Aaron Gordon to Arizona

The #4 recruit in the 2013 class as rated by ESPN, Power Forward Aaron Gordon, (Archbishop Military High School, San Jose, CA) has verbally committed to Arizona. Gordon is the second top 20 recruit and All-American the Wildcats have landed. The other is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a Small Forward out of Chester High School in Chester, PA., rated #16 in the class of 2013 by ESPN. Gordon and Hollis-Jefferson committing to Arizona will fill the voids left by the departure of seniors Kevin Parrom and Solomon Hill. Mark Lyons, the Wildcats star point guard will also be leaving. Gordon had offers from Washington, Kentucky, and Oregon, visiting every school but the latter. With Julius Randle (#3 in ESPN 2013) committing to Kentucky, the chances of being an outright star and playing big minutes in Lexington blue seemed unlikely. With Gordon gone, the lone standing top prospect left unclaimed is Andrew Wiggins (#1 ESPN 2013). Wiggins is still considering where to go, Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida State are all on his list, and Wiggins has visited each school except Kentucky. 

photo from http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/official-espn-high-school-showcase-thread.452794269/

If UConn Were Eligible for the NCAA Tournament...

   The Connecticut Huskies are having a much better season than they were having last year. This comes as a shock because last years team had seemingly everything going for them: defending national champions, Jeremy Lamb was back, Andre Drummond was enrolled at UConn, and Ryan Boatright was the new guy in the backcourt attempting to fill the void led by Kemba Walker. This year they had hardly anything going for them. They did have new freshmen stud Omar Calhoun, but were coming off a season highlighted by lazy, selfish, and uninspired play, Ryan Boatright missing six games due to an NCAA investigation, their legendary coach Jim Calhoun had retired (replaced by Kevin Ollie), were ineligible for all post season tournaments, and Drummond and Lamb were in the NBA.

    But something happened to the UConn Huskies during their “nothing to play for” season: they became a team. With only themselves, the Husky Nation, and their new coach who wasn't even guaranteed a job after this season, Connecticut put together a season so far that resulted in Kevin Ollie getting singed to a five-year extension, energized their fan base, and proved that they were a team that would have to be looked at next year when eligible once more for post season play.

That all being said...the question is, if UConn were eligible this year, where in the NCAA Tournament would the Huskies find themselves?

    As of March 2^nd, the Huskies are 7^th in the Big East Standings. If the standings would hold to the end of the season, the Huskies would be playing on the second day of the conference tournament against against Cincinnati. The two split the season series, both games very close. If UConn would win, they would be slated to play Louisville.

    As for the NCAA Tournament, with a record of 19-10 in the Big East, the Huskies would be putting on their dancing shoes. With an RPI ranking of 45, a BPI ranking of 42, and an SOS of 23, Connecticut has the base qualifications for a tournament bid. Throughout the season they have collected several good wins: vs Michigan State in Germany, at Notre Dame, vs Syracuse, and vs Cincinnati (all teams in the RPI Top 50). Their best performance among those (ranked by the BPI Ranking System) was against then #6 Syracuse at Storrs, 66-58. On the flip side, of those nine loses, seven are to teams in the RPI Top 50. Losses to Louisville and Georgetown in Connecticut, New Mexico and North Carolina State at neutral locations, and Marquette, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati on the road are all quality loses. Loses at St. Johns, at South Florida, and at home against Villanova (their worst loss as rated by the BPI Ranking System) are considered “bad” loses because they are outside the RPI Top 50 (though “Nova” is rated #56 and John's #60, South Florida is rated #127). With the bulk of their wins (15) coming against teams outside the RPI Top 60, the strength of schedule and big wins would be UConn's strengths going into tournament time. When you take everything in: wins, losses, schedule, rankings, I believe the Huskies would be rated as high as a #7 seed, and no lower than a #10 seed and would most likely be seated in the West bracket (Connecticut has not failed to win the NCAA Championship when seated in the West bracket, 3-0).

    If eligible for post season play, I have no doubt that Connecticut would be in the NCAA Tournament, rated no lower than a #10 seed, and would have (depending on their matchup) a decent shot of going to the Sweet Sixteen. Sadly Husky Nation will have to wait another year, and hope their team can finish strong with two games remaining. Finishing 20-10 in a “lost season” isn't bad at all considering how low aspirations were at the beginning of the season. If the entire team returns (and its almost a guarantee it will) the Huskies could be a dangerous team.

