Dec 23, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) jogs off the field following a 42-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Week 16 in the NFL was great as the playoff picture is a lot clearer than the week before and is now in the books. Speaking of books, the NFL history books were subject to several changes.

The AFC playoff picture is set and is pretty much ready to go, with a couple positions left to be determine, and the NFC still have some loose ends to settle, but the light can be seen down the tunnel.

Week 16 resulted to these scenarios as all six playoff spots in the AFC have been clinched.

• The Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts each clinched a playoff berth Sunday. The Bengals defeated the Steelers at Pittsburgh 13-10 and the Colts earned their playoff berth on the road at Kansas City against the Chiefs, 20-13. Both teams earned Wild-Card berths.
• The once-shaky Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants 33-14 to clinch the AFC North.
• In the AFC, the Ravens (AFC North), Houston Texans (AFC South), Denver Broncos (AFC West), and the New England (AFC East) have clinched their division.
• On Saturday night, the Atlanta Falcons secured home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with their win against the Detroit Lions, 31-18.
• In the NFC, the Falcons (NFC South) and the Green Bay Packers (NFC North) have clinched their division.
• The Seattle Seahawks secured a playoff spot with their beatdown of the San Francisco 49ers Sunday night, 42-13. The Seahawks and 49ers can still win the NFC West. If the 49ers defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, their will win the division.
• The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys remain in contention for the NFC East division title. The Redskins, Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and the Chicago Bears remain in the hunt for a Wild Card berth. However, if the Vikings defeat the Packers in Week 17, they are in.

The 2012 NFL season will forever be marked as the year for the rookie quarterback.

Four rookie quarterbacks – Colts’ Andrew Luck (4,183), Cleveland Browns’ Brandon Weeden (3,385), Redskins’ Robert Griffin III (3,100) and Miami Dolphins’ Ryan Tannehill (3,059) – have already reached 3,000 passing yards this year, the most rookies to reach the mark in a season in NFL history.

“Robert, obviously being the quarterback, he leads them,” said Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanhan. “I think one of the biggest honors that Robert has had is being elected captain at mid point in the season. It doesn’t happen very often, so it kind of gives you an idea of what people think of him and how he handles himself on a day-to-day basis, because that’s not easy to have happen.”

Luck passed for 205 yards and a touchdown in the Colts’ victory Sunday. Luck has 4,183 passing yards and passed the record set by Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton a year ago of 4,051 yards for the most by a rookie in NFL history.

“That’s something that I didn’t know going into the season we would even come close to, with the number of other rookies that we have,” said Colts’ interim head coach Bruce Arians. “I knew he was capable of it. We’re not a dink and dunk offense. We’re throwing it down the field. If we complete them, we’re going to be up there around 4,000 yards every year like we always have been.”

Luck, who threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, has seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. That is tied for the most by a quarterback in a single season since the 1970 merger.

The last quarterback to accomplish the feat was Peyton Manning in 2009.

Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson could join the rookie 3,000 passing yards club in the final week of the NFL (2,868). Wilson needs 132 yards against the St. Louis Rams.

Wilson threw for 171 yards with a career-high four touchdowns and a 115.3 passer rating Sunday. Wilson’s 25 touchdown passes this season are the second-most among rookie quarterbacks all-time, one shy of Manning’s record 26 in 1998.

Texans’ wide receiver Andre Johnson caught seven passes for 97 yards on Sunday. Johnson, who has 806 career receptions, recorded his 800th catch in his 137th game, reaching the mark in the second-fewest games in NFL history.

Only former Colts’ wide receiver Marvin Harrison amassed 800 catches in fewer games (131).

Lions’ wide receiver Calvin Johnson totaled 225 receiving yards on 11 catches (20.5 average) on Saturday night in a losing effort against the Falcons. With the performance, Johnson accomplished the following feats:

• Set the NFL record for receiving yards in a season with 1,892 (Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, 1,848 in 1995).
• Recorded his 11th 100-yard receiving game in 2012, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (11 in 1995) for the most in a season.
• Set an NFL record with eight consecutive 100-yard receiving games, surpassing Charley Hennigan (seven consecutive in 1961) and Irvin (seven consecutive in 1995) for the longest such streak in league history.
• Registered his NFL-record fourth consecutive game with 10 or more receptions.

Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 339 yards with three touchdowns for a 106.6 passer rating in a 34-12 win against the Browns, which helped the AFC West-champion Broncos improve to 12-3 after a slow start.

Dec 23 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) comes out of the pocket to pass in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Browns 34-12. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

“I think we’ve made some strides each week,” said Manning. “I still have to admit that’s it’s not going to be [like] an offense that’s been together for five years. It’s not going to look like that because we haven’t. We’ve only been together for however many weeks, so we’ve tried to improve each week, but a lot of things just take time. We’re trying to do the best we can in this limited amount of time.”

