Fraser’s Favorites Week 14

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

There was a time earlier in the season when “experts” were calling this Steelers team old and washed up. This team should be a reminder to us all that the first several games of the season do not determine how successful a team will be. All of the statistics can be thrown away about “0-2 teams making or not making the playoffs” because every season and every team is different. While this Steelers team got off to a slower start than usual, they are right where they want to be heading into the playoffs. They most likely will not win the division because of two losses to the Ravens, but they are an absolute lock for the 5 seed in the wildcard. They are playing well at the perfect time and will roll into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in football. They will no doubt win three of their remaining four games as they play the Browns (twice) and Rams, with their toughest game in San Francisco. The Steelers will completely shut down the Browns offense until a last minute field goal or touchdown.

Cleveland- 3
Pittsburgh- 24

Indianapolis at Baltimore

There is no doubting that the Ravens will win this game, but the question is by how much they will beat the Colts. The clock for the number one pick in next year’s draft started in about week 5 for the Colts. They should have the perfect answer as to what they will do with the pick. Do they draft Andrew Luck and let him learn from Manning? Do they get rid of Peyton Manning and start with the rookie? Do they trade away the pick for a gold mine of other picks? I think the best decision for the Colts would be to trade away the draft pick for multiple others. With Peyton Manning, this is a SuperBowl caliber team. Without him, obviously they are the worst in the league. By trading away that number one pick, they load their team with even more talent and make themselves automatic contenders for the SuperBowl in 2013.

Indianapolis- 10
Baltimore- 24

New England at Washington

Not only did Rob Gronkowski catch three touchdown passes last week against the Colts, but he caught three wide open passes for touchdowns. He broke the record for the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in a single season and continues to dominate opposing defenses. But why don’t they cover him already?! Even though Brady obviously keys in on his big tight end in the red zone, opposing defenses fail to bump him at the line of scrimmage, and therefore have no chance of matching up with him in the red zone. The Patriots have a perfect combination of size and speed in their receiving core allowing them to attack teams with the short and deep passing game. However, the doubts remain with this team as long as the defense continues to play as poorly as it has. They allowed Dan Orlovsky to throw for over 300 yards! No doubts about their game in Washington as Brady and the offense rolls.

New England- 35
Washington- 20

New Orleans at Tennessee

Over their last two games at home, the New Orleans Saints have demolished two contenders for the playoffs improving their home record to 6 and 0. There is no doubting how unstoppable this team is in perfect dome conditions. However, the questions remain about their ability to win in natural weather conditions. In six away games this season, Drew Brees has thrown eight interceptions and his quarterback rating drops almost 40 points from home games. This statistic will be tested this Sunday as the Saints will play on natural grass at LP Field. Meanwhile, as Chris Johnson has rejuvenated his season, he has also given new life to the Titans season. Johnson will run all over this unimpressive Saints defense in a playoff-changing upset.

New Orleans- 24
Tennessee- 27

Kansas City at N.Y. Jets

It is truly ridiculous how week-to-week the analysis of players in the NFL can be. Two perfect examples of not only inconsistent play, but inconsistent analysis have been of Matt Ryan and Mark Sanchez. Matt Ryan played his two best games of the season in weeks 11 and 12 and experts praised him for his phenomenal play. After a poor performance in week 13 against the Texans, experts are asking what is wrong with Matt Ryan and will he return back to his potential. Then there is Mark Sanchez. Sanchez was completely ripped apart by the media for three straight weeks of poor performances. Then, after a fourth quarter comeback in week 13 against the Redskins, the media will not stop talking about how great he is in the fourth quarter. We need to stray away from making sweeping generalizations about players each week, rather than analyze their performance over an entire season. Basically, the media should wait until after the season to rip apart Sanchez for his poor play…The Jets need this game to make the playoffs and will force Tyler Palko into a multiple interception performance in a rout of the Chiefs.

