Category: Sports

Now that the playoffs are right around the corner, let’s do things a little differently. Instead of running down each division, it’s time to take stock of who’s out, who’s in, and who’s got a shot at the big brass ring. We’ll save picks for the end.

ELIMINATED

AFC: Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, Houston

NFC: Giants, 49ers, Bears, Buccaneers, Redskins

Who do you want to hitch your wagon to in the future? Cleveland will have their choice of QB in the 2018 Draft, and if their guy turns out like Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, there’s enough talent in the fold to turn them around in a couple of years. On the other hand, it’s the Browns. For the Colts, if Andrew Luck can return at a high level (big if), they won’t have to draft a QB in the first round – they could right the ship quickly with an impact rookie or two. Is Denver’s great defense going to remain effective by the time their new QB (one would assume) gets his sea legs? Speaking of young QBs, is Houston’s recovery really as simple as “Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt come back and we’re in contention”? Watt breaks something every other year – can he be effective again after this many injuries? Is a few great games by Watson enough evidence that he’s for real?

The Giants are in for at least a couple more lean years, although watching the continuing deterioration of Odell Beckham’s sanity should provide some unintentional entertainment. Jimmy Garoppolo should be fine at QB, but the 49ers aren’t upwardly mobile just yet. With a little draft luck, the Redskins could be in the hunt for a playoff spot next year; the Bears and Buccaneers look well-placed to be competitive for a couple of years. In the latter case, a coaching change would appear to be in order.

ALREADY IN

AFC: Pittsburgh

NFC: Philadelphia

Two teams with serious Lombardi aspirations – and serious injuries. In western Pennsylvania, Steelers LB Ryan Shazier will not return this season; out east, the Eagles will have to make do without a leading MVP candidate in QB Carson Wentz. The Steelers should be okay without their defensive star; the Eagles’ prospects aren’t as bad as they might seem:

1) Home-field advantage. The Eagles have the inside track to earning it, and while home field isn’t as big in the NFL as it is in the NBA, it’s better than not having it

2) The offensive line. Even without Jason Peters, the Eagles O-line is perhaps the best in the league. If you’re trying to make things easier on your backup QB, a great line is the best way to do so. Speaking of backup QBs…

3) Nick Foles. Sure, he’s not really as good as he looked under Chip Kelly, but he’s got a track record. He’s not a second year guy or some guy who’s spent a career holding a clipboard – he’s a proven guy, a known quantity. He’s not going to lose games, and he might even make some plays to help win them

IN IF NOTHING CHANGES

AFC: New England, Jacksonville, Kansas City (division leaders), Tennessee, Buffalo

NFC: Minnesota, LA Rams, New Orleans (division leaders), Carolina, Atlanta

I was as shocked as you all were when the Patriots laid an egg in Miami, but obviously they’ll be clinching the AFC East very soon. Odds are that they and Pittsburgh will earn first-round byes. It would take a miracle for the AFC West champ to catch the Pats, and Jacksonville has already lost once to Tennessee with one more matchup ahead. Buffalo’s hold on the #6 seed is extremely light, and they’ve got the Dolphins twice and another Patriots game left on their schedule. Someone else will be in that spot after week 17.

Things get very muddled in the NFC after the Eagles and Vikings. The Rams could still miss out on a playoff spot entirely. The NFC South is very much up for grabs in spite of the Falcons sleepwalking through half the season and the Panthers’ leaning so heavily on Cam Newton to bolster their running game.

STILL ALIVE

AFC: Baltimore, LA Chargers, Miami, Oakland, Cincinnati, NY Jets

NFC: Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Arizona

Baltimore will probably end up with Buffalo’s spot. The Chargers could still get in if they win the AFC West, and they’re tied with the Chiefs with one more game between them left to play. (KC won the first one) Oakland still has a shot because they’re only a game back in division; Miami’s division is not up for grabs. Cincy and the Jets (my favorite Elton John song) are both 5-8; I can’t imagine what sort of demonic magic it would take for either of those teams to get in.

Seattle is down a tiebreak to Atlanta; if nothing changes, they’re out. They almost have to win the NFC West to get in. They’ve won the first matchup with the Rams with another one to go, so they’ve got a good shot at it. Dallas, Detroit and Green Bay play in divisions that are already clinched or just about there; I can’t see any of them leapfrogging Atlanta and Seattle. Arizona is 6-7, so they’re even worse off.

So this is how the playoff tree’s gonna look in a few weeks:

AFC – Pittsburgh (1), New England (2), Jacksonville (3), LA Chargers (4), Tennessee (5), Baltimore (6)

NFC – Philadelphia (1), Minnesota (2), New Orleans (3), Seattle (4), Carolina (5), LA Rams (6)

If it turns out I’m wrong, I will subscribe to Teen Vogue for one year. If I’m right, I will subscribe for two years. On to the picks!

Denver 25 @ Indianapolis 13 (F – 12-14)

Chicago @ Detroit – Chicago has nothing to play for

LA Chargers @ Kansas City – Like I said, I’m off the bandwagon

NY Jets @ New Orleans – Oh, come on

Arizona @ Washington – this should finish off the Cards

Cincinnati @ Minnesota – Minnesota can still earn home field advantage

Green Bay @ Carolina – Rodgers picked a bad week to come back

Philadelphia @ NY Giants – Foles picked a good week for his first start of the season

Baltimore @ Cleveland – One. Last. Time.

Miami @ Buffalo – Miami’s played well last week and Buffalo has QB issues

Houston @ Jacksonville – Did Bill O’Brien play the head coach in Varsity Blues?

LA Rams @ Seattle – Losses like this are growing pains for an up-and-comer

Tennessee @ San Francisco – Tennessee’s fighting for their playoff lives

New England @ Pittsburgh – I doubt Belichick goes all-in to win this one

Dallas @ Oakland – “What a great matchup!” said the late 1970’s

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay – This loss will sink the Falcons playoff hopes

PICKS

Week 14: 10-5

Total: 100-63 (I just need five more correct picks to clinch a winning season!)

 

Next week, the final push for the playoffs begins, and it figures to be pure madness, at least in the NFC. Twelve teams have at least a puncher’s chance at one of the six playoff spots available. In the AFC, it’s looking more and more like the Steelers and Patriots are on a collision course for the conference championship game – but they’ll have a dress rehearsal for it in two weeks at Heinz Field. As of this writing, no one has clinched anything yet, so this season’s final four weeks figure to be quite dramatic.

But again, that all starts next Sunday. With week 13 being the relative calm before the storm, let’s look back at the career of one of the NFL’s greatest players, Barry Sanders.

AFC WEST

Kansas City @ NY Jets – I’m officially off the bandwagon

Denver @ Miami – just don’t make me watch it

NY Giants @ Oakland – Geno Smith is no kind of answer for the Giants’ woes

Cleveland @ LA Chargers – Sure, they’ll boff it up in the playoffs, but they are ROLLING now

We’ve all got our favorite football team; for most of us, it’s the hometown team. If not, it’s the team we rooted for before we moved. Others jump on the bandwagon of whoever the team of the moment is. Usually, the custom for sports fans is to overly praise their team’s best players while barely acknowledging the other stars of the game.

Some players are so good they’re exempt from this. In the 1990s, if your favorite team wasn’t the Detroit Lions, chances are you were a fan of their running back, Barry Sanders. Whether Sanders was the best running back of all time, or even of his own era, is open to question; the entertainment value of his running style was not. For ten years, Barry Sanders dazzled football fans from coast to coast with an inimitable running style. Only a handful of players past and present could claim even a vague similarity, as Sanders’ approach demanded imagination, risk-taking (no Hall of Famer ever lost more yards while trying to gain yards), a pair of legs that can execute any change of direction his brain could throw at them, and the ability to accelerate like a dragster.

