[Chief Rum]

Week Seventeen

Week Seventeen's Big Games

Oakland (11-4) at San Diego (8-7)

The Raiders are gunning for home field advantage and a first round bye. The Chargers are hanging onto a dim hope of a wildcard spot. Should be a good one.

Pittsburgh (12-3) at Baltimore (10-5)

The Steelers can clinch home field and a first round bye with a win. The Ravens have clinched a wildcard spot, and don't have much to play for this week.

Seattle (12-3) at San Francisco (8-7)

The Seahawks are locked into a battle for the NFC West, home field advantage and a first round bye. The Niners are hoping to sneak into the playoffs.

Tampa Bay (12-3) at Tennessee (11-4)

Both of these teams can end up with home field advantage, and the Titans are also looking for the first round bye. A win can help either team reach those goals.

Minnesota at Arizona

How fun! A playoff race! It's always nice to be a part of spoiling someone else's dreams.

Minnesota seems like a team that often bites itself in the foot, and they aren't looking so hot anyway at under .500 (7-8), so maybe we can sneak one out here.

The Vikings got onboard firat, with an Onterrio Smith 7-yd run in the first quarter. We came back in the second quarter, though, when Jeff Blake ran it in himself from 3 yards out. We traded field goals withthe Vikings in the third quarter, and entering the fourth quarter, it was just 10-10. Can we do it?

Of course not. Like Seattle, we let them have their way in the fourth quarter. The Vikings didn't blow us out, but they did what they needed to (made two field goals). Final score, Vikings, 16-10.

We had two Blake interceptions to overcome to no turnovers at all by the Vikings, so that didn't do us much good. We did barely outgain them, 307-305.

If Blake had had a better day, we probably would have taken this one with ease. Emmitt Smith was running like the Emmitt was old--maybe because he suspected it would be his last game ever? Who kn ows--this game doesn't announce retirements ahead of time, but I would imagine he would retire after this season.

QB Blake: 18-for-28, 132 yd, 0 td, 2 int, 11 rush yd, 1 rush td
RB Smith: 144 yd (8.0 ypc), 0 td
WR Johnson: 6 rec, 32 yd, 0 td

We had our third straight horrid game ont he line, allowing 6 sacks. That puts us at 17 sacks allowed in the last three games. That is disappointin considering I thought we had brought that problem under control when we took Anthony Clement out of the starting lineup. The main culprit this time was Leonard Davis, one of our best young blockers. He allowed four sacks, which is very uncharacteristic of him--he is a pass blocker by nature and ability. Of course, part of the problem was that he was playing across from the strong Chris Hovan (2 sacks).

Dexter Jackson led the team with 10 tackles. It was nice to see the defense do pretty well again, limiting a good offense like the Vikings.

Daunte Culpepper (25-31, 259 yd, 0 td, 0 int) decided he wasn't going to lose this one for his team after throwing them out of at least three other games this year. With Starks out, of course, Randy Moss (8 rec, 111 yd) had a good day.

Other Games

Home Team in CAPS

SAN DIEGO 15, Oakland 13: The Chargers finished off the season well, doing their part to get into the playoffs, even if they would need help. Of course, beating the division leader to do it makes it all the more special. The Raiders got within two by kicking a field goal with 6 minutes left, but they couldn't push across another score. After a quick Raiders score to begin the second half, the Silver & Black had a 10-6 lead. But the Chargers came back in the third quarter, with a field goal and then their only touchdown, a 10-yard scoring pass from Drew Brees to Grant Mattos, to put them up 15-10. Neither offense produced as much as 300 yards of total offense in a defensive game. Brees threw two picks, but was otherwise solid (21-35, 205 yd, 1 td). His top target was TE Stephen Alexander (7 rec, 78 yd, 0 td). RIch Gannon (19-36, 227 yd, 1 td, 2 int) had an eerily similr performance to Brees.

BALTIMORE 22, Pittsburgh 17: The Ravens didn't really need this one, but do you need a reason to beat your division rival? The Ravens no doubt were licking their chops for an opportunity to screw up the Steelers' plans for home field advantage in the playoffs. This game was played in cold, cold weather (24 degrees),a lthough it was fortunately fair. The Ravens started off strong jumping out to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Steelers came back over the next quarter and a half, though, and took back the lead 14-13 at the 8 minute mark of the third quarter. The Ravens pushed forward again after that, with a 15-yard Musa Smith run and a field goal to move up to 22-14. They made the lead stand up. The Steelers outgained the Ravens, 371-317, not that it did them much good. Jamal Lewis (85 yd) and Smith (47 yd, 1 td) moved the ball well against the Steelers. In fact, even Kyle Boller (40 rush yd) made plays on bootlegs. Boller's best work, though, was in the passing game, where he played good, efficient ball (13-17, 129 yd, 1 td, 0 int). Tommy Maddox (26-44, 299 yd, 1 td, 0 int) wasn't as accurate as Boller, but his team certainly didn't lose because of him.

