NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 14

It's getting close to playoff time in the NFL. We got less than a month to go in the regular season. So every week, we break it down to let you know, how has a chance to clinch what in the NFL. So here's what teams can clinch what playoff spots this week.

NFC
CLINCHED: 
Los Angeles Rams -- NFC West division title
-Rams can clinch a first round bye with a win

New Orleans Saints
-Clinches NFC South division title with either a win or tie OR a Carolina loss or tie
-Clinches a playoff berth with a loss by Minnesota, Philadelphia and Washington

AFC
Kansas City Chiefs
-Clinches a playoff berth with either win or tie OR losses or ties from Miami, Indianapolis and Tennessee

New England Patriots
-Clinches AFC East division title with a win or a tie

Houston Texans
-Clinches AFC South division title with either a win and Titans loss or tie OR with a tie and a Titans loss

Los Angeles Chargers
-Clinches a playoff berth with a win and losses by Miami, Denver Indianapolis and Tennessee OR a tie and losses by Miami, Denver and Indy and Indianapolis and Tennessee don't tie

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Thirteen

Week Thirteen has come and gone in the National Football League. The week started off with three games with non playoff teams scoring wins over possible playoff bound clubs. Order was restored by the end of the week, but there was still a lot to look at. Green Bay is looking for a new head coach, Cam Newton found a way to make the Bucs defense look fantastic, while Atlanta mailed it in against Baltimore, and did it at home no less. You also know its a weird week around the league when Josh Allen, a Quarterback mind you, had more rushing yards on the week then Todd Gurley. It was an interesting week, that's for sure. With that being said, here's a look at some of the best and worst of the week that was in the NFL.

Best:
Josh Allen, Quarterback Buffalo Bills
Yes I know it's weird seeing this in the winners category, considering, considering that the Bills lost to Miami 21-17. I know Josh Allen was picked off twice, but he made up for it in other ways. He went 18 of 31 for 231 yards and two touchdown throws. He also had nine carries for 135 yards. yes you did read that correctly, Josh Allen had 135 rush yards on nine carries, which was the second most rush yards in the league this week, trailing only Phillip Lindsey of Denver (more on him later). Allen did everything he could to try and get the Bills a win but came up just short in his effort. But it was that effort that got him here on this list. With more games like this in the future, Allen has a bright future in Buffalo.

Worst:
Cam Newton, Quarterback Carolina Panthers
Things didn't go very well for the Panthers on Sunday, falling to the Bucs 24-17. Newton was a big reason for that. he threw four picks in the game, three of them falling into the hands of safety Andrew Adams. Lets give credit where its due, Tampa Bay made good plays to haul in the interceptions, but honestly not a single one of them was a good throw or decision by Newton. Worse still, the Bucs turned Newton’s two first-half interceptions into 10 points. In a game that was decided by a touchdown, Newton’s poor game was the difference. Think about this too. About a month ago, the Panthers were siting at 6-2 and looked to be in good shape as a possible playoff team. Now, Carolina has lost four straight games and sit at .500. They're in danger of missing out on the playoffs, in a year that held some promise. Newton has got to play better and limit the tunrovers if the Panthers want to stand a chance of getting into the post season.

Best:
Phillip Lindsey, Running Back Denver Broncos
Denver kept things moving on Sunday against the Bengals, to the tune of a 24-10 victory. Big reason for that was Phillip Lindsey, who had himself a day on Sunday. He went off against the Bengals, carrying the ball 19 times for a league best 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns. It's safe to say that he was the best player on the field in that game, for either team really. Lindsay has piled up 571 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage, and that's just in the last five games alone. If he’s able to continue carrying this type of load the rest of the way, there’s a chance Denver really could sneak into the playoffs. Hey they're on a four game win streak and sitting just outside that 6th and final playoff spot. It's possible Denver could get in and Phillip Lindsey is a big reason that the Broncos sit where they sit right now.

