Well all of that changed at about 8:30 last night, when the Giants and Eagles kicked off. The two teams made up for any lock of topsy-turv-ocity (and then some.) We will get to that slugfest in just a tick. First, the matinee games. Sure, some of it was mundane. But here are the things that made me give a Tony Robbins-esque 'YES!' from yesterday's action.
Did the Kellen Clemens-led Jets dispose of the Bucs and keep the season afloat?
YES!
Did the Dolphins take out the Jaguars to pull everyone even in the wild card race?
YES!
Did the blog's picks finish with a sterling 6-1 record on Sunday?
YES! YES! YES!
It all reminds me of the :26 mark of this video. Just call me the guy that's on the right, pacing back and forth.
So the blog basks in its glory, as the Jets, Chargers, Texans, and the Pack attack all prevailed as favorites. And all the while the Panthers and Dolphins covered as 'dogs.
The only blemish on the blog's picks? Well, that's a perfect segway into one of the topsiest, turviest games I can ever remember watching. To watch the Giants play the Eagles last night wasn't just viewing an NFL game. It was a conquest on the couch. It was an odyssey in HD. It was a monsoon with pretzels and popcorn.
Ok, all that is a little much. But this game had it all. And that's necessarily a compliment. Yes, the stellar quarterback play, long touchdowns, and resilient comebacks were all a part of the action. But so were the dropped passes, horrifically-missed tackles, and coverage ineptitude of a high school intramural game.
By the time the game was over, the scoreboard read 45-38, Philadelphia. The Eagles took the lead three and a half minutes into the game. That lead would last until five minutes remained in the third quarter, when the Giants went on top by 1 (because Philly had a blocked extra point early on.) That New York lead lasted all of fifteen seconds before DeSean Jackson was skipping backwards to the endzone. Game, set, match.
The Giants gave the Eagles all they wanted on offense (4 fumbles lost) defense (billions of big plays allowed) and special teams (DeSean Jackson again.) At home, to put up 38 points and nearly 400 offensive yards and lose...it's as inexplicable as it gets. The Eagles were favored by a minuscule one point, so the football world knew that anything was possible. But the game last night transcended possibility. It even flirted with the ream of impossibility.
Here's the rest from week 14...
The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Brandon Marshall, Broncos. To my recollection, the first ever performer to win the award despite his team losing. But Marshall re-wrote the record books with his 21-catch, 200-yard, 2-touchdown explosion yesterday. Denver's Unocinco went from the outskirts of the league's top-20 in receptions to third, one catch behind Reggie Wayne for second. He also vaulted into the top-10 in yards. The Broncos fell as the latest victim to the undefeated Colts, and their stranglehold on a wild card spot is getting a little loose. But this is an individual achievement for individual weeks, and this individual earned it.
- The new batch of teams mathematically eliminated from the postseason: St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, Oakland, and Chicago. One-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other. Peter King predicted the Bears in the Super Bowl. I demand his job.
- Since they are in the NFC, the Giants' 7-6 record bears a lot more fruit than the Jets' 7-6 record. By virtue of the Cowboys' impossible schedule, the Giants are looking at potentially going 8-8 and still sneaking in. The Jets? Their only option is still to win out and get an itty bitty bit of help.
- I'm not sure if the whole Randy Moss quitting thing is actual news; or a product of late season lack-of-juiciness. Considering the Patriots won the game, I think it's all a little too much. But after his vacation years in Oakland, it's a situation worth monitoring.
- Due to the lack of juiciness mentioned earlier, this Mash is noticeably shorter. Just not too many games worth your time. The biggest eye-popper on the week 14 scoreboard? The Rams-Titans boxscore. No, not the 47-7 homicide. It was the St. Louis stat leaders. Passing: Keith Null with 157 yards (along with 5 interceptions.) Rushing: Kenneth Darby with 51 (all on one carry. Darby's yard total in the previous 12 games: 56 yards.) Receiving: Brandon Gibson with 43. I can say with confidence I had never heard of Null or Gibson until yesterday. I could have pegged Darby as an NFL player, but I wouldn't to be able to say what team he played for.
- Not the greatest Monday nighter tonight. Fans of the Cardinals can be excited that Arizona can clinch another division title if they beat San Francisco tonight. I fully expect them to do so. The Cards are favored by 4; take that with confidence. Cardinals 31, 49ers 13
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