Since entering the NFL in 1998, Manning’s teams have reached 12 regular-season wins in nine different seasons, the most by a starting quarterback in NFL history (Tom Brady currently have six, Brett Favre finished with six and Hall of Famers in John Elway and Jim Kelly had four).

“I know you guys don’t believe me when I say I’m still kind of learning about myself physically and what I can do,” said Manning when asked playing well at this time in his career. “It’s still the truth, and I still have things that are harder than they used to be and things that I continue to have to work on, from a rehab. standpoint to a strength standpoint. And that’s just the way it is, and maybe that’s just the way it’s going to be from here on out for me. I don’t know. I’m going to keep trying.”

New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 34-31 overtime win against the Cowboys at Dallas. Brees has 4,781 passing yards and is the first player in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards in three consecutive seasons.

Over the past three seasons, Brees has 14,877 passing yards, the most in any three-year span in NFL history.

Patriots’ wide receiver Wes Welker had 10 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ 23-16 win against the Jaguars at Jacksonville. Welker has 18 career games with at least 10 catches and passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and Andre Johnson (17) for the most such games in NFL history.

Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten had six catches for 60 yards in the Cowboys’ overtime loss to the Saints. Witten has 103 receptions, the most by a tight end in a single season in NFL history. Falcons’ tight end Tony Gonzalez set the record in 2004 with 102 receptions.

For Week 17, the Playoff scenarios are as followed:

Dec 10, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) runs against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

AFC

Texans (at Indianapolis)

Houston clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      HOU win or tie or

2)      NE loss or tie or

3)      DEN loss

Texans clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:

1)      HOU win or

2)      HOU tie + DEN loss or tie or

3)      NE loss or tie + DEN loss

Broncos (vs. Kansas City)

Denver clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      DEN win or tie or

2)      NE loss or tie

Denver clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:

1)      DEN win + HOU loss or tie or

2)      DEN tie + HOU loss

Patriots (vs. Miami)

New England clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      NE win + DEN loss or

2)      NE win + HOU loss

New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:

1)      NE win + DEN loss + HOU loss
NFC

Dec 23, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley (88) reacts after getting a first down during the game against the Tennessee Titans at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Packers (at Minnesota)

Green Bay clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      GB win or

2)      GB tie + SF loss or tie or

3)      SF loss + SEA loss or tie

49ers (vs. Arizona)

San Francisco clinches NFC West division with:

1)      SF win or tie or

2)      SEA loss or tie

San Francisco clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      SF win + GB loss or tie or

2)      SF tie + GB loss

Seahawks (vs. St. Louis)

Seattle clinches NFC West division with:

1)      SEA win + SF loss

Seattle clinches a first-round bye with:

1)      SEA win + SF loss + GB loss

Redskins (vs. Dallas)

Washington clinches NFC East division with:

1)      WAS win or tie

Washington clinches a playoff spot with:

1)      CHI loss + MIN loss

Cowboys (at Washington)

Dallas clinches NFC East division with:

1)      DAL win

Giants (vs. Philadelphia)

New York clinches a playoff spot with:

1)      NYG win + DAL loss or tie + CHI loss + MIN loss

Vikings (vs. Green Bay)

Minnesota clinches a playoff spot with:

1)      MIN win or

2)      MIN tie + CHI loss or tie or 

3)      DAL loss or tie + NYG loss or tie + CHI loss

Bears (at Detroit)

Chicago clinches a playoff spot with:

1)      CHI win + MIN loss or tie or

2)      CHI tie + MIN loss

Nov 18 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) waves to the crowd as he leaves the field following the win over the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field.The Broncos defeated the Chargers 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

At one point when the Baltimore Ravens had to play against the Indianapolis Colts, the fans of Charm City were excited to have the opportunity to pound the team that left their proud city. However, the Colts had quarterback Peyton Manning and he has tormented the Ravens for the past few years.

Over time, the thrill of going up against Manning was not very thrilling as he posted an 8-2 record against the Ravens. So, when Manning was expected to left the Colts to sign with another team, there was probably a sigh of relief knowing that the Ravens would not have to face number 18 no time soon. Until, the 2012 NFL schedule surfaced and the Broncos were on the Ravens’ calendar – then Manning signed with Denver.

The Ravens’ playoffs situation does not look good right now after losing two consecutive games, with three contests left against playoff caliber teams. Apparently, Manning’s timing of playing against the Ravens is critical, especially since he could easily be labeled as – the Raven Killer.