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati – Next week is the trap game

Cleveland @ LA Chargers

Detroit @ Baltimore – close game to the home team

Barry Sanders was no less unique in between plays. In the 1990s, the practice of celebrating after every play was rapidly becoming the norm. Players like Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin were establishing the template for the modern NFL star; Barry Sanders was more of a throwback in terms of temperament. Sanders just simply jogged back to the huddle regardless of whether he’d lost five yards, gained five, or gained fifty. After a touchdown, Sanders’ signature celebration was to simply hand the ball to the nearest official.

If anything, Barry Sanders was probably too humble considering his abilities. Maybe humility was the key to his success; perhaps a refusal to revel in success spurred him to keep working, to fight for yards, to pursue excellence. Maybe he was working against a native complacency. In any case, it’s clear that the roots of Barry’s demeanor came from his father, the late William Sanders. This profile of the elder Sanders by TJ Simers certainly helps make the son’s behavior between the lines a little more understandable.

AFC SOUTH

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville – Jags bounce back at home

Houston @ Tennessee – Titans keep pace with Jags

In a 1993 interview in SPORT Magazine (that I can’t find online), the subject of rushing for 2000 yards came up. Barry talked about how special OJ Simpson was in his playing days, noting that Simpson’s 2000 yard season came in a 14-game schedule. The other 2000 yard rushers had gotten there in a 16-game season. (Simpson was primarily a north-south runner, but even well into his forties he could still slash through a double-team)

Barry Sanders’ Hall of Fame contemporaries were Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas. While Sanders was arguably the best of the three, Sanders was inarguably in the worst situation. Emmitt Smith ran behind the greatest offensive line ever assembled. If opposing defenses put eight men in the box to stop him, he had a HOF QB in Troy Aikman throwing to HOF WR Michael Irvin. Emmitt Smith was a huge talent, but huge talent around him helped him gain more yards on the ground than any running back in history. Thurman Thomas had comparable assistance in HOF QB Jim Kelly and WR Andre Reed. Barry Sanders, by contrast, didn’t have the same kind of talent to work with. WR Herman Moore had several great seasons playing with Sanders, but not a HOF career. Sanders’ QBs were a bigger step down: Bob Gagliano, Rodney Peete, Erik Kramer, end-of-career Dave Kreig (who wasn’t top flight in mid career), Scott Mitchell, and Charlie Batch. The 1990s belonged to Emmitt Smith’s Cowboys, who won Super Bowls in the 1992, 1993, and 1995. Thurman Thomas’ teams went to four straight Super Bowls.

Barry Sanders didn’t have an opportunity to play in even one. Sanders was in his third season when the Lions lost the 1992 NFC Championship game. In the 25 years since, the Lions haven’t gotten past the wild card round since then, losing eight times.

AFC EAST

New England @ Buffalo – The most gut of gut-feeling picks I could ever make

Denver @ Miami

Kansas City @ NY Jets

After two weeks had gone by in the 1997 NFL season, the Detroit Lions were 1-1 – but no one was talking about Barry Sanders rushing for 2000 yards. Through two games, Sanders had gained 53 yards on 25 carries. A more relevant question at that time might have been: Is Barry Sanders done? Sanders was 29 years old, in his ninth season, with more than 11,000 rushing yards on his odometer. (Of course, in week two he had caught 8 passes for 102 yards, which probably kept the naysayers from speaking too loudly). Heading into week three, Sanders would need to run for 322 yards just to get back on to a 2000 yard pace.

NFC WEST

LA Rams @ Arizona – Like the Jets most weeks, expect the Cardinals to keep it close in defeat

Philadelphia @ Seattle – The Eagles aren’t going to finish 15-1

San Francisco @ Chicago – DUUUUH BEARSSS

In week three of the 1997 season, Barry Sanders looked like his old self, rushing for 162 in a 32-7 win at Chicago’s Soldier Field. And over the next few weeks, Sanders piled up the yards while his team alternated wins and losses like a see-saw: 113 in a road loss at New Orleans, 139 in a home win over Green Bay, 107 in a road loss at Buffalo. Thru six weeks, the Lions were 3-3, but after an unrecognizable first two weeks, Barry Sanders had gained 574 yards.

Then Barry Sanders stepped his game up.

NFC NORTH

Minnesota @ Atlanta – Just when I thought the Falcons were fading, they’re surging late

Tampa Bay @ Green Bay – Rodgers, Hundley, doesn’t really matter against Tampa

Detroit @ Baltimore

San Francisco @ Chicago

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had built one of the best defenses in NFL history. From 1997-2005, the Bucs defense was the envy of the league. With Tony Dungy’s Cover 2 scheme executed by the likes of Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber, Tampa’s defense ranked in the top five in either Points Against or Yards Against, usually both, seven times in those nine seasons. In 1997, the Bucs were #2 in Points Allowed and #3 in Yards Allowed. In week two, the Tampa defense held Barry Sanders to 20 yards on 10 carries in defeating the Lions at the Silverdome, 24-17.

Sanders’ revenge was extraordinary. In the rematch at Tampa, Sanders was magnificent against Tampa’s stout defense, gaining 215 yards on 24 carries in a 27-9 road rout. Whatever had plagued Sanders in the first two weeks was a faded memory. Five weeks later, Sanders notched his second 200 yard game of the year at home against the Colts. Through 15 weeks, Sanders had run for 100+ yards in a league record 13 consecutive games. And he needed 131 yards in the final game of the season to become just the third player ever to rush for 2000 yards in a season.

But at 8-7, the Detroit Lions needed a win to get into the 1997 playoffs. So did their week 16 opponents, the 9-6 New York Jets.

NFC SOUTH

Carolina @ New Orleans – the Game of the Week goes to the home team

Tampa Bay @ Green Bay

Minnesota @ Atlanta

Sometimes, real life makes its way into a football game. The threat of serious injury hangs over every game, over every play, but rarely does a life-threatening injury take place. More rarely does such an injury follow a simple two-yard run, but with just under 12:00 left in the 4th quarter, with the Lions leading 13-10, Lions linebacker Reggie Brown came up to stop the Jets’ Adrian Murrell; the collision resulted in a spinal cord contusion for the Lions LB. Wikipedia:

[Brown] lay motionless for 17 minutes on the turf at the Pontiac Silverdome, briefly losing consciousness, with CPR saving his life.^[2] Emergency surgery saved him from using a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

The incident sent a chill through the stadium. Players on both teams were visibly shaken and upset, but the game had to be finished. A playoff spot awaited the winner.

NFC EAST

Washington 14 @ Dallas 38 (F-11/30)

NY Giants @ Oakland

Philadelphia @ Seattle

Neither team could make progress on offense throughout the fourth quarter. After a Jets interception and a pair of punts, the Lions had the ball at their own 42. Barry Sanders, who had gained 129 yards on 21 carries to that point (extending his league record to 14 straight 100 yard games), needed just two yards to get to 2000 for the season; he got exactly two with his next carry. Naturally, with the game being played in Detroit, there was an acknowledgement of the moment. Sanders appeared to be exiting the game…but then he lined up in the backfield again. And Sanders fans were nervous. Everyone who was familiar with Barry Sanders at all knew that one more touch might mean lost yards. One of Sanders’ weaknesses lay in his willingness to give up yards to gain yards; sometimes those strategic retreats were stopped in the backfield.

Sanders next carry was not stopped in the backfield.

Following that run, three more kneel-downs sealed the Lions’ trip to the postseason. Barry Sanders finished his season with 2053 yards on 23 carries. In the process, Sanders had done what he praised OJ Simpson for – gaining 2000 yards in 14 games.

PICKS

Week 12: 11-2

Total: 78-55

This is part two of our series The Two Best Super Bowls, Ranked

#1 Super Bowl 43

Most of the time, football teams make the Super Bowl because they played top-notch football from September to January. There are only sixteen games in an NFL season, so there really isn’t time for teams to play poorly for a long stretch of games. When the playoffs start, if you’ve got money riding on which teams will make it and which won’t, save yourself some time and write off teams that won fewer than 11 games. In the last 17 Super Bowls, contested by 34 teams, 29 of them won at least 11 games.

