NFL Week 15 Wrap-up

We've looked at playoff scenarios, we've looked at teams falling apart, now lets look at the top 5:

Just Barely Hanging On:
Philadelphia Eagles
I picked the Eagles to win the Super Bowl in the preseason, then said they'd never win one with Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook on the team. I stand bye that second assertion. McNabb and Westbrook, as good as they are, are far to unreliable. However, with Westbrook back this week, and the potential to get some rest for McNabb soon, the Eagles have a shot if both can stay healthy for the playoffs. The teams ahead of them in the NFC all have flaws on defense that the Eagles can exploit. Even if they can stay healthy, that still leaves the Andy Reid problem. Reid has shown a tendency to implode in his playcalling at times, sticking with a singular gameplan when it isn't working. His overreliance on the pass earlier this year cost them a winable game against the Oakland Raiders. If it happens again against, say, the Saints, the Eagles could be headed for a quick playoff exit.

The Ups and Downs of Football:
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are clearly an end of season "up" team. They keep getting out of the gate slowly, and look terrible on the field, then explode in the second half of the season. This year, they shot out to a 2-3 start before winning nine straight and locking up the AFC West in Week 15. If they can stay hot, they could actually make the Super Bowl. They currently hold the second first-round bye, and could clinch it with a won or New England loss this week. Right now, there isn't anyone below them in the playoffs that can beat them. If they make it to the AFC Championship, they could face the Colts, a team they've owned in the playoffs. They need to stay healthy, though. In the past, late-season injuries have killed them. Their defense hasn't exactly been the healthiest this year, and that could kill their title shot.

Minnesota Vikings
When the Vikes brought in Brett Favre, there were rumors of a schizm forming in the locker room between players in favor of Brett and those for Tavaris Jackson. Those rumors looked to be completely untrue. However, it appears there is a schizm happening right now, only its between Brett and head coach Brad Childress. After the two argued on the sidelines of their loss to Carolina this week, it was revealed that Childress had wanted Brett to sit, and he refused. It later came out that this may not have been the first time it's happened. The fact of the matter is the Vikings were looked at as an early power in the NFC, and have now lost two of their last three games. They're still alive for NFC homefield advantage thanks to the Saints losing to Dallas this week. It doesn't look like they'll get homefield, but they should get a first-round bye. Right now, though, they don't look much like they caould beat anybody, let alone the Cardinals or Packers, their potential playoff opponents. The big test to see how they'll play comes in Week 17 against the Giants. If they can play well against an inconsistent team, they have a shot in the playoffs. If not, they could be one-and-done.

The Mighty Fall:
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are 13-1, and I'm almost at a loss to explain why. Is their offense incredibly good? Yes. Does their defense need to improve? By lightyears. Their one loss was this week against the Dallas Cowboys, and it's easy to see why: The offensive line couldn't protect Drew Brees long enough to let him make big plays. He lost two fumbles, both thanks to breakdowns in the pass protection. By the time the offense could put things together, they were down 24-3 in the fourth quarter, thanks to multiple breakdowns by the defense. Did Dallas lay down a blueprint on how to beat the Saints? Not really. All they really proved is that DeMarcus Ware is really good, and can pretty much beat the Saints by himself. Does your team have DeMarcus Ware? I didn't think so.

And Then There Was One:
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are the last undefeated team in the NFL, and they've already locked up everything. They only need to beat the Jets and Bills to finish perfect. Will they? Probably not, but only if they rest players. If Peyton Manning and crew play whole games, they could easily go unbeaten. But for a team that has the best record in football almost every year, they've only made it to one Super Bowl. Why? The San Diego Chargers. In the two years since they won the Super Bowl, the Colts have been knocked out in the first round by the Chargers both times. As the playoff scenarios stand right now, there's no guarantee they will face each other, and if they do, it won't be until the AFC Championship. If the Chargers finally cool off and lose in the Divisional Round, I don't think there's anyone else who can beat them. Even if they do face each other, both teams will have momentum behind them, but I'd have to give the edge to the Colts this time. Manning just finds too many ways to win to count them out.

Injuries:
Brady Quinn, QB, Browns: out for the season with a foot injury
Keith Bullock, LB, Titans: out for the season with a torn left ACL
David Thornton, LB, Titans: out for the season after having shoulder surgery
Adewale Ogunleye, DE, Bears: out for the season with a broken leg

Fantasy Studs:

1. Jerome Harrison. Breaking James Brown's franchise record with 286 rushing yards while scoring three TDs to give the Browns their third win of the season certainly is a #1 fantasy.
2. Aaron Rodgers. With 383 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, and 1 rushing TD, you'd only wish he could have played defense, too.
3. Ben Roethlisberger. A franchise record 503 passing yards and 3 TDs to give his team a 1-point, last second win still makes you a winner.
   

Fantasy Duds:

1. Trent Edwards. He completed one pass for -1 yard, then went on the IR for the rest of the season. That's Buffalo if I ever heard it.
2. Jets Defense. They may have held the Falcons from scoring for most of the game, but they did it without recording a sack or takeaway.
3. Lendale White. He hasn't seen much time this season, since Chris Johnson is scoring from too far away, but at least he had a reception for 2 yards this week.
   

Week 15 Picks:
Straight up: 6-10, 138-85 overall
ATS: 7-7-2, 119-100-4 overall
o/u: 10-6, 105-114-4 overall

Questions for Week 16:
Will the top teams rebound?
The Vikings and Saints both lost this weekend, and looked bad doing it. Teams playing them from here on out won't have to go against an unbeaten team and one that could have been unbeaten. Now they just seem like any other playoff-bound team. The losses couldn't have come at a worse time, too. With the season winding down, you want to head to the playoffs with momentum. Now they've both lost, and with potential for players to sit in the last two games, they could have momentum turned completely against them. If you don't think momentum is improtant, just ask the 2007 NY Giants.

Is Tom Brady sinking the Patriots?
Yes, the Pats won in Buffalo this week. But Brady is clearly not well. He was all over the injury report last week, completed less than half of his passes, and handed the ball off more than usual. The Pats don't have a running game that can carry the team against a good opponent. The first three games of the season, when Brady was still rusty from taking a year off, are proof of that. Now it's the playoff run, the Pats haven't clinched a playoff spot, and will have to play in the Wild Card Round even if they make it in. I think they'll make it, but wouldn't be surprised to see them bounced in the first round. Their defense and running games just aren't good enough to win games without Brady's arm anymore.

Will the AFC playoff scenarios clear up any?
No, probably not.