Super Bowl 50 has come and gone, so let's take a quick look at what happened and what it might mean in the big picture.
The game itself was uninteresting. It's unfortunate that the last and most meaningful football game of the 2015 season turned out the way it did. For my part, I thought that Carolina's offense would be able to do something against Denver, and that the Panthers were basically a shoe-in. I really couldn't have been more wrong there.
Late in the regular season, a lot of people seemed to bristle at anyone who criticized Carolina, often brashly proclaiming them "the best" in the NFL. The problem with that proclamation lay in their schedule; they had few games of consequence as a result of playing in the NFC South and lost one of them to a mediocre Atlanta team. They coasted through their two previous playoff games and looked unstoppable, to boot. But they didn't look ready for prime time in the biggest game of the season and I tend to think their easy schedule has a little to do with that.
Given how "dominant" (I dislike using that word, because it implies things that aren't necessarily accurate) Denver's defense was, I also have to question the notion that the NFL is a "passing league". The defenses for both teams controlled the pace of play and the result of the game. I mean, I have my doubts as to how much Denver really wanted to do; they seemed content to let their defense do the bulk of the work while not trying anything that would be considered "risky". If the NFL is indeed a passing league, last night's game was a huge exception...or it proves that running the ball and playing defense is the way to win championships as we're always told it has been since the advent of the league.
My problem with the whole "run the ball/play defense" style of play is that it's usually bland and uninteresting. Both teams exemplify that style to a great degree.
To that end, it was obvious that someone on Denver's defense was going to win SB MVP. Von Miller ended up being the guy, though it was a team effort by all indications. One interesting thing to note, though, is the effort by Carolina DE Kony Ealy. He was just as effective as Von Miller, but gets less credit due to the fact that his team didn't win. Fair enough, but worth pointing out and giving credit nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the MVP of the regular season came up small. No play showed this more than the 4th quarter strip & sack that Miller had. Cam Newton basically jogged toward the ball on the ground and then backed away slightly rather than dive onto the ball. As I recall, the score was 16-10 in favor of Denver; a recovery could have led to a game-winning TD (but more likely another Panthers error). At any rate, the game was there for the taking for most of the night, but Newton's play was not even close to what they needed. I thought his performance in Week 16 was his nadir; wrong again, chum.
While the fumble by Newton in the 4th quarter closed out the game, it was the fumble in the 1st quarter that may be more noteworthy. The 1st quarter fumble (and resulting TD for Denver) not only set the pace for the game but is probably what won the game for the Broncos.
Newton had just thrown a pass to Jerricho Cotchery which was called incomplete and then challenged by Panthers HC Ron Rivera. The call was upheld. The problem with that call, however, is that Cotchery had actually caught the ball. So the failed challenge directly led to the fumble that gave Denver their only TD for the majority of the game. Was it a game-changing play? To me, there's no doubt.
I thought the officiating was spotty in general. But when calls weren't going the Panthers way, they did themselves no favors with their play on offense. Too many turnovers, bad passes, ineffective runs.
And in the end, Peyton Manning gets his second ring, in a game where he did virtually nothing.
Given all the hype for Super Bowl 50, it was underwhelming at best.
Also of note, since Von Miller won MVP, that means that two of the last three Super Bowl MVP's have been defensive players. And let's not forget that Super Bowl 49 was basically determined by a defensive player.
Has defense been taken out of the league? Hardly. Not when it reigns supreme at the highest level.
See you next season.
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
February 8, 2016
January 25, 2016
Championship Round
We know who'll be in Super Bowl 50 and have two weeks to stew over who will win. In the meantime, let's take a quick look at the Championship games.
2 New England @ 1 Denver:
Why was Denver #1 in the AFC? The Patriots went to Miami in Week 17 and lost. Were it not for that result, the AFC Championship would have been played in Foxboro and probably would have turned out differently.
Brady and co. play poorly in Denver; that's been established and there was little to no deviation from it on Sunday. It was an effort much like the one that was on display in Week 17.
Because of that and a few calls that went against the Patriots, the Broncos are an improbable Super Bowl entrant.
I don't think the Broncos deserve to be in the Super Bowl. Yes, their defense is good. The QB play leaves a lot to be desired and the offense in general is lackluster. I don't care for Kubiak's head coaching style and I think he was lucky that his right tackle didn't get worked over like he had in a couple previous games.
I also think that the Patriots weren't really prepared for this eventuality. When the draw came out, I think they expected that they would be in Foxboro hosting Pittsburgh for the Championship.
Denver was lucky to get past Pittsburgh and weren't a whole lot better than the Pats on a day where Brady was knocked around regularly. In order to win Super Bowl 50 (a likelihood I don't see, even after the previous two weeks), they'll have to be a lot better than they've showed to even be slightly better than the team they'll be up against.
2 Arizona @ 1 Carolina:
Over in the NFC, we had an old fashioned beatdown.
Carolina put it to Arizona pretty much from beginning to end, dominating on both sides of the ball as they put up 49 points. Cam Newton in particular was excellent, putting up two passing TD's and two rushing TD's.
The Panthers also made Palmer look completely foolish, which was a nice bonus. While some are already circling the wagons around their so-called MVP candidate, this was his third terrible game in a row and he really let it all hang out. He threw four INT's, most of which were inexcusably bad, one of which was a pick-six and fumbled twice to boot. His O-line wasn't great, to be sure, but the mistakes were generally on Palmer alone.
Newton made one mistake, an INT by Patrick Peterson that almost (but not quite) made up for his odd gaffe in special teams. However, Cam was helped out by Ted Ginn, Jr., who tackled Peterson before he reached the end zone, and safety Kurt Coleman, who picked off Palmer in the end zone on a nice play.
While I wouldn't call it a fait accompli, necessarily, I will say that the NFC Championship was basically the game that decided who gets the Lombardi Trophy. Carolina was the better team and I expect that to be the case in two weeks.
Given that the Panthers are coached by Ron Rivera, who played on the 1985 Bears and won Super Bowl 20, I thought it might be interesting to see which team the '85 Bears and 2015 Panthers lost to. Each of these teams lost once, the '85 Bears to Miami, the 2015 Panthers to Atlanta.
The '85 Dolphins went 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship to New England.
The 2015 Falcons went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
I'm not sure that means anything either way, but I found it to be an interesting tidbit.
As far as the picks went, I split. I took New England and Carolina and was quite close to being rewarded with a perfect Championship Round. Alas.
I'm going to take a week off, as I have no interest in Super Bowl 50 hype (which is sure to be even more outlandish than usual). See you in two weeks.
2 New England @ 1 Denver:
Why was Denver #1 in the AFC? The Patriots went to Miami in Week 17 and lost. Were it not for that result, the AFC Championship would have been played in Foxboro and probably would have turned out differently.
Brady and co. play poorly in Denver; that's been established and there was little to no deviation from it on Sunday. It was an effort much like the one that was on display in Week 17.
Because of that and a few calls that went against the Patriots, the Broncos are an improbable Super Bowl entrant.
I don't think the Broncos deserve to be in the Super Bowl. Yes, their defense is good. The QB play leaves a lot to be desired and the offense in general is lackluster. I don't care for Kubiak's head coaching style and I think he was lucky that his right tackle didn't get worked over like he had in a couple previous games.
I also think that the Patriots weren't really prepared for this eventuality. When the draw came out, I think they expected that they would be in Foxboro hosting Pittsburgh for the Championship.
Denver was lucky to get past Pittsburgh and weren't a whole lot better than the Pats on a day where Brady was knocked around regularly. In order to win Super Bowl 50 (a likelihood I don't see, even after the previous two weeks), they'll have to be a lot better than they've showed to even be slightly better than the team they'll be up against.
2 Arizona @ 1 Carolina:
Over in the NFC, we had an old fashioned beatdown.
Carolina put it to Arizona pretty much from beginning to end, dominating on both sides of the ball as they put up 49 points. Cam Newton in particular was excellent, putting up two passing TD's and two rushing TD's.
The Panthers also made Palmer look completely foolish, which was a nice bonus. While some are already circling the wagons around their so-called MVP candidate, this was his third terrible game in a row and he really let it all hang out. He threw four INT's, most of which were inexcusably bad, one of which was a pick-six and fumbled twice to boot. His O-line wasn't great, to be sure, but the mistakes were generally on Palmer alone.
Newton made one mistake, an INT by Patrick Peterson that almost (but not quite) made up for his odd gaffe in special teams. However, Cam was helped out by Ted Ginn, Jr., who tackled Peterson before he reached the end zone, and safety Kurt Coleman, who picked off Palmer in the end zone on a nice play.
While I wouldn't call it a fait accompli, necessarily, I will say that the NFC Championship was basically the game that decided who gets the Lombardi Trophy. Carolina was the better team and I expect that to be the case in two weeks.
Given that the Panthers are coached by Ron Rivera, who played on the 1985 Bears and won Super Bowl 20, I thought it might be interesting to see which team the '85 Bears and 2015 Panthers lost to. Each of these teams lost once, the '85 Bears to Miami, the 2015 Panthers to Atlanta.
The '85 Dolphins went 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship to New England.
The 2015 Falcons went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
I'm not sure that means anything either way, but I found it to be an interesting tidbit.
As far as the picks went, I split. I took New England and Carolina and was quite close to being rewarded with a perfect Championship Round. Alas.
I'm going to take a week off, as I have no interest in Super Bowl 50 hype (which is sure to be even more outlandish than usual). See you in two weeks.
January 19, 2016
Divisional Round
The second weekend of the 2016 NFL Playoffs is done, so let's take a quick look at what happened.
5 Kansas City @ 2 New England:
Brady-to-Gronk is pretty much unbeatable.
People have focused on the clock management on KC's side, and I agree that it was problematic. But really, were they going to win? Were they expected to win?
I think not. What we did see, on the other hand, is Alex Smith's ceiling, especially when the coaching is not perfect at all times in all situations.
It may have helped to have a couple of the guys healthy.
Even still, Brady-to-Gronk (and Edelman) won the day.
5 Green Bay @ 2 Arizona:
The most exciting and ridiculous game of the weekend.
Carson Palmer was terrible; his performance (or lack thereof) allowed the Packers to stay in the game for as long as they did.
And much like the clock in the previous game, the coin toss and overtime rules have been scrutinized. However, I find that there is little merit in criticizing how overtime is carried out. Changing the rules would be overly reactionary.
