NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

The San Diego Chargers made sure to spend Christmas Day night in style, making sure that any shot that the Tennessee Titans had at the playoffs were thrown right out the window. They did it as Philip Rivers remained perfect in the month of December as a starting QB, as the Chargers pounded Tennessee 42-17.

The win for San Diego is their 10th straight, and not only are they the AFC West champs once again, but now they have clinched the all important first round bye in the AFC playoffs. It means that along with the Colts, we could be heading towards a Chargers-Colts AFC Championship game in late January.

Rivers helped San Diego put the game away by halftime, as he threw two touchdowns passes, and running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for two scores. After going down 3-0 with 8:12 left in the first quarter, the Chargers went on to score 21 points before the Titans put up a late TD before halftime to go up 21-10 at the half.

They beat on Vince Young and held them to 270 yards of offense and 2-for-8 on third downs. In the second half, they scored three more touchdowns to make it a route and send the Titans faithful home early. They also dominated in the time of possession department, holding the ball for 39:07 to 20:53.

Young was held to just 8-for-21 passing for 89 yards with two picks and a QB rating of 11.9. As good as he was through the teams winning streak, he was just as bad Friday night as the Chargers were out for blood in raising their record to 12-3 on the season.

The 10th straight win ties the 1970-74 Miami Dolphins for most consecutive wins in a month with their 18th in December dating to 2006. The Dolphins won 18 in a row in November.

For the Titans, they fall to 7-8 on the season, and while they made great strides going from 0-6 to 6-6, they have lost two of their last three which ends any chance at making the playoffs as a wild card. Chris Johnson’s march to 2,000 yards says alive as he ran for 142 yards a touchdown.

A lot will be at stake for both teams this Sunday when the Broncos (8-6) travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles (10-4). The Broncos will try to hold on to the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs while the Eagles will try to remain in first place in the NFC East division and currently hold the third seed in the NFC playoff race.

The Broncos will play in Philadelphia for the first time since 1995 and will make their first ever appearance at Lincoln Financial Field which opened in 2003. The Broncos are 4-6 (Home: 3-2/ Away: 1-4) against the Eagles.

As it's been all year long for the Broncos offense this year, they will have to produce a balanced attack and run the ball effectively in order to open up the passing game. When opposing teams have forced the Broncos into passing the ball downfield in second or third and long situations, the Broncos have proven consistently inept to do so.

The Broncos chief concern on defense will be containing explosive second year WR DeSean Jackson. Jackson has 56 receptions for 1,087 yards and 8 touchdowns all the while averaging 19.4 yards a catch. The 5-10 175 pound receiver has quickly developed into one of the most feared receivers in the league and is without a doubt Eagles QB Donavon McNabb favorite target.

The Broncos should receive some help in this area with the return of starting safety Renaldo Hill. Hill missed his first game of the season last week in a loss to the Raiders due to an injured ankle. Hill has proven to be a very smart player and is responsible for calling the coverage for the defensive backfield.

Prediction for this game:

Figuring out which Broncos team will show up has been a daunting task all year. The fan in me always tells me the Broncos will win, but as my readers will find out I prefer the call it like I see it approach.

Let's face it; the Broncos will have to play a perfect game to leave Philly with a victory this Sunday. Perfection has not been in the Broncos repertoire this season (at least after the week 7 bye). The Eagles still have to play hard as the Cowboys and Giants are both still alive for a playoff spot and or a division title.

To put it simple the Eagles need this game just as much as Denver , only difference is the Eagles are playing at home and seem to be peaking as the regular season is coming to an end. The Broncos are still trying to find themselves at the week 16 mark.

Broncos fight hard but fall, 31-17

For someone who has been through much, both on and off the football season, you have to admit that Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has resurrected his career. But hearing it from Ricky, it sounds like he wants to hang the cleats up after the 2010 season.

He seems to have a few productive years of football in him; at 32, he went over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since 2003, setting an NFL record for time between 1,000-yard seasons. As the #1 rushing option with Ronnie Brown on the shelf, the Dolphins are in the playoff hunt – albeit by a slim margin.

So one must wonder as to whether Williams would want to extend his career for three or 4 more seasons. According to the below interview, courtesy of the Dolphins, that prospect seems unlikely. Below is the transcript:

(On how good he feels about what he's been able to do this season at age 32)

"Well, I don't really feel that good. The body's kind of beat up at this point in the season, but I've been around long enough to know how to get my body ready for the game. It's a grind and it's difficult, but I have the experience to know how to do it the right way."

(Thoughts on the last time he rushed for 1,000 yards, in 2003, seeming like a lifetime ago)

"Yeah, it seems like it was another lifetime ago. I've been through so much and I've done so much outside of football as well as in football, so it seems like a long time. I didn't lose my work ethic, and this new regime that we got in here last year, they push us hard, and we have a good scheme and we have good offensive linemen, good quarterbacks, so it's easier this time than I remember last time. It's been fun this year."

