The NFL’s game of the week proved worthy of the hype when the New England Patriots rode quarterback Tom Brady to a dramatic 27-24 victory against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Patriots’ win was one of quite a few highs from the weekend, depending on your point of view. Meanwhile, another blowout loss for the Cincinnati Bengals was certainly a low.
Here is a look at the week that was in the NFL:
Highs
3. Patriots take control of their own destiny
The Patriots-Steelers showdown lived up to its billing as one of the season’s best and most dramatic games. Brady and the Patriots took possession with just over two minutes left in the game, down 24-19. One minute later, New England scored on running back Dion Lewis’s 8-yard touchdown to take the lead.
The Steelers had one more chance, and they nearly won the game. A controversial reversal of Ben Roethlisberger’s touchdown pass to tight end Jesse James resulted in a game-ending interception two plays later. Now, both teams sit at 11-3 with the Patriots holding the tie-breaker for the AFC’s top seed.
Brady and the Patriots aren’t as dominant as they were during last year’s run, but the results are the same. The road to the Super Bowl will likely go through Foxborough yet again, and that's trouble for Pittsburgh.
2. Changing of the guard
The Los Angeles Rams traveled to Seattle with one thing on their minds: staking their claim as the class of the NFC West. It took the Rams 14 years to do it, but they finally took control of the division again. Oh, and they did it with their most dominant performance of the season.
The Seahawks had nothing for the Rams. Los Angeles' defense pursued the football better than it has at any point in 2017. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald and linebacker Robert Quinn, in particular, terrorized quarterback Russell Wilson. They combined for five of the Rams’ seven sacks. Overall, Los Angeles held the Seahawks to just 149 total yards in a devastating 42-7 victory.
Meanwhile, the Rams' offense and special teams performed well. Running back Todd Gurley compiled 180 total yards and four touchdowns. Kick returner Pharoh Cooper equaled his teammate with 180 yards of his own in the return game. Altogether, the Rams put together their best performance in 2017, proving worthy of the NFC West title.
1. “Sacksonville” makes the playoffs
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2017 season with increased expectations, but no one thought they would dominate the AFC South like it has this season. The Jaguars crushed the Houston Texans 45-7 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2007. They need one more victory or a Tennessee Titans loss to the Rams this weekend to clinch the AFC South title outright.
The Jaguars lived up to their “Sacksonville” nickname by getting to Texans quarterback T.J. Yates four times. Offensively, quarterback Blake Bortles completed 21 of 29 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs Corey Grant, Chris Ivory, and T.J. Yeldon combined for 131 yards in place of the injured Leonard Fournette. Jacksonville's offensive and defensive units are finally coming together, which means the rest of the AFC should take notice.
Lows
3. The Bengals are the “Bungles” again
Head coach Marvin Lewis brought the Bengals out of the NFL’s cellar and built a consistent contender. Now, as the end of the season draws near, it’s clear that both the Bengals and Lewis are ready to part ways. Unfortunately, the franchise is heading right back where it came from. The Bengals suffered their second straight blowout loss in a game where they were never even competitive.
Lewis spent much of his Bengals career trying to build a consistent winner in Cincinnati. There is enough talent on the roster for the Bengals to make a quick recovery. Rumors are swirling around Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson possibly taking over for Lewis.
Jackson’s work in Cleveland shows that he’s not the answer. If the Bengals hope to contend quickly, finding an accomplished coach is a must.
2. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson steps away
The Carolina Panthers appear ready for a playoff run, but they will have to do it with their owner Jerry Richardson away from the team. The Charlotte Observer’s Jourdan Rodrique reported that Richardson gave up day-to-day operations of the team. Richardson came under fire over the weekend after reports emerged that he had settled with previous employees concerning sexual misconduct in the workplace.
The onus is now on head coach Ron Rivera and the rest of his coaching staff to lead the Panthers into the postseason amid all of the distractions surrounding Richardson. They should handle it fine, but the players never should have had to deal with Richardson’s sins to begin with.
1. What’s wrong with the Eagles' defense?
The Philadelphia Eagles emerged from their trap game against the New York Giants with a 34-29 victory, which kept them in line for the top seed in NFC. However, the Giants became the second-straight team to score 29 or more points on the Eagles.
New York entered the game with one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Yet, quarterback Eli Manning completed 37 of 57 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns on Philly's defense.
Manning’s performance would be easy to defend if the Giants spent the game fighting back from a huge deficit. However, the game stayed close. The truth is Manning made the Eagles look terrible.
Maybe the game will simply go down as an off day for Philadelphia's defense, but what if the Giants exposed a gap instead? We’ll find out soon enough with the Eagles taking on two teams (Dallas and Oakland) trying to save their playoff lives in the last two weeks of the season.
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