Rodgers didn't get the ball? Oh, well. Arizona did what they had to do: they got the ball to Fitzgerald and he put in supreme effort to win the game.
That's right, people. Herm Edwards' admonition that "you play to win the game" is still accurate and relevant even in 2016.
6 Seattle @ 1 Carolina:
Going up 31-0 was a big deal. That's five scores and a guaranteed win.
Seattle then went out and proved it by coming up short.
It's not that they didn't play well in the 2nd half. They just dug themselves a hole so big that they had no chance to recover. Russell Wilson was primarily responsible by throwing a terrible pick-six that essentially sealed it.
He has a lot of fans who want to defend everything he does and claim that his late-season run of 19 TD's and 0 INT's somehow meant that he had "turned the corner" or whatever. I didn't buy it then, I don't buy it now.
What Wilson has done is benefit from a great defense and strong running game.
And in going down 31-0, you could safely argue that the defense let him down. But he was definitely an accessory.
Also, Cam Newton played excellently (befitting an MVP, I'd say) in the first half and rightly threw some blame on the coaches for their pathetic second half game plan. You have to score to win in the NFL, even when you're up 31-0, because we all knew the comeback was coming.
Of course, we all knew it'd come up short, but it still doesn't hurt to put more points on the board.
6 Pittsburgh @ 1 Denver:
Was it the wind that made this such a mediocre game?
Either way, it was mostly even until a late turnover by Pittsburgh's third-string running back.
Peyton Manning was again nothing special, but they won the game, so in a way it doesn't matter as much. Playoff wins don't come around every day, after all.
Really, the only interesting thing to look at is how Peyton and Denver will play against New England. The obvious conceit is that if he plays like he did against Pittsburgh, Denver will go down in flames and it will be ugly.
That's all for the Divisional Round.
I went 3-1 straight up in my picks (again). For whatever reason, I had Pittsburgh winning and was damn close...until late in the 4th. Oh, well.
5 Kansas City @ 2 New England:
Brady-to-Gronk is pretty much unbeatable.
People have focused on the clock management on KC's side, and I agree that it was problematic. But really, were they going to win? Were they expected to win?
I think not. What we did see, on the other hand, is Alex Smith's ceiling, especially when the coaching is not perfect at all times in all situations.
It may have helped to have a couple of the guys healthy.
Even still, Brady-to-Gronk (and Edelman) won the day.
5 Green Bay @ 2 Arizona:
The most exciting and ridiculous game of the weekend.
Carson Palmer was terrible; his performance (or lack thereof) allowed the Packers to stay in the game for as long as they did.
And much like the clock in the previous game, the coin toss and overtime rules have been scrutinized. However, I find that there is little merit in criticizing how overtime is carried out. Changing the rules would be overly reactionary.
Rodgers didn't get the ball? Oh, well. Arizona did what they had to do: they got the ball to Fitzgerald and he put in supreme effort to win the game.
That's right, people. Herm Edwards' admonition that "you play to win the game" is still accurate and relevant even in 2016.
6 Seattle @ 1 Carolina:
Going up 31-0 was a big deal. That's five scores and a guaranteed win.
Seattle then went out and proved it by coming up short.
It's not that they didn't play well in the 2nd half. They just dug themselves a hole so big that they had no chance to recover. Russell Wilson was primarily responsible by throwing a terrible pick-six that essentially sealed it.
He has a lot of fans who want to defend everything he does and claim that his late-season run of 19 TD's and 0 INT's somehow meant that he had "turned the corner" or whatever. I didn't buy it then, I don't buy it now.
What Wilson has done is benefit from a great defense and strong running game.
And in going down 31-0, you could safely argue that the defense let him down. But he was definitely an accessory.
Also, Cam Newton played excellently (befitting an MVP, I'd say) in the first half and rightly threw some blame on the coaches for their pathetic second half game plan. You have to score to win in the NFL, even when you're up 31-0, because we all knew the comeback was coming.
Of course, we all knew it'd come up short, but it still doesn't hurt to put more points on the board.
6 Pittsburgh @ 1 Denver:
Was it the wind that made this such a mediocre game?
Either way, it was mostly even until a late turnover by Pittsburgh's third-string running back.
Peyton Manning was again nothing special, but they won the game, so in a way it doesn't matter as much. Playoff wins don't come around every day, after all.
Really, the only interesting thing to look at is how Peyton and Denver will play against New England. The obvious conceit is that if he plays like he did against Pittsburgh, Denver will go down in flames and it will be ugly.
That's all for the Divisional Round.
I went 3-1 straight up in my picks (again). For whatever reason, I had Pittsburgh winning and was damn close...until late in the 4th. Oh, well.
January 11, 2016
Wild Card Weekend
What the first weekend of the 2016 NFL Playoffs lacked in scoring and general offensive production, it made up by being dramatic and producing memorable games.
Let's go through them one-by-one.
5 Kansas City @ 4 Houston:
Was it over after Knile Davis' 100+ yards kickoff return for a touchdown?
The rest of the game sure seemed like a formality. Kansas City had little trouble dispatching the Texans, winning 30-0 and getting that rarest of prizes, a playoff shutout.
