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Chief Rum · 11-23-2003, 05:12 AM

Week Sixteen

Week Sixteen's Big Games

Atlanta (9-5) at Tampa Bay (11-3)

The division may be in Tampa Bay's hands, but there's still a lot on the line in this one. The Falcons need to win to stay ahead of the other wildcard contenders. The Buccs need to win to edge out the venetual NFC West title winner for home field advantage. And, of course, there's pride.

Cincinnati (7-7) at St. Louis (11-3)

The Bengals remain in the mix, but they are heavy longshots for a wildcard at this point. They can't win the division. Still, until they are eliminated, they aren't out, so this is a must win. The Rams are in a fight of their own. They have a playoff spot wrapped up, but the NFC West title, a first round bye and home field advantage still within their grasp.

Minnesota (7-7) at Kansas City (7-7)

Like the Bengals, the Chiefs aren't entirely out of it, but they are an extreme longshot. Minnesota is tied for first in the NFC North, and that prize is still very much in the air.

Miami (8-6) at Buffalo (11-3)

Like Atlanta-Tampa Bay, a division title is no longer on the line. Buffalo clinched three weeks ago. But the Dolphins are right in the mix for that second wildcard spot--maybe even the first--and the Bills can still get a first round bye and home field advantage.

NY Giants (8-6) at Dallas (9-5)

This is for all the marbles. The winner will probably end up with the NFC East title. For Dallas, it's an absolute--if they win, it's theirs. The Giants will have to rely on tiebreakers that could go all the way to points even if they win. But a lot can happen in two games, especially when you can ensure your chief rival loses at least one game. Also, the Giants have moved within range of the second wildcard spot.

San Diego (8-6) at Pittsburgh (11-3)

The stakes here are almost exactly the same as the Miami-Buffalo game, except these guys aren't division rivals. The Chargers are competing with the Dolphins--among others--for the two wildcard spots, and the Steelers are loking for a first round bye and home field advantage. Of course, the Steelers also still need to wrap up the AFC North, which they can do with a win.

Arizona at Seattle

It seems butally unfair to have to play a team like the Seahawks, right in the middle of a playoff race as they are. They could finish anywhere from a wildcard spot to the top team in the NFC, so you know they will be motivated.

On top of that, it's cold (39 degrees) and raining, typical of Seattle in December. This should be fun.

As we like to do, we got off to a good start and actually scored first. Marcel Shipp bulled his way up the middle for a one-yard touchdown. The Seahwks got a field goal by the end of the quarter, though, and the second quarter was all theirs. They scored their first touchdown of the day on a Trent Dilfer to Alex Bannister pass, and then added another field goal, pushing the score up to 13-7.

We got off to another good start in the second half, when Jeff Blake hooked up with Anquan Boldin for a 13-yard scoring pass at around eight minutes of the third quarter. Well into the third quarter, we had a 14-13 lead and were eyeing what could be one of the biggest upsets of the year. Playing the spoiler, of course, is one of the few things a team in my position has left to hope for.

The Seahawks finally woke up near the end of the third quarter, though, and put this one away. Dilfer threw another touchdown pass with a minute left in the third, and then Seattle tabbed on another field goal a few minutes into the fourth. With eight minutes left, Doug Evans returned a Blake interception for a score, and that's all she wrote. Final score, Seattle, 32-14,

At least we scared them a little.

The three interceptions Blake threw were the only turnovers in the game, and they had their impact on the final score (most obviously via Evans' return for score, of course). We nearly matched them in yardage (303-338).

QB Blake: 20-for-33, 222 yd, 1 td, 3 int
RB Smith: 42 yd (2.8 ypc), 0 td
WR Boldin: 3 rec, 52 yd, 1 td

The line gave up four sacks. Now I wish we would return to the days of three sacks allowed per game.

The most disappointing thing is that all four sacks were allowed by Kendrick Rodgers, who got his starting spot because previous starter Anthony Clement was giving up too many sacks.

On defense, there was really very little playmaking on our part, although it should be noted we kept their high power offense somewhat in check. Raynoch Thompson led the way with 8 tackles (and 6 assists).

Dilfer (26-33, 268 yd, 2 td, 0 int) had a terrific day. His top targets were Koren Robinson (7 rec, 103 yd) and FB Mack Strong (8 rec, 50 yd, 1 td).

Other Games

Home Team in CAPS

TAMPA BAY 23, Atlanta 9: The Falcons are playing poorly at exactly the wrong time. They did get some good yardage (356 yd of total offense), but they didn't make it count when it mattered--getting it into the end zone. Michael Vick (20-37, 255 yd, 0 td, 1 int) was clearly a little off, and going up against Tampa Bay's defense doesn't help a player having an off-day. Vick's counterpart Brad Johnson (18-26, 247 yd, 1 td, 2 int) wasn't particularly great himself, but he had more help from the guys around him, like Thomas Jones (91 yd, 1 td) and Keenan McCardell (8 rec, 119 yd, 1 td).

