Teams on the Good this week generally fit one of two categories: they either won games they had to win or they won so overwhelmingly they could not be denied. There are two exceptions that played very well against teams in the playoff hunt when they could have just shrugged their shoulders and packed up their stuff.

The Falcons and Panthers are left off largely because they were only playing for position. They both won, but the performances were not overwhelming enough to justify inclusion. It could be argued with some validity that the Vikings performance was no different. The difference is they thought they were in a must-win when they managed to pull it off. The Falcons should have killed the Rams and had the Panthers played at all in the fourth quarter they would have made it.

The lower-tiers are also largely teams that pissed away their playoff chances, with the exceptions of Cleveland and Tennessee, who were both too awful to go unnoticed.

The Good
Baltimore – Needing only a home win against the Jags to secure an AFC wild card, the Ravens rolled to 21 second quarter points and 431 yards while capturing four Jag turnovers. In fact, the Ravens scored on four consecutive sustained drives in the middle two quarters to turn this into a Good win and a playoff berth.

Houston – Playing to avoid a losing season, the Texans killed any chance the Bears had of playing next week by amassing over 450 yards, holding the ball for over 37 minutes and overcoming a ten-point deficit in the middle of the second quarter. The offense scored 31 points against the Bears in the final two and one half quarters of play. A Good win puts them at 8-8.

Indianapolis – Despite the fact that this game meant nothing and the opponent played like it, the magnitude of the domination lands the Colts here. They out gained the Titans over 3:1 en route to a shutout, that’s right, a shutout win.

Miami – Give the Dolphins a slot on the Good for taking care of business. They traded blows evenly with the Jets in the Meadowlands, but took advantage of three interceptions, one returned for a second quarter touchdown, a fumble recovery and controlled the clock for almost 34 minutes. It was not a dominating performance, but an opportune one that yielded a Good result and an AFCE title.

Minnesota – The Vikings made this list primarily because they won a game they thought they had to win to lock up the NFCN and make the playoffs. Sure, the Bears lost later, but the Vikings did their part and won it rather than backing in. They also made a couple of huge plays in the process to produce touchdowns. Combine that with coming back from a nine point deficit with ten minutes remaining and this was Good, but it will take better to beat these same Giants if they meet in the playoffs.

New England – While the Patriots are done for the year, it was not due to their own efforts Sunday. In absurdly windy conditions, the Pats wisely only threw eight passes. With field goals assuming the difficulty of rocket science due to the winds, the Pats allowed the Bills into the red zone only once, and then allowed Buffalo buffoonery to expire the first half clock before they could attempt to launch a rocket. A Good win in some bad conditions, albeit too little, too late.

Oakland – Let’s give the Raiders some credit for playing a good game on the road against a team who was playing for a playoff berth. The Raiders played more like a 10-6 team than one who scrambled to post a 5-11.

Philadelphia – I’ll thoroughly berate the Cowboys part in this later, but it was the Eagles who inflicted a butt whipping of epic proportion. Other than the score, there is little to actually quantify how bad this was. Since the Eagles scored on two Cowboys possessions, the offensive numbers look pretty even. But give Reid credit, the Eagles ran roughly five of every eight plays, one omen to their success. They broke the game open in the final 2:15 of the first half, and outscored the team from Ringling Brothers 41-0 in the middle two quarters. In what amounted to a playoff game for the final NFC spot, this was a performance beyond Good.

Pittsburgh – See the Indianapolis paragraph. The Steelers out gained the Browns almost 3:1 and gave up a whopping 20 yards net passing. It didn’t mean much, but it sure was one-sided.

San Diego – As nonexistent as the Denver defense is, the Bolts still put up 52 points. With their playoff hopes on the line for the fourth consecutive week, San Diego amassed nearly 500 yards and scored early and often to lock up the AFCW. They consistently dominated this game in a Good win.

The Bad
Chicago – Needing a win to have any chance and up by ten in the middle of the second quarter, the Bears were then outscored 31-7 until a late, desperate drive. The defense gave up yards by the ton and the offense did too little to stem the tide. The result was an underwhelming performance in a clutch game.

Tampa Bay – In hindsight, they had the playoffs in their own hands when they took the home field against the Raiders. They seemed to have things going their way, up by 10 3:30 into the fourth quarter, having just converted a Raider turnover into a TD. They might as well have left the field after that, committing a 43-yard pass interference penalty to set up a Raider touchdown, then a 67 yard run and finally a 10-play, 56-yard drive that led to a FG, but more importantly ate nearly six of the remaining seven minutes of what was a four point game. The offense did little to curb that onslaught, failing on a fourth and three and tossing up an interception on the first play of a possession. They weren’t Bad all game long (or they would have been Ugly), but they were Bad and it cost them a playoff berth.

The Ugly
Cleveland -The Browns ended the season in style, not scoring an offensive touchdown or in any other manner. Eight first downs on offense, only 126 yards while watching the Steelers ring up almost 370. The Browns missed a 53-yard FG on their opening drive and did not touch Steeler territory the rest of the game. An Ugly end to an Ugly season.

