Last Place Update - Week 12

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. At least there's no tie to break. The 1-10 Kansas City Chiefs sit alone at the bottom as this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars, who had been tied with the Chiefs, played like an NFL team and beat a Tennessee Titans team who had two weeks to prepare for them. Job well done, Jags. The Chiefs have now lost eight straight since beating the New Orleans Saints in overtime in Week 3. Jacksonville is now a game behind Kansas City, with four teams trailing the Jags by a game.

   This week's honorable mention, and this sounds like a broken record, goes once again to the 4-7 Arizona Cardinals and 3-8 Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams lost winnable games increasing their losing streaks to seven games. Both teams led at one point in their respective games and both teams blew those leads. Arizona goes to New York to face the Jets and Philly goes to Dallas to face the Cowboys. Once again, they face vulnerable opponents, but until they can win a game, neither is an upset special pick.

  A hats off to a former honorable mention: The New Orleans Saints defense kept the San Francisco 49ers offense to 375 yards. This is the first time this season that the Saints defense kept an opponent to under 400 yards.

Next Loss...

  Kansas City hosts the Carolina Panthers, who are fresh off their Monday night win over the Eagles. Upset Special? Uh, no, not until they can beat somebody. Maybe Jacksonville's win will inspire them, but probably not. The Chiefs will face a mobile quarterback who, if he throws with a decent degree of accuracy, will pick that defense apart and if Kansas City drops too many players back in coverage, then Cam Newton will run all over them. The Chiefs will make a game of it, but will get loss number 11.

   Jacksonville travels to venerable Rich Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills. Upset Special? Possibly. The Jags took Houston to overtime, but lost, and they beat Tennessee. Buffalo is vulnerable. The Bills are 2-6 since Week 2 and a candidate for the Honorable Mention. However, they are also 2-2 at home this season and four of their next five games are at home. Also, southern teams tend to struggle in the cold, so chances are this will be a solid Jaguars loss.

Here are some series trivia notes:

   The Arizona Cardinals are 2-5 against the New York Jets. The Cards have not beaten the Jets since 1975, when they were the St. Louis Cardinals.

   The once old NFL opponents, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, have only played each other nine times since the NFL/AFL merger. Indy is 6-3 against the Lions in that span, not losing to Detroit since 1997.

   The Seattle Seahawks are 9-4 against the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are also 5-2 at Chicago, winning their last two meetings in Soldier Field.

   The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-5 against the Denver Broncos, not winning a game in the series since 1999. The Bucs lost their last two games against Denver, each by a 16-13 score.

   The Cincinnati Bengals, who trail their series with the San Diego Chargers 11-19, won their last meeting in 2010. If the Bengals win this week, it will be the first time the Bengals beat the Chargers twice in a row since 1988-90. The most consecutive games Cincinnati beat San Diego was 3, from 1970-73.

   The Cleveland Browns trail the Oakland Raiders in their series 8-11, but are 7-3 since 1987.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, on November 27:

1949  New York Giants 23 - Washington 7
1966  Green Bay 28 - Minnesota 16
1966  Washington 72 - New York Giants 41
1966  Boston Patriots 20 - Miami 14
1977  Minnesota 13 - Green Bay 6
1994  New York Giants 21 - Washington 19

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The race for the first pick in the 2013 draft is among four teams. Although the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs are both 1-8, there will be no tie this week. Kansas City put up a valiant fight, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime. Because of that, the Jags are this week's Kings of the Cellar. The 2-7 Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers only trail by a game.

   Although the New Orleans Saints' defense once again allowed over 400 yards, they made key stops which led to their victory over the no longer undefeated Atlanta Falcons. Therefore, no honorable mention for them. Since starting the season at 0-4, they have gone a respectable 4-1.

   Since the Arizona Cardinals had a bye, they get a pass on the mention. This week's honorable mention goes to Arizona's former NFC East rival, the 3-6 Philadelphia Eagles. Their implosion has been remarkable, with losses that could have been wins with Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Dallas. In head-to-head competition, they lost to the multiple honorable mention Cardinals 27-6 in Week 3. Philly has scored no more than 23 points in each loss. Then again, they have scored no more than 24 points in each win. Now that Michael Vick is out with a concussion, will Nick Foles lead the Eagles to their first win since September 30? We'll find out on Sunday.

