Bretsky
12-25-2007, 12:14 AM
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/features/writers/prisco/grades/week16
Just a thought, but is anybody in the NFC any good?
A week ago, we watched the Dallas Cowboys get beat up by the Philadelphia Eagles at home, opening the door for the Green Bay Packers to possibly sneak in as the conference's top seed.
Brett Favre and the Pack lose their grip in Chicago and blow a chance to be the NFC's No. 1 seed. (AP)
The Cowboys, many said, were now vulnerable, there for the taking. After they struggled to put away the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night, maybe, just maybe, that was true.
Then the Green Bay Packers gave their fans coal in their stockings Sunday with an uninspiring performance against a bad Chicago Bears team in a 35-7 loss that makes one wonder if anybody wants to go to the Super Bowl from that conference.
With the Packers losing, it means the NFC playoffs go through Dallas, with the Cowboys earning the No. 1 seed without having to sweat next Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins. They will play that one without Terrell Owens, so the fact that it doesn't matter at all to them is a good thing.
Cowboys fans should thank the Packers for that early Christmas present.
For that effort, the Packers get an F. What else could it be?
The conditions seemed to bother the Packers. Aren't they used to that? It's as if they were a dome team heading outside in the cold of the winter. When did Green Bay become Aruba?
That's a big-time choke by the Packers. They had a chance to put pressure on the Cowboys. Now to get to a Super Bowl they're almost assured of being forced to go through Dallas.
A Bears: Who needs offense? They won this one with special teams and defense. Brian Urlacher's 85-yard interception return for a touchdown was the kill shot. Where has this been all season?
F Packers: That was really bad. Brett Favre looked off. The special teams were a disaster and they looked flat in a game they had to have. Ryan Grant is the only guy who seemed to show up.
OTHER TIDBITS
• The Jacksonville Jaguars are for real. They just might be the third-best team in the league. Put them in the NFC, and they might be the favorite. In years past, the Jaguars would follow a big victory with a stinging loss to a lesser opponent. Not this team. They followed their impressive road victory against the Steelers last week with a blowout of the Raiders. The Jaguars will be a tough foe for anybody when it's playoff time.
• The New England Patriots aren't about to rest anybody and start thinking about the playoffs. They will play to go undefeated next week against the New York Giants. That was clear when Tom Brady came out onto the field Sunday in the fourth quarter of the Pats' game against the Dolphins with New England up 28-7. And why shouldn't they go for the record? Just be careful. An injury to somebody like Brady would make it all moot. The same goes for the Colts who played on in their victory over the Texans despite playing for nothing.
• Speaking of the Colts, the Cleveland Browns have to be praying this week the Colts play for keeps against the Titans. If the Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, the Browns are in the playoffs. If the Titans win, they're in no matter what the Browns do. Can you see it now: Titans fans imploring Colts coach Tony Dungy to rest players, especially Peyton Manning?
By the way, the Browns will have nobody but themselves to blame after that messy display Sunday in their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Typical Browns stuff, tease their fans with a playoff berth only to blow it at the end. That earned them an F.
• The Washington Redskins will make the playoffs. They will play a Dallas team at home next week that will be resting a lot of players. It's an amazing turnaround the past three weeks, winning two big road games against the Giants and the Vikings to get to this spot.
Just a thought, but is anybody in the NFC any good?
A week ago, we watched the Dallas Cowboys get beat up by the Philadelphia Eagles at home, opening the door for the Green Bay Packers to possibly sneak in as the conference's top seed.
Brett Favre and the Pack lose their grip in Chicago and blow a chance to be the NFC's No. 1 seed. (AP)
The Cowboys, many said, were now vulnerable, there for the taking. After they struggled to put away the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night, maybe, just maybe, that was true.
Then the Green Bay Packers gave their fans coal in their stockings Sunday with an uninspiring performance against a bad Chicago Bears team in a 35-7 loss that makes one wonder if anybody wants to go to the Super Bowl from that conference.
With the Packers losing, it means the NFC playoffs go through Dallas, with the Cowboys earning the No. 1 seed without having to sweat next Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins. They will play that one without Terrell Owens, so the fact that it doesn't matter at all to them is a good thing.
Cowboys fans should thank the Packers for that early Christmas present.
For that effort, the Packers get an F. What else could it be?
The conditions seemed to bother the Packers. Aren't they used to that? It's as if they were a dome team heading outside in the cold of the winter. When did Green Bay become Aruba?
That's a big-time choke by the Packers. They had a chance to put pressure on the Cowboys. Now to get to a Super Bowl they're almost assured of being forced to go through Dallas.
A Bears: Who needs offense? They won this one with special teams and defense. Brian Urlacher's 85-yard interception return for a touchdown was the kill shot. Where has this been all season?
F Packers: That was really bad. Brett Favre looked off. The special teams were a disaster and they looked flat in a game they had to have. Ryan Grant is the only guy who seemed to show up.
OTHER TIDBITS
• The Jacksonville Jaguars are for real. They just might be the third-best team in the league. Put them in the NFC, and they might be the favorite. In years past, the Jaguars would follow a big victory with a stinging loss to a lesser opponent. Not this team. They followed their impressive road victory against the Steelers last week with a blowout of the Raiders. The Jaguars will be a tough foe for anybody when it's playoff time.
• The New England Patriots aren't about to rest anybody and start thinking about the playoffs. They will play to go undefeated next week against the New York Giants. That was clear when Tom Brady came out onto the field Sunday in the fourth quarter of the Pats' game against the Dolphins with New England up 28-7. And why shouldn't they go for the record? Just be careful. An injury to somebody like Brady would make it all moot. The same goes for the Colts who played on in their victory over the Texans despite playing for nothing.
• Speaking of the Colts, the Cleveland Browns have to be praying this week the Colts play for keeps against the Titans. If the Colts beat the Tennessee Titans, the Browns are in the playoffs. If the Titans win, they're in no matter what the Browns do. Can you see it now: Titans fans imploring Colts coach Tony Dungy to rest players, especially Peyton Manning?
By the way, the Browns will have nobody but themselves to blame after that messy display Sunday in their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Typical Browns stuff, tease their fans with a playoff berth only to blow it at the end. That earned them an F.
• The Washington Redskins will make the playoffs. They will play a Dallas team at home next week that will be resting a lot of players. It's an amazing turnaround the past three weeks, winning two big road games against the Giants and the Vikings to get to this spot.