Steelers MMQB: NFL Week 15 Wrap Up
By Kim Myers
What We Learned in Week 15 in the NFL:
- Johnny Football =Johnny 3andout=Johnny Interception=Johnny Shutout
- Baltimore struggles but eventually puts Jaguars away to stay in playoff race
- NY Jets can’t even lose right
- RGIII gets robbed of touchdown
- Steelers take care of business in Atlanta
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It’s the final three weeks of the NFL season and there’s a lot on the line for every team. Teams are either playing for playoff or draft position at this point in the game. The three AFC divisions aside from the AFC North were all decided on Sunday with New England, Indianapolis, and Denver all clinching their division titles. The AFC North is going to come down to the final week of action when the Cincinnati Bengals come into Heinz Field for what will be a highly anticipated matchup. Until then, let’s take some cheap shots.
Johnny No
When you have a nickname like “Johnny Football” it really leaves you just horribly open to worse nicknames should you come out and have quite possibly the worst debut as a starting quarterback in the history of the NFL. Johnny Manziel proved that he picked the right number with No. 2 as that’s exactly how he and the Cleveland Browns played in a 30-0 shutout to the Bengals. Johnny Football couldn’t have had a worse start if he came out and proceeded to repeatedly sit down on a giant whoopee cushion over and over again. Manziel went 10 for 18 for 80 yards, two interceptions, and was sacked 3 times. One of those times Bengals LB Rey Maualuga did the “Money Sign” to Manziel and was flagged 15 yards for taunting, proving that taunting is the most ridiculous penalty called in the NFL today.
Ratbirds still kicking
With the by far easiest schedule left of the AFC North teams, the Ravens were at home against the 2-win Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. If not for the eight sacks the Ravens defense got against Jaguars QB Blake Bortles, this game could have been a lot closer. The Baltimore offense didn’t score until the 3rd quarter and the team had many self-inflicted wounds such as penalties and a fumble. Still, all the Ravens need against a team like Jacksonville is one good Flacco Special and Torrey Smith gets his 14,657th PI call to put the game away. The Ravens will travel next week to take on the Houston Texans.
Fight!
The Jets seem to screw everything up. Five teams entered Week 15 with 2 victories thus far. All of them are playing for draft position, the New York Jets being one of them. With the Jets looking at having a new head coach, GM, and probably wanting a new QB next season, they really needed their draft position to stay high. So, they go ahead and win one against the also 2-win Tennessee Titans, dropping them from the top five draft spot to sixth. There was a brawl on the field that resulted in Jets QB Geno Smith getting sucker punched in the face with no ejections that was easily the most entertaining part of the game.
What does that matter?
The New York Giants are a team playing for pride at this point as they’re not in a playoff or draft position hunt at the moment. Eli Manning connected with rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr. for three touchdowns proving there are signs of life in the Giants’ offense and hope for the future there.
On the other side of the ball RGIII entered the game after Colt McCoy left with an apparent neck injury and provided a spark for the team with an apparent 8-yard touchdown run, diving over the pylon to take the 17-7 lead just before halftime but the touchdown was called back by referee Jeff Triplette citing Griffin had lost control of the ball. The call enraged the Redskins, especially receiver Santana Moss, who stormed the field and was ejected for inappropriate language. Mike Pereira, who is the former Vice President of Officiating and current rules analyst for Fox Sports offered this clueless tweet over why Moss would have been ejected in that instance. I still don’t know what one thing has to do with the other.
Jeff Triplette is a retired army col. who earned a bronze star for his actions in the gulf.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) December 14, 2014
Whatever Moss said was bad.
8-8 no more!
The Steelers handled their business down in Atlanta to keep pace in the AFC North playoff race and secure their ninth victory of the season, finally getting off of the 8-8 merry-go-round the team has been on. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards and beat his own passing yards record for a season. Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell was held in check by the Falcons defense as far as rushing yards as he only gained 47 yards on the ground. But, Bell was able to grab 72 yards on 5 catches and broke a franchise record for total yards from scrimmage previously held by Barry Foster. Steelers CB William Gay had his third interception of the season, and his third touchdown as all of his interceptions have been pick-6’s. Big play William Gay indeed.
On to the Chiefs!
Here we go Steelers! Here we go!