Week 14 provided some teams with a boost in their playoff desires, while also halting those for others. The Texans clinched a playoff berth for the first time in franchise history, Tim Tebow yet again led the Broncos to a dramatic win putting them in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs, and finally, the Giants held off the Cowboys to take the division lead and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Houston 20, Bengals 19
The Houston Texans led a latefourth quarter comeback behind rookie quarterback T.J Yates to defeat the Bengals and clinch their first division title and playoff berth in franchise history.
The first half was one to forget for the Texans. The Bengals seemed to be in a dominating position as they held Houston to only three points for the half coming off of a 46-yard Neil Rackers field goal.
The Bengals, on the other hand, managed to put up 16 points. Mike Nugent kicked three field goals coming from 22, 47, and 49-yards. Andy Dalton also got the Bengals in the end zone via a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Simpson.
However, with history in their sites, the Texans weren’t about to lie down and give up. Houston came out of halftime ready to battle back.
Early in the third quarter, T.J Yates finally got the Texans in the end zone with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen. This pulled them within six points of the Bengals.
However, the Bengals made it a two-possession game just before the end of the third quarter with a 28-yard field goal. The Texans would manage to get these points back midway through the fourth quarter with a field goal of their own. Neil Rackers put one through from 33-yards to make it a one-possession game.
The Texans got their chance with 2:33 left in the game to take the lead. T.J Yates stepped up and led the Texans down the field and with two seconds left threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter to tie the game. Neil Rackers then added the extra point to win the game.
Houston will have time to celebrate their first playoff berth ever and the division title they just won, but will be back in Week 15 to take on the Carolina Panthers. The Bengals hope to bounce back from their two game losing streak next week against the St. Louis Rams.
Broncos 13, Bears 10, F/OT
Tim Tebow and late game heroics have become synonymous in recent weeks. In Week 14, Tim Tebow, along with Matt Prater, helped the Denver Broncos pull out yet another fourth quarter comeback and overtime win.
The first half was a battle between two stellar defenses. Both teams were held scoreless in the first half.
The first points of the game didn’t come until the 5:19 point in the third quarter as the Bears finally managed to break a scoreless game. Marion Barber ran in a 9-yard touchdown score to take a 7-0 lead for the Bears.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Bears added a 57 yard field goal from Robbie Gould to take a 10-0 lead and appeared to have the game wrapped up. However, the Broncos have Tim Tebow, and as we have seen in recent weeks, Tebow and the Broncos should never be counted out when the game is within reach.
With just two minutes to go, Tebow scrambled and found Demaryius Thomas for a 10-yard touchdown to pull the Broncos within three.
The Broncos then forced Marion Barber out of bounds on a second down run which was crucial in conserving time for their offense. The Bears would then go three and out giving Tebow and the Broncos a chance.
Tebow then led Denver down the field and Matt Prater kicked a clutch 59-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 13 and force overtime.
The Bears quickly got into field goal range. Marion Barber then carried the ball up the middle of the Broncos defense and appeared to be on the verge of breaking away when the ball was stripped forcing a crucial turnover that gave Denver the ball.
The Broncos then went down field setting up a 51-yard field goal which Matt Prater put through to win the game. The Broncos improved to 7-1 under Tebow and took a division lead and appear to be set up for the playoffs. They will be put to the test next week when they take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The Bears, on the other hand, appear to be slipping and will look to keep their playoff hopes alive in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks.
N.Y Giants 37, Cowboys 34
In a high scoring affair, the Giants late score and special teams defense pulled out the win and took over the division lead via owning the tiebreaker with the Cowboys.
Picking up in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys used a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Miles Austin to take a 27-22 lead. The Cowboys then added a 50-yard TD pass from Romo to Dez Bryant to take a commanding 34-22 lead.
However, with Eli Manning, the Giants began yet another late game run. With three minutes left in the game, Manning connected with Jake Ballard on a 6-yard touchdown pass to pull within five points of the Cowboys.
The Giants then added another touchdown via a 1-yard touchdown run from Brandon Jacobs followed by a two point conversion to take a three point lead.
But, the Cowboys still had a chance. Romo led the Cowboys down field setting up a 47-yard field goal for Dan Bailey. However, Jason Pierre-Paul blocked the field goal for the Giants pulling out the win.
In a devastating loss, Romo did all he can as he threw for four touchdowns with a 141.3 Quarterback Rating. The Cowboys lost the division lead through a tiebreaker owned by the Giants, but hope to get a win and regain the division lead next week against the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a Saturday night special.
The Giants hope to stay in the driver seat and keep their playoff hopes intact with a win next week against the Washington Redskins.
A Look at Week 15
There are four marquis matchups to keep an eye on in Week 15. These include New England at Denver, N.Y Jets at Philadelphia, Baltimore at San Diego, and finally Pittsburgh at San Francisco. It is a great week for football and as the playoffs near, it will be interesting to watch the drama of the NFL unfold.