Top 5 Teams in The NCAA

At a little over the halfway point in the regular season for college basketball there is a cluster of teams that can lay claim to being one of the top five in the country. If this was a top seven it would be easy, but it's not. That being said, here's my top five teams as of 1/19/13 in college basketball.

1) Louisville

2) Michigan

3) Kansas

4) Duke

5) Florida

Honorable Mention

Arizona

Syracuse

Louisville- This one is obvious. The Cardinals have lost two games so far, to Duke, without their star center, Gorgui Dieng, on a neutral floor, and to Syracuse at the Yum Center (turnovers in the final 30 seconds doom a team). Louisville has beaten Missouri and Kentucky. The pressure their defense exerts on an opposing offense through full-court press and the zone defense around their basket causes turnovers and a shift in the game flow. When that happens, Peyton Siva and Russ Smith take over with the bulk of the scoring. Russ Smith has risen from where he was last year, while Siva has embraced the leaders role on the team and succeeded in it (Smith is averaging 18.9PPG, Siva 11.8PPG). Louisville is the best team in the country until another injury occurs to their starting lineup, or Siva or Smith cool off.

Michigan- The young and feisty Michigan Wolverines were hyped before the season, and with good reason. Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. both returned to the team, while they plugged holes in their team with freshmen Glenn Robinson III, Nik Stauskas, and Mitch McGary. Burke, Hardaway Jr., Robinson III and Stauskas are all shooting over 48% from the field and are all in double figures. Nick Stauskas filled the void of a 3-point shooter on the team, left by the graduation of Zac Novak. Glenn Ronbinson III adds a defensive and rebounding aspect to the team, while McGary is a key player coming off the bench and contributing to one of the nations most explosive offensive teams. Their sole loss was at Ohio State. The Wolverines followed that up with a win at #8 Minnesota. Michigan's success is linked to how often heir offense can score. Their defense isn't the best, but it works for their team strategy. With four players that can score, Michigan is a dangerous team.

Kansas- Without Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, Bill Self has rebuilt his team somewhat through recruiting and have them rolling about halfway through the season. The Jayhawks only loss came to Michigan State on a neutral court, while they have notched wins against a good St. Louis team, Temple, and at Ohio State. Jeff Withey and Travis Releford have stepped up as seniors, while Ben McLemore has become the teams number one scorer as a freshmen. Averaging 16.4PPG, his true coming out game was against Ohio State when he dropped 22 points. Self's teams are disciplined and consistent, which translate to a good team consistently.

Duke- The Blue Devils were pegged as a top five team when Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry both intended on returning to the team, and they haven't disappointed. Plumlee has averaged 17.4PPG and 11.5RPG. Plumlee in double figures on average was what Duke needed, while Curry is averaging 16.9PPG and is looking to be playing more focused basketball than before, shooting his best field goal percentage in his four years at Duke (47.8%). Duke has beaten Louisville (minus Dieng), and has won games against Kentucky, Minnesota, VCU, Temple, and Davidson. Their only loss troubles me though. North Carolina State is a good team, and C.J. Leslie is an NBA first-round pick, but it was the first game Duke had to play without Ryan Kelly. Kelly averages 28.3 minutes, 13.4PPG, 5.4RPG, and was shooting 47.1%. The 6-11 senior is a key component of the Blue Devils team, and they need him if they want the NCAA Championship.

Florida- Billy Donovan has the Gators playing their best defensive basketball since their back-to-back championships. With only two loses on the year, both away games against Kansas State and Arizona, and both single-digit loses, Florida hasn't faltered much this season so far. Florida has wins against Wisconsin, Marquette, and Missouri all at the “O Dome” and all in dominating fashion. The Gators are third in the NCAA in lowest points allowed (51.7PPG) and fifth in the country in opponents field goal percentage (36.3%). Kenny Boyton leads an offense with four players in double-figures, averaging 13.2PPG. With a lock-down defense that turns turnovers into points, and balanced scoring on offense, watch out for Florida come tournament time.

Week 17 NFL Review

Jets at Bills- Two teams that will be doing some movement during the off-season fight for pride. Buffalo has more pride than the Jets do. Sanchez gone, Tebow gone, Rex Ryan gone? At this point the Buffalo Bills look better than the NY Jets, they known who their QB is, they have growing talent, and will certainly aim to acquire more in the off-season. The Jets killed their QB's confidence (though he is weak mentally in my opinion if he his confidence was broken so easily), Tebow wastes a year of his life in a place he didn't belong, and the Jets can't even carry any positives into the off-season.

