Maybe it was the wind and the rain in the Meadowlands, but the New York Jets and Brett Favre came crashing back to earth, ending a five-game winning streak. The Broncos are the most Jekyll and Hyde team in the NFL. Last week they get crushed at home by the Raiders and then they return the favor, by humbling a New York team that won in New England and Tennessee on consecutive weeks.

But one play stood out in that game and it makes you wonder if play-caller Brian Schottenheimer knew the conditions. The ball is wet and the ground is slick, so it’s the absolute worst time to call for a double reverse. But the Jets did and the entire thing backfired in a highly questionable Denver touchdown.

Jets wide receiver Brad Smith, a former college quarterback, took a direct snap and tried to hand off to receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who lost the handle. Now, the football is bouncing over the turf when Cotchery finally landed on the ball. I mean, he had control of it in his belly. He was lying on top of it. Then a Bronco comes in and swings his fist at Cotchery and — presto — the wet ball squirts out. What ball wouldn’t after being punched out? Broncos safety Vernon Fox scooped up the ball and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.

Jets coach Eric Mangini wanted to challenge referee Bill Carollo’s ruling, but couldn’t. Carollo ruled that Cotchery never gained possession of the ball and said it was still a fumble, not a reviewable play. I have to wonder what an official will do the next time a quarterback drops on top of a fumble. Does he blow the play dead before a defender punches the quarterback and the ball loose? It just goes to show you that officials don’t treat receivers like they do quarterbacks. It was a horrible play call by the Jets and an even worse call by Carollo because Cotchery had the ball.

Rodgers making rookie mistakes

This was a very tough loss for Green Bay and first-year starter Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers outpassed Jake Delhomme by 120 yards and in the end it didn’t matter one bit. Delhomme fired up a prayer late in the fourth quarter in the direction of Steve Smith and somehow Smith was able to shield Packers cornerback Charles Woodson from the ball and grab it for a 54-yard gain. It was some lucky play and Delhomme shouldn’t have thrown it into double coverage, but he was gambling on Smith’s unusual talents. What a break.

Then with still plenty of time on the clock and two timeouts, Rodgers forced a throw that was intercepted and the game was lost. Hopefully, Rodgers will learn from this experience. There is no need to rush his throws. With plenty of time, you have to be judicious with your passes and plays. You can never get it back on one long throw. But patience is a veteran’s virtue. Rodgers does have arm strength and toughness, but he’s really only a rookie. The Packers gambled this season that he could perform like Brett Favre and it simply hasn’t happened. That doesn’t mean Rodgers won’t be successful.

NFL Week 13

Week 13 action

Titans 47, Lions 10 — Recap | Box
Cowboys 34, ‘Hawks 9 — Recap | Box
Eagles 48, Cardinals 20 — Recap | Box
Giants 23, Redskins 7 — Recap | Box
Panthers 35, Packers 31 — Recap | Box
Bucs 23, Saints 20 — Recap | Box
49ers 10, Bills 3 — Recap | Box
Ravens 34, Bengals 3 — Recap | Box
Colts 10, Browns 6 — Recap | Box
Dolphins 16, Rams 12 — Recap | Box
Falcons 22, Chargers 16 — Recap | Box
Steelers 33, Patriots 10 — Recap | Box
Broncos 34, Jets 17 — Recap | Box
Chiefs 20, Raiders 13 — Recap | Box
Vikings 34, Bears 14 — Recap | Box
Jaguars-Texans — Preview | Notes



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But the Packers aren’t the 2007 Packers, either. They don’t really have a pass rush and their running game is lost. Brandon Jackson rushed for 80 yards on 11 carries while last season’s sensation, Ryan Grant, chipped in with 39 yards on 12 carries. The Packers still have a shot, but this was a tough Lambeau loss. They are 5-7 now and need to sweep their final four games to have a chance at winning the NFC North.

