NFL WEEK 15: RECAPPING A WILD DAY
Yesterday was one of the most chaotic and suspenseful days in the NFL. Week 15 started with the Seattle Seahawks dominating the Los Angeles Rams to clinch the NFC West division for the third time in three seasons, and ended with the Dallas Cowboys holding off a hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team 26-20, on Sunday Night Football, to extend their lead in the NFC East division to two games over the New York Giants.
But these weren’t the only games that generated important NFL postseason buzz. Earlier in the day, there were crazy finishes to games that had significant playoff implications. The Tennessee Titans were tied with the Kansas City Chiefs late in the fourth quarter. Tennessee’s offense, led by Marcus Mariota, drove the ball down the field, in position to kick a game-winning field goal. Ryan Succop, the Titans’ kicker, missed it short. However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave him a second opportunity by calling a timeout. This proved to be costly, as Succop succeeded on the second attempt, lifting Tennessee to a 19-16 win to help keep their playoff hopes alive.
In Baltimore, the 5-8 Eagles, trailing late in the game, drove down the football field for what appeared to have been the game-tying touchdown, possibly sending the game into overtime had the coach decided to kick the extra point. Instead, Philadelphia head coach Doug Peterson opted to go for the two-point conversion to try to win the game and spoil the Ravens’ playoff chances. However, the pass from Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was deflected at the line of scrimmage, giving the Ravens the 27- 26 nail-biting victory to remain close with the Steelers in the battle for the AFC North division title.
And in Chicago, with the game tied, with just seconds remaining in the game, Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers heaved a long, long pass to wide receiver Jordy Nelson, hoping for a miracle. And his prayer was answered: Nelson caught the ball and got the Packers in position to win the game on a Mason Crosby field goal. And Crosby indeed rose to the occasion, giving Green Bay a 30-27 win over the Bears, and keeping pace with the Lions in the NFC North, with only two games remaining. It also helped Green Bay that their other division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, got crushed at home to the Indianapolis Colts, 34-6.
The NFL continues to produce great finishes, and Sunday’s results were just as great. The fans want to see close, hard-fought games, and not blowouts (unless you’re a fan of the team that won easily). Once the NFL playoffs start in January, teams who have qualified for the playoffs start to have confidence that they can make a run to the Super Bowl if they get hot at the right time. This time of year is exciting, and it will be very interesting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
