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 ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Dan Patrick discuss the Jerry Rice situation in San Francisco.
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Dan Patrick Show
Chris Mortensen anticipates a rule change following the costly "safety" call in the Oakland-Seattle game.
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Dan Patrick Show
Chris Mortensen analyzes the woes of the Redskins.
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Dan Patrick Show
Has Cade McNown worn out his welcome in Chicago? Chris Mortensen has the answer.
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Week 16: Bucs clinch playoff spot, Rams need help
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|  | | Bucs quarterback Shaun King didn't look like a second-year player Monday as he passed for 256 yards and ran for 58. |
Bucs 38, Rams 35: I'm not sure you can really fault Rams coach Mike Martz
for playing it so conservatively near the end of the game. He looked up at the
scoreboard with his team ahead 35-31, glanced at the opposing sideline and
saw Shaun King with 1:34 left, no time outs and 80 yards of grass to the end zone.
Despite a few bright moments against a bad Rams' defense, King had not
played flawlessly Monday night. He needed a flawless drive. You saw what
happened. King joined Warrick Dunn and Keyshawn Johnson as playmakers in the
Bucs' finest game of the season. Oh, what a night. Dunn dueled with Marshall
Faulk (how good is this guy?) tit for tat. Johnson did not have to apologize
to Isaac Bruce. But it was King who needed to make plays on a night when Rams
QB Kurt Warner competed hard enough to post 35 points against a great Bucs'
defense.
The Bucs now emerge as the NFC favorite (sorry, Giants fans). However, I am not a dummy (only a dummy in disguise on occasion). The Bucs won't be a lock-cinch favorite unless they go to Green Bay this week and do
something they've never done. The Rams must be feeling pretty helpless right
now. Surely, they could not have imagined the seemingly woeful Detroit Lions
traveling to New York to beat the Jets, yet it happened. And it means that if
the Lions beat the Bears on Sunday, it doesn't matter if the Rams beat the
Saints. The defending Super Bowl champions would be eliminated from the
playoffs. It's kind of sad because they are so entertaining. But they also
have learned a painful lesson -- you must play defense to win championships.
Giants 17, Cowboys 13: You know, Giants coach Jim Fassel has been saying
this since the offseason but few people have been listening -- the character
of this team has changed dramatically. He did it by eliminating a few bad
apples. The Giants of '99 probably would not have overcome a 13-0 halftime
deficit. They would have been pointing fingers. Not Sunday night.
Tiki
Barber's scoring run that put the Giants on top gives me a thought: Now that
the end is nearing, make him a full-fledged feature back. Look at what
Marshall Faulk does for the Rams and what Warrick Dunn has done for the Bucs.
Barber can do that for the Giants (well, he has done it several times), but
I'd even enhance his role. Ron Dayne doesn't break tackles to justify taking
Barber off the field. As wonderful as the Giants' run has been, I still think
they will have their hands full against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Packers 33, Vikings 28: Even with Minnesota's holes on defense, this was so improbable. The Packers hardly ever win in the Metrodome. Some of Brett Favre's worse moments have come in Minnesota. Some of Randy Moss' best moments have come against the Packers. Well, Moss had one big moment but Favre had many more in a near-perfectly executed game.
Favre carved up the Vikings, and he did it in a way that would have made old coach Mike Holmgren proud. He was patient. He played within the system. He took whatever the Vikings were willing to give him. It didn't hurt that Ahman Green continued his breakout season with 161 yards rushing, and the Vikes could do nothing about it. Green also showed his soft hands on a six-yard TD pass from Favre and now has 64 catches this year. But this was a total team victory.
|  | | The Packers kept the Vikings from clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs, and also snapped their 13-game home streak. |
How about Larry Beightol's offensive line? Playing with their two rookie tackles in the loud Metrodome, they were almost flawless. Favre was sacked just twice in 38 attempts and Green found plenty of creases behind his blockers. Then there was the Pack defense. OK, they gave up 400 yards total offense, but defensive coordinator Ed Donatell's unit played with great discipline. They also shut down Robert Smith (26 yards on 10 carries) and did a pretty terrific job of containing Moss, who had one TD catch for 78 yards, then just three more for 54 yards.
What does it mean? The Vikings may have blown home field advantage; in fact, they must win on the road against a motivated Indianapolis team just to ensure a division title. The Packers remain alive for a playoff spot -- they await the Buccaneers for what undoubtedly will be a frosty Christmas Eve meeting at Lambeau Field. And while it's true that Culpepper will be the Pro Bowl starting QB, and Jeff Garcia and Kurt Warner will make the trip to Hawaii, too, you must admit that there's still something about Favre ... he's still the best.
Colts 20, Dolphins 13: Look, this is just the way it is in the AFC East. Predictably, they have devoured each other. The Dolphins had a unique opportunity to clinch the division and move closer to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Ah, but nothing is easy in this league, or this division. The Colts had it all on the line and dominated. The difference? Peyton Manning over Jay Fiedler. Manning was so precise, but perhaps the one commodity that he possesses which nobody talks about is his competitive nature. He was not going to let the Colts lose, but he also wasn't out to be a hero. He just played the game, and his four-yard TD run was part of that. Edgerrin James earned some tough yards, and helped keep the defense fairly fresh in an impressive showing. What must worry Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt is Fiedler's sudden turn to mediocrity. It could be his left shoulder injury, or it could be he misses injured WR Leslie Shepherd much more than anybody ever believed. Fiedler had some moments in the second half, but the Colts' defense gave the Dolphins few breaks. Makes you wonder whether the Dolphins will be fish out of water when they head to north to New England in a must-win finale.
