Joey A's Final Drive: Week 10

Division races in the NFL became much clearer in week ten's action. While some teams are completely out of the picture, others have made things very interesting. Let's take a final look at week ten in the 2008 NFL season.

Denver Broncos 34, Cleveland Browns 30

With San Diego barely edging out Kansas City, the Denver Broncos needed this game to stay on top of the unimpressive AFC West. Jay Cutler regained some confidence with 441 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback win. Denver’s defense hasn’t improved, but if their offense is reignited they should have no problem staying ahead of the Chargers.

The Brady Quinn era in Cleveland kicked off with a whimper, but he’s not to blame. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow aren’t making the plays needed to help whoever is at quarterback. With locker room leaders Jamal Lewis and Willie McGinest coming out with statements that some of their teammates quit during the game, the Browns’ woes may not be over anytime soon.

Atlanta Falcons 34, New Orleans Saints 20

Matt Ryan is the real deal. A frontrunner for rookie of the year through nine games, Ryan out-dueled MVP candidate Drew Brees to put his Falcons at 6-3. Unfortunately that puts them tied for second place in a cutthroat NFC South. If they can’t overtake the Panthers, it is possible they could sneak in as a wildcard in the NFC. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, this year has been an unequivocal success for owner Arthur Blank.

With all of the injuries that have plagued the Saints this season, it’s easy to see why they haven’t been able to live up to their pre-season hype. Drew Brees has carried this team on his shoulders, but Sunday was an off game. His 422 yards and two touchdowns were accompanied by three costly interceptions. The footage of Brees chewing out tight end Jeremy Shockey on the sidelines is one of my favorite highlights of their season.

Minnesota Vikings 28, Green Bay Packers 27

Vikings QB Gus Frerotte completed three passes to the Packers on Sunday, but his team still pulled out the squeaker. He can thank Adrian Peterson and his 192 yards rushing. Peterson is the singular reason the Vikings are above .500 and will receive a great deal of consideration for MVP if he can get his team into the post-season.

Okay, sooner or later we’ll have to stop saying Green Bay is a better team than their record would indicate. I’ll start: the Packers are every bit as mediocre as their 4-5 record. Aaron Rodgers has played his heart out, but his teammates have let him down. The Packer running game hasn’t made an appearance in ’08, while the defense has regressed. Even Brett Favre would be 4-5 with these Packers.

New England Patriots 20, Buffalo Bills 10

I’ve been waiting to dance on the grave of the Patriots all season since Brady went down, but they simply aren’t dying. Matt Cassel has proven to be a serviceable NFL quarterback, fronting an offense that scores enough points to win. New England has fought through numerous injuries, but losing linebacker Adalius Thomas for the season could hurt more than any other. Still, at 6-3 with a game coming against the Jets (whom they are tied with in the standings), the Patriots are in a position to take control of a surprisingly tough AFC East.

The Buffalo Bills have dropped from a perfect record and the division lead to a three game losing streak and tied for second place with the surging Dolphins. At 0-3 against AFC East opponents, the Bills have dug a fairly deep hole for themselves. Trent Edwards only passed for 108 yards and threw two interceptions against what was an ailing Patriot secondary. Dick Jauron’s squad won’t be able to afford many additional losses, but with Cleveland, Kansas City, and San Francisco next on their schedule, they may be able to hang around.

Indianapolis Colts 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 20

After notable back-to-back wins over quality AFC opponents, the Indianapolis Colts are in a position to make a run at an AFC wild-card berth. After starting the season 3-4, Peyton Manning is finally starting to look healthy, and Bob Sanders has returned to bolster a sagging defense. The Colts face the Texans, Chargers, Browns, and Bengals over the next four weeks, so 8-5 is in their future if they hold focus.

Pittsburgh has dropped two of their last three, dropping into a 6-3 tie with the shocking Baltimore Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger’s injuries may be catching up to him and a week’s rest could go a long way. Unfortunately, in such a tight race Mike Tomlin won’t have any choice but to keep Big Ben on the field. Lucky for Ben he’ll be handing off to the returning Willie Parker this week, which should keep his drop-backs to a minimum.

New York Giants 36, Philadelphia Eagles 31

Even though the Titans are undefeated, The Giants may be the best team in football. Their production on both sides of the ball is unmatched, evidenced by their 219 yards rushing against the Eagles. Tight end Kevin Boss is starting to fill in nicely for the departed Jeremy Shockey, giving Eli Manning another viable target in an already loaded offense. The Giants have a brutal second half of the season, so starting 8-1 gives them breathing room in the NFC East.

I’ve heard the Philadelphia Eagles are already dead when it comes to the playoffs. I’m not really sure how that’s an accurate assessment. They sit at 5-4, tired for third place in the division and still have a game coming up against the second place Redskins. When Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are lining up for Andy Reid, they have a chance to win. The outlook certainly isn’t great, but Eagles fans shouldn’t despair yet.