49ers-Saints appear destined to meet in a fireworks-filled NFC championship game ... Rivers looks like the Rivers of old in win ... More drama from Beckham ... Hodges does it again for Steelers
How do you throw five touchdown passes while completing 29-of-40 for 349 yards and still lose the game? Drew Brees had to be asking himself that after a 48-46 setback at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers on home turf.
Jimmy Garoppolo also threw for 349 yards, connecting on 26-of-35 for four TDs with one interception.
Robbie Gould’s 30-yard field goal on the last play of the game was the difference.
So the 49ers are now 11-2 while the Saints sit at 10-3, same as the Green Bay Packers, who held off the mighty Washington Redskins (3-10) for a 20-15 win at Lambeau Field.
Aaron Rodgers, who completed just 18-of-28 for 195 yards and one touchdown, acknowledged afterwards that the way the Packers are winning “might be ugly to some folks,” before adding, “I wouldn’t mind winning ugly all the way to the Super Bowl.” He’s dreaming. The Packers entered the week with the 22nd ranked offence and the 28th ranked defence. Their record is a mirage.
Unless the Vikings pull off another Minneapolis Miracle or two, the NFC championship game will be a 49ersSaints rematch.
And the over/under might be 100.
BIRTHDAY BOY SHINES
In his previous three games, Philip Rivers had provided fuel for those who thought the Los Angeles Chargers would be best to part ways with their veteran quarterback after this season, when he’s eligible to become a free agent. While tossing five touchdown passes he had also thrown eight interceptions, bringing his picks total to 15 — more than anybody not named Jameis Winston (23) or Baker Mayfield (16). But on Sunday, while celebrating his 38th birthday, Rivers turned back the clock, hitting on 16-of-22 tosses for 314 yards, three touchdowns and, are you ready, no interceptions, as the Chargers clobbered the Jacksonville Jaguars with 45-10. Even former Bills QB Tyrod Taylor got in on the act, throwing a TD pass while connecting on 3-of-5 passes in a mop up role. Still, the Chargers are a disappointing 5-8 and will miss the playoffs after big things were expected from a strong lineup, one year after they beat the Ravens (23-17) in a wild-card game and battled the Patriots (41-28) in a divisional playoff loss. The question now is, after paying him $23 million this year, do the Chargers bring Rivers back for another kick at the can? In 15 years he’s never brought them to the Super Bowl. Chances of him doing so as a 39 year old would appear to be slim.
LOCK A “ROCK STAR”
It’s clear now that the Denver Broncos should have turned to Drew Lock much earlier. They’d probably be a playoff contender. A week after making a victorious debut, the 23-year old second-round pick completed 22-of-27 passes for 309 yards and three touchdown, leading Denver to a 38-24 win over the Houston Texans. “He’s a f - - -ing rock star,” defensive end Von Miller told reporters. “You’re going to have to censor that.” Lock is the third quarterback used this season by the Broncos, who left the gate with veteran Joe Flacco and then, when he suffered a neck injury, went with Brandon
Allen. The win improved their record to 5-8 while the Texans, who beat the Tom Brady and the Patriots last week, fell to 8-5.
PLUMMETING STOCK
Odell Beckham Jr. has been relatively quiet both on and off the field for most of the season. But the noise around him has picked up in the last few days. The 27-year old could-be Browns superstar told reporters on Thursday that he doesn’t know what the future holds or how long he’ll remain in Cleveland, then tried to clarify those comments on Twitter the following day.
“I NEVER said I was not happy in Cleveland, just like everyone else I’m hopeful for better result. Period. Next story plzz,” Beckham wrote. That next stories surfaced Sunday, before the Browns defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 27-19. First, “sources” told Cleveland.com that Beckham’s talents are being “wasted” in the Browns “dysfunctional” offence.
Then came a report that he needs surgery to repair a sports hernia. Then, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports stated that Beckham has approached opposing players and coaches before and during games this season and told them “come get me”, which is what the Browns did last March when they obtained him from the Giants for a firstround pick, a third and safety Jabrill
Peppers.
About now, they would probably like a do-over. Beckham has been nowhere near as effective as he was in New York, catching just 59 passes for 843 yards, with just two touchdowns. He also only has two 100yard games this season.
If Beckham is telling opponents during games that he wants to be traded, who exactly would want to be his teammate? Oh, and of course Beckham refused to address the situation after Sunday’s game
When Mayfield speaks, it’s worth listening. His honesty usually raises eyebrows, as it did when the second-year quarterback said Beckham’s sports hernia “wasn’t handled right in our training room.”
On Twitter, he said he wasn’t trying to rip the team’s trainers. “My intentions were not to throw our medical staff under the bus,” he said. “No I don’t know all the facts about Odell’s injury. It was emotionally answered because I can sense his frustration and I care about my team and putting us in best position to win. Those people within our building know my intentions and where I am coming from. I truly believe that and I apologize to those that don’t deserve the backlash.”
BETWEEN THE LINES
The Duck came through for the Steelers again. Third string quarterback Devlin (Duck) Hodges cooly and calmly directed Pittsburgh to a 23-17 road win over the Arizona Cardinals, improving Pittsburgh’s record to 8-5 and its chances of gaining a wild card berth. Hodges, who is undefeated in three starts, was good on 16-of-18 throws for 152 yards, one TD and no turnovers. He has rushed for 35 yards. Who needs Big Ben? … Led by the rejuvenated
Ryan Tannehill (21-of-27 for 391 yards, three TDs, one interception) the explosive Tennessee Titans won their fourth in a row, 42-21 over Oakland, to pull into a first place tie with the Texans. The two teams square off next Sunday in Nashville …. Perry Fewell’s debut as interim head coach of the Panthers was a losing one, as Carolina dropped a 40-20 decision to the Atlanta Falcons …. Remember the old Bugs Bunny cartoon, where Rocky tells Mugsy: “I don’t know how ya’s done it, but I know ya’s done it!” Immediately thought of Bill Belichick when saw the report from Adam
Schefter of ESPN.com that approximately 35 player bags carrying shoulder pads, helmets and footballs were not unloaded from the Kansas City Chief’s charter in Boston, and instead wound up in Newark, N.J.. Apparently, the equipment might not arrived at Foxboro in time had the game started at 1 p.m. rather than 4:25 p.m.
EXTRA POINTS
Tampa lost star receiver Mike
Evans with a hamstring injury suffered on a 61-yard touchdown reception. “It’s not good,” Bucs coach Bruce Arians said … Winston had himself a day in the first half alone, completing 20-of-28 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He missed the start of the second half with a “tiny fracture” in his left hand, but did return to lead the Bucs to their third straight victory, 38-35 over the Colts. Their boom or bust QB wound up completing 33-of-45 for 456 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions … Adrian
Peterson became the sixth running back in NFL history to surpass 14,000 career rushing yards. The 34-year old rushed for 76 yards on 20 carries and now sits at 14,036, with a good shot at overtaking Curtis Martin (14,101) for fifth on the all-time list … If it’s Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys must be auditioning kickers. Among the three they worked out for the second Sunday in a row was Kai Forbath, who was cut by the Patriots. Former Ottawa Redblacks’ Brett Maher would appear to be done in Dallas after missing his 10th field goal in Thursday’s loss to Chicago … Raiders standout rookie running back
Josh Jacobs missed Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury …. The Saints lost tight end Jared Cook to a head injury … The Dolphins lost
DeVante Parker to a concussion while going down 22-21 to the Jets.