Backhanded compliments from some NFL.com schmoe

[scorpio]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9890903

By Seth Polansky
NFL.com


(Dec. 25, 2006) -- Despite their better efforts, the Broncos are most likely heading to the postseason.

A botched extra point by Cincinnati is what probably catapulted a mistake-prone Denver team into the playoffs. For one of the AFC's two wild cards, the Broncos have a half-game lead on the Jets and a one-game lead on four other teams while being led by a rookie quarterback, two running backs that take turns not playing -- one of whom has a fumbling problem -- and a defense that is as schizophrenic as any.

But wouldn't you know it … all those wins at the beginning of the season paid off. It didn't pay off for an AFC West title, and now Denver must go on the road for the next two games -- at San Francisco in Week 17 and then in the first round of the playoffs, provided the team gets there. If Jay Cutler hopes to have any first-year success, he better get ready in a hurry and not act like a first-year guy.

Cutler got away with some rookie mistakes in the first half against the Bengals, but after a few halftime adjustments, it was only the snow and wind that was holding him in the 24-23 win over the Bengals. Starting on his own 1-yard line, Cutler led a 14-play, 7:17-long drive that culminated in a 2-yard Mike Bell touchdown run to put Denver up for good at 21-17 in the third quarter. The next drive went 51 yards in nine plays, and Jason Elam capped it off with a chip-shot field goal.

While Cutler wasn't outplaying his counterpart, Carson Palmer, he made some plays that would cause you to do a double take. The Broncos' first touchdown of the game was on a third down and came from an unlikely source in rookie backup tight end Tony Scheffler. Cutler rolled to his right and threw a laser that went right through the DB's hands and into Scheffler's arms. Only the All-Pros and/or the brave attempt that throw.

Right now we'll just call Cutler brave. If that throw is made 10 more times, three times it is picked off and taken back for a touchdown, three times it is knocked down, two times it is dropped by the receiver and one time the throw is offline. But in this single, solitary instance, Scheffler kept his concentration and held on for his third score of the season.

This should have been Palmer's game, but the wintery conditions and Denver's outside pass rush forced him to be too wild with his throws, and they routinely were high and behind the intended receivers. Four times Palmer had receivers open for touchdowns and four times bad passes resulted in a lack of points. You can put a lot of blame on long snapper Brad St. Louis or holder Kyle Larson for that last-minute blunder, but Palmer was the goat for not overcoming the jitters.

Those are jitters he's probably only had twice in the NFL -- his first game in his rookie season and opening weekend of 2006 after coming back from knee surgery. Jitters happen to guys like Cutler, who are supposed to have them in a game of this magnitude.

Cincy still has a good chance of making it to the playoffs thanks to heartbreaking losses by Jacksonville and Buffalo. A victory over the Broncos would have sealed the deal. The team also holds a good deal of tiebreakers over the three other teams currently at 8-7, and even on the 8-6 Jets, who play Miami on Monday night. A Jets win and New York has the inside track. A Jets loss and it's a sprint for the finish.

And after eight arrests by players this season, a potentially career-threatening neck injury to 2005's No. 1 draft pick, and putting a rookie at left tackle, the Bengals are still in good shape.

Up until now, the biggest Bengals fans in town were the bail bondsmen. Now the support will be coming from the 65,535 people crammed into Paul Brown Stadium for next weekend's season finale against Pittsburgh. Winning at home against the hated Steelers on New Year's Eve will be just like a playoff victory, even if one isn't in the cards.

But chances are the Bengals are going to have at least one extra game if they get the job done themselves. And maybe with a little luck they'll get some revenge on the Broncos a little bit down the road in the postseason. Unlikely, but not impossible.

In a season where the AFC has show superiority to the NFC, it's interesting to see a bunch of teams muddled around .500 as the campaign winds down, hoping for a playoff invitation. If both these teams end up making it to the postseason, they should be happy to be there. But good enough isn't going to cut it. The AFC does have a reputation to uphold this year.

[scorpio]

Don't you see?? The Broncos are already karmicly screwed for daring to beat a team of the Bengals storied football pedigree.

It's a shame, really.

[RMT]

the guy incorrectly notes that we're "at San Fran in week 17" ... I imagine if Tom Brady had been QB, the pass to Scheffler would have been a "masterful throw."

[theAPAOps5]

Ok I stopped reading when that idiot said we have to go on the road the next two games. Um, yeah sorry to tell you AFTER you published but Denver plays at home next week. All credability lost.

[wyobronco]

The last time I checked, games at Invesco Field at Mile High were considered HOME GAMES.

[Dukes]

At San Francisco? How hard is it to correctly look at a schedule?