Dallas – With 2:15 to go in the first half, the Eagles were threatening, already leading 10-3. Yet, the score at halftime was not 10-3, 13-3 or even 17-3, but 27-3. Two late turnovers contributed to the end-of-half meltdown. That was a preview of things to come. The Cowboys had the first three possessions of the second half before Philly ran an offense play. This remarkable feat was accomplished by turning the ball over on the first two possessions and watching them returned for touchdowns. Both turnovers capped drives into scoring position. They turned it over on the third possession, as well, but the Eagle defense was too tired by that point to return that for a TD. By the time the clowns, uh, Cowboys stopped pouring out of the Volkswagen, they had committed five turnovers resulting in 27 Eagle points, 17 of which were posted without the Eagles offense taking the field. To punctuate the circus act, the Cowboys opted for a field goal midway through the fourth quarter down by 44-3, cutting it to a five possession game. This was a horrid performance with their playoff hopes on the line, perhaps the Ugliest single performance of the year by anyone.

Denver – The Broncos were only slightly better than Dallas. As usual, Denver showed a pulse on offense but their defense could not stop the Chargers. It was the usual, tired formula where the Broncs amassed over 400 yards of offense but there “bend and then break” defense gave up almost 500, nearly 290 on the ground. Add a 13:00 time of possession difference and the Broncs could make a case for playing in the Big 12. Not quite as Ugly as the Cowboys, but it should be mentioned in that same discussion.

Tennessee – It’s tempting to cut the Titans some slack since they didn’t need Good, Bad or even Ugly, just no injuries. Still, eight first downs, 125 yards of offense, 390 yards against and almost a 17-minute time of possession difference is pretty Ugly regardless. Let’s put it this way, the performance was similar to that of the Browns.

Overall, there was a lot more bad than good this week. Some of the bad performances resulted in wins and will not be discussed here. But several teams had chances to help their playoff chances or make other statements and stepped out for a smoke, instead.

Honorable Mention this week goes to the Falcons and Dolphins. Neither played especially well Sunday. Considering 6-10 would have been considered solid for either of these two at the start of the season, both entering week 17 with 10 wins speaks volumes. Both are in a position to win their respective divisions and the Falcons had the audacity to lock up a playoff spot. I may do one of these about the Good, Bad and Ugly for the season after next week, and if so you can count on these two leading a charge to the top regardless what happens in week 17 and beyond.

The Good
Baltimore – The Ravens were strong on defense for three quarters and persistent on offense. They led after that phase of the game 16-7, yielding the only Cowboys points on a four yard drive after a fumble. The Ravens even manufactured a touchdown after a fake field goal resulted in a first down. Then all hell broke loose. The Cowboys twice made a game of it within the final five minutes, twice crawling back to within two. Each time, the near dormant Ravens running game responded. McGahee ripped a 77 yard TD run and on the Ravens next offensive play McLain threw dirt over the Cowboys with an 82 yard TD run. Good teams have one unit pick the other up with they need it. The Ravens did that Saturday night, first with the defense, then the special teams and finally the offense.

New England – If the NFL determined its playoff times using the BCS, I’m sure the Pats would be in after rolling to a 40 point win against playoff bound (but moribund) Arizona. The Pats amassed over 500 yards of offense while holding the Cards to under 200 and 8 first downs. The Cards only reached New England territory 3 times (twice in the fourth quarter) and never entered the red zone except to run through it on a late bomb TD pass. Even the 17 minute time of possession advantage does not quite tell the story of how Good this was for the Pats.

New Orleans – Yeah, yeah, it was only Detroit. But 532 yards of offense and a 6 yard average per carry is good against anybody outside of the Big 12. It’s too little, too late for the Saints, but that is also why this could have been an easy letdown game for them.

New York Giants – Granted, they played an extra five minutes, but 301 yards rushing against a pretty decent defense is absurd. Couple that with no turnovers and 13 minutes more of possession and you have a Good performance in the NFC 1 vs. 2 match up. The Giants get off the skids, secure home field advantage in the playoffs, make a statement about their aspirations and get mentioned here.

Oakland – Yes, Oakland. It was hard to imagine the Raiders putting together a complete performance against the Texans, but that is exactly what happened in the nut house in the East Bay. They combined a decent defensive performance, an unusually strong offensive effort and even returned a punt for a TD to put down the Texans. A Good effort from an unusual source against an opponent that had been on a roll.

San Diego – The Chargers greatly enhanced their playoff chances. Their performance in Tampa was not dominant, but it was effective and Good down the stretch when it counted. San Diego was up to every Buc challenge and broke open the game in the fourth quarter to set up a showdown with Denver for the AFCW title.

Tennessee – The Titans locked up home field advantage in the AFC by helping create four Steeler turnovers en route to a big home victory. The game alternated between a slug fest and the offenses finding some flow. The game was fairly even despite the 17 point bulge, due in large part to the turnover differential. The Titans break their mini-skid with a solid win at home against a team they may well see again in the playoffs.

The Bad
Dallas – The offense stunk up the place in the first half, gaining only five first downs. After clawing back into the game twice to narrow the gap to 2 points, the defense broke down to give up consecutive TD runs of 77 and 82 yards. As was said with the Ravens, Good teams have one unit pick up the other when times are tough. The Cowboys did the opposite Saturday night. A Bad performance in a critical situation to close Texas Stadium was not what the Cowboys needed.

Denver – The Broncos rolled to 532 yards of offense, rushed for 181 yards, turned the ball over only twice, only gave up 275 yards on defense, did not commit an unusual number of penalties and jumped out to a 13-0 lead against a team that has consistently found ways to lose. Unfortunately, they proceeded to get outscored 30-10 after their solid start to somehow lose this game. They managed to get to the Bill 15 twice in the final 6:00 down by seven and came up empty for their efforts. This Bad results for their effort drops them to 8-7 and may well cost them the AFCW and a trip to the playoffs.

