NFL Week 16: Thoughts on Manning HGH allegations, Falcons end Panthers perfect season

Every Monday morning, Section 215’s Akiem Bailum gives an in-depth and unfiltered look at all of the latest sports news in The Monday Morning Realist. You can follow Akiem on Twitter @AkiemBailum.

Sports rocked by HGH allegations

Dec 20, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 20, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

For the most part, we as sports fans have stayed relatively clear of anything having to do with performance enhancing drugs unless they are pertaining to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, or Mark McGwire’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame.

We have stayed relatively clear of such possibilities—until now.

Now, the concept of a professional athlete or professional athletes being on the stuff is once again in the forefront of sports fans’ consciousness after an Al Jazeera report which links Peyton Manning to receiving human growth hormone in 2011.

The allegations are that he received growth during this year as he was recovering from neck surgeries.

Manning wasted no time in launching a defense against the Al Jazeera report…a report that aired on Al Jazeera America at the exact same time a Sunday Night Football game on NBC between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings was airing on that network.

Manning was visibly furious during that interview in addressing that report, but that did not stop the “Nationwide jingle” memes from FLYING all over social media.

Lost in the shuffle of the report was that it also raised allegations against other sports stars that have allegedly doped, including the Green Bay Packers’ Clay Matthews and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard.

Howard’s attorney, according to reports, was already so peeved about the report from Al Jazeera that he is already planning a lawsuit.

Usually there is one main supplier at the heart of any steroids scandal. We know about the names Victor Conte and Tony Boesch. We can now add someone by the name of Charlie Sly to the list. It was said that the growth shipments were under the name of Ashley Manning, who is Peyton’s wife.

He has since retracted his statements and said that he was an intern at the place he worked at.

Despite this, Al Jazeera still decided to air the documentary.

Realists, I cannot help but think that we may have our first major sports story of 2016 without it actually being 2016 yet. Remember, we may not have thought much of DeflateGate when those allegations first came out, before DeflateGate became the media-inflated scandal of 2015 that it was.

Already, there are some people on social media that are starting to come out and label Manning as a cheater, but the allegations are that he received growth in 2011.

He certainly did not need to use human growth hormone prior to 2011 and if I remember correctly, he did pretty well as an Indianapolis Colts QB prior to 2011 when he established himself as possibly the greatest passing quarterback in NFL history and led the Colts to a Super Bowl in 2006-2007.

Manning has already hired Ari Fleischer to be his representative. This was the same person who once represented President George W. Bush and was the same person who once had to be the PR person for the now defunct Bowl Championship Series.

In other words, you probably are in some deep stuff if you have to hire that man to be your spokesperson.

But, the biggest aspect of this story may not even be Manning being alleged of having used HGH, but the media outlet itself that put out the report.

In the United States, Al Jazeera’s foothold on sports is not that great. All it has is the digital network beIN Sport, even though that is a partnership between Turner and Al Jazeera.

But some of the reaction to the story may not be the reaction to the details but the fact that it was broken by Al Jazeera.

Mike Ditka, a hardcore right-wing conservative already slammed the report, basically asking people to “consider the source.” Realists, me thinks his reaction would be different if it were the result of an investigative report by Fox News’ Brit Hume.

The truth of the matter is Al Jazeera is an extremely credible journalistic outlet. When Al Jazeera bought Current TV from Al Gore a few years ago and changed it into Al Jazeera America, one of its biggest selling points was that it was going to be huge when it came to investigative reporting.

And for the most part, Al Jazeera has done just that and it has been proven with this in-depth report on doping in sports—something that has been a problem for years and will possibly always be a problem.

So to those whose opinions on this story may be skewed just because it was broken by Al Jazeera instead of Outside the Lines or HBO Sports, they need to check their attitudes at that door. The United States of America is not the only country that can do investigative reports and in many ways, other countries do media a little bit better than we do Stateside.

So who knows if these allegations are true or if they are not true. To find out than an NFL player could be taking some sort of PEDs is not a surprise. But the name Peyton Manning is the one that will draw headlines from Denver to Indianapolis.

And even though there is a detraction, Lance Armstrong also once upon a time was very adamant about never using steroids and so was Rafael Palmeiro. Those did not turn out well for either Armstrong and Palmeiro as their reputations have been virtually damaged beyond repair.

