On the Perhaps the Craziest Day of the NFL Season, We Need to At Least Mention the Colts
By Jason McIntyre
Why was it so crazy? We’ll get to individual performances later, but from a team standpoint? Wacky wild, kool-aid style:
* The Colts will not go 0-16 after a stunning 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Yes, the same Tennessee Titans who are battling for a Wild Card spot in the AFC just lost to a winless team. Indianapolis won with QB Dan Orlovsky throwing for 82 yards. Indianapolis won with a mere 10 first downs. A pick-six and this scintillating Donald Brown 80-yard TD run were the difference.
* From the previously winless to the previously unbeaten: Green Bay lost. To Kansas City.
* The Giants, poised to win the NFC Least after a spectacular win in Dallas the week prior … laid an enormous egg at home against the lowly Redskins, losing 23-10. It wasn’t that close. When the Giants miss the playoffs, and Tom Coughlin is fired, three embarrassing losses (Seahawks and the Redskins, twice) will come back to haunt him. Or Hakeem Nicks? Or the sun?
* Houston, playing for perhaps the top seed in the AFC … got spanked at home by Carolina. Fortunately, the Texans close against the Colts and Titans, so there’s still an outside shot at the No. 2 overall seed.
* Chicago, its faint playoff hopes dimming, led Seattle at the half at home, 14-7 before absolutely caving in pathetic fashion, getting outscored 31-0 in the 2nd half in a 38-14 defeat.
* The Ravens and Steelers are battling for the AFC North crown, and the Ravens hold the tiebreaker due to two wins head-to-head. With Ben Roethlisberger hurt and iffy for tonight’s game in San Francisco, the Ravens had a great opportunity Sunday night to beat the Chargers and come close to locking down the division. Baltimore was destroyed by San Diego, 34-14.
If you toss in the Jets’ horrible 45-19 loss to the Eagles, it was a bloody weekend for the stat guys: 5 of the top 6 Football Outsiders’ most efficient defensive teams were on the losing end of the following scores:
1. 34-14 loss
2. 45-19 loss
3. SF plays tonight
4. 41-14 loss
5. 38-14 loss
6. 28-13 loss