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Week 12: Redskins' resilience, Raiders' run continue

James Thrash
James Thrash looked like he's been in the end zone regularly with this emphatic spike; honest, it's his first TD of the season.
Redskins 33, Rams 20: No, folks, this does not surprise me. We have a tendency in analyzing this league to use snapshot impressions, as opposed to taking a look at the big picture. The last time the Redskins played, they lost to the Arizona Cardinals. The last time the Rams played, they routed the New York Giants. Presto. The Rams are home, and they will beat the Redskins. That's the application when you size up your expectations, right? Really, what we should have remembered is that the Rams lost at home just two weeks ago, against the Carolina Panthers. They are still surrendering over 30 points per game. Trent Green looks pretty good, but Kurt Warner is better. The Redskins have been buried earlier this year, when they were 1-2, and facing a "dreadful" schedule, only to run off five straight wins.

The Redskins also had two weeks to prepare for this game because they were coming off their bye. Norv Turner is already acknowledged by his peers as one of the NFL's best game planners -- give him an extra week to prepare for anybody when the other guy only has a week and it's advantage Redskins. That's what I saw Monday night. The Redskins were brilliantly prepared in every phase of the game -- offense, defense and, surprise, special teams. Turner knew they would have to make plays in every area to win a tough road game Monday night game against the defending Super Bowl champions.

Turner got Jeff George ready to play with an extra week, and George delivered a pretty nice game. However, I would not say George played a brilliant game -- I could see Brad Johnson playing the same, or perhaps even better, given the holes in the St. Louis defense. I also found it amusing that George dropped to the Monday Night Football announcing crew that the Redskins' offense does not allow the quarterback to audibilize. That might be the best safeguard George can play with; besides, contrary to what the announcers said, the Redskins are not the only team with a no-audible system.

On the defensive side, Ray Rhodes came up with a pretty solid game plan, and this was also further evidence that the Redskins, in fact, spent wisely. Bruce Smith had three big sacks, including one for a safety. (Actually, Rams left tackle Orlando Pace did a pretty solid job on Smith). But the Redskins got after Trent Green and even though the Rams made their share of big plays, it sure seemed like Isaac Bruce had a quiet night by his standards. Champ Bailey solidified his Pro Bowl chances, and veterans Deion Sanders and Darrell Green gave courageous efforts by playing effectively on gimpy legs.

One thing this game did for the casual observer -- we now know the Redskins can go on the road and beat a high-scoring team in a dome. This is noteworthy because it's very likely the Redskins will have to do just that against either the Rams or Vikings (or both) to reach the Super Bowl. As for the Rams, I agree with coach Mike Martz. They have no time to dwell on this loss. Here come the Saints. They better be ready to play Sunday.

Jaguars 34, Steelers 24: Surely, this is the Jaguars' team Tom Coughlin expected to see when the season began. Fred Taylor had the best day by any NFL running back -- including Corey Dillon's record-setting game against Denver. Taylor's 30 carries for 234 yards and three touchdowns came against a Steelers' defense that has been pretty stingy. Now comes Jacksonville's "Super Bowl" against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

If the Jaguars can pull an upset, they have a shot at running the table and finishing 9-7 with a long shot at a wild-card spot. Sure, it's far-fetched, because it's hard to forget the dreadful moments the Jaguars have already experienced. Yet they have the talent. We know that. They get a spark pretty soon when right tackle Leon Searcy presumably returns from his injury. If they beat the Titans -- yes, a big if -- watch out. I will say that Coughlin once again has proven that he has a stronger constitution than the average coach -- he has never wavered on his mission. That kind of strength and stability is difficult to find in today's NFL.

The Steelers have now lost two straight. The surprising part was the collapse of their defense. Were these guys ready to play? Did Bill Cowher do his job? One of the few bright spots was Kordell Stewart. Once the shackles were taken off him, he was a playmaker. If his receivers ever stop dropping passes, people might see that he still has enough potential to be a winning quarterback.

Raiders 31, Saints 22: What a testimony this game was to Oakland's Jon Gruden and Rich Gannon. Sure, the Saints had to deal with the losses of quarterback Jeff Blake and running back Ricky Williams, but the Raiders had to shrug off their own adversity.

Andre Rison
After the Saints turned over the ball, Andre Rison caught a 34-yard TD pass to put the Raiders up 10-0 in the second.