We will see for sure what happens here…

The ’72 Dolphins prevail again

Dec 27, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) celebrates after throwing his 200th touchdown pass to Julio Jones (not pictured) against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

This happens every year around this time in the NFL (except in 2007-08 when the celebration finally happened in February).

Thirty-two teams begin the season with no wins and no losses. Over a course of a season, a few teams begin to emerge by mid-season as the lone undefeateds remaining. Then, as the last undefeated team is determined, that team becomes more closely watched by the players and coaching staff of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

That was, of course, the last team in the NFL to run the table.

So on Sunday, the ’72 Dolphins were big fans of the Atlanta Falcons as they faced the 14-0 Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome.

Of course, these were the same Panthers that embarrassed the Falcons in Carolina via a 38-0 butt kicking that also seemed to only further cement Cam Newton’s status as this year’s NFL MVP.

The Falcons, whose playoff hopes were slim in an NFC that at the time already had one playoff berth clinched by way of the Seattle Seahawks, were playing for their playoff lives for the 2015 season against the best team in football. They also had to be on the lookout later for what the Minnesota Vikings would do against the New York Giants in Minnesota.

And early on after the Panthers scored a touchdown on their opening drive, it appeared as if this game would end up being a carbon copy of the game in Charlotte.

Carolina not only had an early 7-0 lead, but on the Falcons’ first possession, it looked like they had forced the Falcons into a three and out. This was prior to a penalty on Charles Tillman prolonged Atlanta’s opening drive and the Falcons made them pay by tying the game up at seven apiece.

Two plays of this game stuck out to me as plays of the game…when Newton dragged virtually five Falcons defenders on him as he fought for a first down. The second ended up being a long 70-yarder from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones, who caught his pass over Luke Kuechly. This gave the Falcons a 14-10 lead…a lead that they would not relinquish.

Overall, this was a much better game, of course, for the Falcons than what we have seen out of them as of late. Their defense came ready to play, and their offense looked balanced. When you hand the ball off as many times to Devonta Freeman as what the Falcons did, your chances of winning any and all football games can and will go up exponentially.

And, it may be one of those losses that could actually help Carolina, because now they no longer have the pressure of having to run the table attached to them. They can now refocus now on ensuring the NFC goes through Carolina and as it does, they should expect a date with either Arizona or Seattle in late January if the NFC holds serve through the first month of 2016.

Ryan threw for 306 yards and completed 23 of his 30 passes. He only had one touchdown but his passer rating was a robust 119.6. Freeman, who was the early season MVP candidate among many pundits, rushed for 73 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown. They got 178 yards and nine receptions plus one touchdown out of Julio Jones.

There were not any touchdowns (or picks) for Newton but he did throw for 142 yards and completed 17 of his 30 passes. In addition, another Cameron (Artis-Payne) picked up 49 yards on the ground on five carries. Atlanta’s defense held Greg Olsen to only 40 yards on four receptions.

To close out the regular season next week as said regular season ends but new year (2016) starts, the Panthers will be facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. Atlanta stays at home as the New Orleans Saints await.

Final: Atlanta Falcons 20, Carolina Panthers 13

Phil Luckett laughs

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) signals first after running the ball during overtime against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots 26-20 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

The ending of this game is what ultimately stole the headlines when talking about this game. More on that later though.

On most occasions when the New England Patriots face off against the New York Jets, usually the postgame involves some hostilities between Bill Belichick and (insert name of Gang Green coach here).

Usually it also involves an in-depth analysis of Tom Brady’s team embarrassing the Jets by throwing for 350-plus yards and four touchdowns in an emphatic victory.

Maybe those Jets teams did not have anything to play for but this one does—a Wild Card playoff berth in the AFC. It is a position we are not used to seeing the Jets in for the most part, but it was where New York was as Week 16 commenced.

And at one point in this game, it was the Jets that were dominating thanks to some stellar New York defense as well as a couple of touchdown throws from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Brandon Marshall. One of them was short for two yards and the other was for 33 as the Jets got off to a fast start by virtue of their 17-3 lead.

But as we know, when you are facing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots no game is over until it is truly over. Stephen Gostkowski’s second field goal and a fumble recovery by Jamie Collins for fourteen yards equaled the Patriots deficit being trimmed from 17-3 to 17-13.

And eventually, they kept the Patriots in the game long enough to where the Patriots managed to tie the game thanks to Brady’s lone touchdown throw—it was for nine yards from Brady to James White, making it a 20-20 game.

