NFL Snark Rankings: Week 12
The term any given Sunday was never more applicable than Week 12 in the NFL.
There were major upsets, a tie, another epic Manning-Brady matchup, and the team with the best record -- the Seattle Seahawks -- got the day off.
What transpired in Houston truly gave fans from that city reason to start wearing paper bags over their heads the rest of the year. Losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars is not acceptable! The Texans have now lost nine straight games with no hope in sight.
Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a new leader in the clubhouse.
- Houston Texans – Just an abysmal performance in every facet of the game. Remember when fans cheered Matt Schaub’s injury a few weeks back? Well, be careful what you wish for, because Case Keenum was terrible on Sunday. The Texans need a quarterback and are now in line to get the top pick. I’m thinking Johnny Manziel would look good in a Texans jersey. He wouldn’t have a long commute from College Station and couldn’t be any worse than the last QB picked No 1 overall by Houston in 2002, David Carr. They get a rematch with the Jaguars in two weeks. That’ll be riveting.
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Congrats on your second win of the season. What an early Christmas gift you gave fans of Northern Florida, but I’m not sure they wanted it. You’re screwing up your draft position, Jacksonville! Maurice Jones-Drew had his best game of the year, and Chad Henne was very efficient against the best pass defense in the league. Perhaps that explains why Henne had 0 TD passes. That has to change if the Jags are going to consider becoming a competitive team by the next decade. Their schedule is shaping up nicely for them to possibly win 4-5 games, as they play Cleveland, Houston, Buffalo, Tennessee, and Indianapolis (who suddenly looks very beatable). Is it possible Jacksonville doesn’t get a Top 5 pick?
- Atlanta Falcons – Nobody gave them a chance to beat the Saints at home on Thursday night, but they did keep it close. You can’t stop Drew Brees, you can only hope his receivers get butterfingers, but that's not likely when you have Jimmy Graham on your team. Ending the season against the 49ers and Panthers can’t be good. Next week, they're in Buffalo and host Redskins in Week 15, so there are few opportunities for another W. Just think, the Falcons hosted the NFC title game last season. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
- Washington Redskins – That may have been the worst performance of Robert Griffin’s career, as it was the first time in college or the pros that he hasn't led his team to a touchdown. Give credit to the 49ers defense, as they got after him all night, and Colin Kaepernick really stepped up against an overmatched 'Skins defense. Robert Griffin’s new nickname: RG3-8. Whatever your draft position, just take the best player available, and figure out how to use him later. What is with the NFL schedule this year? The Redskins host the Giants next week, then play the G-Men in New York the last game of the season. Is it just me or are there a lot of division games being played twice within a short period of time? Keep a close eye on this one next week, as it will have a direct impact on the Snark Rankings. The Giants could find themselves back in the standings, or the Redskins could inch closer to the top!
- Minnesota Vikings – Hey, great job guys! You didn’t lose! OK, you didn’t win either. Let's hope you have a cute sister. A tie is a rarity in the NFL anymore, much like a game with only 12 penalties. This game clearly would’ve turned out differently had Aaron Rodgers been healthy, but my fantasy football team is realizing that same fate. Way to show some common sense, Vikings, by letting AP carry the ball 32 times. He looked like himself again. A brutal schedule to finish the year all but assures the Vikings a high draft pick. Hope the quarterback scouting depth chart is stocked for ya.
The NFL gives us a very short week. There are three games on Thanksgiving day to enjoy while deep in the throes of a food coma or turkey overdose. That Jacksonville at Cleveland game looks spicy don’t it?