NFL, Week 16: Bengals, Steelers, Giants, Redskins trying keep playoff hopes alive

In case you don’t follow me on Twitter, last night I had a pretty epic meltdown after the Giants game, comparing Kevin Gilbride to George W. Bush and then running in a very political, hostile direction. The main takeaway (ha! he said the name of the column) from my rant is that I am the liberal version of Drunk Uncle.

Other than “you’re being a drunken jerk,” the most common complaint that I received was “stop complaining, you guys won the Super Bowl last year.” Gee, thanks. Here’s people who say that in other scenarios:

Washington still has a back door into the playoffs should Dallas win next week -- the Redskins would need both the Vikings and Bears to lose in Week 17.

Here’s what the NFC seeding order looks like after Week 16:

The AFC playoff picture s all set. Six teams have all clinched a spot in the postseason, with all four division winners decided and the two Wild Cards having been handed out. So what’s left to be determined in Week 17? Plenty.

Here’s how the seeding looks right now in the AFC:

The 49ers could only muster two Akers’ field goals and a garbage time score by Delanie Walker. Kaepernick had trouble finding receivers against the Seahawks’ tight coverage all game, finishing with 244 yards, one touchdown and an interception on a less-than-efficient 19-for-36.

Fantasy studs and duds

Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh both coaching young, talented NFC West teams is a wonderful thing. We’ll be seeing all kind of bizarre facial expressions for years to come. Carroll’s Seahawks are thrashing the 49ers on prime time, leading their rivals by nearly 30 points in the fourth quarter.

Seattle’s coach gave the world a taste of his troll face after Doug Baldwin’s third quarter touchdown.

- God already told him the outcome of the game; who is he to interfere?

- Managed to achieve perfectly-tousled hair; didn’t want to ruin it

Although the AFC already locked in its six combatants for the 2012-13 postseason in Week 16, as many as six teams in the NFC remain firmly in the hunt for a playoff berth following Sunday’s slate of games.

The Washington Redskins also stayed in the thick of the race with a 27-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a win that effectively put Robert Griffin III and his teammates into the No. 4 spot in the conference. The Redskins will square off against an 8-7 Dallas team in Week 17 with both the division title and a playoff berth on the line.

The additional attention got under Cam Newton’s skin, as the quarterback who looked poised for the last two months lost his composure. Tommy Kelly was on the receiving end of a kick in the first half, and in the second half Newton bumped a referee while lobbying for what he perceived to be another personal foul.

Whether it’s admitting an intent to injury, or bumping an official -- there’s a good chance both Cam Newton and Tommy Kelly will be hearing from the league offices.

The Cardinals countered with an 82-yard blocked field goal return from Arizona’s Justin Bethel with just two minutes remaining, although it proved too little to late as Arizona’s onside kick attempt went unsuccessful. Now at 9-6 on the year with a regular season finale scheduled in Detroit next weekend, the Bears will enter Week 17 as one of a handful of NFC teams in search of a postseason bid. At the other end of the spectrum the Cardinals dropped to just 5-10 with the defeat, and are now one of three NFC franchises with double digits losses already this season.

Fantasy studs and duds

On the last play of Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, Trent Richardson sustained a leg injury and left the field on a cart. There is currently no update on his status. It was an unfortunate end to a day that started with some celebration, as Richardson broke Jim Brown’s rookie record for most rushing yards by a Browns’ rookie.

Pat Shurmur’s decision to leave the rookie in with his team losing by more than twenty will likely come under scrutity. The third overall pick in the 2012 draft has sustained a variety of injuries his rookie season, including a rib injury he had just been recoving from prior to Sunday’s game.

The Browns are currently trailing Denver 24-6.

Weeden is 12-of-19 for 104 yards, without a touchdown or an interception. McCoy came in and, like clockwork, was sacked on his first pass attempt. He is currently 1-of-2 for 0 yards.

What happens when you combine Brian Setzer, Jimmy Johnson and sweet swingin’ adult contemporary Christmas tunes? Well, you get a rockin’ NFL on FOX celebraish! Sponsored by Extenz, of course.

Play that air guitar, Rob Riggle! Play it like the wind! Also, don’t sleep on Terry Bradshaw’s best dance move of all: “The Frankenstein’s Monster!”

In 1957, Jim Brown ran for 942 yards and nine touchdowns. With 53 yards in the first half, Trent Richardson extended his rookie total to 950 yards and 11 touchdowns, breaking Browns’ mark in the process. The NFL is very different to when Jim Brown set his record, and it’s important to note that he played fullback, not the running back role that Richardson enjoys in the modern NFL. However, for a storied franchise like the Cleveland Browns, any new record is important.

Jim Brown still holds the biggest record -- the team rushing mark. Set in 1963, he ran for 1,863 yards. Trent Richardson has a long career ahead of him, and the organization can only hope he’ll enjoy the same success.

Jacoby Jones made a pretty great catch for what was initially ruled a touchdown, and, because he’s a wide receiver in the NFL, he did a touchdown dance to celebrate. Of course, since it’s the NFL, the play was reviewed and overturned. This dance was all for not, but thanks to us here at SB Nation, it will be preserved through the annals of time.

Dance on, Mr. Jones. Dance on.

The one pick was about his only blemish as he has the Browns defense on the ropes.

Fantasy Impact: Just another day at the office for Peyton, and fantasy owners couldn’t be happier about his performance during the championship games.

Throwing for 400-yards and four touchdowns, Romo was everything the Cowboys could have asked for. Given Dallas’s week start to the season, they’re now within reach of the postseason. For the moment, Romo has silenced his critics.

The Bengals mustered just 14 rushing yards, committed seven penalties and turned the ball over three times, but they forced an equally mistake-ridden performance out of the Steelers. Pittsburgh had a more balanced offensive attack, but they also had three turnovers while producing even more penalty yardage.

For more on fantasy football, check out SB Nation’s fantasy hub.

On Sunday the Vikings kicker was a perfect three-for-three. Kicking field goals from 56, 41, and 39 yards -- they weren’t easy kicks, but Walsh made them look like it.

Converting over 90% of his attempts, Blair Walsh has only missed three field goals all season. His percentage from 50+ yards is an astounding 100%. With one game in hand, Walsh could easily increase this mark total -- and it will likely be a long time before another kicker is able to best the mark. At just 22-years-old, Vikings fans have a long career to look forward to from Blair Walsh.

San Diego improved to 6-9 with the win. The loss pushed the Jets down to 6-9.

Fantasy studs and duds

At least one fan who does not think that the Jags are in for a Christmas miracle against the Patriots. Tim Tebow can’t get here soon enough.