Week 16 NFL Power Rankings

1) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-2)

A slight hiccup in a closer-than-expected game led by a Matt Flynn-led Packers isn’t enough to knock the Pats off their pedestal.

2) ATLANTA FALCONS (12-2)

What a contrast for Atlanta’s final two games: Week 16 against New Orleans and Week 17 against
Carolina. A win against either team gives them the NFC South crown.

3) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-4)

With their crazy comeback against the Giants, the Eagles leap from #7 up to #3 in the rankings. If the Eagles can score four touchdowns in just under eight minutes then no team is safe against them.

4) BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-4)

Ray Rice led the Ravens victory over the Saints and while the Eagles’ victory stole the headlines,
Baltimore very quietly had a statement win of their own.

5) NEW YORK JETS (10-4)

Winning on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers is no easy task. Winning on the road at Chicago this week would go a long way in taking the Jets more seriously after their embarrassment against the Pats.

6) CHICAGO BEARS (10-4)

Chicago may have gotten the last laugh against Brett Favre and the Vikings but Chicago’s offense is clicking again during the right time of the year. The 40-spot they put on Minnesota was their highest point total of the season.

7) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-4)

With Troy Polamalu out, the Steelers are an entirely different defense. Pittsburgh is 5-7 when he’s out and 13-4 when he plays in the last two seasons.

8 ) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-4)

While the Saints are 5-2 on the road, they now face the Atlanta “6-0 at home” Falcons. New Orleans gave the game to Atlanta in Week 3, losing a close one in overtime.

9) NEW YORK GIANTS (9-5)

Those New York “Football” Giants need to be very careful. They next face Green Bay who will likely have Aaron Rodgers back. A letdown game on the road at Lambeau Field may be coming.

10) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-6)

The Chargers are one of the hottest teams in the league and they’re clawing their way back into the playoff picture. San Diego could win their next two games and still miss the playoffs so they’re losing is not an option against Cincinnati in Week 16.

11) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-5)

What a difference a week makes. Matt Cassel returns and things are back to normal, for now. They still need to win out to make the playoffs.

12) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-6)

If the playoffs were set after last week, Indy would sneak into the playoffs. Darren McFadden has been running all over defenses and the Colts have one of the worst.

13) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-6)

After starting 3-4, the Jags are now won 5 of their last seven. With Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield, anything’s possible, including the playoffs.

14) GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-6)

While the Packers have lost two straight, it shouldn’t be ignored that they lost those games without Aaron Rodgers. Well, he’s back this week and the Packers can’t afford to lose another.

15) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (8-6)

Losing the Lions in overtime hurts and the Bucs are fading fast, having lost three of their last four
games. A home game against Seattle should get them back on track.

16) MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-7)

The Dolphins continue to alternate wins and losses. They’ve “won one – lost one” in 10 straight weeks. With a loss to Buffalo last week, they’ve got Detroit next week and New England the next. Smart money says they “win one – lose one” yet again.

17) OAKLAND RAIDERS (7-7)

If not for that tough loss to Jacksonville in Week 14, the AFC West’s divisional race would’ve been even more interesting. Darren McFadden needs to run all over Indianapolis this week to keep the AFC playoff picture interesting.

18) ST. LOUIS RAMS (6-8)

The Rams have lost four of their last six and close the season in back-to-back games against divisional opponents. These games (SF, @SEA) either put them in the playoffs or end their season.

19) DALLAS COWBOYS (5-9)

Dallas may end the season as the best non-playoff NFC team which counts towards their ego but does them no good in the 2011 NFL Draft.

20) TENNESSEE TITANS (6-8)

Tennessee won their first game since October 24. By limiting Houston to only 30 rushing yards last week, it’s too little, too late for the Titans.

21) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-9)

San Francisco remains, somehow, in the playoff picture. A win this week against the St. Louis Rams puts them position to win their play in the postseason.

22) CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-9)

With back-to-back losses to the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns only appear to play up to their tough competition.

23) HOUSTON TEXANS (5-9)

The Texans continue to have great offensive production but with the hands-down worst pass defense, they’re vulnerable against any opponent.

24) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-8)

Seattle has one win in their last five and it came against the lowly Carolina Panthers. The ‘Hawks weak run game and inability to stop the pass is a tough formula to hold and maintain a lead.

25) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (5-9)

Well, Rex Grossman looked good (sometimes) against the Cowboys but is he really the answer at
quarterback for Washington in 2011?

26) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-9)

Minnesota has had a pretty tough schedule this year. In their losses, the “worst” team they lost to was a 7-7 Miami team. Then again, their best wins came against two 5-9 teams, Dallas and Washington.

27) DETROIT LIONS (4-10)

Winning at Tampa Bay isn’t easy and Drew Stanton ended Detroit’s ridiculous road-game losing streak.

28) BUFFALO BILLS (4-10)

A win against Miami is nice, but unfortunately, they close the season with back-to-back games versus New England and at the J-E-T-S! Jets-Jets-Jets!

29) CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-11)

Only Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have attempted more passes this season than Carson Palmer, but on the other hand seven quarterbacks have more yards and twelve have more touchdowns.

30) ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-10)

How bad is Arizona? They lost to the Carolina Panthers. Yeah.

31) DENVER BRONCOS (3-11)

What happens when you combine a poor rushing offense with a terrible defense? You end up with the 2011 Denver Broncos!

32) CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-12)

Carolina had their sweet respite last week with a win of Arizona at home but that time has now passed. They now go on the road in back-to-back games at Pittsburgh and at Atlanta. Yikes.

Vikings Put Down Metrodome with Shotgun

The Minnesota Vikings have finally put that old, rickety beast out of its misery by taking a shotgun to its head. No, we’re not talking about Brett Favre. This is the Metrodome that is being put down.

The snows that collapsed the ugly stadium destroyed 3 of the panels which resulted in tons of snow coming down on the field. More panels are still covered in snow and engeneers are taking shotguns to them to relieve the pressure.

Since the snow has killed the Metrodome for the season and put next season in doubt as the team looks for a new stadium, I say just leave the roof off and retrofit the stadium to be an outdoor venue. I’m all for bringing back the outdoors to sports. It’s more real.

The Dome hosts 200 to 300 events per year, and it’s unknown when the facility will be back in service.

Three panels of the stadium’s Teflon-coated Fiberglas roof failed during a snowstorm that hit the Twin Cities on Dec. 12. A fourth panel failed on Dec. 15.

On Monday, engineers used a shotgun to blow a hole in a roof panel that was under pressure from a heavy load of ice and snow. The shooter was stationed on a sideline of the north end zone, and aimed at a roof panel near the center of the Dome’s roof, which now droops down into the bowl.

Several other panels remain “at risk,” Lester said, though the melting process is going more smoothly thanks to warmer outdoor temperatures and patches on the holes that hold heat inside the Dome. [via]

Video: The Pittsburgh Steelers Tone Deaf Christmas

I know it’s the thought that counts but this is one present that is kinda painful to receive. The Pittsburgh Steelers unveiled an eight minute, 20 second video this week featuring the players singing various Christmas carols. It’s one of the few videos of James Harrison that Roger Goodell will watch without fining the hard-hitting player. Unless he fines Harrison for singing out of key.

Thankfully the guys are not being judged for their singing abilities. Defense wins championships, not singing.

About midway through you’ll see James Harrison (#92) looking either pissed or bored. He’s wearing a mask so it’s hard to tell. But kudos go to Rashard Mendenhall (#34) in the first minute for his robot dance. Very nice. Be sure to watch all the way to the end as Ben Roethlisberger pulls a fast one on Maurkice Pouncey (#53)

Colts WR Austin Collie Leveled with 3rd Concussion

I’ve gotten to the point where I dread seeing the Colts Austin Collie try to make a pass. That’s mainly because the poor guy has tallied 3 concussions this year from hits while making a play. On Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars we see another scary moment in Collie’s short career as he is flat-out leveled on the play. After spending a few minutes down on the turf he was able to get up but not before Colts fans everywhere worried.

Colts WR Austin Collie 3rd Concussion is above. Below is the big hit Collie took during the Philadlphia Eagles game that required him to be carted off the field.

