Monday Mash- Week 12

Welcome back to everyone's favorite Monday tradition (besides Monday Night Football and Monday Night Raw, of course.) The blog is back for a post-Thanksgiving weekend Monday Mash. There is plenty to talk about in a week 12 that included upsets, comebacks, a primetime game that went to overtime and, of course, several incorrect Reilly Sports Blog picks.

Ok, I'll take most of the blame for foolishly picking the Dolphins and Panthers. The Bills and Jets were both at home and neither Miami nor Carolina had a whole ton of momentum. I don't know what came over me on that one. But the Redskins covering against the Eagles? Preposterous. Thank goodness for the gimme pick (Seahwaks over Rams) but it was a little bit of bad luck that I had to settle for a push in the Arizona/Carolina game (more on that in a bit.)

So there's your kinda-sorta explanation for what turned out to be a 1-4-1 picks section. The Upset Perfiction was by far the biggest heartbreak of the day. Houston, at home, getting 4 points against the undefeated Colts. I felt like a bonafied genius after the first half, as the Texans brought a 20-7 lead into the locker room. Before we get to what happened in the second half, here's a little lesson about sticking to your guns...

It was just 8 days ago, in week 11's Sunday Smash, when I typed this passage,

"I will not cast the first stone for picking Indy's first loss. It should have come on Sunday night against New England. Though they are 9-0, their record should read 8.5-0.5 instead. But I'm not picking against Manning."

It was just eight days ago. I deliberately went against my word and paid dearly for it. I let a hunch get the best of me. So it's no surprise that Peyton and the Colts would explode in the second half and win the game (and cover the spread.) It was bad enough that the Texans blew it, but seeing that blog entry from just last week adds insult to injury.

Despite some crappy picks, here's the rest from a pretty captivating week 12 (that still has its best game to come.)

The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Vince Young, Titans. Oh yeah. No doubt about it. Sure, his one touchdown paled in comparison to some other gaudy QB numbers this week. But he threw for 387 yards, 99 of which came one an epic final drive to win the game. Three conversions on 4th down, culminating with a touchdown pass to Kenny Britt with no time left on the clock. It's now 5 straight wins for a Titans team that started 0-6. Don't call them dead yet.
(Plus, Vince Young beat Matt Leinart, giving perfect reason to show this video.)

• Yes, the Titans still have a shot in the AFC. But that's because EVERYONE still has a shot in the AFC. There are 3 teams tied for the final playoff spot, with a 6-5 record. Behind that, there are 4 more teams (Jets included) lurking at 5-6. The message is clear: don't worry that you already have 5 or even 6 losses. The (lenghty) playoffs start now for these seven teams. Whoever can play their best football and run the table for 5 games will find themselves with a postseason berth.
  
• The NFC is considerably more clear-cut. Realistically, there are four teams battling it out for the two wild card spots. Philadelphia and Green Bay have a one-game leg up of the Giants and Falcons, who are giving no indication they are up for the chase.
• Though Altanta and Philadelphia are within reach of the postseason, both avoided the pesky "upsets-that-cripple-the-season" yesterday. For an explanation of that term, please consult Week 6: Jets vs. Bills and Week 10: Jets vs Jaguars. Anywho, the Bucs and Redskins couldn't quite play spoiler this time around.
• Terrell Owens has officially come out of his Buffalo hibernation (just in time to play the Jets on Thursday...dammit.) The Bills have a new coach, and a new gameplan to throw him the ball at all costs. Miami could do nothing to stop it. The Jets hope Darrelle Revis can pull another rabbit out of a hat and cover him one-on-one this week.
• Thank goodness for that Cardinals-Titans thriller, because the rest of the mid-afternoon games had the excitement of paint drying. 49ers 20, Jaguars 3. Vikings 36, Bears 10. Chargers 43, Chiefs 14. Yes, that last one is encouraging for the blog's Super Bowl prediction, but those "contests" were painful to watch.
• Coming to boredom's rescue? The phenomenal primetime game last night between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Dennis Dixon started for the concussed Ben Roethlisberger, so the majority of fans expected an ugly Ravens win. Something in the realm of 10-6 or 13-7. But the 20-17 overtime final had a little bit of everyting. Ray Rice and Rashard Mendenhall showing the future of great running backs, Dixon scampering for long runs, kickers scrambling for (and almost nailing) long field goals at the buzzer. In the end, it was Dixon throwing an overtime interception that seemed overdue. So Baltimore indeed won the game, but in a much different and more exciting fashion than anticipated.
• Only one question remains: who will win tonight's battle of the juggernauts? Just about 4 hours until kickoff, the line has New Orleans favored by 2 over New England. Hmmm, the last time the Patriots were slight underdogs in primetime....it sounds familiar. I'm not sure why. Something having to do with some coach making a big decision. Maybe I'll think of it later. But remember what I said about sticking to your guns? Here's an excerpt from Week 10's Sunday Smash...

"People are salivating about getting the Patriots and points. If the game is played in New England, the Pats would probably be laying three. That's how even it is. But the Colts have not lost, and they have Peyton Manning."

I'll say the same exact thing this week. Just substitute 'Saints' and 'Drew Brees' where applicable. Gotta stick to your guns. Saints 34, Patriots 28.