The Texans' offense didn't gain traction at any point and the one time they were in the red zone, they ran an incredibly stupid play that had J.J. Watt running the ball behind Vince Wilfork...and losing a yard or two. Much of the futility rests on the shoulders of QB Brian Hoyer, who threw four INT's and lost a fumble. Each interception was indefensible.
Kansas City looked as they usually do. QB Alex Smith ran around a little and threw the ball to TE Travis Kelce and WR Jeremy Maclin, just as expected. Unfortunately, Maclin went out with an injury. That didn't slow KC in the 2nd half, but it may be problematic in the next round.
6 Pittsburgh @ 3 Cincinnati:
Probably the wildest game of the weekend. Pittsburgh took a 15-0 lead and then watched in horror as Vontaze Burfict took QB Ben Roethlisberger to the ground and injured his shoulder. It looked like that injury to Roethlisberger would end up defining the game. And it would have, as Landry Jones' late INT to Burfict sealed it for Cincy.
And then something funny happened: RB Jeremy Hill fumbled.
It wasn't something I expected, to be sure. With the lead and game secure, all Cincy had to do was run out the clock. Mistakes in that part of the game usually don't happen. And yet, the fumble happened and Roethlisberger gamely made an effort to return to the field.
It was obvious that he was hampered, yet he took the Steelers into opposing territory.
And then another funny thing happened: Burfict tried to level Steelers' WR Antonio Brown.
On replay, it's a lot less vicious than it appeared in real-time. Though I'll grant that Brown's fall (with his neck snapping back and forth in what appears to be painful fashion) still made the hit look bad enough to be flagged. The flag was thrown and the Steelers got a well-earned 15 yards, enough to make a field goal try a possibility.
And then Adam Jones got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, perhaps egged on by one of the Steelers' coaches, former LB Joey Porter. The Steelers suddenly had a make-able field goal of a mere 35 yards, made it, and won the game. They went from coasting, to losing, to scraping by with a win as the 4th quarter progressed.
While most will point to the penalties and the stupidity behind them as the reason that Cincinnati lost, I have another take on it. Down 15-7, Cincinnati had the ball and was driving. They were stopped in Steelers' territory and inexplicably chose to go for a field goal that made it 15-10. Had they gone for the TD and the two-point conversion (which they did later and missed, granted), they would have been tied. And had events played out, WR A.J. Green's TD would have given the Bengals a seven point lead, thus forcing the Steelers to go for a TD just to tie.
Now imagine that the Steelers are in Bengals territory with :18 on the clock and less than 20 yards to go to get in the end zone. Can you see them scoring a TD with all that had happened?
Honestly, I can't. But because Marvin Lewis played it conservatively (as usual), we'll never know.
6 Seattle @ 3 Minnesota:
Winter in my neck of the woods is hardly a scary proposition. It wouldn't stop anybody from playing football.
Minneapolis is a lot different. Did the -9 degree temperature at kickoff, not to mention the well below zero wind chill, affect the game negatively?
Absolutely, though there were a couple of plays where the guys on the field transcended the conditions.
Seattle ended up winning on a missed field goal by Minnesota's Blair Walsh. Minnesota's offense was nothing but field goals and even in sub-zero temps, if you settle for field goals, you lose. Minnesota found that out the hard way.
And while Seattle didn't do a whole lot to win the game, they get to move on to the next round. How they'll do there is anyone's guess, though I personally doubt that they are suddenly "a contender".
5 Green Bay @ 4 Washington:
As it turned out, the Packers were the better team. Either that, or Washington just choked the game away.
The game turned when the Packers scored 17 unanswered points. Washington did score another TD to make it 18-17, but by failing to put the Packers away early when they had a great opportunity to do so, Washington practically guaranteed a win for the opposing team.
All the things that we had seen the Packers flub over the past few weeks suddenly worked and did so beautifully. The O-line had no problem with Washington's front seven; Lacy and Starks ran it well; the receivers got open and didn't drop the ball.
So the Packers move on to face Arizona, a team that drubbed them as recently as Week 16. Yet, despite Green Bay's performance this past weekend, I see nothing to convince me that anything will be different next week.
That's it for Wild Card Weekend.
As usual, I made picks for all the games; I went 3-1 straight up. My one loss was the foolish consideration of going with Washington against Green Bay. Still, given that four road teams won this past weekend, I think it would have been rather interesting had I gotten them all. Interesting, and impossible.
Let's go through them one-by-one.
5 Kansas City @ 4 Houston:
Was it over after Knile Davis' 100+ yards kickoff return for a touchdown?
The rest of the game sure seemed like a formality. Kansas City had little trouble dispatching the Texans, winning 30-0 and getting that rarest of prizes, a playoff shutout.
The Texans' offense didn't gain traction at any point and the one time they were in the red zone, they ran an incredibly stupid play that had J.J. Watt running the ball behind Vince Wilfork...and losing a yard or two. Much of the futility rests on the shoulders of QB Brian Hoyer, who threw four INT's and lost a fumble. Each interception was indefensible.
Kansas City looked as they usually do. QB Alex Smith ran around a little and threw the ball to TE Travis Kelce and WR Jeremy Maclin, just as expected. Unfortunately, Maclin went out with an injury. That didn't slow KC in the 2nd half, but it may be problematic in the next round.
