NFC East Title Race

Festive Footrace: Redskins - Cowboys tilt to decide NFC East

For Jason Garrett and Mike Shanahan, the Christmas festivities were a clouded affair. With a division deciding matchup looming on the penultimate evening of 2012, it would appear that one coach's New Year will start significantly more positively than the other's.

On the face of it, Washington would seem to have the slight advantage: Not only did they win last week in Philadelphia, but the victory over Andy Reid's team stretched their winning streak to six games, making them one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The timely return of Robert Griffin III last week allowed the rookie out of Baylor to find his feet again before the Thanksgiving rematch, and considering how ordinary he made the Dallas secondary look at Cowboys Stadium five weeks ago, Redskins fans will be eager to see what he can do to their rivals on his home field. The one worry for Mike Shanahan is perhaps how ready his quarterback is to run with the ball, despite avoiding the prospect of the second overall pick picking up a season ending injury.

After the game against the Ravens at Fed Ex Field, there were concerns that Griffin III had suffered the same fate as the Pittsburgh Tight End Heath Miller, who went on to tear his ACL (and MCL) in Week 16. Having experienced such an injury during his college playing time, concerns over the state of the Redskins Quarterback's knee were immediately raised.

In a press conference following the game, Griffin said 'I know what an ACL feels like, and it doesn't feel like that to me. Hopefully we will be able to get some positive things out of the MRI - the X-ray was good - and hopefully things will be alright'.

Shaken Up: Griffin III is helped off the field in Week 14

He went on to express some partial concern over the situation: 'I'm not too nervous at the moment, but I will definitely be praying during the MRI'.

Mike Shanahan later confirmed that Griffin was 'day to day with a mild sprain'. He added that he had a Grade one sprain to his lateral collateral ligament, with 'no structural damage to the rest of the knee'.

Despite the immediate relief following the situation, and the impressive performance of fourth round pick Kirk Cousins in Griffin's absence, questions still remain over the threat of RG3 as a runner. The Redskins game plan against the Eagles saw a noticeable drop in carries for the rookie, and fans will look to see if such a strategy continues on Sunday against a vulnerable rush defense, that also struggled to deal with the presence of Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas out of the backfield last week. Alfred Morris, the other half of the rookie tandem, may feature even more heavily than usual if Griffin is limited in this way. The sixth round pick out of Florida Atlantic, who has rushed 302 times for 1413 yards and 10 touchdowns, and also dispelled the rotation policy implemented by the head coach last year, has been a huge part of the Redskins playoff push. A matchup against the team that allowed inconsistent runner Mark Ingram to find the end zone at an average of over 5 yards per carry is surely a favourable one this week, and Morris' production here could have a distinctive say in his team's plans for the NFC East.

However, the selection of the first year Redskins Quarterback for the Pro Bowl this past week has surely boosted the rookie's confidence, and, whether he will be a large factor running the ball or not in the final game, the amount of success he has achieved this season will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Despite all the positives emanating from this Washington offensive unit, however, it is plausible to suggest that they are not the favorites for this decider. A team that has won its last six games, you would think, must be the most in-form team in the league, and perhaps that is partly true, but the win-loss record of a team doesn't always present the whole picture. 

In the way of the Griffin-Morris partnership stands possibly the two hottest offensive weapons in the National Football League. Despite needing what would be season ending surgery to his finger, Dez Bryant has vowed to put off his health concerns until the Cowboys are eliminated from their run to the Superbowl, and his quarterback Tony Romo could not be more thankful of this decision. Not only did Bryant shred the Redskins in their Thanksgiving bout, but last week he ran up 225 yards through the air, connecting with Romo for two touchdowns. Washington's pass defense leaves a lot to be desired, ranking them 30th in the league and this is not a statistic Redskins fans will want to hear, as their team faces a quarterback who threw for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Saints last Sunday. 