Worst:
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
New England dominated this game, beating the Vikings 24-10. On paper, Kirk Cousins looked like he had a decent game, made a couple of mistakes but it wasn't that awful. At least that's what the box score said. The eye test is something totally different and Cousins was bad on Sunday. He never really took shots down field against the Pats, mostly relying on the dink and dunk to his running backs. Cousins never really tried to go at the Pats defense and it cost him. Minnesota only scored one touchdown against New England and that was partially on Cousins. The Vikings needed their big money playnmaker to step up and make the big plays and he wasn't able to do that against New England. It could possibly come back to haunt Minnesota if somehow things really fall apart for them.

Best:
New York Giants Playoff Hopes
When you consider all the things that the Giants have been through this season, its a miracle that they are still in the hunt. Mathematically, they're still very much in this thing, now sitting just three games behind the division leading Cowboys with four weeks left in the regular season. This is thanks to a thrilling 30-27 overtime win over the Bears on Sunday. Eli Manning drove fans crazy early on with some of his sloppy play. With the way the first half went, many Giants fans were clamoring for him to be benched. But thanks to the play of rookie running back Saquon Barkley, and yet another touchdown pass from Odell Beckham Jr. on a trick play, New York is still alive. The way they manage to keep themselves alive for a playoff chase, with how things went for them through the first half of the season is amazing. They're still in it, while having to play the Redskins, Titans, Colts and Cowboys the remainder of the season. If the Giants can keep up that steady pace, there's an outside chance that the game with Dallas on the final day of the season could be for a division title.

Worst:
Green Bay Packers Playoff Hopes
Going into this year, there was a lot of hope surrounding the Green Bay Packers. They had a look to them that told the fans, and the rest of the league, that they had what it takes to be a playoff team. They were two touchdown favorites going into Sunday's action against the Cardinals. Well, they fell flat on their faces, losing 20-17 to Arizona. As if things weren't bad enough for the Pack, the team announced after the game that they parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy. This can be seen as rock bottom for the Packers. Green Bay's offense looked flat, as there seemed to be a level of disconnect between McCarthy and Aaron Rogers. There's other areas that need addressing. When Aaron Jones gets only 11 carries on the day, it's a sign of the troubles. When Green Bay mailed this game it, it was a sign that the team has flatlined. Expect more changes to come in Green Bay.

Best:
Los Angeles Chargers Offense
Pittsburgh had never lost a home game in which they lead by 14 points. Los Angeles was down by 16 at halftime. From a Pittsburgh perspective, the game looked like it was in the bag. Los Angeles offense woke up, scoring 23 unanswered points in the second half. Part of it came from a miracle touchdown after two Pittsburgh defenders collided in the end zone on what appeared to be an interception. Then Desmond King returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown to tie things up. The two teams then traded touchdowns again, and the game ended with a Chargers field goal as time expired. But that only happened because the Steelers were flagged for being offsides three plays in a row. Yes, it was messy and freaky. But in the end, Los Angeles proved it has the mettle to compete for a title this year. The Chargers showed they are ready to be a playoff team right now and can be a threat in the AFC playoffs.

Worst
New Orleans Saints Offense
Talk about a team that had its momentum stopped dead in its tracks. The Saints had a ten game winning streak going into it's Thursday Night matchup against Dallas. New Orleans defense did it's part, as Dak Prescott got sacked seven times, and the Saints held Ezekiel Elliott to just 3.3 yards per carry while allowing just 13 points. For some reason, it was that New Orleans high powered offense that went ice cold. New Orleans managed to tally just 176 yards of offense, putting 10 points on the board. It was the worst offensive showing we’ve seen from the Saints since the 2001 season. When you consider how well the Saints offense has produced in a lot of games this year, its mind blowing.They're tied with the rams for being the 2nd highest scoring team in the NFL this year, behind only Kansas City, and they were shut down by the Cowboys of all teams. I think this could be just a blip on the screen, but it is something to maybe keep an eye on going into this weekends action and down the line towards the playoff push.

