A Guest Blog By Howard Ticker

The New York Jets have a huge off season ahead of them with the amount of free agents they have. Most of them have been key contributors to their past 2 season’s playoff runs. In a perfect world, most of them can get resigned, but realistically there isn’t a way they can hold onto all of them.

First I will go into the Quarter Back position. They already have Mark Sanchez who isn’t going anywhere. They also have Mark Brunell who is a solid back up for the next season or so. They drafted Greg McElroy and have Kevin O’Connell as well. Their only free agent Quarter Back is Kellen Clemens who I think they should let leave to try and get more playing time somewhere else.

The Jets have no free agents at Running Back but there is talk the Jets may release LaDainian Tomlinson to give Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight more carries. I think they should hold onto him one more year though to give him a chance to win a ring and help mentor newly drafted Bilal Powell.

At Full Back, I believe it is a simple decision. As much as I love Tony Richardson, it is time to let him go and let “The Terminator” John Connor be the starter.

Then there is Wide Receiver which is probably going to be the toughest decisions the Jets need to make this off season.  Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and Brad Smith are all receivers. They are their number 1, 2, and 4 receivers respectively. Jericho Cotchery is their number 3 who can be a number 2 on most teams.  It will be extremely hard to hold onto all 3 of them. They drafted wide receivers Jeremy Kerley and Scotty McKnight in case they lose some of their free agent receivers. I really like the Kerley pick. First off, the Jets need to do everything in their power to resign Santonio Holmes and keep him happy. He came up with big play after big play for them this season. Braylon Edwards has a huge season for the Jets and improved his hands. As much as I would love for Edwards to resign, I do not think they have the money. It is more realistic for them to resign Brad Smith with Holmes even though I would much rather have Edwards than Smith. Brad Smith who is also a free agent is not only big for the Jets in their offense, like in the Wild Cat formations, but he is also huge on Special Teams returning kicks.

Next they have a few free agent Offensive Linemen. They released starting right tackle Damien Woody so they need someone to step in there. I wouldn’t mind if they resigned him for a cheaper price but I think they will give 2^nd year guard Vladimir Ducasse a chance to move there. Wayne Hunter is also a free agent who is a solid back up tackle that I would like to see get resigned. Robert Turner is a free agent center. He plays behind Pro Bowler Nick Mangold. I wouldn’t mind them resigning him but he can easily be replaced if he signs elsewhere.

Now to defense, where we will start with Defensive End. Shaun Ellis is a free agent. He has played all 12 of his seasons with Jets. He is getting old but the Jets love him and so do the fans so they will probably try and work out a short term contract. They need a Nose Tackle because of Kris Jenkins retiring. I believe rookie Defensive Tackle Muhammad Wilkerson and Nose Tackle Kenrick Ellis can come in and get playing time. They also have versatile defensive linemen Sione Pouha and Mike Devito. They shouldn’t try and resign Trevor Pryce. I know he knows Rex Ryan’s system from when they were with the Ravens but he didn’t do much last season.

Now to linebacker, where they only have one key player who is a free agent. Middle Linebacker Davis Harris was franchise tagged but he should get a huge contract extension. He was team MVP and always makes huge plays against the run. I always believed he was an underrated player and never gets enough credit. Also, I think they should let Jason Taylor go so he can either retire or sign with another team. He had a few big plays this past season but he is not the same player he once was.

Now to Corner Back where the Jets have a few free agents. To start, they already have arguably one of the top 3 corners in the game in Darrelle Revis. They also have Dwight Lowery who had a pretty good season and last year’s rookie Kyle Wilson. I think the reason for Lowery’s success is because of free agent to be Antonio Cromartie.  He had a great season last year and I think they will do everything in their power to resign him. They will definitely need him to come back because Kyle Wilson has a poor rookie year. Another free agent corner is Drew Coleman who I think they will let go, even though he had a pretty decent season.

At safety, the Jets currently have only one man on their roster. That man is Jim Leonhard whose season ended early with an injury. The Jets free agent safeties are Brodney Pool, Eric Smith, and Jame Ihedigbo. All 3 of them should be resigned because they shouldn’t cost too much money. Pool had a pretty good first season with the Jets. Smith is a solid back up who played well once Leonhard got hurt. Ihedigbo is another solid back up who plays well on special teams as well.