Dolphins at Patriots- New England needed to win to make sure they didn't fall in the playoff standings, and they did just that: win. Shutting out the Dolphins hardly gets them ready for the playoffs, but they are clicking. The Patriots snag the #2 seed and will get a week off, while Houston has to play.

Ravens at Bengals- Both teams sit their main talent as neither felt the need to try and win this game. The backups make the most of their chances, Bernard Pierce, Tyrod Taylor show off what they have to offer (though Taylor threw an interception that sealed the game for the Bengals) and the fans got to see some young talent on both sides. A good game on the last week of the year and both teams are in the playoffs.

Browns at Steelers- Steelers finish out a disappointing year hampered by injuries and bad playing. This team didn't deserve to reach the playoffs. Cleveland has some young talent, but needs a little more to get going in the right direction.

Texans at Colts- Colts finish strong while the Texans fall once again. Three loses in their last four games. Weeks ago this team was poised to get home-field advantage, now they are the #3 seed and playing next Saturday. The rookie RB for Indy, Vick Ballard put in work, running 27 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, with several of those yards eating up the 4^th quarter clock. Great year for Indianapolis, Chuck Strong and from 2-14 to 11-5, keep it going!

Jaguars at Titans- Another game showcasing two teams with a lot of work to be done in the off-season. Tennessee does something that has never been done in the NFL: return two interceptions and two punts for touchdowns in a single game. Major ups to Zach Brown and Darius Reynaud, Brown returning two interceptions (79 & 30 yards) and Reynaud returning two punts (69 & 81 yards) for touchdowns.

Eagles at Giants- Giants win in a landslide, but are eliminated early on by the Bears winning. Andy Reid loses his job tomorrow, Vick may be gone, Philadelphia is a mess. Eli throws for five touchdowns, but it's against the Eagles...take it for what it's worth at this point in the season.

Bears at Lions- Bears do what they needed to do and that was win. They aren't in the playoffs, but that wasn't because of what they did today. Calvin Johnson comes up short of 2,000 receiving yards, but still has the season record.

Packers at Vikings- AP puts another monster game on his stat sheet, running 34 times (career high) for 199 yards and a touchdown. Sadly, he comes 9 yards short of the record, but sets up the game-winning field goal by Blair Walsh. Walsh is perfect on the year from 50+ (10 of 10). Vikings go to Green Bay to play next Saturday. For the Packers, this isn't the way they intended to start the new year.

,
Buccaneers at Falcons- Falcons don't rest their players, and the outcome isn't as promising as they probably hoped. Freeman throws for four touchdowns, Doug Martin rushes for 142 yards, the Bucs finish their season with a division win and Atlanta may have some doubt as they wait to see who they play in the Georgia Dome.

Panthers at Saints- DeAngelo Williams finally gets the attention he's desired, and makes the most of it! 210 yards on 21 carries is huge for the back out of Memphis. Carolina wins in a shootout and New Orleans year of turmoil and disappointment finally comes to an end. They have their coach back though, and I'm sure next season the Saints will be back in the playoff hunt. Count on it.

Chiefs at Broncos- Win, and home-field is yours. That was exactly what Denver did. Manning throws for 304 and three touchdowns, Kansas City only scores three points. Denver is rolling, having won 11-straight games and now the AFC Playoffs go through the Mile High city.

Raiders at Chargers- Norv Turner may lose his job tomorrow, but his team continues to play for him. The Raiders are one of the many teams that are an internal mess going into the off-season. Chargers hold on to win by three following a late surge by Oakland.

Cardinals at 49ers- With Green Bay losing their game, the 49ers made sure not to leave anything to chance. Michael Crabtree catches eight passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, responsible for the bulk of Kaepernick's 276 yards passing. The 49ers, who were slated to get the #3 seed, now get a week off as they are the #2 seed once again.

Rams at Seahawks- Russell Wilson finishes his first regular season by tying the rookie touchdown record (Peyton Manning), the Seahawks get a seven-point win over the feisty Rams, and Seattle locks down the #5 seed because the 49ers won. Had the 49ers lost, Seattle would be the #2 seed, which would really cast a hard look at that Monday Night Football miracle in Green Bay.

