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One more week to get those holiday gifts.  Week 15 featured a merry band of big games, an Adrian Peterson rushing explosion and another Jets collapse. Need we mention an awesome Russell Wilson/Hobbit trailer.  It’s all covered for you in this week’s Rewind.

Sunday:

• Russell Wilson: An Unexpected Journey – Check out our cool mashup of Russell Wilson and The Hobbit.  A very funny surprise awaits at the end!

Monday:

• Madden Curse Watch - Megatron inches closer to Jerry Rice’s all-time record.
• Week 15: Curse, Coincidence or Superstition – Brandon Marshall channels his inner Charlie Brown.
• Expected, Unexpected - You shouldn’t spike a man with glasses and Statement Sunday.
• Rookie Bucket List - No RG3, but a little Luck and some Tannehill.

The holidays are a magical time of the year. Families come together, communities help the needy, and almost anything is possible. Including miracles. Several NFL teams are in need of such a miracle, whether for a playoff run or long-term future of their franchise. Here’s a run-down of which NFL teams are in need of a little magic this holiday season:

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Minnesota Vikings – Miracle of a playoff berth

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Adrian Peterson has had a remarkable season. The way he’s running, it doesn’t appear that anything will stop him from at the very least threatening Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. Nevertheless, Peterson’s effort will be somewhat disappointing if the Minnesota Vikings fail to make the post-season. Right now, the Vikings are the sixth seed, but no team has a harder road to the playoffs than them – they have to travel to Houston to play the Texans, and then head back home to face the Green Bay Packers. On top of that, they need the New York Giants to lose at least once, or they’d still miss out of the playoffs even if they win out. If Peterson can pave the way for the Vikings to reach the playoffs, it would be nothing short of miraculous.

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A “Football Life: Immaculate Reception” will debut on Wednesday night, and I’ll be honest, it should be one of the most anticipated episodes of the series. I personally can’t wait for it. And with that in mind, let’s take a look back at the career of Franco Harris through his football cards.  This will kick-off a new series we call The Cardboard Bio.

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1973 Topps #89 – Rookie Card

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1973 Stats: 698 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns

Realize when you see Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers running around in similar beanies, they are going for hipster cool. Franco just made this look cool.

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1974 Topps #220

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1974 Stats: 1006 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns

You know, if Franco would have combined the beanie with his hair choice right here, we could have our NFL version of the famed Bake McBride and Oscar Gamble baseball cards of the 1980s.

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1975 Wonder Bread Card #17

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1975 Stats: 1246 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns

Forget Twinkies, these are Hostess’s all-time legacy.

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1979 Stop N’Go #13

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1979 Stats: 1186 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns

The coolest things about the 3-D cards was that they were indestructible. And believe me, I tried to rip up this card after the Steelers upset my Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV. But then again, I was five at the time. Who would have thought an impetuous sports fan as a child would grow up to be an impetuous sports fan as an adult?

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1980 Topps Super #1

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1980 Stats: 789 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns

One of the strangest phenomena of football cards during the 1980s was the lack of NFL marks on the helmets. That’s right, this isn’t merely the blank side of the Steelers helmet, this is an airbrushed Steelers helmet to remove the logo. Yes, they could have just saved a lot of time if they shot this on the other side.

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1984 Topps #165

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1984 Stats: 170 rushing yards, 0 rushing touchdowns

Hey look, they finally got an agreement to use NFL logos. Still should have shot the picture from the other side, just for nostalgia. Harris ended up playing the 1984 season with the Seattle Seahawks.  Where’s that card?

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1991 Pinnacle Card

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December 23, 1972

Back in 1991, Pinnacle released a card to commemorate the “Immaculate Reception.” And even they couldn’t find a conclusive angle to prove or disprove the “Immaculate Reception.” Pfft.

How much would you pay for this card with John Madden’s signature on it?

Football cards courtesy of the Beverly Hills Baseball Card Shop

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Make sure you check out “A Football Life: Immaculate Reception” and find out how the play got its name. Watch the full premiere episode on tonight at 8pm ET on NFL Network. 

