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NFL Week 15 Best Highlights of the Games 2009
Its time for the NFL highlights for Week 15. 2009 is almost coming to its end and the playoff race is becoming alot more interesting. With two weeks remaining in the NFL's regular season, there are still dozens of scenarios that will put teams in or out of the playoffs.
Week 15 was supposed to be an easy caper for the playoff-bound teams in the NFL. Minnesota, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis were all looking to get in, do their job, and get out--unscathed and without too much gun play. Only two of these teams (Philly and Indy) actually escaped with a win. You could say upsets highlight Week 15 in the NFL.
Thanks to NFL.com for many of the great pictures you will see here.
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Perennial AFC South Champs Take A Moment of SIlence
Indianapolis Colts 35
Jacksonville Jaguars 31
The Jaguars are longer in control of their playoff destiny. They not only need to win out, but they need help from other teams.
Head coach Jim Caldwell was heard saying . .
“This was an old-time shootout at the OK Corral. It was a heck of a game and our defense did a nice job of holding (Maurice) Jones-Drew. . . . He was awfully impressive, but we were able to slow him down when it counted.
What about that 65 yard game winning touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne? Here is what Peyton Manning had to say about it ..
“We haven’t gotten him the ball probably as much recently as we’d like. I will say he’s dictating a lot of coverage. He is drawing a lot of attention. You still want to get him the ball but his presence is allowing some other guys to be open. Jacksonville really had pretty good coverage on the play. They were in sort of a double-coverage and we had good protection on the play, which helped. That allowed me to hold the ball for a little bit and put the safety sort of in that in-between position where I had (Austin) Collie going down the middle and Reggie down the sideline. What a great job by Reggie getting into the end zone.”
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Cowboys Hand Saints First Loss
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A Superdome Moment For Chris Henry
Dallas Cowboys 24
New Orleans Saints 17
Tony Romo needed to win a game he wasnt supposed to win.
The New Orleans Saints no longer have to worry about an unbeaten season. And they have the Cowboys to thank for that.
Despite Saturday’s loss, securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed is within reach for the Saints. With Minnesota loss on Sunday night, the Saints need to beat either Tampa Bay or Carolina to secure the top seed.
To put it simply, Tony Romo was spectacular. He was by far the best quarterback on the field Saturday night despite competing against an MVP candidate on the other sideline. Romo completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown and still hasn't committed a turnover this month. His 49-yard touchdown strike to Miles Austin (seven catches, 139 yards) set the tone. Romo created several key plays with his elusiveness, whether it was scrambling for a first down or buying extra time to find open receivers.
Nick Folk leads the NFL with 10 misses, going 18 of 28. Several misses have hurt the Cowboys' chances late in games. The Cowboys held on regardless but it was a bad miss from Folk, and he paid for his latest error as he was then cut by the Cowboys.
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The Patriots Organized Chaos
Pass Interference
New England Patriots 17
Buffalo Bills 10
The Patriots keep tight grip on the AFC East. They won their first road game on this side of the Atlantic this season.
The Bills were undone by 11 penalties for 124 yards, including a pair of pass-interference calls that set up New England’s first two scores, as they were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Tom Brady went 11 of 23 for a season-worst 115 yards, with a 13-yard touchdown to Randy Moss and an interception, but Moss had his most yards receiving in five games. Moss had five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown
Credit the Patriots defense, which limited the Bills to 241 yards – and only 94 in the second half – while playing without defensive line starters Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren.
With the win, and losses by the Jets and Miami, the Patriots have all but assured themselves of an AFC East crown, and just need to beat Jacksonville or Houston to make it official.
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Browns Run Over the Chiefs
Brady Hands Off
Cleveland Browns 41
Kansas City Chiefs 34
The second best game of the week (besides the Pittsburgh, Green Bay game), as far as entertainment value, was shockingly the Cleveland, Kansas City contest. A game between two teams destined to hold top-five draft picks in the 2010 NFL Draft turned into a quite a game, where 75 points were scored between the two teams.
The Browns Joshua Cribbs returned two kickoffs for touchdowns to set an NFL career record. And then there was Jerome Harrison,coming into week 15 he had just 88 carries for 301 yards and no touchdowns on the season. But on Sunday, he nearly surpassed his total yards rushing this season, as he carried the ball 34 times for 286 yards and two touchdowns. The 286 rushing yards broke a Browns franchise record held by all-time great Jim Brown (1957)
Browns Chiefs Highlights Week 15
jilted jets
Atlanta Falcons 10
New York Jets 7
Matt Sanchez passed for 226 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Braylon Edwards caught a 65-yard first-quarter touchdown pass, and Thomas Jones gained 52 yards on 19 carries.
