NFL: Week 15 knee-jerk reactions
December, 18, 2012
12/18/12
1:44
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
You’ve heard the chatter by the sports pundits and on the talk shows. Heck, you might even have heard it here. So, are the knee-jerk reactions about your team based in reality? Our NFL bloggers weigh in.
NFC Knee-jerk Reactions | AFC Knee-jerk Reactions
WEEK 14
| Team | Knee-jerk reaction | Reality or not? |
|---|---|---|
| AFC EAST by James Walker | ||
 | Walker, can the U.S. block Chan Gailey at the border? We don't want him back in Buffalo. He can stay in Toronto after that performance! | To my knowledge Gailey did make it back to Bills headquarters. But after losing 50-17 to Seattle, I'm not so sure he coaches beyond this season. These final two games are big. |
 | Walker, I'm convinced Brian Hartline is a legit No. 1 receiver. He just had his first 1,000-yard season. | Hartline is a solid No. 2 option, but he will aim to get paid like a No. 1 in free agency next year. Do you think the Dolphins throw the money truck at Hartline? |
 | Walker, the Patriots blew their chance for a first-round bye. They won't win the Super Bowl. | The Patriots no longer control their own destiny for a bye, but there's still two weeks left. This team is good enough to win at home or on the road. And it's just a matter of who gets hot in January. |
 | Walker, I don't care how much the Jets guaranteed Mark Sanchez next year. If he's the starting quarterback, I'm going to puke! | Well, the Jets are stuck with Sanchez for better or worse in 2013. He will be on the roster, either as a starter or one of the league's most expensive backups at $8.25 million. |
| AFC WEST by Bill Williamson | ||
 | The Broncos will win out and will get a bye. | I don't see Denver losing at home to the Browns or the Chiefs. Expect the Broncos to finish the job and get the bye. |
 | Sunday's 15-0 shutout loss at Oakland was a new on-field low for the 2-12 Chiefs. | No doubt. They garnered 119 yards of offense and were shut down by a defense that has been one of the worst scoring defenses in the NFL. The Chiefs are simply awful. |
 | The fact is Terrelle Pryor played just a few snaps, which means the Raiders simply see him as a wrinkle option and not a full-time option at this point. | I think that point is clear. I don't think Oakland brass trusts Pryor enough to think it is worth seeing him start right now. |
 | Ryan Mathews' latest injury -- he broke his clavicle and is out for the rest of the season -- is proof the third-year running back will never make a big difference. | There is no doubt, Mathews' injury issues are a concern. I don't want to write him off yet, but next season is a crucial one. If he can't get it together next year, the Chargers may have to cut bait. |
| AFC NORTH by Jamison Hensley | ||
 | The Ravens are in the playoffs but they're not a playoff team. They've lost three in a row, including getting routed by Denver. There is no way this team is going to win a playoff game, much less make a serious run at the Super Bowl. | Injuries and Joe Flacco's struggles have been the Ravens' downfall in December. There's always a chance Flacco can bounce back. But if the Ravens can't get healthy on defense, Baltimore will have trouble winning anything in the postseason. |
 | The Bengals are ready to take over the AFC North. They're younger than the Ravens and Steelers, and they're playing better than them. Cincinnati has won five of its past six games and is playing its best heading into the playoffs. | Even though the Bengals currently hold the final playoff spot in the AFC, they've haven't clinched anything yet. They still have to go to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Andy Dalton is 0-3 against the Steelers in his career. |
 | Brandon Weeden is too old to develop. He got outplayed by Redskins rookie Kirk Cousins, a quarterback picked three rounds after Weeden. If you're changing the general manager and coach, you might as well change the quarterback, too. | A new coach and general manager may prefer to have "their guy" at quarterback. But there aren't a lot of options out there. Do you really want Michael Vick or Matt Barkley throwing passes for Cleveland next season? |
 | This looks like a team in turmoil rather than a Super Bowl contender. Ben Roethlisberger is questioning the play calling. Rashard Mendenhall, the leading rusher for the previous three seasons, was suspended. Too much drama for December. | These problems surface when a team loses four of five games. But the Steelers can't lose sight of the fact that they remain in control of their playoff fate. They're in the postseason if they win the next two games. |
| AFC SOUTH by Paul Kuharsky | ||
 | J.J. Watt is having the greatest defensive season in the history of the world. I remember saying how much I love that pick. | That's funny, I remember you booing. He's been phenomenal. I have to look at Lawrence Taylor's MVP season for comparison. |
 | Man, we don't measure up very well to the Texans. I love this team and the story it's writing, but it's awfully hard to see the Colts winning in the postseason. | Getting in is a giant deal, and the Colts are on the verge of that. You get in and take your chances. There are upsets every year. Why not Indy? |
 | Man, this is miserable. We can't even report a tackle eligible correctly. Looks like we're going to draft No. 2, which at least means we can't screw up the No. 1 pick. | There may be no singular player at the top of the draft, but Jacksonville absolutely has to find a difference-maker wherever it is picking. |
 | Hey, we can still beat a really bad team that serves us up five turnovers. Jake Locker had one nice drive, but he's sure not making me feel confident long-term. | I expected this team to be 2-1 in its final three games. So far it's on pace. It's not huge, but it's something. |
AFC SOUTH SCOREBOARD
Sunday, 9/8
1:00 PM ET Oakland Indianapolis 1:00 PM ET Tennessee Pittsburgh 1:00 PM ET Kansas City Jacksonville
Monday, 9/9
10:15 PM ET Houston San Diego - ESPN/WatchESPN
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Paul Kuharsky
Kuharsky joined ESPN.com in 2008 after 12 years covering the Oilers/Titans and the NFL for The (Nashville) Tennessean. The New Jersey native and Columbia graduate lives in Nashville with his wife and son.
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