It is crazy to think that another NFL season is almost over, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. There are still plenty of wide open spots including the NFC North in which not one team won on Sunday. There was a lot of bad weather which allowed for some wild football on the east coast.
- Tom Brady got the better of Peyton Manning in a wild overtime battle in Foxborough. It was one of the craziest games of the week with the Patriots turning the ball over three times in the first quarter alone, allowing Denver to get off to a 24-0 start without Peyton Manning having to do much of anything. It looked bleak for the home team who was done 24 points at halftime. However, they scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter and we had a game again! It was a poor showing by both team, but the Patriots managed to overcome early mistakes. The Broncos now head to Kansas City to fight for the top spot in the AFC West.
- After suffering their first loss of the season last week, the Chiefs looked to bounce back against a struggling Chargers team. Not only did they lose on a late second touchdown by Phillip Rivers, but they also lost two of their best defensive players during the game. Both Justin Houston and Tamba Hali were injured during the game and unable to return. The pair have combined for 20 sacks and it is unclear if they will miss time. Houston is less likely to play this week after learning he suffered a dislocated elbow. Hali, on the bright side, only has a slight ankle sprain and it is more unlikely that he will miss any playing time. Kansas City gave up 41 points, the most by far this season. The Chiefs find themselves at 9-2 mostly because of their defense and it will be very hard to beat Denver without those two.
- The Ravens pulled off a much needed win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their opponent, the New York Jets, find themselves in the same dilemma they were in almost a year ago. Their quarterback Geo Smith is really struggling and is endangering their chances of making the playoffs. The team has decided to stick by Smith and let him work through his problems. Their secondary was also exposed as Joe Flacco threw some deep balls, despite the heavy winds, for touchdowns.
- Teams in the NFC North all struggled and not one of them came away with a win, despite two of the teams playing each other. The division still has shown a favorite to win it all as the Packers anxiously wait for Aaron Rodgers to make his return. The Bears are also without their quarterback, but it is the injuries on defense that have really held them back. The Lions have no major injuries to blame for their inability to pull away in this division. Detroit lost to the suddenly red hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won their third in a row. Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford threw four interceptions, while rookie quarterback Mike Glennon stayed calm and guided his team to a victory. The final interception came on a ball that went in and out of Calvin Johnson’s hands that set up the go ahead touchdown for the Buccaneers.
