Wednesday Morning QB (NFL Week 11)
The NFL is entering the last part of their season as the playoff picture begins to form and the top teams are shown. Something funny has happened this season as it has been as unpredictable as most seasons but there is a predictable trend starting. The NFL has been a pretty even league the past years as different teams have been the strongest. The strength of both conferences has been located in the eastern divisions for years as they have become the toughest divisions to win. This year it has shifted as the Easts are no longer the stronger divisions with the North taking over. The NFC and AFC North divisions have become the most difficult divisions to play in their year. The playoff picture is dominated by the Norths as they would contribute both wild card teams in each conference. The AFC North has always been a good conference with defending AFC champion Pittsburgh continually on top of the division. They have done it again this year after a slow start has turned into a march towards the playoffs and another possible berth in the Super Bowl. If they continue to play the way they have the Steelers could end up back in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. The one big blemish on their record is the two losses to the Baltimore Ravens on the season that have put them to the top of the division. The Ravens have struggled to get past the Steelers in the last few years but this year they have finally been able to take over the top spot. With the defence playing great and the running game as the backbone the Ravens have taken the first place spot but are tied with Pittsburgh and will battle to the end for the playoff spot. The newest challengers in the AFC North are the Cincinnati Bengals who have surprised everyone with their performance. Behind the arm of their rookie QB Andy Dalton the Bengals have earned a 6-4 record and are currently in the second wild card spot behind the Steelers. With such a strong division one team will always be the punching bag and this has been the Cleveland Browns for the AFC North. The Browns have not been completely run over but they are not to the level of the rest of the division. In the NFC the North has some of the oldest teams in the league but they are currently some of the best. The defending champion Green Bay Packers have gone undefeated this year and are clearly the best team in the NFL. Their undefeated season could come to an end this week as they take on their toughest competition that is also a part of the NFC North. The Detroit Lions have been one of the most surprising teams this year and have 7-3 record. The Lions just ended a losing streak that saw them lose their only three games but seem to be back on track and ready to make a run at the North. Meanwhile the Chicago Bears started out terribly but have put together a string of wins that have launched them into the division title conversation. The Bears have leaned on the great play of Jay Cutler and the amazing running game, led by Matt Forte, to a 7-3 record and currently sit in the last wild card spot in the NFC. The punching bag in this division has been the Minnesota Vikings who have struggled to find a rhythm with Donovan McNabb and Christian Ponder. The North divisions are the two strongest divisions this year and both contain the Super Bowl XLV combatants. Don’t be surprised if we see a rematch this year in the Super Bowl or at least a rematch of these two divisions as it is safe to say that the Super Bowl Champion may come out of one of these divisions.
While the North divisions continue their strong play the East divisions are beginning to falter after years of strength. This is especially true for the NFC East that has regularly been a tough division to win with every team playing well. This year the NFC East looks to be just as hard to win but mainly because every team seems to be playing bad. Instead of the usual competitive division with all teams looking to challenge for the title by winning the division has become a division to be determined by who loses less. The New York Giants were the favorites last week but after a devastating loss to the Eagles this week the East was tossed into a blender again. The Giants have had the tendency to blow leads at the end of the season and the loss to the Eagles was a possible warning shot for the rest of the season. Meanwhile the Eagles have not been consistent all season as they have found it hard to string together wins. The question for them will be whether or not they can put enough wins together at the end of the year to take over the top spot. The Dallas Cowboys are their usual disappointing selves as they had high hopes at the beginning of the season but have been inconsistent and have struggled through the entire season with injuries and poor play. The Washington Redskins had high hopes at the beginning of the season as Rex Grossman had led them to a great record and the sole possession of first in the division. After a switch to john Beck they began to struggle and have landed in the bottom of the division. After a return to Grossman the Redskins are hoping that they can begin winning and make a run at the division title. The NFC East has become one of the most difficult divisions to predict as the strong team of the week tends to lose changing everything about the division. It will be a very interesting end to the season for the East as any team can win it in the last 6 weeks of the season.
Standings
American Football Conference:
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (.700)
2. New York Jets (.500)
3. Buffalo Bills (.500)
4. Miami Dolphins (.300)
AFC North:
1. Baltimore Ravens (.700)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (.700)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (.600)
4. Cleveland Browns (.400)
AFC South:
1. Houston Texans (.700)
2. Tennessee Titans (.500)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (.300)
4. Indianapolis Colts (.000)
AFC West:
1. Oakland Raiders (.600)
2. Denver Broncos (.500)
3. San Diego Chargers (.400)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (.400)
National Football Conference
NFC East:
1. Dallas Cowboys (.600)
2. New York Giants (.600)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (.400)
4. Washington Redskins (.300)
NFC North:
1. Green Bay Packers (1.000)
2. Detroit Lions (.700)
3. Chicago Bears (.700)
4. Minnesota Vikings (.200)
NFC South:
1. New Orleans Saints (.700)
2. Atlanta Falcons (.600)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.400)
4. Carolina Panthers (.200)
NFC West:
1. San Francisco 49ers (.900)
2. Seattle Seahawks (.400)
3. Arizona Cardinals (.300)
4. St. Louis Rams (.200)
POW Awards
American Football Conference
Torrey Smith, WR (AFC Offensive POW)
6 rec
165 yds
27.5 avg
1 TD
Von Miller, LB (AFC Defensive POW)
10 tkl
1.5 sck
1 PDef
1 FF
Julian Edelman, PR (AFC Special Teams POW)
2 PR
40 avg
72 lng
1 TD
National Football Conference
Kevin Smith, RB (NFC Offensive POW)
16 rsh
140 yds
8.8 avg
2 TD (1 recTD)
Chris Clemons, DE (NFC Defensive POW)
5 tkl
3.0 sck
1 PDef
1 FF
Kealoha Pilares, KR (NFC Special Teams POW)
3 KR
46 avg
101 lng
1 TD
Key Scores:
Denver Broncos 17 – 13 New York Jets
– Tim Tebow is one of the most polarizing people in the NFL but no matter what people say he continues to win and lead his team in the fourth quarter
Miami Dolphins 35 – 8 Buffalo Bills
– The Dolphins won their third straight game while the Bills look to have lost their magic as they continue to lose and fall further behind in the division race
Philadelphia Eagles 17 – 10 New York Giants
– The eagles pulled off another late win against their division rivals as the Giants lost their hold on the NFC East
New England Patriots 34 – 3 Kansas City Chiefs
– the Patriots benefited from a bad week by their rivals and a weak game against the Chiefs to take control of the AFC East
Key Week 12 Matchups:
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions (Nov. 24th; 12:30 pm)
– In the Thanksgiving Day Classic the Lions will look to end the Packers undefeated season and have the best chance to do so this year
Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Nov. 27th; 1:00 pm)
– Houston will need to recover from their injuries as Matt Leinart will make his first start for the Texans since Matt Schaub was injured
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Nov. 27th; 8:20 pm)
– Pittsburgh will take on the struggling Chiefs as they look to take control of the AFC North and continue a march to the playoffs
New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints (Nov. 28th; 8:30 pm)
– The Giants will look to stop a late season collapse again but will have their hands full against the Saints who continue to roll
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