in NFL Articles

Week 11 was billed as “make or break” for several teams and it did not disappoint. We had several games decided in the final minute, saw the Colts keep their streak alive, the Bucs prove they are all the way back and the Texans/Jets/49ers begin the stretch drive for the number one pick. Here’s a look back at the good, the bad and the brutal.

Cardinals 38 Rams 28

Kurt Warner proved that he still loves to play in that Dome. How bad is the Rams defense? Not to win a game on home turf to a team that consistently beats itself? Ridiculous. Anquan Boldin came back and showed why he is one of the top 10 receivers in football. Meanwhile, Marc Bulger is doing his best to capture the Chris Chandler Award- for most often injured QB.

Ravens 16 Steelers 13 (OT)

Baltimore played inspired football, something they have refused to do on a regular basis. Oh sure, Kyle Boller still looked like a red shirt Division III rear pivot, but their Ray Lewis-less defense stepped up and embarrassed Tommy Maddox and the Steeler offense. Pittsburgh hasn’t played this badly on the road since the last time they visited Baltimore. If you’re a Blitzburgh fan, pray with all your might that Big Ben is healthy.

Bears 13 Panthers 3

Chicago stepped up and showed they belong as division leaders in this league. Carolina’s offense goes as Jake Delhomme does and he simply didn’t in Week 11. The Bears win ugly and this was a vintage ugly game. Keep an eye on the Bears people, they are for real.

Browns 22 Dolphins 0

Two teams who play hard for new coaches, but who are going in opposite directions. Imagine if Romeo Crennel had some real talent to work with in Cleveland, then they’d actually be contending this season. The Browns’ defense is coming around, their running game is picking up steam and they are slowly learning how to win in this league. Meanwhile, Miami just needs a quarterback.

Cowboys 20 Lions 7

Yawn, predictable. Dallas did enough to win and Detroit did enough to lose. A very uneventful game. When Drew Bledsoe only has to throw for 110 yards, then you know the Lions were never a threat in this one.

Broncos 27 Jets 0

Another game that went as scripted. Denver shouldn’t get too high after this one. After all, we’re talking about a New York team that started to make Caribbean tee times for January a couple of weeks ago. Jake Plummer doesn’t throw an interception again and Mike Anderson gets three touchdowns and over 100 yards rushing. If it weren’t for Indy, people would notice this team.

Jaguars 31 Titans 28

Jacksonville is the master of playing down to their opponent (see Jets and Texans wins). Nevertheless, they pulled it out over a scrappy Tennessee team. Jacksonville can feel the Chargers and Chiefs breathing down their necks for the postseason, so there’s no margin for error right now. Byron Leftwich knows what’s at stake, that’s why he had a career game.

Indianapolis 45 Bengals 37

Tit for tat, touchdown for touchdown, Cincinnati almost managed to stand toe-to-toe with the top team in the NFL. But, Manning and co. were just too much. Marvin Lewis is a defensive coordinator by trade, but there really wasn’t much defensive coordinating going on in this game. A very entertaining battle, one that will give Cincy the confidence to contend.

Patriots 24 Saints 17

New Orleans plays up to their opponents regularly and gave New England all they could handle. But make no mistake, the Pats did not play badly in this one. It was a great game. Aaron Brooks actually looked like the talented version that he hasn’t shown very often in 2005. Tom Brady was efficient and crafty as usual.

Giants 27 Eagles 17

Philadelphia battled, oh how they battled. Their defense was up to the task. But, Mike MacMahon was not equal on the offensive side. Either that, or the Giants D is really clicking right now. It’s probably a little of both. Manning to Burress has become just plain fun to watch.

Raiders 16 Redskins 13

An upset of minor proportions in this game. Washington seemingly had the game well in control. But, they are finding ways to lose games- it’s just usually on the road and not in their own backyard. Norv Turner is doing the best he can in Oaktown. Too bad he is in the toughest division in the AFC.

Chargers 48 Bills 10

San Diego is on fire. They're dangerous because they have been in playoff mode for quite some time now. Meanwhile, the Bills are one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Buffalo is getting killed right now at QB. But forget that; what happened to their so-called great defense?

Seahawks 27 49ers 25

Things are getting better in San Francisco, while Seattle is already in cruise control until the postseason. The 49ers missed a two-point conversion to tie it up at the end. Nevertheless, it was a good game, one that Mike Nolan and company and build on.

Buccaneers 30 Falcons 27

Atlanta came all the way back to take the lead, only to lose at the end. That’s two straight losses at home for the Falcons, so they’ll have to do it the hard way if they want to make the playoffs. Tampa Bay is bringing Chris Simms along slowly and it is working. They are smartly relying on Mike Alstott more, something you can always fall back on.

Chiefs 45 Texans 17

Any and all comments or questions can be sent to Matthew@BetUS.com.