When a team gets into the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record, it means they’ve won three straight playoff games to get into the Super Bowl. Although the 2008 Arizona Cardinals did manage to win three in a row during the season, that modest accomplishment was their high point. In a home-heavy schedule that featured four opponents that would make the playoffs, the Cardinals slumped badly down the stretch, losing four of their last six games by a total of 97 points. They did win their division, but they had the worst record of any NFC playoff team. Unlike the legendary squads that played in Super Bowl 25, these Cardinals weren’t nearly as stacked. Hall of Famer Kurt Warner was the trigger man under center, and his favorite target was future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald. It was these two men, Fitzgerald in particular, that paced the Cardinals in their three playoff wins. A 9-7 team had never before reached a Super Bowl, and it was also the first-ever Super Bowl appearance in the largely forgettable history of the Cardinals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, were long accustomed to championship football. They won four Super Bowls in six seasons from 1974 to 1979. Just three years prior, the Steelers won a record-tying fifth Super Bowl, and behind stars like QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, LB James Harrison and S Troy Polamalu, the Steelers went 12-4 en route to their 7th Super Bowl appearance. If Super Bowl 25 was a clash of Fire and Ice, Super Bowl 43 was a classic David vs. Goliath matchup.

AFC WEST

LA Chargers 28 @ Dallas 6 F (11/23)

Buffalo @ Kansas City – Switching QBs every week can’t be good for business

Denver @ Oakland – At this point, Denver’s 2018 draft priority ought to be clear

PREGAME

Jennifer Hudson belted out a great rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner…which someone recorded and played back through the stadium speakers before the game. So the main event can have missed kicks and bungled snaps and turnovers, but don’t you guys DARE miss one stinkin’ note before the game. Rubbish.

AFC NORTH

Houston @ Baltimore – how’s two in a row sound, OMWC?

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh – pencil the Steelers in for Super Bowl 52

Cleveland @ Cincinnati – gotta pick somebody, right?

FIRST QUARTER

The first quarter was dominated by the Steelers. They held the ball for 12:27 and outgained the Cardinals 135 to 3. True, the only points in the quarter were a Steelers field goal, but they were just five yards from paydirt as the quarter drew to a close. Ben Roethlisberger was in fine form to start the game, particularly on this 3rd-and-10 play.

Pittsburgh 3, Arizona 0

AFC SOUTH

Tennessee @ Indianapolis – Should be a close one

Jacksonville @ Arizona – “Sacksonville” vs. a backup QB ought to be ugly

Houston @ Baltimore

SECOND QUARTER

After the Steelers finished off their drive from the end of first quarter (11 plays, 69 yards, 7:12), the Cardinals got the ball back with a minute gone by in the second quarter, trailing 10-0. They answered the Steelers’ long touchdown drive with one of their own (9 plays, 83 yards, 5:12), and the battle was joined. The teams swapped punts, then things got a little crazy.

What an opportunity for the Cardinals! Down 10-0 at one point, outplayed for a majority of the game thus far, and now creating a turnover just 33 yards from the end zone? This team may have finished 9-7, but they clearly knew how to hang in through adversity. Four completions later, the Cardinals were just three yards away from a four-point lead, halfway through their first Super Bowl.

Then things got a lot crazy.

Unbelievable. The Cardinals were poised to at least tie the game with a chip shot field goal; instead, they were in the same position they were facing 14 minutes prior. Maybe the 2014 Seahawks should have watched this game prior to their last Super Bowl appearance; throwing anything but an outside route inside the five-yard line seems to be a bad idea in Super Bowls.

Pittsburgh 17, Arizona 7

AFC EAST

Miami @ New England – the last time Miami won the Super Bowl, Tom Brady was -3

Carolina @ NY Jets – the Jets will return to their “just good enough to lose a close one” ways

Buffalo @ Kansas City

HALFTIME

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were the halftime performers, and I think this piece is all the commentary necessary about BS&ESB. (Trigger Warning: Deadspin)

NFC WEST

Seattle @ San Francisco – Seattle injuries are catching up to them, but not this week

New Orleans @ LA Rams – the win streak stops here

Jacksonville @ Arizona

THIRD QUARTER

It was a near-repeat of the first quarter: Pittsburgh controls the clock and manages a field goal. Through three quarters, the Cardinals had achieved little offensively. But defensively…that was different. The defense had only surrendered 13 points, and on two occasions bent-but-didn’t-break. There was the first quarter field goal where the Steelers drove 71 yards on 9 plays, consumed 5:15 on the clock, but got no further than the one-yard line. The second field goal-hold was an even more impressive display by the Cardinal defense, warts and all.

The drive began on the Steeler 18. First play, run stuffed for -3 yards. Second play, six-yard completion, but a 15-yard facemask gave the Steelers a fresh set of downs. Three more plays, another first down. Next play: incomplete pass, but another 15-yard roughing the passer gave the Steelers another set of downs. So far, that’s 47 yards on the drive, 30 by penalty. Then the Steeler offense managed a couple of chunk plays in amongst some stuffed runs and incomplete passes. After the last incomplete pass, it was fourth and goal from the nine. Jeff Reed made a 27-yard field goal…then the Cardinals committed a third personal foul penalty.

Incredibly, after everything that had occurred, both throughout the game and during this drive, the Cardinals defense held again, at last without a penalty. Reed’s next field goal attempt was five yards shorter, and also good.

Pittsburgh 20, Arizona 7

NFC NORTH

Minnesota 30 @ Detroit 23 F (11\23)

Chicago @ Philadephia – the Bears are a year away at least

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh

FOURTH QUARTER, part one

A Cardinal drive that began late in the third quarter stalled after six plays. Through 46:19, the Cardinals had managed just 7 points. Their defense, called upon to keep the game close all night, held yet again. The Steelers went three-and-out, punting the ball to the Cardinals with 11:30 left. At last, with no margin for error, the Cardinals got back into the end zone, covering 87 yards in 8 plays in 4 minutes. On the ensuing possession, the Cardinals defense again forced a three-and-out. They couldn’t take advantage on offense, however, punting the ball away after eight plays. It was now Pittsburgh’s turn to hurt themselves via penalty, and a personal foul placed the ball at the one-yard line. On third down, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Santonio Holmes for 19 yards…only, the Steelers committed a holding penalty in their own end zone. Safety!

Pittsburgh 20, Arizona 16

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta – The Falcons are finally getting on track; too little, too late?

Carolina @ NY Jets

New Orleans @ LA Rams

FOURTH QUARTER, part two

Pittsburgh’s free kick after the safety was returned to the Cardinal 36. On first down, Kurt Warner threw an incomplete pass. On second down, this happened.

Incredible. The Cardinals had been playing from behind all game long. Their offense had been mostly stymied for three quarters. They had faced setback after setback along the way. Competitive resilience is the hallmark of champions, and the Cardinals showed that, despite whatever flaws they possessed, they had it. The touchdown was Fitzgerald’s second of the quarter, and it was the signature play of a postseason for the ages. He set records for receptions, yards, and touchdown catches in a single playoff.

When Pittsburgh regained possession at their own 22 yard line, they had two timeouts, the two-minute warning, and 2:30 left, needing only a field goal to tie the game. But they faced a Cardinal defense that had shut them down for three straight series; all the momentum was on the Arizona side of the ball.

Ben Roethlisberger went to work. After an offensive holding penalty on first down, he scrambled out of danger near his own endzone for a 14-yard completion. That play, plus two more completions, moved the Steelers ahead 38 yards; he then added four more on a run of his own. Timeout Pittsburgh, 1:02, ball at the Arizona 46.

Santonio Holmes absolutely tortured the Cardinals on the final drive. He already had 27 yards on two catches; after the timeout, he caught an 11-yard pass, then spun and dashed all the way down to the six-yard line, making it a 40-yard reception. Timeout Steelers. They were now in chip shot field goal range with 49 seconds left.

