Lang on Week 16: Lions back in playoffs
Posted December 27, 2011 3:13 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It has been a long time coming, but the Detroit Lions are in the playoffs. You have to go all the way back to 1999 to find the last time the Lions were in the postseason. Since then Lions fans have suffered through nine seasons of double-digit losses and the national embarrassment of an 0-16 season in 2008. There was nothing embarrassing Saturday as the Lions crushed the Chargers 38-10 to clinch an NFC wild-card spot. Matt Stafford threw three touchdowns then led his teammates on a victory lap around a delirious Ford Field.
Time now to look back at what else took place during Week 16.
Star of the week
Raiders fans will be forever grateful for the large hands of Richard Seymour. The mammoth defensive tackle blocked two field goals, paving the way for the Raiders to beat the Chiefs 16-13 in overtime to keep their playoff dreams alive. After doing nothing in the first half, Tom Brady woke up and torched the Dolphins for 217 yards and one touchdown in the second half as the Patriots won their seventh straight game. After a fairly slow start, Aaron Rodgers won star of the week honours for the way he toyed with the overmatched Bears defence in the second half of the Packers 35-21 win. Rodgers set a new career high with five touchdown passes and the Packers clinched home field advantage for the NFC playoffs in the process.
Making history
David Akers made NFL history in the 49ers 19-17 victory over the Seahawks. Akers’ four field goals gave him 42 on the season, a new NFL record. With 2:51 left in the fourth quarter in New Orleans, Drew Brees rewrote the NFL record book.
Brees’ nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles gave him 5,087 yards on the season, breaking Dan Marino’s once unassailable record of 5,084 that was set back in 1984. While Brees set the new record in 15 games, he also completed 440 of 622 pass attempts to do it. In 1984, over the course of 16 games, Marino set the yardage record by completing 362 of 546 pass attempts. That means the Dolphins gained 14 yards for every Marino completion in 1984. This season the Saints have gained 11.6 yards for every completion by Brees. This is not meant to take away from Brees’ remarkable achievement. I just felt it was necessary to point out that in 1984 Marino did something very special and it should never be forgotten, no matter who breaks his record.
Stiff of the week
This week’s award goes out to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There once was a time earlier in the season when the Bucs were a respectable 4-2. But after Cam Newton and the Panthers embarrassed them 48-16 in Carolina, the Bucs have dropped nine straight games. In their last four games, the Bucs have given up a staggering 158 points and they are now ranked dead last in the NFL in points allowed.
Tebowmania
Tim Tebow came crashing back down to earth Saturday in Buffalo when he threw four interceptions as the Bills beat up the Broncos 40-14 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Two of Tebow’s four interceptions went for touchdowns and now the Broncos have to beat the Chiefs Sunday to win the AFC West.
Talk is cheap award
Jets coach Rex Ryan loves to talk. But there are some times when it is best to just shut your mouth and play the game. In the week leading up to their crucial showdown at Met Life Stadium with the Giants, Ryan and his team filled many reporters’ notebooks with stories about how much better the Jets where than the Giants and how they are the better team in New York. So how do you explain the Giants punking the Jets 29-14? If Ryan and the Jets are so good, how do you explain this 99-yard touchdown from Victor Cruz?
According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs told Ryan that it was, “Time to shut up, fat boy” when they were walking off the field after the game. While that sounds harsh, Ryan brought it on himself with all of his smack talk leading up to the game. The Jets have lost their last two games and will now need a miracle of biblical proportions to get into the playoffs.
MVP watch With one game left in the regular season there is very little to decide. Now it is a matter of who gets more votes, Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees.
Aaron Rodgers: 4,623 yards 45 touchdowns, six interceptions and a quarterback rating of 122.5
Drew Brees: 5,087 yards 41 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 108.4.
Tom Brady: 4,897 yards 36 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 105.1.
Rookie of the year
All those “haters” out there who didn’t think Cam Newton would be able to make an impact with the Panthers this year are eating a little humble pie over the holiday season. Not only has Newtown thrown 20 touchdowns to help lead the Panthers to a 6-9 record, he is setting records when he runs with the football. Newton set the new NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback when he torched the Bucs for this highlight reel 49-yard beauty on Saturday.
To go along with his record setting 14 touchdown runs, Newton also broke Peyton Manning’s record for most passing yards by a rookie and now has 3,893 going into the Panthers final game of the season against the Saints.
Race for Andrew Luck
With one week left in the regular season it has come down to two teams in the race for Stanford’s All American quarterback. If the Rams lose to the 49ers and the Colts beat the Jaguars, St. Louis will get the much coveted first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Catch of the week
Not only is this the catch of the week, it is a strong candidate for the catch of the year. Jerome Simpson flipped over Cardinals defender Daryl Washington in the Bengals 23-16 win.
While the flying leap over Washington was amazing in its own right, Simpson actually stuck the landing.
Unsung hero award
There hasn’t been much for Vikings fans to cheer for in their miserable three-win season. But there was one very bright spot in the Vikes 33-26 win over the Redskins, quarterback Joe Webb. Filling in for an injured Christian Ponder, Webb threw two touchdowns on five pass attempts as the Vikings snapped their six-game losing streak.
Big injuries of the week
Minnesota’s best player, running back Adrian Peterson, had his season ended after tearing his MCL and ACL, which will require months of rehab and recovery. If there’s any consolation for Vikings fans, Peterson should be recovered in time for the start of the 2012 season.
What to look for in week 17
The final playoff spot in the NFC will be decided Sunday night at Met Life Stadium when the Giants host the Cowboys. The winner wins the NFC East and gets a home playoff game; the loser goes home empty handed. The Broncos have to beat the Chiefs in Denver if they want to win the AFC West. Other games with major playoff implications include the Jets at the Dolphins, the Titans at the Texans, the Raiders hosting the Chargers and the Bengals hosting the Ravens. If the Bengals win they will grab the final AFC wild-card spot.