Houston – The Texans quieted rumors they were making progress by making the Raiders look like the 1976 Raiders. The Texan defense surrendered almost 370 yards to the Raiders, which is almost two games worth by Oakland standards. If that was not enough, special teams gave up an 80 yard punt return with the game still in the balance. Not a great effort. If the Texans are ever going to graduate to a plus-.500 team, these are the games they need to win.

Minnesota – The Vikings squandered a chance to lock up the NFCN by playing the role of turnover machine. Minnesota wasted an otherwise decent offensive performance and a good defensive effort by losing four of seven fumbles. Considering they ran 70 offensive plays, they fumbled on one of every ten. That is a Bad fact if you are driving towards the playoffs.

Philadelphia – There is no mystery on how to beat the Redskins. Even the Bengals figured it out. If you can get to double digits on the scoreboard, you should win. The Eagles, whose recent renaissance coincided with an increased emphasis on the run decided the run was unimportant, attempting on 16 times against 48 pass plays (including a pair of sacks) in the game and only twice in 28 fourth quarter plays. Those rushing numbers include scrambles for positive yardage. Bad, bad, bad idea to play call against what had led to success. The result is a major dent in their playoff hopes.

Tampa Bay – Faced with a chance to put a bear hug on a playoff spot, the Bucs evaporated in the fourth quarter against the Chargers. They simply did not make enough plays and wind up needing help to get into the playoffs. This was a frustrating home loss.

The Ugly
Arizona – The Cards seem to have a fool proof way of keeping themselves healthy for the playoffs. Their plan to pick 22 random people plucked from the Phoenix streets for an all-expenses paid trip to New England amassed eight first downs and 186 yards of offense, while surrendering 514 yards and 47 points and over 38:30 time of possession. Whether it was the real Cardinals or substitutes, for the second straight week it was Ugly.

Cleveland – I’m not sure it gets much uglier than being shut out by the Bengals at home. 182 yards of offense, four interceptions, nine penalties and a 1.8 yard per pass play average. That would be bad against the Ravens, Steelers or Titans. But these weren’t the Ravens, Steelers or Titans.

Detroit – They were out of yet another game by halftime. Add to that 532 yards against, including 351 in through the air. All I can say is one more game to eternal Ugliness, gents.

Some playoff contenders stepped up, some stepped aside and a few others played as expected and probably didn’t make this week’s GBU. The Bears and Dolphins get honorable mention. Since we already have ten Good performances, the cut had to come somewhere.

The Good
Arizona – Pounding on the Rams at home is no great shakes, but when it locks up your first division title in 33 years it is Good. This old man was a teenager in St. Louis the last time the Cardinals won a division.

Carolina – The Panthers responded to a critical home divisional test against the Bucs by racking up 464 yards of total offense and 299 yard rushing at 8.1 yards a carry against a defense averaging less than 300 yards a game total. Not counting the two plays to kill the final clock, the Panthers had nine drives and scored on six of them. The only bad news was two ended on interceptions. Still, this was a Good performance against a normally strong defensive team that solidified Carolina’s playoff chances and gave them an advantage down the stretch in the NFCS.

Houston – What is shocking about this is the Texans put on an offensive clinic in Green Bay, racked up almost 550 yards of offense and were far from perfect. Still, with their backs against the wall late they fought off the ropes and then drove 75 yards in the last 1:49 to get the win. A Good performance from a team playing for respectability.

Indianapolis – About all you can do when the Bengals come to town is scrimmage, be thankful for the bye week and send them home. After a slow start the Colts did just that. The Colts woke up after the Bengal’s second possession and spent the fourth quarter in coast mode, but in between outgained the Bengals 307 – 80. Good teams do that to Ugly ones.

New Orleans – It wasn’t always pretty, but the defense held when it had to and the offense put up solid numbers against the Falcons away. The Saints played the Falcons evenly (exactly evenly by yardage), traded scores and refused to shoot themselves in the feet en route to a big home divisional win against a good team that keeps whatever playoff chances they have alive.

Pittsburgh – What a difference a few minutes makes. With about 12:30 left I was considering the Steelers for the Bad. This game looked like another Eagles-type loss, with the Steelers stopped on downs at the Cowboy 1. A defensive stand, a good punt return, a FG, a defensive stand, a quick 67-yard TD drive, an interception return for a TD and yet another defensive stand later, they make the good. The common theme all game was “a defensive stand.” The Steelers defense is good enough that their offense need only be efficient to make this list.

Philadelphia – The scoreboard pretends this game was closer than it was. The Eagles coupled a strong defensive effort with a good offensive game to control their contest with the Giants in New York. The defense held the Giants to 211 yards, 57 of which were gained on their final drive after the game was not in question. On offense, the Eagles discovered a revolutionary new play called the run. The result is a huge divisional road win that keeps their playoff chance alive.

San Diego – It would be easy to overlook the Chargers win at home since it came against the Raiders. Still, the San Diego defense, which had not overwhelmed anybody lately, held Oakland to nine first downs and 163 yards. The Raiders only score came on one of many first half kickoff returns, but the game was long over by then. On offense, the Chargers rang up 372 yards. They opted to pound the ball at the Raider defense, running the ball 46 times. A Good performance, although probably a futile one.

San Francisco – Maybe this should be listed under Bad. The only thing the Niners have left is draft position and they deliver a Mike Singletary-type whipping to the Jets. They doubled the Jets yardage and almost doubled their time of possession. Perhaps bad timing, but a Good performance against a playoff contender may be something to build on.

Tennessee – Much like the Colts, the Titans had little say about who rolled into town. All the Titans could do is use the Browns as a step ladder to clinch the division. They outgained Cleveland 390 – 178 in the process and held the opponent to three field goals. The Titan running game led the offense with 235 yards and a 5.5 average by itself. A Good performance leads to the AFCN title.

The Bad
Buffalo – The only reason the Bills aren’t Ugly is not much is expected of them anymore, and they did recover four of their own fumbles. Of course, they also gained a whopping 163 yards of offense and, even though the scoreboard implies otherwise, did not threaten to win this game. Given the rest of the division, the Bills could have crept back into the race but instead did very little to endear themselves to the Canadian fans.

Dallas – Losing to the Steelers at home on a cold, windy day is not Bad. However, the Cowboys wasted a 10-point fourth quarter lead, a great goal line stand, a chance to gain a game on the Giants and add some heat to next week’s matchup, not to mention a chance to solidify their overall playoff position. With games against the Giants, Ravens and in Philly, the Cowboys may smart from the last 9 minutes of this one for a long time.

Green Bay – It was never a good game, but it was a Bad final three minutes. The Pack was fortunate to find itself tied at 21 approaching those final three minutes, but tied they were. The Texans missed a FG near the end of the first half, fumbled inside the Packer 20 and muffed a punt at midfield to help enable the tie. Still, Green Bay was perched on the Texan 22 at the 3:00 mark. They proceeded to take a holding penalty and a sack to kill that scoring chance and then allowed the Texans to travel from their own 3 to the Packer 22 in the final 1:49 to set up the winning FG and end the Packers playoff chances. Only the fact they were in a position to win the game keeps them out of the Ugly.

New York Jets – The Jets started the day on top of the AFCE. They responded with an anemic performance that saw them gain only 10 first downs and 182 yards. 7 of those first downs and 106 yards came on their two scoring drives. Combine that with 375 yards against and you have a Bad performance, leading to a Bad outcome and a three-way tie for the AFCE lead by the end of the day.

The Ugly
Cincinnati – The Bengals started out fine with a pair of decent drives and they controlled the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, they came up empty early and their fourth quarter dominance included giving up an interception return for a touchdown. That was the good. The bad was being outgained almost 4-1 between those early drives and the fourth quarter, and being outscored 28-3 during that same span. The Colts helped them be Ugly, but make no mistake, they were Ugly…..again.

New York Giants – The biggest question here was Bad or Ugly. A 20-14 loss, even one as one-sided as this one might be only Bad for most, but it is Ugly for what is still probably the best team in the NFC. The defense gave up a few uncharacteristic big plays and the offense was lifeless most of the day. Of the Giants 14 points, 7 were on a blocked FG at the end of the first half and the final 7 were during mop-up time as the game clock was running out. Remove the final :30 of each half and the Giants were shut out. An Ugly performance, but one they could spare.

Oakland – The Raiders responded to the first 3D telecast with an all-around Ugly performance. Against 25th ranked defense giving up over 350 yards a game, the Raiders offense managed 163 yards and no points. That includes 109 passing against the 30th rank passing defense. They also turned the ball over twice in their own territory in the first half, once in the red zone. Not to be outdone, the Raiders defense was a minor impediment in the first half, denying the Chargers offense points only once. The masterpieces were a 96 yard TD drive and a 59 yard TD pass. This one was “no mas” by halftime. At the request of the fans, the first 3D telecast has been transported into a wormhole to offend distant aliens, along with the tape of the Al Davis press conference berating Lane Kiffin.

The Good
Baltimore – The Ravens put on a clinic on what good teams should do when playing bad ones, even on the road. The Ravens racked up roughly three times the offense of the Bengals, held the ball almost 18 minutes longer and did not turn the ball over. They controlled the second half, pulling away after holding a 10-point lead. In all aspects, this was a Good performance.

Dallas – The Cowboys dominated the hapless Seahawks from the start, jumping off to a 14-0 lead and gathering in a fumble before the Seattle put up a whimper of protest. They ultimately held the Seahawks to three field goals in a game that was true to the spirit of Thanksgiving – it was over by halftime. With almost 450 yards of offense, this performance placed them in the middle of the wild card mix.

Denver – This was pretty much a blueprint for a Broncs win. Almost 500 yards of offense, almost 400 yards allowed. Most of the offense is via the air, only one turnover and big plays both for and against. The result, beyond the boilerplate win is a very important road conference victory against a hot team. This Good effort finally makes a statement that the Broncs are interested in winning the AFCW.

Minnesota – Down 7-3 at home, with the Bears perched on the Viking 1 with 6:15 left in the first half, the Vikings gathered themselves and shut Chicago’s drive down on downs. They responded with a one-play, 99 yard drive to take the lead. From that fateful point they outscored the Bears 31-7, holding the opponent to a total of 10 first downs. This Good effort puts the Vikings in control of their own fate in the NFCN.

Philadelphia – Just when it looked like the Eagles were ready to be served up on a platter they spring to life at home to feast on the Cardinals. 32 first downs, 437 yards and almost 40 minutes of possession will cure a lot of ills. The defense helped themselves to three interceptions and a fumble. This was a statement game for McNabb and the Eagles, and that statement lands them in the Good.

Pittsburgh – With 6:45 left in the first half, this game was shaping up to be another of those 13-9 type games the Steelers often get involved in. They trailed the Pats 10-3 at that point. They proceeded to tie the game on their next drive, en route to 30 consecutive points and a 33-10 win in New England. The defense gathered in five Pats turnovers to solidify the Steelers’ playoff positioning for the stretch run. A Good performance on a rainy day.