Lance Moore With The Catch of the Year

The New Orleans Saints came up a few points short last week against the Baltimore Ravens which is a shame because a loss really buries this fantastic catch by the Saints Lance Moore. Just after the start of the 4th quarter, and the Saints down by a TD, Moore gets a pass deep in the corner of the endzone.

Four players are going for the ball and two touch it before it falls into the waiting hands of Moore who makes a truly spectacular catch as he gets possession of the ball and tippy-toes both feet in the endzone for the score.

Moore’s catch is one of the nicest of the year. Check it out.

Brett Favre’s Final Play?

Brett Favre‘s Iron Man streak ended two weeks ago after an injury forced him to miss his first start since 1963. Or somewhere around that time.

Now the Minnesota Vikings are out of the playoffs, have an interim head coach and have no home. Toss in the fact that you can count more injuries for Brett Favre than victories and you have to guess that we are seeing Brett’s final year in the NFL. The old man down the road is barely hanging on with ankle and shoulder injuries and now we can add concussion to that list.

The Chicago Bears knocked Favre out of Monday Night’s game and sent Old Man River almost on the IR. The Vikings say that they will not deactivate Favre for the remainder of the season but it’s anyone’s guess whether he will be able to get out there for any of the remaining games.

Another Sideline Tripping Incident Caught On Video

The Jets sideline got caught tripping a Miami Dolphins player during a punt and the video has exploded on the Internet. The coach was suspended and fined.

Now with all the talk and debate about the incident, you might be surprised that another team was caught and fined for a similar incident but without all the news reports. Tyler Brayton of the Carolina Panthers is a player, not a coach like in the Jets incident, who got busted at taking a cheap shot at a gunner on a punt return.

For some reason Brayton comes off the bench and levels an Atlanta Falcons player. The NFL quietly suspended Brayton but didn’t make much news about the situation which is rather odd. Brayton was fined only $15,000, while Alosi (the Jets coach) earned a suspension for the rest of the season and a $25,000 fine. Both incidents happened the same weekend but it’s odd that each got a different treatment.

What’s is wrong is that Alosi’s move was a cheap, douchebag move intent on disrupting a player. Brayton’s is a clear thug move to knock down a player. You can see in the video he clearly goes after the Falcon player and knocks the guy down.

Tim Tebow Touchdown On First Possession

The Tim Tebow era has begun in Denver. The rookie QB couldn’t help lift the lowly Broncos over their AFC West rivals the Oakland Raiders, but he was able to make the highlight reel a few times as well as give the anemic Bronco offense some life.

And it didn’t take long. On his first possession of the game, Tebow scored on a rumbling and bumbling Florida-Gatoresque 40-yard touchdown run and then threw a deep touchdown pass on his very next offensive snap. This great run occurred early in the game when the Broncos were on the the Raiders 40 yard line and facing a 3rd and 24.

What do you do? Well, you just give the ball to Tebow and let him part the defenses.

Best Kick Return of the Decade – 300 lb Dan Connolly Rumbles Toward Endzone

Dan Connolly, the Patriots offensive guard, makes my list for one of the best kick returns I’ve ever seen that didn’t make it for a touchdown. That’s because I love it when the big guys rumble down the road.

Dan Connolly, who weighs in at around 310 pounds, takes the squib kick from the Packers with 2:16 left in the second quarter. The Pats are down 10 points and Connolly picks up the ball and flys by everyone before being taken down around the 5 yard line. The big guy was almost into the endzone before being pushed down.

Instant career highlight. Check it out.

Matt Dodge vs DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles bobbled a punt return with only seconds left in their rivalry game against the Giants. That didn’t matter because Jackson was able to find a seam and go all the way to the endzone to win the game in a comeback win for the Eagles.

One of the more entertaining games of the year saw the Eagles rebound from a 21-point deficit just midway through the 4th quarter. The Giants could have easily taken this game into OT had their punter, Matt Dodge, simply punted the ball away from one of the most dynamic players in the NFC.

Instead, Dodge kicked a line drive to Jackson and the rest is history. Perhaps so is Dodge’s career as a Giant…

Of course the video has made many Eagles fans very happy and every Giants fan angry. You know it’s an important video if someone has made a Tecmo Bowl version of the play. Here you go:

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