The 15-Play Drive

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

1. Forget Tim Tebow, the direct line to God apparently belonged to Kyle Orton and the Chiefs Sunday. So how did a team with a new head coach and starting quarterback deal Green Bay its first loss since December, 19 of last year? The answer is G-O-D...Ground game, Orton and Defense. Kansas City rushed for 139-yards on 39-carries, which helped them hold the ball for more than 36-minutes. Orton directed an efficient passing attack, completing 23 of 31-attempts for 299-yards. He also avoided turning the ball over against a defense that leads the league in interceptions. Finally, the Chiefs defense frustrated Aaron Rodgers by using 5-defensive backs extensively. Rodgers looked confused at times as he completed less than 50-percent of his passes for just the third time in his career.

2. The Chiefs stunning upset of the Packers may not have earned Romeo Crennel the permanent head coaching gig in Kansas City, but as auditions go, Crennel hit a grand slam. With 3-vacancies already, and potentially another 3 or 4-jobs opening up, it's hard to believe Crennel won't get some serious consideration around the league.

3. In a week during which Jim Caldwell's job status was brought into question, it had to feel good to watch his Colts team respond with its first win of the season. Colts running back Donald Brown told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "We just wanted to get a win...We don't listen to what's going on...We can only control our effort."

4. Believe it or not, Brown had more yards on 1-carry than Titans running back Chris Johnson had for the entire game Sunday. As part of his 161-yard rushing performance, Brown ran for an 80-yard 4th quarter touchdown. Meanwhile, the underachieving Johnson was held to 55-yards on 15-carries. Following back to back games of 100-plus yards on the ground, Johnson has been held to a combined 78-yards on 26-carries the last 2-weeks. No coincidence Tennessee lost both of those games.

5. Tom Brady has taken on and beaten just about all possible opponents in his career, so it's fitting that he was able to overcome divine intervention Sunday. The Broncos didn't lose to the Patriots because of Tim Tebow. However, a Tebow led offense against a Brady led offense is like comparing a Mack truck to a Maserati. Even you Tebow disciples know who's going to win that race.

6. You're an embarrassment Santonio Holmes, and I'd highly recommend going into hiding until week-16. The Jets wide receiver cost his team three different times in their brutal 45-19 defeat at the hands of the Eagles. Following a 1st quarter reception, Holmes lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown to give Philly a 7-0 lead. Still trailing 7-0 later in the quarter, the Jets had the ball at the Eagles 14-yard line when Holmes allowed a Mark Sanchez pass to go directly through his hands. Asante Samuel grabbed the ball out of the air for an interception that ended the threat. And to quote George Costanza: "Now for the trifecta"...With his team behind 28-3 in the 2nd quarter, Holmes caught a 25-yard TD pass, then promptly acted like an idiot by standing on the ball and flapping his arms to earn a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

7. Raiders head coach Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan need a serious lesson in the art of taking away an opponents top receiver. I won't pretend to know what coverage they were using every play against the Lions Calvin Johnson, but I do know this...it didn't work. Johnson not only had 214-yards on 9-receptions, but with the game on the line he somehow got free for a 48-yard catch that set up his own 6-yard TD grab. Are you kidding me?

8. It's worth noting two of the league's most undisciplined teams didn't disappoint Sunday. The Lions and Raiders had a combined 19-penalties for 158-yards. In case you're wondering, or had money on the line, Oakland was flagged one more time than Detroit 10 to 9.

9. The Todd Collins Award of the week goes to Caleb Hanie. At this rate, we're going to rename the award in Hanie's honor. The Bears quarterback completed just 10 of 23-passes against the Seahawks for 111-yards with 1-TD and 3-INT's. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. It doesn't take me transforming into Nostra-Lekas to see a UFL jersey with Hanie's name on it next season.

10. I never was a math wiz, but since the Redskins swept the season series from the Giants, doesn't that mean safety Antrel Rolle has to check his figures? Rolle said last week the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 out of 100-times. So what now...98 out of 100?

11. It's been over a month since Drew Brees threw for less than 300-yards. Sunday, he put up 412 and 5-touchdowns in the Saints 42-20 victory over the Vikings. In his last 5-games, Brees has 16-TD passes and 0-INT's. Aaron Rodgers...I think you've got some competition for MVP.

12. You can't say Arizona doesn't like working OT. That's 3-wins for the Cardinals in the extra session this year after they beat the Browns 20 to 17. Arizona's just the 9th team in NFL history to win 3-overtime games in the same season.

