondary that almost had to put Pierre Garcon in at cornerback. Now the Colts only have to focus on the playoffs.

Miami – This was not a glamorous win. But it was a win against a team that had control of one of the remaining AFC playoff spots. The Dolphins have found a QB in Henne. He had a solid game, throwing for 220 yards and completing 21 of 29 passes. Ricky Williams contributed 108 yards on the ground, helping the Dolphins outgain the Jags by almost 140 yards. In addition to holding the Jags offense to an anemic yardage total, the defense only allowed 10 first downs. Despite a slow start the Phins are still in contention for a playoff spot. They have a tough road to get there but they have had one of the toughest schedules all season.

Minnesota – This was not a must-win game for either of Vikings or the Bengals. That aside, the Vikes made a statement after last week’s misstep by controlling this game, particularly on defense puting a beatdown on the AFC North leader Bengals. Carson Palmer was held to under 100 yards passing. Adrian Peterson ran for two TD’s and America added another. The Vikes have now secured a place in the playoffs and work toward a bye.

Philadelphia – This was a huge win by the Eagles. They managed to go to the Meadowlands and drag the Giants into a shootout. That offense is just sick. The stats lie, showing the Giants outgained the Eagles by over 130 yards and the Eagles held the ball for 9:30 less. Those numbers are tainted by an Eagle punt return TD and a defensive TD on a long fumble return. The Eagles won the turnover battle 4-1. They even gave up the lead briefly in the third quarter, only to take it back on an effortless 60-yard bomb from McNabb to DeSean Jackson on the first play after the kickoff. Jackson finished with 178 yards in 6 receptions. If they get their defense in order, nobody will want to face them in the playoffs.

San Diego – They went into Dallas and made Jerra Jones cry. Not that that is an aberration in December, but it still warrants a spot in the good category. Rivers remains on fire and the defense seems to be picking up steam. The Chargers defense stuffed the Cowboys 3 times from the 1 in the second quarter, and then took charge of a tie game in the fourth. The Chargers look like a good bet for the second seed in the AFC.

The Bad
Dallas – It is a re-run of the same old show. It is December and the Cowboys have entered hibernation. This week they even entered the fourth quarter at home tied with the Chargers and played them fairly evenly. Alas, the story was probably written in the final four minutes of the first half, when trailing 10-3, the Cowboys failed to score in three attempts from the Charger 1 and then on a subsequent drive missed a 42-yard FG. Then, in the fateful fourth quarter with the game up for grabs, the Cowboys got out possessioned over 11-4 minutes, out gained 153-21 yards (until the final, futile 2 minute drive) and gave up 10 consecutive points. The killer was a 7+ minute drive in the final 9 minutes that led to the clinching FG. They aren’t terrible, they just aren’t good enough. The remaining schedule is daunting and could mean another January without “America’s team”. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Jacksonville – The “you never know what you are going to get” team wastes another opportunity. If they lose this week to the Colts, they won’t make the playoffs.

The Ugly
Arizona – Losing to the 49ers in San Francisco is not enough to warrant a Bad or Ugly, even when you lose by 15. Coughing the ball up 7 times almost creates a new category. That is exactly what the Cards did, which was more than enough to offset 11 first downs and 245 yards of offense. That type of production is more than enough to lose even without the turnovers. The defense also allowed almost 190 yards on the ground at 5.2 yards a clip. This was not Good. It was not merely Bad. It almost made Ugly an understatement.

Detroit – 48-3? Why even show up?

Oakland – A second half implosion allowed this team to get smoked by the Redskins. Not surprisingly, the implosion coincided with an injury to Gradkowski. Jamarcus Russell…wow, just wow. There really isn’t much more to say.

Pittsburgh – We knew they were in trouble, but laying an egg against the Browns? The Steelers all but threw in the terrible towel with this miserable performance. Steeler faithful will look back at this season as a year they lost to the Raiders, Chiefs and Browns.