[RhymesayersDU]

Yeah, I know we all make mistakes, but if you work from NFL.com, you should at least know the schedule.

[Vegas_Bronco]

Prisco Grades: Week 16

By Pete Prisco
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!



CBS.SportsLine.com's Pete Prisco grades each team's performance every week.


Week: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16

Prisco's Picks · Prisco's Grades · Expert Picks · Harmon Forecast

Since it is Christmas, I should be caught up in the spirit of the holiday. You know, a jolly fat man.
But that would mean giving out no Fs to any teams this week in my report card, and you know what I have to say to that.
Bah, humbug.
I'm the football Scrooge, remember? I'm the guy who throws around lumps of coal, tells kids there's no Santa Claus and spikes the eggnog at all the office parties.
There's no way with so much at stake in Week 16 that teams could avoid getting one of my dreaded Fs, Christmas or no Christmas.
Heck, I might even give the fat man in the red suit an F if he doesn't come through this year. By the way, dude, stay away from all those cookies or you might just turn into Grady Jackson.
Since I couldn't stop myself, three teams got my version of coal in their stockings this week in the form of Fs. The three teams were the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.
We've come to expect that from the Browns. They were dreadful in their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, something they've done all season long.
The other two were still in the playoff chase, yet played terrible football. The Giants didn't even show up for their home drubbing from the New Orleans Saints. And the Steelers saw their minimal chance to repeat end when the Baltimore Ravens toyed with them for the second time in a month.
For the Steelers, it marked the end of what was a tumultuous defense of their title that included Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident, the retirement of Jerome Bettis and the uncertainty about Bill Cowher's future.
I nearly gave the Steelers a D for sentimental reasons, but I had too many other Ds to give out, five of them in fact. And some of those teams, like the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, came close to getting an F.
But I didn't want to overload with so many Fs on what should be a festive occasion. It is Christmas after all.

Cincinnati Bengals 23, Denver Broncos 24
B+	Broncos: They had some big takeaways and Jay Cutler made a couple of big throws. The defense did a nice job until the final drive, but they still got away with it. That was a huge victory.
C	Bengals: Their playoff hopes may have gone awry on a bad snap on an extra point. Ouch. The turnovers were too much to overcome and Carson Palmer struggled until the last drive.

I can't believe how many media members have their heads up Cincy's azz - I'm tired of this BS! Yeah denver sure 'got away with one there' - I mean we weren't in the lead or anything! Pete - you suck!

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by RhymesayersDU

Yeah, I know we all make mistakes, but if you work from NFL.com, you should at least know the schedule.

Well as we can all see he was shooting from the hip when wrote this one.

[theAPAOps5]

Well we kind of did get away with one. We played great and Cutler really shined but we gave them a chance to tie it. Then its all up to a 50/50 coin toss. The media has failed to mention about Champ and Lynch playing lights out D and even DWill getting in on the action. Maybe Walker or Marshall should go around making dances, putting a collage on their cleats, or calling them selves by their numbers in foreigh languages. I think Polish would be cool!

[MileHighMagic]

Sure hope we can win at San Fran next week. Wow! How does this guy keep his job?

[Garcia Bronco]

Band handed? Those were close fisted.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Originally Posted by Vegas_Bronco

I can't believe how many media members have their heads up Cincy's azz - I'm tired of this BS! Yeah denver sure 'got away with one there' - I mean we weren't in the lead or anything! Pete - you suck!

Denver did get away with one.

[scorpio]

Originally Posted by ApaOps5

Maybe Walker or Marshall should go around making dances, putting a collage on their cleats, or calling them selves by their numbers in foreigh languages. I think Polish would be cool!

A clog dance would be sort of festive.

[RMT]

Foxworth had a great game as well. DWill makes big plays but has been giving up big ones, too. If it weren't for the illegal shift penalty, that would have been yet another DWill gaffe.

[azbroncfan]

A performance by the D like that against Indy will be ugly, Paymeaton always seems to put his passes on the money and Cincy missed several TD passes.

[Northman]

Originally Posted by ApaOps5

Ok I stopped reading when that idiot said we have to go on the road the next two games. Um, yeah sorry to tell you AFTER you published but Denver plays at home next week. All credability lost.

Thats when i stopped reading too. haha

[Natedogg]

scorpio-- great pic and great sig.

[Kaylore]

They got the score perfect!
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/featur...armon/forecast

[WoodMan]

Just another apologist for why the Bengals missed their playoff chance. He criticizes the Broncos for winning and not the Bengals for losing. What is that all about? Missed passes to open recievers, dropped balls, fumbles, and crucial penalties un-did the Bengals. John lynch hits, great play by Foxworth, and making plays when we needed them, plus a little "mile high magic" did it for the Broncos. This clown is hounding the wrong team.

