Sunday Scorecard: Spygate a blowout? Not quite
Our experts provide analysis on this week's action around the league.
| Week 15 -- Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007 (Following 1 p.m. ET games) | ||||
| Questions: |  PriscoAnalysis |
 JudgeAnalysis |
 RichardAnalysis |
 KayAnalysis |
| First down: Were you surprised how close the Jets-Patriots game ended up being? | Not really. I did pick the Jets to cover in my picks. The weather appeared to be a factor, too. The Patriots didn't throw it as well as they have this season. That could be something to watch as we move to January. | I was. I figured the Patriots would bury these guys, and, yes, I knew the conditions would be less than ideal. But give Eric Mangini credit. He bottled up the Patriots' passing attack, and he moved the ball on them. Hey, the Jets were in the red zone four times, emerging with only a field goal, and had a late touchdown overruled by replay. This game was closer than it seemed. | I'm never surprised at how close divisional games can be, and I'm also never surprised when a game takes place in wild conditions. When both teams play in bad weather, it makes the game as close to even as can be. The Jets also did a nice job covering Brady's receivers. | How can you not be? The spread was flirting with 30 points. They won by 10 points. So either Vegas is filled with idiots or this game was a genuine surprise. It's the latter because Belichick decided proving to the world his team could run the ball was more important than lighting up the scoreboards for ESPN. |
| Second down: Think Don, Nick, and the '72 boys should open some of the champagne today for the Dolphins? | Why? That's not what they want. They all want the Patriots to lose. That's the champagne popper. What they might do is pop a bottle of Ripple or some cheap beer. That's all the Dolphins deserve for winning one game. | Why not, because they're not going to have another chance this season. All New England must do is beat the Dolphins and Giants, and they're in. The Dolphins is a gimme, but everyone wonders if the Pats would rest starters for the Giants game. How about the Giants? I think they're more likely to rest people than New England, considering they'd have to play the following week. Anyway, here's to you, Don, Nick and Bob. | Let's not get carried away. The '72 crew is about perfection, and the 2007 Dolphins are about anything but. The 1972 Dolphins should instead focus on helping the 2007 Dolphins somehow upset the Pats next week. Now THAT would be worth toasting to. | Playing trivia at some bar way, way into the future, the name Greg Camarillo will come up. You'll wonder why you know the name. And then you'll remember: He's the guy, despite at first thinking it was Wes Welker, who caught the game-winning TD today. The old guys should pop it open. It would be a classy move, and even a bit subversive to the Pats in a whole "we don't really care anymore" angle. |
| Third down: Should the Browns be thinking division title, not wild card at this point? | Yes. But they will need help. The Steelers do have two road games, one at St. Louis and another at Baltimore. The Browns might be wise to send some bubbly to Ray Lewis and his teammates for New Year's Day weekend. | Yes because they have the easier road than Pittsburgh, which looks mighty fallible lately. The Steelers close with two road games, and one thing we know about Pittsburgh is that it struggles on the road, and now you're telling me it must win in St. Louis and Baltimore? Sorry, but I like Cleveland's chances against Cincinnati and San Francisco better. | I doubt it based on the remaining schedule. Sure, the Browns have games left with the Bengals and 49ers, but the Steelers have St. Louis and Baltimore left. They both should win out. I'd love to see these teams play each other in the wild-card round, though. | Everytime I watch a Browns' postgame conference, I expect Derek Anderson to show up in a black suit and utter the line: We're on a mission from god. Because that's what god would do, influence a football team, not say, fix Darfur. Anyway, the Browns are possessed, the Steelers are battered in key spots. Cleveland will win the division. |
| Fourth down: How unwanted is the No. 4 seed in the AFC since it likely means a first-round date with the Jaguars? | The Jaguars are the one team nobody wants to play. Why? They are big, strong and physcial. The two teams they will likely play in the first round are the Chargers and the Steelers. They beat both. Getting to the No. 3 seed in the AFC would probably be a wise thing to do. | I don't know of anyone less interested in meeting Jacksonville again than the Steelers. Bad enough that their home losing streak was broken, but the Jags ran all over them. Jacksonville demonstrated it can win a big game on the road and do it in miserable conditions -- both of which make them that much more formidable for the playoffs. | No one doesn't want to play a playoff game at home, but the Jaguars are the team with momentum heading into the postseason. Not only would I be nervous if I played them in the wild-card round, but I would be nervous to play them in the second round as well. | That's a bad potential date. This team hits, runs and now passes really well. And that's sort of what football is all about. I still don't like they're lack of a go-to receiver, but that's really nitpicking, which is all you can do with this complete team. |