Chiefs 20, Broncos 7: Now, I know that Gunther Cunningham took a 3-0 record vs. Mike Shanahan into this game. But the Broncos had every reason to win this game, and their offense (which has hit the 30-point mark a league-high nine times this year) has been on a roll. What happens? The Broncos' O never hit the end zone Sunday. The real story was the Kansas City offense. Where has Tony Richardson been all year? He racked up 157 yards rushing; the Chiefs had 264 as a team, a total personality change. The Chiefs' defense played its finest game, holding the Broncos to 11 first downs. So the Broncos could have taken hold of the AFC West after the Raiders' loss Saturday. Now they have to play a very uncomfortable game against a dangerous 49ers team. At least they'll have emotion on their side -- it's the last regular season game at Mile High Stadium.
Lions 10, Jets 7: Typical of this NFL season. What is supposed to be the norm, well, it isn't the norm. The Lions are now 2-0 at the Meadowlands, completing a sweep of the Giants and Jets. James Stewart made that $5 million salary finally pay off for the Lions with 164 yards on 37 carries. Lions LB Stephen Boyd played a game worthy of his Pro Bowl status with big tackles and a big interception. Speaking of interceptions, Jets QB Vinny Testaverde was fairly impotent as were his receivers. There appeared to be no big plays downfield for Vinny. The Jets might be in the tank. They now must win on the road in Baltimore or face a real possibility of being left out of the playoffs. The Lions, well, I was just about ready to bury them. Now they are breathing and they get the Bears at home to wind it up.
Titans 24, Browns 0: I hate to do this to you all, but haven't we done Eddie George a disservice? Why isn't he right there with Donovan McNabb, Rich Gannon and Marshall Faulk as an MVP candidate? Where are the Titans without him? They can go anywhere and win with George. The weather dictated the style of this game and he responded with 176 yards on 34 carries and three TDs. McNabb didn't play Sunday. Gannon didn't play all that well Saturday. Faulk plays Monday night. Right now, George is plowing his way into the MVP race.
Saints 23, Falcons 7: What I liked about this victory for the Saints is how young Aaron Brooks looked mostly like a true pro. Sure, he had a few green moments, but he never really forced a lot of passes and played a clean game (24-of-35, 285 yards, 0 interceptions). Boy, he throws a nice ball. Now the Saints have a playoff berth virtually clinched and they could have a winner-take-all game with the defending Super Bowl champion Rams at the Superdome next week with Ricky Williams back in uniform. Who would have thought it all possible?
Bengals 17, Jaguars 14: In an incredible weekend of upsets, this one ranked up there. Who has been hotter than the Jaguars? Yet the Bengals hung around in bone-chilling weather and pulled this improbable victory. Peter Warrick's 82-yard punt return for a touchdown on a frozen field validates his potential greatness. Another rookie receiver, Danny Farmer (who was cast off by the Steelers) had a 100-yard day. Dick LeBeau may have saved his job with the Bengals. Jags coach Tom Coughlin surely did not sleep well after this one. Even then, I'll bet he'll have his team ready for their road finale against the Giants next Sunday.
Patriots 13, Bills 10 (OT): If you saw the conditions of this game, you could forgive any mistake made by anybody. That's why Adam Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal with just 19 seconds left in overtime was a play to be admired. Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe and Bills QB Doug Flutie did some admirable things. Looking ahead, the Pats can make things fairly interesting when they host the Dolphins to end their otherwise disappointing season. The Bills will not feel good if they end the season with a five-game losing streak at Seattle.
Panthers 30, Chargers 22: Ryan Leaf played fairly impressive with two TD passes. His receivers dropped a bunch of other throws. The Chargers showed that there is such a thing as learning how to lose. The Panthers can be thankful they were playing the Chargers.
49ers 17, Bears 0: Does anybody really have any complaints about Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens making the Pro Bowl? Garcia threw for 403 yards with Owens hitting the record books for 20 catches and 283 yards. Incredible irony in light of Jerry Rice playing his final home game for the 49ers. I will say this -- Rice must assess whether he really wants to end his career in another uniform. Retirement just feels right, not playing for another team.
Ravens 13, Cardinals 7: Trent Dilfer is doing the Ravens a favor. By turning back into a pumpkin, he is keeping Baltimore from getting overconfident. Dilfer threw for just 70 yards and had a costly interception in the end zone against an Arizona defense that has been generous to most foes. Ravens LB Ray Lewis and Co. saved this one. It could have easily been a loss. Let's also hear it for Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis, who had his depleted team ready to play. McGinnis will sign a new contract Monday and will get a shot to redirect this franchise.
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Seahawks 27, Raiders 24: For 24 hours, this was a disaster for the Raiders, only to watch the whole league go topsy-turvy on Sunday. Yes, it was a bad deal on the fumble that turned into a safety, but how about a hand for the scrappy underdog QB of the Seahawks, Jon Kitna? This guy has been pretty beat up (emotionally) this year, yet he has hung in there light a true fighter. He made some big plays, as did the old pro, Rickey Watters. The Raiders must regroup and get Tyrone Wheatley healthy enough to play a home game against the Panthers on Sunday.
Steelers 24, Redskins 3: I know this day belonged to the Steelers and the memories of Three Rivers Stadium, but it is difficult to not make a little commentary about the Redskins. A lot of these guys have stolen Daniel Snyder's money. They have quit. Not everybody quits. The Bengals haven't quit. The Cardinals haven't quit. The Chargers haven't quit. But the Redskins have, and Snyder should be a lot wiser when this season is over. He should also realize that Jeff George (1-4 as a starter) is the same guy he's always been -- better yet, as a friend put it, he's the poster child for the quarterback challenge. Just don't ask him to win games. Did you really think Norv Turner was stupid?
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