Cowboys at Redskins- A limping RGIII, backed by the amazing Alfred Morris (3rd all-time most rushing yards in a season by a rookie) are NFC East champions on the final game of the regular season. Defense helped win this game, as Tony Romo throws a critical interception with less than 4 minutes remaining in regulation again. Morris caps a stellar season with the game-clinching touchdown and the Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs.

As Expected...So Far

The UConn Huskies have completed their out of conference schedule, and as they prepare themselves to enter Big East play for the final time, the Huskies so far have had the kind of season I expected them to have.

Record: 10-2 isn't bad at all. A win against top 20 ranked Michigan State in Germany to start the year, certainly good. The Huskies lost in the Paradise Jam final to New Mexico, and lost to N.C. State during the Big East/ACC Challenge. Both teams were ranked in the top 20 and both games were single-digit loses, neither a bad loss. Connecticut beat the out of conference teams they were expected to beat, lost to teams they were the underdog in, and scored a top 20 win, again, the record is pretty good.

Team Play: UConn has been playing better than they did all of last year. The necessity to get everyone involved, a new coach, and only themselves to play for (banned from post season play due to academic qualifications not reached), the Huskies have laid the building blocks already for next year. Four players averaging more than 10 points per game (Napier, Boatright, Calhoun, Daniels) this early in the season is translating into success. DeAndre Daniels and Enosch Wolf are playing more minutes than they saw last season, are contributing to the team, and are realizing their potential.

Offense: Going into the season, with the singing of Phil Nolan and the transfer of R.J. Evans, the Huskies had to decide with a new coach how to run their offense. From what has been seen so far, it seems that the Huskies are content running an athletic, fast-paced, but small lineup of four guards and a small forward. R.J. Evans, Omar Calhoun, Ryan Boatright, Shabazz Napier, and DeAndre Daniels has been a dominant lineup for the Huskies offense, but with conference play coming up that may not be the wisest of lineups. The lineup is small and will have a hard time dealing with the size the Big East typically brings. UConn has been out-rebounded in both losses, as well as in seven of their wins (one game out-rebounded by one rebound). Rebounding is a key stat in Big East play, and is parallel to a team's success. The two biggest players on the team need to be more aggressive on the glass and secure more rebounds. Wolf has wanted his time, practiced hard and has earned his shot, Nolan may only be a Freshmen, but he has the size to be the man securing rebounds. Wolf and Nolan sitting at eighth and ninth respectively on the Huskies stat sheet for total rebounds cannot continue.

Streaky Behavior: A trend that has almost cost UConn more than just its two losses, is the habit of going cold during a game. It is unavoidable that a team will go a few minutes without making a basket, no matter who the team is. When this begins to happen, a team must realize that it is happening, remain calm, and make a smart shot. The Huskies have gone on cold streaks that allow an opponent to get back into the game in almost every game this season. This type of trend will be taken advantage of in the Big East, where it, combined with inside presence other teams will have on the small Husky team, could cause the Huskies to feel debilitated. If running the four-guard lineup, Ollie is putting it all on those shooters, conceding the rebounding stat almost entirely. The Huskies still grab rebounds, but in the Big East that lineup will grab far less rebounds.

Know The Killing Blow: A lot of times a killing blow doesn't need to be a 3-pointer or a slam dunk, it doesn't have to be flashy. Staying even with a team for a period of time as they try to climb back into a game is just as effective, and it also uses up the clock. Utilizing the clock, staying with the opponent, and making smart decisions above all else is the way to kill an opponent. I'm all for a showtime dunk on a breakway, go for it if it's open to you, but if a team makes a two, don't think that you need to make a three to compensate.

The Rest of the Season: UConn has 18 games left in their season (9 home, 9 away). This is how I believe their season will shape out:

Jan 1	@Marquette	Win
Jan 8	DePaul	Win
Jan 12	@Notre Dame	Loss
Jan 14	Louisville	Loss
Jan 19	@Pittsburgh	Loss
Jan 27	Rutgers	Win
Jan 31	@Providence	Win
Feb 3	South Florida	Win
Feb 6	@St. John´s (N.Y.)	Win
Feb 10	@Seton Hall	Win
Feb 13	Syracuse	Loss
Feb 16	Villanova	Win
Feb 21	Cincinnati	Win
Feb 23	@DePaul	Win
Feb 27	Georgetown	Loss
Mar 2	@Cincinnati	Loss
Mar 6	@South Florida	Win
Mar 9	Providence	Win

