Minnesota Vikings 20

New York Jets 29

In a clash of two high profile franchises marred by distracting off-field revelations and disastrous on-field weather conditions, the Jets dominated the early going and forced Minnesota into a pathetic first half effort filled with mental mistakes and ugly execution, only to watch those very same Vikings turn 180 degrees in the second half and stride toward a classic comeback that wasn’t meant to be, ultimately falling a single pass short of heroics as New York staved off a complete collapse.

Brett Favre looked clumsy, shaken, and out of sync in the first half, missing easy throws and letting a torrential downpour dictate the pace, structure, and effectiveness of the Viking offense (if you can call it that).  Minnesota netted only 60 total yards in the first half and produced as many first downs (two) as three-and-outs en route to a kicking exhibition that saw them punt on their first five possessions of the game (before finally turning the ball over on their sixth possession to break the streak).

The only reason the Vikes were even remotely able to stay in the game was the Jets inability to turn the numerous opportunities presented to them into touchdowns.  Despite effective running and big plays from a rejuvenated LaDanian Tomlinson and pitch-perfect, mistake-free football by young quarterback Mark Sanchez (who still hasn’t thrown a pick through five games of action) New York was consistently stifled in the red zone, settling for field goal after field goal and keeping Minnesota within striking distance despite being utterly dominated through the first 30 minutes of play.

That proved to be a costly shortcoming for the Jets as Old Graybeard and the Minnesota passing game woke up after the half  and started turning big plays into big chunks of yards and big scores while New York just kept kicking field goals.  Newly acquired Randy Moss beat Antonio Cromartie (who covered him almost exclusively throughout the game) for a beautiful 34 yard touchdown to spark the Minnesota comeback, then Percy Harvin put on a show, abusing a gimpy Derrelle Revis on multiple catches over the middle and demonstrating his explosive run-after-catch ability in two separate scores in the fourth quarter to bring the Purple People Eaters to within two points of the Jets in the waning minutes of the game.

After a horrible demonstration of clock management by Rex Ryan and Gang Green, the Vikes were gifted with one last chance to march down the field to try to get into field goal range for the win.  But all of Favre’s second half heroics came crashing back to earth in a single play as he coughed up a pick six when it mattered most and gave away both the game and the epic comeback bid with a minute and a half left to play.

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New Orleans Saints  24

In a game that wouldn’t end because the kickers wouldn’t let it, Garrett Hartley hit a 32 yard field goal to push the game into overtime only to miss a 29 yard chip-shot in the extra period, gifting the win to the Falcons and allowing Atlanta to outlast New Orleans and officially end the Super Bowl champs’ honeymoon period.

While the blame for the loss surely rests squarely on the shoulders of the New Orleans kicker (and maybe soon to be ex-kicker), who dropped from Super Bowl hero to ultimate zero in the contest, the Saints as a whole made too many costly mistakes and gave Atlanta too many extra opportunites, ultimately resulting in their demise.

Drew Brees turned in a stellar performance fantasy-wise, going 30 of 38 for 365 yards and 3 scores, but he also tossed two costly picks which helped keeped Atlanta in the game.  Back-up running back Christopher Ivory coughed up a fumble on a fourth and one play that led to a score the other way, and for every positive in New Orleans, like Lance Moore’s first big break out game since last year, where he accounted for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving, and adding a 72 yard punt return that set up another score, there was an equal and inopportune negative that seemed to follow right behind it, keeping the Falcons neck and neck with the Super Bowl champs.

And give credit to Atlanta for capitalizing on those mistakes, grinding out a hard-fought, efficient win in a game in which they played almost flawless football.  Michael Turner and Jason Snelling (who’s really stepped up his game recently) combined for 176 yards on the ground and a score, and Matt Ryan added 26 more yards rushing of his own to push the team total over 200 yards.  The Ryan to Roddy White express continued rolling along as well, as the star receiver caught a touchdown for the second straight week, and even old man Tony Gonzalez turned back the clock, hauling in 8 passes for 110 yards and a score.

