JIM LANG’S 10 NFL THINGS: WEEK 18
Hi there, I hope everyone had a good holiday and that 2022 is a great year for everyone. There is a lot to get to from Week 17, so here is what stood out to me this past week in the NFL.
1 – The Bengals – Week 17 kicked off Sunday in Cincinnati as Joe Burrow and the Bengals hosted Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. I thought it would be a good game, but it turned out to be an even better game than I imagined. The Chiefs did everything right, yet they still couldn’t stop Burrow and his all-world receiver, super-rookie Ja’Marr Chase. Chase ended up with 11 catches for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns! And he did this against one of the best teams in the AFC. Burrow put it best after the game when he said, ‘Eff it, Ja’Marr’s down there somewhere.’ With the win, the Bengals won the AFC North. Something that NOBODY predicted before the start of the season.
2 – Antonio Brown – Tom Brady and the Buccaneers scored a late touchdown to beat the Jets. But that isn’t the story of the game, not even close. The story of the game revolves around Antonio Brown. In the middle of the game, Brown took off his uniform and his t-shirt and left the stadium. It was one of the most bizarre things I had ever witnessed. Immediately following the game, Bruce Arians announced that Brown was cut from the team. During and after the incident, people went on Twitter and made fun of Brown at his expense. The one person who didn’t make any jokes was Tom Brady. After the game, Brady talked about Brown’s mental health and made a passionate plea to make sure that he gets any help that he needs. That is what I call a leader. Meanwhile Brown is gone, and Chris Godwin is done for the year. That is a tough hill to climb for the Bucs heading into the playoffs.
3 – The Bills – Western New York was a winter wonderland Sunday as the Bills beat the Falcons. That is why the next few days are so crucial for the Bills. The Bills have won three straight games, yet, I still have my doubts. I look at the other contenders in the AFC and I am not convinced that Josh Allen and the Bills can run the table all the way to LA. The fact that Allen threw 3 interceptions against the Falcons has to be concerning for even the biggest Bills fan.
4 – Fly Eagles, Fly – Back on November 7th, the Eagles lost a close game to the Chargers and fell to 3-6 on the season. Well rookie coach Nick Sirianni and the Eagles didn’t flinch. They just kept on running the ball and lo-and-behold, they started winning games. Sunday, the Eagles beat Washington to extend their winning streak to 4 games. Since that loss to the Chargers, the Eagles are 6-1 and heading to the playoffs. The Eagles lead the NFL in rushing, averaging a whopping 160 yards per game. Yet, their leading rusher is quarterback Jalen Hurts. This is a team with a young quarterback and a young coach and a bright future.
5 – The Titans – This tough, well-coached team did it again. Mike Vrabel’s band of misfit toys just keep on winning. And this week, the wheels are in motion to welcome Derrick Henry back to the team. The Titans are Vrabel, and Vrabel is the Titans. He preaches ‘team first,’ and the players live by that credo. If Henry is anywhere close to the running back that was tearing the league apart before his injury, the Titans will be a tough to handle in the post-season. As the Titans get ready for this week’s game against the Texans, receiver Julio Jones will be back in in the line-up.
6 – The Cardinals – This was a desperately needed win for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals, at Dallas. After 3 straight losses, Murray and the Cardinals looked the team that was unbeatable in the first 7 weeks of the season. Murray was great, but just as good was safety Budda Baker. One of the best players nobody knows about, Baker was all over the field. I like the Cardinals, but do I like them enough to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field in late-January? I can’t see it.
7 – MVP aka Aaron Rodgers – It was the perfect setting really. A bitterly cold night at legendary Lambeau Field. The Packers taking on their long-time rivals the Vikings. And to top it off, you had Aaron Rodgers adding to his legacy. Rodgers has a 35-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio and the best passer rating in the NFL. And led by Rodgers, the Packers are now the first team in the history of the NFL to win 13 games three straight seasons. Like him or not, Rodgers is the MVP, and the Packers are the team to beat in the NFC.
8 – John Madden – Somewhere up in football heaven, John Madden was smiling down on his beloved Raiders as they beat the Colts to stay alive in the playoff race. Before his incredible TV career and his video game, John Madden was a great coach. Over four decades after leaving the Raiders, Madden still has one of the greatest winning percentages of any coach in the history of the NFL. Madden won a Super Bowl with the Raiders, then went on to call 11 Super Bowls as the most beloved analyst in league history. I still remember in August of 1995 when the Dallas Cowboys played the Buffalo Bills in a pre-season game at Skydome. One of the highlights on that muggy night was a live shot of Madden pressing the button to close the roof at the stadium. He was a regular guy, who could talk to anyone. He also had the equivalent of a PhD in football. It is well documented that he had three rules coaching the Raiders, be on time, pay attention and play like hell when I tell you to. John Madden was one-of-a-kind; we may never see anyone else like him. Thanks for the memories.
9 – Playoff race – After 17 weeks, a lot has been decided in both the NFC and the AFC. There is one spot left to be decided in the NFC. If the Saints beat the Falcons and the Rams beat the 49ers, New Orleans are in. In the AFC, the Colts face the Jaguars in Week 18, that is basically a slam-dunk for them. The Chargers face the Raiders in the final regular season game this year, the winner will be headed to the playoffs. If the Titans beat the Texans Sunday, they are the number one seed in the AFC. After their win over the Ravens, the LA Rams have won 5 straight games. A win over the 49ers and the Rams will clinch the NFC West. Having said all that, Matt Stafford has thrown 5 interceptions his past two games. Something to keep an eye on in the post-season.
10 – Monday Night Mayhem – Week 17 wrapped up at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh as the Steelers hosted the Cleveland Browns. This was not just another game; it was Ben Roethlisberger’s final game at Heinz Field. Big Ben threw a touchdown as the Steelers beat the Browns to cap off an emotional night. The win means the Steelers still have a chance at the playoffs. It also means that Mike Tomlin is the first coach in the history of the NFL to have a non-losing record in his first 15 seasons. The star of the game was the Steelers TJ Watt. Watt had 4 of the Steelers 9 sacks as they abused a beat-up Baker Mayfield all night long. Watt now has 21.5 sacks in 14 games! If Watt gets a sack in next week’s game against the Ravens, he will tie Michael Strahan’s all-time record for most sacks in a single season. I have been lucky enough to interview and cover Ben Roethlisberger a number of times over his career. I remember him as a young quarterback in Super Bowl 40 in Detroit. Three years later at Super Bowl 43 in Tampa Bay, Ben was the star of the team and was a major reason why they won the game. In person, Ben is much bigger than he appears to be on TV. That is a major reason why he was able to survive in the AFC North all these years. When Ben makes it official at the end of the season, it will definitely be the end of an era in Pittsburgh.
The 18th and final week of the NFL regular season will kick off with a doubleheader Saturday. The Chiefs are in Denver to take on the Broncos and the playoff bound Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. That is followed by a busy final Sunday. As always, Covid will play a crucial role in the lineups of teams around the league.
After that, it is on to the playoffs and the beginning of Wild Card Weekend.
I will talk to you next week.
(Jim Lang is Canada’s foremost expert on the NFL. Follow him on Twitter at @JimLangSports)