6 Pittsburgh @ 3 Cincinnati:
Probably the wildest game of the weekend. Pittsburgh took a 15-0 lead and then watched in horror as Vontaze Burfict took QB Ben Roethlisberger to the ground and injured his shoulder. It looked like that injury to Roethlisberger would end up defining the game. And it would have, as Landry Jones' late INT to Burfict sealed it for Cincy.
And then something funny happened: RB Jeremy Hill fumbled.
It wasn't something I expected, to be sure. With the lead and game secure, all Cincy had to do was run out the clock. Mistakes in that part of the game usually don't happen. And yet, the fumble happened and Roethlisberger gamely made an effort to return to the field.
It was obvious that he was hampered, yet he took the Steelers into opposing territory.
And then another funny thing happened: Burfict tried to level Steelers' WR Antonio Brown.
On replay, it's a lot less vicious than it appeared in real-time. Though I'll grant that Brown's fall (with his neck snapping back and forth in what appears to be painful fashion) still made the hit look bad enough to be flagged. The flag was thrown and the Steelers got a well-earned 15 yards, enough to make a field goal try a possibility.
And then Adam Jones got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, perhaps egged on by one of the Steelers' coaches, former LB Joey Porter. The Steelers suddenly had a make-able field goal of a mere 35 yards, made it, and won the game. They went from coasting, to losing, to scraping by with a win as the 4th quarter progressed.
While most will point to the penalties and the stupidity behind them as the reason that Cincinnati lost, I have another take on it. Down 15-7, Cincinnati had the ball and was driving. They were stopped in Steelers' territory and inexplicably chose to go for a field goal that made it 15-10. Had they gone for the TD and the two-point conversion (which they did later and missed, granted), they would have been tied. And had events played out, WR A.J. Green's TD would have given the Bengals a seven point lead, thus forcing the Steelers to go for a TD just to tie.
Now imagine that the Steelers are in Bengals territory with :18 on the clock and less than 20 yards to go to get in the end zone. Can you see them scoring a TD with all that had happened?
Honestly, I can't. But because Marvin Lewis played it conservatively (as usual), we'll never know.
6 Seattle @ 3 Minnesota:
Winter in my neck of the woods is hardly a scary proposition. It wouldn't stop anybody from playing football.
Minneapolis is a lot different. Did the -9 degree temperature at kickoff, not to mention the well below zero wind chill, affect the game negatively?
Absolutely, though there were a couple of plays where the guys on the field transcended the conditions.
Seattle ended up winning on a missed field goal by Minnesota's Blair Walsh. Minnesota's offense was nothing but field goals and even in sub-zero temps, if you settle for field goals, you lose. Minnesota found that out the hard way.
And while Seattle didn't do a whole lot to win the game, they get to move on to the next round. How they'll do there is anyone's guess, though I personally doubt that they are suddenly "a contender".
5 Green Bay @ 4 Washington:
As it turned out, the Packers were the better team. Either that, or Washington just choked the game away.
The game turned when the Packers scored 17 unanswered points. Washington did score another TD to make it 18-17, but by failing to put the Packers away early when they had a great opportunity to do so, Washington practically guaranteed a win for the opposing team.
All the things that we had seen the Packers flub over the past few weeks suddenly worked and did so beautifully. The O-line had no problem with Washington's front seven; Lacy and Starks ran it well; the receivers got open and didn't drop the ball.
So the Packers move on to face Arizona, a team that drubbed them as recently as Week 16. Yet, despite Green Bay's performance this past weekend, I see nothing to convince me that anything will be different next week.
That's it for Wild Card Weekend.
As usual, I made picks for all the games; I went 3-1 straight up. My one loss was the foolish consideration of going with Washington against Green Bay. Still, given that four road teams won this past weekend, I think it would have been rather interesting had I gotten them all. Interesting, and impossible.
February 3, 2014
The Day After....
I wasn't intending to write a blog covering Super Bowl 48.
While I was watching the game, I was angry. After watching the game, I was angrier still. Today, I feel a bit better, but the taint of that anger remains and will likely remain until the beginning of the 2014 season.
But here's the rub: should I even invest myself in the 2014 NFL season?
It is likely that I'll look like a reactionary to other observers (assuming any of them are even interested in reading this). So I guess the way to interpret what I'm about to say is that I am a passionate person with strong feelings and this blog is an expression of those feelings first and foremost.
To that end, the answer to the question I posed regarding 2014 is a loud and resounding "no".
There are two things that I've heard about the NFL for years now. 1.) It's a copycat league. 2.) Defense wins championships.
Despite the efforts of the Commissioner and the competition committee to open up the game and allow for more passing, most of what we saw in 2013 was a regression toward running the ball and dominating defense. In the regular season, it didn't always play out that way. Witness how Denver and New England were able to put up more than 10 wins each despite not having what observers would call "dominant" defenses. But really, they are the exceptions. There was less emphasis on down-field passing and more short passes that just barely go past the line of scrimmage.
So when we're promised a "passing league" and get what we got yesterday, it naturally annoys me. Also, given the copycat nature of the league, it is likely that more teams will seek to do what Seattle has done, which is to build their team around the running game and defense, and to have a QB that doesn't necessarily throw it down the field that often.