NFC EAST

LA Chargers 28 @ Dallas 6 F (11/23)

NY Giants 30 @ Washington 20 F (11/23)

Chicago @ Philadelphia

And here now, the final play of Super Bowl 43.*

*Not really

Final Score

Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23

AFTERMATH

Unlike Super Bowl 25, there’s a lot less history to draw on for this game. Six HOFers played in Super Bowl 25; some players in Super Bowl 43 are still active today. Only one player from 43 is in the HOF (Kurt Warner), but Larry Fitzgerald, Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu all figure to get in fairly easily.

This game was an amazing experience. There were defensive plays, defensive stands, superb quarterback play, shocking turnovers, crushing penalties, huge swings in momentum…the Patriots had a greater comeback a year ago. There have been better individual performances. There were Super Bowls with more lead changes. But this Super Bowl had a little of everything, and both teams performed admirably. It’s my choice for the best Super Bowl of all time, and this opinion doubles as a fact.

PICKS

Week Eleven: 7-6

Total: 67-53

#2 Super Bowl 25

A clash of contrasting styles is usually a reliable indicator of a highly competitive contest, and Super Bowl 25 was one of the best Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object matchups in NFL history. The Buffalo Bills, fresh off a 51-3 pasting of the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship game, were the premier offensive force in the NFL. Leading the league in points scored and point differential, the Bills featured a Hall of Fame trio in Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed. Their #2 receiver was James Lofton, a player with a strong Hall of Fame case himself. But the New York Giants had already shown that they were up to the task of dealing with a powerful offense, holding the San Francisco 49ers to just 13 points at home in a 15-13 shocker in the NFC Championship game. The Niners, bidding to become the first three-peat Super Bowl champions in history, could not get on track despite their own formidable firepower led by Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

While the Bills stars shined brightest on offense, the cream of the Giants’ crop was on the defensive side of the ball. Hall of Fame OLB Lawrence Taylor anchored a defense replete with star defenders:Taylor, ILB Pepper Johnson, and NT Erik Howard all made the 1990 Pro Bowl, with Johnson earning All-Pro First Team Honors. CB Everson Walls had made the Pro Bowl multiple times throughout the 1980s. LB Carl Banks was an All-Pro in 1987. DE Leonard Marshall was twice an All-Pro in his career. And the coordinator of this star-studded unit was none other than Bill Belichick. The Giants defense led the league in scoring defense and were second in yards allowed.

The Bills and Giants were meeting for the second time that season in Super Bowl 25; their first matchup took place on December 15, 1990 at the Meadowlands. The Bills won 17-13 and, in the process, knocked out the Giants’ starting QB Phil Simms. He would miss the rest of the season, meaning the Giants would have to try to win the rematch without their starting quarterback of the previous six-plus seasons. And this time it would be for all the marbles.

AFC WEST

Kansas City @ NY Giants – Andy Reid’s teams are money after a bye

Cincinnati @ Denver – The skid has to stop sometime

New England @ Oakland (Mexico City) – There’s one AFC team that can beat the Pats, and this ain’t the one

Buffalo @ LA Chargers – switching to a rookie QB won’t work on the road

PREGAME

Okay, so it turned out that this performance of the national anthem wasn’t live. So. Bloody. What. Does anyone think that Whitney Houston couldn’t have nailed it live? Everyone who watched that day was positively floored. Unbelievably, sadly, more than half her life was already behind her then, at just age 28.

AFC NORTH

Tennessee 17 @ Pittsburgh 40 F (11/16)

Baltimore @ Green Bay – Sorry OMWC, but I don’t trust your guys on the road. Hope you have fun, though

Cincinnati @ Denver

Jacksonville @ Cleveland – This week’s Upset Special

FIRST QUARTER

Ponder this: the Giants kicked off to start the game, and Buffalo’s Don Smith returned the ball 20 yards to the Bills’ 34 yard line where he was brought down…by the kicker, Matt Bahr. The Bills went three-and-out, and their punt was returned by New York’s Dave Meggett for 20 yards to the Giants’ 31 yard line where he was brought down…by the punter, Rick Tuten. Both Smith and Meggett wore #30. Both men were born on the 30th (Smith in October, Meggett in April).  This was Super Bowl 25 – Smith was drafted in the 2nd round, Meggett in the 5th. ILLUMINATI: CONFIRMED

The first quarter was very much a Giants-style quarter. Low scoring, field-position battle, Giants controlling the clock. There was a bit of excitement when Buffalo’s James Lofton hauled in a tipped pass and went 61 yards with it, but the Giants kept the Bills offense out of the end zone.

New York 3, Buffalo 3

AFC SOUTH

Tennessee 17 @ Pittsburgh 40 F (11/16)

Jacksonville @ Cleveland

Arizona @ Houston – two backup QBs, take the home team

SECOND QUARTER

The game could have gotten away from the Giants if not for a private lapdance from Lady Luck. With six minutes gone by in the second quarter and the Bills leading 10-3, the Giants were backed up to their own seven yard line on second down and ten.Then this happened.

Yes, the Bills did increase their lead to 12-3. But how many times does a play like that NOT result in a stripped ball? How on earth did backup QB and 70’s pornstar Jeff Hostetler hang on to that ball? After the safety and a few punts later, the Giants got back into the game just before halftime with a 10-play, 87 yard touchdown drive that consumed just 3:24 off the clock. It was their quickest scoring drive on the day, mostly because it had to be – the drive started with 3:49 left in the half.

Buffalo 12, New York 10

AFC EAST

Buffalo @ LA Chargers

New England @ Oakland (Mexico City)

Tampa Bay @ Miami – I wish I could pick against both

HALFTIME

Wikipedia, you got this:

The halftime show was titled “A Small World Salute to 25 Years of the Super Bowl”. It was produced by Disney and featured over 3,500 local children from different ethnic backgrounds and a performance by boy band New Kids on the Block, with special guest Warren Moon.

NFL EXECUTIVE #1: All right, we’ve got that cool new band to perform at halftime.

NFL EXECUTIVE #2: Great – let’s do bigger. We’ll have Disney do a thing with a bunch of random kids.

NFL EXECUTIVE #1: Even better. How about we round up some Super Bowl legends – you know, for the 25th anniversary? Bart Starr, Mean Joe Greene, Don Shula, guys like that?

NFL EXECUTIVE #2: We could do that…ORRRRR, how about instead we get one current player who’s never played in a Super Bowl?

NFL EXECUTIVE #1: (beat) That…that is gold. Gold, Roger, gold!

NFC WEST

Atlanta @ Seattle – something something General Sherman

Arizona @ Houston 

LA Rams @ Minnesota – The Rams are due for a humbling

THIRD QUARTER

The Giants shut out the Bills in the third quarter, largely by keeping the ball for the entire quarter: out of the fifteen minutes available, the Giants held the ball for 12:07, including a then-record TD scoring drive of 9:29 to open the second half.

If the Hostetler safety-that-somehow-wasn’t-a-fumble wasn’t a sign that it wasn’t Buffalo’s day, perhaps this play was that sign. Mark Ingram needed 13 yards to keep the Giants’ drive alive on third down and deked, juked, and outfought five tacklers to get 14 yards. But just as the end of the second quarter motivated the Giants to get the offense going, so did the end of the third fire up the Bills. After a fourth down stop, the Bills knocked out 32 yards in three plays to end the third with some momentum.

New York 17, Buffalo 12

NFC NORTH

Baltimore @ Green Bay

LA Rams @ Minnesota

Detroit @ Chicago – Detroit has a lot more to play for

FOURTH QUARTER

Just eight seconds into the fourth, the Bills reclaimed the lead on a 31-yard Thurman Thomas run. The Giants responded in characteristic fashion, holding onto the ball with a miser’s grip. Their first drive of the fourth quarter put New York back on top with a 21-yard field goal, draining another 7:32 from the game clock. After a swap of punts, the Bills took possession on their own 10 yard line with 2:16 left in the contest. The Buffalo Bills, the masters of the no-huddle but stymied all game by the Giant defense, had just one timeout and the two minute warning left with a championship on the line.