Much like the Redskins however, the Cowboys stars are not all 100%, and one of the key game time decisions facing head coach Jason Garrett is the statues of linebacker Demarcus Ware, who, along with tight end Jason Witten was recently voted to the Pro Bowl. Witten, who broke the tight end receptions in a single season record against the Saints, overtaking the ex-Kansas City Chief Tony Gonzalez with 103 grabs, has been a key figure for Romo to look for, especially in the latter stages of tight contests. Despite injuries plaguing his opening two games, Witten exploded for 167 yards in week eight against the New York Giants, catching a staggering 18 balls from Romo.

Wits about him: Jason Witten on his way to a single season record for tight end receptions

Ware, on the other hand, has had more recent injury issues. Jason Garrett noted this week that ' Demarcus has been dealing with various injuries throughout the year, he's had a hamstring, an elbow and a shoulder. He's one of those guys who keeps his mouth shut and gets on with things, and we anticipate him working hard and doing everything he can to be out there playing Sunday'.

With so much on the line, this game stands out as the contest to watch this weekend. The game this Sunday will no doubt be leaving one coach with a playoff resolution in 2013.

Thanksgiving Review

'RG4': Redskins quarterback throws for four scores, breaks Cowboys Turkey day streak

Robert Griffin III continues to light up the NFL in his rookie season, yet again reminding viewers across the country on Thanksgiving why he is one of the most potent offensive weapons in the league. 

The Heisman trophy winner out of Baylor led the Redskins to a 38-31 victory over NFC rivals Dallas, opening up the race for the NFC East division title. With the New York Giants hosting a red hot Packers squad on Sunday night, there is the possibility of all three teams being separated by a single game heading into Week 13. 

The game on Thursday epitomised the struggles that the Cowboys have endured this year - going behind early and often, before launching a miraculous comeback effort and ultimately coming up just short in the fourth quarter. 

Having taken the lead with a Dan Bailey field goal, Dallas allowed the 'Skins to put up 28 unanswered points to lead comfortably at the half, and this deficit ultimately proved too challenging to overcome. A similar fate was suffered by the New York Jets in the evening matchup: the New England Patriots defense stepped up to help Bill Belichick's side score three touchdowns in under a minute, effectively ending any chances the Jets had of staying in the contest.

Playing catch-up, however, allowed the Cowboys to finally hit their stride and Tony Romo enjoyed a career day despite the loss, throwing for 441 yards and three touchdowns - his stat line only blemished by his first interception in four games.

Star Studded: Dez Bryant races 85 yards to score, leaving the Washington secondary in his wake

Dez Bryant was the primary beneficiary of Romo's production, catching eight balls for 145 yards and two scores, most of it coming from an 85 yard touchdown reception after Romo scrambled to make the play happen. With the loss of Miles Austin in the first quarter to a hip injury, Bryant and Jason Witten will be relied on to make receiving plays for the Cowboys going forward.

However, the day belonged to 'RG3', who set the tone with a 68 yard deep ball to Aldrick Robinson to put Washington ahead in the first quarter. Griffin and his receivers made the Cowboys secondary seem very ordinary all game, and Pierre Garcon's 59 yard catch and run, which he took to the house, highlighted the frailties of Dallas and their unsuccessful efforts to contain the second overall draft pick.

Dallas have historically played well on Thanksgiving, boasting a record of 28-15-1 over the years, but their most recent run of five Turkey day wins was ended abruptly by the Redskins on Thursday. With Philadelphia next week, the Cowboys will hope to secure a win before facing a host of in-form teams down the stretch as they make their playoff push. Road games at Cincinnati and Washington, as well as the visits of Pittsburgh and New Orleans, are not particularly enticing for a team that can be so inconsistent.

Washington are still to face the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants, but both games will be at Fed-Ex Field. Their away games against Cleveland and Philadelphia will be seen as must wins to keep their playoff hopes alive, with a possible division decider against Dallas at home to finish. 

Their upcoming schedule is not overly favourable, but not too tough either, and with Robert Griffin III at the helm, who knows what this team will achieve as the season concludes.

