The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-12 in the NFL...

1. I'm not sure which one was worse...Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson's idiotic TD celebration that cost his team 15-yards, or his drop on Buffalo's final drive that could've potentially gone for a touchdown.

2. That was a heck of a 4th quarter grab Plaxico Burress, and you probably saved the Jets season in the process. The 6'5 Burress needed every inch to haul in a one handed 18-yard reception on 3rd and 11 at the Bills 36-yard line. Had he not been able to make the catch, the Jets, who were trailing 24-21 at the time, would have been forced to attempt a 54-yard field goal.

3. I've defended Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before as being a physical, aggressive player, but what he did Thanksgiving Day absolutely crossed the line. Suh's classless stomp on the arm of Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith warrants more than a 2-game suspension.

4. Like him or not, you have to feel for Matt Leinart. In what was probably his last opportunity to prove he can succeed in the NFL, Leinart couldn't even make it through 2-quarters before suffering a season ending shoulder injury. So it's onto plan C for the Texans, meaning rookie QB T.J. Yates. Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and when asked how the quarterback situation changed things, he responded with this: "Gary Kubiak told me I'm going to run today on 3rd down and long, so we've got to keep playing good defense." The addition of Phillips has been one of best off season moves made by any team, and his defense certainly delivered against Jacksonville with 7-sacks.

5. DeSean Jackson is a talented wide receiver, and I'm sure somebody will pay him when he hits free agency, but he's also developing a reputation as a selfish player. The latest example came Sunday against the Patriots. With his team trailing 21-10 late in the 2nd quarter, and facing 3rd and goal at the 4-yard line, Jackson shied away from contact on a ball he should've caught for a touchdown. He later dropped another TD pass, and was benched by head coach Andy Reid in the 4th quarter.

6. Tim Tebow hasn't totally converted me yet, but the Broncos defense certainly has. During Denver's 4-game winning streak, they're allowing an average of just 15-points per game, and have sacked opposing quarterbacks 12-times.

7. Chargers head coach Norv Turner is a dead man walking, which is why it's hard to explain his conservative play calling in overtime Sunday. With a 1st down on the Broncos 35-yard line, Turner acted as if his team was in chip shot field goal range. Following a pair of running plays that totaled 4-yards, San Diego ran it again. But when Mike Tolbert was stopped for a 4-yard loss, kicker Nick Novak was forced into a 53-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide right. Turner's lack of aggressiveness cost his team, as Denver took advantage of outstanding field position to score on the ensuing possession.

8. Did the Rams learn nothing from their overtime loss to the Cardinals in week-9? Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson ended that game with a 99-yard punt return for a score. Yet instead of keeping the ball away from Peterson, or just kicking out of bounds Sunday, St. Louis gave him a chance to burn them again, and of course he did. Peterson returned a 3rd quarter punt 80-yards for a TD in the Cardinals 23-20 victory.

9. If you don't pressure Drew Brees, he will kill you. Monday night, Brees could have taken a seat and downed a bowl of gumbo during most of his attempts, because the Giants pass rush was missing in action for the second week in a row. Brees threw for 363-yards with 4-TD's and also ran for a score. In their last 2-games, the Giants have exactly 1-sack. And with Aaron Rodgers coming to town next week, things won't get any easier.

10. Maybe it's just me, but I'm guessing John Harbaugh's Thanksgiving turkey tasted just a little bit better than younger brother Jim's.

11. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Blaine Gabbert. Jacksonville's rookie QB completed just 13 of 29-passes for 136-yards with 0-TD's and 1-INT against Houston before being benched in favor of Luke McCown.

12. Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis didn't do Gabbert or his team any favors Sunday. With the game tied at 7 in the 2nd quarter, Lewis dropped an easy touchdown on 2nd and goal at the Texans 3-yard line. Jacksonville had to eventually settle for a field goal and a slim 10-7 lead.

13. Watching Tarvaris Jackson can drive you crazy. The Seahawks quarterback seemed to have no sense of down or distance late in the 4th quarter against the Redskins. Trailing 20 to 17 with over 2-minutes to go, Jackson completed a 2-yard pass on 3rd and 7 at his own 21-yard line. Then on 4th and 5, he didn't read blitz, held the ball too long, and was sacked. Jackson shows you flashes of ability from time to time, but the bottom line is Seattle still needs a starting QB.

14. It may not have looked like it, but Matt Hasselbeck's go ahead TD pass on 4th and goal against Tampa Bay was Tennessee's version of "the catch." Hasselbeck told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "That was the Montana to Dwight Clark play." Down 17-13 in the 4th quarter, the Titans went for it on 4th down at the Buccaneers 2-yard line. Hasselbeck rolled right, and when he couldn't find anybody open, shuffled back to his left where he spotted receiver Damian Williams in the back of the end zone.

15. At what point do Bengals fans put aside their hatred for owner Mike Brown, and support their team? Cincinnati is too good of a story with too many exciting young players for there to be as many empty seats as there were Sunday.