All the movable parts in Atlanta were clicking with consistency, countered by the Saints quick-strike, explosive offense that just couldn’t come through in the clutch.  Whether that remains the case over the course of the season or merely forces the Saints to reexamine their kicking options, is still up in the air.  But in a division as tough and contentious at the top as the NFC South, Atlanta drew first blood and sent a message to their divsion rival Saints: they can hang with the Super Bowl champs, they can run at the Super Bowl champs, and they can outlast the Super Bowl champs.

We’ll see how things go down next time between these two rivals Week 16 in Atlanta.

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A marquee match-up featuring two of the most potentially explosive offenses in the NFL actually started out as a slow, sloppy slug-fest but slowly progressed as new life was injected into the Eagles and both offenses started clicking later in the game.

Kevin Kolb’s debut as the man in the post-McNabb era of Philadelphia started out rough and ended up rougher as a lackluster 5 for 10 effort saw him develop more chemistry with the ground than with his top offensive weapons.  Both Brent Celek and DeSean Jackson were held catchless under Kolb’s brief tenure, which mercifully (for the Eagles and fans of shoot ‘em up football) came to an end when he was knocked from the game with a concussion.  Michael Vick then stepped in and stepped up, rejuvenating the Eagles offense on the ground and through the air, and making the game eminently more watchable.

Green Bay didn’t fare much better than Kolb in the early going however, as the top offense in the preseason was bottled up and Aaron Rodgers tossed a pick early leading to Philly’s lone first half score.  Then, Ryan Grant went down in the middle of the second quarter with an ugly ankle sprain after three straight big runs and Green Bay was forced to finally open up the offense and air out the ball.  Both Greg Jennings and Donald Driver hauled in touchdown passes while Jermichael Finley saw constant double teams over the middle, and Brandon Jackson filled in adequately for Grant on the ground, enabling the Pack to build a 20-3 lead before Vick could help the Eagles start to mount a comeback.

But mount a comeback they did, and in exciting fashion, with Vick turning in a vintage pre-prison sentence performance, rushing for over 100 yards and throwing for 175 with all the quickness and burst that was seemingly lacking last year.  Jason Avant had what seemed like a career high in targets and Jeremy Maclin snatched a 19 yard touchdown grab while LeSean McCoy scrambled for a 12 yard touchdown of his own.  The Eagles offense then added a late field goal to climb to within a single score of the Packers before Green Bay’s defense (led by Clay Mathews’ 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble) sacked Vick twice on Philly’s final possession and stopped him in his tracks on a crucial fourth and one to halt the onslaught and end the game.

In a Week 1 full of twists, turns, and upsets galore, one more storyline  adding fuel to the NFL fire is what Vick’s long-term relevance will be in Philly when Kolb’s health returns.  Is there a new quarterback controversy brewing in Philadelphia?  Did Andy Reid and the Eagles organization jettison Donovan McNabb for a bust?  A comeback win here would have cemented a much more compelling case for Vick, but for now, Kolb can rest a little easier as he awaits his return and ponders what Vick might do next week against the lowly Detroit Lions and their woeful secondary if he can’t make it back onto the field in time.

New York 17

at Indianapolis 30

Review: The Jets came out and stuck with the gameplan in the first half, pounding the ball at the Colts undersized defensive line and taking deep shots over the top when Indy started stacking the box.  Mark Sanchez played admirably, hitting a couple of huge bombs to keep the Colts defense honest and actually leading his team to a double digit lead with less than minute to go in the first half before Peyton Manning turned up the heat and put on a show.  With Reggie Wayne shadowed all game by hands-down the best shutdown corner in the league, Manning used the rest of his passing repertoire to exploit the pressure schemes and holes in the zones presented by the Jets.  Overshadowed weapons Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie were the primary benefactors of this attack as they both passed the century mark (151 and 123 yards respectively) and both hit paydirt.  Garcon showcased his elite speed and ballhawking skills, making multiple remarkable over the shoulder catches down the sidelines, while Collie displayed great precision route-running as he worked the middle of the field and made plays in space.  The result was a dominating second half of football turned in by Indianapolis where they forced the Jets to abandon their strengths and play from behind while employing a conservative defensive strategy that kept everything in front of them.  After outdueling the Jets dominating defense, the Colts are now headed to Miami where they’re the odds on favorite to win Super Bowl XLIV.