ST. LOUIS 30, Cincinnati 22: The score ended up close, but that was because the Bengals made a last quarter charge to make it respectable, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth. Coming into the fourth quarter, the Rams were up 30-7 and rolling. The Bengals actually outgained the Rams, 445-369, but the Rams were the ones doing the scoring. Kurt Warner (23-31, 303 yd, 2 td, 0 int) played very well to lead the Rams, and for once, Isaac Bruce (9 rec, 141 yd) outshined former protegee Torry Holt (6 rec, 73 yd). The Bengals have been eliminated by losing this game, but it wasn't for lack of effort on Jon Kitna's (34-49, 358 yd, 2 td, 0 int) part. Chad Johnson (11 rec, 160 yd) was Kitna's main hook up.

Kansas City 18, MINNESOTA 15: Both teams needed a win. The Vikings would have moved into sole possession of first if they had taken this one at home. The Chiefs needed a win just to stay on the fringe. It was the Chiefs that stepped it up when they needed to, though. Minnesota leaped to a 10-0 lead shortly into the second quarter, but the Chiefs roared back and tied it up by halftime. The Vikings used a field goal and a safety to build a 15-10 lead after three quarters. The game was theirs for the taking, but they just couldn't hold off the Chiefs. With eight minutes left, Trent Green connected with Tony Gonzalez on a three-yard scoring pass, giving the Chiefs the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Green (15-28, 205 yd, 2 td, 3 int) overcame his interception problems to lead the Chief to victory. Two of his throws went to Gonzalez (3 rec, 23 yd, 2 td). Daunte Culpepper (19-34, 213 yd, 1 td, 1 int) didn't have enough to pull it out.

Miami 27, BUFFALO 10: For a team that had the best record in all of football two weeks ago, the Bills sure are playing like chumps right now. Usually Buffalo is a tough place to play in December, but the Dolphins didn't seem to be bothered by the cold (41 degrees) at all. The Bills had an early 7-3 lead after a touchdown in the second quarter, but that was the last time as the Dolphins charged ahead and out of reach. The Bills had three interceptions and were outgained, 380-320. Jay Fielder (20-27, 192 yd, 2 td, 1 int) played solid, effective ball, and Ricky Williams (80 yd, 1 td) had one of his better games in an underachieving season. Drew Bledsoe (17-37, 268 yd, 1 td, 3 int) was just completely off.

DALLAS 17, NY Giants 16: You can't ask for a more exciting way to decide a division title than with a late season, one-point game that comes down to the final seconds. After trading field goals early, the Giants put the clamps down on Dallas and pushed across 10 points for a 13-3 lead eight minutes into the second half. The Cowboys moved to within three with a late third quarter score, but the Giants fended them off and seemed to be on their way to a big victoryu when Matt Bryant kicked a 24-yd field goal with 2:10 left in the game to move the Giants up to 16-10. Quincy Carter had other ideas, though. He completed 32, 14, and 15 yard passes in a two-minute drive to move the Cowboys down the field, and also scrambled for seven yards when his receivers were covered. With just 44 seconds left, Carter tossed a short one-yard scoring pass to FB Richie Anderson, and Billy Cundiff kicked the extra point for the one point lead. Ouch, what a game for a divison! Carter (28-40, 241 yd, 2 td, 2 int) had a couple picks, but he really came through in the clutch. Kerry Collins (22-32, 175 yd, 1 td, 0 int) and Amani Toomer (11 rec, 111 yd) made up most of the Giants' offense. Dallas clinched the NFC East title!

PITTSBURGH 23, San Diego 13: The Chargers made a game of it before falling. The score after three quarters was just 14-13, Pittsburgh. The Chargers never really got much offense going, though, with their only touchdown coming on a kickoff return for touchdown in the first quarter. The Steelers kicked three late field goals to put this one away. The Chargers took a big step back from the wildcard, since their two primary contenders for the second spot--Indianapolis and Miami--both won. The Steelers dominated the yardage game (396-160). As good as the defense was, the story of the Steelers this day was Jerome Bettis (238 yd, 1 td), who was unstoppable. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title!

Baltimore 27, CLEVELAND 24--Baltimore clinched wildcard spot!
INDIANAPOLIS 23, Denver 17
CAROLINA 27, Detroit 10
Green Bay 17, OAKLAND 16
NY JETS 19, New England 16
New Orleans 24, JACKSONVILLE 7
PHILADELPHIA 27, San Francisco 13
HOUSTON 21, Tennessee 3
CHICAGO 33, Washington 17

Injuries

Starks remains out, of course. Gerald Hayes hurt himself again as well and will be out next week (and effectively for the season).