Kansas City- 13
New York Jets- 23

Philadelphia at Miami

The Miami Dolphins continue to impress despite an awful start to the season. Their defense has improved each week and they may have found their quarterback in Matt Moore. Tony Sparano has to keep his job into next year. To keep this team competitive with the start they had is truly something incredible. While the Dolphins remain competitive week to week, the Eagles are simply just a bad team. Andy Reid making Juan Castillo the defensive coordinator could be the worst coaching decision he has ever made. The defense looked disinterested and uncaring in their game against the Seahawks as Marshawn Lynch ran all over them. Expect these same trends to continue as the Dolphins add to the Eagles dreadful season.

Philadelphia- 21
Miami- 24

Tampa Bay at Jacksonville

Blaine Gabbert is the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. Give me Caleb Hanie, give me Tyler Palko, and give me T.J.Yates and Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky. Gabbert has absolutely horrible throwing mechanics, gets truly frightened when a defender is anywhere near him, and makes awful decisions. This was a terrible decision to draft a quarterback out of a spread offense at Missouri without knowing his true potential. After 12 games it is obvious; there is no potential for Blaine Gabbert in this league and the Jaguars need to shut down this experiment quickly. Former head coach Jack Del Rio had the right idea sitting Gabbert. In speaking of struggling quarterbacks, the injured Josh Freeman has continued to regress. With Raheem Morris potentially on the chopping block after a dreadful performance against the Panthers, we will find out how much this team supports their coach. Blaine Gabbert proves why he is the worst quarterback in the league completing more passes to Bucs cornerback E.J. Biggers than his tight end Mercedes Lewis.

Tampa Bay-27
Jacksonville- 17

Atlanta at Carolina

After rushing for another three more touchdowns in week 13, Cam Newton has solidified himself in the record books as the quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns in a single season. With the performance he put on against the Buccaneers, Newton also solidified himself as the offensive rookie of the year becoming the clear favorite in front of Andy Dalton. His play has been truly unbelievable, crushing all expectations and giving hope to a rebuilding franchise. This week, Newton will face a former rookie of the year in Matt Ryan. Ryan is well-known for his accomplishments in his rookie season, but has not truly developed into the elite player most thought he would become. Ryan’s inconsistencies can be attributed to multiple factors including his own mechanical errors, as well as offensive line issues and wide receiver’s dropping passes. However, Ryan is still a young, developing player and will eventually become that elite-level quarterback most expect him to be. Matt Ryan needs to play well against the Panthers as the Falcons must win three of their next four games. If the Falcons falter against the Panthers, their playoff hopes could be in doubt. Michael Turner shows up in a big way this Sunday, allowing for Matt Ryan to orchestrate the play action offense in a demolition of the Panthers.

Atlanta- 35
Carolina-17

Houston at Cincinnati

No matter how this season ends for the Bengals, this was a successful season. They found their franchise quarterback Andy Dalton and have one of the top young defenses in the league. With playmakers like A.J. Green the offense can be explosive, but it can also be a run-first team with Cedric Benson. This is an all-around good football team and will now compete for years to come. Unfortunately, this year is not the future and they will not make the playoffs. The Bengals will be losers of two straight after they face the Texans this Sunday. The Texans defense has been phenomenal this season, and has been getting better with each week. Wade Phillips might not have been able to get it done in Dallas as a head coach, but he should be nominated for the most important pick-up by a football team this offseason. It doesn’t matter who plays quarterback for this football team because all he really has to do is hand the ball off to Arian Foster and Ben Tate, and watch his defense shutdown opposing quarterbacks. T.J. Yates improves to 2-0 as a starting quarterback in the league. Should we break out the comparison to Unitas?

Houston-21
Cincinnati- 13

Minnesota at Detroit

While Jim Schwartz should be celebrated for his accomplishments in Detroit over the last several seasons, he should also be ridiculed. This is the wildest, whiniest, and most uncontrollable group of players in the league. Schwartz has them playing at a high level, but at an unruly level. The perfect example of an undisciplined team was represented on Sunday Night against the Saints. As the Lions were driving into Saints territory and after they got into the redzone, Titus Young threw a punch at a Saints defender causing a personal foul penalty. That penalty pushed the Lions out of the redzone and could have cost them not only four points, but momentum as well. After starting 5 and 0, they are now 2 and 5 in their last seven games and will need help to make the playoffs. The decline in Matthew Stafford’s play is a microcosm of the Lions over the last few weeks. However, with their backs against the wall facing a struggling Vikings team, the Lions will squeak by with a much-needed win.

