-But first, some Thursday night thoughts:
+Watching the Jaguars O-line blow open huge holes in the Colts defense for Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings to run through in the first half, I couldn't help but feel that on this particular night, with the Colts having locked up home field advantage through the playoffs, the Jacksonville wanted it more than Indy....I was wrong.
Make no mistake, this was a statement game for Peyton Manning who stayed in for all of it. He doesn't want to be rested, and he is going to do everything he can to lead the Colts to a perfect season.
Perfect, that's what Manning was in the first half, completing all 13 of his passes. He wasn't much worse in the second, finishing with four touchdown passes, including a 65-yard beauty to Reggie Wayne for the winning touchdown, and 308 yards passing.
Whether Jim Caldwell and the Colts coaching staff allow Manning and the rest of first-teamers to chase the perfect season by letting them play is still up in the air, but if Thursday's game was any indication, Caldwell seems ready to break with the Tony Dungy school of thought of resting his starters for the playoffs.
+Jacksonville still have shot at the post-season, but their losses to the Dolphins and now the Colts have been real heartbreakers. If they don't make it in, their biggest question this off-season will be about the quarterback position and if the incumbent, David Garrard, is their future.
The thing about Garrard is that he is tantalizingly close to being the real deal. Backed by an excellent running game, he managed the Jaguars offense well through the whole game, and threw three touchdowns of his own.
But with the game on the line, with under two minutes left, he wobbled. He overthrew a pass, and missed a wide open Mike Sims-Walker. He then put too much air under a pass for Mike Thomas which Jacob Lacey intercepted to effectively end the game.
Garrard is now 31 and has 8 years of NFL experience under his belt. Yet, for the past two years, his quarterback rating has hovered in the 80s, begging the question: will he ever be able to lead the Jaguars to victories over elite teams?
That's a question the power people within the Jaguars franchise are going to think about long and hard this offseason.
-How I did last week: 12-3
The big week I needed. Could have been even better had I gone with my gut, and not my fear of the “Bengals Jinx” (not a proper jinx, just my inability to pick a Bengals game right all year.)
-Record on the season: 54-34
Cowboys at Saints: What's been lost in all the “Cowboys in December” talk, is that Dallas actually played well last week, barely losing to the Chargers, possibly the hottest team in football right now. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, you don't get style points in the NFL; just ask the Saints, who have clung on by the skin of the teeth to their unbeaten record the last two weeks. For the 'Boys, this is not just another extremely tough match up: this December thing has got in their heads. Saints.
Dolphins at Titans: This could turn out to be one of the best match-ups of the weekend, with both teams battling for their playoff lives. Both teams are hot too, the Dolphins having won 5 of 7 and the Titans 6 of 7. Vince Young is questionable for this one and whether he plays or not could be the difference. Dolphins in a nail-biter.
Falcons at Jets: The Jets have had a mini revival of late, winning three after losing six out of seven. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez will return, but the Jets won't look to him to win the game for them. The last three weeks they have relied on their running game and defense and don't expect that to change Sunday. With Matt Ryan and Michael Turner doubtful for the Falcons, the Jets brand of “December football” will rule the day. Jets.
Browns at Chiefs: My only thought about this game: apart from Brady Quinn's parents, who's going to be watching? Chiefs.
49ers at Eagles: It's easy to say the Cardinals gave the 49ers a win last week by turning the ball over 7 times, but you can't entirely ignore the defensive effort San Francisco put in, from the violent ball-seeking hits of safety Dashon Goldson to the great coverage in the secondary of Tarell Brown and co. Can they shut down another extremely explosive offense in Philly? Well, maybe to some degree, but not enough to win the game, the Eagles just have too many weapons. Eagles.
Packers at Steelers: Things can't get much worse for the defending champs. Five losses in a row, including losses to the Chiefs, the Raiders and last week, the Browns!?! Well, the impressive Packers won't provide any respite for them this week, as they will need to win just as badly as the Steelers to keep pace in the NFC wild card race. Packers.
Patriots at Bills: Will the Patriots finally win a game on the road this season? Despite their defensive frailties and all the fuss surrounding Randy Moss and his supposed lack of effort against the Panthers, the Patriots still lead the AFC East (which, by the way, has probably been the closest of all the divisions the last two seasons) by one game. The Bills will make it difficult for them, just as they did earlier this year, but New England just can't afford to lose ground in the division race. I expect their star players (Moss included) to carry them through. Patriots.
Texans at Rams: The Texans haven't had much difficulty dealing with struggling teams this year, as their shellacking of the Seahawks last weekend proved. The Rams shouldn't be a problem, it's AFC South teams Houston can't beat (they're 1-5 in division games this year, 5-2 against everyone else). Texans.
Cardinals at Lions: The Cardinals have been inconsistent all year, as the last two weeks have perfectly illustrated (first, they thrash the Vikings, then they don't show up against the Niners). I don't think they'll have two horrible performances in a row though, and that's what would need to happen for the Lions to prevail here. Cardinals.
Bears at Ravens: The Bears have nothing left to play for, while the Ravens very much do. Add on the fact that Chicago has a porous O-line and a struggling quarterback. In front of its fans, Baltimore's D will be at its intimidating best. Ravens.
Bengals at Chargers: The tragedy of Chris Henry's passing will be on every Bengal mind on Sunday when they take the field. They'll want to win this one for him really badly, but the Chargers are just too good with their 'basketball player' receivers, gunslinger quarterback Philip Rivers, and underrated defense. The Bengals have the best cornerback tandem in the league, Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph, which gives them a chance, but their offense will struggle to keep up with the Chargers. Chargers.
Raiders at Broncos: JaMarcus Russell's stock is so bad right now that, despite Bruce Gradowski's injury, Charlie Frye will start against the Broncos. Don't know who that is? No need to apologize, Frye is hardly a household name, despite already playing for three NFL teams in his young career. Moreover if Frye gets injured, I wouldn't be surprised if Tom Cable turns to J.P. Losman, signed this week from the UFL, ahead of Russell. If the embarrassment of his current position in the QB pecking order doesn't drive to Russell to work harder and learn his playbook, nothing ever will. Broncos.
Buccaneers at Seahawks: Neither team has anything left to play for, so this one will simply come down to who wants it more, and maybe the fact that Seattle is just a little bit better. Seahawks.
Vikings at Panthers: The Vikings bounced back strong against the Bengals last week. Because the Packers are still on their heels, they also have something to play for. Minnesota's run D should stop DeAngelo Williams, meaning this might be another torrid, mistake-filled day for Carolina beleaguered QB Jake Delhomme. The Vikings ball-hawks will be circling...Vikings.
Giants at Redskins: Upset of the Week: Call me naïve, but I truly believe that the Redskins have been far better than their 4-9 season this year, particularly in the last few weeks. Washington knows that with a victory they could effectively end the Giants playoff hopes, and they would love to take some of their season's frustrations out on New York. Redskins.
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