My contention is that the league will become more like what we saw yesterday, and it'll bore the shit out of me. So my excitement for the 2014 season, as of today at least, is low.
By the time next season starts, maybe my feelings will have changed. Right now, I doubt it.
While I was watching the game, I was angry. After watching the game, I was angrier still. Today, I feel a bit better, but the taint of that anger remains and will likely remain until the beginning of the 2014 season.
But here's the rub: should I even invest myself in the 2014 NFL season?
It is likely that I'll look like a reactionary to other observers (assuming any of them are even interested in reading this). So I guess the way to interpret what I'm about to say is that I am a passionate person with strong feelings and this blog is an expression of those feelings first and foremost.
To that end, the answer to the question I posed regarding 2014 is a loud and resounding "no".
There are two things that I've heard about the NFL for years now. 1.) It's a copycat league. 2.) Defense wins championships.
Despite the efforts of the Commissioner and the competition committee to open up the game and allow for more passing, most of what we saw in 2013 was a regression toward running the ball and dominating defense. In the regular season, it didn't always play out that way. Witness how Denver and New England were able to put up more than 10 wins each despite not having what observers would call "dominant" defenses. But really, they are the exceptions. There was less emphasis on down-field passing and more short passes that just barely go past the line of scrimmage.
So when we're promised a "passing league" and get what we got yesterday, it naturally annoys me. Also, given the copycat nature of the league, it is likely that more teams will seek to do what Seattle has done, which is to build their team around the running game and defense, and to have a QB that doesn't necessarily throw it down the field that often.
My contention is that the league will become more like what we saw yesterday, and it'll bore the shit out of me. So my excitement for the 2014 season, as of today at least, is low.
By the time next season starts, maybe my feelings will have changed. Right now, I doubt it.
January 20, 2014
2014 Championship Round
The Broncos and the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl in two weeks.
First off, I can't properly articulate how much better this game will be than last year's edition. Well, to be honest, it could turn out shitty like most years, but at least I don't loathe each team involved as I did when Baltimore took on San Francisco in February, 2013.
The Championship games were fairly well devoid of drama until late in the Seattle/SF matchup. Colin Kaepernick threw into the end zone; Seattle CB Richard Sherman got his hand on the ball, Seattle ended up with it, and a star was born (or reborn to a larger audience).
Never mind what happened after the game. That play to end it was something else.
For the record, though, I don't disagree with Sherman's assessment.
The AFC Championship wasn't much better. Then again, Denver was methodical in moving the ball down the field and getting it into the end zone, something the Patriots couldn't seem to figure out throughout the day. There weren't a whole lot of explosive plays from either side as Brady was overthrowing the few receivers he had and Manning was content to run the ball for the most part.
I find the running game to be a crashing bore about 90% of the time. The great runs of 10+ yards don't really happen that often, especially when teams are so bloody unimaginative in the way they deploy their offense.
So I think we know what we'll see in the Super Bowl. Running the ball about 70% of the time from each side, few throws down the field, and more than the fair share of three-and-outs. But if it's not a better game than last year, I think I'll have to eat an entire crow for breakfast.
First off, I can't properly articulate how much better this game will be than last year's edition. Well, to be honest, it could turn out shitty like most years, but at least I don't loathe each team involved as I did when Baltimore took on San Francisco in February, 2013.
The Championship games were fairly well devoid of drama until late in the Seattle/SF matchup. Colin Kaepernick threw into the end zone; Seattle CB Richard Sherman got his hand on the ball, Seattle ended up with it, and a star was born (or reborn to a larger audience).
Never mind what happened after the game. That play to end it was something else.
For the record, though, I don't disagree with Sherman's assessment.
The AFC Championship wasn't much better. Then again, Denver was methodical in moving the ball down the field and getting it into the end zone, something the Patriots couldn't seem to figure out throughout the day. There weren't a whole lot of explosive plays from either side as Brady was overthrowing the few receivers he had and Manning was content to run the ball for the most part.
I find the running game to be a crashing bore about 90% of the time. The great runs of 10+ yards don't really happen that often, especially when teams are so bloody unimaginative in the way they deploy their offense.
So I think we know what we'll see in the Super Bowl. Running the ball about 70% of the time from each side, few throws down the field, and more than the fair share of three-and-outs. But if it's not a better game than last year, I think I'll have to eat an entire crow for breakfast.
January 6, 2014
2014 Wild Card Weekend
So that happened.
When you pick the results straight up and then go 1-3, I would say there's bound to be some disappointment. Especially when San Diego and San Francisco are among the teams moving on. Also, what's up New Orleans? You couldn't do a damn thing on the road (and the first half was similarly vomit-inducing), and now you're world-beaters.
Blegh.
I didn't even watch a second of the SF/GB game, as I've been battling insomnia and the rampant concern that the sky is falling onto my head.
My issues aside, let's take a quick look at these four games and see what, if anything, we can learn from them.
The first game was obviously the best. KC went into Indy and a shootout ensued. This despite the fact that Alex Smith was one of the quarterbacks and Indy has been without their best WR, Reggie Wayne, since Week 7. This is one reason the playoffs are so damn frustrating and unpredictable. Crazy nonsense like this happens and you might as well go along for the ride, because once the games start, the predictions are moot. I certainly wasn't expecting Indy to go down 28 and then come back to win.