(On if he's happier now playing football than he's been in the past)

"I'm having more fun with it, yeah. I think as I've gotten older and I've been away from the game, I think I appreciate this opportunity more than I have in the past. We have a great bunch of guys over here, so it's fun to come to work every day."

(On if it was an epiphany or a gradual decision to come back to football)

"I realized that it's a good job, it pays well and it puts me in a good position to do what I want to do after football. And so it was a logical choice."

(On if he regrets not playing for that period of time)

"No, definitely not. To me, life is for living and not just making money or doing what people think you're supposed to do, and I've been able to live my life to the fullest and I've been lucky enough to have this opportunity to come back and continue to play football."

(On how much longer he sees himself playing)

"I'm going to play this year, I'm going to finish these last two games, and then I'm going to play next year. Then I'm going to retire."

(If he's sure about that)

"As of today, it's for sure, yeah, but who knows what's going to happen in the future. But that's the plan."

(On the importance of him leaving a better legacy behind because of his children)

"Yeah, it's been fun this year because my kids are old enough to watch the games and to go to school and hear stuff that their friends have to say about me, and it's all positive. As far as what happened in the past, I guess the kids that go to school with my kids aren't old enough to remember and talk to them about it. So as far as my kids go, they only have good memories and good experiences related to their dad as a football player."

(On how big a deal it would be to get to the Super Bowl before his career ends)

"Well, the talking to the media part, not at all. But playing in the game would be great. I think it's what motivates a lot of us to play. It takes so much to get there, one of those things being luck. It's a long road, and I think that's what keeps us going. Right now as a football team trying to fight our way into the playoffs, that's what's fueling us, is to get a shot to play on a big stage like the Super Bowl."

(On his teammates' reactions when he returned to the Dolphins in 2007)

"I think the players that I played with, they were all sad to see me go and I think they all cared about me as a human being first, and I think a lot of them understood why I left and really, I didn't experience any negativity from my teammates. They've been supportive to me through the whole process, and that made coming back that much easier."

(On whether he was surprised when Bill Parcells gave him an extension before this season)

"It was nice. It was unexpected. He had told me he was going to give me some money, but I didn't know – first, he came up to me and he said, 'I want to talk about your contract,' and I said, 'What, you want to give me a pay cut?' and he kind of laughed. He gave me a great extension. As a backup player, to make the kind of money I'm going to be making next year, I'm very fortunate."

(Whether he should start next season given what he's accomplished this season)

"No, definitely not. That's Ronnie's (Brown) job, and my role here is to keep Ronnie fresh, to spell Ronnie and do what I can to help the team."

(Does it make him smile when people say he doesn't look like a 32-year-old running back?)

"Well, I don't feel 32. When I'm on the field, I still feel explosive, and in my mind, it's the same way I remember when I was 22. The biggest difference is that I've learned over these years how to do a better job taking care of myself and making that a priority."

(On how the the Wildcat has changed his role with the Dolphins)

"When Ronnie was here, it was just an opportunity for me to get on the field more. Now that Ronnie's gone, we don't run it as much, but when we do run it, it's a lot of fun because it keeps the defenses kind of off-balance, and I think in the games where we can really get into the Wildcat more, the defenses can't key on what we're doing so much and it creates a little bit more space out there for us."

(Was taking some time off was a big reason for his success this season?)

"That's part of it. But I think part of it is just that we have a coaching staff and a front office that they know how to use backs that are older. So one of the things that (executive vice president-football operations) Bill (Parcells) talked to me about in the beginning was – I wasn't expecting him to say we want you to carry the ball and do all these things, but he said you're getting up there in age. This is your first time being a running back at 32, so he said, 'Be smart.' And the way that they used me has been very smart, and that's what helped me to be fresh."

(On how much the Dolphins talk about the playoffs)

"We have to. That's what we're here for, and I think as you go through a season and you look for motivation, I think the way our coach makes it for us is getting into the playoffs is our No. 1 motivation. I think some guys at this point in the season in our position, they talk about playing for pride. But that's not us. We're playing for the playoffs still. I think there have been stories of teams that weren't sure they were going to get in and then they get in and they're not mentally prepared for it, and I think our coach wants to guard against that."

(On if he ever wonders what would have happened if he stuck with baseball)

"Not really. Sometimes, every once in a while, I will, but people ask me and I say playing baseball is much harder than being a football player. Having to get up every day and play for six months, that's a grind and that's tough."