Minnesota- 23
Detroit- 28

Chicago at Denver

Football fans across America have fallen victim to the Tebow epidemic. He continues to amaze in the 4th quarter and now has the Broncos as a relevant playoff team. Calling him a Pro-Bowler and the MVP is ridiculous and absurd, but he has exceeded expectations even with his throwing ability. It might not be pretty, and he still is, by far, the worst throwing quarterback in the NFL, but he has been the quarterback while the Broncos have been winning. It is important to be careful not to say “He” wins games because this defense is what has been giving the Broncos opportunities to win games. Tebow takes advantage of those opportunities and has proven to be effective in the clutch. The Broncos now get to play yet another offensively challenged team this week as the Bears travel to Denver. Without Matt Forte and without a viable quarterback, the Bears will be the next victims of Tim Tebow.

Chicago- 17
Denver- 24

San Francisco at Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals have had arguably the most difficult schedule in the NFL. They are a young football team with a new quarterback and while there are no prospects of making the playoffs, they should look at this season as a positive one. While the Cardinals

are already looking to next season, the San Francisco 49ers have shocked the league by starting 11-2, already locking up the division title. With a playoff spot locked up, the 49ers will play down to their opponent as the Cardinals win in an upset. The NFC West could mirror the NFC South over the next several seasons with the division winner continuously changing.

San Francisco- 23

Arizona- 24

Oakland at Green Bay

After looking like one of the top teams in the AFC for several weeks with Carson Palmer at the helm, the Oakland Raiders flat out flopped against the Dolphins. Maybe it was the long travel to the east coast. Maybe it was that fierce passing offense led by Matt Moore. But the Oakland Raiders were just mandhandled in every facet of the game. Now they have to travel to Lambeau to take on the undefeated Green Bay Packers. Is there any doubt that Rodgers will cruise to another victory at home? Nope.

Oakland-20
Green Bay- 42

Buffalo at San Diego

Where has this Chargers offense been all season? If only the Chargers could play the Jaguars depleted secondary every game…That win for the Chargers not only snaps a six game losing streak, but also  keeps their hopes alive for the AFC West. The fact that the Chargers aren’t eliminated by now is telling of the division they are in. As the Chargers continue to hold on to playoff hopes, the Bills have no shot. A trip across the country will be even more detrimental to this already weak Bills team, allowing Philip Rivers and the Chargers to keep hopes alive.

Buffalo- 20
San Diego- 30

N.Y. Giants at Dallas

The battle of the NFC Least. What was supposed to be the best division in the NFL is now one of the worst. The New York Giants have lost four straight games to even their record and limit their chances of making the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys recently lost in an upset to the Arizona Cardinals after Head Coach Jason Garrett called timeout, negating a game-winning field goal. With four games left, the Giants and Cowboys will square off twice in games that will ultimately decide the division winner. The key to the Giants success against the Packers last week was the defenses ability to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers and the stability Ahmad Bradshaw brought back to the offense. If the Giants expect to make a run at the playoffs, their play has to be more consistent. In what will be an interesting and exciting end to the season, the Giants will find that consistency and sneak into the playoffs.

New York Giants-33
Dallas-27

St. Louis at Seattle

Sweet Home Seattle! The Seattle Seahawks now play their third straight game at home and recently defeated the lowly Eagles on Thursday Night football. Marshawn Lynch has been absolutely unstoppable with multiple tremendous, Jim Brown-like runs. The noise at CenturyLink Field is truly incredible. It got so loud earlier in the year that there was seismic activity surrounding the building, and it was even difficult to hear the announcers and commentators last Thursday. Now the offensively challenged Rams travel to Seattle. Offensively challenged is actually being nice when discussing the Rams offense. They are scoring 11.7 points per game. Again, the Rams are scoring 11.7 points per game. Wow. Steve Spanguolo was seen Tebowing and praying that the “Greatest Show on Turf” led by Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk would trot out of the tunnel. Sorry, Steve.

St. Louis-16
Seattle- 24