They had to overcome the physical and emotional toll of a Monday-night loss to division rival Denver. They had to travel cross-country to play indoors. They still were missing running back Tyrone Wheatley, which offset the Saints' loss of Williams. And they were playing one very determined New Orleans team.

Gannon threw for just 168 yards, but it seemed like every completion was a big one. He was sacked five times by the terrific Saints' defense, but he rushed for 55 yards on seven carries. Saints linebacker Keith Mitchell, who is having a Pro Bowl year, said, "He made some unreal plays."

Gannon is still my league MVP and Gruden is moving toward the top of my coach-of-the-year list, along with the Saints' Jim Haslett and the Vikings' Dennis Green. The Raiders have now won five of six games on the road.

As for the Saints, even a defeat proved that they are a worthy playoff contender. Without Williams, they rushed for 133 yards, just one below their season average. The Saints showed their passion, even when Blake's first-quarter injury could easily have deflated the team. His replacement, Aaron Brooks, was shaky early, but he made some big plays, throwing two touchdown passes. Brooks is the quarterback the Saints acquired in a trade from Green Bay, where he was coached by current Saints offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy. Still, asking Brooks to go win in St. Louis on Sunday is a tall order. By the way, Saints defensive end Joe Johnson is playing without peer at his position.

Bills 21, Chiefs 17: Rob Johnson did enough Sunday for all the Doug Flutie hype to at least quiet down. This was not an easy assignment, trying to beat a desperate Chiefs team at Arrowhead Stadium, but Johnson led the Bills to their fourth straight win with some pretty efficient play at the quarterback position.

He may not be Flutie-quick, but Johnson's 12-yard scramble for a touchdown with three minutes left to play once again proved he has more than enough athleticism to get the job done. (In fact, if anybody had been paying attention, they would note that Johnson's 257 yards rushing on 34 carries for a 7.6 average is notably better than Flutie's 16-for-52, 3.2 average).

The silly part of the "Flutie wins" argument is that Johnson has been the starter in four of the Bills' seven victories. The Bills, as Phillips will point out, have a pretty good quarterback situation with Johnson and Flutie.

Johnson and company next have to brace for an angry Tampa Bay team, but the Bills (7-4) are back in the AFC East race with Miami (8-3) and Indianapolis (7-4) and the New York Jets (7-4) all facing challenging schedules in the post-Thanksgiving stretch. The Chiefs' schedule gets more favorable (Denver is the only winning team remaining), but not even the 0-11 Chargers, their next opponent, can be taken for granted.

Packers 26, Colts 24: Don't focus on Colts coach Jim Mora's decision to kick an extra point instead of going for a two-point conversion. Talk about the Packers. Talk about Brett Favre. Talk about Ahman Green. Talk about the Packers' offensive line. Talk about kick returner Allen Rossum.

Favre may have lost his title as the NFL's best quarterback to Peyton Manning, but he certainly made us pause Sunday to reconsider that status. Bad foot and all, Favre's 301-yard passing, two-touchdown performance would have made his boyhood idol, Archie Manning, proud if it hadn't been at the expense of Archie's kid.

How about that first half? The Packers outgained the Colts 303-77. They finished with 432 yards total offense, with Green turning in a 153-yard effort on 24 carries. Credit Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley and line coach Larry Beightol with devising and executing a pretty good game plan. Sure, the Colts' defense is shaky (maybe that's too flattering), but the Packers took it to them.

Now, the Colts ... the way they played offense in the first half, you can't tell me it didn't have anything to do with an indoors team struggling to adapt to snowy, freezing, windy conditions at Lambeau Field. I know this much: The Pack won by two points. Their first score was a two-point safety because Manning lost his grip on the football in his own end zone.

Bears 13, Bucs 10: No, that wasn't a misprint you saw in my weekly picks on Friday. I took the Bears over the Bucs. It had nothing to do with the weather -- I just haven't been overwhelmed by the Bucs in their last two wins over Atlanta and Green Bay. The Bears showed the Colts two weeks ago they are now a dangerous team at home.

How about Bears rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher? Boy, did personnel chief Mark Hatley find himself a football player. I was hesitant to jump on the Pro Bowl bandwagon for Urlacher, but I'm beginning to see the light. Huge interception. Huge block. All over the field. He just stands out.