Matt Ryan completed just 16-of-34 passes for 152 yards, but his offense was aided by a stingy defense.
Jay Feely missed a pair of field goals, one of them blocked and Sanchez tossed three interceptions, the final one floating into the hands of Grimes that ended the game. Despite gaining just 238 yards of offense the Falcons managed to capitalize on New York’s mistakes to pick up the road win.
A late touchdown catch by Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez crushed the Jets -- but they still have a chance to make the playoffs.
Rex Ryan ‘‘I thought we had to win out, That’s it. I had no idea. All the scenarios. But one thing I want to make sure that everybody is clear on. Throwing in the towel is not who I am, and that isn’t who this football team is. We ain’t quitting. I don’t care if we haven’t won a game"
Wide receiver Braylon Edwards said the Jets have stubbed their foot enough to "last a lifetime" and had better getting clicking on offense if they want to win.
The Jets would have to beat the Colts in week 16; the Jaguars would have to lose to the Patriots; the Dolphins would have to lose to the Texans and either the Ravens lose to the Steelers or the Broncos lose to the Eagles.
Not Again
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And they Remember Chris In St. Louis
spag at work
Houston Texans 16
St Louis Rams 13
Sunday at the Edward Jones Stadium the Texans won for two simple reasons. The first one is that they have wide receiver
Andre Johnson and the second reason, the Rams do not have wide receiver Andre Johnson.
The Rams are 1-13 on the season, 1-23 in their last 24 games, 3-27 over the last two seasons, and 6-40 over the last three seasons. The numbers may be miserable but if you are a Houston Texan, a team with a stronger, deeper and more talented roster you have to be asking yourself how is it that coach Gary Kubiak could not get the Texans to play as hard as Steve Spagnuolos undermanned Rams.
It has been suggested to Steve Jackson that he should shut down his sore back for the rest of the St. Louis Rams' season. "It has been whispered in my ear, and that's from people on my side looking out for what's best for my future, but I love to play,'' Jackson said. "I only have two more games to play this season. I'm just going to gut it out.''
"We came out here and played hard," Rams defensive end Chris Long said. "That's our job, but we have to win, too. We have to stick together. Nobody is going to pack it in. That is not what this team is about."
Its the 4 Pillars of Spag that these guys are hanging their helmuts on. Faith, character, core values and team first.
Richie Incognito released by the Rams last week. Was anyone surprised that he had three penalties
for 30 yards in his debut with Buffalo, in just another bout of ugliness that
immediately validated Spagnuolo's decision and his pillars.
Steve Spagnuolo is a coach St.Louis is lucky to have. No one needs to remind a NY Giant fan in week 15 what it means to have a coach like this on your sideline.
I think it tells us why the Rams continue to play harder than most teams would if similarly trapped in a 1-13 season. I think Rams players do it out of respect for Spagnuolo. They don't want to let a good man down.
Steve Jackson
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Lounging Around
Miami Dolphins 24
Tennessee Titans 27
The Dolphins have been coming from behind all season, and they did it again Sunday before losing in overtime at Tennessee.
Once again Vince Young showed us how far he has come as a passer, firing all three of the Titans' touchdowns. Each game he is proving his talent is what made him such a high draft pick back in 2006. Chris Johnson finished with 159 yards from the line of scrimmage, which keeps him right on track to break Marshall Faulks record of 2,429.He finished with 159 yards from scrimmage, bringing his season total to 2,176, which keeps him on pace to break Marshall Faulk's record of 2,429. He is now the 8th player with 9 straight games of at least 100 rush yards and he is 375 yards away from Eric Dickersons record of 2,105 in a single season.
Chad Henne played well on occasions, demonstrating the strength of his arm, but his performance will be remembered for his three interceptions, each one of them was costly, but it was the third, in overtime, that allowed the Titans to kick the winning field goal.
The next two weeks are crucial for both teams as both teams now join four other AFC sides at 7-7. Although their faint playoff hopes rely on either the Ravens or the Broncos losing, it is still very possible for them to sneak in, and they need to win out to stay alive in the race.
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Cardinals Capture NFC West Crown
Culpepper
Arizona Cardinals 31
Detroit Lions 24
The Arizona Cardinals blew a 17-point lead to the lowly Detroit Lions and needed to make a pressure-packed play in the closing minutes to avoid an embarrassing defeat.
On their game winning drive the Cardinals went 58 yards, gaining 34 yards on Beanie Wells' run, and Boldin broke two tackles on a third and 3 to score to give Warner two TD passes. Kurt Warner was 23 of 37 for 233 yards with two TDs and an interception.