Jim Kelly scrambled twice for nine yards. On third down, Thurman Thomas scampered for 22 yards but an inbounds solo tackle by Everson Walls kept the clock running. Back to the air, Kelly hit Andre Reed, vacuum-sealed by the Giants defense all game, for four yards. Next play, Kelly had all the time in the world against a three-man rush but nowhere to throw it, so he tucked the ball and ran for nine. Timeout Bills, 48 seconds left. On the ensuing play, TE Keith McKellar did what he could to be a hero,snatching a low throw out of the jaws of an incomplete pass. The gain was only for six yards and the clock continued to move, but yards were hard to come by all game long. Play stopped with 30 seconds left for an official review of McKellar’s catch, and after confirming the call the Bills resumed their drive. Thurman Thomas gained eleven more yards on a run to get the Bills to the Giants 29 yard line before Jim Kelly spiked the ball on first down, stopping the clock with eight seconds left in the ballgame.

New York 20, Buffalo 19

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta @ Seattle

Washington @ New Orleans – No one in the NFC wants to tangle with the Saints right now

Tampa Bay @ Miami

Here now, the final play of Super Bowl 25.

(technically, the final play was a Hostetler kneel-down in victory formation*, but whatevs)

*Not a euphemism

NFC EAST

Washington @ New Orleans

Kansas City @ NY Giants

Dallas @ Philadelphia – with Elliott out and Philly at home, take the Eagles in a barnburner

AFTERMATH

– It was a well-played game: just eleven penalties combined, with no turnovers by either team

– There was a precedent for awarding the game MVP to a player on the losing team (Chuck Howley, Super Bowl V), and it should have happened in this game. Thurman Thomas (15 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 55 yards) outperformed every other player on the field. The actual winner, Ottis Anderson, had a good game (21 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 7 yards), but it was not up to Thomas’ level. Consider also that Thomas achieved this against THAT defense, whereas Anderson played against a lesser defense that was on the field for over 40 minutes…come on now.

– The Bills would make the Super Bowl in each of the next three seasons, but got drubbed in all of them. The next-closest loss in their Super Bowl history would be in their last (or most recent for you optimists): a 30-13 loss in Super Bowl 28

– Winning on an opponent’s missed field goal is good luck, and the Giants have had more than their share of good luck in Super Bowls. The Hostetler safety was surely the best stroke of luck a team could have in a championship game, but David Tyree’s shining moment is in the same zip code

– One way to stop an offense is to keep the ball out of their hands: the Giants kept the ball for 40:33 in a 60-minute game

– This Sports Illustrated writeup about the game is fantastic – I encourage reading it in full, but I’m going to select one passage just to demonstrate how attitudes have changed about the game:

After Seals leveled Hostetler, the Giants…gave Hostetler an ammonia cap to sniff. He later admitted that much of the first half was “kind of a blur”. Hostetler’s older brother Ron…said in the postgame locker room “If the three knockdown rule had been in effect, they would have stopped the fight. He still isn’t sure where he is.“

Yikes! Today, they would have carted Hostetler off the field in that condition and the writeup would have, without fail, reminded us how risky and potentially life-shortening this game is, and that the NFL will surely address player safety issues, blah blah blah. In a sense, I’m glad for all these national anthem protests, because before the media and the left in general realized that woke players could be influential political allies, they all wanted football gone. Now football’s great – at least if you ask them.

Football has never not been dangerous, risky, or life-shortening. It’s brutal. It’s large, powerful men in body armor colliding repeatedly at high speeds. But they have chosen to accept those risks. Some have chosen not to take those risks, many have. It can be sad to see former players as broken-down old men. But that sight will always be with us as long as they play football, and when the For Your Own Good crowd starts talking about banning football, I get irritated. It’s not their choice to make.

This series concludes next week. Here’s a sneak preview:

This is part two of our series The Two Best Super Bowls, Ranked

PICKS

Week Ten: 8-5

Total: 60-47

 

We’re still four weeks from the home stretch of the NFL season – it’s too early in the season to talk about crucial matchups related to playoff seeding, too late in the season to pretend certain teams can contend for a playoff spot. Objectively speaking, it’s been kind a down year for the NFL. Even if you overlook off-field stuff (Zeke Elliott) or pre-game stuff (anthem protests), there’s been a paucity of exciting, competitive play this year. Injuries to superstar players such as Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham, and JJ Watt (just to name a few) have hurt the product on the field. But what are we to do with our Sundays otherwise? Spend them with family? Oh, come on now.

BTW, since we’re in the dog days of the NFL season, this would be a good time to pick my brain. Share any questions you have for me in the comments. Since my W/L percentage on picks is a God-like 53.3%, my expertise in all things NFL is obviously beyond all reproach.

AFC WEST

LA Chargers @ Jacksonville – This week’s upset special

New England @ Denver – The Broncos are crumbling

Rule change proposal time: because the passing game has gotten easier over the years, let’s make it a little more difficult, a little more risky. The new rule proposal is that if a thrown pass hits the ground behind the line ofscrimmage, even if the pass travels forward, the ball is live like a fumble. The short passing game has played a major role in improving passing efficiency over the years, and in particular the WR screen is almost risk-free. Rule changes nearly always favor the offense, and I think it’s past time to fine-tune the game in favor of the defense for once.

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis – Expect a tough game from the Colts in defeat

Cincinnati @ Tennessee – Titans win the close one at home

Cleveland @ Detroit – Lions win two straight

Ace beer reviewer mexican sharpshooter made this comment in a nearly dead thread on Tuesday:

mexican sharpshooter on November 7, 2017 at 3:06 pm

The Browns… Well… they technically have a team.

You mean the Baltimore Ravens?

This may be sarcasm, but for the sake of discussion let’s play it straight.

One old proverb in sports says that “You play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on back”. Granted, many NFL jerseys don’t actually have a name on the front of the jersey, but the point of that old saying is that you don’t put yourself ahead of the team. Piggybacking off of that idea, if we are rooting for a team because they represent the name on the front of the jersey – and a majority of fans do – then why would fan sympathies remain with a team that left the home city? it’s understandable to keep rooting for the old team when the players held over through the move remain with the moved team, but in the case of the Ravens, they left Cleveland over 20 years ago. There are no original Cleveland Browns on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster any longer.

I’m amused by the Golden State Warriors claiming five NBA championships. Swallowing such BS requires us to believe that basketball fans in the Bay Area were on the edge of their seats, cheering their hearts out, in 1947 and 1956 when the Philadelphia Warriors won those titles. If you are playing for the name on the front of the jersey, you’re not playing for the cities that used to adorn the front of the jersey, nor those that will. If you’re rooting for the name on front and a Browns fan, why root for the Baltimore team over the Cleveland team? Why root for the Nashville team over the Houston team if you’re a Houston fan?

AFC SOUTH

Cincinnati @ Tennessee

LA Chargers @ Jacksonville

Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis

Houston @ LA Rams – The Rams offense is seriously clicking

Tying into our previous subject, the Houston Texans have been a mostly mediocre franchise in their fifteen years of existence. This is an improvement over Houston’s old NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers. Now the Oilers did have bigger years than the Texans’ best, and Oiler legends like Warren Moon, Earl Campbell, and Bruce Matthews were superior to their Texans counterparts. (Granted, Texans receivers Andre Johnson and Deandre Hopkins are better than any of the Oilers WRs)

But the Texans lose playoff games in totally expected ways, to teams that are clearly better, and they lose with dignity. The Texans organization is a professional big-league group. The Texans would never hire a clown like Jerry Glanville to coach their team. I’ll guarantee that once the Texans become a threat to win the Super Bowl. they’re not going to lose three straight playoff games after leading all three by double digits. The Texans’ coordinators will not throw punches at one another on the sidelines while losing those games. No organization squandered more big-time talent or embarrassed itself more, and there’s a reason the expansion Houston team passed on resurrecting the old Oilers identity.

