The Panthers’ undefeated bid fell Sunday, and with it, their aura of invincibility.
Carolina were stunned by the Falcons on the road, 20-13, as they sought to match the Patriots’ perfect regular-season record of 16-0. The Panthers have been viewed as the team to beat in the NFC, but just maybe, that label should belong to the Cardinals.
No, one loss doesn’t mean much, especially with the MVP-caliber season Cam Newton has had, but Carson Palmer hasn’t been far behind and was excellent again, piloting Arizona to a 38-8 blowout over the Packers.
Palmer led the NFL’s No1 offense on six scoring drives to wrap-up a first-round bye (the franchise’s first ever) and notch a ninth consecutive victory. He passed for 265 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and now has 4,542 yards on the year.
His 106.8 passer rating is second only to Russell Wilson.
“We’re playing really good football, at the right time,” said Larry Fitzgerald, who has topped the 1,000-yard plateau for the seventh time. “This is the time of season you want to be peaking. I don’t want to say we are peaking, but we’re playing at a good clip. That’s a good feeling.”
And they have reason to feel good. Bruce Arians’ unit also possesses the league’s fifth-ranked defense, and appears to be the most well-rounded club outside of New England. The passing attack boasts two bona fide No1 receivers in future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. The Panthers don’t even boast a great No2 receiver, and rely on star tight end Greg Olsen, who has been stellar.
Rookie David Johnson has been a revelation for Arizona on the ground, the kind of punishing back good teams rely on come January to grind out victories. “When your defense is playing like that, you’re better off just making them tackle 235lbs,” Palmer said of Johnson.
He started his fourth straight game since Chris Johnson was lost for the season, and posted 88 yards receiving on three catches vs. Green Bay. That follows a 187-yard, three touchdown performance v the Eagles in Week 15.
Not only is Johnson young, he’s fresh after not receiving a full workload over the first 12 games. And he only received nine carries Sunday after entering with a knee injury, but should be good to go next month.
Jonathan Stewart has been solid for Carolina, with a 4.1-yards-per-carry average over 13 starts. He missed Sunday’s loss with a foot injury, the second consecutive game he’s been sidelined. His power style complements Carolina’s excellent defense, highlighted by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Josh Norman, Kawann Short, who has a whopping 11 sacks from his defensive tackle spot, and linebacker Luke Kuechly.
The D is ranked No4 in the NFL, and will be a stern test for any squad in the playoffs. But for Carolina to match it’s regular-season play in the postseason, Newton expects a lot better from himself and the team as a whole. He was unimpressive Sunday, completing 17 of 30 passes for 142 yards and one rushing TD.
“There’s no magic words that need to be said. You’re not going hear me wave a wand or do anything like that,” said Newton, who became the first player ever with at least 30 passing scores and eight rushing TDs in a season. “We got our ass kicked today, and to a lot of degree, we deserved it, especially the type of way we played. Offensively, defensively and special teams. And I’m talking with the mirror in front of my face.
“ … We have too much riding on this season for us just to sit back and say, ‘Well, this week wasn’t as good as we wanted.’ Bull crap.”
Right now, it’s Arizona who is playing its best football, and that kind of consistency counts for a lot in a topsy-turvy NFL. But Carolina will be back, though by the time they are, they could be looking up at the Cardinals, the new team to beat in the NFC.
Stat of the week
5. The number of career fumble recovery and interceptions touchdowns DeAngelo Hall has a piece – the only play in NFL history to do so – after his 17-yard scoop-and-score during Washington’s 38-24 win over the Eagles. Hall, who converted to safety midseason, tied Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle for second most recovery TDs (Jason Taylor holds the mark with six). The victory clinched the NFC East for the Redskins, who go from worst to first and make the postseason for the first time since 2012.
How the Patriots cheated this week
Patriots’ special teams captain Matthew Slater shockingly chose to kick during the coin toss preceding overtime. Sure, the Pats usually select to defer, but when a touchdown puts the game away, it’s a bizarre choice. Complicating matters, Slater began to debate with referee Clete Blakeman, saying, “Hey, we won. Don’t we get to choose?” referring to the pick of which goal to defend. But Slater didn’t choose a goal initially; he said kick. The Jets marched down the field with ease, and Ryan Fitzpatrick found Eric Decker for the winning score.
