NFL Round Up, Week 15

The Dolphins extended their winning streak to four in a row with a 24-20 win over the New York Jets. Backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels sparked a fourth-quarter rally for the second time in three games by leading Miami to two fourth quarter touchdowns including a game winning 50 yard touchdown strike to Marty Booker. Can we please make him the starting quarterback now?

San Diego beating the Colts and New England trashing Tampa Bay seriously damaged the Dolphins play-off chances but they have not yet been officially eliminated, that will come this weekend. As for now I am officially rooting against the Pittsburg Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers.


Conference Rankings
The NFC East made a jump to the second best record record in the NFL while the AFC North moved up to fourth and the NFC West is now tied with the AFC East for the worst record in football.

AFC West 32-24
NFC East 32-24
NFC South 30-26
AFC North 30-26
AFC South 29-27
NFC North 25-31
AFC East 23-33
NFC West 23-33

Big Game
New England 28, Tampa Bay 0

This game was huge for me on a personal level because I really needed Tampa Bay to win to keep the Dolphins alive in the division race. Unfortunately for myself and all other Bucanners fans Tampa Bay failed to show up.

New England got its first shutout in 36 games, while Tampa Bay was blanked for the first time in 103 games since a 45-0 loss at Oakland on Dec. 19, 1999.
"They have the best quarterback in the league," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "They have a great coach. They have a physical-laden team. They're a handful."

Big Upset
San Diego 26, Indianapolis 17

It happened a week earlier than I thought it would but the Colts streak came to an end on Sunday. The Colts had erased a 16-0 deficit with a field goal and two touchdowns in a six-minute span of the third quarter. But the Chargers went ahead for good on a 49-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding with 6:41 left.

Then Michael Turner clinched it with an 83-yard touchdown run after rookie Luis Castillo sacked Peyton Manning to knock the Colts out of field-goal range.

"I think they're the best team in the football. But all week, we felt we could beat them," said San Diego rookie Shawne Merriman, who had two sacks and forced an important intentional grounding by Manning. "It will always go down in the books, no matter what happened before or after."

Worst Game
Baltimore 48, Green Bay 3

How pathetic are the Packers? Baltimore is a bad offensive team and yet they had their way with Green Bay. Kyle Boller was 19-of-27 for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns before leaving with 8 minutes to go.

"It was a really good win," Boller said. "My teammates, my guys, they allowed me to do that."

It was the low point of an awful season for the Packers, who absorbed their most lopsided loss since a 61-7 defeat at Chicago in 1980.

Looking ahead to next week
Big Game
Indianapolis Colts @ Seattle Seahawks
You will hear possible Super Bowl preview several times this week in association with this game. The Colts will look to regroup after the loss to San Diego and the Seahawks will try to prove that they are the cream of the NFC crop. This should be a great game, I picked the Seahawks several weeks ago and am going to stick with them.
Prediction: Seattle 24/Indy 21

Possible Upset
Minnesota @ Baltimore
The ride is over for the Vikings. Minnesota will be playing outside against what is still a very dangerous defense. Kyle Boller looked like a new man against the Packers, granted it was the Packers, and I think the Ravens can generate enough offense to upset the Vikings.
Prediction: Ravens 31/Vikings 17