NFL Sunday Recap - Winners & Losers

Some people had a special weekend this week, and some didn't:

Winners:
Ben Roethlisberger
Seriously, at some point soon, the Steelers are going to need to realize Ben can't win every game on his own. Seven loses after winning the Super Bowl should be a wake-up call. But the call can wait another week, as Big Ben threw for a franchise record 503 yards. That and his 3 TDs are the most ever for a QB without throwing a pick. Of course, all that is just gravy to the 19-yard completion to Mike Wallace with no time on the clock that gave Pittsburgh a 37-36 win over the Packers. It was only Wallace's second reception of the game, and both were for TDs. Congrats, Big Ben! After five straight losses, you are a winner!

Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison
There hasn't been much good this season for the Cleveland Browns. Beating Pittsburgh last week was the crowning achievement, and only their second win. Somehow, when this team goes against other bad teams, it turns into the best game of the weekend. Their game against Detroit was hailed as the potential game of the season. This one may have topped it, if only for its record-breaking performances. First, you have Harrison. Little used as a backup and with only 301 rushing yards coming into this game, he wasn't much more of an afterthought to questions of how the two teams young QBs would perform. Harrison finished the game with his name in team history. His 286 rushing yards broke James Brown's team record, and his third score of the game would put the Browns ahead for good. But they probably don't even get there if not for the return abilities of Cribbs. His two kickoff returns of 100 and 103 yards make him the second player to have two 100 yard plays in a game, along with Miami's Ted Ginn, Jr. They were also the seventh and eigth returns of his career, an NFL record. Congratulations, Cleveland! You're all winners!

Losers:
The New Orleans Saints
You have to fault the whole team for their performance Saturday night. They rushed for 65 total yards on 13 carries. They passed for 271 yards, but Drew Brees threw a pick, lost two fumbles, and was sacked 4 times. Their defense didn't make a single turnover, and sacked Tony Romo only 3 times. They managed only 3 points in the first half, and failed to score three TDs for the first time this season. The bottom line is, the Saints came in undefeated, and lost to a Dallas Cowboys team that had lost five straight games in December. Saints, you are all losers.

Brett Favre
You could make the arguement that the entire Vikings team deserves the loss. You could argue that Julius Peppers deserves the win, since he seemed to be in Brett's face on every play. But what put Brett over the top is his refusal to leave the game. With a 7-6 lead in the fourth quarter, and after getting absolutely pounded in the first three, head coach Brad Childress wanted to sit Favre, presumable to protect his QB from getting hurt. They argued heavily on the sidelines, and Brett was allowed back into the game. It was a childish move from a 40-year-old who was getting banged around all game long. It was a game where he was getting outdueled by Matt Moore. It was a game where they couldn't get the running game started. It was a game where Childress had already pulled their left tackle, because Peppers was getting by him like he was running through a screen door. It was a game the team needed to win to keep the hope of homefield advantage in the NFC alive. It was a game Favre didn't need to take chances in. For all those reasons, Brett Favre, you are the loser of the weekend.

Rookie Roundup: Using a complex scoring system to rank two major rookies for the season

Mark Sanchez: 18/32, 226 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 2 sacks, 7 rush yards
Points: 3, 52.15 overall

Matthew Stafford: DNP
Points: 0, 69.15 overall

Week 15 Winner: Sanchez

What Have We Learned?: Three things we can take away from this weekend
The Raiders can't escape JaMarcus Russell
The Raiders have really tried to get away from Russell this year. First, they finally benched him in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. The Gradkowski went down with injuries in both knees. Then they signed JP Losman, fresh from his UFL Championship win, and started Charlie Frye while Losman gets aclimated to the Raiders offense. Now, with Oakland trailing, 16-13, to Denver, Frye went down. Russell would have to take over, again. He left the game for one play, an incomplete pass by Losman, and would somehow, improbably, lead his team on a game-winning TD drive, capped by a 10-yard pass with 39 seconds left. If only he could do that every time he has the ball. Or even half the time. A third of the time would be nice. JaMarcus Russell sucks.

The Jets can lose with the best of them
That 3-0 start feels like a season ago, and the three game winning streak in Week 12-14 feels like it never happened. That's because the Jets have a knack for finding a way to lose. This time, though, you can kind of spread the blame around a little. Mark Sanchez threw 3 picks, including one that ended the game. The defense held the Falcons to 3 points for almost the entire game, then gave up the game-winning TD with 1:32 left in the 4th quarter. But the biggest blame has to go to the field goal unit. On their first attempt, holder Kellen Clemens couldn't get the ball down, and was sacked for a 13-yard loss and turnover-on-downs. Their second hooked around the left upright in the swirling Giants Stadium wind. The third was the victim of all sorts of problems. The snap was high, but Clemens managed to adjust and get the ball down. It didn't really matter, as kicker Jay Feely put the ball right into the heart of the defense for a block and another turnover. The end result? What could have been a 16-10 win was instead a 10-7 loss, all but completely ending the Jets playoff chances. They still have a shot, but basically need to win out while everyone around them loses.

The playoff picture is still pretty ugly, at least in the AFC
The NFC has a nice, tidy playoff scenario: The Saints, Vikings, and Cardinals have all clinched their division, and the East-leading Eagles have clinched a berth. The Cowboys and Packers hold the Wild Card, and the Giants are right behind them, pending the outcome of tonight's game. The AFC isn't nearly as easy. Only the Colts and Chargers have clinched anything. The Bengals loss and Ravens win means the North is still open. The Pats moved a step closer in the East, but haven't sealed anything yet. The Wild Card is completely wide open. Currently, the Ravens and Broncos hold both spots at 8-6. Behind them are six teams at 7-7. At this point, the last two games are a playoff for all six of those teams. A loss, and they're almost certainly eliminated. No team has an easy road ahead. Every team in the running has at least one game against a team that is 7-7 or better, meaning they all have to play their Wild Card competitors or a division leader to make the playoffs. The Dolphins will have to face the Texans and Steelers, with all three teams at 7-7. The Jets have to face the undefeated Colts and 9-5 Bengals. The Ravens probably have the easiest schedule, facing the Steelers, followed by the 3-11 Raiders. None of the 7-7 teams even matter if the Ravens and Broncos can both win out. The possiblity even stands that after this weekend, we could be looking at eight teams tied at 8-7 for two Wild Card spots. At this point, we could be looking at an extremely important Week 17. Or, the Broncos and Ravens could win this week, and almost every 7-7 team could lose. Either way, Week 16 should be exciting.