Minnesota 28

at New Orleans 31

Review: Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.  The Vikings turned in an epic performance of comedic proportions as they put the ball on the ground so often it looked like they decided to play basketball instead of football.  Adrian Peterson muffed a handoff and fumbled two other attempts in a six minute span, three different wide receivers coughed up the ball, and Brett Favre threw two picks (one in the waning moments of regulation) just to drive home the point that you can’t win in January when you turn the ball over.  A game that was actually dominated by the Vikings in terms of plays from scrimmage, time of possession, and actual production, thus turned into an exciting overtime victory for their New Orleans opponents.  Despite their lack of overall production on both sides of the ball, the Saints defense was able to thoroughly knock around the 40 year old Brett Favre (without actually registering a sack) and the offense was able to take advantage of enough of the opportunities presented to them by Minnesota to squeak by with a three point win on the heels of Garrett Hartley’s game winning 40 yard field goal in overtime.  Drew Brees was surprisingly ineffective in the biggest game of his career, putting up less than 200 yards and a completion percentage below 55 percent while being forced to rely on the run after catch ability of his running backs and wide receivers for a majority of his scores and production.  Yet despite all of these shortcomings, the Saints are still Super Bowl bound for the first time in franchise history, and the Vikings are left to wallow in the misery of what could have been as they wait for the faint promise of next year.

New York 17

at San Diego 14

Review:  The only truly competitive 60 minutes of football in the Divisional Round of the playoffs saw the underdog Jets go into Southern California and emphasize the tried and true formula of playing solid defense and establishing the run to escape with a narrow three point victory over the Chargers.  This loss rests squarely on the shoulders of San Diego kicker extraordinaire Nate Kaeding, who choked under pressure multiple times, missing two field goals under 40 yards (and three kicks total) at clutch moments in the game that would have drastically altered the outcome of this contest and the rest of San Diego’s season.  There’s enough blame to go around for all of the Chargers offense however, as they weren’t able to cap off enough drives with touchdowns, weren’t able to convert on third downs to keep drives alive, and routinely got stuffed when trying to run the ball.  This lackluster offensive outing overshadowed the superior effort by San Diego’s defense, who held the Jets in check even when turnovers were giving Gang Green short fields and the time of possession was starting to drastically tip in the favor of New York in the second half.  Jets rookie quarterback (and USC alum) Mark Sanchez was able to march back into his old stomping grounds and come away with an upset victory thanks to his dominant defense and the stellar running of fellow rookie phenom Shonn Greene, who’s stolen the show for New York so far in the playoffs.  The Jets will need Greene and the defense to step up big again as they now go on to face Peyton Manning and the top ranked Colts in Indy to see who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

News and Notes:

Minnesota whooped on Dallas as the Brett Favre to Sidney Rice show was in full effect.  Favre showed that the Cowboys had plenty of holes in their secondary as he burned them for four touchdowns while his own defense was in Tony Romo’s grill all game long.  Felix Jones took over lead back duties from Marion Barber but it wasn’t enough to impact the game, as Minny pulled away big in the second quarter and never looked back.

New Orleans laid a beat down on Arizona and someone finally told Reggie Bush that he’s actually allowed to hit defenders.  Bush looked like a different player and  played like a beast, running over safeties and making guys miss while helping his team score 45 points in the first half alone.  The Saints defense was just as dominant, pasting Kurt Warner multiple times and knocking him from the game.  Tim Hightower started the game with a huge touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Saints responded in a big way and stifled the Cards the rest of the way.

