From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe

JUST ONE LEFT . . .

Week 11 started with two undefeated teams – the Panthers and the Patriots – and ended with just one.

BRONCOS 30 – PATRIOTS 24

The Broncos (9-2) beat the Patriots 34-24 last Sunday night in one of the most exciting games of the season and knocked the Patriots (10-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Starting his third consecutive game for the injured Peyton Manning – and trailing 21-17 with just 2:31 remaining to be played – Brock Osweiler drove the Broncos 83 yards in five plays to give the Broncos a 24-21 lead. The go-ahead score came on a four-yard pass to Andre Caldwell – and Temple’s Brandon McManus added the PAT.

With 1:09 remaining, it looked as if the Patriots were in dire straits.

Just a minute-and-forty seconds earlier, the injury-depleted Patriots lost Rob Gronkowski when their star tight-end was carted off the field with a knee injury. His injury was later diagnosed as a bone bruise and his status is listed as week-to-week.

That said, Tom Brady moved his team 51 yards in five plays:

1. Passed 22 yards to Scott Chandler.
2. Threw incomplete pass.
3. Passed 10 yards to Scott Chandler.
4. Threw incomplete pass – but Broncos were penalized five yards for defensive holding.
5. Passed 14 yards to Brandon LaFell – LaFell running out of bounds to stop the clock with just ten ticks remaining.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the score 24-24 and send the game into overtime.

The Pats received in overtime, but Brady couldn’t move the team:

1. Incomplete pass.
2. Sacked for 7-yard loss.
3. Incomplete pass.

After a 58-yard punt by Ryan Allen and a 14-yard return by Emmanuel Sanders, Brock Osweiler took over at his own 43 and started the Broncos moving:

• C. J. Anderson rushed for 2 yards.
• Osweiler passed to Owen Daniels for 7 yards.
• On third-and-one, C. J. Anderson turned the corner and raced 48 yards to pay dirt and a 30-24 victory.

The loss by the Patriots left the Carolina Panthers as the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL.

PANTHERS 33 – COWBOYS 14

In the middle game on Thanksgiving, the Panthers had little trouble putting away the Cowboys 33-14. In fact, the biggest news of the day had nothing to do with the Panthers and everything to do with the Cowboys.

That news was that Tony Romo was lost for the season.

In just his second game back after recovering from a broken collarbone, linebacker Thomas Davis sacked Romo and threw him to the ground. Romo landed on his shoulder in obvious pain.

The injury was later diagnosed as a hairline fracture.

Prior to the injury, Romo threw three interceptions:

1. Kurt Coleman picked off Romo on the game’s first drive and returned it 36 yards for a TD.
2. Luke Kuechly intercepted Romo on the Cowboys fifth drive and returned it 32 yards for a TD.
3. Kuechly intercepted Romo with 2:36 remaining in the first half and returned it 17 yards to set up a 25-yard field goal by Greg Gano on the last play of the first half. That made the score 23-3 and left no chance for the Cowboys to rally.

The Panthers have five games remaining:

1. Dec 6 – @ Saints
2. Dec 13 – Falcons at home
3. Dec 20 – @ Giants
4. Dec 27 – @ Falcons
5. Jan 3 – Buccaneers at home

As Week 13 unfolds and with three of those five games on the road, I’m hoping the Panthers lose one or two games – which would enable me to crack open a bottle of Andre to celebrate the Miami Dolphins being the only NFL team to record a Perfect Season.

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com Barry Bowe is also the author of:

• Born to Be Wild
• 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
• 12 Best Eagles QBs
• Birth of the Birds
• Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
• Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
• Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow