Thoughts from last week

John Berger
Senior Editor

Coming into the weekend, it looked as if last Sunday’s games would be the best and most action packed of the season. There was a bit of a letdown as some games ended up being duds, but there was still a lot that happened that was interesting. A few playoff races got more crowded, and a few upsets occurred. Here are my thoughts:

• 

  The Falcons are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. A lot of people(me included) have been questioning the validity of the Falcons as the NFC’s top team. I think it’s time to table those concerns for now. Atlanta thrashed a Giants team that had a lot to play for to the tune of 34-0. Their defense is underrated, and Matt Ryan has had a really good year at quarterback. They have yet to play the Packers or the 9ers, the two teams seeded behind them, but with home-field advantage they’ll be dangerous in the playoffs.

• The Giants are in a bit of trouble. They really haven’t played well for the last month, other than the Sunday night game in late November when they dominated the Packers. Eli Manning has struggled a lot, completing only 60% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ratio of 4 to 3. Now the Giants are in a three way tie for first place in their division with the Redskins and the Cowboys. New York is one of five NFC teams that is 8-6, meaning that the final two games of the season will feature a lot of important games. The Giants have to play a Ravens team that is desperate for a big win this Sunday in Baltimore, and then they finish up with a mediocre Eagles team. The Redskins and Cowboys play each other in what is essentially an elimination game in Week 17. Still, the Giants likely will need to win out in order to feel good about making the playoffs.

• 

  The 49ers solidified themselves as the team to beat in the NFL. Less than a week after the Texans got blown out at the Patriots, the 49ers went into Foxborough Sunday night and dispatched New England. After racing out to a 28 point lead, the Pats came back to tie it up, but the 9ers quickly scored 10 points to regain control of the game. I picked the Patriots and 49ers to go to the Super Bowl back in the beginning of the season, and I’m still pretty comfortable with that pick.

• The Seahawks and Broncos will be very tough outs in the playoffs. The Broncos are now second in the AFC after dismantling the Ravens on Sunday. I’ve long been on the Broncos’ bandwagon, and they have only lost once at home all season, and only once at all since October 7th. The Seahawks have won 5 out of 6 games themselves, and they have the 4th highest point differential in the entire league.
• The Packers defense has quietly put together a pretty good season. The D is still liable to let downs and poor play, as evidenced by their performance against the Giants and the Colts. But they still have the 9th most efficient defense in the entire NFL, and that defense should only get better as Clay Matthews gets healthier and Charles Woodson comes back. Couple the defense with a top 5 offense, and the Packers may be headed back to the Super Bowl.