“The Baltimore folks asked me about that as well,” said Manning when asked about his history against the Ravens. “Those were different teams, different players. I can’t speak to the past. I really can’t speak to what’s happened here, the history of Denver in Baltimore. All I know is we’re going on the road playing an excellent team. They’re extremely tough to play at home. They’ve had some injuries like all teams do, but I know they have that ‘next man up’ mentality.

“Defensively, they create a lot of turnovers, and they’re extremely tough to score touchdowns against once you get in the red zone,” he continued. “They hold a lot of teams to field goals, if not turnovers. That’s our challenge this week, is trying to win against that.”

In the face of the big bad Ravens (9-4), a team that intimidated many players and opponents in previous years, Manning simply picked Baltimore’s defense apart with no fear – against units that had younger leaders in linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and the better core of defenders who supported them.

Sunday when the Broncos (10-3) ventures to Baltimore, a franchise that is 0-5 against the Ravens, Manning will face a Ravens’ squad who will not have the services of their spiritual leader in Lewis, who will not be activated to play after having surgery on his right triceps which placed him on the injured reserve-designated to return list in October, and a banged up Reed who playing with a bum shoulder.

Nevertheless, Manning praises and respects the leadership of Lewis and Reed.

“I think Ray, like I said, his intensity and his passion, it’s real,” said Manning. “I’ve always kind of kidded, Ray is just as intense and passionate in the fourth quarter of the fourth preseason game as he is in the first quarter of a playoff game. It’s real. That’s pretty special and that’s pretty unique. Some guys can turn it on in the big games. He always has it on. Every time I’ve played against him, which has been a bunch, I have great respect for the way he prepares for the game mentally.

“But his intensity and passion and spirit over there, it’s real and it’s contagious for his teammates, which is a great quality,” he continued. “It’s very difficult. He’s a tremendous player whose intensity, whose passion has not changed one bit since 1998, the first year I played against him, which is pretty impressive for a guy in his 17th year.

“Ed Reed is, in my opinion, the best safety in the NFL,” he added. “Has been this past decade. You really kind of can go on and on. Tremendous ball skills, tremendous range, tremendous athlete based on what he does with the ball once he gets it in his hands. [He’s] one of the smarter defensive players I’ve ever played against.”

Other than not having all their leaders healthy and ready to play, the Ravens will be vulnerable to Manning’s passing attack because he has more talented weapons and Baltimore’s defense lacks consistent discipline, especially in the secondary. Without a healthy linebacker in Terrell Suggs, the Ravens had issues with putting consistent pressure on quarterbacks all season.

Number 18 also has a defense that can compete against the Ravens’ offense.

It is safe to say that Manning will have a 9-2 record against the Ravens by Sunday evening.

Barry Barnes is the founder of LockerReport.com and you can follow him @2BSports

November 25, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Normally, when an individual is forgotten, it appears that they are not important or not needed. But in the time of need here comes the, ‘oh yeah,’ do not forget about such and such – factor.

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best playmakers in the NFL in running back Ray Rice, but he appears to be more of an ‘oh yeah’ factor than a – factor.

One of the things that a NFL coach does not want to be called out on is their play calling, which is understandable because no one outside of them know their situation better than they do.

However, for Ravens’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to only use Rice, one of the most electrifying backs in the league, 13 times, including just 12 carries for 78 yards, in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was totally disgusting.

The arrogance of Cameron is truly unbelievable.

Is Cameron is good coach, absolutely. Does he use common sense most of the time, no?

Rice was on fire against the big bad Steelers Sunday, and after his 34-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, one would think that with a seven point lead the Ravens would stick to the ground game in the fourth quarter to control the clock and take their shots down the field when the chances were there, especially in a contest where quarterback Joe Flacco struggled.

Nope!

It was as if the coaching staff told Rice that, ‘oh yeah, you played well after your 12 touches and you will not be needed in the fourth quarter.’

“I don’t know how many touches,” said Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh after Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, 23-20. “Yes, you can write that story if you want, but that’s not the factor in the game. We got the ball to guys, and Bernard Pierce looked pretty good. I thought our guys … We did fine.”

In perhaps the play of the 2012 NFL season where Rice picked up the first down on fourth and 29 against the San Diego Chargers, the dump off pass to Rice appeared to be an, ‘oh yeah, there he is,’ play.

Nov 25, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) is tackled by San Diego Chargers linebacker Andrew Gachkar (59) and defensive end Corey Liuget (94) during the second quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

It is one thing to lose a game when a team comes up short after they gave all their effort. Now, to lose after not given all their effort, by not legitimately exercising all their options, is unacceptable.

“My touches go with the game flow. Obviously, I turned up a huge bunch of yards today, and we could have ran the ball a little bit more,” said Rice. “But you know what? Situational football came into play. We put ourselves in the best situation to try and win the game. It was all about execution today. We just fell a little short. Our offense is still a young, growing offense and we’re going to continue to try and get better each week.”

