NFL hot reads: Cowboys, Eagles set up Thanksgiving showdown
Ten snap reactions from the 12th Sunday of the NFL season:
— There haven't been many bigger Thanksgiving games in Dallas than the one this coming week: The Cowboys and Eagles, knotted atop the NFC East at 8-3, squaring off in the first of two matchups in an 18-day span. Because for all the Cowboys have accomplished so far, their track record under coach Jason Garrett means they'll be defined by what happens over the final five weeks, and it starts with trying to take down the defending division champs on national TV. Sunday's 31-28 comeback win over the Giants showed off all the Cowboys can do offensively and improved their league-best road mark to 5-0. The Eagles handled business 43-24 against the terrible Titans despite some shaky moments from backup QB Mark Sanchez. The Cowboys may be catching their rivals at the right time, and that surely is fine by owner Jerry Jones, who has seen everything fall apart at this stage in the past. Since Garrett took over midway through the 2010 season, the Cowboys are 10-13 from Thanksgiving on.
— It's not just the numbers anymore. It's the highlights that are setting apart this class of rookie receivers. Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.'s three-fingered, 43-yard touchdown snag against the Cowboys will go down as one of the plays of the season. Buccaneers WR Mike Evans put a wicked stutter move on fellow rookie Kyle Fuller for a 19-yard TD in a 21-13 loss to the Bears. Cardinals WR John Brown somehow got both feet down along the sideline for a 33-yard, over-the-shoulder snag in a 19-3 loss to the Seahawks. It can't be overstated how difficult it can be to make an instant impact at that position, but this group looks special. Bills WR Sammy Watkins and Saints WR Brandin Cooks get their shots to add to this week's reel Monday night.
— Sunday might have been the season for the defending champion Seahawks, so it shouldn't surprise anyone they came to play, at least on defense. The Cardinals managed a season-low 204 net yards, reaffirming the challenge they have ahead to score with QB Drew Stanton, who's completing all of 53.8% of his passes. Meanwhile, the 49ers also scuffled offensively in a 17-13 win over the Redskins. The top of that division has gotten back to its roots — letting dominant "D" cover up for suspect offense — at a time Arizona's lead has shortened to two games with five to go. There still are opportunities to play catchup, with the last two games on the Cardinals' schedule against the Seahawks and 49ers, who meet at San Francisco on Thanksgiving night.
— You'd think Lions C Dominic Raiola would know how to lose with dignity after the better part of 14 years in Detroit. What he did — or tried to do — on the final play of Sunday's 34-9 loss to the Patriots is mindless, classless, gutless goonery that has no place in the NFL. Raiola's only intent was to injure, and the league should seriously consider suspending him for trying to take out Patriots rookie DT Zach Moore's knees on a kneeldown play. Raiola admitted he threw the "cut block" as retaliation for the Patriots scoring a late touchdown instead of taking a knee themselves. "He wants to keep playing football, let's play football," Raiola told reporters. "Not a big deal. It's football." No, it's garbage — the type that was supposed to leave town with former coach Jim Schwartz. And if the NFL doesn't take action against Raiola, coach Jim Caldwell should in some way, delivering a clear message these aren't the same old Lions, even if their two-game losing skid could be the start of the same old heartbreaking finish.
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— Punishing RB Jonas Gray for being late to the team's facility Friday was predictable for Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Not playing Gray a single snap was a more striking decision, coming off his breakout performance with 201 rushing yards and four TDs one week earlier in a victory at Indianapolis. This is the point Belichick tries to prove over and over, though: Teams win games, not individuals, and distractions won't be tolerated. Sending that message amidst a seven-game winning streak is just as much for the rest of the roster as for Gray himself (even if the guy who replaced him, RB LeGarrette Blount, is back on the team because he quit on the Steelers). The Patriots have outscored their opponents 277-137 in that stretch, with five of the victories by 22 points or more. Next week's visit to Green Bay may be the best test the Patriots face before January.
— So much for easing Browns WR Josh Gordon into action. QB Brian Hoyer targeted him 16 times in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Falcons with mixed results — eight catches for 120 yards, but also two of Hoyer's three interceptions. Gordon is easily the Browns' best weapon, even after a 10-game drug suspension while the team was getting up to speed in a new offense. And offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan already is manufacturing ways to get the ball into his hands, such as the bubble screens Gordon took for 22 and 19 yards in the first half. He barely has played with Hoyer, who started just three games last season before tearing up a knee, and will need time to get in rhythm. But Gordon is capable of being a difference-maker on a Browns team that needs them to keep up its rare playoff chase.
— The Bengals have been beaten up and knocked down plenty since their Week 4 bye. But for all their issues, they've quietly won four of five, including Sunday's 22-13 exorcism at Houston, where Cincinnati lost in the playoffs after the 2011 and 2012 seasons. They're a half-game up on the Steelers and Browns in the AFC North. They're still the team scouts believed could compete for the conference title before the season. It's hard to argue with the Patriots as the frontrunners, with the Broncos (39-36 winners over the Dolphins on Sunday) and Colts (23-3 over the Jaguars) behind them. Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton tossed a pick-six Sunday and isn't operating on the same level as MVP candidates Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. The Bengals have a lot of talent elsewhere, though. Getting back LB Vontaze Burfict, who now has missed four games with a knee injury, would certainly help a defense that hasn't been the same since former coordinator Mike Zimmer left for Minnesota.
— Zimmer had a decent plan for slowing down the Packers: Sit back in two-deep coverage to limit big gains, tell the cornerbacks to test the limits of the rules with physical play and hope the front six can stop the run on its own. Trouble is, QB Aaron Rodgers is uncommonly smart about taking chances with the football and RB Eddie Lacy can do a lot of damage behind one of the NFL's underrated offensive lines. Sunday's 24-21 win wasn't Green Bay's cleanest offensive performance. Five penalties didn't help. But the Packers nonetheless finished with 362 yards — including 155 on the ground — and converted six of 11 third downs on the road against a division foe. The question on the Packers remains the defense, which will be tested next week against the Patriots. (Clay Matthews vs. Rob Gronkowski anyone?) The way the NFC is shaping up, though, the Packers may be able to outgun all comers — particularly if they can direct the road through Lambeau Field, where they've been unstoppable.
— Latest example of why the NFL's celebration rules need to be rewritten: Colts WR T.Y. Hilton technically should've been penalized for his post-touchdown tribute to his newborn daughter. Rocking and rubbing the football was a nice way to commemorate what had to be an emotional day for Hilton. It also was a fairly obvious violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which prohibits using the ball as a prop. NFL officials can't be in the business of deciding whether something is cute enough to be permissible. Hilton broke the rule and should've been flagged — which is exactly as stupid as it sounds. That's why the only ban should be on foreign objects. Everything else should go.
— A Bills win Monday night in their weather-delayed "home" game against the Jets in Detroit would put 11 teams above .500 in the AFC with five weeks to go — a remarkable figure even without considering that just seven NFC teams can say the same. Even with that disparity, the cut-off line is the same. If the playoffs began now, a pair of 7-4 teams in each conference would be left out.
Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.
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