And yet, here we are.
As it turns out, that was the highest scoring game, despite having the lowest margin of victory.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals performed about as well as expected in losing to a San Diego team that probably shouldn't even be here. In fact, if KC kicker Ryan Succop had made a not-terribly-difficult FG last week, it would have been Pittsburgh in the position that San Diego was in: sitting cozily in a leather recliner, just waiting to throw the ball that dumped Cincinnati into the dunk tank. Looking back on it, I can't really point to a moment that I thought San Diego wasn't going to win the game. Even when Dalton was keeping it clean, I wondered aloud when the inevitable INT's were coming.
And what do you know, two of them came in the second half! Luckily for the Chargers, they were in a position to capitalize...sort of. They ended up being more lucky than good, really, as their performance after turning Cincy over was pretty abhorrent. They gave up easy 4th down conversions in order to punt (after letting the play clock run to 0, of course) and ran in an unnecessary TD to give the Bengals the ball back after they had used all their timeouts.
One might ask if the above really means anything. The answer is no, this week. Next week, they need to tighten it up. We'll see if Ryan Mathews is available. If not, it's up to Ronnie Brown and Danny Woodhead to run the ball.
The Saints did the improbable and unlikely, going into Philly and pulling out a late win. As the sixth seed, they are the road warriors; they cannot host a game throughout the playoffs because they finished below all the other NFC teams. So far, that's not a bad thing. Next week they head to Seattle, where they utterly failed to show up from the word "go" just a few weeks ago. Suffice it to say that Drew Brees has to play well on every possession he gets.
San Francisco also pulled out a late win on the road. Since I didn't see the game, I can't really say much more than that.
I'm guessing Aaron Rodgers goofed somehow. Either that, or Green Bay's suspect defense got gashed (as usual). In any case, I am starting to wonder about the legitimacy of Rodgers' "elite QB" status. At the moment, it's not looking like an accurate descriptor, seeing as they finished 8-7-1 (thanks to him getting injured, to be fair) and losing another playoff game at home to a team with little offense. When I say little offense, I mean that SF is entirely inconsistent in their passing attack. Kaepernick can barely throw the ball down the field. And yet, he slices through GB's defense. Hot knives scare the shit out of butter. Et cetera.
What's on tap for next week? Glad you asked. Indianapolis heads to New England. San Diego, as the sixth seed in the AFC, gets the unenviable task of breaking the tie with Denver, as the two teams meet for the third time this season. San Francisco heads to Carolina, while the Saints, as the aforementioned sixth seed in the NFC, head to Seattle. To say that it's tough sledding for the teams that won this weekend is understating it just a bit.
That said, I would wager that Indianapolis has the best chance of pulling the upset. Then again, it might be San Francisco.
In any event, I'm not betting on the Saints. Maybe that will do them well.
When you pick the results straight up and then go 1-3, I would say there's bound to be some disappointment. Especially when San Diego and San Francisco are among the teams moving on. Also, what's up New Orleans? You couldn't do a damn thing on the road (and the first half was similarly vomit-inducing), and now you're world-beaters.
Blegh.
I didn't even watch a second of the SF/GB game, as I've been battling insomnia and the rampant concern that the sky is falling onto my head.
My issues aside, let's take a quick look at these four games and see what, if anything, we can learn from them.
The first game was obviously the best. KC went into Indy and a shootout ensued. This despite the fact that Alex Smith was one of the quarterbacks and Indy has been without their best WR, Reggie Wayne, since Week 7. This is one reason the playoffs are so damn frustrating and unpredictable. Crazy nonsense like this happens and you might as well go along for the ride, because once the games start, the predictions are moot. I certainly wasn't expecting Indy to go down 28 and then come back to win.
And yet, here we are.
As it turns out, that was the highest scoring game, despite having the lowest margin of victory.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals performed about as well as expected in losing to a San Diego team that probably shouldn't even be here. In fact, if KC kicker Ryan Succop had made a not-terribly-difficult FG last week, it would have been Pittsburgh in the position that San Diego was in: sitting cozily in a leather recliner, just waiting to throw the ball that dumped Cincinnati into the dunk tank. Looking back on it, I can't really point to a moment that I thought San Diego wasn't going to win the game. Even when Dalton was keeping it clean, I wondered aloud when the inevitable INT's were coming.
And what do you know, two of them came in the second half! Luckily for the Chargers, they were in a position to capitalize...sort of. They ended up being more lucky than good, really, as their performance after turning Cincy over was pretty abhorrent. They gave up easy 4th down conversions in order to punt (after letting the play clock run to 0, of course) and ran in an unnecessary TD to give the Bengals the ball back after they had used all their timeouts.
One might ask if the above really means anything. The answer is no, this week. Next week, they need to tighten it up. We'll see if Ryan Mathews is available. If not, it's up to Ronnie Brown and Danny Woodhead to run the ball.
The Saints did the improbable and unlikely, going into Philly and pulling out a late win. As the sixth seed, they are the road warriors; they cannot host a game throughout the playoffs because they finished below all the other NFC teams. So far, that's not a bad thing. Next week they head to Seattle, where they utterly failed to show up from the word "go" just a few weeks ago. Suffice it to say that Drew Brees has to play well on every possession he gets.