| Week 15 -- Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007 (Following 4 p.m. ET games) | ||||
| Questions: | Prisco Analysis |
Judge Analysis |
Richard Analysis |
Kay Analysis |
| First down: First down: What the bleep happened in Big D today? | They looked flat. Why? Who knows? The offensive line was handled by the Eagles defensive front. Tony Romo looked unsettled. It just wasn't a good day. | Jim Johnson, that's what. In case you forgot the guy's one of the top defensive coordinators in the game, and he just served up a reminder. He gave New England fits, and he frustrated the league's No. 2 team today. In all fairness Tony Romo was hurting, but who hurt him? That relentless Eagles' pass rush. Jim Johnson, take a bow. | Philadelphia's defense always gives the Cowboys a fight, and it worked out Sunday. Tony Romo was far from his usual self, partially because Terrell Owens didn't come alive until late in the game. This was a defensive, low-scoring gritty battle, and Jim Johnson's crew usually wins those types of games. | The Eagles are a good team, that's what. They've played poorly and been hit with injuries, but this team has a lot of talent and a great coaching staff. Everything sort of clicked for them today while nothing did for Dallas. Sad that Jessica Simpson had to witness that. |
| Second down: How do you like the job Anthony Gonzalez is doing for Indy? | When -- if -- Marvin Harrison gets back in the lineup, Gonzalez will be an extra threat as the third receiver. Gonzalez has been getting better and better without Harrison in the lineup. Peyton Manning really likes the kid. | I love it, but I can't say I'm surprised. I think we all agreed he was the perfect fit for this team as a slot receiver. But the loss of Marvin Harrison has forced him to develop more quickly than any of us expected. If Harrison ever returns the experience Gonzalez has gained in Harrison's absence will benefit the Colts. | It's about time. The rookie had high expectations coming into the year, and it's clear that he's acclimated himself to the NFL game and Peyton Manning's arm. Being the recipient of a missed tackle doesn't hurt, either. | He's showing that he's not your average No. 3 receiver (No. 4 when Marvin's back). He's had excellent numbers three of the past four games, which means Peyton's starting to like him and he's likely a blossoming Fantasy stud. |
| Third down: Lover or hater of the snowy conditions that struck many of the games today? | Hater. I think it takes away from the game itself. It can even things up. It can take the passing game and ruin it, if it's windy, which it was in some spot. Hate it. | I love them. Think of the games you remember most from the NFL. Most of them have weather involved. The Ice Bowl. The Fog Bowl. The Catch. OK, two out of three ain't bad. Anyway, would you rather watch something like we had in Cleveland or take the game into your living room? I rest my case. Football was meant for the outdoors, folks. | I love it. Fantastic way to watch a game (and play in a game). Ever play in a rainstorm before? Tons of fun. Fantasy owners won't agree with me, but from a purely football fan point of view, I love the games where the weather becomes a factor. | Lovin' it ... in small doses. If it was like that every Sunday, we'd get tired of it mucking up the game. But when snow covers the field, like it did in Cleveland, it's beautiful to watch players slip, slide and hydroplane. |
| Fourth down: Tell us something that caught your eye from Week 15. | Fred Taylor. Can somebody please get this guy to the Pro Bowl? The way he ran through the Steelers doesn't happen too often. He had 145 yards and much of it came after contact. | Jacksonville's victory in Pittsburgh. I always thought Jack Del Rio needed to win a big one on the road, and this was that big one. Not only did the Jags beat an opponent that hadn't lost at home; they did it in terrible conditions. They also did it by jamming the ball down a club that is supposed to be impossible to run against. I guess we were wrong. | Brian Westbrook's kneel-down at the Dallas 1 when he could have scored a touchdown will cost people big in Fantasy playoffs. But you have to love it from a football perspective as it clinched a nice win for the Eagles. But it does royally SUCK for Fantasy owners. | We in the newsroom all thought Phil Dawson's 49-yard kick in the Cleveland snowstorm was a. shanked and b. really shanked. Well, the boot, which couldn't have been more than 20 yards high, curved in and hit the support on the goalpost, again! |
Our analysts:
Pete Prisco: Senior writerClark Judge: Senior writer
David Richard: Senior Fantasy writer
Eric Kay: SPiN columnist