Tennessee – It would be easy to slough off their 47-10 drubbing of the Lions because, well, it was the Lions. But the Titans were just four days and a road trip removed from a horrid home loss against the Jets. They took care of business early and often, sporting a 35-10 lead by halftime and reestablishing themselves as one of the league’s top contenders. 292 yards rushing reminds us of why the Titans got to 10-0.

The Bad
Chicago – In every season there are defining moments and lost opportunities. The Bears were on the verge of taking a commanding early lead in Minnesota and responded by failing to crack the end zone in four plays from the one and then being outplayed to the rest of the way. Their offense was barely a factor in a game that could have put them in position to grab the NFCN lead. The result of a Bad effort is that they must now chase down the Vikings to have a shot at the post season.

Jacksonville – The Jags put on a clinic of how not to play Monday in Houston. Turnovers, missed scoring opportunities and some curious calls from the bench provided the Texans enough chances to take home the win. The Jags were never really in this game thanks to a myriad of Bad efforts.

San Diego – Every week somebody bridges the gap between Bad and Ugly, and this week it is the Chargers. Losing to the Falcons is neither Bad nor Ugly by itself, but the Chargers looked a little like the Keystone Kops in this effort. They entered the day still in realistic contention for the woeful AFCW and responded with a 12 first down, 201 yard effort that included taking a safety. Take away a pair of Falcon fumbles and this game would have been a rout. It might have been better if they at least expressed some interest in game.

Washington – Losing to the Giants at home is not. But while the Redskins were never out of this game, they were only a genuine threat for a few minutes. In the roughly 32 minutes between the Redskins narrowing the gap to 13-7 and the Giants extending it to 23-7, the Redskins amassed only six first downs (one by penalty). The difference between the two teams was more accurately described by the 11:30 time of possession difference than the scoreboard. Curiously, the Redskins opted for a 2.5:1 pass/run ratio on offense. The Redskins are fading.

The Ugly
Arizona – Completing the three Thanksgiving turkeys are the Cardinals. Their first two drives produced interceptions, their third a punt and they were down 21-0 before they found any continuity. That is too deep a hole to deep a hole to dig in the NFL. The Cardinals were never in this game.

Cincinnati – When a team gains only six first downs, 155 yards and possess the ball over a full quarter less than your opponent you are not likely to win. When that opponent dresses the Baltimore Ravens defense, it is likely to get out of hand. This one did in the second half. Meanwhile, the Bengals defense warrants no mention.

Detroit – The Lions showed a national audience exactly what Ugly means. Had they been on stage a little closer to dinner time, turkey consumption would have been cut dramatically. The good news for their offense was they had a whopping 154 yards. The bad news was six first downs, three turnovers, four sacks and 23 minutes of possession. On defense, they were even less effective, giving up 35 first half points, 456 yards, 292 yards rushing and 37 minutes of possession. Turkeys everywhere responded to this performance by throwing themselves on knives. On the bright side, Lions fans were allowed to leave by halftime to tend to their Thanksgiving dinners.

Seattle – Statistically, the Seahawks were not run off the field. Still, the “turkey timer” popped up by halftime when the score was 24-6. The first two drives of the game pretty much summed things up: the Cowboys went 66 yards in 5 plays for a touchdown and the Seahawks responded by driving 45 yards in 6 plays and fumbled in Cowboy territory. The Seahawks failed to keep the Cowboys off the scoreboard in their first four drives, which yielded more than enough points to decide the game.

There was a lot of good this week, but there was also a full slate of 16 games and two 50+ point performances and two more in the 40s. Honorable mention goes to the Giants and Steelers. They were both pretty good in their wins, but the competition this week is pretty tough and their victories and the manner they were achieved were not unforeseen. Still, both are worthy of mention here.

The Good
Atlanta – The Falcons started and finished in flurries to run away with a home divisional win against Carolina. They scored 17 points before the Panthers had a first down or even a net offensive yard. The defense managed to hold the Panthers to a first half FG after facing a first and goal on the 1. With the game still in question in the fourth quarter, the Falcons ran off 28 points to salt it away. A big win and a slot on the Good is their reward.

Baltimore – The Ravens piled on 24 fourth quarter points on their way to punching the Eagles in the mouth. While not putting on an offensive clinic themselves, they did hold the Eagles to 206 total yards and four interceptions, one returned 108 yards for a TD and another setting the Ravens up on the Eagle 6. Add a safety plus the fact that the Eagles only points came on one of many kickoff returns. Even discounting setting the offense up in the red zone, the Ravens defense outscored the Eagle offense 9-0. A Good defensive performance keeps the Ravens in the middle of the playoff hunt.

Buffalo – 54 points, over 35:30 time of possession and 40 points in the middle two quarters on the road after a Monday night game will earn a team a slot in the Good.

Chicago – Sure, it was the Rams but the Bears still piled up 201 yards on the ground at a 6-plus yard per carry average while holding the Rams to 14 yards in 19 carries. Add four interceptions and you get the picture. This game was over by halftime.

Indianapolis – The Colts weren’t good all game, but they were when it counted. Four minutes into the third quarter of a tie game and the Chargers in the red zone, the Colts defense forced a turnover on a sack changing the momentum for the next 15 minutes. The Colts took advantage of a questionable timeout before the tying field goal, making good use of the extra 30 seconds to drive down the field for the win on the road. They are rewarded for the effort with a slot here.

