NFL Week 12 Wrap-Up

What a week in not only NFL but college hoops, college football, and believe it or not, NBA. With all of that in mind, I will stick with the NFL... for the moment. This was the week of NFL play that fans have been waiting for, Thanksgiving week. Due to the holiday, traveling, and the high consumption of food, this weeks addition of Monday Round-Up follows up on Tuesday but be that as it may, it will be entertaining, I guarantee it. There were several teams with key injuries this week as well as key matchups and as always there were several eggs laid also.

Key Matchups

Both of this weeks key games happened on the most anticipated holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. The undefeated Packers traveled to Detroit to face the Lions in an NFC North showdown. Many expected this to be a good game, but the Pack saw things differently. Aaron Rodgers was on his "A" game as always with 307 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Packers defense couldn't eat early so they opted to tear into Matt Stafford by forcing him to throw 3 interceptions on the day. The Lions lost Kevin Smith to a leg injury during the game but Maurice Morris stepped up big with 39 rushing yards and 81 receiving yards. Another key Lion was lost during the game but it was due to an ejection for unsportsmanlike conduct. Ndamukong Suh rammed a Packer lineman's head into the turf and kicked him on the ground after the play. He claimed in his post game press conference that he was simply keeping his balance and that's all. I'm sure Commissioner Goodell will take some of Suh's balance from his checking accounts because he will be fined. The game was another stain on the annual holiday game for the lions but I suppose they were in the giving mood. The Packers coasted away in this game to a 27-15 win and remained undefeated at 11-0.

The Thanksgiving night gave the world the first Har-Bowl in the NFL and it was a classic. Jim Haurbaugh and his 49ers faced his younger brother John Harbaugh and his Ravens in a defensive minded game. Both teams relied heavily on the legs of their kickers for points through the first three quarters as both starting quarterbacks Alex Smith and Joe Flacco struggled. During the fourth quarter, things started to heat up for the Ravens. Flacco lead his troops on a 16 play 76 yard touchdown drive that chewed away 7:34 on the game clock. Alex Smith needed to answer back to Flacco but the Ravens defensive line schemes were to much to handle. The Ravens defense tied a franchise record with 9 sacks and they could have had more if not for the evasive Smith. After failing to score, the 49ers punted the ball away to the Ravens and they made it down the field to settle for a field goal that sealed the fate for the older Harbaugh's team. The Ravens won 16-6 in a game that was exciting for real fans that love a defensive struggle. The Harbaugh brothers matchup is a game that I would like to see again.

Who Am I?

This weeks edition of "Who Am I?" will stump many but not all. See if you can guess who he is.


Throughout my career I have thrown for over 40,000 yards, 218 touchdowns, and had a completion percentage of 55.7%. I also have made the Pro Bowl 2 times in my career. Who am I?

Quick Spin

The in between Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Dolphins may was just as good as the other two games. Early in the game, Tony Romo was off to one of his debacles with 2 early interceptions but he righted the ship through the rest of the game. He went for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not to be out performed, Matt Moore played well with 288 yards and a touchdown. Moore is playing well for the Dolphins but not well enough to be the long term answer. In a close game, the Dolphins lost 20-19 to the Cowboys. The Cowboys are now 7-4 and are in first place in the NFC East.

The Atlanta Falcons were early season favorites to push for the Super Bowl however their play this season is not worthy so far. They faced the Vikings in a game where they controlled the game. Matt Ryan was on the mark with 262 yards and 3 touchdowns, he also found Roddy White on the day with 10 catches, 120 yards, and a touchdown. Without Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, The Vikings didn't stand much of a chance. On a bright note, Christian Ponder continues to impress but the Vikings lost 24-14.

When you talk Bengals football there are two names to keep in mind, Andy Dalton and A. J. Green. These are two rookies that are becoming the faces of the franchise in Cincinnati and Sunday was no different. Dalton tossed for 270 yards and a touchdown and Green hauled in 3 of those passes for 110 yards. The other driving force for the Bengals is their top ranked defense. The Bengals held off the Browns to win the game 23-20 and are in the playoff picture.

The Indianapolis Colts are awful but on Sunday they faced the Panthers that have been, well, less awful. The Colts were challenging early and were tied with the Panthers with 10 points at the half. However, in the second half the Colts laid down as always and the Panthers rushing attack took over the game. DeAngelo Williams, James Stewart, and Cam Newton combined for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns. Painter gained more experience but his play continues to stay the same. The Colts are drafting number one overall.

After the loss of Matt Schaub for the rest of the season, the Texans were ready to move forward with the first round bust known as Matt Leinart. The Texans were off to a solid start and Leinart was playing the role of check down champ but he was getting the job done. After a hard tackle, Leinart exited the game with an injury that turned out to be season ending collarbone injury. The Texans are cursed and they seriously may lose control of the division. T. J. Yates stepped in to finish the game and luckily they were playing the Jaguars and they wrapped up the win 20-13.

In the battle of the overrated teams, the Jets and the Bills played an overrated game. Both overrated quarterbacks shined on the day. Sanchez had 180 yards and 4 touchdowns while Fitzpatrick had 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. The star of the show by far was Stevie Johnson who celebrated a touchdown by mocking Plaxico Buress' leg shooting incident. With a chance to win the game, Johnson dropped a wide open pass that may have lead to a touchdown. Advice to the young gun, spend less time in the mirror practicing and more time on the field.

The Cardinals and Rams faced off to see which team would pick first in the top ten of the draft. With both teams not having much to be excited about this year, Beanie Wells had a surprise performance. Wells ripped through the Rams on the day rushing for 228 yards and a touchdown. Wells single handedly dismantled the Rams as the Cards rolled on to the 23-20 win.

