CINCINNATI BENGALS REMAIN IN PLAYOFF HUNT

There was a very real possibility last night, late in the third quarter to be a little more precise,  that the Cincinnati Bengals might actually lose to the flightless, lifeless Philadelphia Eagles.  Five plays and five turnovers by the Eagles later, and the Bengals who scored 24 points in that 3 and a half minutes of infamy, were destined for success.  Snagging a win from the jaws (or in this case) beak of defeat.

This less than impressive win goes down in the books as a "W", and so the Bengals remain in the playoff hunt.

Cincinnati Armchair Quarterback Football Binder
by JackFact

EPIC FAILURE BY THE TEXANS, OR WAS IT?

The Houston Texans were schooled by Tom Brady and the rest of Belichick's boys last night on Monday Night Football, to the tune of 42-14. It was supposed to be the biggest game in franchise history for the Texans, and in many respects it was.  The game just didn't turn out the way Houston was hoping.

There were a few other failures this week as well.  The Baltimore Ravens failed to secure a playoff spot for the second week in a row, firing coordinator Cam Cameron as a consequence.  The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to win a seemingly very winnable game, at home, against the 5-8 San Diego Chargers. Despite the 34-24 score, the game wasn't even close.  

The biggest failures this week, failures of epic proportion, at least in terms of the scoreboard, go to; the Saints (losing to the Giants, 52-27), Cardinals (getting blanked by the Seahawks, 58-0) and Chiefs (losing to the Browns, 30-7).  Considering what the expectations are for the Houston Texans, their 42-14 loss has to be counted as one of the epic failures this week as well.

The good news for the Texans is that there are three more weeks left in the regular season to right the ship.  If they were getting a little too full of themselves, last night's debacle can serve as a wake-up call.  

Houston Armchair Quarterback Wall Clock
by JackFact

WHY STEELERS (NOT RAVENS) WIN THE AFC NORTH

The final four weeks of the 2012 NFL season are upon us, and the division of greatest interest to the Pittsburgh Armchair Quarterback is the AFC North.  Conventional wisdom and the talking heads tell us that the division title will most likely be won by the Baltimore Ravens, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals scratching and clawing for a wildcard birth.  The hell with that.

For the Black and Gold, getting into the playoffs will be decided in the game against the Bengals on the the 40th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, in Pittsburgh, on December 23rd.  Karma aside, If the Steelers win that game and two of the three others, the Steelers are in.  That's going to be a war, one that we might wish Franco's Italian Army was here to wage, but a winnable war nonetheless.  If we lose that battle, the road to the playoffs is going to be much tougher and requiring a little help from our 'friends'.   In other words, I don't think we would be controlling our destiny at that point.

Wait.  Give yourself a cold hard slap to the face.  That's loser talk, and we're not willing to concede the division.  What about winning the thing outright?  That my friends is a distinct possibility.  The Ravens' remaining schedule is a beast, to say the least.  They've got the Redskins, Broncos, Giants and Bengals.  Given the strength of that schedule, It is certainly conceivable that they could lose three of those four.  In contrast, if the Steelers win their remaining games, they clinch the division.  Pure and simple.

The Ravens losing Terrell Suggs for a couple of games could be real tough for Baltimore to overcome.  This is especially true since they are facing a red hot RG III next Sunday in Landover, MD and the Manning brothers in back-to-back games, all before wrapping things up against Cincinnati in the season finale.

The Steelers just need to get healthy and stay focused (especially Mike Wallace). 

They do that, and they will win the AFC North.

BOW TO THE TOWEL SHIRTS
by JackFact