The Ravens have lost games unnecessarily due to not using all their options, mainly their best option in Rice. Baltimore’s lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 for uncalled for after only using Rice for majority of the first half with a total of 16 carries.

Could the Ravens still have won that game against the Eagles? Yes, after a questionable push off by wide receiver Jacoby Jones late in the fourth quarter that negated a touchdown. Clearly, if the Ravens would have controlled the game on the ground by eating clock, the situation to throw the ball deep late probably would not have been necessary.

Dating back to last season, the Ravens lost senseless games where Rice was not used properly in contests that were not out of reach:

Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, Rice carried the ball 13 times, Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had eight carries and five catches and in Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks, he carried the ball five times, not including eight catches, – but only five times, that is laughable.

The Week 15 matchup against the Chargers, the Ravens were never in that game – but Rice touched the ball 10 times.

There is one thing that all these losses had in common, Flacco struggled.

Dec 2, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) pressured by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Palamalu (43) at M

No one is expecting Flacco to be solid each game, as all quarterbacks struggle from time to time. Flacco is not that type of signal caller that can throw his way out of a slump as he needs all his components around him to click. This is when Rice and the running game should be used to take pressure off Flacco, especially if the game is not out of reach or the Ravens have the lead.

It appears, at times, that the coaching staff does not believe in their system. Coaches around this league get caught up in the deep ball so much that they will air the ball out to become something they are not.

To name a few, the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons are built to throw the ball. The Ravens are not, and for Cameron to allow Flacco to air it out, when they do not have to, is foolish.

When Flacco is struggling, he force bad throws, under throws, get indecisive, and hold the ball too long. Flacco is at his best when he is relaxed and Rice helps balance things out for the Delaware grad.

There is a time when a team should be conservative or aggressive. However, a coaching staff needs to be wise at the opportune time when they should be and able to be conservative or aggressive.

It is easy to be aggressive against the Oakland Raiders because they were an inferior opponent as the Ravens destroyed them in Week 10, 55-20. Moreover, the Ravens must know the signs of the players’ abilities in concern situations to be conservative or aggressive against better squads, which take skills.

Rice will always give the Ravens their best opportunity to win. This is why the coaching staff cannot afford to exclude him at any point of a game.

Because of Cameron’s desire to be a passing team, one cannot help to wonder if Rice is truly an ‘oh yeah, let’s use him’ factor or – a factor.

Barry Barnes is the founder of LockerReport.com and you can follow him @2BSports

November 18, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich (4) runs past Baltimore Ravens strong safety Bernard Pollard (31) to score a thirty-one yard touchdown run during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Baltimore Ravens won 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The fourth quarter of the NFL season is finally here. The playoffs, technically, begins in January, but for many squads, the postseason starts now.

“This is when you need to be playing your best ball heading into the cold weather and the playoff atmospheres that we’re about to embark on,” said New York Giants’ defensive end Justin Tuck Monday after practice, who team normally performs well at this time of the season. “This is when you want to be playing your best, so that’s very important. A lot of times we see teams start hot and end on a cold note.

“We’ve been more of the variety of start hot, get cold and then heat up again,” he continued. “So hopefully we can end this season playing our best ball and heading into the playoffs playing our best ball. That’s where you want to be.”

As the NFL move into Week 13, there are 26 teams either in or within two games of a playoff spot.

“Our goal is to keep winning and get to the big one,” said Denver Broncos’ wide receiver DeMaryius Thomas. “We’re going to take every game one at a time, take it week by week and just keep going. We’re going to try to keep winning.”

For the most part, the legitimate contenders are in place and they now must position themselves to better their chances to get to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

Five teams – The Atlanta Falcons (NFC South), Baltimore Ravens (AFC North), Denver Broncos (AFC West), Houston Texans and the New England Patriots (AFC East) – can clinch a playoff berth this week.

However, there’s still a month to go, which means there is a ton of football left to be played.

“It’s all right there in front of us,” said New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees, who faces an elimination game each week with a 5-6 record. “I firmly believe that if we take care of our business and worry about ourselves, things will happen in a way we envision and we’re going to have a chance to get into the playoffs. We understand the sense of urgency and the small margin for error at this point.”

As the NFL enters Week 13, there are 19 teams either in or within one game of a playoff spot, including 11 in the NFC.

Among the teams seeking to strengthen their position in the AFC playoff race are the Indianapolis Colts (7-4), who have already made a five-win improvement from their 2-14 record last season.

The Colts are looking to reach the postseason for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons. They will have to travel to Detroit to face the Lions’ team who will be looked to pound an opponent after losing a close contest to the Texans last Thursday.