Daunte Culpepper, started for the injured Matthew Stafford, and he completed half of his 12 passes for 64 yards with an interception and was benched in the second half. Then it was Drew Stantons' turn, who was 10 of 19 for 72 yards with an interception and a TD rushing that tied the game late.
Arizona led 17-0 at halftime, then let the Lions make it 17 all in the third quarter and 24 all with 3:48 left. With 1:46 left to go, the Lions had a chance to come back, but gained just 7 yards.
"A win's a win," Kurt Warner said. "We are one step closer to our goal."
Larry Fitzgerald
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Mile High Mistakes
i've Got A Secret
Oakland Raiders 20
Denver Broncos 19
JaMarcus Russell led the Raiders 62 yards in eight plays, and his 10-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Schilens gave Oakland a win over Denver Sunday at Invesco Field.
This week, Denver won the turnover battle but lost the game. And yes the Broncos are still in the wild card hunt even with this lose to the Raiders. But if the Broncos do not get into the playoffs, this lose will be the one that torments them.
As for the Raiders, for all of their incompetence, they now own victories over three winning teams (Eagles, Bengals, Broncos) and a road triumph over the defending champion Steelers.
A week after Brandon Marshall caught 21 passes for an NFL record 200 yards, the Raiders “held” the angular wide out to seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, mostly keeping him under control following underneath throws
“They doubled me a couple of times, it depended on the down and distance,” Marshall said. “But they did a good job just switching up their coverage on me today.”
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The Bengals Say Goodbye to Chris RIP
Cincinnati Bengals 24
San Diego Chargers 27
There had been a moment of silence before the game to honor Chris Henry, the 26-year-old receiver who died Thursday morning, a day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck following what police described as a “domestic situation” with his fiancée.
After Chad Ochocinco caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to give the Bengals a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, he knelt in the end zone, a phrase he and Henry made up about their uniform numbers running through his head (“Eight-five plus 15 will always be 100 ways to be great”), no one was sure what to do. Only three teammates approached him, and one, tackle Dennis Roland, put a hand on the wideout’s shoulder before walking away.
Clifton Brown of the Sporting News writes that Sunday's game was the latest sign of Chargers QB Philip Rivers's evolution into an elite quarterback.
The San Diego Chargers can nail down the No. 2 seed with a win over the Tennessee Titans on Friday thanks to this win.
The Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a home victory over the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday.
Ocho Cinco's Chris Henry Tribute "As I Look To The Sky"
The Bengals Remember #15
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Baltimore Ravens Take Apart the Chicago Bears, 31-7
Its Gonna Be Another Manic Monday
Chicago Bears 7
Baltimore Ravens 31
Joe Flacco tied a career high with four touchdown passes and really found his rhythm in the second half. Rice had a big first quarter and then was taken out of the by the Bears defense, which made stopping the running back their No. 1 goal. Derrick Mason had a number of catches, moving him to 15th on the NFL's all-time receptions list, he also had one touchdown.
Jay Cutler, threw three interceptions and he connected on only 10 of 27 passes for 94 yards and had a passer rating of 7.9. Backup quarterback Caleb Hanie also threw an interception late in the game. The Bears had six turnovers and scored only on a first-half punt return for a touchdown by Earl Bennett.
The Ravens tightened their grip on a wild-card playoff spot in the AFC on a weekend in which many of their nearest postseason competitors were busy losing.
"I think we're gaining momentum," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. "I think we're doing the things we're supposed to be doing. On offense, we're not turning the ball over. On defense, we're keeping people from getting touchdowns."
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A Moment For Chris Henry in Seattle
Hidden Hawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
Seattle Seahawks 7
Matt Hasselbeck, forced to throw more with the Seahawks trying to rally in the fourth quarter, ended up 27 of 46 for 256 yards and threw four interceptions. He didn't get much help from receivers who ran wrong routes, dropped passes or simply fell down in mid-route, as was the case when Deion Branch wasn't where he was supposed to be after stumbling on a play in the third quarter. Bucs safety Tanard Jackson intercepted that pass.
Tampa Bay also opened up its passing game by getting its running game going in the second half. Josh Freeman finished 16 of 26 for 205 yards, threw for two touchdowns and ran in for a two-point conversion. Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams combined to rush for 133 yards, 78 of those in the second half. Tight end Kellen Winslow caught six passes for 93 yards. .