  

Weekly Predictions

Ravens and Rice look to end Raiders' playoff dream:

The Oakland Raiders have experienced a rocky first half of the season, and the sudden swings in fortune that have defined this squad throughout the year make it difficult to predict which Silver and Black team will turn up each week.

One thing that has been fairly consistent however, is the ability of opposing running backs to run all over the Oakland defense. Despite being an 11th ranked defensive squad against the rush heading into week nine, the Raiders' frailties were exposed by Tampa Bay rookie Doug Martin, who rushed for 251 yards and four touchdowns. 

This performance from the Buccaneers' new phenom was by no means an anomaly either. Denver's Willis McGahee and Miami's Reggie Bush have both comfortably managed 100 yard games against the Raiders, with the latter breaking through no less than six missed tackles on his way to scoring in their week two matchup.

With Oakland desperately needing a win to stay in the AFC playoff picture, they have no option but to improve. A turnaround on defense is all the more urgent when one considers that their opposing running back this week will be Ray Rice - considered by most to be ranked in the top three at his position.

If he can emulate the kind of performance Martin enjoyed last week, the Oakland season could be all but over.

Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens

Score: OAK 24 - 31 BAL

Analysis: The Ravens should be too strong for the unpredictable Raiders at home this week. Carson Palmer should be able to air the ball out successfully however, as the loss of RB's Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson should force him to throw the football more often. While the Ravens' defense is not what it once was, their offense should prevail - Joe Flacco is notoriously better playing at home, and Ray Rice should get up and over 100 yards with ease against a porous run defense. Torrey Smith, who has been kept quiet in recent weeks, will be able to emulate the deep threat Vincent Jackson posed for the Bucs in the Black Hole last week and should enjoy a nice day.

Bold Prediction: Denarius Moore and Torrey Smith will both have 100 yard games through the air.

Gold Rush: Daryl Richardson should be limited in production by the Niners defense this week

St Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers

Score: STL 0 - 24 SF

Analysis: After seeing the Rams defense get picked apart by Tom Brady at Wembley two weeks ago, it is hard to see them putting up any points against arguably the best defense in the league. San Francisco should be solid at home, and Alex Smith has experienced a recent good run of form. Frank Gore should be productive once again, just as Steven Ridley was for the Patriots against this Rams squad before the bye week. Finally, I like Vernon Davis to re-emerge this week as a top targeted tight end. He should be the beneficiary as wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Randy Moss face up against against the stout corner-back duo of Courtland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins. 

Bold Prediction: Sam Bradford turns the ball over 3+ times.

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

Score: ATL 27 - 31 NO

Analysis: This is the week that the Falcons' undefeated streak comes to an end. Despite the Saints having the the worst pass defense in the league, and Atlanta possessing the most talented wide receivers, Drew Brees will be the quarterback that succeeds in what will inevitably be a shootout in the Superdome. Look for big days from Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham in the Saints passing game, and also a huge game for Falcons deep threat Julio Jones.

Bold Prediction: Julio Jones and Marques Colston will have 300 yards receiving combined.

Packers Playoff Push

Sent Packing: Arizona become Green Bay's fourth victim on the bounce as Packers seek playoff berth

Any team that finishes 15-1 in the regular season one year, is bound to be smothered with expectation the next. Often such assumptions can become over-encumbering for a team, especially one that struggles with early season form, is plagued with injuries and is still lamenting what could have been eight months ago.

Indeed, the Green Bay Packers were brought back to earth rather suddenly as the 2012/2013 season kicked off in September, and after five weeks (involving several sub-par performances) found themselves in a slight predicament at 2-3.

With their division rivals, Chicago and Minnesota, beginning the season in surprisingly dominant fashion, the Packers were lying third in the division they had clinched so convincingly a year ago.

Linebacker Clay Matthews, when asked about his team's struggles after the loss to Indianapolis on October 7th, stated that 'we need to be doing the fundamentals right'.