Indy’s win over Baltimore was effortless, as calm, cool, and under control Peyton Manning helped the Colts build a double-digit lead at half time and then let the Ravens unravel the rest of the way.  Joe Flacco threw two picks in the fourth quarter, Ray Rice added a fumble, and the one turnover that the Baltimore defense was fortunate enough to force, it gave right back by fumbling the interception return.  Way too many mistakes for the Ravens to try to overcome as they went out with a whimper instead of a bang.

at Cincinatti 14

Review:  Shayne Graham’s letdowns, Darrell Revis’ blanket-coverage, and Shonn Greene’s continued emergence all combined to compell the Jets to a rough-and-tumble road playoff victory.  Carson Palmer struggled to find open receivers as the Jets took away their only true playmaking wideout and Cedric Benson’s notable 169 yard, 1 touchdown effort went to waste as Cincinnati’s's season ends after back to back home losses against the same New York Jets squad.  With Graham missing two chip-shot field goals (35 and 28 yards respectively), the Bengals were never able to mount a consistent offensive threat after jumping out to a first quarter lead on a touchdown pass to oft forgotten wide receiver Laveranues Coles.  The rest of the game was controlled by the Jets in lock down mode, as their bend but don’t break defense kept the Bengals in check and allowed their poised rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to manage a perfectly executed offensive gameplan while their vaunted two-headed rushing attack of Greene and Thomas Jones did all of the work and damage on the ground.  New York now looks forward to facing the high-fly aerial attack of the Chargers in San Diego in the Divional Round next week.

Philadelphia 14

at Dallas 34

Review:  After a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys exploded for a team playoff record 27 second quarter points and took control of the contest en route to another blowout victory over their rival Philadelphia Eagles.  In a game eerily mimicking Dallas’ dominant Week 17 performance in the prequel to this match-up, Tony Romo continued his red hot play as he exploited holes in the Eagles’ secondary and threw off his “choke under pressure” moniker while leading the Cowboys to their first playoff win in over 13 years.  In a rivalry filled with hatred and history, it’s no surprise that this rugged NFC East match-up ended up being the most penalized game in NFL playoff history.  Both sides got chippy and took cheap shots early and the rough and tumble atmosphere continued throughout the contest.  This was to the marked disadvantage of Philadelphia though, as their miscues, mistakes, and turnovers led to an ultimately insurmountable half time deficit, and a hole that the inaccurate Donovan McNabb and the still gimpy Brian Westbrook were never able to dig themselves out of.  Even star wideout and big-play specialist DeSean Jackson was held in check and unable to help his team take advantage of multiple Dallas turnovers and penalties in the second half that could have threatened to let the Eagles back into the game.  With Philly’s season now over, their quarterback situation for 2010 is up in the air, while Dallas has more pressing concerns, facing Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in the Metrodome next week.

Baltimore 33

at New England 14

Review:  In easily the most stunning showdown of the first round, the Baltimore Ravens went into Foxborough and manhandled the New England Patriots on their home turf to the tune of an embarrassing blowout that could have been even worse than the final score actually revealed.  Superstar running back Ray Rice set the tone from the first play of the game as he took a basic inside handoff 83 yards to paydirt on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage.  Mr. Clutch Tom Brady then followed that impressive display with an absolutely abysmal early game performance, getting sacked and stripped on New England’s first possession then coughing up two more interceptions before the Pats could even escape the first quarter.  The Ravens went with an ultra conservative attack after building an impressive 24 point lead in the opening frame, pounding the rock on almost every down.  Brady did his best to rally the troops for a comeback, but a pair of touchdown passes and a third interception weren’t enough to even pull the Pats within striking distance in the second half.  While the absence of Wes Welker was readily apparent in this contest, it was actually standout wide receiver Randy Moss who was the glaring player missing in action for most of the game.  The ultra talented pass catcher played without fire or enthusiasm, and his lackluster routes and subpar effort limited New England’s big play opportunities and quick strike capabilities, making a comeback virtually impossible.  Baltimore now moves on to face reigning MVP Peyton Manning and the top ranked Colts in the second round.