12 wins in 18 games in the Big East would be an amazing accomplishment for this team. The stretch of @ Providence, home against South Florida, @ St. John's, and @ Seton Hall in 11 days is a stretch the Huskies can come away with four wins or at the very least 3-1. If they were to split I would consider the stretch a failure. Anything can happen, and the game isn't settled until the final buzzer sounds, but some games look too impossible to win. Going to South Bend, where the Fighting Irish have lost one game in the last 43 is one of them. If UConn takes that game, it is a monumental win for the program. As would be the case if they were to beat either Lousiville or Syracuse when either of those two visit Storrs. Both of those teams have experience, size, depth, and toughness. Can UConn beat them, of course, will they? Probably not. Cincinnati is another tough team, but I think the Huskies can trade with them on home courts. Ten wins would be an accomplishment as well, spotting the Huskies two bad loses here and there, but I'm hoping the rest of the season goes according to what I've predicted.

Final Thought: So far so good for the Huskies. A Paradise Jam title would've been a great accomplishment for their season, but I can't fault having not lost a bad game yet through nearly half the season. The real season begins now, and it is up to Kevin Ollie and his pack to decide how they will finish out. If everyone returns next season, the Huskies could make a run to the NCAA Tournament when their suspension ends. Until then, Husky Nation will stand by, take it one game at a time, and hope and cheer for the best. GO HUSKY NATION!

Afterthought: Congratulations to Kevin Ollie for receiving a 5-year extension on his contact. I don't know why they did it now of all times (maybe a belated Christmas gift), but this may be the spark the Huskies need. They aren't playing for their coaches job anymore, everyone can relax.

Week 16 NFL Review

Falcons at Lions- Falcons clinch home-field, but Calvin Johnson attains a slew of records, including Jerry Rice's receiving record for a single season. Can Atlanta carry the sudden momentum into the playoffs? Time will tell

Better right now-Falcons

Better @ the end of the season-Falcons



Titans at Packers- Packers left nothing to chance in this one, and is that really a surprise? 55-7 is a surprise, but if you can't stop the offense this will happen. Rodgers throws for three touchdowns and runs one in, now they wait to see what the 49ers do.

Better right now-Green Bay

Better @ the end of the season-Green Bay



Raiders at Panthers- How bad is Oakland? Both teams aren't that great, but at least put up a fight! Cam Newton leads the team in rushing (which can't continue) and scores both touchdowns in the 17-6 win.

Better right now-Draw

Better @ the end of the season-Draw



Bills at Dolphins-Miami can outplay Buffalo, but not many other teams. Tannehill to Bush may be a new combination in the NFL as the two hook up twice today. C.J. Spiller puts in work, running for 138 on 2 carries, but with Fitzpatrick not throwing any touchdowns the Bills can't keep up. 24-10 in a meaningless AFC East game.

Better right now-Miami

Better @ the end of the season-Miami



Bengals at Steelers- Cincy is in the playoffs and Pitt is eliminated. Eliminate a division rival and earn a playoff birth at the same time? Awesome. AJ Green was the only one of the “Cincinnati Three” to perform great, catching 10 balls for 116 yards. Josh Brown kicks the game winner with four seconds left. Enjoy the long off-season Pittsburgh.

Better right now-Bengals

Better @ the end of the season-Bengals



Patriots at Jaguars-Jags gave the Pats an actual game, how many saw that? Henne throws for 348 yards, but three interceptions which factor into New Englands win. The Pats need to play much better, Brady throwing two interceptions and being sacked three times.

Better right now-Patriots

Better @ the end of the season-Patriots



Colts at Chiefs-Chiefs imitate the Jags and give Indianapolis a game. Jamaal Charles, one of the few gems Kansas City has, runs for 226 yards and a touchdown in the close loss. Hillis also goes for 101 yards, Colts have to tighten up majorly on their run defense. Luck throws a touchdown strike to Wayne with under five minutes left in the game and the Colts are in the playoffs...didn't see that coming at the start of the season.

Better right now-Colts

Better @ the end of the season-Colts



Saints at Cowboys-Cowboys fighting for their playoff lives host an offensive showcase with one of the best QB's in the NFL...not a smart way to increase your playoff chances. Both Romo and Brees throw for over 400 yards (446 to 416 in favor of Brees) and over three touchdowns a piece (4 to 3 in favor of Romo). Dez Bryant catches nine passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, Colston catches 10 for 153, Sproles caught seven for 104 yards, and Romo hooks up with 19 seconds left to Miles Austin to tie the game! Garrett Hartley sends the Dallas faithful home sad for the holidays with a 20 yard game-winner in OT.

