Baby, it’s cold outside! Those words are from a famous song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and popularized in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter. Football players and fans were singing those words out loud and in their heads during the week 16 action of the NFL because cold temperatures gripped most of the nation. It was so cold that some Dolphins’ fans showed a clip of snow falling in Miami before their game. Despite the frigid temperature, the action was captivating and even sizzling. In this article, we will discuss the top three headlines from the past weekend.
1.Legends deft the odds- the snowflakes were probably an omen to the Packers, who probably felt they had brought their weather down south to Miami. The home team started well by leading the game 10-3 and 20-10 in the second quarter, but the second half was a disaster on offense. The Dolphins’ four possession in the second half resulted in turnovers with a missed field goal and three interceptions. Ouch! Tua Tagovailoa was in the MVP conversation earlier in the season, but now his future as a starter is in question based on the team’s collapse and health. On Monday, reports in the media indicate that Tua had entered the concussion protocol and is questionable to play in Week 17 against the Patriots. On the other hand, the Packers’ chances of making the playoffs have improved, and if they win out, they could get in. Another legend that answered the call on the weekend was Tom Brady. It seems that this team has a usual pattern of falling behind in games, and if it’s a close game, then Brady could work his magic to pull off a win. The Cardinals led 16-6 with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter, but Brady pulled off another comeback with two field goals and a touchdown in his last four drives to grab the win. It now sets up a must-win game with the Panthers in week 17 since they lost the first matchup this season, and another loss would cause them to lose the tie-breaker in the division.
2. Floundering in the East- the AFC and NFC East were praised early in the season for having the most competitive divisions in football. However, over the weekend, the divisions were 2-5, and there was only one head-to-head matchup from that dismal record. The Jets remain grounded because the quarterback position is abysmal, and lost embarrassingly to the Jaguars at home. The Patriots were down 22-0 and stormed back to 22-18 to the Bengals with a chance to win. Then, Rhamondre Stevenson cost his team with a big fumble in the red zone to crush the comeback. The Giants played a back-and-forth thriller in Minnesota but lost the game on a 61-yard kick to Greg Joseph. The Washington Commanders were demolished by the 49ers 37-20. Suddenly, the AFC and NFC East will likely grab only a maximum of 3 spots in the playoffs when they were poised to grab maybe all six at one point in the season. A lesson in life, don’t count your eggs before they hatch.
3. Shocking Losses-the Lions losing a game should not be a shock over the past decades, but the team entered week 16 winning 6 of their past seven games with their only loss a nail-biter against the Bills. The team had a simple formula to make the playoffs, win out and grab the wild card. However, the team faced a struggling Panthers team, and the defense was terrible in giving up 570 yards of offense which includes 320 rushing yards. That is a mind-blowing stat! The defense did not show up, and now fans in Detroit must wonder if their team can get it done as they face the Bears and Packers in the next two weeks. Another shocking loss was the Texans’ upset win against the Titans. The Titans are now 1-6 in their past seven games and have now lost five games. The loss is shocking because the Texans are the worst team in the league, and they could lose the division to the young and talented Jaguars. Also, the Titans have a difficult schedule to end the season because they face the Cowboys and then the Jaguars on the road to finish the season in a likely winner takes all. All the best! I don’t think they make it to the playoffs!