“It’s December, but the process is still the same,” said Colts’ interim head coach and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. “Stay with it one play at a time, one day at a time and don’t get caught up in all that. The team philosophy is that we just keep winning. Just stay within the moment.”

New Orleans and Atlanta kicked off Week 13 with great drama, but the Falcons held off the Saints (and picked off quarterback Drew Brees five times. Brees’ five interceptions was a career-high for a single game as he pressed to get his team a win.

“It’s the first time it has ever happened to me and is extremely disappointing,” said Brees. “I pride myself on being a great decision maker and the guy that is going to help us win the game and not be a detriment and turn the ball over like that.

“A couple of critical mistakes today that ended up costing us the game and I’m okay saying that because I have to hold myself accountable,” said added. “I’ve made some critical mistakes in the last few weeks and they have cost us dearly. I felt like our team really played their butt off in all phases. Were there mistakes made yes, but we played well enough to win.”

The Falcons ended Brees’ 54 game streak of completing a touchdown pass and their four game losing streak against the Saints. The Saints (5-7) can not win their division, but they still have a slim chance to make the playoffs, with a lot of help.

The Falcons (11-1) can have the NFC South wrapped up this weekend with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost.

Clearly, the Falcons are happy to exercise some demons by defeating the Saints, but the playoffs are not on their minds, just the Carolina Panthers in 10 days.

“We still have four regular season games to go and we try and take them one game at a time,” said Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan. “We’re going to try and enjoy these couple of days off. After that we’re going to get back to work. We have Carolina in 10 days or so and we’re going to need to get ready for that. We try not to think that far ahead. One of the things I’ve learned in my five years is that if you’re worrying about what you’re going to do in January in September, October, November, December, you’re wasting your time.

“I’ve tried to keep that week to week focus but at the same time we’ve had some sour tastes in our mouths at the end of the last couple of seasons, so hopefully we’ll have an opportunity to change that.”

Upset Alert!!!

The Minnesota Vikings (6-5) are on that pretenders list as a team that would to shock the football universe and make it to the playoffs. Minnesota started off hot this season as winners of three out of their first four contests and led their division, until they chilled out. Nevertheless, the Vikings are good for at least one more shocker and the Green Bay Packers (7-4) maybe that squad for the pickings.

Both the Vikings and the Packers are coming off loses. However, the Vikings are looking to stop the bleeding of missing the playoffs for the third straight year. The Vikings are balanced and the Packers are a little banged up, especially without having their pass-rushing monster in linebacker Clay Matthews in the lineup (although there is no word yet about his participation for Week 13).

If the Vikings can find a way to keep Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his offense off the field for all long period of time, which they can with running back Adrian Peterson carrying the load, the Vikings could get their second road victory of the year Sunday.

Games to Watch

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) at Baltimore Ravens (9-2)

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The biggest, baddest rivalry of all sports – Take Two. The Steelers will take on their favorite, most hated opponent, the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Sunday. The Ravens will be without their defensive captain, linebacker Ray Lewis. However, Lewis has not been the thorn in the Black and Yellow’s side in recent years. That honor goes to defensive end Terrell Suggs.

Suggs has haunted and tormented the Steelers, especially quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Well, Big Ben is not expected to play Sunday due to his shoulder injury, in which he could perform with if he could endure the pain. Apparently, the man Suggs will be chasing around is 38-year old quarterback Charlie Batch, who had a rusty outing against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.

This game will be tight because both of the teams’ defenses will keep them in it. It just boils down to which offense will make the big play when they need it.

Seattle Seahawks (6-5) at Chicago Bears (8-3)

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Two beastly teams in the thick of things for this season’s playoff chase will meet at Soldier Field. The Bears lead the NFC North, while the Seahawks are battling for a Wild Card spot.

Thanks to the New York Giants’ victory over the Green Bay last Sunday, The Bears have a one game lead in their division over the Packers.

Seahawks’ rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has guided Seattle to six wins and has led the NFL with a 128.6 passer rating in November. Wilson posted a passer rating of at least 125 in all three November starts and he is the first rookie in NFL history to register a 125-plus rating in three consecutive games.

“We’ve got a huge game in front of us,” said Wilson about the Bears. “That’s our only focus. That’s got to be a narrow focus. We’ve just got to keep battling.”

Seahawks’ cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman may miss out on the contest as they face a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy for steroids and related substances.

“To allow our focus to remain on football, during the appeal process we will refrain from any further public comments regarding this situation,” said the players in a release statement from the Seahawks’ press release Wednesday. “Thank you for your consideration on this matter.”