Better right now-Draw

Better @ the end of the season-Draw



Redskins at Eagles-RGIII maybe shouldn't have played this week. His stats were bland in comparison to the rest of the season. Foles throws it all over the field, totaling 345 yards, but throws only one touchdown (paired with an interception). Today's win is on the Skins defense, grabbing one interception, five sacks, and forcing one fumble (Foles). Andy Reid is employed for one more week unless Santa brings him a coaching job for Christmas.

Better right now-Redskins

Better @ the end of the season-Redskins



Rams at Buccaneers-Things continue to go back for Tampa Bay. Four interceptions thrown by Josh Freeman dooms the Bucs while St. Louis does enough to win.

Better right now-Draw

Better @ the end of the season-Draw



Vikings at Texans- Peterson vs Foster wasn't what everyone wanted. Neither RB was on the top of their game, but Peterson wins the battle, and the Vikings hault Houston's quest for home-field until the final week of the year. Go Peterson, run as hard as you can towards the record!

Better right now-Houston

Better @ the end of the season-Houston



Chargers at Jets-Tebow is out and going to the team he should have been on (Jacksonville) and the Jets start McElroy. This season has been a series of bad choices and PR moves for New York and if they could do it all again they probably wouldn't make the same choices. Shonn Greene runs for two touchdowns and 38 yards, McElroy throws for 185 yards and throws a pick. San Diego is playing for Norv, Rivers passing for two touchdowns in the win. Todays win for San Diego was on their defense, welcoming McElroy to the QB starting spot with 11 sacks! Now if only every team they faced could play like the Jets did maybe the Chargers would be in the playoffs. Both coaches have had nightmare seasons.

Better right now-Draw

Better @ the end of the season-Draw


Browns at Broncos-Manning and the Broncos have no problem with the Browns in Denver. 34-12 Denver, and the Broncos are close to a first-round bye. 339 yards and three touchdowns are added to an amazing year Payton Manning is having. The race for Comeback Player of The Year and MVP is a tight one.

Better right now-Broncos

Better @ the end of the season-Broncos



Bears at Cardinals- The Bears keep pushing towards the playoffs while the Cardinals continue to fall. When you don't have a proven, consistent quarterback, things can turn from worse to a nightmare every week. Larry Fitzgerald isn't in a great situation in “Zona”, while the Bears defense is clicking again even without the face of their defense (Urlacher). 28-13 Bears win in a game that wasn't close.

Better right now-Bears

Better @ the end of the season-Bears



Giants at Ravens- Flacco gets the offense going and it doesn't stop until the clock hits zero. Throwing for 309 and two touchdowns, Flacco didn't turn the ball over, Pierce and Rice both rush for over 100 yards (Pierce with 123, Rice 107) and the Ravens clinch a division title. The Giants are almost out of the playoffs. They need a miracle, and this time that miracle may be too incredible to hope for.

Better right now-Even

Better @ the end of the season-Even



49ers at Seahawks-The Seattle Seahawks may be the most dangerous team in the NFL. No team wants to play at Quest, and if they do, they lose. Russell Wilson throws four touchdowns and 171 yards against a defense that was without Aldon Smith. Lynch rushed for 111 yards on 26 carries, scoring once in a 42-13 beatdown. Seattle clinches a playoff birth, and San Francisco can lose their #2 seed next week if the Packers win.

Better right now-Seattle

Better @ the end of the season-Seattle

Week 15 NFL Review

Bengals @ Eagles- Andy Reid is gone at the end of the year, but a loss against Cincy didn't make things worse. Five turnovers help Cincinnati drop 24 unanswered points on the Eagles and win 34-13. “The Cincinnati Three” each score a touchdown, including Dalton running one in.

Better right now- Cincinnati

Better @ the end of the season- Cincinnati

Giants @ Falcons- If the Falcons are trying to be consistent, now is a good time to start. Shutting out the arguable “best” team in the NFC is a great way to do it. Matt Ryan throws 3 touchdowns, Falcons are close to home-field.