New England – 530 yards of offense including 408 in the air made for a Good win for the Pats on the road against Miami. After falling behind 21-17 3:30 into the third New England went on a 31-7 tear to break open what had been a back and forth game.

New Orleans – Every time the Saints have a chance to die they seem to spring to life. On Monday that rang up 416 yards, 51 points and gathered in three interceptions to pound the Packers. They Saints remain in contention for a playoff spot with a Good home win against a qualtiy conference opponent.

New York Jets – Any time a team can get a road win against a 10-0 team it is good. It becomes noteworthy when they deliver a butt-whipping to get said win. The Jets rolled up over 400 yards of offense with 192 on the ground against one of the league’s better defenses, holding the ball for over 40 minutes. On defense, they made a lot of Titans look as if they had hangovers. The end result is to maintain the NFCE, get an important conference win and a slot on the Good.

Oakland – I had to do this. The Raiders played a solid game on the road to notch a divisional win against the Broncos. They turned the solid game into a rout by not being distracted by the Broncos piling out of the Volkswagen (see Ugly) and capitalizing on the second half ineptitude. While the Broncs served up the chances, it was a Good performance by the Raiders that capitalized on them.

The Bad
Carolina – Losing to the Falcons in Atlanta is not enough to make the Bad, because the Falcons are often Good. But the Panthers didn’t show a pulse until they were down 17-0 in the second quarter (0 first downs and 0 net yards in the opening 15 minutes). Couple that with lapses on defense and special teams and you wind up getting kicked to the curb in an important divisional game.

Cleveland – The Browns squandered their one-game winning streak by laying an egg at home against the Texans. It is not just that they lost, but the fact they turned the ball over five times, managed only about 240 yards of offense while giving up over 380. A Bad day for the Browns, who have problems, punctuated by the QB savior being pulled.

Green Bay – Not a good way to treat your playoff hopes. The Packers defense was a minor impediment to the Saints in New Orleans. The Pack gave up points by the ton, including a 70-yard TD pass less than 7 minutes into the game. Special teams gave the Saints possession in the Packer half of the field three times, one being on a failed fourth quarter onside kick. The offense contributed by setting them up inside the Packer 30 twice, including once on the 3. All that buffoonery resulted in 23 of the 51 points, with the remaining 28 belonging to the defense. A Bad overall performance that did their playoff chances no good.

Kansas City – How does a team rack up 462 yards of offense and lose a game by 23 points? Turning the ball over five times helps that cause a lot, especially when one of the interceptions is returned for a TD. Giving up 10 points in the final 96 seconds of the first half also helps the effort. Nine penalties doesn’t hurt. Only running the ball 13 times even though you average over 12 yards a carry is also a good plan. Let’s face it, the Chiefs are constantly inventing ways to push the Bad envelope.

Tennessee – It was inevitable that the Titans would eventually lose, which by itself is not Bad. The relative ease at which they lost puts them here. The defense couldn’t get off the field and the offense could not stay on. When this team gives up over 400 yards of offense and loses the time of possession battle by more than 20 minutes, it leads to Bad results. I guess there motto is if we are going to lose, it might as well be Bad.

The Ugly
Denver – A critical fumble, missed field goals, punts returned for a touchdown and clowns pouring out of a Volkswagen, all in front of the home crowd. The Broncos are a strange case. When they are Good, they can run with anybody. When they are Bad, they look like a second or third-tier team. And when the are Ugly, they can not run with the worst of them.

Detroit – After trying something new and jumping out to a 17-0 first quarter lead, our heroes returned to earth being outscored 35-3 over the next two quarters and 38-3 overall. In the process, they gave up 14 points off turnovers (7 on the return of said turnover) and 7 more on a punt return. Good teams find ways to win, Ugly ones, well, they do this.

Jacksonville – This is another one of those “on paper” things. Ignoring the scoreboard and looking at the stats, the Jags could have well won this game 30-12. Instead, five turnovers waste a pretty good defensive effort. How Ugly, well, two turnovers in the opening 20 seconds of the game led to a 14-0 deficit. Add another 7 of a subsequent turnover, two missed field goals, shake and you have an Ugly performance.

Philadelphia – The defense held up its end of the bargain in what was a defensive struggle for a bit over three quarters. Unfortunately, the offense could not score in a house of ill repute on pay day. The lone touchdown was scored on one of many kickoff returns. Otherwise, the offensive highlight was a curious mix of twice as many pass plays as runs, four interceptions and two quarterbacks. The Ugliness was punctuated by 24 fourth-quarter Raven points in what had been a close game on the scoreboard.

The Good
Atlanta – The Falcons started another Good performance by intercepting Brees on the game’s first offensive play. That was the first of three interceptions, the last being returned 95 yards for a TD late in the game. In between the Falcons outplayed the Saints. While the stat sheet pretends the Saints had an impressive 521 yards, 296 came in the fourth quarter after the Falcons had amassed a 27-6 lead. For a team that was supposed to be bad, the Falcons have provided a lot of Good.

Baltimore – With three minutes left in the third quarter the Texans were hanging with the Ravens. Over the next 13-1/2 minutes the Ravens outscored the Texans 22-0, outgained them 106-10, intercepted two passes and converted them into touchdowns. The result is a Good performance, particularly down the stretch, to turn a tight game into a rout.