Green Bay 45

at Arizona 51

Review:  The highest scoring game in playoff history was an all out barn burner, as the repeat performance between the Packers and the Cardinals needed overtime to decide.  Both defenses decided to help focus on turnovers and scoring instead of stopping their opponent, and Arizona led the way, making Green Bay cough the ball up on their first two passing plays (one interception, one forced fumble).  The Cards transitioned those early miscues into a commanding 17 point lead in the first quarter as they fed off the energy of the crowd and constantly harassed Rodgers in the backfield.  The Packers then returned fire when a Larry Fitzgerald fumble resulted in their first touchdown of the game, and these two heavyweight passing attacks then traded blows for the remainder of the game.  Both Rodgers and cagey vet Kurt Warner totaled 5 touchdowns each in this shoot-out of epic proportions and a late push by the dynamic downfield offense of the Packers had this game tied late in the fourth.  After Arizona missed a gimmie field goal in the waning seconds of regulation and Green Bay won the toss in overtime, it looked like the Packers would actually have a chance to stage one of the greatest playoff comebacks of all time.  But Karlos Dansby would have none of it:  after a questionable hit on Rodgers forced a fumble in the extra session, Dansby scooped up the loose ball and took it to the house, fittingly ending the most offensive-oriented playoff game ever with the exclamation mark that was a defensive score.  Sure to be regarded as an instant classic, this impressive victory propels the Cardinals into the hands of another prolific offense in the Divisional Round, that of the waiting New Orleans Saints.

Majestic Realty’s managing partner John Semcken came out recently with a statement specifically identifying their first two targets in this new invigorated relocation campaign:  The Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Both of these teams meet a set of monetary and performance indicators that make them suitable and willing candidates for a possible transfer to the West Coast:  both franchises are underperforming financially, they’re both located in small media markets with limited national exposure and funding, and they both have virtually no chance of getting new, expanded, or updated stadium contracts anytime soon.

There have even been widespread rumors on more than one occasion that the Buffalo franchise is unofficially for sale and that the Bills could be acquired lock, stock, and barrel for the right price.  Lending credence to these rumors is the the fact that Buffalo has even started to play some of their home games in Toronto in an effort to expand their fan-base beyond the limited confines of upstate New York and gauge potential outside interest in the team.

With the Stadium Project’s previous contention that it would be a necessity to obtain a controlling interest in whichever NFL franchise agrees to relocate to Los Angeles, Buffalo would seemingly fit the bill in all regards.

Also meeting the Los Angeles financiers’ specific requirements for relocation are the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Like Buffalo, Jacksonville has been struggling amid stiff competition with other in-state rival teams for local attention, funds, and fanbase.  One of a number of monetarily underperforming franchises, Jacksonville has consistently faced local media blackouts due to insufficient attendance at games and they have no real prospects at increasing their profitability without some kind of new or updated stadium (which is a virtual impossibility) or a potential relocation to a larger market like the one Los Angeles offers.

With the Bills and the Jaguars meeting all of their ideal preset requirements, Majestic Realty has singled them out as the top two priorities from the list of the seven original franchises that were targeted for relocation: a list that still also includes the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and St. Louis Rams.

While the Stadium Project’s plan is to exhaust all possible avenues with Jacksonville and Buffalo before seriously pursuing negotiations with any of the other remaining five franchises, that approach could quickly and easily change with the alteration of some of the surrounding circumstances.

The NFL owners recently voted to void the continuation of the league’s revenue sharing policy, meaning smaller market, lower earning teams will face even further financial burden and strain starting in 2010 because they’ll no longer be subsidized by the big ticket, top dollar squads.

This will cause the potential loss of millions upon millions of dollars for lesser NFL franchises, especially those like the Minnesota Vikings who were one of the program’s biggest financial benefactors.

With an estimated loss of between five and twenty million dollars in annual revenue from the program, the Vikings ownership has recently been provided with a huge motivating factor to consider entering into the relocation sweepstakes for a possible move to Los Angeles.

And since the Minnesota organization is in the bottom echelon of earning and attendance, located within a small market which has a stadium contract expiring in 2011 and no real replacement in place, the Vikings meet all of Majestic Realty’s preset requirements as well.

However, since Minnesota is still currently involved in live game action in the playoffs, the franchise would likely be unable and unwilling to risk entering into costly relocation negotiations that could affect income and attendance figures in the post season.  Thus, the Stadium Project would be wise to wait until Minnesota has been eliminated from playoff contention before expanding the list of targeted priority franchises to three.

Even the San Diego Chargers still remain a viable back-up plan and dark horse candidate if no deal can be reached with the top three most likely options.  Obtaining the Chargers however would require a substantial buyout to release them from their current stadium’s contractual obligations, and this significant extra investment of capital would probably only be considered if all of the more cost-effective relocation efforts with other franchises reached an impasse.