Tampa – 124 yards of offense will usually land a team here. It did. Horrid performance.

Honorable Mention
Baltimore – It was tempting to put the Ravens in the Good based on the sheer magnitude of their win. Unfortunately, that win was against the hapless Lions, so they get a pat on the head here. The Ravens are still in the picture and not completely out of the NFCN race yet.

New York Jets – A timely performance by the New Yorkers keeps them in the playoff hunt. The mitigating factor keeping them out of the Good was the opponent was Tampa.

Tennessee – The Titans used the Rams as a punching bag. That is probably no great shakes, but it was a bad enough whipping that Kerry Collins looked a little like Dan Marino when Vince Young hobbled off with a hamstring injury. It may well be too little, too late, but recovering from 0-6 to 6-7 with the only loss in that run being to the Colts is pretty impressive.

There is a common theme to this week’s offering. With two exceptions, all the awards are teams with playoff aspirations. It is that time of year. Early in the season we are grading teams based on expectations. Later, realizing potential comes to the forefront. The last four or five weeks, we concentrate mostly on teams looking to continue playing when the regular season ends. That’s where week 13 finds us.

This week saw several teams strengthen their position for the stretch run. A few weakened their position, and a couple really put the hurt on themselves.

Then there is Oakland, who out of nowhere ambushed the Steelers. The Raiders have no playoff hopes this year or next for that matter. But gutting it out gets noticed. As for the Redskins, it is almost entertaining to see how they will grasp defeat from the precipice of victory. Unlike the Browns, Rams or Bucs, the Redskins lose with gusto.

Many thanks to the GBU contributors (Team Ugly): Any, Arj, Ben, GFC, Hannah, Stig, and Ward. And many thanks to you for reading our offering.

The Good
Arizona – Just when you thought the NFC was a two-team race, the Cardinals upend the Vikings. Offensively, they made the Viking defense look rather ordinary with Warner tossing 285 yards and three touchdowns, complemented by a 115 yard running attack at over 4 yards a clip. Defensively, they seemed to confuse Favre, picking him off twice and holding the Vikings to 62 yards rushing. This was one of those games that the scoreboard pretended was closer than it was, and was a statement game for Arizona.

Denver – Beating KC is normally not enough to win a spot here, even in KC. But demons inhabit Arrowhead Stadium with a history of torturing the Broncos. Denver exorcised the demons Sunday to a tune of nearly 200 yards of offensive advantage and almost 12 minutes of possession. 245 of the 413 Bronco yards were on the ground, with 199 beneath the feat of Buckhalter and Moreno. Perhaps more impressive was the Broncos followed up a 14-6 halftime lead with a 30-7 second half explosion. Perhaps the omen that the demons would be held at bay was at the start of the first quarter, on the tail-end of an 8 minute Chief drive, the Broncos defense forced a field goal after facing first and goal from the 1. No matter how you look at this, it was a Good day and an important win to the Denver playoff hopes.

Indianapolis – Well, the Colts continued on their winning streak by handily beating a hot Titans team that had found its groove with Vince Young. Garcon has emerged as a legitimate WR threat and seems to have taken hold of a permanent spot opposite Reggie Wayne. The Colts defense held the dangerous Chris Johnson at bay (as much as he can be held) and kept the early lead brought by the Colts offense intact. This Colts win ties the regular season win streak record of the 2006-2008 Patriots at 21 and makes the 2000’s Colts the winningest team in a decade (over the 90’s 49ers).

New York Giants – In a must-win game at home against the Cowboys, the Giants absorbed 10 points worth of body blows before outscoring Dallas 31-14 the rest of the way, including a 7 point lack of interest TD at the end. All this despite being outgained, running 31 less offensive plays and having almost 18 minutes less time of possession. Still, they were good when they needed to be. They turned the early 10 point hole into a 14-10 halftime edge, then answered a 3-point third quarter deficit with 17 straight points before the final Dallas score. The result is they stay in the playoff hunt and well within range of the division title.