Chicago improved to 8-3 with a dominating 28-10 performance over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Running back Michael Bush rushed for two touchdowns and the defense recorded its league-leading 20th interception. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, in his first year with the Bears, became the fifth player in NFL history with a 1,000-yard receiving season with three different teams (Bears, Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins).

“We are where we want to be,” said Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith. “Back on the winning track and we feel good.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) at Denver Broncos (8-3)

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The Broncos (8-3) can clinch the AFC West on Sunday with a win, while the Buccaneers remain in the middle of the NFC playoff hunt. Denver has won six consecutive games – the longest active streak in the NFL – and the Bucs has won four of its past five.

Since Week 6, the Buccaneers have led the NFC with 228 points (32.6 per game). During that period, quarterback Josh Freeman has 16 touchdowns, three interceptions with a 104.1 passer rating and rookie running back Doug Martin has 1,082 scrimmage yards (154.6 per game) and nine total touchdowns.

The outstanding play of Martin has helped the Buccaneers during their midseason push towards the playoffs.

“Being a rookie, I haven’t seen a whole lot of him,” said Broncos’ head coach John Fox Wednesday. “On a short look, you turn on that Raider tape, and he’s efficient. He’s got good power, even in tight spots. He can take you the distance when he gets into the secondary, so he’s definitely on our radar.”

The Broncos has won six in a row, outscoring opponents 183-107 during period. Quarterback Peyton Manning has led the Broncos to average 30.5 points an outing during their winning streak. Last week, Manning passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns to record his 149th career win, passing Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway (148) for the second-most in NFL history.

“I think you can build off of each game and certainly when you win, I think it does help,” said Manning. “I think you have better practices but you still want to try to improve and the coaches challenge us to improve and I think we have the right kind of players that challenge each other to improve and get better. You’re always trying to play that perfect game. Whether you can or you can’t, but you still strive for that. We still feel like we can improve as a team and we need to improve.”

New York Giants (7-4) at Washington Redskins (5-6)

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The Giants leads the NFC East by two slim games over the Cowboys (5-6) and the Washington Redskins (5-6), but the burgundy and gold can close the gap when they host New York on Monday night.

In Week 7, the Giants edged out the Redskins 27-23. In that game, Giants’ wide receiver Victor Cruz caught the game-winning 77-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with1:13 remaining in the game. The score marked the longest game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes of a game in franchise history.

“Washington is a great team and in this division, everybody plays each other tight, so we’ve got to go out there and prepare well and take advantage of the opportunities when they come,” said Giants’ wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.

The Redskins have won two in a row – both against NFC East opponents – and have been led by rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. The second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft has thrown eight touchdowns in the past two games and is the only rookie in NFL history with back-to-back games with four passing touchdowns.

“Well, [they are the] Super Bowl Champs, very talented football team,” said Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanahan. “At the end of the day, we lost the football game. We had four turnovers and we have to find a way to win, especially when you play well. So hopefully we can step up and do what we are capable doing on Monday night and find a way to finish the game.”

In the team’s past two games, Griffin has completed 34 of 43 passes (79.1 percent) for 511 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception for a 146.1 passer rating.

“It has been pretty consistent all year if you take a look at the stats,” said Shanahan. “You have to find a way to close those games. You have to find a way to win those games and that is what we have been able to do the last couple of weeks. We weren’t able to do that in a few very close games before and bottom line is we have to find a way to win.”

Barry Barnes Founder of LockerReport.com

October 2, 2011; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin (93) pressures San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) during game at Lincoln Financial Field. The 49ers defeated the Eagles 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

The Jacksonville Jaguars were awarded ninth-year defensive end Jason Babin off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles Wednesday. Defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith was placed on injured reserve with a concussion/neck.

Babin has played in 109 games (69 starts) during his nine-year NFL career and has spent time with the Houston Texans (2004-06), Seattle Seahawks (2007-08), Kansas City Chiefs (2008), Tennessee Titans (2010) and the Eagles (2009, 2011-12).

The 6-3, 267-pound defensive end was originally selected in the first-round (27^th-overall) by the Texans in the 2004 NFL Draft. He has a nose for the ball, but his specialty is getting at the quarterback as he tallied 53.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Babin ranks third in the NFL since 2010 with 36.0 sacks, trailing only defensive ends DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys (45.0) and Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings (40.0).

Babin started the first 11 games of the 2012 season for the Eagles and totaled 32 tackles (24 solo), 5.5 sacks, 30 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.

The Eagles (3-9) were losers of seven straight and Babin (32) was the team’s first major cut, perhaps the first of many to come.

The Jaguars will pick up the tab of Babin’s salary for $1.69 million.

Babin’s 5.5 sacks led the Eagles and he had a sack in three of his last four games played.