13. I still think Norv Turner's on borrowed time, but the Chargers offense was a thing of beauty Sunday night. San Diego piled up 415-yards and scored 34-points against the vaunted Baltimore defense. I've always said Turner is a terrific offensive coordinator, just not a very good head coach.

14. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh should not have to buy his brother, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, a Christmas present. Monday night's 20-3 victory against the Steelers was the gift that will keep on giving. By knocking off Pittsburgh, San Francisco allowed Baltimore to remain atop the AFC North. That's better than any stocking stuffer.

15. Get your quarterback out of the game before he gets killed Mike Tomlin. There was no reason for the Steelers head coach to have a gimpy and ineffective Ben Roethlisberger on the field late in the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh was down by 17, and Big Ben was a sitting duck.

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-14 in the NFL...

1. Until further notice, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan (a.k.a the Geico caveman) must demand not to be shown on television. With the amount of face time he receives, you'd think his defense is among the NFL's elite...instead, they're an embarrassment. Trailing by 12 in the 4th quarter Sunday night, the Giants put together 80 and 53-yard touchdown drives that took a combined 3-minutes and 53-seconds off the clock...or about the time it probably takes Ryan to devour an entire turkey. In the process, Dallas went from essentially locking up the NFC East to falling out of 1st place.

2. As much credit as Eli Manning deserves for the Giants comeback, they don't beat the Cowboys without the play of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. He led the team with 8-tackles, registered 2-sacks, forced a fumble and blocked the game tying field goal to seal the victory. Somebody tell Osi Umenyiora to take the rest of the season off...the more playing time Pierre-Paul gets, the better off the Giants will be.

3. You could see the horns growing out of running back Marion Barber's helmet in Denver Sunday, because he was absolutely the goat in the Bears overtime loss to the Broncos. With under 2-minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Chicago up by 3 and Denver out of timeouts, Barber inexcusably ran out of bounds on 2nd down to stop the clock. His gaffe not only allowed the Broncos to get the ball back, but gave them enough time to drive for a game tying field goal. Then in OT, with Chicago already in Robbie Gould field goal range, Barber lost a fumble at the Denver 33-yard line. The Broncos got a 51-yard Matt Prater field goal on the ensuing possession to win it 13-10, and send the Bears to their third straight loss. This wasn't Tebow magic...I'll call it Barber's blunders.

4. Once again Tim Tebow was Clark Kent for the first 3-quarters, and Superman afterwards. The Broncos QB has been performing that way for 8-games now...

Tebow in quarters 1 through 3: 38.7% 4.7-yards per attempt 5-TD's 1-INT

Tebow in the 4th quarter and OT: 60.9% 8.9-yards per attempt 6-TD's 1-INT

He's also thrown for over 200-more yards in the 4th quarter and OT then he has in the first 3-quarters this season. The trick for the Broncos is to find a way to get more Man of Steel out of him, and less mild mannered reporter.

5. If there were any doubts about the Texans ability to succeed with a third string rookie quarterback under center, and I'm sure there were, they can be put to rest for now. T.J. Yates proved Sunday he can handle the role of leading man. With Houston trailing Cincinnati 19-10 in the 4th quarter, Yates directed an 88-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Then facing a 6-point deficit with 2:33 to go, Yates marched the Texans 80-yards in 13-plays, hooking up with wide receiver Kevin Walter for a 6-yard TD with just 2-seconds remaining. When asked about Yates performance, Walter told me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive: "Nothing rattles him...He's very poised in the pocket and confident...I'm proud of him big time."

6. Is it just me, or did Yates have more friends and family in the stands than there were actual Bengals fans at Paul Brown Stadium?

7. I understand the officials aren't going to be perfect, but how about just being competent. How they missed Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy grabbing and twisting the facemask of Vikings QB Joe Webb on the game's final play Sunday I'll never know.

8. Head referee Jeff Triplette also gets a major thumbs down for his ridiculous personal foul call on London Fletcher. The Redskins linebacker hit a scrambling Tom Brady with a shoulder to the chest just as Brady began slide. Triplette threw the flag, claiming Fletcher used a forearm to the head. Get your eyes checked Jeff, or get a new job...that was an awful call.

9. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is a monster...there's just no other way to put it. He's too fast for linebackers or safeties, and too big for cornerbacks. Sunday, Gronkowski set a new single season record for the most TD receptions by a tight end, as he caught his 14th and 15th of the year. He finished with 6-catches for 160-yards, often dragging multiple Redskins defenders with him or breaking tackles along the way. Gronkowski has quickly become the most dangerous weapon in the Patriots passing game, and yes that includes Wes Welker.

10. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Raiders QB Carson Palmer. In Oakland's 46-16 defeat at Green Bay, Palmer completed 24 of 42-passes for 245-yards with 1-touchdown and 4-interceptions. He's now been picked off a staggering 13-times in just 7-games. I know it's the holiday season, but Palmer is in far too giving a mood.

11. I'm not a big fan of the NFL's overemphasis on player safety, because I think the teeth have somewhat been taken out of the game, but Steelers linebacker James Harrison absolutely deserved his 1-game suspension. Harrison has been a repeat offender, and clearly delivered a helmet to helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy. Smarten up James...your bank account and teammates with thank you.

12. Anybody else think there was no way in hell Ben Roethlisberger was coming back after suffering that left ankle injury? That was a gutty performance by Big Ben, although I'm not sure he really needed to be out there.

13. Throw the ball Jake Locker! The Titans rookie QB came off the bench and made some nice plays Sunday. However, on 3rd and goal at the Saints 5-yard line, and his team down 22-17, Locker took a sack on the game's final play. Even if nobody is open, you have to throw it there and hope for the best.

14. The Buccaneers have a self destruct button, and they're not afraid to use it. Tampa Bay built a 14-nothing lead in Jacksonville Sunday, then decided it was time to blow it up. Over the next 14-minutes, Tampa had a fumbled punt returned for a TD, allowed a 77-yard touchdown drive, fumbled in their own end zone for another Jaguars score, and were intercepted, which eventually led to Jacksonville's 4th touchdown of the quarter. That's the kind of epic meltdown that can get a coach on thin ice fired.

15. You want Jekyll and Hyde for week-14...I give you the Falcons. They were sleep walking through the first half in Carolina, and fell behind 23-7. Then turned the tables in the final two quarters, outscoring the Panthers 24-0 to pull out a 31-23 win. So how did they do it? Atlanta QB Matt Ryan joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and said of the comeback: "Everybody stuck together...We talked alot about trying to chip our way back into the game...We started off really well in the 2nd half, and that really helped out."

The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-13 in the NFL...

1. Plan-C was grade-A for the Texans on Sunday. In his first career start, rookie QB T.J. Yates completed 12 of 25-passes for 188-yards with a touchdown and more importantly 0-INT's in Houston's 17-10 win over Atlanta. After the victory, Yates joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and made it clear that despite his lack of experience, the coaching staff hasn't gone ultra conservative: "Coach Kubiak made it a point that he wasn't going to cut back any of the offense, so we're just going to keep rolling like we have all season."

2. The biggest difference in the 9-2 Texans as compared to last season continues to be the defense. Houston was ranked 30th in total-D and gave up an average of 26.7-points per game during the 2010 regular season. This year, they're ranked 2nd, and are allowing just 15.8-points per game. And as they've suffered key injuries to offensive playmakers like Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub, the defense has gotten even stingier. During their 6-game winning streak, the Texans are surrendering a little over 10-points per game. As I said last week, if you're looking for a team MVP, look no further than defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

3. Does any quarterback make it look easier than Aaron Rodgers? After the Giants pulled even with the Packers at 35-35 with 58-seconds remaining, Rodgers moved the offense down the field faster than Brett Favre changes his mind about retirement.

1st and 10 at GB 20: Rodgers completes 24-yard pass to Jermichael Finley
1st and 10 at GB 44: Rodgers completes 27-yard pass to Jordy Nelson
1st and 10 at NYG 29: Packers lose a yard on Rodgers completion to Brandon Saine
2nd and 11 at NYG 30: Rodgers completes 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings

That's all it took...4-plays to set up Mason Crosby's game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired. The moral of the story is, if you leave Rodgers with enough time to beat you, he will every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

4. Happy Holidays Greg Jennings...You got a gift touchdown, and the officials should have overturned the call. The Packers wide receiver made a 20-yard TD catch in the 3rd quarter to give Green Bay a 28-17 lead, but in my mind he never fully secured the ball before it was knocked out of his hands by Prince Amukamara.