Kicker Nick Folk was way too inconsistent and I do not think the Jets should bring him back. Punter Sam Weatherford should be brought back but I won’t be too upset if they fail to do so.

I can’t wait for the lock out to end so I can see all of the excited player movement that normally stretches out over the whole offseason only happen in a few weeks. I hope my predictions and suggestions are correct because I would hate to see some of these guys go.

Kansas’ Reign At The Top Could Be Short Lived:

The Jayhawks were just named the number one team in the nation, but that didn’t stop Kansas State from absolutely dominating them last night. Kansas had no answer for the Wildcats guard Jacob Pullen, who had 38 points. The Jayhawks will probably fall pretty far in the polls for two reasons. One, the Wildcats owned them the entire night and beat them by 16 points. This wasn’t some close lose in the final minutes of the game, but rather an overall shellacking. The second thing that is going to hurt Kansas is the fact that Kansas State isn’t even ranked right now. Now there is little doubt that K-State has some talent, they just haven’t been able to put it together this season, and had gotten beaten up in conference play. Now though the Wildcats upset their in-state rival, and gave themselves a signature win to build on for a possible tournament bid.

Franchise Tags Start Coming Out:

Both the Patriots and the Eagles have already used their franchise tags, and the Jets may not be too far behind. The Patriots struck first as they placed the tag of All-Pro guard Logan Mankins. Despite their usually being a different pay scale, for the purpose of franchise tags the salary of the top 5 offensive linemen are taken into the average, regardless of position. The Eagles did the expected and tagged Michael Vick, who will now come with more than a $16 million price tag. Now these were no brainer decisions, as neither the Patriots or the Eagles wanted to let these guys walk, and now they ensure that they control these players rights. With Vick now being formally tagged, you can pretty much guarantee that Kevin Kolb will be traded this offseason (when the new CBA is signed). The Jets case is a bit more interesting.

The Jets appear close to tagging inside linebacker David Harris. While there was a good bit of speculation surrounding the Jets tagging Harris, it also ensures both of the Jets top receivers, Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, will be unrestricted free agents. While Harris is a key member of the defense, Holmes and Edwards are a very good starting combo for the Jets. Considering how ‘streaky’ (to put it nicely) quarterback Mark Sanchez has been, New York can’t afford to watch both of their receivers walk. Even losing one of them would be a major blow to the Jets passing attack, which means New York will have to scramble to lock them up when the new CBA is signed.

The Packers Head To Their 5th Super Bowl: The Packers drove down and scored on their first drive, on the arm of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay continued to keep the pressure up with another touchdown drive, and they looked firmly in control through three quarters. In the 4th quarter though they needed their defense to come up with big plays to win the game.

It was the most unlikely of scenarios, as the Bears were down to their 3rd string emergency quarterback, Caleb Hanie. Starter Jay Cutler got injured in a first half, where he was constantly under pressure. He did try to play the 2nd half, but it was apparent that he didn’t look or feel alright. Veteran backup Todd Collins replaced him, but he was no more effective and he too got banged up against the Packers defense. That meant that everything rested on the shoulders of a 3rd year undrafted rookie free agent out of Colorado State. And due to the rules of inactive players, by putting Hanie in the Bears ensured they couldn’t turn back to Cutler or Collins no matter what happened.

While he was the unlikeliest of heroes Hanie answered the call for the Bears. Completing a crucial 2nd and 13 pass from the 33 yard line, that went 32 yards and set up a one yard touchdown run. Despite the Packers having everything go right up until that point, the Bears were just one score away from tying the game. You could see the momentum switch at that point, as the Bears defense allowed just 17 offensive yards in three 4th quarter drives (not counting the kneel down at the end of the game), the Bears did have 30 yards in penalties, but even with two free first downs the Packers couldn’t move the ball. Hanie wasn’t perfect though, as he threw a costly pick 6 with six minutes to go. The young quarterback rebounded though, as on the Bears ensuing drive he completed four straight passes to go 60 yards in a 1:20, and put the Bears back within one score.

Hanie would lead one more drive for the Bears, and he got them down deep into Packers territory, but threw a decisive interception on a 4th and 5 play from the 29 yard line. While some people may question Hanie on that last drive, the real questions should be directed at HC Lovie Smith and OC Mike Martz. Facing a 3rd and 3, they called a timeout, switching away from a run that looked like it was going to work, for an end around play that lost two yards. That put Hanie in a bad situation and further away from the first down. Not to take away from the Packers defense, but that timeout just didn’t make sense as it allowed Green Bay some time to think and come up with the big play. The result could have been the same regardless, but there is no doubt that it didn’t help Hanie’s odds of converting the 4th down.

The Packers will now head to Dallas to take on the Steelers, and while they’ve been impressive for the majority of the postseason, they will need to answer why they were so bad in the 4th quarter yesterday.

Pittsburgh Survives A New York Comeback Attempt: It really was the tale of two halves, as the Steelers jumped out to a 24-0 lead, and the Jets answered with 19 straight points, 16 of which came in the 2nd half. In the first half the Steelers were able to run and throw at will, and their defense completely had the Jets number.

The 2nd half belonged to the Jets as they moved the ball pretty effectively against the Steelers defense. Mark Sanchez looked very poised and in control in the 2nd half and hit on the throws that he was throwing incomplete in the first half. Although the Steelers still stopped the run, Shonn Greene had some nice gains on crucial plays for the Jets, setting up 3rd and short situations, and making things easier for the offense. On defense the Jets finally had an answer for the Steelers running game, and came up with some big sacks against Roethlisberger as well. A crucial interception on a broken play, kept the Steelers from scoring and putting the game out of reach. After being stopped on a 4th and goal at the one yard line, the Jets defense showed blitz and a bad snap led to a safety.

While the Jets dominated the majority of the 2nd half a few little victories were the difference in this game for the Steelers. While the 4th and goal stop was wasted with safety, and ensuing drive in which the Jets scored, the Steelers defense made them fight for every yard each drive. Combined the two drives for the Jets took over twelve and a half minutes, which resulted in 9 points (2 of which weren’t the fault of the defense). That 4th and goal stop was crucial as it forced the Jets to ‘regain’ the yards they already had and waste more time off the clock. And while the Pittsburgh offense was ineffective for much of the 2nd half, Roethlisberger came up big when it mattered. He completed two big first down passes, that ensured that the Jets would never get the ball back, and sent the Steelers to their 8th Super Bowl.

New York Jets:

1. Run The Ball: It’s not going to be easy as the Steelers have the best run defense in the league, but the Jets bread and butter is running the ball. If the Jets have any shot of winning this game, they have to be able to move the ball on the ground. If they can get 100+ yards they have a good chance of winning this game.

2. Mark Sanchez Needs To Play Like A Franchise QB: The Jets are a great football team despite having average (at best) quarterback play. For the Jets to win this championship game they need Sanchez to live up to the hype and have a great game. He stepped up in the second half of the Patriots game and he will need to do the same today. If Sanchez has a big game, then New York could upset the Steelers.

3. Attack The Offense: The Jets need their defense to come up with some big plays. New York doesn’t have the offense to win this game on their own, so this defense will need to step up to slow down the Steelers offense. Not only will the Jets have to slow down the Steelers offense, but I think they will need a couple big turnovers to win this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers:

1. Blitzburgh: Mark Sanchez really has been pretty average thus far in his career, and when you put pressure on him he will make big time mistakes. The Steelers need to do what they do best and blitz him nonstop. Pittsburgh needs to keep the pressure on the young quarterback, and they should expect a couple of turnovers.

2. Attack the Safeties: The Jets have the best corners in the league, but their safeties can be beaten. The Steelers need to attack the center of the field and get some big plays against those safeties.

3. Stop The Run Cold: The Steelers have the best run defense in the league, and they have to ensure they get the job done today. If the Jets find a way to run tonight, it could be a long day in Pittsburgh, but if the run defense comes though then Mark Sanchez has to win this game, which he probably isn’t capable of doing.

Prediction: Steelers 27-17

I’ve heard a lot of talk in the media, amongst fans and by draftniks of late how all four quarterbacks left in the playoffs are first round picks, and that for some reason therefore first round quarterbacks equal overall team success. For me, nothing is more flat wrong than that presumption, especially when you look at the quarterbacks left. Now I could see how some people could come to that conclusion if the matchups were Manning-Roethlisberger and Ryan-Rodgers, but when you try to use Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez to prove a point about investing in first round quarterbacks it should be as a cautionary tale, not evidence of success.