During tonight’s premiere of A Football Life: Immaculate Reception play along with A Football Life Xtra. Visit nfl.com/xtra on your iPhone or iPad to download the NFL ’12 app.

Much like Clark Griswald in the holiday classic, Christmas Vacation, many NFL players and coaches are in need of a few relaxing days with the family (and that Christmas bonus!). Whether from a disappointing season or single-handedly carrying their team through the first 15 weeks, these players and coaches could use a little respite. And probably a large glass of egg nog.

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Luke Kuechly

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(Bob Leverone/Associated Press)

Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of a “rookie wall?” If so, no one told Luke Kuechly, who in his rookie season is second in the league with 138 total tackles. Given the Carolina Panthers propensity for letting opposing offenses run into the endzone willy-nilly, it’s as if the only person making tackles this season is Kuechly. He’s served notice to the NFC South this season that he’ll be a force for years to come, and his reward should be some rest. And an ice bath.

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It was “Statement Sunday,” which meant a slate full of fantastic games between playoff contenders. Or so we thought. Three of the six games turned out to be duds. Instead, it was just another week in the NFL where another unsuspecting man got hit in the face with a football.

Let’s get to the unexpected (and expected) for week 15.

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Spiked!

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How unlucky was this guy? Receiving the business end of a spiked football to the face was probably not on his agenda for the game.

Even worse than Danny Amendola celebrating a fourth quarter touchdown while down by 19 was his attempt to make amends… with the wrong person.

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Historically, players who are featured on the cover of the “Madden NFL” franchise experience significant drops in their offensive production. NFL.com is tracking the performance of Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions over the course of the 2012 season because we believe Johnson will debunk the Madden curse.

The Detroit Lions stayed on the road in week 15 as they faced the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium, where Calvin Johnson aimed to continue his outstanding season, and close in on Jerry Rice’s all-time receiving record.

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FIRST QUARTER
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The Lions kicked off to the Cardinals, whose offensive struggles continued as they were forced to punt after back-to-back penalties stalled a decent drive.

Mikel Leshoure gets things going with a nice run on first down for the Lions.

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NFL fans received a gift from the scheduling gods this weekend as there are six matchups with gigantic playoff implications in what has been dubbed, “Statement Sunday.” Once again we turned to the heavens to see what the future might hold for each of the 12 teams in the featured games. Here are your week 15 NFL horoscopes:

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New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons

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New York Giants - With Washington and Dallas breathing down your neck, it’s easy to see how you might lose focus with a road trip to Atlanta on the horizon. But you absolutely cannot let that happen. Another late-season collapse could spell trouble for your proud franchise. It’s imperative that you keep cool in the face of divisional pressure as you always have… your playoff hopes depend on it.

Atlanta Falcons - Another loss this weekend is not an option. After dropping a winnable game against the Carolina Panthers, your swagger is no longer respected in the NFC. You need a win, badly, and the visiting Giants will be anxious to knock you down another peg. Don’t let emotions from last season’s playoff defeat cloud your judgment. Devote that energy into a gameplan for winning this weekend, like mixing in a little more Jacquizz Rodgers.

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By: Robert Karpeles

As the last few weeks of the NFL season come to an end, it’s important to keep in mind that the most exciting football hasn’t even been played yet. Yes, the best is still to come and with good games come even better storylines.  You know, the one’s about the Jets sneaking in at the last second, quarterback controversies in San Francisco and the health of the quarterback in our nations’ capital. We live for football. But we also live for the great stories that stay with us after the games have been played. Here our nine things we hope for nine teams with playoff potential:

(Scott A. Miller/Associated Press)

Jets – Make the playoffs. Please, these guys just have to make the playoffs. We don’t care how they do it, but just do it. Cheat if you have to. Life without the Jets is like a morning without coffee. For some reason, we just need them. Rex and all.

(Nick Wass/Associated Press)

Redskins – RG3 stays healthy. I don’t care if he needs to slide like Ricky Henderson, the guy has to stay on the field. Please, RG3, just get on the ground. The NFL’s most exciting player on one of the league’s most surprising teams needs to be out there. Kirk Cousins would be a neat story, but nobody wants the uglier friend.

(James D. Smith/Associated Press)

Cowboys – Tony Romo starts to struggle again. OK, so he’s had a few good games and he’s got the Cowboys winning again, but doesn’t life make more sense when Romo isn’t good? Who else are we going to blame if the Star doesn’t get into the playoffs? Jerry Jones? Jason Garrett? Can you imagine if Romo and the Cowboys run the table the rest of the season, but so do the Giants, and the Cowboys don’t earn a playoff berth? It’s like we’d have to blame someone but wouldn’t know where to start. What a nightmare!

(Andy King/Associated Press)

Vikings – Adrian Peterson gets 2,000 yards. Few reasons:  1) It puts a ribbon on his comeback player of the year type year thing, 2) He is now the front runner for MVP and it gives us something to argue over in the offseason,  3)  ‘CAUSE IT’S 2,000 YARDS! Enough said. Peterson has 1,600 with three games to go. The last one is home against the Packers. How nice would it be if Peterson got to 2k and the Vikings somehow made the playoffs? What a treat for Vikings fans.

(Tom Gannam/Associated Press)

49ers – The 49ers get crushed by the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 15 and Colin Kaepernick plays awful. I mean like Rex Grossman awful, and all of a sudden Alex Smith looks like God. Jim Harbaugh scratches his head so much during the next week everyone thinks he has lice. He decides to go with Smith in Week 16 and the 49ers lose to the Seahawks in a tight one, and all of a sudden they are in danger of letting their division lead slip away. HOLY SMOKES! This would be a QB controversy for the ages, and one that could seep into the playoffs. Can you imagine all of San Francisco coming together to argue for who they think should start each week? Heck, the 49ers can leave it to a fan vote on their website. Now we’d really be in the social media age, eh? Was kidding about the last part. Kind of.

(Bill Kostroun/Associated Press)

Giants – How about a running back controversy? With Ahmad Bradshaw questionable this week, how great would it be for Giants fans if David Wilson broke out once again? Sure, these two could eventually split carries for the remainder of the season, but something tells me Bradshaw won’t enjoy a rookie stealing his thunder. The Giants are certainly a better running team than last season, but they could arguably use more help. With the way Bradshaw and coach Coughlin went at it in Week 7, there’s no person on earth who wouldn’t want to see that type of drama unfold again, with Bradhsaw claiming he is the guy. Speaking of drama, do the Giants ever have any of it?

(Stephen Brashea/Associated Press)

Seahawks – The Seahawks beat the Bills and 49ers lose to the Patriots and all of a sudden the Week 16 matchup between these two teams is huge. Who would’ve thunk it that Seattle would actually have a shot at winning the West? The only thing we would need from this game is a Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll handshake showdown after the game. Maybe they could arm wrestle or something.

(Scott Boehm/Associated Press)

Baltimore Ravens – Ray Lewis comes back, stays healthy and continues to be the integral factor that’s made the Ravens who they are for so many years. It’d be tough to see this guy on the sideline in the playoffs in a big game. Life is just better when Lewis is playing and playing well.

(Joe Howell/Associated Press)

Bears – The Bears have been so up and down this year it’s tough to keep track. First it was their awesome defense and their shaky offensive line, and now their D’ can’t seem to stop anyone. With Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall still looking good together, how confusing would it be if all of a sudden the Bears got hot because of their offense, defeating the Packers on Sunday and riding the momentum into the playoffs? No one cares about defense anyways.

Do you have something you’d like to see happen to one of the remaining playoff contenders? Let us know in the comments below!

When he’s not dominating the court in the NBA, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James prefers to dominate his couch on Sunday afternoons. James, an admitted die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, recently picked NFL Sundays as the one thing he couldn’t live without in a field comprised of his favorite things including candy, haircuts, Boardwalk Empire, and Martin Lawrence.

