The old adage "you learn something new every day" is true if you're a football fan. Each game carries its own insights and lessons. Each matchup reveals a little something about the teams or players involved.
Every week, football fans can add a new tidbit to their glossary of NFL knowledge and understand the season a bit better. So, what three things did we all learn this week?
1. Peyton Manning vs. Big Games
I am an unabashed Peyton Manning supporter. I root for his teams if my Washington Redskins are out of it (which they usually are), and I think he's the greatest quarterback of all time. But my confidence in him is waning. Manning's track record isn't exactly stellar when it comes to big games. He's now 5-11 in head-to-head matchups against Tom Brady. He's 11-12 in the playoffs.
It's true that records can be misleading. Joe Flacco, Jake Delhomme and Mark Sanchez are all tied for the most career road playoff wins (4). Manning has a passer rating of 89.75 in his last four post-season losses. Not everything is the quarterback's fault. But when you play the most important position in sports, you get your share of the credit and the blame.
Fair or not, Manning's lack of consistent clutch success is a smudge on his otherwise impeccable legacy. People, myself included, will always wonder if he was capable of more. Of course, the Broncos could stampede their way through the playoffs and give Manning his second Super Bowl ring, making this argument null and void.
2. Ben Roethlisberger's Tuddie Palooza
Big Ben has 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two games, an NFL record for touchdown passes in consecutive weeks. He's thrown for almost 1,000 yards in that span. The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense has been an all-consuming, unstoppable monster during the team's three game win streak. Basically, they've been the Marvel movies of the football world.
So, yeah, I fully admit dropping the ball when I advised fantasy owners to sit Roethlisberger this week. But 12 touchdowns against two of the better defenses in the league, in back-to-back weeks, no less? No one saw that coming.
Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown have emerged as some of the best players at their positions. Pittsburgh's O-line is finally providing some decent protection. James Harrison had a throwback performance last night. The Steelers are hitting their stride at exactly the right time and seem poised to give the Cincinnati Bengals a run for their money in the AFC North.
3. San Francisco 49ers are in Trouble
Colin Kaepernick fumbled away the 49ers' victory at the goal line with 2 seconds left on the clock at home yesterday. San Fran now falls to 4-4 and third place in the NFC West after losing to the lowly St. Louis Rams. The Jim Harbaugh/49ers tension must be reaching an all-time high, and if the season continues like this, rumors of his departure will start becoming facts.
Kaepernick looks less dynamic and sure of himself than he has in his exciting first few seasons. A lot of that is probably due to the 49ers' offensive line failing to live up to expectations. After two straight losses and just 27 points in that span, I think it's officially okay to say that the 49ers are a mediocre football team.
