Views from the Nosebleeds: 2016 NFL Regular Season, Week 11

Although I had to correct Big Dadi Scribbler on a few historical facts--he thought the Browns played in the NFC at some point since the AFL-NFL merger when they've always been in the AFC--I had an intriguing conversation with him about old school football.  As a football, softball and track and field star for Coolidge High School in Northwest D.C., one of the things he noted was how rough defensive backs were against receivers--so much that one of the biggest reasons wideouts would get alligator arms was because of the ferocious hand checking before a lot of the illegal contact rules were imposed.  In fact, he started off as a receiver before making the transition to defense, a welcomed change in which he inflicted the same abuse on opposing receivers he endured on offense.  However, perhaps the most interesting facts I never knew about my dad when constantly hearing how legendary he was as an athlete was he was also a kicker and a punter, forcing several touchbacks on kickoffs and leading the league in net punting average one season.  Considering Week 11's struggle kicking as eleven misfires led to the most amount of failed extra points in a week since 1966, I'm sure several teams would've loved to have a sure-footed boot like the Scribbler patriarch.  Now that I've done at least two or three shameless plugs for dear old dad in one calendar year, let's discuss some new school football...

THE PLUS/MINUS TAKE OF THE WEEK: STAY CLASSY, SAN DIEGO (+4).  There is little a player can do when the changing of the guard is inevitable and Tony Romo, the high-priced Cowboys QB who has one of the best passer ratings in NFL history but only two playoff wins to his name, has suffered several injuries over the past few years and witnessed his star fall in Dallas with the unforeseen rise of rookie Dak Prescott.  However, unlike when he took over for Drew Bledsoe in 2006, Romo has handled this situation better than his predecessor--who lost two previous starting jobs to Tom Brady in New England and J.P. Losman in Buffalo due to injury--as he has recovered from a fractured vertebrae but remains the backup to Prescott.  In a scripted press conference, this was part of his spiel:

I think you all know something magical is happening to our team.  I'm not going to allow this situation to negatively affect Dak or this football team by becoming a constant distraction.  I think Dak knows that I have his back and I think he knows that I have mine.  Ultimately, it's about the team.  It's what we've preached our entire lives... 

Whether you're in the consensus of those who feel like Romo's speech was classy or in the minority like former defensive back and ESPN analyst Charles Woodson who felt like it was "unnecessary" and "selfish", accepting a team moving on from you is not an easy thing to do and he has handled it with as much as grace as anyone in his position is expected.  If his passing of the torch didn't make enough headlines, he has his eyes on Denver as his next destination.  Truthfully, that would be unfortunate for him to go to another rival team since I'm a Raiders fan; in fact, as a dear, dear friend of mine noted, he could remain in the state of Texas and play for Houston because Lord knows they've need a better QB since their inception.  Nevertheless, a part of me would want him to do well because he's taken so much criticism over his career and even a 37-year-old Tony Romo could be a temporary upgrade from Trevor Siemian or Brock Osweiler if he remains healthy for the majority of the season...

THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE TAKE OF THE WEEK: THE REAL FEDEX AIR AND GROUND.  Show of hands: how many people went into this game thinking Washington would put up 42 points against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers?  Yeah, I know, Marcus Mariota and the Titans put up 47 against them last week and as stellar of an athlete as he can be, Mr. Discount Double Check doesn't play defense.  To the last point, the Skins' pass defense shouldn't feel but so proud of their performance as he torched them with 26 of 41 for 351 yards and three TDs.  In fact, they had little to no answer for Jared Cook's six catches for 105 yards and a TD until Josh Norman channeled his inner Mike Tyson's Punch-Out by forcing a fumble which effectively ended the game.  Furthermore, although the run defense held the Packers under 100 yards rushing--which hasn't been hard for most teams to do with the absence of Eddie Lacy--their contain on Rodgers was virtually nonexistent as he was the team's leading rusher with three carries for 33 yards and a near TD.  (He was only seven yards shy of besting James Starks' 33 yards against the Titans.)

However, better offense is often the best defense and Kirk Cousins' head-to-head performance against one of the league's best field generals was one for the scrapbook.  On top of completing 21 of 30 for 375 yards and three TDs, he threw the majority of his passes with an urgent confidence and is beginning to lead an offense which can score in the red zone with more efficiency.  Part of that red zone attack has been the emergence of undrafted rookie running back Rob Kelley from Tulane, who had his most impressive game in the NFL with 24 carries for 137 yards and three TDs.  Although "Fat Rob" may not possess the speed of Chris Thompson, his patience, vision, toughness and footwork were all on full display as he has the makings of a featured back--even more than the incumbent Matt Jones.  Moreover, Pierre Garçon (six catches, 116 yards and a TD) and Jamison Crowder (three catches, 102 yards and a TD) had one of their best games of the season while Jordan Reed (five catches, 79 yards) and DeSean Jackson (four catches, 51 yards and a TD) were also significantly involved in the passing game.  While the overall defense still doesn't strike fear in the hearts of opponents, their offense could wreck shop in the final six games as they seek to secure a playoff berth...