Next Loss...

   Jacksonville has the dubious assignment of going to Houston to take on the Texans. Upset special? Uh...no. Houston will roll over the Jags. Houston has won the last four games against Jacksonville and until the Jags get their act together, the Texans will make it five in a row.

   Kansas City hosts the Cincinnati Bengals who are fresh off their victory over the New York Giants. The Bengals are 4-2 against the Chiefs since 2003, but are 1-2 in Kansas City during that stretch. This is my Upset Special. Yes, I called an upset special for the Chiefs against the Chargers and lost, but KC is at home against a Bengals team who is vulnerable against the run and allow more rushing yards than they gain.


Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, November 13:

1949  Philadelphia 44 - Washington 21
1960  Philadelphia 19 - Washington 13
1966  San Francisco 30 - Chicago 30
1977  Denver 17 - San Diego 14
1977  Washington 17 - Philadelphia 14
1983  Kansas City 20 - Cincinnati 15
1988  Kansas City 31 - Cincinnati 28
2005  Chicago 17 - San Francisco 9
2006  Carolina 24 - Tampa Bay 10

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. We have a three-way tie for last place, but the nod goes to yet another new King of the Cellar, the 1-6 Carolina Panthers, who lost their last five games. The also 1-6 Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars came close, but they only lost their last four games. Both the Panthers and Chiefs got their lone win against the same team, the New Orleans Saints. More on them in a bit. The only win the Jaguars have is against the defending Kings of the Cellar champion Indianapolis Colts, who are now 4-3. At this point, the Colts are playing too well to vie for a repeat of their title.

   This week's honorable mention goes to two teams. The 4-4 Arizona Cardinals get their second mention in a row by losing with ease to the San Francisco 49ers. They began the season at 4-0 and have been winless since. Their offense hasn't scored more than 16 points in any game during this losing streak, putting more pressure on their defense, who have allowed the seventh fewest points in the league.

   The other mention goes to the New  Orleans Saints, whose defense allowed more yards in seven games than any other team in NFL history, including their allowing 530 yards against the Denver Broncos' offense. This defense is worse than the 1980 Saints, who were 1-15. The 2012 defense has allowed over 200 yards rushing in three of those games and at least 300 yards passing in all but two games this season. On the offense, the rushing game is anemic, which puts more pressure on Drew Brees. Although the 2012 rushing offense has 101 more yards than the 1980 offense, if they put up another weak rushing performance, they will fall behind the 1980 rushing offense. That team had 220 rushing yards in Week 8 and the 2012 offense needs 120 rushing yards to stay ahead of that infamous team.

Next Loss...

   Carolina goes to Washington DC to take on the Redskins. This is a battle of running quarterbacks and RGIII has the advantage right now. This game will depend on whose defense shows up. Carolina won the last time they visited the Redskins in 2006 and have won three of the last four games in the series. However, this will end up being a hard fought loss for the Panthers.

   Jacksonville will host the Detroit Lions. This will be their fifth ever meeting, and believe it or not, the Jags lead the series 3-1, only losing their first ever meeting in 1995. Will Jacksonville continue this trend and have an upset special? Uh...no. The Lions will dominate them and make this an easy loss for the Jaguars.

   In a Thursday night game, the Chiefs will invade San Diego and take on the previous honorable mention Chargers. Gotta love the AFC West, where the records can be thrown out when these teams play each other. Could this be an upset special? Let's see. The Chargers are 9-4 against the Chiefs since 2006 and won eight out of the last ten games in the series. They already faced each other this season in Kansas City and San Diego won easily. However, this is a night game and the Chiefs have won the past two of those games against the Chargers. Back to the question: Will this be an upset special? Matt Cassel is the starting quarterback for the Chiefs once again, which will help Jamaal Charles. Therefore, the answer is yes. This will be my Upset Special.