Jacksonville – A lot of teams get healthy in Detroit and the Jags are the latest. Still, this was a Good win. The Jags ran for almost 160 yards with Jones-Drew rushing for three TDs. Given their recent problems this game had to be a concern, but Jacksonville put together a Good performance to put this one out of reach by halftime.

New England – The Pats made their claim for the AFCE by controlling the Bills at home for most of the game. A few things place them on the Good. First, they held the Bills to 10 first downs and 168 yards while amassing 370 yards themselves in over 37 and a half minutes of possession. Add to that the fact that their only three-and-out was when they ran out the first half clock. Finally, with the game still in reach early in the fourth quarter they executed a 19-play, 92 yard drive killing over 9:00 and resulting in the TD that effectively ended the game.

New York Giants – Winning on the road in the NFC is never an easy task. The Giants pulled it off by scoring 16 points in 6 minutes late in the third and early in the fourth to open up a tight game. In the process they ran for 219 yards, totaled over 400 and held the ball for over 39 minutes to put the Eagles to sleep. The result is some breathing room in the NFCE and a spot here.

New York Jets – Pounding the Rams at home is not necessarily a ticket to the Good. Pounding any NFL team by the count of 40-0 at the half is. The Jets defense gobbled up five turnovers en route to a record margin of victory, maintaining a share of the AFCE lead and a slot here.

The Bad
Buffalo – Not much explanation is necessary here. Simply acknowledging that the Bills were hardly noticeable in a huge divisional game is enough to place them here. The scoreboard pretended the game was closer than it was, or deserved to be.

Houston – The Texans played almost three decent quarters against the Ravens, about matching them drive for drive. The difference was in points, illustrated by such efficiency as capping off a good first quarter drive by throwing an interception on first and goal at the Raven 1. They also nullified a TD on offense with a holding penalty and took a safety with a holding penalty in the end zone. They were hardly any more polished in the second half, eventually collapsing in a 41-13 dismantling, led by a total of four interceptions and ten penalties.

New Orleans – There is no shame in losing a road game against a 5-3 (going in) divisional opponent. Losing the game 34-20 is not shameful by itself, either. Those numbers are too kind. The Saints squandered 521 yards of offense and two additional scoring opportunities, one on downs and one via interception. The final score was buffered by a Saints TD on the game’s final play. This was a Bad road divisional road loss.

Oakland – They more than tripled their offensive yardage from last week and they held the Panthers to 219 yards, 10 first down and less than 23 minutes of possession. Sounds good so far. The problem is that they failed to take advantage of Delhomme tossing a 7 for 27 day with only 57 net passing yards and 4 interceptions. Turning the ball over three times themselves, committing ten penalties and giving up five sacks doesn’t help. The final score looks okay, but when you squander that sort of effort and wind up with only two field goals, it translates into a Bad day. The defense prevented it from being Ugly.

The Ugly
Detroit – We’ll say this for the Lions: they are great at pulling other teams out of a funk. This week’s benefactor was Jacksonville and its ailing running game. The Lions defense did not exactly remind anyone of the Steel Curtain or Fearsome Foursome by giving up 4.8 yards per carry and over 350 yards total in a 38-14 rout. Considering they led 7-3 at the end of the first stanza and scored a sympathy TD at the end, even that score does not sum up this Ugly.

St. Louis – After stinking up the joint for the opening four weeks, they actually played well in the next three, winning two. But never fear, the Rams are back in full force. The Jets are a pretty decent football team, but they are NOT 40-0 at halftime better than most teams. But the Rams are not most teams. I would go on, but words can not do justice to this Ugly.

The Good
Arizona – After failing to score in 3 shots from the Ram 1 and later yielding an 80-yard TD pass in the first quarter, the Cards got down to business and outscored their hosts 34-6 the rest of the way. The defense started the onslaught by returning an interception for a TD and setting the offense up inside the Ram 25. The offense contributed with over 500 yards, a couple of 80+ yard drives and holding the ball for over 38 and a half minutes. A Good performance despite a shaky start.

Atlanta – The Falcons rolled into Oakland and ran up 30 first downs, 453 yards, over 45 minutes of possession time and 252 yards on the ground. Top that off by allowing 3 first downs and 77 yards. Never mind that the Raiders were auditioning for most inept team in the NFL, this sort of domination on the road is remarkable. It’s better than remarkable, it’s Good!

Baltimore – Winning by 10 in Cleveland does not necessarily rank as good. Winning that same game after being down 27-13 and scoring the final 24 points is impressive. For the Ravens, doing so while racking up 429 yards with almost 200 on the ground is a departure from tradition, and worthy of being called Good.

Cincinnati – Sooner or later it had to happen. The Bengals, a semi-permanent member of the Ugly, played a good game at home against the Jags. They jumped to 21-3 lead in the first three quarters and then hung on to win by a missed two-point conversion late. That might not be Good for a lot of teams, but it is when you start at 0-8. In the process, they held the Jags to under 300 yards of offense and 68 on the ground. Meanwhile, they actually gained 312 yards of offense in the same game. A Good game considering their past exploits.

Miami – A lackluster offensive performance (a mere 341 yards against the Broncos “defense”) was bolstered by a solid defensive effort, holding the Broncos to under 320 yards. Add three interceptions, only 14 yards rushing allowed and 36 and a half minutes of possession time and you have a Good performance resulting in a road win.

New York Giants – Good teams put things away when they have a chance, and the Giants went a long way to putting away the Cowboys hopes of a division title with this game. A crushing running game combined with the usual hard-nosed defense yielded a win bigger than the scoreboard indicated.

