People remember what you do in December.”
So says head coach JOHN FOX of the Carolina Panthers about the crunch time that is now upon the NFL.
The final three weeks of the season are here, and aside from the division-winning Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans, it’s a mad race for the nine remaining playoff spots among the 19 still-eligible clubs.
There’s sure to be some twists and turns in that race. Just look at last week. The Giants were sailing along at 11-1 and lose to the 6-5-1 Eagles. Warm-weather
It all tightens the playoff pressure. “Nobody said this was going to be easy,” says head coach TONY SPARANO, who has taken the 1-15 Miami Dolphins of last year into a three-way tie (at 8-5) for first in the AFC East. “Not in this league.”
So as the final surge begins, here are some of the key Week 15 games:
Are they with the right teams?
It sure seems that PIERRE THOMAS of
For
These ground games aside, the big question will be can QB DREW BREES and the Saints’ No. 1 NFL passing offense perform up to its fireworks level outdoors in the December night?
Protecting the lead…and going for it.
That’s the story for this one Sunday. First-place
“We want to be division champs,” says Ravens rookie head coach JOHN HARBAUGH, who has led the club from a 5-11
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’58 CHAMPIONSHIP DOCUMENTARY ON ESPN SATURDAY; RAYMOND BERRY REMEMBERS THE GAME
ESPN will broadcast its special documentary, “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” on the 1958 NFL Championship sudden-death overtime between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants this Saturday (December 13) at 9:00 PM ET.
What did it feel like to play in that game? Pro Football Hall of Famer RAYMOND BERRY, who caught 12 passes for 178 yards and one TD for the Colts in the epic, remembers: “It was the No. 1 thrill of my career. It was impossible to describe the feeling. You have to experience it to understand. Whether we were on the Colts or Giants, we were a very fortunate group of guys. To be a part of this game was the bonus that none of use could have thought would ever happen.”
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finish last season to its 9-4 mark. “We’re not backing down from the fact that that’s our goal.”
Both teams are on streaks. The Ravens have won seven of their past eight with rookie QB JOE FLACCO throwing at least one TD pass in those games. The Steelers have won five of their last six, including their 10-point comeback thriller over
On paper, this should be one intense defensive battle. It’s a matchup between the first (
One’s good on the road, the other’s unbeaten at home. Plus, they’re first-place teams.
Should be quite an inter-conference battle. The Broncos have won three in a row on the road (and are 3-0 vs. the NFC South this year). The Panthers, coming off their 38-23 Monday night home win over
It will be a battle of philosophies.
Result? The No. 4 rush attack in the league, and the distinction of being the only team with two rushers in the league’s top-20 – Williams (1,141 yards) and Stewart (699). The duo became on Monday night the first teammates in history to each rush for 100 yards, score two rushing touchdowns and average 7.0 yards per carry.
Sailing along, then – whoops!
That’s the story of these two, although a lot of teams wouldn’t mind having their records. There were the Giants zooming along with seven wins in a row until division-rival
So, where does that bring us? To a rouser Sunday night. With a win or other scenarios, the Giants earn a first-round bye. The Cowboys need to keep winning to insure a playoff berth.
“There is not going to be any lack of motivation on either side and it is going to be a great game to be a part of,” says center SHAUN O’HARA of the Giants, who are 5-4 in their last nine games in
Eagles are getting hot!
One of the best teams in the NFL in December with a 29-17 (.630) record the past 10 years,
“It’s a long, long season,” says Eagles head coach ANDY REID. “Anything can happen. We’ve got three more games that we have to take care of business with. We have the Browns coming in here. They have four wins and three of those have been on the road. It’s not a time to sit back and relax.”
An interesting pairing to watch will be two Washington, DC-born playmakers –
For what it’s worth: