Sights and scenes from the NFL ...
|New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick smiles as he listens to a reporter ask what his favorite Christmas song is during a media availability at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013. Belichick responded they all put a smile on his face. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)|
There is no one, clear-cut path to success in the NFL.
But there could not be a greater contrast than the way the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions approached very big games in Week 16. Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ three-time Super Bowl champion, no-nonsense coach, canceled practice Friday and took his team to see “Lone Survivor,” starring Boston homie Mark Wahlberg.
Meanwhile, Reggie Bush, who won a Super Bowl as a Saint, wanted to call a team meeting in Detroit with the Lions coming off their latest tough loss. Quarterback Matt Stafford reportedly vetoed the idea. Meetings rarely work, but they also never hurt — except maybe feelings.
Well, the Patriots, efficient and relaxed from the start, won at Baltimore, 41-7, to finally clinch the AFC East. Perhaps New England would have won without seeing the portrayal of an actual SEAL mission in Afghanistan, but we’ll never know for sure.
The Lions lost at home in overtime to the New York Giants, 23-20. They were eliminated from postseason contention by losing for the fifth time in six games. Detroit had fourth-quarter leads in all of those losses. Stafford threw his 12th and 13th interceptions in the past six games.
Line of DeMarco-cation: The Cowboys improved to 11-0 when DeMarco Murray gets 20 carries, but it was the Dallas back’s 10-yard touchdown catch on a wonderful improvisation by Tony Romo with 1:08 left that kept their team alive with a 24-23 victory at Washington.
Murray rushed for 96 yards, but on his 22nd carry, on third-and-goal from the Washington 2, he was thrown for an 8-yard loss by Perry Riley.
Dallas, needing to win to set up next week’s NFC East title showdown at home against Philadelphia, came back on the next play as Romo scrambled from the pocket, froze a linebacker and hit Murray for the score that brought the Cowboys back from nine down in the fourth quarter.
Seen: Rams right defensive end Robert Quinn did a hula dance after his first sack of the Buccaneers’ Mike Glennon in a 23-13 victory in St. Louis. Quinn finished with three sacks for an NFL-leading 18, breaking Kevin Carter’s single-season St. Louis franchise record. If Quinn is not going to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, and is not high in the Defensive Player of the Year vote, there should be an investigation.
Heard: “Sweet Caroline” never seemed more appropriate than when the song played in Charlotte, N.C., seconds after Panthers safety Mike Mitchell swatted away Drew Brees’ last-play Hail Mary attempt far short of the goal line to seal Carolina’s 17-13, playoff-clinching victory over New Orleans.
Coach Ron Rivera’s team clinched its first playoff berth since 2008. Cam Newton connected with ex-Giant Dominik Hixon with 23 seconds left for the winning touchdown pass.
Bad move: Saints coach Sean Payton’s bold move of benching left tackle Charles Brown in favor of rookie Terron Armstead — who had just made his NFL playing debut in Week 15 — proved costly. Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, held sack-free by Brown (USC) two weeks ago, got to Brees three times in the rematch.
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