The Buccaneers are the exact same team from last season: slow and methodical. They faced off against the Titans and were slow and methodical. Josh Freeman had 199 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. LeGarrette Blount rushed for 103 yards on the day but lost 2 fumbles. The Bucs defense caused 4 turnovers on the day but Chris Johnson was too much to handle. Johnson had a nice game with 190 yards on the ground and helped the Titans to a 23-17 victory.

Caleb Hanie made his first of many starts after the Bears lost star quarterback Jay Cutler for the season. Hanie didn't play bad but he didn't play well either. Hanie Passed for 254 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Johnny Knox was the beneficiary to 145 yards of Hanie's throws. Carson Palmer had another good game but struggled to get the offense in the endzone. Palmer had 301 yards and the team thrived on the leg of Janikowski who made all six of his field goals. The Raiders won 25-20 and remained in first place in the AFC West.

The Seahawks and the Redskins both need work and they showcased that on Sunday. Shanahan is a coach that has let the game pass him by and Carrol needs to catch up to speed. The Redkins pulled out the 23-17 victory thanks to the Seahawks not making enough plays.

Phillip Rivers and Tim Tebow are far apart in recent conversations about football but not in the way either quarterback would have imagined. Rivers has not been the same player he's been in the past this season and has lead his team to the basement of the AFC West. Tebow is now 5-1 since becoming the starter for the Broncos and all the critics says that all he does is win. Tebow rallied his troops again for a fourth quarter tie and pushed the Bolts to overtime. The game was heading into a tie before Tebow lead his team within field goal range for the game winning field goal. Tebow's numbers: 143 yards and a touchdown. Rivers numbers: 188 yards and a touchdown. You be the judge.

The Eagles were in hopes of another win on Sunday to salvage their season but the Patriots had other plans. After taking a 10-0 lead, the Eagles appeared to be ready but then the game plan and offensive play went out the window for some reason. Tom Brady walked the field with the Eagles as he threw for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns. Vince Young had 400 yards and a touchdown on the day but it was not enough to take the Pats down. New England coasted away with the win 38-20.

The Sunday night game paired the Steelers and the Chiefs together and let me tell you, Tyler Palko is terrible. Palko allowed the Steelers to take the game while setting them up with great field position the entire game. Palko had 167 yards and 3 interceptions which let Roethlisberger have a lite night with 193 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Steelers won 13-9, on the arm of Tyler Palko. Kyle Orton will start for the Chiefs next week, I guarantee it.

Monday Night Recap

The New York Giants entered the game a half game back from the Cowboys in the NFC East and the New Orleans Saints were in the drivers seat to win the NFC South. What started out as a good game with two struggling offenses immediately changed to an outright blowout in the second quarter. Drew Brees was sharp and passed for 363 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night. The Giants defense was no factor as they couldn't stop the pass or the run. The Saints rushed for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns; Mark Ingram lead all rushers with 13 carries and 80 yards. Eli Manning could not keep pace with the Saints as he passed for 406 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. Tom Coughlin was frustrated all night and he looked as if he's been down this road before. Probably because he has as the Giants have collapsed headed down the stretch of the season last year. As of now, it looks as if three teams will make the playoffs from the NFC North division which means the Giants, now one and a half games back, would not make the playoffs. The Giants have to get back on track if they want to bump the Cowboys out of first place. With the way the Cowboys have been playing lately, it may not be so easy for the Giants. They need to focus on every game and win them all.
Who Am I? (Answer)

So who am I with over 40,000 yards, 218 touchdowns, completion percentage of 55.7%, and 2 Pro Bowls? I'm Kerry Collins of the Indianapolis Colts.


Collins has been praised and criticized throughout his 16 year career. Along with his stats he also has thrown 196 interceptions. He may not have the greatest stats but he did lead the Giants to a Super Bowl in 2001. Collins started this season as the goat that filled in for the Colts for the injured Manning. He once again was criticized and this may very well be his last NFL season. Hate him or love him, he is tenth on the all time passing yardage in NFL history. That has to be good for something, but maybe not the Hall of Fame.
"Worst Luck" Race

Which teams are the top 5 teams in position to land the highly coveted Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL Draft. This race is pretty much signed, sealed, and delivered but strange things happens in draft day war rooms and there is no guarantee that Luck will go first overall. So, I will keep track anyway.

1.)  Indianapolis Colts, 0-11
2.) St. Louis Rams, 2-9
3.) Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-8
4.) Minnesota Vikings, 2-9
5.) Carolina Panthers, 3-8

Last Thoughts...

While visiting with my family for the holiday, I had several friendly but serious debates with my brother whom also happens to be sports knowledgeable also. The biggest debate we had was how the Cowboys placed a waiver claim for Kyle Orton. The Cowboys have an issue at backup quarterback with Jon Kitna and his injured back. They also have another issue with their inconsistent starting quarterback, Tony Romo. Owner Jerry Jones makes sure that his team has the best players on the field and that is just what having Kyle Orton would have done. Now, I realize that if Romo produces one of his bombs and self implodes, Orton would have been a good option to bring into the game. Even though the Cowboys didn't land Orton, the backup  quarterback position is not to be taken lightly. The Colts and the Bears have both been taught valuable lessons due to the injuries to Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler. If teams don't want to sign a veteran quarterback as their backup then they need to draft a solid rookie that may be able to start a few games, if needed. The quarterback position is the most important position to an NFL franchise but perhaps the backup quarterback should be the second most important position to a team. That's just food for thought.

Hope you have enjoyed reading. Please comment, share, and give feel free to give feedback.

Thank you!,
Byron T. Williams