[ol number 7]

Originally Posted by Anubis

Thats when i stopped reading too. haha

Hope someone e-mails this to the Broncos !! Hate for them to be at Invesco when they need to be at SF. Is this guy related to BOB

[baja]

If Palmer had been his normal self Cinci would have won 48 to 24 and we would be left with threads about how to fix the pass defense.

[WoodMan]

Originally Posted by baja fan

If Palmer had been his normal self Cinci would have won 48 to 24 and we would be left with threads about how to fix the pass defense.

True enough. Was it the shoulder?

[MO<1>]

If Jake had been his abnormal self like last season where would we be? I think Cutler did outplay Palmer, so bring on the Booger run defense and anybody else.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by bedwetter

By Drama Queen and lead bed wetter
NFL.com


(Dec. 25, 2006) -- Despite their better efforts, the Broncos are most likely heading to the postseason.

A botched extra point by Cincinnati is what probably catapulted a mistake-prone Denver team into the playoffs. For one of the AFC's two wild cards, the Broncos have a half-game lead on the Jets and a one-game lead on four other teams while being led by a rookie quarterback, two running backs that take turns not playing -- one of whom has a fumbling problem -- and a defense that is as schizophrenic as any.

But wouldn't you know it … all those wins at the beginning of the season paid off. It didn't pay off for an AFC West title, and now Denver must go on the road for the next two games -- at San Francisco in Week 17 and then in the first round of the playoffs, provided the team gets there. If Jay Cutler hopes to have any first-year success, he better get ready in a hurry and not act like a first-year guy.

Cutler got away with some rookie mistakes in the first half against the Bengals, but after a few halftime adjustments, it was only the snow and wind that was holding him in the 24-23 win over the Bengals. Starting on his own 1-yard line, Cutler led a 14-play, 7:17-long drive that culminated in a 2-yard Mike Bell touchdown run to put Denver up for good at 21-17 in the third quarter. The next drive went 51 yards in nine plays, and Jason Elam capped it off with a chip-shot field goal.

While Cutler wasn't outplaying his counterpart, Carson Palmer, he made some plays that would cause you to do a double take. The Broncos' first touchdown of the game was on a third down and came from an unlikely source in rookie backup tight end Tony Scheffler. Cutler rolled to his right and threw a laser that went right through the DB's hands and into Scheffler's arms. Only the All-Pros and/or the brave attempt that throw.

Right now we'll just call Cutler brave. If that throw is made 10 more times, three times it is picked off and taken back for a touchdown, three times it is knocked down, two times it is dropped by the receiver and one time the throw is offline. But in this single, solitary instance, Scheffler kept his concentration and held on for his third score of the season.

This should have been Palmer's game, but the wintery conditions and Denver's outside pass rush forced him to be too wild with his throws, and they routinely were high and behind the intended receivers. Four times Palmer had receivers open for touchdowns and four times bad passes resulted in a lack of points. You can put a lot of blame on long snapper Brad St. Louis or holder Kyle Larson for that last-minute blunder, but Palmer was the goat for not overcoming the jitters.

Those are jitters he's probably only had twice in the NFL -- his first game in his rookie season and opening weekend of 2006 after coming back from knee surgery. Jitters happen to guys like Cutler, who are supposed to have them in a game of this magnitude.

Cincy still has a good chance of making it to the playoffs thanks to heartbreaking losses by Jacksonville and Buffalo. A victory over the Broncos would have sealed the deal. The team also holds a good deal of tiebreakers over the three other teams currently at 8-7, and even on the 8-6 Jets, who play Miami on Monday night. A Jets win and New York has the inside track. A Jets loss and it's a sprint for the finish.

And after eight arrests by players this season, a potentially career-threatening neck injury to 2005's No. 1 draft pick, and putting a rookie at left tackle, the Bengals are still in good shape.

Up until now, the biggest Bengals fans in town were the bail bondsmen. Now the support will be coming from the 65,535 people crammed into Paul Brown Stadium for next weekend's season finale against Pittsburgh. Winning at home against the hated Steelers on New Year's Eve will be just like a playoff victory, even if one isn't in the cards.

But chances are the Bengals are going to have at least one extra game if they get the job done themselves. And maybe with a little luck they'll get some revenge on the Broncos a little bit down the road in the postseason. Unlikely, but not impossible.

In a season where the AFC has show superiority to the NFC, it's interesting to see a bunch of teams muddled around .500 as the campaign winds down, hoping for a playoff invitation. If both these teams end up making it to the postseason, they should be happy to be there. But good enough isn't going to cut it. The AFC does have a reputation to uphold this year.

guy sounds like he is part of the bed wetters