When a reporter inquired as to how much trouble the all-pro linebacker thought the Packers were in, Matthews admitted that 'we're not where we want to be'.

He went on to say 'It's a long season, and we need to fix it so that we can hopefully make some plays in the post-season'.

Matthews touched on a strong point - at that stage in the season, there was plenty of football still to be played, and four successive wins have put Green Bay on the heels of the Bears in the race for the division title.

Lambeau Leap: Jones pulls in one of Aaron Rodgers four touchdown passes on Sunday

The victory against Arizona this past week emphasized the ability of Aaron Rodgers to make up for significant injuries in perhaps the most dangerous passing attack in the NFL. Since week four the Packers quarterback has thrown 22 touchdowns at the expense of only three interceptions. 

Notably, his improving numbers have come through the breakout sophomore performance of Randall Cobb and the red zone threat of James Jones, proving Rodgers' qualities in making plays, despite the loss of studs Greg Jennings and (in part) Jordy Nelson. 

Cobb found the end-zone twice against the Cardinals, while Jones pulled off a spectacular leaping catch to hit pay dirt himself.

The Packers have this week off on a bye, and will be hoping for the 7-1 Texans to snatch a win against the Bears, who boast the same record, as the NFC North teams start to make their respective playoff pushes.

London Review

Home from Home: Brady lights up Wembley again

As the thousands of fans headed down Wembley Way towards the stadium before kick off yesterday, they were flanked by two large posters. One depicted the stars of the league leading New England Patriots offense, while the other showed the key figures of the St Louis Rams' defense - a unit that has grown in stature and has gained more respect as the season has unfolded. These promotional images seemed to epitomise the expectations and predictions of the majority, in the sense that this would be a match involving a sometimes irresistible offence, attempting to breakthrough one of the most underrated defensive squads in the National Football League.

Unfortunately for the home team, the game was not as close as its billing suggested.

Tom Brady and the Patriots were simply too strong for a Rams team that showed promise when they took the lead on the first drive of the game. Sam Bradford's 50 yard pass to Chris Givens was immediately cancelled out by the Pats, as Brady found Brandon Lloyd in the right corner of the end-zone. With scores on the opening two drives and both quarterbacks with flawless completion ratings, the game offered glimmers of a possible shootout in the making, however, the Rams failed to score again, and the Patriots were able to open up a sizeable 28-7 lead at halftime.

Brandon Lloyd finished with only two catches for 28 yards, however both his grabs went for six points. Lloyd, who caught seven passes for 169 yards and a touchdown for the Denver Broncos at Wembley in 2010, seems to enjoy playing in the UK.

New England in Old England: Brandon Lloyd lining up against the Rams yesterday

Aside from Brady's four-touchdown masterclass, Rob Gronkowski showed elements of his 2011 season form in an eight catch, 146 yard and two score performance, and reminded everyone why he is arguably the best tight end in the league with an incredible diving catch in the last two minutes of the first quarter, that left him a yard shy of the end-zone.

Such was the Patriots' dominance, that Brady was rested for the latter half of the fourth quarter, and after a 45-7 victory to go with the 35-7 win against Tampa Bay in 2009, the Patriots seem to have built up a fan base in London and must thoroughly enjoy playing here.

In the post game press conferences, Brady described the match as 'a fun day offensively' and praised the teams performance in London as 'a great team effort'. Coach Belichick allowed himself a smile when asked about the Patriots success in the United Kingdom, and alluded to the 'growing support' for his team which was recognisable during the game.

Both teams now have a bye week to regroup and prepare for their next games against Buffalo and San Francisco respectively.

The NFL comes to Wembley

St Louis "host" Patriots in sixth International series game for London

When Bill Belichick's team arrived in the UK earlier this week, star quarterback Tom Brady drove home a message concerning the attitude of his team regarding playing football in London. 

