PFF Week: Up North, Week 15

It’s your last chance to get caught up on the happenings at PFF before the next slate of games is upon us, and our new ‘PFF Week’ posts provide quick access to the week that was. The ‘Up North’ edition covers all things pertaining to the AFC and NFC North divisions for a one-stop Saturday shop built to keep you in the loop and on top of your football-watching game.

The cold winter winds (and snows) were unleashed on NFL teams and fans last week with more of the same on the way. Weather such as this shows everyone just who the die hard fans really are. It’s one thing to be paid to play football in elements everyone had fun in as children but its entirely different to pay to see it in person. One of the good things at Pro Football Focus is that everyone is graded equally no matter the weather conditions or talent level across from them. By keeping the same stringent standards across the board, PFF subscribers can be assured of quality results and responsible grading.

Wrapping up Week 14

Wow. The AFC and NFC North teams all played in harsh weather conditions of some sort or another. It made for truly entertaining theater across the board (or more accurately across the cable channels). For the most part the North teams gave a good account of themselves in the poor weather. The Bengals took over the #3 seed in the AFC by drubbing the Colts. The Browns took the Patriots to the brink before officiating became involved. The Ravens survived a furious exchange of scoring with the Vikings late in the game. The Steelers overcame a slow start to be in a surprise shootout only to lose by inches on the last play. The Lions struggled to find traction in the snowstorm in Philadelphia while the Bears thrived in the cold on Monday Night Football vs the Cowboys. The Refocused articles for all of those games are right here for you.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati| Cleveland at New England| Minnesota at Baltimore | Miami at Pittsburgh

Detroit at Philadelphia | Atlanta at Green Bay|Dallas at Chicago

That brings us back inside to get warm and enjoy taking in the changes in the PFF Power Rankings which as the season comes to a close becomes more solidified. Khaled Elsayed continues the Race for Rookie of the Year which one player has pretty much dominated all season. Also up is the PFF Team of the Week recognizing those with superior play (seven from the Northern Tribes) as well as the ‘Had a Bad Day’ Team who struggled in the face of adversity (just for representatives there). It should also be noted that five of the players who’ve won Neil Hornsby’s top special teams player of the week in The Third Phase articles were also from teams out of the North’s. This week’s 32 Observations by Nathan Jahnke covers one player on each team who are entering free agency in 2014 while the Secret Superstars by Gordon McGuinness is dominated by three players out of the AFC/NFC North who stood up and did their teams proud this past week.

Looking Ahead to Week 15

This week features some non-conference action, some divisional play, primetime games and the possibility for more poor weather matchups as well. The Bears will start Jay Cutler vs. the Browns after a four week layoff while the Vikings try to cobble a healthy enough roster to take the field against the Eagles. Green Bay will lack Aaron Rodgers once again as they seek to stay alive for one more week in the playoff chase to try against the Cowboys. The AFC North gets the national TV spotlight on Sunday Night Football with the Bengals heading to Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football to try and lockdown the AFC North title. The Ravens own the #6 seed but need to capture another win to ensure they don’t iss the playoffs after capturing their second Super Bowl title last season. Here are the 3TFO articles so you can get more information on these games as quickly as possible.

Chicago at Cleveland| Cincinnati at Pittsburgh | Baltimore at Detroit

Philadelphia at Minnesota | Green Bay at Dallas

Additionally…

– This week’s Signature Stat piece by Michael Renner is on Pass Blocking Efficiency with a specific look at how well RB’s and TE’s are are doing this season.

– How does your train of thought match up with the PFF analysis crew’s take on this weekend’s games in their weekly Pick’em selectons?

– Now while you are shopping don’t forget to pick up a subscription for someone you know that will appreciate the in-depth knowledge that PFF provides for just $26.99. There is also an awesome selection of PFF swag available for all and let’s be honest…or you can get them another sweater from your Aunt Stella in their favorite team colors.