(On what he would like people to know about him this season)

"I'm hard on myself and I look at every game and I want to be more productive. But when I take a step back and I look at what I've been able to accomplish this year, and half the year I was a backup, I just think as far as touchdowns, as far as I've had the longest run of my career, average yards per carry, I'm putting up numbers that I never put up before. It's a credit to the team here and our offensive line and taking care of yourself. Being 32 as a football player, as a running back, doesn't mean anything unless you allow it to."

Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was sent home from practice on Friday for "disciplinary reasons".

Coach Jim Zorn did not specify why he ordered Haynesworth to leav the training session but several team mates said it was because he arrived late.

"He wasn't belligerent or nasty to me, and I was not nasty to him. It was just something that needed to be done," Zorn told the NFL team's website (www.redskins.com).

"So I handled things the way I felt I should, and he'll be back tomorrow (Saturday) and he'll be ready to go and play in the game (on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys)." Zorn told reporters that while Haynesworth would play against the Cowboys he may not start the game.

While it is true that the NFL regular season ends in a couple weeks, it would be interesting to know how the seedings would look if the season ended today. For those of you who have that curiousity knawing at you, here is the current NFL playoff picture:

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-0) – Clinched top seed in AFC with Week 14 win over Denver.

2. San Diego Chargers (11-3) – Would clinch No. 2 seed and first-round playoff bye with win or tie at Tennessee or New England loss or tie.

3. New England Patriots (9-5) – Have a two-game lead over Miami and the Jets in the AFC East but have not clinched AFC East because Miami swept New York (New England split with both Miami and New York).

4. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5) – Lead AFC North by a game and own tiebreaker over Baltimore based on head-to-head sweep. Currently trail tiebreaker with Patriots based on worse strength of victory (Patriots have beaten teams with combined 54-72 record; Bengals have beaten teams that are a combined 52-74).

5. Baltimore Ravens (8-6) – Currently No. 5 seed because of head-to-head victory over Denver.

6. Denver Broncos (8-6) – Have a one-game lead over Jacksonville, Miami, the Jets, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Houston for the No. 6 seed.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

1. New Orleans Saints (13-1) – Have clinched a first-round playoff bye. Lose tiebreaker with Minnesota for top seed based on conference record (10-2 to 9-3).

2. Minnesota Vikings (11-3) – Clinched NFC North with Green Bay loss. Lose tiebreaker with Philadelphia for No. 2 seed based on conference record (10-2 or 9-3 to 9-3 or 8-4).

3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) – Clinched playoff spot with win over San Francisco. Lose tiebreaker with Dallas for NFC East title based on head-to-head defeat.

4. Arizona Cardinals (9-5) – Clinched NFC West with win and San Francisco loss.

5. Green Bay Packers (9-5) – Currently No. 5 seed based on head-to-head win over Dallas.

6. Dallas Cowboys (9-5) – Have a one-game lead over the Giants for the final wild-card spot, but New York wins tiebreaker because of head-to-head sweep. Can clinch NFC East with two wins.

As the Buffalo Bills' 2009 draws closer to an end, our beloved Bills travel south for one final road game this season to face the Atlanta Falcons. On paper, this appears to be just another matchup of two non-playoff teams during the final weekend in December. But if nothing else, this game will have some interesting storylines to follow.

We start with the Bills (5-9) and their annual quest to finish two games under .500 for the fourth consecutive season, however last weekend's loss to New England put Buffalo's hopes of finishing 7-9 in serious jeopardy. Now, it appears if the Bills are going to get seven wins they might have to do so on the arm of a brand new quarterback.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards both suffered ankle injuries in last Sunday's 17-10 loss to New England. Edwards has been placed on injured reserve and his season is mercifully over. Fitzpatrick did not practice on Wednesday, leading to speculation that Brian Brohm could be making his first ever NFL start in Atlanta. Interim head coach Perry Fewell has not ruled out Fitzpatrick, saying the quarterback remains day-to-day.

While the Bills' first choice would clearly be starting Fitzpatrick and they'll likely wait as long as possible to officially rule him out, starting Brohm on Sunday and for the remainder of the season wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

The Bills already know what they have in Fitzpatrick and Edwards. Fitzpatrick is backup material, not starter material. He's been pressed into starting because of the ineffectiveness of Edwards. Edwards has been a disappointment and has hugely regressed this season. It's very likely he won't be back next season. The Bills know what the have with those two. They don't know what they have in Brohm. Even though it'll only be a short glimpse, the timing to audition Brohm couldn't be better.

Buffalo was eliminated from playoff contention last Sunday, making it 10 straight years the Bills will miss the playoffs. The Bills will join the Detroit Lions as the only two teams not to appear in a playoff game this decade. Indeed, misery loves company.