New York Jets – This was a tough call. Were the Jets Good or the Bills Bad? Truth is there was some of both. The Jet opportunistic defense lands them here. They forced a fumble on a sack to set up a first quarter field goal, then returned an interception 92 yards when it looked like the Bills were going to build on a 1 point lead. On the next possession they stopped the Bills on 4th and 1 from the Jet 8. Arguably about a 20-point turnaround from which the Bills never really recovered, giving the Jets a valuable road win and a slot here.

Philadelphia – All it took was giving up a 90 yard TD pass on their first defensive play to awaken the Eagles. From that point on, they racked up over 410 yards of offense, only gave up 143, only 57 more in the air, and outscored the Seahawks 26-0 in Seattle. McNabb threw for almost 350 yards as the Eagles held the ball for over 37 minutes. A Good performance after a rude awakening.

Pittsburgh – Defense still wins and the Steelers have defense. They slowed the early bleeding from a failed onside kick to start the game and a turnover near their own 30 and yielded no first downs and two FGs. The offense eventually showed some life and the special teams blocked a punt leading to the first half’s only TD. Even with the Ben knocked out, the Steelers rattled off 23 straight points. The defense sealed the deal with 7 sacks and a 4th and goal stop on the 1 yard line. If not for the early buffoonery this could have been a shutout. A Good blue collar performance for a road win against what was a 6-2 team.

Tennessee – I would not normally give an undefeated team kudos for a 3-point OT win against a 4-4 opponent, but coming off a short week against decent team coming off a bye and logging a win is Good. Good enough to take the Titans to 8-0.

The Bad
Buffalo – Other than a home loss against a divisional rival, what makes this loss Bad is that the Bills could have come close to tightening the screws early. They never recovered from gifting the Jets a field goal with a fumble, turning their own scoring drive into a Jets 92 yard interception return on the last play of the first quarter and then being stopped on 4th and 1 inside the Jet 10 on their next drive. That stretch was conceivably a 20 point turnaround, cementing a place in the Bad.

Chicago – Sure, they won at home against one of the contenders for “worst of the worst.” That did not get them on the Bad. The injury to Orton is their ticket to the Bad since it reintroduces the possibility of having Grossman lead the offense, at least in the short term. That is Bad.

Denver – Three interceptions led to 13 Dolphin points (including 7 on a return). The Broncs were lucky to not be completely out of the game by halftime. The offense did not sustain a drive in the first half and scored their lone points in the half after a 95 yard kickoff return gave them a 5-yard field to attack. Give the Dolphins defense credit, but the Broncs are an offense-only team. Given that, a terrible offensive first half, 14 yards rushing and about 23 and a half minutes of possession time yield a Bad performance.

Washington – When you take possession twice inside a good opponent’s 40 in the opening four minutes and walk away with no first downs and two field goals it lays the foundation for a Bad performance. The defense kept it close until it wore down spending most of the third quarter on the field. The offense largely served to honor the rule requiring 11 men on the field with the Steeler defense. A Bad home performance yielding a home loss against a quality opponent.

The Ugly
Dallas – Dallas is worse off than just Romo licking his wounds. The Cowboy defense looked bewildered and awed by the Giants offense while giving up 200 yards on the ground. The offense was inept against the Giant defense, to the tune of 11 first down and 183 yards, 75 on their only scoring drive. They showed no heart in a loss that could haunt them when the beans are counted after the season. An Ugly performance in an important game.

Oakland – 3 first downs and 77 yards? That is an unimpressive quarter in the NFL yet it was the Raiders total for 60 minutes against the Falcons. Couple that with 14:55 possession time and 7 penalties. They had almost as many yards in penalties (55) as they had in offense. At halftime they were without a first down and had -2 yards of offense. Has an NFL ever had negative yardage in a half? This may have been the Ugliest performance in history, and it was served up in front of Raider Nation.

Seattle – There’s not much that needs to be said. The Seahawks basically disappeared after their first offensive play. That play netted them 90 yards and a 7-0 lead, but by the time the dust settled they were on the short end of a 26-7 pounding. A Bad way to treat the home fans.

The AFC East division tiebreaker is a bit of a pain. New England has only played the Jets, and won. The Jets have played the Pats and Bills, going 1-1. The Bills have only played the Jets, and lost. It will be nicer next week after the Pats play the Bills, but I think I have this right, for now. How quickly the Bills have fallen. Once competing for the 2nd seed with the Steelers, they are now out of the playoff picture.

AFC

1. Tennessee Titans (8-0)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - 2nd seed over the Patriots due to conference better record

3. New England Patriots (5-3) - 3rd seed and AFC East champs over Bills and Jets due to head-to-head percentages

4. Denver Broncos (4-4)

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-3) - 5th seed over Jets due to conference record

6. New York Jets (5-3) - 6th seed over Bills due to head-to-head victory

NFC

1. New York Giants (7-1)

2. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

3. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) - 3rd seed over the Bears due to conference record

4. Chicago Bears (5-3)

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) - 6th seed over the Redskins due to SOV

6. Washington Redskins (6-3)

Top 5 Picks in the 2009 Draft

Interesting tiebreak this week, as 3 NFC West teams vie for a spot in the top 5. Even though they have a higher SOS than Seattle and San Francisco, the Rams’ dismal 0-2 division record takes precedence and gives them the 5th spot in the draft.

1. Detroit Lions (0-8)

2. Cincinnati Bengals (1-8)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)

4. Oakland Raiders (2-6)

5. St. Louis Rams (2-6)