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Eagles Top 49ers Clinch Playoff Berth
San Francisco 49ers 13
Philadelphia Eagles 27
The Eagles are in the playoffs, but they won't be for long if they play the way they did yesterday in the bone-chilling cold at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles had a 20-3 lead at the half and during the third quarter they pretty much took a nap as they allowed the 49ers to score to pull within seven. The Eagles woke up and stopped them on their final three possessions.
The win sent the Eagles to the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 years. The 49ers loss, combined with the Cardinals win over the Lions, eliminated them from postseason contention for a seventh straight year.
LeSean McCoy's 48 rushing yards gave him 606, which broke Correll Buckhalter's franchise rookie rushing record of 586 yards, set in 2001. DeSean Jackson recorded his second consecutive huge receiving game. Jackson's 140 yards on six catches gave him 1,087 yards this year and made him the 12th player in Eagles history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season
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The Packers Heartbreaking Lose to the Steelers
Green Bay Packers 36
Pittsburgh Steelers 37
Roethlisberger did the impossible on Sunday and became the first quarterback in Steelers history to accomplish the 500-yard milestone. Roethlisberger completed 63-percent (29 - 46) of his passes for 503 yards. He had three touchdowns and no interceptions. In a back and forth game where defense was nonexistent and 973 total yards were generated between the two teams, the moment that will be remembered in this classic contest is the final play of the game. Roethlisberger found rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace, who did an outstanding job of keeping his feet in bounds on the near sideline, in the corner of the endzone with no time left on the clock.
The Steelers didn't play all that well defensively, and they only had65 yards rushing, but they played with heart and found a way to win in a crucial moment. And with a little help, the win could allow them to finish on a positive note and possibly give them a chance to make the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers did all that he could to extend the Packers winning streak, he completed 54.2-percent of his passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns. In his last six games, Rodgers has thrown for 1,707 yards, 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions. For the year, Rodgers has completed 64-percent of his passes for 3,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
2 Feet In
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The Diva Dives
Minnesota Vikings 7
Carolina Panthers 26
An NBC camera caught Favre pulling his left arm away from Childress after the coach had placed his right hand on it. An animated discussion ensued. The truth is that Favre is calling the shots for the team. After the game, Favre said he had a "heated discussion" with Childress on Sunday when the coach tried to remove him from the game. Childress downplayed the severity of the disagreement, but said he was worried that Favre was being hit too much. The Childress-Favre relationship that blossomed when the coach recruited the QB out of retirement his summer is cracking. ESPN's Kevin Seifert categorized six stress points that have opened up between the two this season.
Carolinas quarterback Matt Moore threw for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns, topping veteran quarterback Brett Favre who threw for 224 yards and an interception. Overall the Minnesota Vikings failed to reach 200 total yards of offense in this loss. The Vikings ran 30 fewer plays than the Panthers and were able to convert on third down just once in 10 tries.
Vikings ~ Panthers NFL Highlights
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the Giants Are Still Breathing
Brandon Jacobs
Osi Umenyiora
New York Giants 45
Washington Redskins 12
Where have these guys been? The Giants scored the first four times they touched the ball in a 45-12 beat down handed to the Washington Redskins. Eli Manning looked like an All-Pro in waiting with a 19-for-26, 268-yard performance with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He scored touchdowns in three of the four trips into the Red Zone. And talk about spreading the ball around, he hit 10 receivers for completions. Great tempo, with a minimum of pre-snap fiddling. Was he outstanding in this game. That is a definite YES!
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck sacked Campbell for a 9-yard loss on the Redskins' first possession. Five different Giants players sacked Campbell, and defensive end Osi
Umenyiora knocked him out of the game briefly in the first half. Its hard to say where the Giants defense has been as of late but this game showed the Giant defense at its best.
A fake field goal pretty much tells the story of the 2009 Redskins season. And Mondays nights loss on national TV was another embarrassing reminder of how far they have fallen as an organization. When the Redskins suddenly had seven players spring out to the left, Tom Couglin called a time out. One would think that it was time to change things up, yet the Skins lined up in the same formation. When Todd Yoder snapped the ball directly to holder Hunter Smith, three Giants converged on him. We may never know who Smith was trying to throw to because there wasn't a Skins player within 15 yards of the ball. Giants cornerback Bruce Johnson intercepted the heave and returned it 49 yards.
The Giants all-but have to win their remaining two games (vs. the Panthers, at Minnesota) and have to hope that either the Cowboys or Packers lose one of their remaining two games. If that scenario unfolds, the Giants are in the playoffs. If the Giants split the remaining two games, they would be reduced to hoping that either the Cowboys or Packers lose both of their remaining two games in order to slip in.