But as overtime commenced, more controversy ensued.

The Patriots had won the coin toss, but the confusion stemmed from the fact that New England elected to defer the football to the Jets instead of put their offense back on the field with a chance to win it. Certainly, fans in Kansas City and Pittsburgh were more than likely a little bit peeved at Belichick’s decision as well.

Instead the confusion had to do with the direction that Matthew Slater, a New England special teams player, wanted the kick to be in. At first it appeared as if it had to do with why kick instead of receive especially given who your quarterback is. Belichick in the postgame presser confirmed it was the right call—and one that the Pats have done in overtime situations in the past as well.

Regardless, one may also think it was a safe call. After all, who really expects a Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterbacked team to march down the field in overtime for a game-winning touchdown against New England?

The Jets apparently expected it because that is precisely what they did, sealing a 26-20 victory and keeping the Jets in position to lock up the seventh-seed in the AFC playoffs.

Fitzpatrick completed 26 of his 41 passes for 296 yards plus three touchdowns all equaling a passer rating of 109.4. Bilal Powell had 56 yards on the ground on seven carries while Marshall, in addition to his two touchdown receptions, also caught eight passes for 115 yards.

On the Patriots side, Brady completed 22 of his 31 throws for a grand total of 231 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Brandon Bolden had 30 yards on the ground on nine carries while Rob Gronkowski caught four passes for 86 yards.

The Jets win was also huge given the way the AFC playoff picture is looking as mentioned earlier. Why? The Kansas City Chiefs barely edged out a victory over the Cleveland Browns by a final of 17-13 at Arrowhead Stadium.

That was the Chiefs’ ninth straight victory. Remember, this team was 1-5 earlier in the year. Nine consecutive victories later, they are now 10-5, in second place in the AFC West and are now in the playoffs.

As for the Steelers, they were upset in Baltimore by the Ravens by a final of 20-17. Apparently, rivalry games in Baltimore and Atlanta made teams get up for games when they have not done so for the most part all year long.

A result—right now the Jets would be the sixth seed and the Steelers would be watching the playoffs from home.

That actually will be the stakes for the Jets as they face the Buffalo Bills next week to close out the season. A win will clinch the sixth seed of the AFC for New York which is why many are already speculating NBC could have very well flexed for Sunday Night.

While the Jets may be “Waitin’ all day,” the Patriots will close their regular season against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Those very Dolphins made a lot of Texans fans disappointed this week by failing to defeat the Colts despite Houston thrashing Tennessee in Nashville by a final of 34-6.

Final Score: New York Jets 26, New England Patriots 20

Discount Double X

Dec 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) loses his helmet while being sacked by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Alex Okafor (57) and cornerback Jerraud Powers (25) during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

For a game built up by Fox as “America’s Game of the Week,” the Green Bay Packers did not do America, inside and outside of their home state of Wisconsin, any favors.

On Sunday afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, one team was playing as if it wanted to still have a chance at homefield throughout the NFC playoffs. The other looked like it was merely going through the motions.

And it was not like the Arizona Cardinals did not have to deal with their brushes with adversity. Losing Tyrann Mathieu for the remainder of the season is one major loss for Arizona.

The way this team played against the Green Bay Packers, having the Honey Badger on the field probably would have only made it only worse.

Realists, I vividly remember what happened when Aaron Rodgers and his offense played Carolina earlier this year at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. That was a game that looked like it was supposed to feature two elite teams—arguably at the time the two best teams in the NFC.

Rodgers did not look like the Rodgers that we are used to seeing on most nights. Every single time Rodgers dropped back to pass the football, it looked like he was on defense against 20 Carolina Panthers on defense instead of 11. He looked like he did not belong on that football field that day.

This game against the Arizona Cardinals and their defense looked like a carbon copy of what had happened against Carolina.

The Green Bay Packers may make the playoffs by virtue of them already having clinched a playoff berth. But, does anyone really expect them to go that far this year?

It is beyond obvious as to how the loss of Jordy Nelson early in the season has affected them, they could be dealing with a potential distraction thanks to the Al Jazeera America report that namedrops Clay Matthews, and the two best teams in the NFC have now made mincemeat out of the green and gold.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, could it have been a better Week 16. Now with a win and some help next week in the form of a Buccaneers victory over Carolina, the entire NFC playoff picture changes with the Cardinals now assuming the homefield throughout the NFC instead of the Panthers.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers? It looked like the Arizona Cardinals vs. the University of Wisconsin out there.

