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The Bottom Ten/NFL Week 17
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
We don't know what the hell's up with the Bengals. Sure, the Lions are making a mockery of the 2008 Bottom Ten race - never particualry difficult to do - but spots on the B-10 medal stand and Top 5 leader board are there for the losing, and the Bengals up and win this week!
Still though, there is plenty of lousiness to go around this year, paced, of course, by the Lions who joined the 1980 New Orleans Saints and Bottom Ten Hall of Famer's the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only NFL teams to start a season 0-14. So hold on to your hats, the race for the Dan Henning Trophy is only going to get tighter!
And down the stretch they come! This week's imbroglio, as the nags reach the sixteenth pole:
Detroit (0-14; lost at Indianapolis 31-21)
Mitigating Factors: Detroit juggernaut staring historic 0-16 season squarely in the face, becoming third NFL team to start season 0-14…Overall, Lions have lost 15 straight and 21 out of last 22…On the plus side, Lions tied for lead in NFL with 14 Games Played.
Maybe We Should Just Kick Field Goals Every Play: Lions so bad, MVP is kicker Jason Hanson, who set NFL career record Sunday with 41st field goal of 50 or more yards…Hanson is also the first kicker to be eight for eight in 50-yard plus field goals in a season.
Next Loss: New Orleans
St. Louis (lost to Seattle, 23-20)
Mitigating Factors: Rams - standing by in case of unlikely Detroit collapse - keep B-10 title hopes alive with eighth straight loss…Rams show character that wins B-10 titles withy clutch fourth quarter, allowing game tying touchdown, game winning field goal, in last three minutes.
Oh, What Might Have Been: For second consecutive year, Rams shoot selves in B-10 foot, as consecutive wins in October follow 2007 season where three win in four game stretch knocks Rams out of B-10 medal stand.
Next Loss: San Francisco
Kansas City (2-12; lost to San Diego 22-21)
Mitigating Factors: Chiefs making strong B-10 medal stand case with one 2008's most inspiring losses, giving up two touchdowns in last 1:13 and missing field goal on final play…Half of Chiefs losses have come when they scored at least 20 points.
Bad, But Not Bad Enough: B-10 medal stand chances boosted with Cincinnati win, but Chiefs need help to win Dan Henning Trophy.
Next Loss: Miami
Oakland (3-11; lost to New England 49-26)
Mitigating Factors: Raider offense suddenly wakes up to put up second-highest point total of season, but defense up to the challenge, allowing its highest point total of season…
Consistency Counts: Raiders have had three losing streaks this season of at least three games.
Next Loss: Houston
Seattle Seahawks (3-11; defeated St. Louis 23-20)
Mitigating Factors: Late-season win usually enough to knock team off of B-10 leader board, but since win was only against lousy Rams, Seahawks receive enough Strength of Schedule points to stay in Top 5…Seahawks muster just 76 total yards in first half, and need ten points in last three minutes to pull out win.
Gut Check Time: Seahawks need to lose out to remain on B-10 leader board, have crack at medal stand.
Next Loss: NY Jets
Caught In Lint Trap:
6. NFC West (18-38) - Lacking glamour of winless team, but any division that has former B-10 perennial Arizona as division champ deserves Ray Malavasi Pin, symbolic of NFC's worst division!
7. Washington (7-7) - After starting 2008 6-2, Redskins have lost three straight and five of last six, including Sunday's triumphant loss to Bengals!
8. Cincinnati (2-11-1) - B-10 darlings continue to shoot selves in foot with third non-loss in last six games!
9. Cleveland (4-10) - Big loss this week against Cincinnati could propel Browns to B-10 leader board!
10. AFC West (19-37) - First place Denver has lost five of last nine, easily earning Marv Levy Broach, issued to AFC's worst division!
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