Tag: games

Week 12 is upon us! Here’s what you need to know:

GAME OF THE WEEK: Packers at Giants, Sunday night. The Giants have crushed the Packers playoff dreams twice in recent years. (Not cool, NYG.) This game is a rematch of last year’s playoff game, in which the Giants routed the 15-1 Packers en route to their second Super Bowl win against the Patriots, which was terrible deja vu for me. 2008: Giants beat Packers in the playoffs, go on to beat Patriots in the Super Bowl. 2012: Giants beat Packers in the playoffs, go on to beat Patriots in the Super Bowl. Let’s hope we can start a new trend this year.

PLAYER TO WATCH: GREG JENNINGS! Could it possibly be true?! He’s listed as a long shot for the Packers game against the Giants this week…but maybe we’ll finally see 85 back on the field again! We’ve missed you, Greg!

STORYLINE TO KNOW: The no-one-saw-it-coming quarterback controversy between Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. After the backup’s phenomenal performance on Monday night against the Bears, head coach Jim Harbaugh said he’d “go with the quarterback with the hot hand,” even though starting QB Alex Smith has led the team to a 7-2-1 record. Smith has been maligned for most of his career after getting off to a lackluster start for a first-pick of the draft but has really found his stride with Harbaugh. You can’t help but think that this might be a confidence shaker for Smith, but we’ll see how things go on Sunday against the also hot-handed Drew Brees and the Saints.

*Breaking News, For Real: As soon as I finished typing this (Wednesday night), the 49ers announced that they are starting Colin Kaepernick at quarterback this week. I have opinions, and they are many, but I’ll refrain from adding them here because they are currently unkind. But wow. WOW.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

Here are a few from our Thanksgiving table!

PW’s Maple Cranberry Sauce

Harvest Stuffing

Sweet Potato Crumble

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Let’s just start by saying: I love the NFL. All weeks, but especially this week. And here’s why.

1. THREE GAMES went into overtime at the same time on Sunday. I mean, come on. Does it get any better?
2. Um, yes. It does. Because we get to talk about it.

So, let’s categorize:

OVERTIMES:

1. Who thought the Texans would need to go into OT against a woeful Jags team? Especially when the Jags starting QB, Blaine Gabbert, went down with an injury mid-game? That they pulled it out in the final minutes of OT on a courageous 4th down attempt by the Jags speaks volumes about the Texans…and not necessarily in a positive way. But a win’s a win! And the Texans steam roll on.
2. Lesser surprise but still surprising in it’s own right: the Cowboys going into OT with the Browns, who truly had a chance to win this game. But this week, instead of finding a way to lose, the Cowboys found a way to win.
3. Unsurprising but exciting: the Bucs winning in OT over the Panthers. Watch out for the Bucs, people! They mean business.

QUARTERBACKS:

The Good:

1. RG3. Holy goodness, did he ever have a game against the can’t-buy-a-break Eagles.
2. Matt Schaub threw for over 500 yards on Sunday. Is that even human?
3. Aaron Rodgers. Even when the offense is having somewhat of an off day, he’s still able to thread the tiniest of needles through practically invisible holes.
4. Tom Brady. For being Tom Brady.
5. Ditto, Peyton Manning.

The Bad:

1. Phillip Rivers, what happened? I don’t understand?
2. Five interceptions, Matt Ryan? Really?
3. The entire Cardinals QB lineup. Sorry, guys.
4. Ditto, Kansas City.

The Ugly:

1. Nick Foles. The Eagles in general. What a terrible season.

INJURIES: 

1. Biggest injury: Rob Gronkowski out for at least the rest of the regular reason with a broken forearm. Bad break (pun intended) for the Patriots, since Gronk is the core of the offense.
2. Second biggest: Willis McGahee out for the foreseeable future with an MCL tear. Unfortunate for the Broncos, who have really been humming on offense.
3. Ala Chandler, Could Pittsburgh be more injured? Along with the rest of their roster, backup QB Byron Leftwich is also going to be out for a few weeks with broken ribs. Hello, Charlie Batch!
4. It’s so odd to not talk about the Packers in this space, but I think they survived a game sans-devastating injury for the first time in forever (Raji ankle injury notwithstanding…let’s hope it’s inconsequential).

Here’s your go-to guide for Week 11:

GAME OF THE WEEK: Colts at Patriots. Who thought that this would be a great game against two 6-3 teams? Survey says the Pats will come away with the win at home, but you can never underestimate the power of an emotionally charged team. On the other hand, you can never underestimate the power of the Hoodie.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Nick Foles, Eagles backup quarterback. Philly fans were clamoring for him to start anyway, but he’ll be starting for sure on Sunday due to Michael Vick’s concussion. Time to sink or shine!

