1. Who’s the front-runner for MVP now?
The battle for NFL MVP is currently a three-horse race between the season’s three top quarterbacks.
Carolina’s Cam Newton, New England’s Tom Brady and Arizona’s Carson Palmer have each made strong cases for the award and voters will be hoping for one of three can make their decision that bit easier by separating themselves from the pack over the last four games of the season.
Here are trio’s numbers:
Brady: 63.7% passing, 3,912 yards, 31 TDs, 6 INT
Palmer: 63.9% passing, 3,693 yards, 29TDs, 9 INT
Newton: 58.4% passing, 2,797 yards, 25 TDs, 10 INT, plus 476 rush yards and 7 TDs
All three have put up great numbers in leading their teams to three of the best records in the NFL, but we’re giving the edge to Newton right now, mainly because of the dual threat his running ability has provided as well as the fact that voters will find it hard to look past the leader of an undefeated team or one-loss team should the 12-0 Panthers stay the course.
Each is supported by an excellent defence (although Carolina’s might be the best in the NFL), but Palmer’s receivers are top notch and, while the injuries affecting Brady’s offensive weapons finally weighed New England down as they crashed to a shock home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, Newton has had nobody as good as Rob Gronkowski to throw to all season.
Devin Funchess (24%) and Ted Ginn (18.6%) have 2nd- and 4th-highest drop rates among NFL WRs, per @PFF. Yesterday didn't help.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 7, 2015
Newton was on top form again last night, even as Ted Ginn dropped two easy touchdown passes, throwing five TDs to lead Carolina back from an early 14-0 deficit as the Panthers beat division rivals New Orleans 41-38, including two come-from-behind drives in the fourth quarter against an admittedly awful Saints defence.
Whether he wins the award or not, though, Newton remains the MVP of our hearts for doing stuff like this.
s/o to Cam for doing this pic.twitter.com/syedtRbnqQ
— not Johnny Manziel (@JonnyFootbalI) December 7, 2015
2. Are Seattle and Kansas City the most dangerous teams in their conferences?
Anyone who thought the Seahawks were finished at 2-4 better guess again. Last year’s Super Bowl runners-up have now won five of their last six games and put in their most complete performance of the season as they thumped the NFC North leading Minnesota Vikings 38-7 on the road.
Pete Carroll’s squad dominated on both sides of the ball, with Russell Wilson throwing three touchdown passes and running in another himself and rookie running back Thomas Rawls having his fourth 100-yard day on the ground in relief of the injured Marshawn Lynch.
The Seahawks have scored 28 points in 4 consecutive games, their longest streak with 28 points since 2005 (4 games, Weeks 13-16)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 6, 2015
Their famous defence is back amongst the league’s top three, and yesterday they zeroed in on league rushing leader Adrian Peterson, limiting him to just 18 yards, forcing Teddy Bridgewater into rushed throws as he only managed 118 yards in the air.
Now at 7-5, Seattle is too far back to catch Arizona in the NFC West but are already in a wild card position, and don’t be surprised to see some higher seeds doing all they can to avoid hosting the ‘Hawks on wild card weekend.
In the AFC, the Chiefs are on an even more impressive run, winning six in a row to also get to 7-5.
In fact, KC are in position to become just the second team to start a season 1-5 and make the play-offs, after the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals, and have done so on the back of their own stifling defence.
Yesterday’s 34-20 win in Oakland featured three turnovers and marked the eighth game in a row that a Chiefs opponent has failed to exceed 22 points, a target that low-risk quarterback Alex Smith and an effective rushing attack have proven well able to exceed.
Most consecutive pass attempts w/o interception
Tom Brady, 358 (2010-11)
Bernie Kosar, 308 (1990-91)
Alex Smith, 305 (active)@EliasSports— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 7, 2015
3. How many ways can the Giants find to shoot themselves in the foot?
Loads.
The Giants really should be running away with the shocking NFC East but instead find themselves in the thick of a race to the bottom after throwing away yet another win, this time against the team with whom they share a stadium.
Big Blue led the Jets by ten points when they took over with five minutes left in the third quarter and proceeded to burn an incredible 11 minutes off the clock as they drove down the field to the Jets’ four-yard line. Faced with fourth down, the obvious call was to kick the field goal to leave the Jets needing two touchdowns in just over eight minutes, but Tom Coughlin went for it and Eli Manning threw a horrific interception.
You might wonder how one could have predicted such an outcome… Oh, wait:
Old school press may have point about Couglin going for it on fourth-and-2. NYG 32nd in off DVOA in red zone this year. NYJ No. 1 red zone D
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) December 6, 2015
Of course, the Jets fought back to win the game, meaning the Giants wasted yet another transcendent performance from receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham just doesn't stop:
Full-extension, one-handed 22-yard catch.
