Jaguars fans showed up to the final showdown of the season in Jacksonville dressed as clowns, to show their annoyance to the organization’s senior leadership. Except that in the end, it was the rivals, the Colts, who were a real joke.
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Maybe the Jaguars are clowns, but at least they are clowns who ended their season proudly with a convincing last effort. Hard to say the same for the Colts, who shamed themselves in a 26-11 thaw that officially ended their campaign.
All the Colts had to do to earn a playoff berth was beat the worst team in the NFL. An unexpected gift, a golden opportunity, a sublime favor from the gods of football…
But no, it was too easy! This team, though usually well directed by Frank Reich and built on good foundations, collapsed miserably.
Starting with his quarterback, Carson Wentz, who committed two turnovers, missed several receivers and seemed constantly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment.
This is obviously not what is expected of a pivot that the Colts obtained by giving up a first and a third choice to the Eagles during the offseason. The Eagles, who, by the way, died of laughter since they will still be in the playoffs, with three first-round picks in their pocket, after getting rid of Wentz.
Unrecognizable team
The Colts have reason to be in shock. They were built from the ground up with a strong offensive line. This line conceded six quarterback sacks to a defense that was still in 30th place in this category.
It was fascinating to see how the Jaguars devoured them in the trenches. It must be said that Wentz was never the quarterback to help his own cause by often clinging to the ball unduly.
Another factor that has made the Colts strong this season is their dominance in the battle for week-to-week turnovers. They came into the game ranked first in turnover differential and yet handed two turnovers to the league’s worst team in that regard. The world upside down !
The defense also looked very bad, giving up 26 points to the Jaguars, who had scored more than 20 points only once in their last 10 games.
What future ?
If the whole team seemed bad, it is especially important to remember that the Wentz exchange turns out to be a disaster for the Colts, who will still face huge doubts as to the quarterback position. What beautiful years wasted by this gap, despite a good alignment!
The way Wentz’s contract is structured all but guarantees his return to Indianapolis next season. It’s not until 2023 that the Colts could make another call without too many penalties.
In Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick in the last draft who looked very well in preseason games, are they betting on the right candidate to bring competition internally? The optimism is commendable, but it’s premature at this stage to believe that the youngster can jump into the fray and smash everything.
To stay in the present, the Colts had the team to qualify and even potentially make some playoff noise. They collapsed at the worst possible time, suffering one of the most humiliating defeats in franchise history, nothing less.
Shame on them ! Such a precious ticket, it has to be earned.
The Raiders
Their overtime win secured them a playoff berth. The team has been through a lot of adversity this season with episodes Jon Gruden and Henry Ruggs. Hats off to interim coach Rich Bisaccia for keeping the ship afloat in the storm.
TJ Watt
The Steelers outside linebacker finished the game against the Ravens with a sack, bringing his total to 22.5 this season. He thus equaled the record set by Michael Strahan in 2001. Even if he played 15 games, against 16 for Strahan.
The Bills
It wasn’t a smooth game against the Jets before the Bills took control in the fourth quarter, but they won their second straight division title. Above all, they earned this honor for the first time since 1995 in front of their supporters.
Cooper Coup
Despite the loss, the Rams receiver was still impactful with seven receptions for 118 yards. He ended the season with 1,947 yards, 17 yards shy of Calvin Johnson’s record in 2012.
Tom Brady
The Bucs finish second in the national conference and still owe a lot to Tom Brady, who added three touchdowns and 326 yards to his collection. The fight with Aaron Rodgers and Cooper Kupp for MVP is gripping.
Vic Fangio
The Broncos head coach was the first to lose his job at the end of the season, after the departures of Jon Gruden (Raiders) and Urban Meyer (Jaguars) along the way. His successor must absolutely settle the question of quarterbacks, which has been sinking all coaches for years.
The Colts
The Colts miss the playoffs after the unacceptable loss to the Jaguars, but in the rearview mirror they also have to blame themselves for losing a week earlier to the Raiders and squandering a 19-point lead against the Ravens . Defining moments.
Les Patriots
The Patriots should “petition” the league not to play in Miami anymore. Since 2013, their record there now stands at 2-7. They’ll still be in the playoffs, but their 1-3 record in their last four games isn’t reassuring.
The Saints
Despite the victory, the Saints will not be playoffs. We must still pay tribute to Sean Payton, who kept his people in the game despite a host of injuries.
Les Chargers
It’s a huge disappointment that the Chargers miss the playoffs despite the presence of a quarterback as formidable as Justin Herbert. He will be dominant for several seasons, but this team should still have gone into playoff mode this year. The right side of the offensive line sank the team.
5 jthem of the week
1. Quite a comeback!
The 49ers trailed the Rams 17-0 and staged a comeback to eventually win 27-24 in overtime. They secured their place in the playoffs. Rams head coach Sean McVay was a perfect 43-0 going into the game when his team was leading at the half. The Niners opened overtime with a 69-yard offensive streak that ate 7:15 and ended in a field goal. In their turn with the ball, the Rams saw a deep pass from Matthew Stafford intercepted by Ambry Thomas to close the argument.
2. Big Ben Game
Another duel that ended in overtime was between the Ravens and the Steelers. The Steelers eventually prevailed 16-13 in their tough rivalry against the Ravens, and Ben Roethlisberger had his say. On a fourth down and eight yards to go in overtime at the Baltimore 41 line, he joined Ray-Ray McCloud for a 10-yard gain. Four games later, Chris Boswell managed the winning placement.
3. Good Lawrence
Everything has been said about the embarrassing loss of the Colts, but there are positives to highlight on the side of the Jaguars. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished the season on a high with 23 completions on 32 attempts for 223 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had his best moments of the season. Lawrence was particularly brilliant on one play, deftly recovering a bad snap and then running away from the pressure before spotting Marvin Jones in the end zone. That touchdown made it 23-3 and sawed off the Colts’ legs.
4. Atroces Giants
How could the Giants do worse than their infamy of the last few weeks? Going there for a quarterback “sneak,” at their four-yard line, on a third down and nine yards to go. Head coach Joe Judge tried to justify this strange decision by arguing that the attack, cornered in its zone, needed space. No wonder Giants players seem so disinterested in the cause…
5. Quarterback Duel
The Titans ensured they finished atop the American conference with their victory over the Texans, who sold their skin dearly despite being largely neglected. Ryan Tannehill shined with four touchdown passes for the Titans. Fans can be reassured that he finally developed some interesting chemistry with Julio Jones, who caught five passes for 58 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. His vis-à-vis Davis Mills, rookie quarterback for the Texans, shone with 301 yards and three touchdowns. He deserves the chance to be a starter in 2022.