Better right now- Falcons

Better @ the end of the season- Falcons

Broncos @ Ravens- The Broncos all-around offense shows off its talent. The Ravens can't get anything rolling, their defense looks suspect, and their playoff lives are in danger. Denver is moving on and looking for home field perhaps.

Better right now- Broncos

Better @ the end of the season- Broncos

Packers @ Bears- Packers wrap up the division title, now they have their eyes on a bye. The Bears chances of a playoff spot are hurt, nothing got rolling for the Bears today. James Jones scores all three of Green Bay's touchdowns. The Packers need a running game though if they want to win in the playoffs.

Better right now- Packers

Better @ the end of the season- Packers

Redskins @ Browns- Kirk Cousins doesn't blow his start. Throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, Washington isn't out of the playoffs yet.

Better right now- Redskins

Better @ the end of the season- Redskins

Colts @ Texans- Texans lock up the AFC South and now can focus on home-field advantage. Foster runs for 165 yards, Johnson catches 11 for 151 yards and a touchdown. Both teams looked good, no real mistakes on either side, Houston was just too strong.

Better right now- Houston

Better @ the end of the season- Houston

Jaguars @ Dolphins- The battle For Florida between two teams that aren't relevant this year. A field goal is all Jacksonville can muster before Miami drops 24 on them.

Better right now- Miami

Better @ the end of the season- Miami

Buccaneers @ Saints- If the Saints could have played like this all year they would be in contention for the playoffs. Tampa doesn't have a very good day at all. Freeman throws four interceptions and fumbles once, Brees throws four touchdowns in the 41-0 thumping.

Better right now- Saints

Better @ the end of the season- Saints

Vikings @ Rams- AP is MVP. For the second week in a row Peterson runs for over 200 yards. He now has to average just below 150 yards per game in the final two weeks (Texans, Packers) to break the single-season record. GO PETERSON GO!

Better right now- Vikings

Better @ the end of the season- Vikings

Lions @ Cardinals- Arizona returns to what they were in the first four weeks. Beanie Wells runs for three touchdowns, doing the bulk of the offensive work. Two interceptions for the Cardinals (one of 102 yards) seals a 38-10 beat down of the Lions.

Better right now- Even

Better @ the end of the season- Even

Seahawks @ Bills- Seattle is not looking back, they are using the full head of steam they have and going all out every game. 50-17! Wow! Even against the Bills, Seattle is putting the pedal to the metal. Russell Wilson throws one, runs for thee, Lynch runs for over 100 and scores once, and Earl Thomas rubs it in with a 57 yard touchdown interception. The Seahawks are flying high.

Better right now- Seattle

Better @ the end of the season- Seattle

Chargers @ Panthers- Neither team has any playoff chance, but the Chargers have their coaches job on the line...guess they want him gone. Losing 31-7 against Carolina doesn't look good on a season that hasn't gone the least bit your way. Tolbert scores two, Cam throws two, Norv is probably gone at the end of the year.

Better right now- Even

Better @ the end of the season- Even

Steelers @ Cowboys- Both teams can make the playoffs, whoever lost this game would have less of a chance. Cowboys take this one in OT, Pittsburgh's chances in the stacked AFC are weakened. I don't think either team will make the playoffs, but both after today are still in the race.

Better right now- Even

Better @ the end of the season- Even

Chiefs @ Raiders- Another matchup of two down-and-out teams on a day where there were many matchups with winning teams (The most this late in the season ever). Raiders shutout the Chiefs, Sebastian Janikowski makes five of six field goals (20, 50, 57, 30, 47). Jamaal Charles only touches the ball nine times, as the main offensive spark for the Kansas City team, he needs the ball at least 20 times.

Better right now- Draw

Better @ the end of the season- Draw

49ers @ Patriots- What a game! Back and forth, the Patriots go down big, only to come back big in a game that was affected just enough by the weather. A whole lot of turnovers and fumbles in the first half give way to a slew of scoring in the second half. After the mud and grass stopped flying, it's San Francisco coming out on top and all but sealing their 2^nd seed in the NFC playoffs.

Better right now- Draw

Better @ the end of the season- Draw

Jets @ Titans- The Jets looked lost in a game they NEEDED to win to keep any hope of playoffs alive. Sanchez threw four interceptions, the offense was out of sync, and no one could protect the QB. Chris Johnson ripped a 94-yard touchdown run, but only totaled 28 more yards on 20 attempts. This game was terrible, people knew it would be. 

Better right now- Draw

Better @ the end of the season- Draw