He expressed the fact that 'this is not a sightseeing tour, we are here to play football'. It is hard to doubt the focus of Brady, who knows what it takes to win here - the 35-7 defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  back in 2009 was an undeniably convincing performance from his team, and arguably worked to generate a wider fan base in London. 

However, the dominant performance of the Patriots three years ago would not only seem to boost the confidence of Belichick's squad, but could possibly detract from the hopes of the St Louis Rams as well. 

In 2009, Tampa Bay were the home team, yet perhaps due to the more recent successes of the Patriots (who won the Superbowl three times in five years from 2001-2005) the crowd seemed to negate the supposed home advantage of the Bucs, despite the promotion and cues that are set up to encourage the crowd to root for the 'home' team. 

There are fears that a similar problem will occur at the expense of the Rams, who have been one of the weaker teams in the league of late. However, this season has seen a team predicted to have one of the worst records in the NFL, step up, particularly defensively with the addition of corners Janoris Jenkins and Cortland Finnegan.

They have been competitive in possibly the most closely fought division in the league, the NFC West, and three weeks ago, all the teams in that division boasted a positive record. With this improvement to a team that went 2-14 in 2011, this years London game could be more even affair than many first thought when it appeared on the schedule.

The Rams have been training here all week at Arsenal Football Club's Hertfordshire training facilities, hoping to acclimatize quickly to not only the time difference but also the colder climate, that contrasts from their home on the west coast.

With the Rams' surprising performances this year, and New England struggling by their own standards at 4-3, it should make for an interesting matchup for the always enthusiastic fans at Wembley. The different culture, weather and atmosphere could also play a part in this game, possibly providing further excitement and some extra twists.

    

Thursday Night Recap

Buccing the Trend: Freeman and co hand Vikings first home defeat

The Minnesota Vikings have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, racing to 5-2 after seven weeks of action, and this can be attributed largely to their home form. Going into last nights matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Vikings were boasting a 4-0 record at the Mall of America Field, and must have fancied themselves against a Bucs outfit that has had some difficulty in closing out games of late. 

No-one, however, least of all Leslie Frazier's team, expected Doug Martin to break out in the way that he did.

The first round draft pick out of Boise State exploded against what has been a very stout Vikings run defense, for over 200 yards from scrimmage and two scores. The 5-9", 223 pound back answered critics over his sluggish start to the season, with a number of  powerful runs, including a 64 yard reception from Josh Freeman, which he took to the house. 

So dominant was Martin's performance, that LeGarrette Blount was only given eight touches in relief, confirming the status of Martin as the true number one. Further fears of Blount vulturing away touchdowns in the red zone were also partly expelled last night, with Martin hitting pay dirt on a one yard run in the fourth quarter.

Teach me how to Dougie: Martin on his way to a breakout performance

Despite an impressive performance from Martin's counterpart, Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 123 yards and a score, it was not enough to keep up with the Bucs, who opened up an insurmountable 27-10 lead, only a few minutes into the second half.

Josh Freeman continues to impress, and kept up his recent good form - in his last three games he has thrown for three touchdowns in each one, with only one interception. This is the kind of score to turnover ratio that he promised during his encouraging rookie season, and has seemingly turned things around from his somewhat disappointing sophomore year (16 TD's and 22 INT's). While Mike Williams starred as the most prolific receiver last night, Vincent Jackson's sub-par performance of 40 receiving yards can be attributed to the dominance of the running game, and should turn things around next week against the Raiders.

With Tampa visiting Oakland next week and Minnesota travelling to Seattle, the former have the more favourable matchup - the Raiders have struggled defensively of late, and with the Bucs' passing and running games red hot at the moment, they have a very realistic chance of making it to .500 on the season. The Vikings will face a Seahawks defense that has been brutal at home, proving too much for the often unstoppable Patriots passing game a couple of weeks ago.

The trends therefore seem to have reversed after this surprising result, with the Buccaneers on the rise, and the Vikings facing some tough matchups going forward.