SAN FRANCISCO 30, Seattle 27: Both teams had a lot riding on this one, above and beyond a little divisional rivalry. As you might figure from two teams with strong offenses, this one came down to had the ball last. With just nine seconds left, Terrell Owens took a Nate Schultz pass 65 yards for the game-winning touchdown. How about that ending! Schultz had replaced regular Niner starter Jeff Garcia, who had to leave with an injury. The touchdown was a complete turnaround for the Niners, whom had blown a 24-12 lead after three quarters. The Seahawks got the score to 24-19 early in the fourth quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Shaun Alexander, and then finally managed to get that second score in dwindling regulation time, scoring on a 15-yard Koren Robinson pass with just 42 seconds left. The late score and abrupt turnaround made the Niners' comeback score a mere 33 seconds later all the more shocking. The Niners outgained the Seahawks, 408-299, and also won the turnover war (none to 2). So this game probably shouldn't have been as close as it was. Owens (8 rec, 174 yd, 2 td), crabby as he can be, came through for his team when they needed him. Garcia (14-17, 185 yd, 1 td, 0 int) was having a fine day when he got hurt, but Schultz (14-21, 169 yd, 2 td, 0 int) did just as well. Trent DIlfer (18-38, 221 yd, 2 td, 2 int) was rather hit-and-miss.

TENNESSEE 20, Tampa Bay 16: Not enough points were scored in this one to ever say a team was out of it, but this one wasn't as close as it seemed. The Buccs used two fourth quarter field goals to narrow the score. They were down 20-10 prior to that, but after a Titan 2-yd touchdown pass to Frank Wycheck. By los9ing, Tampa Bay blew its shot at home field advantage, while the Titans may have won it. It wasn't for lack of yardage--Tampa Bay led the way, 425-358. What really hurt them were three lost fumbles (and five fumbles altogether). Starting tailback Thomas Jones put two of them on the ground, and reserve back Gilbert Frassrand dropped two more. Steve McNair (21-39, 220 yd, 2 td, 1 int) didn't have his best stuff, but he had enough. Chris Brown (86 yd) led the team on the ground. Aside from the fumbles, Jones (104 yd) did well, as did Brad Johnson (21-33, 303 yd, 1 td, 1 int). Keenan McCardell (6 rec, 164 yd, 0 td) had a fine day catching the ball.

Buffalo 27, NEW ENGLAND 13
NY GIANTS 24, Carolina 9
Chicago 24, KANSAS CITY 17
CINCINNATI 31, Cleveland 12
Dallas 24, NEW ORLEANS 12
Denver 26, GREEN BAY 24
HOUSTON 34, Indianapolis 17
Jacksonville 24, ATLANTA 12
MIAMI 33, NY Jets 21
Philadelphia 35, WASHINGTON 6
St. Louis 26, DETROIT 6

Who Got What

As expected, the Steelers' loss cost them both ome field advantage and a first round bye. The Raiders' loss also cost them both of those goals. The Titans won it the hard way, by beating Tampa Bay, and the Bills got the second first round bye, thanks to a better division record than the Steelers.

Miami's win and Indy's loss puts the Dolphins in the playoffs with the second wildcard spot outright.

In the NFC, the Rams' victory and Tampa Bay's loss gave the Rams home field advantage. The impressive Niners comeback to defeat the Seahawks also ensured the Rams would win the NFC West outright, and with it the first round bye.

The Vikings' win and Lions' loss gives Minnesota the hardware in the NFC North, at just 8-8. They will have the worst regular season record of any playoff team this year. The amazing collapse of the Falcons continued with another loss, and in the end, it cost them dearly. The Giants won out over the Niners and Falcons via tiebreakers to get the second wildcard spot. The Falcons went 2-6 to finish the year after looking like a lock after the first half of the season.

Wildcard Round Matchups

Baltimore (11-5) at Oakland (11-5)
Miami (10-6) at Pittsburgh (12-4)
NY Giants (9-7) at Dallas (11-5)
Seattle (12-4) at Minnesota (8-8)

First Round Byes: St. Louis* (13-3), Tennessee* (12-4), Buffalo (12-4), Tampa Bay (12-4)
*--home field advantage throughout playoffs.

CR