Palmer had completed 18 of his 27 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Kerwynn Williams had 44 yards on the ground courtesy of eight carries. Michael Floyd, who seemingly could not drop a Palmer pass all game, had 111 yards through the air on six receptions.

It was a different story, of course, for football’s A-Rod with only 151 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in addition to completing 15 of his 28 throws. Eddie Lacy did rush for 60 yards on 12 carries, but James Jones was the Packers’ leading receiver and he was held to a mere 46 yards on five receptions.

Arizona’s game next week will be at University of Phoenix Stadium…but it shall not be easy against the Seattle Seahawks even though these are the same Seahawks that were stunned once again by the St. Louis (soon to be Los Angeles again?) Rams—this time at CenturyLink Field.

As for the Packers they will head home to play the Minnesota Vikings in a game that better be on national television.

Final Score: Arizona Cardinals 38, Green Bay Packers 8

No Odell, No O

Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (31) rushes for a 68 yard touchdown against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 49-17. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes, you get those games that can somewhat expose just how important one player can be to an offense.

Usually that player is a quarterback. The New England Patriots look like an entirely different team when someone other than Tom Brady is taking the snaps. The Indianapolis Colts in the Peyton Manning years looked like an entirely different team when someone other than #18 was taking the snaps.

Quarterbacks like Brady and Manning can take average receivers and turn them into Pro Bowlers.

Who would have guessed Odell Beckham, Jr. could take an average offense and make the Giants look like one of the premier aerial attacks in the league?

Of course, because of the helmet-to-helmet hit that Beckham had put on Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman during last week’s game in New York, much all of a sudden has begun to be made as to if he is really a dirty player.

The hit he put on Norman earned him a one-game suspension in what was the beginning of a blue week for Big Blue.

Despite coming back last week to tie the Panthers at 35-35 after being down 35-7, there still was not enough time (and the Giants did not have enough defense) to stop Cam Newton and the Panthers offense one more time as Carolina won 38-35 thanks to the foot of Graham Gano.

Then comes the Beckham suspension. Then comes what happened in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve.

New York probably did not “like” what they saw on NFL Network when the Washington Redskins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by a final of 38-24 at Lincoln Financial Field. This clinched the NFC East for the ‘Skins and eliminated the G-Men from playoff contention.

Then came Sunday night against a Minnesota Vikings team outside in Minnesota in the elements. And against a team that all they had to do was win and get in.

And the Vikings looked like a team from start to finish that wanted to get into the playoffs. Some teams when playing for pride still can take the field and look like they are giving it their all. The Giants looked like a team that was ready for its Winter and Spring vacation and was already turning the page to the 2016 season.

Meanwhile for the Vikings, thanks to the Arizona Cardinals, will now be playing next week on NBC at Lambeau Field against the Packers with the NFC North division on the line, meaning they will be playing for the three-seed in the playoffs and the right to host a playoff game.

Realists, I know some are going to be ticked that it was not the Jets game that got flexed to the Peacock, but this gets a Realist Approved from me. Heated rivalry between two really good teams with a division championship on the line. Can’t go wrong with that!

Bridgewater threw for 168 yards and completed 15 of his 25 passes plus one touchdown. Adrian Peterson had another 28-like game: 104 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown while Jarius Wright caught three passes for 57 yards.

Manning: 234 yards on 15/29 passing with one touchdown and three interceptions. Rashad Jennings rushed for 74 yards on 14 carries and Rueben Randle only caught two passes for 80 yards but one of them was for a touchdown.

In the realm of meaningless games, the Giants play the Eagles next week. And of course, Minnesota gets Green Bay.

Bart Scott said it best: “Can’t wait!”

Other Games

Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; NFL logo after the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland Raiders defeat San Diego Chargers 23-20

Washington Redskins defeat Philadelphia Eagles 38-24

Houston Texans defeat Tennessee Titans 34-6

Indianapolis Colts defeat Miami Dolphins 18-12

Detroit Lions defeat San Francisco 49ers 32-17

Buffalo Bills defeat Dallas Cowboys 16-6

Chicago Bears defeat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-21

Baltimore Ravens defeat Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17

New Orleans Saints defeat Jacksonville Jaguars 38-27

St. Louis Rams defeat Seattle Seahawks 23-17

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos (8:30, ESPN Monday Night Football)