Other than that, we are pretty healthy.

CR

11-23-2003, 05:12 AM	#84
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Week Sixteen Week Sixteen's Big Games Atlanta (9-5) at Tampa Bay (11-3) The division may be in Tampa Bay's hands, but there's still a lot on the line in this one. The Falcons need to win to stay ahead of the other wildcard contenders. The Buccs need to win to edge out the venetual NFC West title winner for home field advantage. And, of course, there's pride. Cincinnati (7-7) at St. Louis (11-3) The Bengals remain in the mix, but they are heavy longshots for a wildcard at this point. They can't win the division. Still, until they are eliminated, they aren't out, so this is a must win. The Rams are in a fight of their own. They have a playoff spot wrapped up, but the NFC West title, a first round bye and home field advantage still within their grasp. Minnesota (7-7) at Kansas City (7-7) Like the Bengals, the Chiefs aren't entirely out of it, but they are an extreme longshot. Minnesota is tied for first in the NFC North, and that prize is still very much in the air. Miami (8-6) at Buffalo (11-3) Like Atlanta-Tampa Bay, a division title is no longer on the line. Buffalo clinched three weeks ago. But the Dolphins are right in the mix for that second wildcard spot--maybe even the first--and the Bills can still get a first round bye and home field advantage. NY Giants (8-6) at Dallas (9-5) This is for all the marbles. The winner will probably end up with the NFC East title. For Dallas, it's an absolute--if they win, it's theirs. The Giants will have to rely on tiebreakers that could go all the way to points even if they win. But a lot can happen in two games, especially when you can ensure your chief rival loses at least one game. Also, the Giants have moved within range of the second wildcard spot. San Diego (8-6) at Pittsburgh (11-3) The stakes here are almost exactly the same as the Miami-Buffalo game, except these guys aren't division rivals. The Chargers are competing with the Dolphins--among others--for the two wildcard spots, and the Steelers are loking for a first round bye and home field advantage. Of course, the Steelers also still need to wrap up the AFC North, which they can do with a win. Arizona at Seattle It seems butally unfair to have to play a team like the Seahawks, right in the middle of a playoff race as they are. They could finish anywhere from a wildcard spot to the top team in the NFC, so you know they will be motivated. On top of that, it's cold (39 degrees) and raining, typical of Seattle in December. This should be fun. As we like to do, we got off to a good start and actually scored first. Marcel Shipp bulled his way up the middle for a one-yard touchdown. The Seahwks got a field goal by the end of the quarter, though, and the second quarter was all theirs. They scored their first touchdown of the day on a Trent Dilfer to Alex Bannister pass, and then added another field goal, pushing the score up to 13-7. We got off to another good start in the second half, when Jeff Blake hooked up with Anquan Boldin for a 13-yard scoring pass at around eight minutes of the third quarter. Well into the third quarter, we had a 14-13 lead and were eyeing what could be one of the biggest upsets of the year. Playing the spoiler, of course, is one of the few things a team in my position has left to hope for. The Seahawks finally woke up near the end of the third quarter, though, and put this one away. Dilfer threw another touchdown pass with a minute left in the third, and then Seattle tabbed on another field goal a few minutes into the fourth. With eight minutes left, Doug Evans returned a Blake interception for a score, and that's all she wrote. Final score, Seattle, 32-14, At least we scared them a little. The three interceptions Blake threw were the only turnovers in the game, and they had their impact on the final score (most obviously via Evans' return for score, of course). We nearly matched them in yardage (303-338). QB Blake: 20-for-33, 222 yd, 1 td, 3 int RB Smith: 42 yd (2.8 ypc), 0 td WR Boldin: 3 rec, 52 yd, 1 td The line gave up four sacks. Now I wish we would return to the days of three sacks allowed per game. The most disappointing thing is that all four sacks were allowed by Kendrick Rodgers, who got his starting spot because previous starter Anthony Clement was giving up too many sacks. On defense, there was really very little playmaking on our part, although it should be noted we kept their high power offense somewhat in check. Raynoch Thompson led the way with 8 tackles (and 6 assists). Dilfer (26-33, 268 yd, 2 td, 0 int) had a terrific day. His top targets were Koren Robinson (7 rec, 103 yd) and FB Mack Strong (8 rec, 50 yd, 1 td). Other Games Home Team in CAPS TAMPA BAY 23, Atlanta 9: The Falcons are playing poorly at exactly the wrong time. They did get some good yardage (356 yd of total offense), but they didn't make it count when it mattered--getting it into the end zone. Michael Vick (20-37, 255 yd, 0 td, 1 int) was clearly a little off, and going up against Tampa Bay's defense