According to reports, Babin had eight teams interested in his services, but the Jaguars were awarded because they had the worst record at 2-9 among the squads seeking him. The Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins also submitted waiver claims.

The Eagles are looking to get younger.

“We appreciate everything that Jason has given this team over the last couple of years,” said Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid in a release statement Tuesday. “We wish him all the best as he continues his career. By releasing him today, this gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of younger guys in the defensive line rotation.”

Barry Barnes is founder of LockerReport.com and you can follow him @2BSports

Nov 25, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns middle linebacker D’Qwell jackson earns Player of the Week honors after his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 12. Photo Credit: US PRESSWIRE

The NFL announced Wednesday that Cleveland Browns’ linebacker D’Qwell Jackson has been named AFC Defensive Player for Week 12.

Jackson registered a team-high nine tackles and helped caused two turnovers as he forced a fumble and recovered another during the team’s 20-14 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland last Sunday.

“(What was) Most important was getting a win against a rival and for the city of Cleveland. They deserved it. I know it has been a rocky year for everybody,” Jackson said. To get a win makes it a little bit better, but it was great for the community and great for the young guys in this locker room to get a win against a rival like Pittsburgh.”

Jackson and the Browns’ defense handcuffed the Steelers to 242 total yards, including just 49 yards on the ground. This outstanding performance marked the Browns’ lowest rushing yards allowed since 2003. In total, the Browns defense forced eight turnovers, which were the most by an NFL team since 2001 and the most by the Browns since 1989.

This is the first AFC Defensive Player of the Week award for Jackson. He is the first Brown to win AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors since linebacker David Bowens in Week 7 of the 2010 season.

In 2011, Jackson was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. While he has received some personal awards, Jackson says  that winning as a team is more important.

“That’s something you think about after the season, but I’m not about personal accolades. It’s great, don’t get me wrong. I put a lot of pride into what I do and I’m passionate about what I do. I love what I do and I love playing here in the city of Cleveland. It’s all about everyone in this locker room and the coaches. It’s a little bit better when you win games and as you guys know, there have been some rocky years at times. We had a great week last week hopefully we can carry it over to Oakland, get another win and start a streak here.”

Barry Barnes is the founder of LockerReport.com and you can follow him @2BSports

November 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) is congratulated by inside linebacker Patrick Willis (52) after making a tackle against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Bears 32-7. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

The San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday they have agreed to terms with linebacker NaVorro Bowman on a five-year contract extension through the 2018 season.

“NaVorro epitomizes what we look for in a 49er,” said 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke. “We are excited that the All Pro tandem of Willis and Bowman will be together in red and gold for years to come.”

The 49ers originally selected Bowman in the third round (91^st overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft. He has since developed into one of the premier inside linebackers in the NFL, registering 337 tackles, four sacks, three fumble recoveries, an interception and 13 passes defensed in just three short seasons.

This season, the 6-0, 242-pound linebacker leads the team with 129 tackles. Bowman recorded double-digit tackles in nine of 11 games this season, and led the team in tackles eight times. He has also added two sacks, one interception and five passes defensed.

After spending his rookie year as a standout special teamer, Bowman was named a starter in 2011 and went on to led the team with 173 tackles, while adding three fumble recoveries and eight passes defensed. He also led the team with 27 tackles in the postseason.

The 49ers will now the best defensive front in the NFL, due to this signing, for at least the next three seasons as they have all four of their starting linebackers under contract through to the 2015 season (Ahmad Brooks – 2017, Patrick Willis – 2016 and Aldon Smith – 2015).

January 1, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) and defensive end Justin Smith (94) sack St. Louis Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens (10) in the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

The talented, young 49ers’ defensive front can do it all as pass rushers and run stoppers. Each linebacker can drop back into coverage, when in need, and their abilities to play containment – keeping plays in front of them in a zone package without backing up or getting out of position – helps them to be extremely discipline as a unit causing teams to have difficulties executing their offense.

The 49ers are officially set to make a run with their defense leading the way due to locking Bowman up.

Nov 25, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on the sidelines in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

About three weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were believed to probably sneak pass the Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC North, and were thought to be a Super Bowl contender after their slow start as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the way while certain players got healthy. Well, time reveals all things, and a man can make a difference. The Steeler’s loss to the Cleveland Browns Sunday, 20-14, helped set in motion and painted a reality that the Steelers’ chance of getting to the playoffs is, apparently, over.

“You know that was an ugly performance,” said Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin after the game. “As ours, we own it. But if you turn the ball over the way we did today, you’re not going to beat anybody, that’s just the reality in the National Football League. I’m surprised it was that close given the turnover situation. We are not looking for comfort.

“We understand that we’re not going to have much support after a performance like that, but we probably deserve that,” he added. “We’ve got to go back to work, and get back to playing fundamental football. We were highly penalized, we turned the ball over, and when you do those things you are going to lose.”