The fact that Manning, Ryan, Vick and Flacco, all superior first rounders to Cutler/Sanchez, didn’t make it deep in the postseason should tell you right then and there that elite quarterbacks do not guarantee postseason success. Also, proving the point is the fact that Drew Brees and Tom Brady didn’t win a playoff game despite being better than any quarterback in the postseason sans Peyton Manning (and yes that includes Aaron Rodgers). What is proven by the playoff results, is that the best teams win playoff games, not the best quarterbacks.

Now when I say best teams, I don’t necessarily mean the most talented, or those with the best record, but the best team on the field (including coaches) on that given Sunday (or Saturday). And it frankly doesn’t matter whether a quarterback was drafted 1st overall, or undrafted, it matters how good he is, and how great his supporting cast is.

While I respect what Jay Cutler has done with the Bears and in Mike Martz system this season, I’m not going to label him as ‘elite’ or a ‘franchise’ quarterback. While it is now evident that the Bears won the Jay Cutler trade, much of that has to do with the fact that Denver was completely inept in the draft and wasted the draft picks they received from Chicago. While its apparent that Cutler is better than Kyle Orton, whom the Bears gave up on, and that the fifth round pick they received (Johnny Knox) has been an incredible find, it ignores what they could have taken had they kept the picks.

While Cutler and Knox have been good for the Bears, I don’t know if they are better than Orton, and the draft picks. Had they kept the 1st and 3rd round picks, the Bears could have taken Michael Oher and Mike Wallace in those spots (Denver traded that 3rd round pick with another pick to the Steelers to move up into the 2nd round). And in 2010 they would have had the 11th overall pick and either had their choice of players including a number of guards and OT’s they needed or traded back and stockpiled picks like Denver did (though they then subsequently wasted those picks). Either way, Chicago would be in a pretty healthy position right now with those extra draft picks. And Kyle Orton plus those picks (executed properly) is just as likely to have the Bears in the Championship game as Cutler and Knox.

Mark Sanchez is even a bigger cautionary tale as his numbers through two seasons have been less than stellar. Yes the Jets have been successful, but that is due in large part to the fact that they have a great defense, offensive line, running game, and receivers. Mark Sanchez had a nice 2nd half against the Patriots, but he is hardly the reason for the Jets overall success. His numbers have been well below average, and more often than not the Jets win in spite of him. It is also worth noting that the Jets traded up for Sanchez, from a pick where they could have taken Josh Freeman.

Now I’m not totally discounting Cutler and Sanchez here, just making the point that their team’s success isn’t solely because of them. And had their teams gone a different way (Bears with Orton and Jets with Freeman) the draft picks and players they could have saved would have put them in a more favorable longterm position. There are 1st round success stories out there among quarterbacks, but it usually comes down to the team around them. Cutler and Sanchez benefit from good teams and coaching around them, but they themselves aren’t at the ‘franchise’ level just yet. Both are still young and could (and should) get better, but right now they have not reached the potential and talent befitting what Chicago and New York expect of them.

Jets Hold On To Knock Off The Patriots: After their blowout loss to New England a month ago, I don’t know how many people thought they could pull off the upset, but that is exactly what the Jets did. It was a great all-around game from the Jets. Their defense had Tom Brady confused all day, and they came up with a number of big plays to stop the Patriots offense. The Jets running game picked up the tough yards when they needed them the most, including their final touchdown. The Jets receivers made a number of big plays, finding holes in the Patriots coverage, and making incredible catches. Last but not least, Mark Sanchez played one of his best games and led the Jets to victory.

New England now has some questions to answer this offseason, as this is the second straight year a Wild Card team came into New England and upset the Patriots in the playoffs. It is also the second straight year that a defense made Tom Brady look very average in the playoffs. While you can’t really blame that on Brady, someone needs to see that the Patriots never adjusted to what the Jets were doing on defense. The Patriots wide receivers just couldn’t get open against the Jets star defensive backs, and with a consistent pass rush Brady didn’t have the time to allow for big plays to develop. It was obvious that the pass rush and press coverage affected Brady’s timing, as a number of his passes were just uncatchable.

The Jets now head up to Pittsburgh, where they upset the Steelers last month. At the time though they didn’t have to face Troy Polumalu, and as any team will tell you, playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh during the playoffs is quite a bit different than during the regular season. The Jets for their part have already gone on the road twice to win so this will be nothing new, but it won’t be an easy game. A lot of the game will depend on which Mark Sanchez shows up to play. If it is the quarterback who was in New England last night, the Jets have a chance, but if its the quarterback who has been inconsistent thus far into his career then the Steelers should win.