   Here are a couple of historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 30:

1967  Green Bay 31 - St. Louis Cardinals 23
2005  San Diego 28 - Kansas City 20

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. For the fourth week in a row, there is a new King of the Cellar. With a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the 1-6 Cleveland Browns retake their place on this week's throne, beating out the 1-5 teams, such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. To their credit, the Browns have lost only two games by more than ten points. The Panthers lost only one game by more than eight points. The same can't be said for Jacksonville, who lost three games by at least 17 points.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 4-3 Arizona Cardinals, who started off the season 4-0. What happened? The injury to Kevin Kolb made their quarterback controversy even more mediocre. However, the offense has risen to the occasion in terms of yardage. The Cardinals' offense has outgained the opposing offenses in all three losses at an average of 323 to 252 yards. However, the Cards, like their baseball counterparts, didn't win the battle of scores, which is what matters most, thus earning them this week's mention.

Next loss...

   Cleveland hosts the recent honorable mention San Diego Chargers. This is my Upset Special. Maybe the bye will help the Chargers this week and their last win was at Kansas City. However, Cleveland's lone win came at home and San Diego has not been able to shut down good quarterbacks. Cleveland has beaten San Diego only twice since 1987. If rookie Brandon Weeden can get on track, then Cleveland will beat the Chargers for the first time since 2001.

   Carolina goes to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears. Carolina trails in the series 2-4 and have not beaten the Bears since 2008. Also, the Panthers have not won on the road this season. To complicate matters, their defense has allowed at least 300 yards per games in all but the first game. Carolina also have to face former Panther defensive great Julius Peppers, who will be highly motivated for this game. The Panthers have also not played well against teams outside of the NFC South, losing at an average score of  24-11. Facing the combination of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte, and Peppers, the Panthers will skate to 1-6.

   After a week off, the Kansas City hosts the Oakland Raiders. This is one of those games where the win/loss records mean little. The Chiefs are 3-6 against the Raiders since 2007, with two overtime losses. So far, Brady Quinn has proven nothing as the Chief's starting quarterback and a near loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars could be the wake-up call Oakland needs. Jamaal Charles must have the same kind of game against the Raiders as he did against the New Orleans Saints or this will be yet another Kansas City loss.

   Speaking of that OT game in Oakland, the Jacksonville Jaguars will invade the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. This will be only the fifth time these two teams have ever played each other and the Jags are 1-0 at Lambeau and haven't lost to the Packers since 2001. However, that was a different time and these are different teams going in different directions. This will be an easy Jacksonville loss.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 23:

1960  Washington 27 - Pittsburgh 27
1988  Minnesota 49 - Tampa Bay 20
1988  New York Jets 44 - Miami 30
2000  New York Jets 40 - Miami 37 OT
2006  New York Giants 36 - Dallas 22
2011  Kansas City 28 - Oakland 0

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Once again, there is a new King of the Cellar. This week, for getting their first win of the season, the 1-5 Cleveland Browns got knocked off the throne by the 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs. Ever since Jamaal Charles put up Walter Payton type numbers against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, that second victory has been as elusive as Charles is in the open field. The last time the Chiefs started off 1-5 was in 2009, when they finished with a 4-12 record. The last time the Browns started off 1-5 was in 2010, when they finished the season 5-11.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the San Diego Chargers. After blowing certain victories against the Saints and Denver Broncos, they turned a good 5-1 record into a mediocre 3-3 record. The last time San Diego started the season at 3-3 was in 2009, when they finished with a 13-3 record. Will they get into gear or compete for Kings of the Cellar?

Next Loss...

   Here's a bold prediction. The Chiefs will not lose this week. Okay, it's no prediction at all. Kansas City has a bye this week. They will host the Oakland  Raiders next week.

   Cleveland will visit the Indianapolis Colts, the defending Kings of the Cellar champions. Indy is doing better at 2-3, but the Browns could pull an upset here, too. Cleveland won two in a row once last season and it started at Indy. However, although both teams are better at quarterback, Indy is third against the pass, so the Browns should get the loss.

Let's look at the other 1 win teams...

   The New Orleans Saints will visit sunny Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off their win over the Chiefs. As with the Browns and Colts, this is a toss-up. The Saints are 31st against the run and the Bucs are 31st against the pass. The is a game the Bucs should win, but the Saints have won their first game after the bye week the last three seasons. The team whose running game and defense shows up will win.

