Week 13 Recap
Quick Thoughts while praying for a Seahawks blowout tonight
so I can finally fix my car…
So, I’m sitting at home yesterday, minding my own business, watching the Bengals pummel the Steelers into submission, when I heard a strange noise, almost like the snow from outside had melted and was leaking into my house. I sat up and looked around, only to find that my dog Tucker apparently woke up, walked downstairs, thought he was outside, and began to take a leak on the kitchen floor. Wonderful. I quickly opened the door and dragged him outside before grabbing the mop and Lysol. What a wonderful weekend it was…
On with the nonsense:
n Is it me, or do NFL teams not hailing from Indianapolis just seem like they can’t finish off games this year? San Diego experienced a stretch of games where they allowed opponents to hang around and keep it close; this week the Bengals, Giants, Bears and of course the Bills did exactly the same thing. Can’t anybody win in a blowout anymore?
n Just when it seemed like the Browns were going to have a good young offensive nucleus set up for next year in Charlie Frye, Reuben Droughns, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr., POP! Goes Braylon’s knee. Tough break. Must suck to be a Cleveland-er (or is it “-onian”) right now. At least you’ve got LeBron for a few more years…
n I just don’t see any way that the Colts lose a game this year, barring injuries and/or resting key players down the stretch. San Diego will give them a game, and so will Seattle. But if Peyton and the crew decide that they want to go for history, then they’ll be unstoppable for the next month.
n The University of Oregon got jobbed…
n But I’m perfectly fine with Ohio State getting a BCS bid…
n (Instant History Alert!) Looks like maybe that Joe Thornton trade was just what both teams needed…
n I can’t imagine how anyone on the Buffalo Bills can look themselves in the mirror this morning, or cash their paycheck later this week. That was a disgrace.
n I was impressed by:
o Jacksonville. Lose your #1 running back and #1 quarterback, still win a road game in a hostile environment. That gets you top billing in my book…
o Indianapolis. Just a force of nature right now.
o Cincinnati. That was one heck of a statement game there boys. But something still needs to be done about that defense. You forced 3 INTs and 4 fumbles, and still allowed 450+ yards and 31 points while only winning by 7. That won’t fly in the playoffs.
o The University of Texas. 70 points on the board with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter… good to see you didn’t let things get out of hand.
o The university of Southern California. Must be nice to have scored between 34 and 70 points in every game this season. Man that’s gonna be one heck of a game in Pasadena… Wonder if the Trojans might have a little home-crowd/field advantage?
n I was appalled by:
o The Bills. But I’ve already covered this. Just know that, as of today, I will not be supporting this franchise in any of their endeavors. That was sick.
o The Texans. But look at the bright side – you’ve got Reggie Bush just about locked up. Too bad the only halfway decent offensive weapon you have is your running back…
o The Browns. Let me set the scene. 6 points down, 2:15ish to go in the 4th, and your opponent has a 3rd and 19 from their own 25. How in the hell do you allow a backup quarterback a 28-yard run in that situation to move the chains and essentially end the game? That is why you are nothing more than a 6-win team right now.
o The Jets. Not that I’m complaining. But only managing 3 points against that Patriots defense? #2 pick, here they come!
o The Packers. OK, it’s time. Let Brett sit for the last four games, give the kid some snaps. But next season, when everything is fresh and new again, Brett Favre is still your starting QB. The job is his for as long as he wants it.
o The Saints. Think they’re playing for the leftovers from the Matt Leinart / Vince Young free-for-all?
o Joe Theisman. Last week, he said that Jim Haslett should be the coach of the year just for having to deal with everything that has fallen on his shoulders, and for guiding his team to three “gutsy” wins. Uh huh… This week he said Mike Tice should be coach of the year for dealing with everything that has fallen on his team and still leading them to what looks like a wild card berth. Let me tell you something Joe – if either of these teams had coaches that they respected or that were halfway competent at their jobs, “everything that has fallen on the team” wouldn’t come into play. A good coach doesn’t let his players rent a boat and turn it into a floating whorehouse. A good coach is able to keep his players focused when even the biggest of tragedies hits home. Neither of these men are the NFL coach of the year because neither of them should even have a job at this point in the 2005 season.
n By the way – my Coach of the Year? Lovie Smith. Closely followed by Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, and John Fox. Notice a pattern there – all of them have winning teams, all are likely headed for a playoff berth (and possibly first-round byes), and none of them have had to bail their teams out of scandals (aside from the minor Ken Hamlin incident in Seattle) or keep them focused on their jobs on the field. Maybe that makes their jobs easier, which in turn makes winning easier. But I say that part of the job of an NFL coach is to keep his players in line and get them to perform to their very best.
n What – you thought I was going to say Bill Belichick? If they win the AFC, he’ll certainly have a strong case…
n I’ve got a random thought from last week’s Sunday Night Game (Saints/Jets) that I wanted to pass along. I forgot about it twice last week, so I’m just throwing it in here while I’m thinking about it. Late in the game, the Saints scored the go-ahead TD and tried to go for 2 to make it a 3-point lead. They converted the 2-point try, but got flagged for an illegal pick in the end zone, backing them up 10-yards. Then, they decided to take the extra point rather than try again. Here’s my question: Why? What does that extra point ensure for you – you can’t lose on a safety now? 21-19 is no better than 20-19, so why not try the 2-point conversion again? If anything, you’ve got more room to operate (12 yards instead of 2), so you can let receivers run actual routes. If the Jets convert that last second field goal and win by a point, Jim Haslett looks like a jackass. But since Brooks Bollinger couldn’t handle a snap and basically cost his team the win, Haslett is suddenly the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. Funny game, this “football”…
n Not a bad week so far for me – 10-5 going in to tonight’s game, and 6 of 7 on my “best lies to tease” (stupid Ravens). I’m sticking by my Seahawks (-4) tonight, and keeping my fingers crossed that I’m right. I’ve got a nice parlay working here with the Bengals, Giants, Chargers and Seahawks – 3 out of 4 so far. A Seahawks cover tonight, and my car gets fixed next week!
Lata.
posted by Big D @ 2:33 PM
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