“We wanted to kick off,” Slated said. “We won the toss. We kicked off, which is what we wanted to do. I just asked (Bill Belichick) three or four times just to make sure I’m not the guy that goes out there, ‘Yeah, we want to kick off.’ So I double-checked three or four times. I think he was looking at me like ‘Are you concussed?’ because I kept asking him.
“But that’s what we wanted to do. You never question a coach’s decision-making. He’s the best in the business and we trust him fully, so that’s what we do.”
Belichick confirmed Slater’s account following the game. The defeat won’t likely damage New England: they already clinched a first-round bye and can tie up home-field advantage with a win v Miami or Bengals loss to the Ravens in Week 17. But the victory was huge for New York. They entered the day tied with the Steelers for the final AFC wild-card spot, and Pittsburgh was upset by the Baltimore, putting Gang Green in the driver’s seat.
Quote of the week
“The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and is totally made up. It never happened. Never. I really can’t believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up.” – Peyton Manning, responding to an Al Jazeera report connecting him to PED use following a broken neck in 2011
Fantasy player of the week
Tim Hightower, Saints running back. He was out of the league for three-plus seasons, but surprisingly leapfrogged CJ Spiller for New Orleans’ starting job after Mark Ingram went down. Hightower paid dividends for any fantasy owners who also took a chance on him, as he exploded for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. The rejuvenated back also added 47 receiving yards on three catches.
Gif of the Week
Jarvis Landry was possessed by the spirit of Odell Beckham Jr. today! https://t.co/WWfptaGaHF pic.twitter.com/uN6hJVTpzY
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) December 27, 2015
This just might be the best catch of the year, and it comes from – who else – an LSU alum. Jarvis Landry topped the 1,000-yard mark Sunday and flashed his own spectacular mitts on the same day his college teammate – Odell Beckham Jr – missed action due to suspension. The Dolphins lost to the Colts, though, keeping Indy alive in the AFC South race. They need to top the lowly Titans in the finale, and also require a Texans defeat to the Jags, to avoid missing the postseason just one season after reaching the AFC title game.
Elsewhere around the league
- Charles Woodson’s final game in Oakland – and possibly the Raiders’ last game there, too – was one to remember, even if the Raiders are eliminated from postseason contention. The Silver and Black topped the rival Chargers in overtime, but once again, will finish with a record of .500 or worse. They haven’t posted a winning record since 2002, when they reached the Super Bowl and lost, but they have something to build on. Oakland possesses a strong nucleus on offense, with Derek Carr, Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Stud pass-rusher Khalil Mack anchors the defense. If GM Reggie McKenzie can bolster the rest of the back end, the Raiders can return to contention.
- Andy Reid’s bunch started 1-5, but is headed to the postseason after the Chiefs notched their ninth consecutive win with a victory over the Browns. Just the second team ever to make the playoffs after such a start, KC can still win the AFC West with a win over the Raiders in Week 17 and one loss by the Broncos in their final two games. Alex Smith and co have done all this without star running back Jamaal Charles and appear primed for a run.
- Seattle was also riding high, but that ended after a 23-17 stunner to the Rams. Wilson had never played in an NFL game – 72 – where he didn’t hold a lead, but that record fell, and so did the Seahawks’ five-game winning streak. The offense was pedestrian, but Seattle has already clinched a playoff berth and will seek to return to the Super Bowl for a third consecutive season. They’re currently the No6 seed, but if they win and the Vikings lose next week, they’ll jump to the No5 spot by virtue of a Week 13 beatdown of Minny.
- Kirk Cousins inexplicably kneeled down at the end of the first half of Washington’s win over the Eagles on Sunday, but it didn’t end up costing the Redskins. Jay Gruden said they had a fade dialed up to Garcon, which would have left enough time on the clock for a field-goal try if it wasn’t converted. Cousins, though, said he was confused by the play call and kneeled, ending the half. The QB made sure it didn’t come back to bit them with a big second half, and finished the game 31 of 46 for 365 yards and four TDs.
- The Vikings are back in the playoffs after a 49-17 romp over the Giants on Sunday night. Adrian Peterson rushed for 104 yards and one touchdown before resting during the final quarter. Safety Harrison Smith added a pick six. Minnesota is assured of a wild-card spot, but will play the reeling Packers in a winner-take-all contest for the NFC North title next week.