5. In a critical AFC North match up Sunday, the Bengals put on a clinic that I've entitled "Self Inflicted Wounds." On its first offensive possession of the game, Cincinnati moved from its own 37-yard line to the Pittsburgh 4, where on 3rd and goal QB Andy Dalton connected with tight end Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown. However, a false start penalty on rookie receiver A.J. Green nullified the TD. Dalton then threw an incompletion on 3rd and goal from the 9, setting up a short Mike Nugent field goal attempt. Nugent's kick was good, but a delay of game wiped it out, and from 33-yards away his next attempt was blocked. It was all downhill from there as the Bengals weren't competitive for the first time all season in a 35-7 loss to the Steelers.

6. You were unlucky, but you didn't do anything wrong Brian Urlacher. At the end of the 1st half against the Chiefs Sunday, the Bears linebacker knocked down a hail mary pass in the end zone, which is what defensive players are taught to do. Unfortunately for Urlacher, the ball went straight to Kansas City running back Dexter McCluster, who caught the deflection for a touchdown. What made the freak play even tougher to swallow for the Bears...It was the only TD they allowed all day as they fell to the Chiefs 10-3.

7. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Caleb Hanie. In a pathetic display, the Bears QB completed just 11 of 24-passes for 133-yards with 0-TD's and 3-INT's against Kansas City. Did Chicago lose Donovan McNabb's phone number or something?

8. Say what you want about Mark Sanchez, but the Jets quarterback continues to make big plays in the 4th quarter. Trailing the Redskins 16-13 with just over 6-minutes remaining, the Jets faced 3rd and 4 at the Washington 45-yard line. On the play, Sanchez avoided blitzing cornerback Kevin Barnes, and at the last possible moment completed a sidearm throw to running back Shonn Greene for 10-yards. Two plays later, Sanchez's 30-yard TD strike to wide receiver Santonio Holmes put the Jets in front for good.

9. There's a thin line between aggressive and stupid...The Lions still haven't figured that out. Despite the suspension of Ndamukong Suh, Detroit still took 11-penalties for 107-yards, including 3-personal fouls Sunday night in their 31-17 defeat at the hands of the Saints.

10. It took Dan Orlovsky exactly 1-start to throw for more yards than Curtis Painter had in any of his 8-starts for the Colts. Not to go overboard, but Orlovsky looked down right Manning like in dissecting the Patriots secondary for 353-yards with a pair of touchdowns. Indianapolis is now 0-12, but going winless doesn't seem like such a certainty anymore.

11. I realize he's put up big numbers against two of the league's worst run defenses, but Titans running back Chris Johnson looks as if he's gotten some of that quickness back. In Tennessee's first 9-games, Johnson averaged just over 56-yards rushing, and scored only 2-touchdowns. In their last 2-games, he's averaged more than 171-yards on the ground, and found the end zone twice against the Bills. If Johnson has truly found his form, he can be a major factor for a Titans team that's now in the thick of the AFC wildcard race.

12. Ever get the feeling Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour decides it's time for a quick exit when his team is getting blown out of the water. Seymour was ejected for throwing a punch in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Dolphins. Last season, Seymour was tossed for hitting Ben Roethlisberger in a game Pittsburgh dominated, beating Oakland 35 to 3. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think it's more than a coincidence.

13. Andy Reid can make all the excuses he wants for DeSean Jackson, but to quote Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill, (bet you didn't know his last name was Goldmill) Jackson is playing like "a bum." Jackson did his best invisible man impersonation in Seattle Thursday night, with just 4-receptions for 34-yards. He sees dollar signs this off season, but Jackson has clearly checked out on his team.

14. The next time Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wants to ice a kicker, somebody needs to tell him to do it go the guy on the other team. Garrett called timeout just before Dan Bailey hit what would've been a game winning 49-yard field goal for Dallas. Bailey's next try was both short and left, sending the game to overtime where the Cardinals beat the Cowboys 19-13. I don't envy Garrett trying to explain what happened to Jerry Jones.

15. What does it mean when the Broncos are trailing in the 4th quarter? These days it means they've got you right where they want you. During their 6-1 run with Tim Tebow under center, Denver has overcome 4th quarter deficits 4-times. Their latest comeback came Sunday when they rallied to beat the Vikings 35-32. Following the win, I caught up with Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan, and he didn't hold back when it came to praising Tebow: "The criticism bounces off him...He's made of Teflon...When the 4th quarter comes you can look him in the eye and tell he's ready."