AFC EAST

New England @ Denver

New Orleans @ Buffalo – Saints remain red hot

NY Jets @ Tampa Bay – The Bucs are in free-fall

Miami @ Carolina – Miami’s anemic offense is especially bad on the road

Given no other information, would you rather play in Miami Dolphins colors or those of the Oakland Raiders? I know I’d feel goofy playing football in teal blue with coral-orange trim.

NFC WEST

Seattle 22 @ Arizona 16 (F – 11/9)

Houston @ LA Rams

NY Giants @ San Francisco – Okay, THIS is the week the Niners get their win

1) I called the Rams “an impressive 6-10 team” going into week five. Oops!

2) There’s still plenty of time for the Rams to come back to Earth, but pro-football-reference.com‘s SRS (Simple Rating System) rates the Rams #1 in the league. I can’t really explain the system beyond (Margin of Victory * Strength of Schedule), and in the last 30 years, the team to earn the #1 rating has won the Super Bowl 11 times in the last 30 seasons.

3) After eight weeks, the 1999 St. Louis Rams scored 263 points; same is true of the 2017 Los Angeles Rams. Just sayin’.

NFC NORTH

Minnesota @ Washington – Minny’s not as good as their record

Green Bay @ Chicago – Rodgers-less Pack exposed again

Cleveland @ Detroit

Meh. Teddy Bridgewater’s coming back this week.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans @ Buffalo

Miami @ Carolina

NY Jets @ Tampa Bay

Dallas @ Atlanta – IF Zeke is suspended, his backups are perfectly good

The only true domed stadium left in American pro sports is in New Orleans. No one plays on Astroturf anymore. Domed stadiums were the wave of the future once upon a time; nowadays the roof opens when the weather’s good. Heck, in recent years, in some harsh weather markets, they built new stadiums without roofs. Our own OMWC has said that when he’s king of the world, all NFL stadiums will be open-air. While I’m disturbed at how he might use his prima nocta rights, he’s onto something. There’s a certain magic to football being played in the elements, and fortunately that possibility still exists today.

The Baltimore Ravens will visit Lambeau Field in eight more days, and the Glibertarians power couple will be in attendance. As much as I sympathize with the football-in-weather crowd, I’m glad I’ll be watching from my folks’ house in San Antonio rather than freezing my can off in Wisconsin. But I’m happy for (((them))).

NFC EAST

Dallas @ Atlanta

Minnesota @ Washington

NY Giants @ San Francisco

I grew up a Cowboys fan, and after a couple of years under the ownership of Jerry Jones I couldn’t stand them. In the years under Tom Landry, the Cowboys were a model of professionalism and consistency. Other than the big years under Jimmie Johnson (and to be fair, the last four or five seasons), the Jerryboys were far more about sizzle than steak. Of course the Cowboys fired their two-time Super Bowl winning coach; Jerry doesn’t care for him. Of course the Cowboys signed Terrell Owens; he was the brashest character in the game. Of course the Cowboys wanted to draft Johnny Manziel; he’s got that swag.

Having said that, one of my favorite players of all time was a Cowboy by the name of Marion Barber. The guy was built like a cornerback but ran like Earl Campbell. And playing with that style cost him a longer career; he only played seven seasons, but they were fun to watch. Here, watch him run for two yards.

PICKS

Week 9: 7-5

TOTAL: 52-42

 

There’s the immortal “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. Terry Cashman had “Talkin’ Baseball”. CCR frontman John Fogerty scored a solo hit with “Center Field”.  You can find “Van Lingle Mungo” in jazz fake books. As befits a game with 150+ years of history behind it, baseball has inspired many musical musings. Even basketball, a game with a much smaller historical footprint, has made something of a mark on the musical landscape: Grover Washington Jr.’s “Let It Flow (For Doctor J)”. Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball”. And…this thing.

But football hasn’t had the same impact in the world of music as the other two major American team sports. Which is not to say there’s been no impact whatsoever. If we look closer, we can find some instances where gridiron and melody crossed streams in, shall we say, notable instances. So as we delve into the week nine picks, let’s look at the ways in which football and music have merged over the decades.

AFC WEST

Kansas City @ Dallas – the Zeke suspension finally rears its head

Denver @ Philadelphia – I’d say take the under if this was played in Denver

Oakland @ Miami – on the bright side, they’ll score some points this week

“The Autumn Wind”. Maybe you didn’t know it by name, but if you grew up with NFL Films Presents, you know it by heart. It’s even more stirring with John Facenda’s narration setting the scene. Here, restart the music and read this passage, imagining it in Facenda’s voice:

With February’s frigid chill in it’s full surge, Glibertarians.com entered the World Wide Web with a savage force equalled by few. Armed with world-class misanthropy and supported by a compliment of orphans, the Glibs contributors hit the ground running in their inaugural campaign. Swiss Servator’s signature narrowed gazes condemned rank punnery and facile jokes with ease. Sloopy’s sports linkage and fierce Ohio State fandom set a precise tone every morning. Heroic Mulatto’s YouTube finds seldom failed to shake the reader from his doldrums. And Sugarfree’s lurid, frank depictions of political pique and peccadillo shocked and appalled even the most jaded of readers.

AFC NORTH

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville – The Jags defensive front will rule the day

Baltimore @ Tennessee – The Ravens can’t win on the road if the opponent is worth a damn

The Steelers might have a bye this week, but by God’s grace, we’ll never have a bye from the musical stylings of Terry Bradshaw. If I’m being honest, I like his singing better than his play at QB. 212 TDs, 210 INTs, 51.9% completion percentage? Jeez.

AFC SOUTH

Indianapolis @ Houston – Apparently, Matt Schaub is destined to own the Texans’ QB records forever

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville – The Jags formidable defense shines at home

Baltimore @ Tennessee

Before they were the Tennessee Titans, they were the Tennessee Oilers. Before that, they were the Houston Oilers. And they had a famous fight song. Being a creative musician-type myself, I can only marvel at the way the songwriter ingeniously crafted a sound so reminiscent of the Bayou City. The way the lyrics pull the listener into Harris County with a charm and specificity worthy of Arlen, Sondheim, Dylan…well, give it a listen and prepare to be amazed.

AFC EAST

Buffalo 21 @ NY Jets 34 (F – 11/2)

Oakland @ Miami

I’ve shared this before, but it’s definitely worth a repost. To the extent that I have a favorite team, it’s the Houston Texans; I don’t exactly live and die with the results of their games. But teenaged Junior definitely died with each of those four straight Super Bowl losses. That was the last time I could honestly say I had a favorite football team, and I miss those days.

NFC WEST

Arizona @ San Francisco – Into the win column, boys!

LA Rams @ NY Giants – Your week nine upset special

Washington @ Seattle – The Redskins’ weaknesses are starting to show

Without any notable song I can connect to this division, this seems as good a time as any to discuss “Heavy Action”. It wasn’t even written for football, but for NFL fans it is inextricably linked to the gridiron game. “Heavy Action” has been a part of NFL TV broadcasts for 42 years and counting. Still don’t know what it is? Alright, here’s your link.

I’m hosting a Super Bowl party at my apartment come February. Fair warning: “Heavy Action” will be playing on a continuous loop, and the party starts at 10 AM.

NFC NORTH

Detroit @ Green Bay – On the plus side, the Ravens matchup that our OMWC and SP will attend is looking up for the Ravens

The year was 1985, and 1985 in the NFL was all about the Chicago Bears. For good and for…whatever this was. Honestly, “The Superbowl Shuffle” was such a masterpiece of cringe it deserves its own post. Perhaps later…?

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta @ Carolina – The Falcons’ slide continues…

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans – …as does the Saints surge

I’ll come clean and admit that I’m running out of songs. It’s not my fault; the teams in the NFC South don’t have much of a musical heritage. In Carolina, they bang a bass drum before games; the Atlanta Falcons had ties to MC Hammer in the early 90s, which is a much greater shame than their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. Tampa Bay’s formative years were far too embarrassing to write songs about, and while New Orleans is world-famous for a distinctive style of jazz, it hasn’t really bled into the football team. So here’s some Super Bowl halftime music from Up With People to fill the void.

