$.01--The Denver Broncos erased any doubts about who the best team in the AFC West is, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs on the road by a final score of 35-28. At least that is what the scoreboard would have you believe, but the truth is a little more complicated.

This was Kansas City’s game to lose, and lose it they did. Even though they led 21-7 early, it could have been more. Alex Smith threw a bad red zone interception. They also had a late chance when their defense rose up and forced a quick three-and-out, but once again Smith was unable to get the ball into the end zone.

If they would have been able to cover Eric Decker they still might have won. Alas, Marcus Cooper was no match for the Broncos' wideout, and Peyton Manning exploited him early and often. Decker caught four touchdowns, scoring on half his receptions while bagging over 170 yards. They also couldn’t stop Montee Ball, who ran for 117 yards on just 13 carries while last week’s hero, Knowshon Moreno, managed just 18 yards on 15 carries.

It’s that sort of versatility and ability to coax major production from lesser players that separates these two teams. The Chiefs were game, but they don’t have enough to compete with teams like the Broncos or Patriots without the other team helping them with turnovers or mistakes. They are indeed close, but that’s not likely to be good enough in January. 

$.02--Mike Tomlin is in a lot of hot water after his Thanksgiving performance.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 22-20 to their bitter rival, the Baltimore Ravens, in a must-win game to stay within striking distance of both the Cincinnati Bengals and the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. They fell behind early and couldn’t quite catch up after their flat, sloppy start.

Tomlin tried his best. By now you’ve seen his questionable infamy. On a Jacoby Jones kick return down the Pittsburgh sideline, Tomlin was watching the game on the scoreboard and claims he was unaware when Jones nearly ran into him. Worse, Tomlin veered into the field of play instead of deeper onto the sideline where he belongs.

In a week where the NBA fined Nets coach Jason Kidd $50K for intentionally spilling a drink to try and get a bonus timeout, the NFL needs to come down ever harder on Tomlin. As a head coach, “being unaware” is not an acceptable excuse. Jones could have been injured, but beyond the hypothetical injury, Tomlin directly interfered with the play on the field.

This is not all that different from Woody Hayes punching a Clemson player running up the sideline. It’s worse than the New York Jets’ little stunt a couple years ago that did actually hurt someone. Tomlin is the head coach; the buck stops with him. If he cannot be trusted to uphold the rules and integrity of the game, how is he supposed to control his team?

Here’s what Tomlin, whom I like very much, needs to do: even if it was an honest accident, he needs to publicly and vociferously apologize with genuine contrition. He needs to be fined at least twice as much as Kidd was fined by the NBA. If he continues to play this shady non-denial denial game, the NFL needs to hit even harder.

As a side thought, if the coach on the field would rather watch the game on a big TV because he can see it better that way, what does that say about the stadium experience?

$.03--The New York Jets lost to the Miami Dolphins 23-3, an affair that highlights all that has gone wrong in a wildly up-and-down season.

In the midst of the lifeless loss, Rex Ryan benched both the first and second round picks from April’s draft. Ryan replaced (again) quarterback Geno Smith, the second rounder, with Matt Simms after an ineffective first half (again). First round pick Dee Milliner, a cornerback from Alabama, was benched (again) for simply being awful (again). Ladies and gents, we have ourselves a power struggle!

Ryan did not make those picks; new GM John Idzik selected the disappointing talents. The recent collapse of competitiveness has forced a desperate Ryan to find anyone to help deflect the blame, and by benching the two centerpieces of Idzik’s draft plan, he’s found a worthy scapegoat. Neither player is ready for starting duty in the NFL at this point. They are indeed costing the Jets games with inept play.

Still, they represent the future. Ryan may or may not be a part of that future, but if he cannot coax tangible improvement from these players he is even more likely to be a figment of the Jets past than their leader going forward. Smith and Milliner play the two toughest positions to transition from college to the pros, and both were more than a little overrated and overhyped by fans and most draftniks. That raised expectations far higher than they could ever reasonably accomplish. Still, it’s Ryan’s job to help mold these players into functional contributors, and thus far he and his staff have failed in that capacity. Smith has shown promise and played well in spurts, but Milliner has been an unmitigated disaster.

This loss really hurt, because it puts them behind the Dolphins in the strangely tight Wild Card race in the AFC. It was an embarrassing home loss to a division rival which entered with serious issues of its own. Nobody knows who the starting quarterback will be for New York when they host the Raiders next Sunday. Given the Jets haven’t scored a touchdown in over two full games, it doesn’t really matter all that much. If they lose that one, and they might, Ryan had better start calling in favors to execute his offseason job transition to another team.

$.04--Somebody apparently wants to win the NFC North, and that somebody is the Detroit Lions. My beloved played arguably its most dominant game in my four decades on this earth on Thanksgiving, slaughtering the inept Packers 40-10. It really, really wasn’t that close.

The Lions’ dominance of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball was stunning. Fox flashed a graphic during the game that illustrated the defensive pressure: Matt Flynn had dropped back 21 times. He was sacked six times, knocked down nine times, and hit 14 times. Because hits do not count as sacks, that means the Lions got to Flynn on 20 of his first 21 attempts at throwing the ball.