   The Carolina Panthers will host the Dallas Cowboys. This is the best defense the Panthers will face so far this season. After a heartbreak in Baltimore, the Cowboys should keep a struggling Cam Newton in check and get the win. If Newton plays like he did last season, this could be an upset.

   In a battle of 1-4 teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will invade the Raider Nation to play the Oakland Raiders. This is Oakland's game to lose. Both teams have only been in contention for two games, including their lone victories. However, the Raiders have the better offense and should keep the Jags at one win.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week on October 16:

1955  Green Bay 30 - Los Angeles Rams 28
1960  Washington 24 - New York Giants 24
1966  New York Giants 13 - Washington 10
1983  Detroit 31 - Chicago 17
1994  New York Jets 24 - New England 17
1994  Pittsburgh 14 - Cincinnati 10
2011  Tampa Bay 26 - New Orleans 20
2011  Baltimore 29 - Houston 14
2011  Green Bay 24 - St. Louis 3

Last Place Update

Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Congrats to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints for breaking a once considered unbreakable record of throwing a touchdown pass in 48 straight games. Job well done!! Tom Brady owns the next longest streak, which is less than a season of games behind Brees. Trivia note: Johnny Unitas wore number 19. His number was called in the record breaking play, as Brees threw a touchdown pass to number 19, Devery Henderson. Unitas' son Joe handled Brees surpassing his father with class, by attending the game and supporting Brees with his accomplishment. Now to the Update.

   The 0-5 Cleveland Browns fought the good fight against the New York Giants, but they are now this week's Kings of the Cellar. They are the lone winless team in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers made key mistakes against the Saints and Brees made them pay the price, which were the first victory of the season and the record. Cleveland is 0-5 for the first time since 1999, their first year back after the original club moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens in 1996. The 1999 Browns started 0-7. The Browns are also sporting a 11 game losing streak, their last win coming in Week 11 last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

  There are five teams with a 1-4 record and the loser of that group is the Carolina Panthers, who lost three straight, including a 16-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Panthers were 4-2 in the final six games of last season, that promise was broken by not being able to overtake or put teams away. They also started the season 1-4 last year and went 1-5 before beating the Washington Redskins. At least they last beat a team with a winning record last season.

   This week's honorable mention goes to the 2-3 Buffalo Bills. Although the showed a spark by beating the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland, other opponents exposed they weaknesses. The New York Jets (honorable mention runner-up), New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers all spanked the Bills by scoring a minimum of 45 points, with the Pats putting up 52 on them.

Next Loss...

   Cleveland returns home to face their cross-state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals swept the series last season. The Browns have beaten the Bengals only three times since 2004, the last time in 2010. The last time Cleveland swept Cincinnati was in 2002, the Browns' first winning season since their return in 1999. However, this could be an upset special and if there is to be one, this is it.

   Since Carolina,  New Orleans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have a bye this week, let's focus on the other 1-4 teams.

   The Kansas City Chiefs travel to sunny Florida to take on the 1-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This could be an upset special and if Jamaal Charles runs against the Bucs like he did against the Saints, then it will be a definite upset. However, Tampa Bay's defense is much better than the Saints' defense, which makes the upset less likely.

    The Tennessee Titans will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Much like the Saints-Falcons rivalry, the records don't matter much for this game. Pittsburgh swept the series last year. but if the Titans can get their running game in gear, this too, could be an upset special. Tennessee has never swept a Pittsburgh season series with Ben Roethlisberger as Steelers' quarterback. In fact, the last time the Titans swept the Steelers was in 2000. As with the Saints, Lions, and Packers, the Titans are a better team than their record indicates, but until they show up for sixty minutes, the Steelers will emerge victorious on Thursday.

   Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, today in:

1977  New England 31 - Seattle 0
1977  Houston Oilers 27 - Pittsburgh 10
1994  New York Jets 16 - Indianapolis 6
2011  San Diego 29 - Denvver 24
2011  Pittsburgh 38 - Tennessee 17

Today in 2003 - Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons

Today in 2003, the Carolina Panthers invaded the Georgia Dome to take on the Atlanta Falcons in a Week 14 divisional contest.

After a scoreless first quarter, T.J. Duckett got Atlanta on the board in the second quarter with a 9 yard touchdown run.  Carolina answered with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Jermaine Wiggins.  The score was tied 7-7 at halftime.