NFC EAST

Kansas City @ Dalllas

Denver @ Philadelphia

LA Rams @ NY Giants

Washington @ Seattle

In honor of the team with the best record in the NFL, here’s an appropriate song.

PICKS

Week 8: 10-2 (Yeeeeeaaah, boyeeee!)

Total: 45-37

 

To begin with, let’s give Agent Cooper kudos for figuring out the key to last week’s Team Previews. For everyone who wasn’t Agent Cooper, the original Tecmo Bowl for the NES was paid tribute throughout our Week Seven piece. Last week’s title was the computer’s pre-snap voice-over; the Team Previews were lifted straight from the user’s manual with the exception of the player names – I updated those. And all my original commentary aside from picks formed an acrostic that spelled TECMO BOWL. Agent Cooper, for your sharp recall of 30-year old video games, you win a signed copy of my latest literary offering Whatshisname: Gone But Not Forgotten.

Now to the matter at hand: This week marks the halfway point of the NFL season, and if the season ended today, people everywhere would be asking “Why was the season so short?” Then they’d notice that the Philadelphia Eagles had earned the best record in the NFL. The talk of the 2016 draft class last season was Dallas’ Dak Prescott; this season it’s all about Philly’s Carson Wentz. Prescott isn’t quite up to his standard of last season but he’s playing very effectively; Wentz is playing like one would expect from the second pick in the draft. LeGarrette Blount is 10th in Rushing Yards and TE Zach Ertz is 6th in Receptions and tied for 4th in TD Catches with five. WR Nelson Agholor is part of that tie for 4th. Blount has been an effective player in his seven-plus seasons, though he’s yet to make a Pro Bowl; ditto Zach Ertz. Nelson Agholor has improved significantly over his first two seasons. This trio of Eagles isn’t exactly Emmitt Smith, Jay Novacek, and Michael Irvin – hell, they aren’t as talented as Dallas’ current trio – but Wentz’ stellar play under center has had a ripple effect on the rest of the Philly offense. However, losing All-Pro OT Jason Peters last week may cast a long shadow over the rest of the Eagles’ season.

Behind the one standout team lies a morass of some good teams, some decent teams, some if-we-get-a-couple-of-breaks-we-could-get-the-second-Wild-Card teams, and the rest all angling for a shot at Sam Darnold or the kid from Idaho. Since we have a decent amount of season behind us now, it’s Buy or Sell time.

AFC WEST

LA Chargers @ New England – Ho hum, Pats win again

Denver @ Kansas City – Chiefs get back on track

Oakland @ Buffalo – Raiders build on last week’s big win

KANSAS CITY: Buy. Yes, the defense is less than the sum of its parts. Yes, Alex Smith is probably going to play more like Alex Smith and less like 1984 Dan Marino as the season wears on. And yes, Andy Reid is more or less the Marty Schottenheimer of this generation. Still, how many teams are better? Philadelphia? New England? Pittsburgh? Twenty eight teams would love to have KCs problems.

DENVER: Sell. Oh, that defense is scary, no doubt. But Trevor Simien and his backups are even scarier.

OAKLAND: Buy. They faced a lot of difficulties early and seem to be overcoming them. If Derek Carr doesn’t aggravate that back issue, they’re going to look a lot better in the second half of the year.

LA CHARGERS: Sell. This seems to be a tradition with this franchise in recent years: Start badly. Rebound strongly. Become the proverbial Team No One Wants To Face in the playoffs, then lose in the Wild Card round. Philip Rivers was under center for a lot of those teams, and he’s there now. They’re right on schedule.

AFC NORTH

Miami 0 @ Baltimore 40 – (F – 10/26)

Minnesota @ Cleveland – I’ve just jinxed the Browns into their first win, haven’t I?

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati – the Colts are playing for the draft

Pittsburgh @ Detroit – The Steelers are picking up steam

PITTSBURGH: Buy. Roethlisberger seems to have his mojo back; Levian Bell and Antonio Brown are humming along like always. They’ve got a great secondary, and the rest of the defense seems to be improving week-to-week.

BALTIMORE: Sell. I can’t think of a single good team they’d be favored to beat at this point. As our resident child-enthusiast and Ravens expert has observed, Baltimore’s receiving corps couldn’t catch the plague in 17th-century London.

CINCINNATI: Sell. AJ Green remains one of the best in the business, and Andy Dalton’s not horrible. There, I’ve just listed Cincinnati’s assets.

CLEVELAND: Sell. One. Last. Time.

AFC SOUTH

Houston @ Seattle – Great defense at home versus rookie QB? Yeah, me too.

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati

JACKSONVILLE: Buy. This is like Denver, only Jacksonville is best in the NFL at getting to the QB, and Blake Bortles is better than any QB on the Broncos’ roster. (Sad!)

HOUSTON: Buy. I know John Cena JJ Watt is hurt, but the defense is okay even without him. And Deshaun Watson has really given the team a boost; my feeling is that he’ll keep it up for most of the rest of the year.

TENNESSEE: Buy. Marcus Mariota has been very solid in his first two seasons, but a little down so far this year. With a fairly soft schedule to finish the year, I think he’ll look more like last year’s version.

INDIANAPOLIS: Sell, but everyone already knew that already. They might flip the script next year with a high draft pick and the return of Andrew Luck.

AFC EAST

Miami 0 @ Baltimore 40 (F – 10/26)

LA Chargers @ New England

Oakland @ Buffalo

Atlanta @ NY Jets – Atlanta goes back over .500

NEW ENGLAND: Buy. I’m starting to think that Brady and Belichick are all the team needs anymore.

BUFFALO: Sell. Buffalo is on the rise and should be optimistic for 2018, but their first six games this year feel like fool’s gold. Growing pains will lead to a little regression to the mean.

MIAMI: Sell. When the franchise’s hopes are tied to the return of Ryan Tannehill, that can’t be a good sign.

NY JETS: Sell. On the other hand, they’re not the worst team in New York.

NFC WEST

Houston @ Seattle

San Francisco @ Philadelphia – The Niners Year Of Woe continues apace

SEATTLE: Buy. At the start of the year it seemed to me that Seattle wasn’t the team they’d been in the past few years, and that may still be true. But other NFC contenders have fared worse. With Atlanta suffering a huge Super Bowl hangover, with Carolina’s inconsistent play, with their struggles in the running game, with the Green Bay Packers losing Aaron Rodgers, with Dallas’ secondary issues, the Seahawks seem to be well-placed to go deep in the NFC playoffs.

LA RAMS: Buy. This team the Rams are building looks like one that will be in the mix over the next several seasons.

ARIZONA: Sell. Sell this team for pennies on the dollar. Carson Palmer is hurt and 38 years old. David Johnson, their young stud at RB, has been hurt since week one. Larry Fitzgerald, their HOF-bound wideout, is near the end of his career. Tanking for Palmer’s replacement should be Arizona’s priority.

SAN FRANCISCO: Sell, if for some reason you bought them previously. This is Year Zero in the Niners’ great rebuilding project.

NFC NORTH

Chicago @ New Orleans – The Saints take another one

Minnesota @ Cleveland

Pittsburgh @ Detroit

GREEN BAY: Sell. The time to sell was two weeks ago in the Minnesota game, but better late than never.

MINNESOTA: Buy. They might be the worst 5-2 team in memory, but the return of Teddy Bridgewater approaches. With Green Bay sure to drop in the standings, Minnesota is in the driver’s seat for the division championship.

DETROIT: Sell. They weren’t that good to start with, and they seem to have more injured players than healthy ones. But…if you’re looking for reasons to buy, how about: 1) they’ve handed Minnesota their only in-division loss, in Minnesota. 2) After the Pittsburgh game, it’s a pretty reasonable schedule, with five division games left. 3) Matthew Stafford has a nice track record in close games.