Best:
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback Tennessee Titans
Tennessee looked in tough shape going into week thirteen, when it came to a playoff spot. They only had five wins. To make things look worse, they were down 16-0 to the New York Jets at one point. At the end of the day, the Titans walked away with a 26-22 win and Mariota was a key piece to that comeback win. Yes he was sacked three times and did have a pick six. But the rest of the state line was good, going 20 of 31 for for 282 yards and two touchdowns. His two deep throws to Taywan Taylor during the second half sparked the offense, which scored twice through the air. Tennessee finished the game scoring the final thirteen points of the game and put themselves right back in the hunt in the AFC playoffs. At 6-6 they still have a chance and it was thanks to the play of Mariota in this case to keep the Titans hopes alive.

Worst:
Indianapolis Colts Win Streak
Indy had been one of the hottest teams in Football going into Sunday's meeting with Jacksonville. That hot streak came to an end thanks to a 6-0 Jaguars win. Andrew Luck had been on a streak of throwing three or more touchdowns in a game in each of the last eight games before this one. That came to an end. Indy was kept off the scoreboard and the offense turned the football over twice. To be fair, the Colts defense did a fantastic job and manage to keep Jacksonville in check. Indy had a shot to win with a touchdown at the end. But the game fittingly ended on a controversial play that caused the clock to run out, rather than give Luck one more shot at a touchdown. Just kinda seemed like a bad way for Indy to fall in this one. Now they have to regroup and get ready to face a red hot Houston team.

College Football Bowl Games Announced

It's the most wonderful time of the year for College Football Fans. Bowl season has arrived. In total, there are 40 bowl games scheduled between now and the National Championship Game on January 7th. So let's not waste the time and get right into it. Here's the full list of this year's Bowl games.

College Football Playoff (December 29th, Title Game January 7th)
College Football Playoff semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic 
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame 4 p.m. ET on ESPN AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 

College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma 8 p.m. ET on ESPN Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida

College Football Playoff National Championship
Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California 8:00 pm Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner

Now for the rest of the dates of the Bowl Games:

December 15th
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State Noon ET, ABC Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta

New Mexico Bowl
North Texas vs. Utah State 2 p.m. ET, ESPN Branch Field at Dreamstyle Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico

AutoNation Cure Bowl
Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 2:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida

Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
Fresno State vs. Arizona State 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 
Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans

December 18th
Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl 
UAB vs. Northern Illinois 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Florida

December 19th
DXL Frisco Bowl
San Diego State vs. Ohio 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas

December 20th
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl 
Marshall vs. South Florida 8 p.m. ET, ESPN Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida

December 21st
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl 
FIU vs. Toledo 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium Nassau, Bahamas 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Western Michigan vs. BYU 4 p.m. ET, ESPN Lyle Smith Field at Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho

December 22nd
Jared Birmingham Bowl 
Memphis vs. Wake Forest Noon ET, ESPN Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs. Army 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas

Dollar General Bowl
Buffalo vs. Troy 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mobile, Alabama

SoFi Hawai'i Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Aloha Stadium Honolulu

December 26th
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Boston College vs. Boise State 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Cotton Bowl Dallas

Quick Lane Bowl
Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech %:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Ford Field Detroit

Cheez-It Bowl
California vs. TCU 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Chase Field Phoenix

December 27th
Walk-On's Independence Bowl
Temple vs. Duke 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin 5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Yankee Stadium New York

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl
Baylor vs. Vanderbilt 9 p.m. ET, ESPN NRG Stadium |Houston

December 28th
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Purdue vs. Auburn 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee

Camping World Bowl
West Virginia vs. Syracuse 5:15 p.m. ET, ESPN Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida

Valero Alamo Bowl
Iowa State vs. Washington State 9 p.m. ET, ESPN Alamodome San Antonio, Texas

December 29th
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Michigan Noon ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta

Belk Bowl
South Carolina vs. Virginia Noon ET, ABC Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Arkansas State vs. Nevada 1:15 p.m. ET, CBSSN Arizona Stadium Tucson, Arizona

December 31st
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
Cincinnati  vs. Virginia Tech Noon ET, ESPN Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland

Hyundai Sun Bowl
Stanford vs. Pittsburgh 2 p.m. ET, CBS Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas

Redbox Bowl
Michigan State vs. Oregon 3 p.m. ET, Fox Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Missouri vs. Oklahoma State 3:45 p.m. ET, ESPN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Northwestern vs. Utah (-8.5) 7 p.m. ET, FS1 SDCCU Stadium San Diego, California

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
NC State vs. Texas A&M 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, Florida

January 1st
Outback Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Iowa Noon ET, ESPN2 Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida

VRBO Citrus Bowl
Kentucky vs. Penn State 1 p.m. ET, ABC Camping World Stadium | Tickets Orlando, Florida

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
No. 11 LSU vs. No. 8 UCF 1 p.m. ET, ESPN State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona | Tickets Glendale, Arizona

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
No. 9 Washington vs. No. 6 Ohio State 5 p.m. ET, ESPN Rose Bowl Pasadena, California

Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 15 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia 8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans

Islanders Homecoming A Success

Last night was one of the nights that fans and players alike will not forget. It has been three long years since the last game was played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The exact date was April 25th, 2015. That was the date of Game Six of the opening round loss to the Washington Capitals. Since then, the Islanders have had to call Barclays Center in Brooklyn home. Anybody who's gone to the games there can tell you, its not quite the same thing. It's not home. Long Island is. Nassau Coliseum is. Last night, in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Islanders came home.

Tailgating started at 7AM, a full twelve hours before puck drop. That was an indication as to how badly this area needs this team. A complete sellout of 14,500 if not more, packed the Coliseum to watch the game. It was loud in that building. I was watching on TV and you could feel the energy and electricity coming through the TV screen. So just imagine what the building must have felt like. It was quieted halfway through the hockey game when the Jackets took a 2-0 lead. Then the tide started to turn. Andres Lee got the Isles on the board and the building EXPLODED. It got even louder a few minutes later when Anthony Beauvillier tied the game. The icing on the cake came in the 3rd when Casey Cizikas capped it off with the game winner a little over seven minutes into the 3rd.

Some things never changed in the building. They supposedly put $70 million into rebuilding the place. The corridor was still just as crowded, from what I heard. The lines for the bathrooms were still just as long, from what I heard And the noise was still the same. It's still a very tough place to play for opposing teams. Fans are right on top of you and when we have reason to, Islanders fans can make life hell for opposing teams, because of how loud we can get. Players have even said it that playing there was different than any other building in the league.

Last night's outing was proof that the team never should have left. It should have been temporary at most while the building was torn down and totally rebuilt from the ground up. That's not what happened. Nassau County screwed up, leaving the Islanders to head to Brooklyn for good until Belmont gets built. As an Islanders fan, I'm extremely thankful that a deal was able to be reached so the team could play at the Coliseum for 21 games a year till the new building comes around. It's meant so many great memories going to games at the old barn. I've spent quite a few good winter nights in the building, watching hockey. Might not have always been winning hockey, but it was hockey never the less.

It would only be one or two games a year, maybe more if I got really lucky. It was through the bad years and the good times. It meant quality time with my family going to a game. It meant that even for a few hours, no matter how tough things got at home, it was an escape and all was right with the world. Might not have been a lot of wins during the late 90's but it was still fun never the less. It brings back so many great memories and I can't be any happier that the Islanders are back, at least for a little while, at the Coliseum. It was a sight for sore eyes last night that's for sure.

Anybody who was at the game last night, or even saw it on TV, can tell you the same thing. They're happy the Islanders are back on Long Island where they belong. The build was just as loud as ever. It may have gotten a slight face lift and was, on the whole, the same building. Nobody cared. The Blue and Orange were right back where they belong. They should have never left. Last night's game proved that.