Bears Crush Seattle To Advance To The Championship Game: While the final score was 35-24, the Bears truly dominated this game from start to finish. The Seahawks mounted a small comeback, but were lucky to make it as close as they did. The Bears ended any hope of a Cinderella run, by the 7-9 Seahawks, and they did so in impressive fashion. Jay Cutler accounted for 4 touchdowns, as he threw for two and ran for two as well. The Chicago defense dominated the game, up until the end when the let their foot off the gas a little bit. Seattle just couldn’t get anything going on offense. And on defense it seemed as though Cutler and the Bears were always a step ahead, calling the perfect play.

Chicago now welcomes the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship Game next week. While the Bears and Packers split their season series, it is hard to not like the Packers in this game. Aaron Rodgers was basically perfect in Atlanta, so I don’t know if going on the road is really going to affect him this week. The Packers also have a top notch defense that attacks the quarterback. If the Bears offensive line doesn’t hold up, it is hard to see Cutler being able to match Rodgers drive for drive. The Bears are at home, and they too have the defense to disrupt an offense so I wouldn’t count them out just yet.

By Guest Blogger John Manuel:

I am happy with my Alma mater Maryland’s selection of Randy Edsall as its head coach. Edsall had success at UConn with developing decent talent, in College Park he will be able to work a better recruiting base. Coach Friedgen left him with good talent to start with and the return of defensive coordinator Don Brown is a big bonus. As for Mike Leach, I am now not shocked he wasn’t the choice. Nobody else has really looked at him and with violations just imposed on Texas tech and with his pending lawsuits, he was a risk. Plus if he won quickly at Maryland, would he have stayed long term? I am doubting that, and would guess he would have jumped to the next big time program offer he got. Best of luck to Ralph Friedgen, and thank you for bringing the program back. We sucked when I was there under Mark Duffner, as I can remember bailing at halftime every Saturday to go back to the tailgate in the parking lot.
It was great to see the caps win the 2011 winter classic at Heinz Field. Although I had to rewatch the game on NHL network since I was particularly out commission by New Year’s night. Sid the kid getting crushed was solid also. Only to top it were the Pens failing to shake hands afterwards. I do hope we get them again come playoff time.

I watched the ESPN documentary on Tim Tebow’s prep for the draft and I hope he becomes a solid NFL qb. I promise I won’t do a Thom Brennaman BCS title game speech about meeting Tim Tebow’s makes you a better man though. It was funny to see Todd Mcshay wrong throughout the show on Tebow. Mcshay blows and I hope Mike Shanahan doesn’t read any of his reports on prospects. That one was for you Kingston.
For all 8 of you who read my past blogs, I talked about my fantasy football arch rival, the Matzie. To no surprise we met in the finals.  I took a 33 point lead into Monday night, but he had Ron Mexico, Lesean McCoy and David Akers. Figured I was cooked, but my dream season culminated with a 1.8 point victory and being crowned champion of the Joe Kelly league once again. Matzie was pissed and since has disappeared on Canton.

Huge playoff battles this weekend. All four are rematches highlighted by the AFC rivalry games. Pittsburgh and Baltimore is always close as I expect a big play from a future hall of famer like Lewis, Polamalu, Reed or Ward to be the difference. I am going with Ray Ray to make it in a 17-14 ravens win helped by a big Suisham miss at some point.

I think the pats handle the jets again. I can’t see Rex Ryan winning a super bowl because I think he is a fool. It won’t be 45-3 but something like 27-13 pats. Brady is playing too well. I think he ended the MVP debate in weeks 16 and 17.

Miami Taps Golden To Be Their Next Head Coach: The Miami Hurricanes named Al Golden to be their next head football coach yesterday. While I realize that some Miami fans might be wondering why they chose Temple’s coach to rebuild their program, I think they made a fine choice. Yes Miami and Temple have basically nothing in common when it comes to football and recruiting, but I think Golden will do well there. He is a young passionate coach who demands excellence in the classroom and on the football field. With his level of accountability the Hurricanes should have any collapses like they have in the past. Golden’s biggest challenge will be convincing all of Miami’s recruits (and any players that want to transfer) that this ‘no-named’ coach can lead the Hurricanes back to glory.