While the steam may finally have picked up on the football front in Los Angeles and the field is finally being narrowed to a select and realistic few, there’s still plenty of work to be done and plenty of stumbling blocks to avoid before the return of the National Football League to Los Angeles once again becomes a reality.

But it’s getting close.

Chris Henry

A supremely talented but often disturbed football player who had recently gotten his life back on track after multiple miscues early in his career was lost to us recently as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry passed away after sustaining massive head injuries during a fall from a truck while involved in a domestic dispute.

Henry was infamous for his early career run-ins with the law and mulitple arrests that almost cost him his future in football and actually led to NFL imposed disciplinarly action on more than one occasion.

Originally part of the ill-advised, ill-mannered, and criminal element that seemingly permeated from the Benglas organization in recent years to make the team the butt of illegal conduct and activity jokes, Henry had worked hard this year to turn his life and reputation around both on and off the field.

He was helped in this venture by his fiancee Loleini Tonga, who he often credited as being the driving force behind his redemptive efforts and a positive presence in his life.

Unfortunately, the same inspiration that may have  helped save Henry’s life may also have helped take it.

Henryand his fiancee reportedly got into an argument at her family home outside of Charlotte and Tonga drove off.  As she did, Henry jumped into the back of the truck and continued the argument by pounding on the back window for half a mile before falling out and suffering a severe head wound that ultimately proved to be fatal.

While Tonga hasn’t been arrested or cited for her role in Henry’s death and the tragic and unusual circumstances that led up to it, the poilice are still currently conducting an investigation into the matter.

No matter what happens, Henry’s apprent regression back to his old confrontational ways has already caused untold grief and pain to the people that surround the couple, most notably their three young children, not to mention the legions of friends, family, teammates, and fans that Henry had.

As we are all confronted by yet another prominant and tragic NFL death with causes tied so closely to personal relationship issues on the heels of Steve McNair’s death early in 2009, the question of how hard it is to conduct, maintain, and process personal and romatic problems on an NFL scale and stage is raised.

With fame and fortune, status and celebrity, travel and physique, the life of an NFL player is riddled with opportunities for personal  misconduct, complications, and mistakes.

Not only in the physical transgressions that are so often made, but also in the detatchment that is experienced by so many players from their personal support structures for such long periods of time.  And the 24 hour mental and emotional  focus and investment that football requires during the season so that players sacrifice significant portions of the time, energy, and effort that should be spent personally.

Where young men are thrown into the lights and cameras and money and action and taken away from everything and everyone that has the potential to ground them for weeks and months on end, dysfunction and tragedy are sure to follow.

The best we can hope to do in this warped and corrupting system is minimize the effects of this lifestyle by substituting those missing support structures in locker rooms and club houses around the league by providing some sort of emotional outreach and counseling programs.

In their approach of focusing solely on the bodies and actions of modern day players to determine their readiness and well-being, the NFL overlooks and ignores the mental and emotional states of its constituency.

And while we demand 100 percent from every player that steps on the field in every game, we don’t respond in kind.

It’s time the league started giving something back to these battered and bruised players besides paychecks and bandages so that maybe in the long run we can help the next Chris Henry work through his problems before he dies as a result of them.

Andre Johnson

New England 27

at Houston 34

Review: The Houston Texans eeked out a victory, secured their first winning season in franchise history, and gave themselves a shot at a playoff berth by coming up with a furious finish in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots reserves.  The Pats watched in horror as their most reliable, tried-and-true wide receiver Wes Welker tumbled into a heap while making a sharp cut after his first catch of the game early in the first quarter.  The rest of the New England starters stayed in the game until late in the second quarter and held their own against a hungry and desperate Texans squad but were pulled after a fumble at their own goalline and replaced with second-stringers.  From that point on, Houston was able to move the ball but still tried to give the game away with a string of missed field goals, miscues, and turnovers before rallying to score 21 points in the final five minutes of the contest to win the game and leave their mark on the 2009 season.

What You Saw: The New England Patriots bid at another Superbowl appearance took a significant hit when Welker tore two ligaments in his knee and was helped off the field after playing less than one quarter of a meaningless game with no playoff implications for the Pats.  While New England has a decent young back-up in rookie wideout Julian Edelman, it’s going to be hard to replace the poise, presence, and consistency of Welker come crunch time.