Washington Redskins Please Explain This

I know it's the Washington Redskins, a team that has made some interesting moves in the history of the franchise. This one may top them as as sort of a what the hell moment. Late Tuesday, the Redskins went out and signed linebacker Ruben Foster, who had just been let go by the San Francisco 49ers. Foster was arrested Saturday night for an incident at the 49ers' team hotel in Tampa, and he was released the next morning before their game against the Buccaneers. Reports emerged later Sunday that police had been called on Oct. 12 for another incident between Foster and the woman in Santa Clara, California. The 2017 first-round draft pick is charged with suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence battery.

On the same day Foster was claimed by the Redskins, the NFL put him on the Commissioner Exempt list, and he can't practice or attend games while the league continues to review his situation. It was not immediately clear if or when Foster would report to the Redskins' facility, where he is allowed to be for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities. 

"The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben," Washington senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams said in a statement. "If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone."

That's what's been said by people around him and the Redskins. What sticks out to me is the fact that the team would even do this. Out of every team in Football, the only one to make a call to the Florida area to find out what was going on with the case was the Eagles, who didn't like what they heard about the whole situation, which is why the Eagles didn't touch him. I know that the Redskins have made some questionable moves in the past but this one may top them all. It makes no sense whatsoever taking a chance on a guy like this who may never play another snap in the NFL again.

What makes this situation more questionable, is that a guy like Foster can get picked up by an NFL team with his track record and yet a guy like Colin Kaepernick, who's offense was minimal at best, won't get touched by any pro football clubs. It's just really mind numbing that a team would even remotely take a chance on a guy like this with his shady as hell past. It is never, ever, under any circumstances OK or acceptable to lay a hand on a female the way Foster did. It happened twice. And yet he is still on an NFL roster. Kapernick can't get a job but this guy can? Can somebody please explain to me in what universe this is a good idea?

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Twelve

Ah the leftovers of thanksgiving. Week Twelve in the NFL had plenty of stuff to give around the league and its fans this week. We've hit the final quarter of the season and playoff pictures are starting to take shape. Indy has been on a roll as of late, thanks to the play of Andrew Luck, while the Texans keep right on moving along. Pittsburgh seemed to struggle pretty badly this week, something they needed not to have happen. The Bengals had the same problem, after suffering through a bad loss to the Browns, who keep pace in that race in the AFC. Washington gets back into the race in the NFC, while Carolina started to slip a little. All that and more went down coming out of thanksgiving. Here's some of the best and worst of the week that was in the world of football.

Best:
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
In a win that the Colts needed, they got it over Miami, beating the Dolphins 27-24. A huge reason for that was the play of Andrew Luck, who's been rolling over the last month. The only downside is he was picked off twice, but overall he finished the day strong. Luck went 30 of 37 for 343 yards and three touchdowns.  Luck has helped lead the Colts to a five game winning streak, and Luck has thrown at least three touchdown passes in every game since week three. He's playing at a very high level right now and its been a big help for the Colts. Indy needed him to step up and be a leader and he's done that for the most part this year. He's not quite at an MVP level but he's in the discussion can the Colts get to the post season. Luck has shown so far this year that he can still play and isn't really feeling the effects of his past injury issues.

Worst:
Jalen Ramsey, Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars
Heading into the start of the year, Ramsey made headlines by running through a list of Quarterbacks and who was trash and who wasn't. He called Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen trash. Well, Allen got his revenge, as Buffalo beats Jacksonville 24-21. Allen burned Ramsey more often then not on Sunday. Sure, Ramsey did intercept Allen off in the second quarter, but it was negated by his illegal contact penalty. Then Allen would rip off a gorgeous 75-yard touchdown pass, one of his three scores on the day. Allen lead Buffalo to it's second win in a row and Jacksonville its seventh loss in a row. For Ramsey doing all the trash talking he did in the preseason and then having his team turn in the performances that it has, it means that the Jags are in fact the trash in the league. Ramsey was running his mouth and his team hasn't been delivering. It's funny that the guy doing all the talking ended up with the egg on his face this week.