doesn't help a player having an off-day. Vick's counterpart Brad Johnson (18-26, 247 yd, 1 td, 2 int) wasn't particularly great himself, but he had more help from the guys around him, like Thomas Jones (91 yd, 1 td) and Keenan McCardell (8 rec, 119 yd, 1 td). ST. LOUIS 30, Cincinnati 22: The score ended up close, but that was because the Bengals made a last quarter charge to make it respectable, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth. Coming into the fourth quarter, the Rams were up 30-7 and rolling. The Bengals actually outgained the Rams, 445-369, but the Rams were the ones doing the scoring. Kurt Warner (23-31, 303 yd, 2 td, 0 int) played very well to lead the Rams, and for once, Isaac Bruce (9 rec, 141 yd) outshined former protegee Torry Holt (6 rec, 73 yd). The Bengals have been eliminated by losing this game, but it wasn't for lack of effort on Jon Kitna's (34-49, 358 yd, 2 td, 0 int) part. Chad Johnson (11 rec, 160 yd) was Kitna's main hook up. Kansas City 18, MINNESOTA 15: Both teams needed a win. The Vikings would have moved into sole possession of first if they had taken this one at home. The Chiefs needed a win just to stay on the fringe. It was the Chiefs that stepped it up when they needed to, though. Minnesota leaped to a 10-0 lead shortly into the second quarter, but the Chiefs roared back and tied it up by halftime. The Vikings used a field goal and a safety to build a 15-10 lead after three quarters. The game was theirs for the taking, but they just couldn't hold off the Chiefs. With eight minutes left, Trent Green connected with Tony Gonzalez on a three-yard scoring pass, giving the Chiefs the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Green (15-28, 205 yd, 2 td, 3 int) overcame his interception problems to lead the Chief to victory. Two of his throws went to Gonzalez (3 rec, 23 yd, 2 td). Daunte Culpepper (19-34, 213 yd, 1 td, 1 int) didn't have enough to pull it out. Miami 27, BUFFALO 10: For a team that had the best record in all of football two weeks ago, the Bills sure are playing like chumps right now. Usually Buffalo is a tough place to play in December, but the Dolphins didn't seem to be bothered by the cold (41 degrees) at all. The Bills had an early 7-3 lead after a touchdown in the second quarter, but that was the last time as the Dolphins charged ahead and out of reach. The Bills had three interceptions and were outgained, 380-320. Jay Fielder (20-27, 192 yd, 2 td, 1 int) played solid, effective ball, and Ricky Williams (80 yd, 1 td) had one of his better games in an underachieving season. Drew Bledsoe (17-37, 268 yd, 1 td, 3 int) was just completely off. DALLAS 17, NY Giants 16: You can't ask for a more exciting way to decide a division title than with a late season, one-point game that comes down to the final seconds. After trading field goals early, the Giants put the clamps down on Dallas and pushed across 10 points for a 13-3 lead eight minutes into the second half. The Cowboys moved to within three with a late third quarter score, but the Giants fended them off and seemed to be on their way to a big victoryu when Matt Bryant kicked a 24-yd field goal with 2:10 left in the game to move the Giants up to 16-10. Quincy Carter had other ideas, though. He completed 32, 14, and 15 yard passes in a two-minute drive to move the Cowboys down the field, and also scrambled for seven yards when his receivers were covered. With just 44 seconds left, Carter tossed a short one-yard scoring pass to FB Richie Anderson, and Billy Cundiff kicked the extra point for the one point lead. Ouch, what a game for a divison! Carter (28-40, 241 yd, 2 td, 2 int) had a couple picks, but he really came through in the clutch. Kerry Collins (22-32, 175 yd, 1 td, 0 int) and Amani Toomer (11 rec, 111 yd) made up most of the Giants' offense. Dallas clinched the NFC East title! PITTSBURGH 23, San Diego 13: The Chargers made a game of it before falling. The score after three quarters was just 14-13, Pittsburgh. The Chargers never really got much offense going, though, with their only touchdown coming on a kickoff return for touchdown in the first quarter. The Steelers kicked three late field goals to put this one away. The Chargers took a big step back from the wildcard, since their two primary contenders for the second spot--Indianapolis and Miami--both won. The Steelers dominated the yardage game (396-160). As good as the defense was, the story of the Steelers this day was Jerome Bettis (238 yd, 1 td), who was unstoppable. Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title! Baltimore 27, CLEVELAND 24--Baltimore clinched wildcard spot! INDIANAPOLIS 23, Denver 17 CAROLINA 27, Detroit 10 Green Bay 17, OAKLAND 16 NY JETS 19, New England 16 New Orleans 24, JACKSONVILLE 7 PHILADELPHIA 27, San Francisco 13 HOUSTON 21, Tennessee 3 CHICAGO 33, Washington 17 Injuries Starks remains out, of course. Gerald Hayes hurt himself again as well and will be out next week (and effectively for the season). Other than that, we are pretty healthy. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 11-23-2003 at 03:11 PM.