CHICAGO: Sell, but thanks to a tough young defense and a rookie QB with promise, things are looking up for 2018.

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta @ NY Jets

Chicago @ New Orleans

Carolina @ Tampa Bay – Winston might return, won’t matter

NEW ORLEANS: Buy. This team has improved substantially since the start of the year and should be in contention for the NFC championship.

CAROLINA: Sell. Carolina’s underwhelming running game figures to undermine the rest of their season.

ATLANTA: Sell. The Falcons have shown virtually no signs of getting out of their SB51 funk. Hard to believe that losing Kyle Shanahan could be this detrimental to a team. If you’re a Falcons fan and still want to buy, well, it’s largely the same team of a year ago. That team started 7-5 and finished 11-5. They have yet to play a division game. I’m saying sell, but the glass half full argument is reasonable.

TAMPA BAY: Sell. If everything goes exactly right from here on out, maybe they get to 9-7.

NFC EAST

San Francisco @ Philadelphia

Dallas @ Washington – Take the home-standing Skins

PHILADELPHIA: Buy. Losing Jason Peters definitely hurts. And they’ve got a tough stretch of games after their bye week on November 12: At Dallas, versus Chicago, at Seattle, at LA Rams. On the other hand, a 4-7 finish gives the Eagles a 10-6 record for the season. They’ll get there at least.

DALLAS: Sell. Pass defense issues in a pass-happy league doesn’t bode well.

WASHINGTON: Sell. Other than Kirk Cousins, who’s playing at a superstar level, the Redskins skill players aren’t impressive. Well, Vernon Davis, if this is 2013.

NY GIANTS: Give ’em away, because you won’t be able to sell.

ONE LAST THING

Every week on Westwood One’s radio broadcast of Monday Night Football, during the pregame, Jim Gray interviews Tom Brady and Larry Fitzgerald in taped segments. Here, give the Brady interview of this past Monday a listen:

Now, these interviews are sponsored by Macy’s, and naturally the sponsor gets their due mentions. But these interviews always come off as “thinly veiled league propaganda” rather than “a conversation with a top player”.

First of all, note the choice of players: two elder statesmen, both well-respected household names. No young guys who might pop off. No guys with a screw loose – they’re not interviewing Richie Incognito here. Then, take note of the tone of the answers: [Atlanta is] such a great team, it was a great atmosphere, there was some cool military things that we really honored and showed them so much appreciation that they deserve, I’m so proud of [my parents]…just hokey and aw shucks all the way down. It’s like they handed Brady a checklist and said “Be sure to hit these points during the interview”. Was Brady’s interview coach from the DPRK News Service? That was my reaction; maybe I’m wrong.

PICKS

Week 6: 8-6

Total: 35-35

 

This is starting to get good.

Ever-closer do we inch toward the halfway point of the season. Two winless teams remain, no undefeateds are left. The Chiefs remain atop the AFC while the Eagles rule the NFC. Last year’s AFC champs, the Patriots, have looked shaky at times but continue to play winning football. The reigning NFC champions, the Falcons, have played one solid game all season, and that was in week two. Aaron Rodgers is out with a broken collarbone, Adrian Peterson is pretty psyched to be out of New Orleans, and the Browns are on pace to let us all down one last time. Let’s do this thing.

Caveat: because we started this after the season began, I hadn’t gotten around to a team-by-team preview. Please indulge me in rectifying that now. Since I’ve discussed some teams more than others, I’ll spare you 32 previews on top of all the other content. We’ll limit it to twelve teams.

AFC WEST

Kansas City 30 @ Oakland 31 (F – 10/19)

Denver @ LA Chargers – Broncos rebound from embarrassment

Maybe the most interesting outcome this week would be wins by Oakland and the Chargers. In that scenario, KC will be in a two-game losing streak at 5-2, followed by Denver, the Raiders and Chargers at 3-4. Two weeks ago, would anyone have foreseen such a close AFC West?

TEAM PREVIEW: OAKLAND

The two Running Backs, “LYNCH” and “RICHARD” are the core of the team and they display incredible strength as their running plays unfold. Their defense is tough.

TEAM PREVIEW: DENVER

“SIEMIAN” is a popular Quarterback and is almost a one-man team offense. But the defense has its ups and downs.

AFC NORTH

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh – Cincy crawls back to respectability

Tennessee @ Cleveland – Mariota is gimpy and Cleveland’s not going winless

Baltimore @ Minnesota – Only because they’re at home

TEAM PREVIEW: CLEVELAND

The powerful Running Back “CROWELL” and Quarterback “KIZER” are the center of the offense. This team has real offensive power.

AFC SOUTH

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis – The Jags bounce back

Tennessee @ Cleveland

Bye: Houston

One more reminder: Deshaun Watson is still in the 100 club in Passer Rating. With an arm like his, maybe he could shore up the Astros bullpen.

TEAM PREVIEW: INDIANAPOLIS

This team has great defensive power. Their weak passing attack is made up for by their great running ability.

AFC EAST

NY Jets @ Miami – Two in a row for the Fish

Tampa Bay @ Buffalo – Winston’s hurting and they’re on the road

Atlanta @ New England – Falcons right the ship in a big win

Big Rematch time…one team from the South, one from the Northeast. The winning team came back after falling behind early. They are one of a very few franchises to win consecutive Super Bowls in their history…of course I’m talking about this game from last season.

Oh, and there’s another rematch on this week’s schedule; we’ll discuss it in the NFC South section.

TEAM PREVIEW: MIAMI

With “CUTLER” as your Quarterback, his incredible passing ability will be the center of your offense, this offense tops the league in scoring, but their defense is weak.

NFC WEST

Seattle @ NY Giants – Giants come back to Earth

Dallas @ San Francisco – Frisco loses in convincing fashion for once

Arizona @ LA Rams – Cardinals in a shootout

TEAM PREVIEW: SAN FRANCISCO

There are several stars on this team, including Quarterback “HOYER”, Wide Receiver “GARCON”, and Free Safety “WARD”. They were said to be the most powerful team last season.

TEAM PREVIEW: SEATTLE

Seattle is a team with a lot of talent. They are coming off a strong season, but can they win the championship?

NFC NORTH

New Orleans @ Green Bay – The No-Rodgers Collapse gathers momentum

Carolina @ Chicago – Panthers, narrowly

Baltimore @ Minnesota

Bye – Detroit

TEAM PREVIEW: CHICAGO

Chicago was the top in defense last year. On offense, Chicago’s Rusher, “HOWARD”, has been running circles around the defenses.

TEAM PREVIEW: MINNESOTA

Quarterback “KEENUM”, Wide Receiver “THIELEN”, and Running Back “COOK” are the heart of the team, performing well-executed plays.

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay @ Buffalo

New Orleans @ Green Bay

Carolina @ Chicago

Atlanta @ New England

When Matt Ryan won the NFL MVP last year, he won it deservedly. This year he’s not even one of the top ten QBs in passer rating. The Falcons’ point differential in the four games besides their Green Bay win is +1. You read that right – not one touchdown, one point. They’ve been embarrassingly mediocre. This week has the potential to either revitalize or sink their season; my guess is that they win in a strong performance and get some of their mojo back. As PieInTheSky is quick to remind us every week, I’ve been wrong before.

NFC EAST

Dallas @ San Francisco

Seattle @ NY Giants

Washington @ Philadelphia – should be a real dogfight

Last but not least, to round out our Team Previews:

TEAM PREVIEW: DALLAS

Although a traditionally strong team, last year they seemed to weaken. But never count them out. This year with Running Back “ELLIOTT”, they aim to make a comeback.

TEAM PREVIEW: NEW YORK

Superstar team leader “PIERRE-PAUL” holds the defense together which is out to destroy any offense. Quarterback “MANNING” is the key to their offense and is counted on heavily.

TEAM PREVIEW: WASHINGTON

This is an extremely well balanced and powerful team. They are aiming for the championship with a consistent game.

PICKS

Week 6 – 5-8

Total – 27-29