SCRIBBLER'S GAME OF THE WEEK: OAKLAND RAIDERS 27, HOUSTON TEXANS 20.  In a game where the crowd may have been "80 to 90 percent" Raiders fans, the NFL's first game in Mexico City didn't disappoint--which was especially impressive because it was Monday Night Football, ratings have been slipping for several years now and many of the games haven't been competitive.  For a while, it appeared these two division leaders were evenly matched as the $72 Million Dollar Man in Brock Osweiler played what felt like one of his better games of the season.  Although he didn't have staggering numbers (26 of 39, 243 yards, one TD, one INT), he and C.J. Fiedorowicz (six catches, 85 yards) made life difficult for a susceptible Raiders pass defense.  Throw in Lamar Miller's 24 carries for 104 yards and a TD and Oakland was up against the wall in the fourth quarter as they faced a 17-13 deficit as well as entering a three-way tie with Kansas City and Denver for first in the AFC West.  Frankly, that lead could've been 21-13 as DeAndre Hopkins was controversially marked out of bounds at Oakland's 36 yard line on what would've been a 60-yard TD reception, killing the momentum of a drive which only resulted in a Nick Novak 32-yard FG.

However, Bill O'Brien made the most baffling call of the night as he bailed out a wheezing Raiders defense with a passing play on 3rd and 1 with 11:07 in regulation instead of running with Lamar Miller, settling for a Novak 28-yard FG to go up 20-13.  Derek Carr (21 of 31, 295 yards, three TDs, one INT) made them pay with a pass to Jamize Olawale for a 75-yard TD on their first play after the Novak FG.  After the defense made one of their biggest plays of the game by stopping Akeem Hunt on 4th and 1 with 6:31--which was another controversial officiating call because it appeared Hunt got enough for the first down--Carr led a five-play, 85-yard drive capped off with Amari Cooper's 35-yard TD reception which gave the Raiders their first lead since a 10-3 edge in the second quarter.  For the division-leading Raiders, they might not be as complete of a team as New England in the AFC, but Derek Carr has led the troops to one of their best starts in over a decade and makes them a tough out come playoff time.  As for the Texans, perhaps they can beat up on an average division and their defense can be problematic even without J.J. Watt, but despite having a rejuvenated running game with Lamar Miller, it will be difficult for them to compete against the AFC's better teams with the overpaid Osweiler at the helm...

SCRIBBLER'S CHECKDOWNS:

• CAR 23, NO 20: despite having more total yards (371) and controlling time of possession (32:15), being -2 in the turnover battle resulted in the Saints splitting the season series with the Panthers, whose offense wasn't wildly impressive.  Hopefully, Carolina will get Luke Kuechly back soon as they look to inch closer to .500 while New Orleans remains a below average team as they have been since Bountygate, even with the incomparable Drew Brees;
• DAL 27, BAL 17: despite Baltimore's top-ranked run defense holding Ezekiel Elliott to a modest 97 yards on the ground, their pass defense had no answers for Dak Prescott (301 passing yards, three TDs) and Dez Bryant (80 yards receiving, two TDs).  With their first nine-game winning streak in franchise history, the Cowboys maintain the league's best record and are clearly one of the hardest to beat;
• BUF 16, CIN 12: when you lose A.J. Green to a torn hamstring for perhaps the rest of an already disappointing season, any opposing defense worth their weight in gold will lick their chops as Stephon Gilmore led the way and rebounded soundly from his early season struggles with two INTs.  While the Bills still have a ways to go to in the Wild Card hunt and their offense doesn't wow you consistently, this was a necessary, gutsy win;
• PIT 24, CLE 9: what's the best way to snap a four-game losing streak if you're the Steelers?  Play the woeful Browns, whose passing game is meh (176 yards between Cody Kessler and Josh McCown) and running game continues to be abysmal when McCown is the leading rusher (11 out of the team's 33 total yards).  Toss in two turnovers, including a sack fumble recovery for a Pittsburgh TD, and it's the perfect 0-11 storm.  I promise y'all no head coach in the NFL envies Hue Jackson right about now; 
• DET 26, JAX 19: if I told you the Lions only had 14 total rushing yards and Matthew Stafford threw no TDs, then you'd assume they lost the game, right?  Well,  they were playing the Jags, who turned the ball over three times including an amazing Rafael Bush pick six which was the difference in the final score.  Not their offense's prettiest showing of the year, but their defense showed up to keep Detroit atop the NFC North;
• IND 24, TEN 17: if the Titans didn't have to play the Colts twice a year, then they'd at least be 6-5 and in much better position in the AFC South as well as the Wild Card race.  Unfortunately, despite being as evenly matched as possible with the division rivals and staying turnover free, the Colts extended their undefeated streak this season when T.Y. Hilton has at least 80 yards receiving (5-0);
• TB 19, KC 17: led by the Florida State alumni tandem of Roberto Aguayo's foot and Famous Jameis' arm (continuing his impressive 25-game streak with at least one TD in every game to begin his pro career), Dirk Cutter's Bucs played another close-to-the-vest game and eked out a victory in one of the hardest places to play in the NFL.  Meanwhile, the issue with the Chiefs is their offense turning over the ball uncharacteristically as of late and failing to intimidate opposing defenses;
• MIN 30, ARI 24: the Vikings got back to their winning ways due in large part to the first two 100+ yard TDs in the same game since 2009 via a pick six from Xavier Rhodes and a kickoff return from Cordarrelle Patterson--which were also the fastest of the day.  Unfortunately, it was much to the Cardinals' chagrin as another lackluster performance from Carson Palmer (198 passing yards, two TDs over two INTs, hit 23 times and sacked four times) continues Arizona's campaign as this season's most disappointing team; 
• NYG 22, CHI 16: despite an evenly matched game statistically and both teams' kickers contributing to the record day for extra-point kicking woes--three missed XPs in this game alone--the Bears' defeat came down to the game's only turnover from Jay Cutler during the final moments (surprise, surprise).  The Cowboys will need to keep winning because the Giants are on a five-game winning streak and at least firming up that No. 5 spot in the NFC playoff picture;
• MIA 14, LA 10: after the calls became deafening for 2016's No. 1 overall draft pick to finally start ahead of Case Keenum, Jared Goff had the misfortune of having 1) Jeff Fisher as his head coach and leading an annoyingly conservative game and 2) his defense collapsing in the fourth quarter.  Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins' offense overcame three putrid and scoreless quarters en route to their fifth consecutive win in dramatic fashion;
• NE 30, SF 17: with an impressive start, Colin Kaepernick didn't do a whole lot to lose this game for the Niners.  Unfortunately, missing ten consecutive passes while Tom Brady had another hot game (280 yards passing, four TDs) at the expense of his defense didn't help them win or end their now nine-game losing streak. The Patriots strengthened their stranglehold on the AFC East and make life more difficult for the Raiders in the race for the AFC's No. 1 seed; and
• SEA 26, PHI 15: Carson Wentz may have been on a similar pace in his first nine games in the NFL as Russell Wilson (5-4 record as a starter, around 87 QB rating), but neither is his offense nor his defense as good as Seattle's as his two INTs helped to drop a critical game.  Meanwhile, when Jimmy Graham is finally being used properly and Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson can swap positions and it still results in TDs, that's one of many signs why the 'Hawks are another team the Cowboys must stay ahead of because nobody wants to travel to CenturyLink Field to get to Houston.

SCRIBBLER'S CHOP LICKERS FOR WEEK 12:

• MIN (6-4) @ DET (6-4), 12:30 p.m. (Thanksgiving): in one of their most important Turkey Day games in years, the Lions look to continue their hot streak and sweep the season series against the Vikings.  However, if Minnesota continues to thrive on special teams and defense as they did against Arizona, then this will not be a cake walk for Detroit.  Look for this to be a hotly-contested for the NFC North lead;
• WAS (6-3-1) @ DAL (9-1), 4:30 p.m. (Thanksgiving): although Washington is 1-6 against Dallas on Turkey Day all time, late-season NFC East games are historically tough and the Skins are seeking revenge after a Week 2 loss in Landover.  If Josh Norman can slow down Dez Bryant, then look for Ezekiel Elliott to bounce back mightily against a team who still struggles against the run as well as Cole Beasley and Jason "Wide Open" Witten giving them fits.  However, the Cowboys will have their fair share of problems against the running game led by Rob Kelley and trying to cover a cadre of receiving weapons; and
• KC (7-3) @ DEN (7-3), 8:30 p.m. (SNF): in a battle between two AFC West teams with stellar defenses but middling offenses, the two biggest advantages Denver has is 1) Sports Authority Field at Mile High and 2) a Super Bowl winning defense.  However, I'm still more of a believer in Alex Smith without Jamaal Charles than Trevor Siemian without C.J. Anderson.  This should be another grind-it-out prime time game as both teams look to keep pace with the Raiders and maintain their current positions in the playoff hunt.