Collectively, there's not much left to play for, but individually the Bills have two players chasing down milestones. Running back Fred Jackson needs 189 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his short, 3-year career. Terrell Owens needs two receptions to become the sixth player in NFL history with 1,000 receptions, and he needs 88 receiving yards to pass former Raiders great Tim Brown for third all-time with 14, 935 receiving yards.

Even though the end is near, the Bills are still suffering season-ending injuries and the injured reserve welcomed a few more players. Edwards was placed on IR with a high ankle sprain. Cornerback Terrence McGee suffered a shoulder injury during a collision with Randy Moss last week and had rotator cuff surgery. Joining Edwards and McGee on IR is potential defensive rookie of the year, Jairus Byrd. Byrd has been battling a groin problem and to compound problems, he'll have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. It will be his second surgery in a year. Byrd had sports hernia surgery this past offseason.

The Atlanta Falcons (7-7) are still in search of back-to-back winning seasons in their 44- year history, so we can expect the Falcons to be geared up and ready to go for this one. With Dallas beating New Orleans last Saturday night, Atlanta was eliminated from playoff contention.

Things haven't exactly gone as scripted in the Dirty South this season. Following their 11-5 season in 2008, the Falcons added tight end Tony Gonzalez to the mix giving Atlanta a terrific offensive quartet of Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White and Gonzalez. The Falcons came out of the gate strong in 2009, starting the season 4-1. Since then, the Falcons have gone 3-6 losing four of five during their slide. Atlanta has not beaten an opponent with a winning record this season, while suffering injuries to both Ryan and Turner.

Ryan has been battling turf toe, but he returned to action last weekend against the Jets after missing the previous two games. Turner has been dealing with a high ankle sprain and saw very limited action last week in New York after missing the Falcons' previous two contests. Ryan appears as though he'll start on Sunday while Turner looks doubtful not only for Sunday's game with the Bills, but the rest of the season.

Atlanta aims to snap their two-game losing streak in the Georgia Dome. The Falcons have dropped consecutive home games to Philadelphia and New Orleans while being outscored by a combined 60-30 score. The Falcons have defeated the Bills three straight times at home. Atlanta holds a 5-4 edge all-time against Buffalo, including two straight wins. The Falcons defeated the Bills back in 2005 in Buffalo, 24-16.

Final Prediction: Atlanta 24, Buffalo 13. You can't help but wonder what the Bills' mentality will be heading into this game.

During the NFL regular season, I obviously listen to the analysts as most of them have involved with the pro game in some capacity. However, there is the occasional loose cannon who sometimes makes a mockery of the job. And yes, I am referring to a quasi-high-profile analyst: ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson.

Don’t get me wrong here. Keyshawn was a heck of a player when his mouth wasn’t tripping him up; after all, there was a reason he was often called “Meshawn.” However, he, for reasons known only to him and God, decided to declare that the Indianapolis Colts are the “worst 14-0 team ever.” And he says this on-air, so this isn’t a brand new revelation, last time I checked.

I am just curious, Keyshawn: Just how does an undefeated team become the “worst” at anything? That’s like saying former President Jimmy Carter and President Barack Obama are the worst Nobel Peace Prize recipients ever – although there is a case for the aforementioned two getting that attached to them, but I digress. It’s like also saying that filet mignon is the worst cut of beef. That Beyonce is the ugliest member of Destiny’s Child. I think you know what I mean.

See, the thing is that there’s only been three NFL teams that have gone 14-0. The 1972 Miami Dolphins, the 2007 New England Patriots and now the 2009 version of the Indianapolis Colts. And don’t buy into the argument that the aforementioned teams’ margin of victory figures into things. But for those of you who are stat freaks, here’s the inside skinny. The Dolphins in ‘72 won by an average of 15 points. The 2007 Patriots? 18 point winning margin. Meanwhile, the Colts have won all of their games by a “paltry” 10 points.

My contention is that it doesn’t matter one iota as to by how many points an NFL team wins a game by – it is the final result that matters. No style points here – just give me substance. While there are two more games for the Colts to realize the perfect regular season, none of that matters of they don’t get the ultimate prize: a NFL championship at the Super Bowl. In other words, the ring’s the thing.

And I think it looks like Keyshawn has an ax to grind. Remember when he was miked as a Buccaneers WR during the game in which Peyton Manning engineered that amazing comeback back in 2003? Keyshawn said that the reason that WR Marvin Harrison had so many catches was that he caught 5-yard passes. That rant worked out for you, didn’t it, Keyshawn? Just remember that analysis is not a point of view. It’s based on actual fact. So my advice to Keyshawn is this. If you have to talk about undefeated teams, try other angles in your analysis. Because there is no such thing as a “worst undefeated team”.

By the way, I think it is a safe assumption that Harrison will get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame before Johnson does.