What You Missed: Arian Foster continued his two game hot streak, putting up 119 yards and 2 touchdowns while running hard, pushing piles, and playing with power.  After a solid showing against a stout Miami defensive front last week, Foster may have cemented a place on the 2010 roster with his late game performance against the Pats.  Not bad for a guy who wasn’t even on the active roster until the final month of the season.

News and Notes:

Anquan Boldin suffered ankle and knee injuries during Arizona’s abysmal loss to the Packers.  He had an MRI and his prospects for playing Green Bay in the playoff rematch aren’t good.  With the way this guy plays through pain though, don’t count him out just yet.

Chad Ochocinco tweaked his knee during the Bengals shutout loss at the hands of the Jets.  He had an MRI as well but is expected to be fine for his playoff rematch against Gang Green.

Donnie Avery suffered a concussion as the Rams secured the number one overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft by losing to the 49ers.  His prospects for next year are fine though.

Lightning fast running back and fantasy stud Chris Johnson broke the 2000 yard rushing barrier during Tennessee’s Week 17 win over the Seahawks.  If not for a 62 yard run called back by a holding penalty, he would have threatened the all time mark.

Denver 27

at Philadelphia 30

Review: A game between two playoff contenders that started out sloppy turned into a scoring contest that Philadelphia was fortunate enough to hold on and win. After trading turnovers in the first quarter, the Eagles went on to score on their next four straight possessions to build a double digit half-time lead. Denver responded by forcing a turnover to start the second half then dominating the third quarter on the back of their pressure defense and Kyle Orton’s short passing game to get back into the contest. Both defenses tightened up in the final quarter, forcing a combined four straight punts to start the fourth before Denver tied the game late only to watch David Akers and the Eagles win it at home in the waning seconds of the game.

What You Saw: Correll Buckhalter was clearly the more effective Denver running back, breaking off a huge 33 yard run before getting sidelined by an injury suffered on special teams. Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno flashed great potential early in the season but seems to have hit a rookie wall, averaging just two yards a carry against Philadelphia’s admittedly staunch defensive front. Also, Kyle Orton’s weak armed passing attack was on full display, as he posted a paltry 189 yards passing despite tossing the rock 41 times (and completing 27 passes). That’s an embarrassingly abysmal 4.6 yards per attempt average.

What You Missed: In his first full game action back after suffering multiple signficant concussions, Brian Westbrook was tossed immediately into the fray and fire, collecting more touches (11) and being on the field for more plays (23) than any other Philly running back. When healthy, Andy Reid and the Eagles rely on the versatile Westbrook as the focal point of their offense, and they showed great trust and faith in his health and ability by giving him so many looks straight out of the gate. His role in the offense should only increase heading into the playoffs.

News and Notes:
Brandon Jacobs left the Giants blowout loss to the Panthers with a knee injury. He had the knee scoped and is out for Week 17 so Ahmad Bradshaw will get the start.

Steve Smith broke his left radius during Carolina’s win over New York and is out for the season. His long term prospects are just fine though for you dynasty leaguers out there.

Pierre Thomas left the Saints surprising upset loss to Tampa Bay at half time with a rib injury. His X-rays came back negative but he’s unlikely to suit up for the Saints in their regular season finale now that New Orleans has clinched the number one seed in the NFC.

Julius Jones re-aggravated his rib injury and hurt his ankle during Seattle’s blowout loss to the Packers. He’s questionable for Week 17 and Justin Forsett should see some much deserved increased action.

The Drew Stanton experiment failed miserably in Detroit as the young quarterback was pulled in the fourth quarter after throwing three picks and fumbling once. Duante Culpepper will likely start the Lions final game of the season.

Ironman receiver Hines Ward aggravated his hamstring in Pittsburgh’s win over the Baltimore Ravens. He’s in danger of missing Week 17.

Ricky Williams missed most of the second half of the Dolphins loss to Houston after injuring his shoulder. The Miami focal point has practiced this week though and is likely to start against Pittsburgh.