What a tough day for the Bucs (6-4), whose three-game winning streak ends on a day when everyone else in the division won. Even tougher were the injuries to John Lynch and Mike Alstott. Now come the physical Buffalo Bills. What a test. Shaun King must pass it.

Lions 31, Giants 21: This was arguably the biggest win of the year for the Lions, and the biggest loss for the Giants. Detroit (7-4) now has head-to-head tiebreaker wins over Giants, Redskins and Saints in the NFC wild-card race. This also was a game that could boost the confidence of Lions quarterback Charlie Batch (20-of-32, 225 yards), while defensive end Robert Porcher finally had a breakout game with three sacks. For the Giants, it was a shameful performance, and I doubt coach Jim Fassel will argue. The special teams were anything but special. They were a disaster. The Giants (7-4) have to muster up some credibility in their last five games.

Ed McCaffrey
Ed McCaffrey's 5-yard touchdown reception with 1:33 left in the game capped a 17-point comeback for the Broncos.

Broncos 38, Chargers 37: Come on. If you are not a Broncos fan, you must have some measure of pity and mercy for the winless Chargers, who have now lost their last five games by a total of 18 points. But give the Broncos their due. They didn't have Brian Griese or Terrell Davis, and they managed to overcome a huge deficit against a respectable San Diego defense. Gus Frerotte's five-touchdown, four-interception performance ended on a high note. Ryan Leaf showed off his big arm and certainly gave the Chargers something to think about. He got himself ready to play in a week that started with a pulled hamstring. He threw three big bombs for touchdowns. If Leaf shows more of this in his next five starts, let's face it, he may get a ninth life in San Diego.

Jets 20, Dolphins 3: Some teams just have another team's number, as ESPN chief NFL researcher Russell Baxter tried to convince me this weekend. The Jets have now swept the Dolphins the past three years. No accident. I thought the Jets' defense and offensive lines were tremendous. The O-line made an unlikely hero of ex-Dolphin (and good guy) Bernie Parmalee, who rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Obviously, the Dolphins missed Jay Fiedler -- and who would have ever thought we would be saying that when the season began? Backup Damon Huard just didn't deliver, but again, the Jets' defense came up big. Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt wasn't enamored with his team's practices leading up to the game. It's a safe bet he will crack down. The Dolphins' (8-3) next four games: at Indianapolis, at Buffalo, vs. Tampa Bay and vs. Indianapolis.

Vikings 31, Panthers 17: See, the Vikings have gotten well with two home victories over the Cardinals and Panthers. They count. In fact, they count the Vikings for nine wins in their march to the NFC Central title. See if you have never heard this before: Daunte Culpepper, Robert Smith, Randy Moss and Cris Carter are pretty good. I better see them all in Hawaii at the Pro Bowl. The Panthers continued to show some character in the face of a mounting injury toll.

Eagles 34, Cardinals 9: Donovan McNabb is really coming into his own, that's for sure. At this rate of improvement, it's a safe bet that McNabb will be playing in a Pro Bowl in the next year or two. The Eagles look like a 10-win team, at least. Can you spell p-l-a-y-o-f-f-s? They have a shot, although two tough games against the Redskins and Titans will make it interesting.

Titans 24, Browns 10: My best guess is that Jeff Fisher will run a pretty tough practice this week after a seven-turnover game. Good thing for the Titans that the Browns are thoroughly decimated by injuries on offense. Eddie George's 36 carries for 134 yards and three touchdowns should ease the worries of those who thought he might be too banged up.

Ravens 27, Cowboys 0: There was nothing about this game that surprised me. Jamal Lewis (187 yards) is all but securing the offensive rookie-of-the-year honors. More importantly, Lewis is showing that the Ravens should be able to run the ball in the cold-weather months. Trent Dilfer looked sharp again. The defense treated the Cowboys like, well, men2boyz. Ravens coach Brian Billick won't allow anybody in Baltimore to say it, but he can't fine me -- they're going to the playoffs, and maybe then some.

49ers 16, Falcons 6: For all the fuss over the porous San Francisco defense, isn't it time defensive coordinator Jim Mora get some credit? The youthful 49ers have allowed just 13 points in their two consecutive wins over the Chiefs and Falcons.

Patriots 16, Bengals 13: I looked up just in time to see Scott Mitchell throw a touchdown pass for the Bengals. Then I knew just how awful the Patriots really are. But they won, and Drew Bledsoe and Terry Glenn looked pretty good at times. That's enough about this game.

     

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