Stephen Davis provided the only score in the third quarter with a 1 yard touchdown run.  The Panthers led 14-7.

In the fourth quarter, the Falcons also had the only score on a 1 yard touchdown run by Michael Vick.  The game went to overtime.

In the overtime period, Carolina had possession, but Kevin Mathis intercepted a Delhomme pass and scored the winning touchdown.  The Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 20-14.

For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme passed 12-25 for 153 yards, with a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  Stephen Davis rushed 24 times for 81 yards and a touchdown.  Steve Smith had 7 receptions for 66 yards.  Deon Grant, Julius Peppers, and Dante Wesley each recorded a sack.

For the Falcons, Michael Vick passed 16-33 for 179 yards and an interception.  He ran 14 times for 141 yards and a touchdown.  T.J. Duckett had 17 rushes for 59 yards and a touchdown.  Alge Crumpler had 5 receptions for 57 yards.  Peerless Price had 4 catches, also for 57 yards.  Ellis Johnson had a sack and Kevin Mathis had the winning Pick 6.

Atlanta went to 3-10 with the win.  They finished the season at 5-11, fourth in NFC South.  Carolina fell to 8-5 with the loss.  They finished the season at 11-5, NFC South Champions.  They went on the play in Super Bowl XXXVIII, losing to the New England Patriots on a last minute field goal.

Trivia

• This was Wade Phillips’ first game as interim head coach of the Falcons, because Dan Reeves was fired earlier that week.  Phillips went 3-1 in that stretch.
  
• This was John Fox’s second season coaching the Panthers.  He was head coach from 2002-10 and is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
  
• This was Phillips’ second time as an interim coach.  He was first an interim coach with the New Orleans Saints in 1985 after his father, Bum Phillips resigned.  Wade went 1-3 that year. 
  
• As featured in other posts, Phillips was the head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys.  Today, he is the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.
  
• Panthers offensive coordinator Dan Henning was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1983-86 and the San Diego Chargers from 1989-91.  He never achieved more than seven wins in any given season.
  
• Henning was a backup quarterback for the San Diego Chargers in 1966.
  
• Carolina defensive back Ricky Manning played in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system from 1999-2002.
  
• The Panthers went to overtime five times that season, including the playoffs.  This was their only overtime loss.
  
• The Falcons went to overtime twice.  They won this game and lost to the New Orleans Saints three weeks earlier.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week, on December 7,

1975 – Pittsburgh 31 – Cleveland 17

2003 – San Francisco 50 – Arizona 14

2006 – Pittsburgh 27 – Cleveland 7

2008 – Minnesota 20 – Detroit 16

Game stats can be found on Pro-Football-Reference.com at Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons - December 7, 2003.

Last Place Update

December 6, 2011 – Welcome to this week’s Last Place Update, where the 0-12 Indianapolis Colts continue their reign as Kings of the Cellar.  They lead the 2-10 St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings by two games and show no signs of relinquishing that lead anytime soon.

Although the Colts lost again, unlike their total collapse against the New Orleans Saints, they trailed the New England Patriots 31-3 going into the fourth quarter and fought back.  They put up three touchdowns in the face of a beatdown and lost 31-24.  Way to keep fighting, Indy!!

This week’s honorable mention goes to the St. Louis Rams.  When they beat the New Orleans Saints, they could have turned the season around and ended strong.  Instead, they went 1-4 since then and got blanked by the San Francisco 49ers 26-0.

The Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers get a pass on the second honorable mention this week.  San Diego won last night and Minnesota took Denver to the last second and never rolled over.

So this week’s second honorable mention goes to the 4-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Bucs got dominated by the 4-8 Carolina Panthers 38-19, making this their sixth straight loss.  Tampa Bay started the season at 3-1, tied for first in the NFC South and even beat the New Orleans Saints at home two weeks later.  But the bottom fell out.  After going 3-1, the Bucs went 1-7.  They play the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.  Can they win?  We’ll see.

Next Loss

The Colts go to Baltimore to face the Ravens.  No upset special here.  The Ravens should win easily, unless Joe Flacco has a bad day and Indy makes a game of it…nah, Baltimore will win.