Best:
Philip Rivers, Quarterback Los Angeles Chargers
Rivers is playing at a level he's not been accustomed to in the past. Los Angeles beat the tar out of Arizona, coming away with a 45-10 win and Rivers played a huge role in that game. Rivers completed his first 25 passes Sunday. he closed out the day going 28 of 29 for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Both of those achievements have never been done before. Nobody had ever completed more than 23 straight passes to start the game, and Rivers’s 96.6 completion percentage is the highest in league history. It is true that some players have managed a 100 percent completion rating, but never on more than 10 attempts. Rivers threw the most passes in a game with just one incompletion. He's playing at a very high level and if the Chargers can manage to make the playoffs, then Rivers could be in the discussion for MVP this year.

Worst:
Graham Gano, Kicker Carolina Panthers
Carolina dropped a heartbreaker in against Seattle on Sunday, falling to the Seahawks 30-27. This was a game where Carolina made a few mistakes. Having the play backfire going for it on fourth and five early. Newton getting picked off in the endzone to stop the opening drive of the second half stung. Carolina was in it all the way despite this, right up till the end. Carolina had a chance to win it with less then two minutes left in the game. This set the table from Graham Gano, who's usually reliable. He wasn't at this moment, missing a kick that would have won it for the Panthers. Seattle then stormed down field and hit the winning field goal as time ran out. Gano's miss killed the Panthers and put a serious damper on their playoff hopes.

Best:
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver Dallas Cowboys
Dallas needed to show a little bit of a pulse, giving their fans hope that they may actually be a playoff team. They got it on Thanksgiving day, beating Washington 31-23 and the offense was a big factor again. Amari Cooper made his first big impact game since coming over from the Raiders, finishing this game with eight catches, two of which went for touchdowns and 180 yards. That 180 was second most in the NFL this week, just behind the 189 of JuJu Smith-Schuster of Pittsburgh. Dallas has been looking for a prime time receiver since Dez's production started to slip and they may have found their guy in Cooper. Hell, Amari's production has been going down over the final two seasons while in Oakland. Now he may have found a system that works for him again in Dallas and it looked in in the win over Washington.

Worst:
New York Giants Play Calling
This was a game that Big Blue had to have, in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. They looked well on their way in the first half, going up 19-3 at one point. It was a first half that was dominated by rookie running back Sequan Barkley. He had a 51 yard touchdown run at one point. The way the Giants looked going into the half, the felling was they were going to run away with the game. That plan went right out the window the moment the Giants stopped the running game. Barkley had a total of 13 carries on the day, three in the second half. Pat Shurmur decided to stop using the run game and try and go to nothing but Eli. Well it didn't work. Philadelphia scored 22 of the final 25 points on the afternoon. I give up trying to figure out what the hell the Giants are trying to do sometimes, they can't even figure it out. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Should have kept giving the ball to Barkley but they didn't and it cost them.

Best:
Sony Michel, Running Back New England Patriots
He had himself a day against the Jets. new England rolled in the second half, walking away with a 27-13 win over the Jets. Michel was a big reason for that, finishing with 21 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. He carved up the Jets defense like Swiss cheese and helped the Pats pull away in the second half. New England needed a bounce back week. They were coming off a tough loss to the Titans and had two weeks to brood over it. Coming out of the bye, they got more then they really bargined for from the Jets at the start. But thanks to the pounding running of Michel, New England was able to pull away in the 2nd half and take the game. If New England hopes to go deep in the playoffs again this year, performances like this can be very helpful most of the rest of the way.

