Hoya Paranoia | The Hoya's Sports Blog

RGIII Hurt in Redskins Win

It was a win they desperately needed, but not at the expense of their franchise quarterback. Robert Griffin III was injured late in the fourth quarter, going down when his knee twisted the wrong way. Though most probably felt the Redskins hopes went with him, Kirk Cousins stepped in and led the game-tying drive, throwing a touchdown pass and rushing up the middle for the two-point conversion. The game was then won on a field goal in overtime. Washington (7-6) kept its playoff hopes alive and handed the Ravens (9-3) an unexpected 31-28 home loss. A day after the disappointing loss, Baltimore replaced offensive coordinator Cam Cameron with quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell.

Newton Dominates as Panthers Upset Falcons

Cam Newton wasn’t sulking on the sideline this weekend; he was rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown and throwing for 287 and two more as the Panthers (4-9) defeated the Falcons (11-2) 30-20. The play of the game was an impressive 72-yard touchdown run by Newton, who set his career high for rush yards.

Giants Keep Place at Top of NFC East

The Giants (8-5) demolished the Saints (5-8) 52-27, perhaps foreshadowing another late season surge. With a combination of kick returns and rushing yards, rookie David Wilson set the Giants’ team record for all-purpose yards with 327, and added three touchdowns too. The win kept the Giants a game ahead of the Cowboys and surging Redskins.

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Watching football is a part of every family’s Thanksgiving Day traditions, and Thursday’s slate of games did not disappoint as two contests were decided by one possession. The rest of the weekend was equally exciting, as a pair of rivals squared off on Sunday and many games were decided by less than a touchdown.

Game of the Week: Houston Texans vs. Detroit Lions

About a year after mocking 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh for a similar mistake, Lions coach Jim Schwartz forgot how to use the challenge system. Schwartz threw the red flag on an 81-yard touchdown run by Justin Forsett, making the play unreviewable since scoring plays cannot be challenged. The instant replay clearly showed that Forsett was down, but thanks to Schwartz’s blunder the play stood. Still, Detroit (4-7) led the game throughout, until the Texans (10-1) were able to even the score at 31 with less than two minutes left. In overtime, both teams’ defenses held firm the Texans kicked a late field goal to secure their second overtime victory in five days.

 Biggest Surprise: Browns beat Steelers

The Browns are traditionally the punching bag of the AFC North, but Sunday’s game provided a rare cause for celebration. Cleveland (3-8) brought home an improbable victory, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) 20 – 14 thanks to 8 Pittsburgh turnovers (that is not a typo). In a sloppy game, the Steelers were forced to start the aging Charlie Batch at quarterback because of injuries, and the Browns turned to substitute Colt McCoy after starter Brandon Weeden went down with an injury. If the Steelers want to make the playoffs, they will have to find a way to put some points on the scoreboard while Big Ben heals.

Kaepernick makes start for 49ers

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The NFL’s best teams won in an ugly manner, while its worst continued their descent into irrelevance in Week 11. Despite a couple close calls, the League largely maintained the status quo, with the teams that were supposed to win emerging triumphant.

The (Almost) Big Upset

It seemed for a while on Sunday that Jacksonville fans might finally have something to cheer about. The Jaguars (1-9) had the Texans (9-1) on the ropes, up 34-20 in the fourth quarter on an impressive 81-yard TD catch by rookie Justin Blackmon — who ended up with 236 receiving yards on the day. Not to be outdone, Houston All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson racked up a jaw-dropping 273 receiving yards, as the Texans came back to force overtime. In a fitting end to the game, Johnson scored on a 48-yard reception to seal the win.

The Old Rivalry

In recent years, the Patriots-Colts game had been circled on everyone’s calendar because of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Andrew Luck could not revive the rivalry’s competitiveness this year, though, as the Patriots rolled, 59-24, behind three Brady TDs. The win came at a heavy cost for New England, as fan-favorite Rob Gronkowski (a.k.a. Gronk) suffered a broken forearm for a Patriots team still reeling from the loss of Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots are in control of the AFC East, but they’ll be hard-pressed to have playoff success without a healthy Gronkowski.

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Having completed 10 weeks of football now, we are beginning to get a good idea of which teams have a chance to contend in the playoffs and which teams might as well start planning for next year. After the dust settled Sunday night, the last undefeated team had fallen, and the two one-loss teams had faced off in an old-fashioned defensive struggle.

Game of the Week: Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears

Both of these teams entered the game with only one loss, and the Texans (8-1) ultimately handed the Bears (7-2) their second loss of the season. Both defenses came to play, with a final score of 13-6 that included only one touchdown. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who had been on a hot streak, threw two interceptions before being knocked out with a concussion.

Who is the Super Bowl Favorite?

With tonight’s win and the Falcons’ loss, the Texans may have established themselves as this year’s team to beat. Along with the Bears, these three teams have been the class of the NFL this year, but, of course, it’s never wise to count out the usual suspects like the Patriots and the Giants.

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