STORYLINE TO KNOW: The battle of the backups. There are lots of guys out with concussions this weekend, which is a little troublesome for the NFL since they’re actively trying to change the culture of those types of injuries. Nonetheless: Michael Vick, Alex Smith, Jay Cutler, and Ben Roethlisberger (the rib/shoulder injury) won’t be playing. The Monday nighter between the Bears and the Niners takes on a whole new meaning with two backups playing in a big game; great chance to evaluate how the teams respond, and it should still be a competitive game.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

(Thank you, Pinterest, for these many gifts.)

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Crescent Wrap

Chocolate Peppermint S’mores

Giant Salted Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Christmas Bark

Twix Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Week 10 has arrived! Here’s what you need to know:

GAME OF THE WEEK: Lots of people are saying Cowboys at Eagles, and for good reason. Both teams have found their niche this season as the teams that never fail to find a way to fail. So Sunday’s battle of the 3-5’s promises not to be unlike watching a head-on collision to see which vehicle escapes with less damage. Personally, I’m excited for the Texans at Bears. It promises to be a low-scoring affair with two of the league’s best defenses on display, but a good matchup of worthy opponents. Also, be on upset alert for the Falcons at Saints game.

PLAYER TO WATCH: There are so many different directions I want to go with this one, but I think I’m settling on all of the Tennessee Titans. All of the players/coaches/personnel/secretaries were put on notice after owner Bud Adams went on the war path following the Titans humbling loss to Chicago last Sunday. Basically, everyone will be playing for their lives, which isn’t the best atmosphere for starting QB Jake Locker to come back to after being out on injury for the past few weeks.

STORYLINE TO KNOW: Charles Tillman, cornerback for the Bears, has let it be known that if his wife goes into labor on Sunday, he will miss the game to be with her. This, predictably, has the more rabid football fans and commentators up in arms, while everyone else is touched by his (completely NORMAL) commitment to his family. Would you expect anyone else to miss the birth of their child if they had a choice in the matter? Tillman is absolutely making the right call here.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

caramelitas (a personal favorite)

caramel apple brownies

gooey chocolate peanut butter cup brownies

peppermint cookies and cream popcorn

pumpkin magic bars

I kind of like busting out different formats for this post. This week, let’s look at the nine biggest jaw-dropping moments from Week 9:

1. Holy Yardage, Rookie Running Back! Doug Martin put up 251 rushing yards against the Raiders in Sunday’s Bucs win. (For reference: that’s more than double what normal, human running backs average.)
2. Holy Yardage, Rookie Quarterback! Andrew Luck threw for 433 yards against the Dolphins in the Colts victory on Sunday, thus breaking the record (set last year by Cam Newton with 432) for highest single game throwing yards by a rookie QB.
3. We already talked about this yesterday, but Chuck Pagano’s post game speech was jaw dropping and tear inducing. If still haven’t heard it, please take the time to listen to it and read about it here.
4. Places of Doom, Part I: Tennessee. After their 51-20 loss to the Bears on Sunday, the Titans owner let it be known that he’s basically firing everyone in the off-season. Which, even though the Titans have been less than stellar lately, is a little harsh since the Bears defense is insane right now. INSANE.
5. Places of Doom, Part II: Philadelphia. For a city that is already intent on lambasting any and every professional sports personnel…I can’t even imagine what the Andy Reid Angstometer looks like at this point. Which is a shame. Reid has been a staple in Philly and has brought a steady stream of success to the team. He’s a hall of fame caliber coach, but unfortunately none of that matters to fans when you’re on a multiple game losing streak.
6. I hate to harp on this, but I feel like I have to: the Eagles had four 1st-and-goal situations last night (meaning they were within 10 yards of the end zone with 4 chances to get points)…and came away with two field goals. There are no words for that.
7. HOW ARE THEY LOSING THESE GAMES?! I am not even close to a Cowboys fan, but I still find it unnervingly frustrating to watch them lose every week. It goes against everything I know about the NFL to watch a team be poised to win at some point in the game every week…and then lose, every week. Dallas fans, I’m sorry. This must be brutal for you.
8. For the sake of the general NY/NJ area, I really wanted to see the Giants win on Sunday. But man, what a game. The Steelers played great, but it was the first time all season that Eli Manning hasn’t looked superhuman in the 4th quarter. Tough loss.
9. Peyton Manning. Just being Peyton Manning. Even in an ugly win he’s still unbelievable to watch.

How about you guys? What were your favorite moments from Week 9?