Worst:
Pittsburgh Turnover Machine
This one should have been easy to figure out. not only did the Steelers fall to Denver 24-17, but the second half of this game was a disaster for the Black and Gold. Four turnovers on the day, three of them coming and the second half, two of which lead to Bronco scores. The Steelers had taken a lead, thanks to Ben Roethlisberger connecting with JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 97-yard touchdown strike. The next drive, Ben tried to force feed Antonio Brown, overshooting his star by a considerable amount for his first of two interceptions. Two plays later, Denver tied the game up. Denver would take a lead after capitalizing on a James Conner fumble. Pittsburgh tried to tie the game up, with Ben trying to get the ball to Brown, who wasn't even close to being open in the endzone. That was game. With the way the Steelers played Sunday, it hurts their chances even more of not only getting a top seed in the AFC but even remotely having a deep playoff run.

Best & Worst Of NFL Week Eleven

Week Eleven is now in the books in the NFL. Lots to talk about this week too. Very exciting showdown between KC and LA on Monday night. Action on Sunday was just as intense, as there were four division games, nine games decided by one score, six second-half comebacks, plenty of touchdowns, and one devastating injury that could sink a team’s playoff hopes. Eleven different receivers this week had over 100 receiving yards in a game, Phillip Rivers went off in a losing effort and you almost have to feel for whats going on with the QB situation in Washington. We got teams falling out of contention, while others managed to hang around for a little while longer. With that in mind, here's some of the best and worst from week eleven.

Best:
Andrew Luck, Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
When the season got rolling, things looked really bleak for the Colts. Indy had started the year off by losing five of its first six games. Now Indy seems to have turned it around, winning four straight games to pull back to .500 on the year at 5-5. That streak moved to four in a row thanks to Sundays 38-10 win over the Titans, with Andrew Luck having himself a pretty good day. The Colts QB finished going 23 of 27 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't sacked and din't turn the football over at all during this win which is showing that Luck is hitting his stride and finding himself again under center. He's now thrown for at least three touchdowns in a game for the seventh straight week with this performance on Sunday. Luck's got his game back, and hopefully it can keep the Colts rolling towards a playoff spot.

Worst:
Alex Smith, Quarterback Washington Redskins
You really have to feel bad for Alex Smith in Washington right about now. It was thirty three years to the day that Joe Theismann suffered a horrifying broken leg against the Giants that is still talked about to this very day. Now, another Washington QB goes down with a broken leg. What are the odds. This time it's Alex Smith going down with the injury. Smith broke his right tibia and fibula while being dragged to the ground on a sack. He was carted off, taken to the hospital in an ambulance and required immediate surgery. To nobody’s surprise, he will miss the rest of the season, head coach Jay Gruden announced after the game. To add more salt to the wound, the Redskins lost 23-21 to a rolling Texans team, to put them at 6-4 for the season. Colt McCoy looks like he might be the starter for a little while, but after that who knows. Four of the final six games for Washington is on the road, which won't make this any easier. It going to be tough for the Redskins, who are going to have to go it without Smith.

Best:
Dallas Cowboys Offense
Facts are, the Cowboys looked like they were in trouble with the way the year started. Going 3-5 to kick the season off had the Boys looking like a fish out of water. But then they seemed to wake up of sorts. They've won their last two games, including a very solid 22-19 win over Atlanta on Sunday. Zek had a big week last week, and he went off even more this week. Try to the tune of 201 total yards, 122 of which were gained on the ground. Dak also had a solid showing with 208 through the air and they made the Falcons D look average at best. Dallas is starting to get back on the right track at the right time. Sure, even with Amari Cooper, the passing game seems to be average at best at the moment, they're still finding ways to win football games. With what happened in Washington, this could be an opening for the Cowboys, since they play each other on Thanksgiving.