Detroit outgained the Packers 561-126, the largest such margin by any team since 2005. Had the Lions not turned the ball over four times, including twice inside the Green Bay red zone, it very well could have been 56-0. Green Bay ran for 24 yards on 15 carries, and the Lions have now allowed just 124 rushing yards on 86 carries in the last four games.

Green Bay might be the worst team in the NFC without Aaron Rodgers. They have not won in his absence, and it’s truly amazing how heavily reliant they are on him to cover for so many glaring deficiencies on the rest of the roster. Mike McCarthy can sleep safe and sound, but legendary defensive coordinator Dom Capers probably needs to gracefully bow out before he’s fired.

Do I trust the Lions to carry this magical performance over to next week in Philadelphia? Hell no. But when the Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime, thanks in no small part to some ponderous decision by head coach Marc Trestman, the Lions have a little breathing room in the division. They also have the three final games of the season against teams with losing records, two of those at home. They might only need to win one more to clinch the playoffs. 

$.05--In a very strange Sunday night game, Justin Tuck’s dominant performance for the New York Giants defense is likely to be forgotten. Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times and thoroughly embarrassed both Chris Chester and Tyler Polumbus on the Washington offensive line.

He played an outstanding game, one which has to have Giants fans wondering where in the world that effort has been all year. Eli Manning was pretty strong in his own right, an efficient 22-of-28 for 235 yards with one TD and a matching INT.

Yet the hatchet job by noted inept official Jeff Triplette will be all anyone takes away from this game. If you didn’t see the sequence of events at the end of the game, it’s hard to describe and give it justice. Essentially it comes down to this: the Ethnic Slurs thought they had achieved a first down, and the chain crew moved the sticks to indicate as such. But Triplette thought it was still third down for some reason. The Slurs (theoretically) called a play designed for first down when it was really third down. That’s a major league gaffe by Triplette, one that deserves serious recriminations for a man who is perennially the weakest link of the officiating chain.

Of course, the play call matters not when you fumble the very next play. As my Bleacher Report colleague Michael Schottey summated:

Really, Washington can blame just about anyone except RG3 for this loss. He was almost perfect in the first half, missing just one throw. In the second half he was plagued by drops on well-thrown balls and some awful protection. He wound up 24-of-32 for 206 yards and a TD, plus 88 yards rushing. That’s pretty solid production given the overall context. Yet he didn’t throw them under the bus for the bad drops or stupid penalties (Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss both were guilty) in his postgame presser. If people blame RG3 for this latest loss, they’re trying too hard to find fault.

$.06--The Carolina Panthers keeps rolling, and with San Francisco’s recent revitalization, it appears the NFC Wild Cards are pretty locked in heading into the final quarter of the season.

The Panthers, of course, still harbor visions of catching the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. They sit at 9-3, a half-game behind New Orleans as the Saints play on Monday night. Those two teams square off two times in the next three weeks, which will settle that division. It’s hard to see both teams not winning more than one game left on their respective dockets, and that will comfortably put them both in the playoffs.

The Niners have recovered nicely from losing to both New Orleans and Carolina in consecutive weeks. With wideout Michael Crabtree back and the passing offense finally looking credible, the 8-4 Niners are getting stronger for the stretch run. They have a critical game with Seattle next week, but after that epic battle they draw the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The dregs of the NFC South both sit at 3-9, not exactly a rough road to double-digit wins for the Niners.

Really the only team with any realistic chance at catching San Francisco is Arizona, but the Cardinals blew a great chance in Philadelphia to stay with their NFC West rivals. Carson Palmer turned the ball over three times, and untimely penalties set up one Philly TD and erased a rare Nick Foles interception. The Cardinals still have life because they host the Niners in the season finale, but they have to stick within one game in the standings heading into that matchup. Their road is not easy. This coming Sunday they host the hyper-physical Rams, who struggle on offense but are no picnic with their outstanding pass rush. Then comes a trip to Nashville to play the Titans in what could be inclement weather. The final two games are as rough as they can get--a trip to Seattle and then the aforementioned Niners game. Because San Francisco holds the division and conference tiebreakers over Arizona, the Cardinals really need a lot of help to turn their good season into a playoff season.

As for the other teams with remaining mathematical life, the road to 10 wins seems highly improbable at best. Chicago lost to Minnesota and their defense is a major problem. Their next game is with Dallas, which is 7-5 and could pound the final nail in Chicago’s coffin. The Cowboys are in a dogfight with the Eagles to win the NFC East, and they play in Week 17 in what appears to be a winner-take-all game. That ensures that the loser of that game will have at least six losses, and that’s not likely to catch the Niners for the final Wild Card.

$.07--The Iron Bowl is the very definition of an instant classic. In one of the most thrilling finishes in American sports history, Auburn stunned top-ranked Alabama 34-28. The final margin came on the game’s final play, one which will haunt Nick Saban as long as he lives.