Despite his allegiance to the Cowboys, King James isn’t afraid to give a little love to Robert Griffin III. He not only hugged RGIII after the Heat lost to the Washington Wizards earlier this season, but went as far as saying his rival Washington Redskins “have a great one,” in RGIII.  A Cowboys fan praising the Redskins? Now we’ve seen everything!

Nevertheless, it’s always fun hearing from athletes in other sports and celebrities who are die-hard NFL fans. If you know of any who root for your team, give them some love in the comments below!

Associated Press

Week 14 was super, but Week 15 is going to be superbad.  Some great games that are possible playoff previews. Check out some of our treasure trove of content over the past week.

Sunday:

• Meet Kirk Cousins: Redskins Quarterback and Cinephile - He rescued the Redskins on Sunday. Meet’s the NFL’s aspiring Roger Ebert.

Monday:

• Madden Curse Watch - Megatron.3.5 inches of snow.  Will Ferrell. Need we say more?
• LaDainian Tomlinson Top 21 Moments – LT was one of the best running backs ever.  Check out our cool interactive page and see his 21 best runs.
• Week 14: Curse, Coincidence or Superstition – Revenge is a dish best served Cam Newton style.
• Expected, Unexpected - It’s Week 14. Napoleon Dynamite, the Jets and Brady Quinn. Three things you know you love.
• Rookie Bucket List - RG3 gets hurt. Luck triumphs. Wilson crushes.

As the playoffs draw nearer, it becomes more acceptable to start fantasizing about the potential matchups that could be on the horizon. The playoffs are always a time for unbelievable upsets, classic games, and iconic quotes. Regardless of which teams square off, NFL fans are almost guaranteed to be highly entertained. But there’s no reason a guy can’t dream about who will be entertaining him, right? Here are five playoff showdowns we can only hope to witness come January.

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Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers

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The Failmary part 2. Everyone in Green Bay likely has this rematch atop their Christmas list for a chance to avenge their week three “loss,” while Seattle should relish the chance to stick it to Green Bay in a more convincing fashion. Russell Wilson would be returning to Wisconsin to face Aaron Rodgers in what could instantly become a playoff classic.

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With 2013 Pro Bowl voting ending this week, time is running out for you to vote for your favorite players. Not sure who to vote for? No worries! To give you a little help in case you’re stuck between choices, or want to throw in some wild cards, we’ve broken it down a little differently. Here is our pop culture Pro Bowl ballot, featuring the players who deserve your vote for their influence on pop culture in 2012.

And the awards go to…

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Pro Bowl pitchman – Greg Jennings

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Corporations frequently turn to NFL stars to hawk their products to the masses. Calvin Johnson did Acura, Aaron Rodgers did State Farm, and Peyton Manning did pretty much everyone else. Yet this year’s Pro Bowl pitchman award goes to Greg Jennings for his hilarious series of Old Spice commercials. From acting in his own movie to doing push-ups with a jet ski on his back, Jennings went all-in with this campaign, and we’re thankful for it. And even though he missed a large portion of the season with an abdominal tear and probably kept you from the fantasy playoffs, he should still get your Pro Bowl vote for these ads. You can watch our favorite in the video above.

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Pro Bowl Interview of the Year – Thomas DeCoud

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Most fans of the 2001 comedy classic Super Troopers have at some point in their lives attempted to play the “Meow game,” where one tries to insert “meow” into a conversation without the other party taking notice. Well, Atlanta Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud did just that earlier this year when he was interviewed via phone for ESPN before a week 4 game against the Carolina Panthers. It’s subtle, but he pulled off roughly 14 “meows” over the course of the 4-minute interview. That, my friends, is enough to win our Pro Bowl vote for Interview of the Year.

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Pro Bowl Twitter account – Chris Kluwe

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We recently gave some love to Arian Foster for his Twitter account, but Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe takes the cake for this Pro Bowl award. I know what you’re thinking right now, how dare we glorify the punter position. But hear us out. Whether or not you agree with Kluwe on his strong political views, or are interested in his frequent nerdy tweets, the man has a sense of humor worthy of your attention.  Just check out the below exchange he tweeted covering a discussion he had with his wife. For these, and many more tweets, Chris Kluwe is our 2013 Pro Bowl Twitter account winner.

Wife asked if Jameson was whiskey. I said yes, it's made by leprechauns. She wondered if they live in the same tree as the Lucky Charm one.—
Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) December 11, 2012

Told her: "How do you think he gets through the day selling cereal to kids?"—
Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) December 11, 2012

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Pro Bowl SNL Host – Eli Manning

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This award technically defaults to Eli Manning, seeing as he was the only NFL player to host SNL this season. His performance on the show may not have been as legendary as some of his performances in the Super Bowl, but he still did more than enough to merit your Pro Bowl vote. And while he may not be as comically gifted as his older brother, Eli held his own, and that “Little Brothers” sketch was pretty fantastic. Oh, and he does still have more rings than Peyton. Just saying.

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Pro Bowl guest appearance on “The League” – RG3

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While we don’t have the actual video of his guest appearance to share, above is a deleted scene where we still get a glimpse of RG3′s comedic chops. Since this season of FX’s hit comedy show The League is still underway, we apologize to any guest stars we didn’t see in time for this post, but so far this season RG3 stole the show.  The Rookie of the Year candidate should not only get your Pro Bowl vote for his play on the field, but for his comedic efforts off the field as well.

Think we missed a worthy candidate? Let us know in the comments below!

As the season draws to a close, many teams are left searching for answers as they prepare to watch the playoffs from home. But what many teams really need, is a heavy dose of the truth à la Jack Nicholson as they look toward the 2013 season. In honor of the 20th anniversary of A Few Good Men, here are five teams that are entitled to know the truth about themselves, but just might not be able to handle it.

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Dallas Cowboys – Tony Romo is not going to take you to the promised land.

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John Froschauer/Associated Press

Tony Romo may have passed Troy Aikman this year to become the all-time leader in touchdown passes for the Cowboys, but unlike Aikman, Romo won’t lead the Cowboys to post-season glory. He’s a great regular season quarterback, but his improvisation and gun-slinger mentality cause too much trouble in the clutch. His talent is unquestioned, but he lacks the mental focus that separates the men from the boys when it matters most – the playoffs.

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Not sure if you were paying attention, or taking an open-eyed snooze like some NFL referees, but it’s week 14. The playoff race is heating up as more teams drop out, and one pesky team hangs on for dear life. Let’s take a look at the Unexpected (and expected) for week 14.

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And the award for most attentive referee of the week goes to…
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Isn’t it this referee’s job to watch the plays happening not only on the field, but particularly those happening five feet in front of him? It seems as if he only knew the pass was incomplete after the football hit him in the face.

Somewhere, several replacement refs are having themselves a good laugh. Also laughing is Brady Quinn, who is thanking his lucky stars he hit a referee with his errant pass to distract everyone from just how terrible of a pass he actually threw.

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Historically, players who are featured on the cover of the “Madden NFL” franchise experience significant drops in their offensive production. NFL.com is tracking the performance of Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions over the course of the 2012 season because we believe Johnson will debunk the Madden curse.

The Detroit Lions traveled to a snowy Wisconsin in week 14 to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. With the Lions all but eliminated from the playoffs. divisional pride was at stake, and Calvin Johnson was closing in on Jerry Rice’s all-time receiving yardage record so there was a lot to on the line. Not to mention the Lions hadn’t won in the state of Wisconsin in 21 years including the post-season.

Let’s get to the action and see if Johnson continued his curse-busting 2012 season.

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FIRST QUARTER
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The Lions receive the opening kick-off.  Will the snow slow down Megatron? Doubtful.

On third and 4, Matthew Stafford finds Johnson for a gain of  nine yards and a first down.

Given the conditions, the Lions tried to establish a ground game early, feeding the ball to Mikel Leshoure, who responded by helping move the Lions right down the field on the opening drive.

(Mike Roemer/Associated Press)

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