Worst:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterbacks
OK I'll give a little credit where it's due, the Bucs found a way to hang around for a little while against the Giants. It ended in favor of the G-Men 38-35, but the problem in Tampa is there is no consistent play from the men under center at all this season. They've had to keep bouncing back and forth between Winston and Fitzpatrick, I think its hard for anybody to really keep it straight as to who the true leader is at QB on this team. Fitzpatrick went 13 of 21 for 1767 no scores and three picks. This coming after throwing for over 400 yards last week. Then Winston takes over, gets picked off once but does throw for two TD's and tosses 167 yards through the air. Tampa managed to outgain the Giants by a wide margin but because of the inconsistent play of their QB's, they came up just short on getting a victory. This has got to be frustrating for Bucs fans and for the organization as well.

Best:
Chicago Bears Defense
If somebody had said to me at the start of the that the Bears would be leading this division the weekend before Thanksgiving, I would have thought you were nuts. Chicago's D has been great this year, some of which should be credited to General Manager Ryan Pace going out and getting Khalil Mack. Kirk Cousins had a brutal night that saw him throw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Minnesota’s run game managed a paltry 22 yards on 14 carries as Chicago’s defensive line was relentless against both the run and the pass. This defense has allowed the Bears to extend their lead in the NFC North, despite a second-year quarterback in Mitch Trubisky who is still quite raw. They made the Vikings look average and they're carrying the team to the top spot in the division. Chicago is turning into a dangerous contender

Worst:
Jaguars Playoff Hopes
Things were looking good for the Jags early on in their rematch with the Steelers on Sunday. It looked like a carryover from what happened in the playoffs last year.Jacksonville was dominating that game, they held the Steelers in check in the first half. Jalen Ramsey picked off Big Ben twice, and the Jacksonville defense had three interceptions overall. Despite the best showing Jacksonville has put up in weeks, it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh fought all the way back, and walked away with a 20-16 win over the Jags, sending them back to Jacksonville with their tails between their legs. the fact that Jacksonville got beat drops them to 3-7 and are now saddled with a six game losing streak. That puts them at 14th out of the 16 teams playing in the AFC. It makes it an even bigger uphill climb for the Jags to get back to the post season.

Best:
Saquan Barkley, Running Back New York Giants
I think there's no real denying that the Giants MVP this season has been Barkley. Yes the Giants came away with the 38-35 win over the Bucs, but Barkley had the Giants going in the right direction.; Tampa out gained and out threw the G-Men but Barkley controlled the clock for Big Blue with his league best 142 yards rushing this week. It seems like every time you need a big play for the Giants, Barkley has been the one providing that spark when it's needed. He's been good and reliable when the Giants have needed him. Big Blue has managed to win two straight games

Worst:
Doug Peterson, Head Coach Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about embarrassing. Doug Peterson's bunch was nowhere near ready to go on Sunday, getting blasted  by the Saints to the tune of a 48-7 loss. This 41 point margin of defeat was the worst loss of Pederson’s head coaching career and the biggest margin of defeat by a defending Super Bowl champion. To be fair, there are injuries on the Eagles. The Secondary has taken a bit of a hit in the depth department, as has the offensive line. Peterson should take some of the fall here for not being able to figure out how to fix those holes along his line and secondary to put a competative team out on the field each and every week. Philly has lost two in a row and is 2-3 in its last five and the remaining schedule is unforgiving. Missing out on the playoffs is a very real possibility.

Bonus Best:
Monday Night Football
What. A. Game. There was a sense of electricity in the air in LA on Monday night. Kansas City and Los Angeles lived up to all the hype as the Rams walked away with a 54-51 win by the Rams. It was the highest scoring game in the history and the 3rd highest scoring game in history. The Chiefs became the first team ever to score 50 or more points in a game and lose. Every other team to drop 50 or more points on an opponent had gone 2016-0 prior to this contest. Jared Goff threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns, but got sacked five times. Patrick Mahomes had another night, throwing for 473 yards and six touchdowns. But he was sacked three times and the killer was throwing three picks, which Goff didn't do. It was a hell of a football game that blew away expectations and could be a preview of the big game in February!