Saban elected to attempt a 57-yard field goal with his backup kicker, a decision fostered because his regular kicker missed three earlier attempts. The kick was on line but about three yards short, and the ball fell into the waiting arms of Auburn’s Chris Davis. The Tiger did not hesitate, immediately darting towards the left sideline. Alabama was either caught unaware or just flat-out inept, as plodding linemen tried in vain to slow Davis down. He nearly stepped out of bounds but veered inside and ran all the way to SEC Title game. What’s even more crushing for Bama fans is that the play resulted only because of a lengthy review that put one second back on the clock, which sent the Crimson Tide fans into smug optimism.

I watched the game at a bar in Brighton, MI, which is between Ann Arbor and Lansing. The scene there was uncomplicated and unanimous; every single person in the popular, packed establishment was rooting against Nick Saban. I ascertained that the enmity was almost completely directed at the Alabama coach, not the Tide per say. When the play unfolded, even the aging hipsters on an intentionally ironic date behind me were screaming at the top of their menthol-infused lungs. People around these parts recall Saban’s ruthless ego when he coached both Toledo and Michigan State, alienating everyone he touched with his soulless vapidity.

Saban’s regrettable decision cost his team any legitimate shot at a third consecutive national title. He has only himself to blame. Here’s hoping Florida State and Ohio State both win their conference title games and keep Alabama far away from the BCS Championship.

$.08--5 NFL Quickies

1. Atlanta beat Buffalo in Toronto in front of maybe 30,000 people at Rogers Centre. Granted it was a terribly unappealing matchup, but I guarantee that same pairing would have drawn 100K in Monterey. Perhaps the NFL needs to look at a different border for potential franchise relocation.

2. The Houston Texans now own the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Yet trying to figure out what direction they turn is complicated, because they will almost certainly have a new coaching staff next year. They might also have a new GM, though I think the failures are far more on Gary Kubiak than Rick Smith.

3. Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery had yet another very strong game. 12 catches, 249 yards and two touchdowns. One of those belongs in the “catch of the year” consideration, an acrobatic snag over Chris Cook along the sideline. He’s a perfect No. 2 receiver in a perfect situation for his skills, and he’s made life a lot easier for Josh McCown in Jay Cutler’s latest absence.

4. One big highlight from the Buffalo/Atlanta game was Falcons coach Mike Smith pulling aside rookie Robert Alford after he recovered an overtime fumble and then lateraled the ball to a teammate. You could read Smith’s lips quite clearly, “That’s a great play but don’t ever do that again!”

5. Jacksonville won in Cleveland. That’s three wins in four weeks for the Jaguars, and they’ll be favored over Houston next week at home. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they win their next three games, home dates with the Texans, Bills, and Titans. Those teams are a combined 4-20 in the last eight games for each team. So much for a top three pick in Jacksonville…

$.09--College/Draft Quickies

--I was in the Big House for Ohio State/Michigan. To keep this in the spirit of “quickies”, here are two thoughts. First, the Ohio State team that played in Ann Arbor will get trounced by Michigan State in the B1G title game next week. Second, I love the decision to go for two by Brady Hoke. Devin Gardner was hobbling and the kicker was real shaky in second-half warmups, missing from both 30 and 40 at that very end zone. They weren’t going to win in overtime, period. The play call itself was lousy, but the decision to go was the correct one. I will have extensive notes on the game posted at DetroitLionsDraft.com on Monday night, please check them out.

--I can’t make sense of the BCS bowls just yet, but my way of evaluating rankings of teams is that I hypothesize them playing three games on a neutral field. The team I believe would win two goes higher. With that as the basis, my top five in order: Florida State, Missouri, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma State. I think Ohio State and Baylor would both mightily struggle playing better opponents every week.

--Congrats to the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, who beat UAB 62-27 on Saturday. That was their first win since the 2011 Hawaii Bowl, when they beat Nevada in longtime coach Larry Fedora’s swan song. The 23-game losing streak ends courtesy of the worst defense in the country, as SoMiss’s own escaped the cellar in the win. Not a lot of defense in Conference USA…

--Nebraska is apparently retaining coach Bo Pelini even though he essentially dared the school to fire him. Ironically, I agree with Pelini’s argument that he’s done well at Nebraska; they’re a solid 25-40 overall program and that’s about as best as they can hope for in Lincoln anymore. Yet he’s greased the skids to get whacked with even the slightest of disappointments going forward.

$.10--In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ll go with a positive message. I got to spend my Tuesday with my wife’s grandmother. Virginia, or Grandma G as we call her, is in her mid-90s but remains vibrant and vivacious. We had a great time talking about our childhoods, our religious upbringings, the joys of being married, the evils of subsidized healthcare, the decline of Detroit and various other things as we drove across the Mitten State.

I don’t have any of my own grandparents left. Three of them died within a year of my marriage in 1996, and my remaining grandfather passed away this last January. I am very thankful to have Grandma G in my life, and even more thankful that my children have gotten to know her and spend a lot of time with her. My daughter’s middle name is Virginia in her honor and the bond between them is very real, even though they were born 88 years apart.

Be thankful for the family you have, and take time to let them know you appreciate them.