San Francisco 49ers 41, New England Patriots 34
In the battle of east versus west, the San Francisco 49ers came out triumphant in their trip to New England last Sunday night. The 49ers outlasted the Patriots 41-34. The unstoppable Patriot’s offense went up against the immovable 49ers’ defense and the defense did not disappoint.
The 49ers' defensive unit played a physical style defense New England had not seen all year. The typically fluid New England offense failed to find its rhythm early on. The 49ers completely dominated New England in the first half and at one point early in the second half held a 31-3 lead over the Patriots. The 49ers' defensive line was playing with frenzied intensity and the constant pressure wreaked havoc for New England quarterback Tom Brady.
Late in the second half MVP candidate Brady began to regain his lauded composure and rallied his troops to a spectacular second half comeback. The Patriots began to take over momentum of the football game and had the 49ers defense on the ropes. The Patriots scored four unanswered touchdowns and had climbed all the way back to tie the game at 31.
In a rain soaked Sunday night what seemed to start as a one sided route turned into an epic battle between two titans. Late in the fourth quarter kick returner LaMichael James returned a kick 62 yards setting up the 49ers with great field position. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick hit receiver Michael Crabtree on a 38 yard touchdown pass that would turn out to be the clincher. The 49ers escaped from rainy Gillette Stadium with a well-deserved win. The Patriots will try to regroup next week as they face the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville Jaguars 3, Miami Dolphins 24
In the battle of Florida supremacy the Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to south Florida to face the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins who many picked to finish last in the AFC East are surprisingly still in the running for the final AFC playoff spot. The Dolphins up and down season has been in decline as of late losing five of the last six games. Miami’s long shot playoff hopes were on the line Sunday and a sloppy victory over the last place Jaguars helped keep them alive for one more week. Miami defeated Jacksonville 24-3 and improved their record to 6-8.
The Jaguars struck first with a Josh Scobee field goal but Miami would not be out done. Miami returned the favor and marched down into Jacksonville territory to tie the game with a Dan Carpenter field goal. With the game tied at 3, the Dolphins defensed shut the Jaguars offense in the second quarter. Miami would take its first lead of the game on a Ryan Tannehill 4 yard touchdown pass to fullback Jorvorskie Lane. The game would go into half time with the Dolphins leading 10-3.
The Jaguars have been hit hard by injuries and it showed against the stout Miami defensive line. The Jaguars had trouble running the ball against Miami’s front four. Miami’s offense faired only slightly better. Miami struggled to move the ball with any consistency and could only manage to add on two more Carpenter field goals to close out the third quarter. Even with Miami’s offensive inefficiency they managed to close out the game and come away with a 24-3 victory over the down and out Jaguars.
Seattle Seahawks 50, Buffalo Bills 17
Remember when the Seattle Seahawks played poorly on the road? That seems like a lifetime ago. The Seahawks are proving to the rest of the world that they belong and they are doing it in impressive fashion. For the second straight week the Seahawks have put up a basketball score on their opponent. This week it was the Buffalo Bills’ turn to take the beating falling to the Seahawks 50-17. Rookie quarterback sensation Russell Wilson continues to defy the odds and has his playoff bound Seahawks on the fast track to NFL supremacy.
Wilson ran for three touchdowns and threw for another in route of the Bills. Buffalo was hoping to put up a stronger fight as they were playing in their annual home game in Toronto. The loss has the Bills scratching their head for answers. Sitting at 5-9 the loss has officially knocked the Bills out of playoff contention. This marks the 13th consecutive year the Bills have missed the playoff and has many people in the Buffalo area questioning the current state of the franchise. The Bills will move forward next week to try and salvage what they can from an utterly sinking season.
New York Jets 10, Tennessee Titans 14
If you were looking for the ugliest game of the week then look no further than the Monday night matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets. Bad football was on display Monday night as the Titans defeat the Jets 14-10 and officially eliminated the Jets from the playoffs. The lone bright spot was a 94 yard touchdown run by running back Chris Johnson.
Jet’s quarterback Mark Sanchez had a putrid performance throwing 4 interceptions and only 131 yards passing. This may have been the last game Sanchez starts in a Jets uniform. With an off season of turmoil ahead, many ominous signs point to a complete house cleaning of the entire Jets organization.
With the season lost the Jets now turn toward the future. In a surprising move third string quarterback Greg McElroy will get start next week against the San Diego Chargers. This move has many observers baffled as to why backup quarterback Tim Tebow isn’t starting. Tebow has been a fan favorite for some time and many believe he would have given the Jets the best chance of success. Head coach Rex Ryan seems to believe McElroy is the better option. I am of the opinion that the Jets are auditioning McElroy as trade bait for next season. Whatever the reason, the Jets have an uphill climb to conquer and the road won’t be easy. New York fans are impatient and the Jets must turn things around soon or risk further embarrassment.