The one thing, other than the defense, the Steelers needed to carry them until Roethlisberger returns was their running game. The running game failed the Steelers in the game they could not afford to lose, knowing how tight the AFC playoff race is.

Eight turnovers for the Steelers are unacceptable and unheard of.

“That’s something that is unheard of, its not really there, but for me it’s not even about that,” said Steelers’ running back Jonathan Dwyer.  “I contributed to that as well.  We turned over the football with us being in position to win the football game.  It’s not solely on one position.  With us being in that situation, I put the game on my shoulders to try and go down and put my team in the end zone and I wasn’t able to do that.

“We have to take a hard look at it tomorrow,” he continued.  “Anytime you turn the football over the way that we did today…our defense played well.  Defense and special teams, they played well.  Offensively we weren’t able to complement them.  We knew coming into the game that turnovers were going to be critical and for whatever reason we were turning the football over.”

The Steelers (6-5) are, frankly, out of sync without Roethlisberger, who suffered a right shoulder injury two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs and his timetable to return is up in the air. Against the Browns (3-8), the Steelers had eight turnovers and Cleveland told advantage of those opportunities.

The Steelers’ defense is holding up the best they could. However, Pittsburgh need to make plays down field and that is where they are, now, ineffective – where about three weeks ago, that was their strength.

The Steelers are mathematically not out of the playoff picture, and after they face the Baltimore Ravens (9-2) next Sunday, their schedule gets a little lighter as they will face the Browns again, the Cincinnati Bengals and the struggling Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers.

Nevertheless, their lost to the Browns will haunt them, especially if they don’t get better.

“You just have to keep grinding,” said Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton. “We have to do what we have been doing. We aren’t that type of team, trying to do that any different and try to do this and do that. We have to keep on grinding; keep on doing what we have been doing and just get better.”

Kevin Haslem/Google Images

The San Diego Chargers have signed tackle Kevin Haslam to a two-year contract Saturday. He has been a member of the Chargers’ practice squad since Sept. 5. Due to tackle Jared Gaither’s knee injury, who was placed on IR (Injured Reserve) Friday, the Chargers moved to ink the 6-5, 310-pound offensive lineman.

Haslam was an undrafted rookie from Rutgers University when he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010. He spent two seasons with the Jaguars, where he played five games as a rookie.

Haslam sustained a knee injury during training camp in 2011 and was placed on IR for the season and was waived by the Jaguars in March of 2012 to later sign to get signed by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders and he parted ways at the end of training camp, and the Bolts signed him.

Chargers’ head coach Norv Turner already had in mind to sign Haslem from the practice squad since Friday.

“Kevin Haslam has been practicing on our practice squad and will probably make a move here in the next day,” said Turner in his press conference Friday.

The Chargers will need good offensive line support against an aggressive Baltimore defense as they will the Ravens Sunday.

Nov 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh (right) and quarterback Alex Smith before the game against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

A wise-man once said, from what was told, no starting player can lose their starting job to an injury. If this is the case, San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback Alex Smith will start when he is cleared by doctors Saturday. However, 49ers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh probably would not have revealed the true of his decision if Smith was cleared earlier this week for the sake of a competitive advantage.

Harbaugh established in his press conference Friday that his decision to start backup signal caller Colin Keapernick Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (5-5) is not finalized as he awaits an answer from team doctors to clear the former first overall draft pick from 2005.

“No. We feel like there’s no competitive advantage for us to release that information, for our organization or for our team,” said Harbaugh.

When asked if there was a competitive advantage in releasing information concerning of team, Harbaugh stated: “Possibly.”

“Possibly. Not saying that, maybe it’s a one percent maybe, small percentage,” said Harbaugh. “Could be. We’ll chase that, sure. Just don’t see the significant—just like at any position. We just do not get into what the role’s going to be, how we’re going to use them, and the specifics of that.

“Again with that information we’ll just not release.”

According to Sports Illustrated earlier this week, Harbaugh stated he told Smith he was going to start Keapernick over him. Harbaugh denied that report.

“Not factual. Not factual,” said Harbaugh. “And I know there are probably a lot of reports out there. [49ers director of public relations] Bob [Lange] brought some of them to my attention. Really I didn’t see any that were factual that he showed me, including that one. And again, we could set our watch here for another 10, 15 minutes if you want and you could keep asking questions and the answers will still be the same.”

As for Smith, Harbaugh says clearance will be made known Saturday.

“Alex went through his final test today,” said Harbaugh. “And will be cleared tomorrow, if tomorrow again there are no symptoms. And it’s been good. He hasn’t had any symptoms since Tuesday. So, that’s a real positive.”