Jaguars fans showed up to the last duel of the season in Jacksonville dressed as clowns, to show their displeasure to the organization’s senior management. 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 they are at least clowns who proudly ended their season with one convincing last push. Hard to say the same for the Colts, who covered themselves with shame 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 football gods …
But no, it was too simple! This team, although usually well led by Frank Reich and built on good foundations, collapsed miserably.
Starting with his quarterback, Carson Wentz, who made 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 got by giving up a first and a third pick to the Eagles during the offseason. The Eagles, who, by the way, are laughing out loud since they will still be in the playoffs, with three first-round picks in their pockets, after getting rid of Wentz.
Unrecognizable team
The Colts have something to be shocked about. They were built from the ground up with a strong offensive line. This line conceded six quarterback sacks to a defense that was still at the 30th level in this category.
It was fascinating to see how the Jaguars devoured them in the trenches. It must be said that Wentz has never been the quarterback to help his own cause by often hanging unduly on the ball.
Another factor that has made the Colts so strong this season is their dominance in the week-to-week turnaround battle. They came into this game in first place in turnovers differential and yet gave two turnovers to the worst team on the circuit in this regard. The world upside down !
The defense also looked badly, giving up 26 points to the Jaguars, who had scored more than 20 points just once in their last 10 games.
What future ?
If the whole team looked bad, we must especially remember that the Wentz exchange turns into disaster for the Colts, who will still face huge doubts about the quarterback position. So many beautiful years wasted by this gap, despite a fine alignment!
The way Wentz’s contract is structured virtually guarantees his return to Indianapolis next season. It wasn’t until 2023 that the Colts could move on to another appeal 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 some internal competition? The optimism is commendable, but it’s premature at this point to believe that the youngster can jump in and break everything.
To stay in the present, the Colts had the team to qualify and even potentially make some noise in the playoffs. They collapsed at the worst possible time suffering one of the most humiliating defeats in their franchise history, nothing less.
Shame on them ! Such a precious ticket, you deserve it.
The Raiders
Their overtime victory secured them a place in the playoffs. The team has been through a lot of adversity this season with the Jon Gruden and Henry Ruggs episodes. Hats off to interim coach Rich Bisaccia for keeping the ship afloat in the storm.
TJ Watt
The Steelers outside linebacker ended the game against the Ravens with a quarterback 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 matches, 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 signed 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 wide receiver was still punchy with seven receptions for 118 yards. He ended the season with gains of 1,947 yards, 17 yards off Calvin Johnson’s record in 2012.
Tom Brady
The Bucs finish second in the national conference and still owe Tom Brady, who added three touchdowns and 326 yards to his collection. The fight with Aaron Rodgers and Cooper Kupp for the MVP title is riveting.
Vic Fangio
The Broncos head coach was the first to lose his post at the end of the season, after the departures of Jon Gruden (Raiders) and Urban Meyer (Jaguars) along the way. His successor must absolutely resolve the question of quarterbacks, which has been flowing through all coaches for years.
The Colts
The Colts miss the playoffs after the unacceptable setback to the Jaguars, but in the rearview mirror, they also have to blame themselves for losing a week earlier to the Raiders and escaping a 19-point lead against the Ravens . Decisive moments.
Les Patriots
The Patriots are expected to “petition” the league to no longer play in Miami. As of 2013, their record there now stands at 2-7. They will still be playoffs, but their 1-3 record in their last four games is hardly reassuring.
The Saints
Despite the victory, the Saints will not be a playoff. 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 are missing the playoffs despite the presence of such a formidable quarterback 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 rise!
The 49ers trailed 17-0 against the Rams and orchestrated a comeback to win 27-24 in overtime. They thus secured their place in the playoffs. Rams head coach Sean McVay had a perfect 43-0 record heading into this game when his team led at the half. The Niners opened overtime with a 69-yard offensive streak that chipped through 7:15 and ended in a field goal. On their turn with the ball, the Rams saw a deep pass from Matthew Stafford intercepted by Ambry Thomas to close the debate.
2. Big game of “Big Ben”
Another duel that ended in overtime was that between the Ravens and the Steelers. The Steelers ultimately won 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 gain of 10 yards. Four games later, Chris Boswell pulled off the winning placement.
3. Good Lawrence
Everything has been said about the embarrassing defeat of the Colts, but there is positive to underline on the side of the Jaguars. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence ended the season on a high note with 23 completed passes in 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 picking up a bad throw in and then running off the pressure before spotting Marvin Jones in the end zone. That touchdown took the score to 23-3 and sawed off the Colts’ legs.
4. Atroces Giants
How could the Giants do worse than their infamy of the past few weeks? Going 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 the odd move by saying that the attack, cornered in his zone, needed space. No wonder the Giants players seem so disinterested in the cause …
5. Quarterback duel
The Titans made sure to finish atop the US conference thanks to their victory over the Texans, who sold their skin dearly despite being largely overlooked. Ryan Tannehill shone with four touchdown passes for the Titans. Fans can be reassured that he has finally developed an interesting chemistry with Julio Jones, who caught five passes for 58 yards and scored the winning touchdown. His vis-à-vis Davis Mills, a rookie quarterback for the Texans, shone with 301 yards and three touchdowns. He deserves the chance to be a starter in 2022.
