Oh, those Saints. First there was a plane towing a banner that read "28-3 Merry Xmas" that greeted the Falcons during their bus ride to the Superdome. Then they trolled the Falcons during halftime when a group of dancing dudes moved into a formation that spelled out "28-3." That was the lead the Falcons choked away to the Patriots during the Super Bowl. It’s the Ghost of Christmas Past that will forever haunt the Falcons until they win the Big One. Sort of like your aunt’s infamous Christmas cookies that you thank her for baking each year but never eat.
The Patriots’ 37-16 win against the Bills gives them eight straight seasons of at least 12 wins, the longest streak in NFL history. I’d mention something about playing in the weak AFC East but that would rile Pats fans and I wouldn’t want to do that on Christmas. So we’ll leave at this: Tom Brady has now thrown an interception in five straight games, his longest such streak since 2002.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott returned from a six-game ban over domestic violence accusations and was quickly put to work. He ran 11 times in the first quarter vs. Seattle. He had a solid game (24 carries, 97 yards), but QB Dak Prescott’s sophomore jinx continued with two interceptions — one a pick-6 – in a 21-12 loss that put Dallas out of playoff contention.
The Seahawks kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Cowboys. That they finish the season against the Cardinals should be a late Christmas present.
Bills fans favor getting rid of replay challenges after an apparent go-ahead TD catch by Kelvin Benjamin vs. the Patriots was overturned. Head of officiating Alberto Riveron said a review showed Benjamin didn’t have two feet inbounds. Mike Pereira, an former NFL officiating VP, blasted the reversal on Twitter: "It is more and more obvious that there isn’t a standard for staying with the call on the field."
The Bills still have a chance at a wild-card spot if they win their season finale at Miami. If they make the playoffs, they will break a 17-year drought, which is the longest in the NFL since the 1970 merger and the longest active streak in all four major North American pro sports. We know what Bills fans’ Christmas wishes are: a playoff spot and the replay system crashing during Week 17.
All hail 34-year-old Larry Fitzgerald, who is the only reason these days to watch the Cardinals. The ageless wonder, in his 14th season, became the oldest player to catch 100 passes in a season in a 23-0 win over the Giants. He also completed the first pass of his career after missing on his first two attempts.
Could the Titans, losers to the Rams, have picked a worse time for a three-game skid? Say it with me: NO! A division contender at 8-4 before the slide, they can clinch a wild-card spot with a Week 17 win vs. the Jaguars. The Jags clinched the AFC South, so you wonder how much of an effort they will make. The Titans’ bad news: RB DeMarco Murray left the game with a knee injury.
Who is your choice for NFL MVP? How about Rams running back Todd Gurley (leaping above), who rushed for 118 yards and had 158 receiving yards in a 27-23 road win against the Titans. According to the folks at ESPN Stats & Info, Gurley became the first player since Herschel Walker in 1986 to rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 150 receiving yards in a game. Gurley has an NFL-high 19 touchdowns after scoring twice against the Titans. He joined Marshall Faulk and O.J. Simpson as the only players in NFL history with 2,000 yards from scrimmage, at least 10 rushing touchdowns and at least five receiving touchdowns. … Meanwhile, the Rams clinched their first division title since 2003 with the win. But that was when they played in St. Louis. This is their first title as the Los Angeles Rams since 1985. Those L.A. Rams opened the playoffs with a 20-0 win against the Cowboys, then were steamrolled 21-0 by the Bears in the NFC title game. The Bears rolled to their only Super Bowl title that year. The Rams don’t have to worry about the Bears this year.
The Jaguars clinched their first division title since 1999 by virtue of the Titans’ loss to the Rams. Jacksonville won that ’99 title when it was in the AFC Central. That was about it as far as banner days for the Jags, who lost 44-33 to the 49ers. Blake Bortles (above) threw three interceptions, his first picks in four games. He also threw his first pick-6 of the year after throwing 11 in his first three seasons. He passed for 338 yards and two touchdowns to almost bring his team back late in the fourth. … On the other side, quick question: How different would the 49ers’ season be had they traded for QB Jimmy Garoppolo before it started? He’s 4-0 since taking over. The 49ers are a different team with him. Just shows how important the quarterback position is. Add his two starts last season with the Patriots and Garoppolo is 6-0 as a starter.
So the kettle jump is officially a thing in Dallas. After Seahawks CB Justin Coleman returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown, he jumped into the red Salvation Army kettle behind the end zone (above). Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott did that last season after scoring against the Bucs. Not quite the Lambeau Leap, but I see it catching on. Elliott wasn’t fined. How about those who do the kettle leap begin a tradition of a donating to the Salvation Army?
Well, Jay Cutler (No. 6) is not the answer in Miami, but we knew that a long time ago. The Dolphins have lost seven of nine with their 29-13 fail against the Chiefs, a reversal from 2016, when they won nine of their last 11 to reach the playoffs. Would things have been different had Matt Moore run the offense after Ryan Tannehill was hurt in the preseason? Maybe. Would Cutler have had a better year as a TV analyst? Dolphins fans would say, "How could he not?"
Listening to WDAE-AM on the way home from Saturday’s Lightning game, I heard two hosts discussing Sunday’s Browns-Bears game. One suggested it should be a total blackout. No TV, radio or press coverage. Sounded like a good idea, but both teams are the season’s car wrecks and you can’t help but rubberneck as you go by. The Bears won 20-3, so congrats to them for their fifth win.
The Browns became the first team since the 2008 Lions to go 0-15 since the league expanded to a 16-game season in 1978. They clinched the top pick in next year’s draft, making them the first team since the 1999-2000 Browns to have the first pick in consecutive years. And that brings us to this …
Some guy has been busting his tail for years to make himself as good a draft prospect as he can. He worked hard in high school to earn a college scholarship and worked hard in college to get to the next level. He has sacrificed a lot, probably played through more pain than he’d care to mention, all while his head coach got paid the big $$$$. Now it’s his chance to cash in, and he will. He’ll get top dollar as the No. 1 pick in the draft only to begin his career in Cleveland, where he’ll have little chance to succeed unless something drastic happens with that organization. Maybe he will be the start of the turnaround. History says he won’t. Good luck, kid.
If QB Kirk Cousins played his last home game for Washington, he went out on top with a 27-11 win against the Broncos. After a slow first half, he threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Washington also beat the Cardinals in Week 15, so it’s possible Cousins, on a one-year deal, could have had two straight tryouts of sorts against teams in need of QBs.
Remember that Christmas Day thriller in 1971 when the Dolphins beat the Chiefs 27-24 in double overtime on Garo Yepremian’s 37-yard field goal during the Chiefs’ first home playoff game? I watched it at my Aunt Rita’s apartment on a color TV, a rare treat back then. Well, Sunday’s game between the teams in K.C. was nothing like that, but the Chiefs won 29-13 to clinch their second straight AFC West title. Alex Smith passed for 304 yards and a touchdown, so it looks like the Chiefs’ offense has returned after that horrid midseason funk.
Stocking stuffers …
• Drew Brees became the third quarterback to reach 70,000 career passing yards, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. He also extended his run of seasons with 4,000 passing yards to 12.
•The Vikings’ 16-0 shutout Saturday was their first against the Packers since a 3-0 win Nov. 14, 1971, at old Met Stadium.
•The Jets were the first team since the Titans in Week 1 to open the game with an onside kick. They recovered, but because they are the Jets, they didn’t score.
•The Chargers, 14-7 winners against the Jets, remain alive for a wild-card spot but need a lot of help.