The Rams go visit Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Monday night.  Seattle has been beating teams they should lose to, so nothing should change here.  It won’t be a blowout, but St. Louis should get loss number eleven.

Minnesota has to go to Detroit to face a Lions team fresh off a humiliating Sunday night loss to New Orleans.  Upset Special?  Maybe.  Either Detroit will take Sunday night’s loss out on the Vikings or the Lions will collapse.  Detroit should win, but if they act like they did in New Orleans, then the Vikings will get the upset.

Here are a couple of historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week: December 6,

1981 – Buffalo 28 – San Diego 27

2009 – New York Giants 31 – Dallas 24

Last Place Update

November 22, 2011 – Although the 0-10 Indianapolis Colts had a bye this week, they’re still Kings of the Cellar and have a two game lead over the 2-8 Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, and Minnesota Vikings for the first pick in the draft.

This week’s honorable mention once again goes to the 3-7 Washington Redskins for losing six straight and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime.  They Skins go cross-country to face the Seattle Seahawks.

This week’s second honorable mention goes, not to San Diego, who lost its fifth straight game, but to the Carolina Panthers, for blowing a 24-7 lead, scoring 35 points, and still losing by two touchdowns to the Detroit Lions.  The Panthers proved once again a quarterback does not a team make.

Next Loss

The Colts host the Carolina Panthers.  Upset Special?  Doubt it.  Detroit is a much better team than the Colts, so Cam Newton ought to have fun with the Indy defense and get the Panthers their first road win.  Indy will at least maintain their lead for the coveted first pick in the 2012 draft.

The 3-7 Arizona Cardinals visit the St. Louis Rams.  The Cards won the last game, but this will be my Upset Special.  The Rams should get their third win if they play Arizona like they played the New Orleans Saints.

The Minnesota Vikings go to the Georgia Dome to take on the Atlanta Falcons.  Upset special?  Only if Matty Ice has a meltdown.  The Vikings will get their ninth loss.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week: November 22,

1951 – Detroit 52 – Green Bay 35

1956 – Green Bay 24 – Detroit 20

1962 – Detroit 26 – Green Bay 14

1973 – Miami 14 – Dallas 7

1984 – Detroit 34 – Green Bay 28

1987 – Miami 20 – Dallas 14

1987 – New Orleans 23 – New York Giants 14

1987 – Buffalo 17 – New York Jets 14

1987 – Minnesota 24 – Atlanta 13

2009 – Arizona 21 – St. Louis 13

2009 – San Diego 32 – Denver 3

2009 – Kansas City 27 – Pittsburgh 24 OT

Last Place Update

November 15, 2011 – As much as things change, they remain the same.  What’s the same?  Why it’s the 0-10 Colts, of course.  They lost to a struggling Jacksonville Jaguars 17-3 at home and the Colts continue their season long reign as Kings of the Cellar.  The Colts have a two and a half game lead over Minnesota, Carolina, St. Louis, and Miami, all 2-7.

What's different?  Miami's winning games.

By winning their second consecutive game over the 3-6 Washington Redskins, the Dolphins are off the Last Place radar for now.  However, because of Miami, Washington earns this week’s honorable mention.  The Skins lost five straight and face a resurgent Dallas Cowboys.

This week’s second honorable mention goes to the 4-5 San Diego Chargers, just beating out the 2-7 Carolina Panthers for the mention.  The Chargers were supposed to be the team to beat in the AFC West…well, they’re proving they can be beat, losing four straight.  This week, they go to the Windy City to face an improving Chicago Bears.

Next Loss

Here’s a guarantee.  The Indianapolis Colts will not lose this week.  Okay, they won’t lose because they have a bye.  They’ll face the Carolina Panthers next week in their quest for the first pick in the draft, the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

Speaking of the Carolina Panthers, they will visit Ford Field to play the Detroit Lions.  Upset Special?  Nah.  Detroit will take their loss to Chicago out on the Panthers.

The Rams and Arizona Cardinals won last week.  St. Louis hosts the Seattle Seahawks and is my Upset Special.  The Rams will get their third win. The Cards will get torched at Candlestick by the San Francisco 49ers.

Here are some historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week: November 15,

1964 – Denver 20 – New York Jets 16

1987 – New York Giants 20 – Philadelphia 17