Ridiculous. #NYJvsNYG— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/NFLIive/status/673581639096778752/video/1
Beckham’s hurdling even impressive US Olympian Lolo Jones…
.@OBJ_3 form is better. His left leg arm is tucked at 90 degree angle. My right arm kicks out creating air time pic.twitter.com/q5x90wN5zh
— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) December 6, 2015
Of course, it’s not the first awful Giants loss this year, Coughlin and company have managed to cough up a historic number of late leads through a combination of poor clock management and basic errors.
With today's loss, the #Giants tie for the most blown leads (5) in the final 2 minutes of a game in a season. pic.twitter.com/yCTxEEG5oi
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) December 6, 2015
And yet, they remain in the thick of the NFC East…
4. How did Saints rookie Stephone Anthony end up making history?
By becoming the first player to score by returning an extra-point play following a touchdown.
As part of the new rules which moved extra points back to the 15-yard line, the defence could now score two points themselves if they returned a blocked or missed extra point (or a turnover on a two-point conversion attempt) all the way to the endzone.
While there has been a huge rise in missed extra points this year, it’s taken 13 weeks for one to be brought back by the defence, with New Orleans linebacker Anthony, who had already scored on a fumble return against the Panthers, the man to make the notable score.
5. How good can these rookie QBs get?
When two quarterbacks go at the top of the draft the success rate has often been about 50-50 (Andrew Luck-Robert Griffin and Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf come to mind immediately), but this year might be the rare occasion when all the debate over Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota might be for naught.
They might just both be great.
Top pick Winston can be wildly inconsistent and often inaccurate but he in leading Tampa Bay to a comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons he has guided the 6-6 Bucs right into the thick of the NFC wild card race.
Jameis confirms. He literally asked the huddle who wants to score a TD and Evans was the first to answer. Then he caught the game-winner.
— Paul Gerke (@PaulGerke) December 6, 2015
Taken right behind Winston, Mariota might only have three wins to his name with the Tennessee Titans but is playing on an inferior offence and is already on his second head coach of the season. Yet he has already shown the ability to make the right decisions with the ball and impressive pocket passing skills. He can also run a bit…
Above all though, it is already clear that nothing about the jump to the pros has been too big for either young passer, giving fanbases in Tennessee and Tampa plenty to look forward to.
Monday Night Football – Dallas Cowboys (3-8) at Washington (5-6)
What a mess the NFC East is. The Giants’ choke job against the Jets dropped them to 5-7 alongside Philadelphia and gives Washington the opportunity to take control of the division if they can beat Dallas, who are once again missing starting quarterback Tony Romo after he re-broke his collarbone on Thanksgiving. But nothing in this division would surprise us, so the 3-8 Cowboys will probably win and remarkably get back to within a game of a play-off position.
Then again…
Heading into tonight, Cowboys cornerbacks now have gone 470 passing attempts dating back to Week 14 last year since their last interception.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2015
And finally…
In case we don’t get another chance this season, some words of appreciation for Charles Woodson.
The Raiders safety is one of only three players left from the 1998 draft (Peyton Manning, Matt Hasselbeck) and is now the only full-time starter of the group.
The 39-year-old, who many thought was done when he was go by the Packers three years ago, resigned with his former team in Oakland and continues to set NFL records. His five interceptions this season rank third in the league and his strip fumble of Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and 40-yard return was one of the highlights of yesterday’s action.
Charles Woodson would like this football. #OAKvsKC pic.twitter.com/RpT0K2HTPb
— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2015
Week 13 results
Green Bay 27-23 Detroit
San Francisco 26-20 Chicago OT
Tampa Bay 23-19 Atlanta
Arizona 27-3 St Louis
NY Jets 23-20 NY Giants
Seattle 38-7 Minnesota
Buffalo 30-21 Houston
Miami 15-13 Baltimore
Cincinnati 37-3 Cleveland
Tennessee 42-39 Jacksonville
Denver 17-3 San Diego
Philadelphia 35-28 New England
Kansas City 34-20 Oakland
Carolina 41-38 New Orleans
Pittsburgh 45-10 Indianapolis
Play-off standings:
AFC
1. Cincinnati 10-2
2. Denver 10-2
3. New England 10-2
4. Indianapolis 6-6
5. Kansas City 7-5
6. NY Jets 7-5
7. Pittsburgh 7-5
8. Buffalo 6-6
9. Houston 6-6
NFC
1. Carolina 12-0
2. Arizona 10-2
3. Green Bay 8-4
4. Washington 5-6
5. Minnesota 8-4
6. Seattle 7-5
7. Tampa Bay 6-6
8. Atlanta 6-6
9. Philadelphia 5-7
10. NY Giants 5-7