Oakland – We’ll give the Raiders some love for their effort. This is a game they could have easily lost because of lack of interest. Yet they hung around and scored more points in the final 8:30 than they do normally in two weeks. Gradkowski picked apart the Steeler secondary during that stretch with a series of huge plays. He wound up with 308 yards and 3 TDs for his efforts, 177 yards and all three TDs in that final stretch. The Raiders may have been fortunate since their defense was not all that interested in stopping the Steelers during that same stretch, but Raider fans will take Good where they find it.

Philadelphia – Sure, Atlanta is beat up and right now a shell of itself. Still, the Eagles went to the Dome and inflicted a world of hurt on the Falcons. The Eagles scored early and often, jumping out to a 10-0 lead less than halfway through the opening stanza. The Falcons contained the bleeding but the Eagles held them out of the end zone on three plays from the 1in the final minute of the first half. Philly put the game away in the second half, sealing the deal with a third quarter interception near the goal line. It was not that they won this game, it was that they took the Falcons out early, didn’t allow them back and finished the job in a big way. Their only loss was the shutout, which evaporated on the game’s final play.

The Bad
Dallas – There is no shame in losing to the Giants in New York, but the Cowboys could have gone a long way to exorcising the December Demons. What makes this one bad is that they outplayed the Giants in many ways, but came away with nothing to show for it. They are now looking at a final four games with three playoff contenders and the pesky Redskins. They had a chance to enter that stretch by pushing the Giants out of the divisional picture, instead they find themselves tied with the Eagles and a game ahead of the New Yorkers, but having lost both head-head games. And it is December.

Minnesota – It is not the result that places the Vikings here. There is no disgrace in dropping a road game against last year’s NFC Champ, who is on another march towards the playoffs. The problem is that Favre played like his critics said he might late in the year, which is some cause for concern. However, even that can be overlooked. But it is compounded by EJ Hendersons broken leg. It was not a good night, and only part of it was the fault of the purple gang.

New England – There are some serious team chemistry issues going on. Tom Brady has been calling out the team publicly and questioning the effort of players. The head-scratching decisions of Belichick continue.

Washington – What a Houston-esque performance of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They are now in the market for a new kicker.

The Ugly
Baltimore – The Ravens are slipping from playoff contention. This week against the Pack, they managed a meager 185 yards of offense. Sure, the Packer defense is good, but the Ravens made them look impenetrable. The Ravens established little in the way of a running game and Flacco hardly distinguished himself, completing only 15 of 36 passes, with 3 picks. Meanwhile, the Raven defense managed to keep the team in the game until the final 5 minutes of the first half, giving up two TDs in those final few minutes. They also gathered up a couple of third quarter fumbles to allow the offense to capitalize and make this a game for a short stretch, but in the end it was a case of too few defensive stands and too little offensive movement. While the defense grabbed three turnovers, the offense gave up four. The loss places the Ravens two games behind the Jaguars and Broncos with only four remaining. Not good.

Pittsburgh – The vaunted Steeler defense has been getting shredded late in games all year. But, three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to Gradkowski and the Raiders??? OUCH. The end result is they join the Ravens in being two games out of a playoff spot and a less than easy schedule remaining.

Honorable Mention
Cincinnati – Not their 10-point win over the Lions, which a randomly-selected group of us could do, but that win combined with the other results of the day. They find themselves 3 games up on both the Ravens and Steelers in the division, owning tiebreakers over both. Their magic number in the AFCN is 1.

Green Bay – More or less dominating the Ravens at home keeps the Pack a game ahead of the Giants and even with the Eagles/Cowboys in the wild card race. This was nearly a Good performance, but three turnovers is a bit more than we can look beyond. Still, the defense controlled most of this game en route to a 27-14 win.

Miami - It was not a great performance, but they put it together when they were on the verge of seeing the meaningful part of their season end. Recovering from a 21-10 deficit in the second half against New England keeps their playoff hopes alive and gets a nod of respect.