Falcons are for real

Well, the Chargers are officially dead. My Super Bowl pick is 4-8 and it’s like last season was a mirage. The Atlanta Falcons, a team many believed had a chance to maybe win four, five games tops, came into San Diego and dominated the Chargers. Michael Turner proved that he’s better than LaDainian Tomlinson right now, no doubt about it. Turner gained 120 yards to LT’s 24. And don’t tell me Atlanta’s offensive line is better than San Diego’s. How can that possibly be? The Falcons controlled the game, owning a 15-minute time of possession and should have scored more if the Chargers hadn’t staged a valiant goal-line stand at the end of the first half.

There is no doubt that Falcons coach Mike Smith picked up more votes for Coach of the Year on Sunday and quarterback Matt Ryan is a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Ryan looked like a cool veteran compared to Philip Rivers. He misfired only six times while throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan is a freak; he is literally too good to be a rookie!

The NFC, particularly, the South is loaded with three playoff-caliber teams, so the Falcons aren’t a lock for the postseason. But they are going in the right direction. They can solidify their standing with a win next Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints misfired against the Bucs. Drew Brees had three interceptions and it could have easily have been five picks. The Bucs are scary in the secondary right now. But once again the Falcons are building something special and to think owner Arthur Blank wanted to give Pete Carroll $7 million a season and hope for the best.

Week 13 observations

1. The Detroit Lions played so poorly on defense against Tennessee that they looked like they were playing flag football. I mean, Chris Johnson ran free so many times that he was looking around for someone to tackle him. Very few Lions were close. The Lions were pathetic.

2. The Bucs beat the Saints at home with Jeff Garcia completing nine passes while being sacked four times. Drew Brees passed for 296 yards and lost. This is one time that stats definitely tell the wrong story.

3. San Francisco coach Mike Singletary definitely made the right call in benching J.T. O’Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. The 49ers are 2-2 with Singletary and Hill, who may not be the prettiest quarterback. Hill is one tough competitor, making just enough plays to keep his offense alive. Singletary was also smart to give Frank Gore 27 touches, up from 16 last week.

4. The Cleveland Browns are now down to third-string quarterback Ken Dorsey and that means the lights are going out in Romeo Crennel’s office. I will say this about the Browns; they held Peyton Manning and his offense to a field goal. The Colts’ only touchdown came on defensive end Robert Mathis’ fumble return.

5. The Giants are facing a big problem pretty soon. How much do they pay Brandon Jacobs? And do they pay him so much that they lose Derrick Ward? Ward has 105 yards from scrimmage against the Redskins on 15 touches. Both of these big men can punish you. Yes, the Giants can afford to let one of them go, figuring they can draft another back in the draft. But wouldn’t it be nice to keep them both? They are so interchangeable.

6. The Bucs now have a 8-2 conference record, meaning only the Giants have a better one in the NFC. If they can beat Carolina next Monday night, the Bucs appear to be a playoff lock. In a multiple team finish, the best conference record generally wins out.

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LeBeau deserves to be in Canton

Dick LeBeau is 71 and he’s been playing and coaching football since high school. He was a two-way player on the 1957 Ohio State national championship team and he was a cornerback in the NFL for 14 seasons. Since 1973, he’s been coaching in the NFL and I have to say he’s the biggest reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers are so efficient and scary on defense.

Just ask New England and quarterback Matt Cassel. The Steelers were all over Cassel in Foxborough, bringing him and the Patriots back down to earth. Right now, the Steelers are still struggling for an offensive identity, but the defense remains the king of the zone blitz scheme, one designed and fine-tuned by LeBeau through the years. Granted, the Steelers have perfect athletes to play the scheme in James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley and James Farrior. They also have the best safety in football in Troy Polamalu.

I was always impressed that young Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin had the sense to retain LeBeau, a man old enough to be his grandfather. Tomlin parked his ego at the door, understanding that he could learn a lot from a defensive genius like LeBeau. Men like LeBeau have made the NFL what it is today. He’s been a tremendous innovator and teacher for his young players through the years. To me, he has Hall of Fame credentials. Hopefully, my fellow selectors will agree with me whenever LeBeau is placed in nomination. Fifty quality years in football is quite a legacy.

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