The Ravens clinched the AFC number one seed by beating the Browns last week.  The game was a physical game between two divisional opponents , every other play someone was limping off the field.  Mark Andrews (ankle), Mark Ingram (calf), Marcus Peters (chest), Earl Thomas (knee), and even Lamar was hobbling around, but thank goodness Lamar is not on this week’s injury report.  Being king of the AFC has its perks: not one of these guys will need to play this week against the Steelers.  The Browns had the predicted helmet throwing and sideline squabbling during the game. So much so that there was more action on the Browns sideline than they had on the field.  Meanwhile, the Ravens quietly dominated the game.  We started a little slow but took over late in the second quarter and I mean very late in the second quarter.  The Browns were leading 6-0 with less than 4 minutes to go in the half.  Lamar and the Ravens quickly threw the ball three or four times and scored a touchdown.  The Brown went three and out, leaving less than two minutes on the clock.  In the past, this type of scenario has been reserved for Tom Brady were you say we left too much time on the clock.  Well, there is a new guy in town and he is Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense. They took the field and before you know it we are scoring another touchdown.  Two touchdowns in less than four minutes, taking the lead 14-6, and we never looked back by winning 31-15. It’s wasn’t the forty points I was hoping we would put up on the Browns but I’m more than happy with the win and clinching the number one seed with the home field advantage.  A nice early Christmas present.

Speaking of Christmas presents, I have a great shopping tip for next year.  If you are like me and do most of the shopping for your spouse on Christmas eve, I found a great alternative to gas station sushi.  Home Depot!  I went into Home Depot Christmas eve to pick up parts for a project I should have completed a month ago, and found the place had no customers, no crowed parking lot, no lines at the register, I practically had the place to myself.  This was what I needed to finish the shopping for my wife Sheila.  Who knew Home Depot sold frying pans!  And if you thought the frying pan surprised Sheila, she really got emotional when she opened up the tape measure.   Sheila just couldn’t get over the gifts I gave her this year.   So if you want to be “That Guy” on Christmas morning, make a mental note of this shopping gem.  You can thank me later.

 

We find ourselves in a unfamiliar situation, playing the Steelers in the last game of the season not worried about the outcome of the game.  Well, not really,  we always want to beat the Steelers, but this year we are not playing for a trip to the playoffs, since we have that wrapped up already.  The Steelers are currently on the outside looking in, holding the seventh seed behind the Titans who are in the last playoff spot.  If the Titans lose and the Steelers win, the Steelers will take the sixth seed and will play in a wildcard game next week.  So, needless to say we want to beat the Steelers and keep them from going to the playoffs.   John Harbaugh has announced that several starters like Lamar Jackson, Marshal Yanda, and Marcus Peters will not dress or play against the Steelers this week.  This presents an interesting situation where we will start RGIII and rookie QB Trace McSorley will dress for the first time and be the back up for RGIII.  What makes this even more interesting is that the Steelers will be starting their third string QB Devlin (Duck) Hodges and practice squad QB Paxton Lynch who will be the back up for Hodges.  Don’t look for a high scoring game, bet the under on this one.

Don’t forget the Ravens and Steelers game has been flexed to 4:25 on Sunday.

GO RAVENS!!!

No Thursday night game this week.

Here are the games with playoff implications. Notice the Browns are not listed.

Sunday

1:00

Dolphins over Patriots
If the Chiefs win and the Patriots lose, the Patriots will have to play next week in a wild card game.  No bye week for Tom Brady.

Chargers over Chiefs
We want the Chiefs and Patriots to both lose, making the Chiefs play in he wild card game with no bye week to rest.  Out of all the AFC playoff teams, the Chiefs are the team I would least like to play.  So let them have an extra game to play.

Packers over Bears
The Packers are playing for the number one seed in the NFC but would need the 49ers to lose to do so.

Saints over Panthers
Saints are playing for the number one seed in the NFC and would need the Packers and 49ers to lose.

4:25

RAVENS over Steelers
The Steelers will be playing all out to grab the last wild card spot but they need the Titans to lose to get it.  I am interested to see how RGIII plays against a good Steeler defense, this will be a chance for him to showcase what he has left for another team that needs a starting quarterback.   We want to beat the Steelers, but we defiantly don’t want any of our guys getting hurt.

GO RAVENS!!!

Eagles over Giants
The Eagles would be NFC east champs with a win.

Titans over Texans
If the Titans win, the Steelers are watching the playoffs from the couch.

Cowboys over Redskins
The Cowboys are in the same position as the Steelers needing a win and an Eagles loss to get the number six seed.

Raiders over Broncos
There is an long shot chance that the Raiders can make the Playoffs but I do not have enough degrees to figure it out.

Sunday night 8:20

49ers vs Seahawks
You pick’em
The 49ers currently hold the NFC number one seed but if they lose they could drop to the number five seed.  If the Seahawks win they jump from the number five seed to the number two seed. There’s a lot riding on this game, so listen to this game on the car radio as we sit in traffic leaving the stadium after the Ravens beat the Steelers.

I gave my cardiologist two weeks off, since we don’t have anything riding on this weeks game and we get the bye next week.  Enjoy the games with thoughts of the Ravens going to the Super Bowl dancing in your head.

Happy New Year everyone!

And that’s just The View From 151

GO RAVENS!!!