[picappgallerysingle id="7414123"]
Like watching the second-to-last episode in a thrill-packed drama series, or the 2nd movie in a trilogy, week 15 of an NFL season can be a frustrating one for fans. You know they’ll be little guaranteed, few final results, and in the back of your mind it’s hard to be completely focused knowing the last image for the week is guaranteed to be a cliff-hanging “To be continued…”
Rarely do the Monday-morning conclusions of week 15 stand firm at seasons end. Teams once thought dead find themselves in the playoffs, while others with seemingly insurmountable leads find ways to get an early vacation.
Despite its inconclusiveness, week 15 of this NFL season turned out to be the most dramatic yet. Seven games were decided by a scoring drive in the final two minutes or in overtime. Eleven of the fifteen games played were decided by a total of 46 points. While some questions were answered…. five of the eight divisions have now crowned champs… the game-by-game intensity this Sunday was unmatched by any weekend this season.
In San Diego the Bengals and Chargers both had chances to clinch their respective divisions with a victory. It was hard not to root for the Bengals, playing their first game after the tragic death of wide receiver Chris Henry.
No Cincinnati player appeared more affected by Henry’s passing than close friend Chad Ochocinco. After catching a 49-yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter, the usually well-rehearsed Ochocinco appeared unsure of what to do next. After a moment of hesitation, Ochocinco dropped to one knee, pointed to the sky, and simply looked upward. It was a touching moment from a player usually recognized for chuckle-worthy antics and disproportionate fines.
The emotional effort was not enough to secure a victory, however, as a 52-yard last-second kick by Nate Kaeding put San Diego on top, 27-24. Hope is not lost for the Bengals, who still hold a one-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North.
Two historic franchises seemingly headed in opposite directions faced off in Pittsburgh.On one side, the Pittsburgh Steelers, defending champs and losers of five straight, including a pathetic nationally-televised defeat at the hands of NFL bottom-feeder Cleveland. On the other, the suddenly streaking Green Bay Packers, winners of five straight and just a win away from securing a playoff berth.
This game was the definition of a see-saw match, featuring five lead changes in the final nine minutes. Down by six with just a second remaining, Ben Roethlisberger delivered a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, sealing the victory for the Steelers.
Roethlisberger finally delivered the “Hell” Coach Mike Tomlin had promised his team would bring in December. The Steelers QB set a new franchise-record with 503 passing yards. The games two quarterbacks finished responsible for a combined seven touchdowns and 868 yards passing.
In New York, the Falcons beat the Jets by a score of 10 – 7. Quarterback Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez in the end zone with less than two minutes remaining to give Atlanta their first and only lead of the match. The game had more of a Jets-losing feel rather than a Falcons-winning feel to it, as New York’s special teams took the field three separate times for field goals and came away with zero points.
In Tennessee, the Titans led by as much as 18-points, but still needed a field goal in overtime to secure a 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.
In Detroit, the Cardinals blew a 17-point lead, than scored with 1:54 remaining to beat the lowly Lions 31 – 24.
And in Denver, not-a-bust-quite-yet JaMarcus Russell found Chaz Schillens in the endzone with under a minute to play, giving the Raiders a 20 – 19 win over the rival Broncos.
Even games featuring teams eliminated from contention long-ago were worthy of Sportscenter air time. The Cleveland Browns beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a shoot-out, 41 – 34 in a game that featured two 100-yard touchdowns by the explosive Josh Cribbs. Running back Jerome Harrison also set a franchise record with 286 rushing yards, passing Hall of Famer Jim Brown.
From a game-by-game viewpoint, this weekend’s games were unmatchable. While the results have left many unanswered questions… such as the AFC Wild Card, which resembles sperm futilely charging at an egg… it was a thrilling experience witnessing such high in-game drama across the board.
If the seasons finale and playoffs contain even a fraction of the intensity seen this past weekend, NFL fans are in for an awe-inspiring winter.
Eric Marmon wrote this for SportEvents.com, which helps real NFL fans find NFL game tickets and tickets to the Super Bowl.