Jets Trip A Dolphins Player, But End Up Flat On Their Face: This was one of the most despicable things we have seen in the NFL in quite sometime. A member of the Jets coaching staff tripped a Dolphins player on his way down the sideline to cover a punt. Really?? I mean what are you thinking? Do you really think none of the cameras will be able to see what happened? Or that it is ‘part of the game’? I mean cheap shots are bad enough when it is player on player, but when coaches are doing stuff like that it is inexcusable. That trip could have seriously injured the player, and there is just no place in the game for that. If players get fined $40K for a helmet to helmet hit or hitting a defenseless receiver, I think a similar discipline should occur here. If he isn’t out right suspended or fired, he should face a hefty fine. The only good thing to come out of it is the Dolphins ended up to hold on to win the game, in a bit of Karma.

Cliff Lee To Make A Decision This Week: While the rumors are swirling in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes I do believe the reports that a decision is coming. It makes sense for Lee to finalize his deal before Christmas, and it wouldn’t shock me if we know within 72 hours. It looks to be down to the Rangers and Yankees, although there is a ‘mystery team’ in the mix. Also, while the Nationals appear to be out of it, you never know how quickly a team can come back into the race in one of these situations. In the end though I think it comes down to the Yankees or Rangers. While all along I’ve assumed it to be the Yankees, it does seem like the Rangers are gaining significant ground where it could go either way. Right now I’ll stick with saying the Yankees get it done, but my confidence level in that statement is pretty low.

Patriots -6.5 @ Lions- I’m going with the upset pick today that I’m sure I’ll regret by halftime, but I’ll take the Lions getting the points. I know, I know, it is the mighty Patriots going up against the hapless Lions, but Detroit is better than you think. They have been in just about every game this season, and have taken some very good teams down to the wire. Even with their backup quarterback at the helm the Lions can give the Patriots a game. Now I haven’t gone so crazy to believe the Lions will win (though wouldn’t that be sweet), but I think they will keep it close enough to cover. Brady and the Pats might have trouble finding the endzone and I think they will have to settle for a couple of FG’s. Patriots win 27-21.

Saints -3.5 @ Cowboys- Dallas has looked like a brand new team with Wade Phillips out as their head coach, and that is without their quarterback Tony Romo. Backup Jon Kitna has filled in wonderfully, and the ‘Boys are once again a force to be reckoned with. Now it may be too late for their playoff hopes, but Dallas can play spoiler down the stretch. The Cowboys first chance to upset the apple cart will come today, when the Saints come into to town. New Orleans might have 7 wins, but they are far from a lock for the playoffs. They are a game back against the Falcons and essentially tied with the Buccaneers, so a loss today would really set them back. Dallas is never easy to play on Thanksgiving, so I look for this one to be a battle, and a bit of a shootout. I have cautious optimism that the Saints can pull this out and cover the spread, but Dallas should keep it close. Brees prevails in the end, 34-28.

Bengals +9.0 @ Jets- In a rematch of the first round of last years AFC Playoffs, the Jets should have no trouble replicating what they did last season. The Bengals looked to be a force in the AFC this season, building on their success from a year ago, but it is very likely they end up 4th in the North division this season. Despite adding all sorts of talent to their receivers and tight ends, Cincinnati finds a way to lose. Carson Palmer has become incredibly inconsistent, and it is costing the Bengals games. Nine points are usually a big enough spread that you’d consider taking the Bengals, but I don’t see any logical reason why anyone should play them. Sure the Jets have been a bit inconsistent this year, going down to the wire against the Browns and Lions, but I think they win this game easily. Jets 35-20.

Happy Thanksgiving and Enjoy the Games!

There are a number of contenders for oddest game yesterday, but which was the most surprising:

Steelers, Giants and Chiefs getting blown out:

The Jets needing overtime (again) to knock off an opponent on the road:

The Bengals negative 5 in the turnover battle yet still with a chance to win the game at the end:

The Bills getting their first win by forcing an incomplete two point conversion on the final play of regulation:

The Jaguars winning on a last second Hail Mary after a Texan defender batted the ball into a Jaguar’s receivers hands:

No one team separating themselves in the NFC West:

There were no doubt a number of crazy storylines from yesterday, which helps make the NFL one of the most unpredictable sports (and popular to boot). I think my two favorite ones were the Browns taking the Jets into overtime, and the final play of the Jaguars-Texans game. What was your favorite game or games from yesterday?