San Francisco also pulled out a late win on the road. Since I didn't see the game, I can't really say much more than that.
I'm guessing Aaron Rodgers goofed somehow. Either that, or Green Bay's suspect defense got gashed (as usual). In any case, I am starting to wonder about the legitimacy of Rodgers' "elite QB" status. At the moment, it's not looking like an accurate descriptor, seeing as they finished 8-7-1 (thanks to him getting injured, to be fair) and losing another playoff game at home to a team with little offense. When I say little offense, I mean that SF is entirely inconsistent in their passing attack. Kaepernick can barely throw the ball down the field. And yet, he slices through GB's defense. Hot knives scare the shit out of butter. Et cetera.
What's on tap for next week? Glad you asked. Indianapolis heads to New England. San Diego, as the sixth seed in the AFC, gets the unenviable task of breaking the tie with Denver, as the two teams meet for the third time this season. San Francisco heads to Carolina, while the Saints, as the aforementioned sixth seed in the NFC, head to Seattle. To say that it's tough sledding for the teams that won this weekend is understating it just a bit.
That said, I would wager that Indianapolis has the best chance of pulling the upset. Then again, it might be San Francisco.
In any event, I'm not betting on the Saints. Maybe that will do them well.
December 31, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 17 (SEASON FINALE)
At last, the regular season is over. This weekend (Saturday & Sunday) is Wild Card weekend, where the top seeds in each conference take a much-needed rest while the other teams battle it out to decide who's going where next week.
It's exciting stuff, but it hardly ever goes the way I want it to.
So, what about the 2013 season? I didn't really plan out anything, so I don't have "Red's NFL Awards" or some nonsense like that. That's actually not a bad idea, even if just a blogger nobody really knows (or, God forbid, reads).
At any rate, let's move past my own self-serving nature.
In 2013, Denver was the "most powerful" team, ranking in the top 5 every week I posted a set of Rankings (to wit, I missed Week 7 because I was on vacation). Seattle was a close second with 14 of a possible 16 weeks in the top 5. New Orleans and New England weren't too bad either: they were in the top 5 12 out of 16 weeks. Does this really mean anything for the playoffs? No, not particularly. It just means they were good in the regular season, especially in Denver's case. That, and despite the number of teams that finished with 10 or more wins, there were never enough of them at any one time to get Denver out of the top 5, which is quirky if nothing else.
I think the only problem I had with the final week was that Pittsburgh didn't make it into the playoffs. It was looking good for them up until the 4th quarter of the Chiefs/Chargers game. Technically, it was looking good for 59:52. Then in the last 8 seconds, Ryan Succop missed a field goal slightly to the right and the Chargers eventually won in OT. Chargers are in, Steelers are out. If it were Pittsburgh going to Cincinnati, I'd bet the house on them. Since it's San Diego (and we have no idea if they can force 4 INT's out of Dalton or take advantage of such a situation if they do, unlike effing Baltimore), I wouldn't bet squat.
Also, the Cowboys finished 8-8 and Jason Garrett is apparently safe. I'm not sure which of those is more disappointing.
Here are the Rankings for Week 17:
It's exciting stuff, but it hardly ever goes the way I want it to.
So, what about the 2013 season? I didn't really plan out anything, so I don't have "Red's NFL Awards" or some nonsense like that. That's actually not a bad idea, even if just a blogger nobody really knows (or, God forbid, reads).
At any rate, let's move past my own self-serving nature.
In 2013, Denver was the "most powerful" team, ranking in the top 5 every week I posted a set of Rankings (to wit, I missed Week 7 because I was on vacation). Seattle was a close second with 14 of a possible 16 weeks in the top 5. New Orleans and New England weren't too bad either: they were in the top 5 12 out of 16 weeks. Does this really mean anything for the playoffs? No, not particularly. It just means they were good in the regular season, especially in Denver's case. That, and despite the number of teams that finished with 10 or more wins, there were never enough of them at any one time to get Denver out of the top 5, which is quirky if nothing else.
I think the only problem I had with the final week was that Pittsburgh didn't make it into the playoffs. It was looking good for them up until the 4th quarter of the Chiefs/Chargers game. Technically, it was looking good for 59:52. Then in the last 8 seconds, Ryan Succop missed a field goal slightly to the right and the Chargers eventually won in OT. Chargers are in, Steelers are out. If it were Pittsburgh going to Cincinnati, I'd bet the house on them. Since it's San Diego (and we have no idea if they can force 4 INT's out of Dalton or take advantage of such a situation if they do, unlike effing Baltimore), I wouldn't bet squat.
Also, the Cowboys finished 8-8 and Jason Garrett is apparently safe. I'm not sure which of those is more disappointing.
Here are the Rankings for Week 17:
1.) Denver (13-3) [no change]
They were pretty much the best team from the word "go", the Thursday night opening demolition of the Ravens. Peyton Manning is the MVP, the only thing to figure out now is who's going to be a rebel and vote for someone else. Oh, and there's the whole playoff lack of success story that will be repeated ad nauseam until he gets another Super Bowl.
They were pretty much the best team from the word "go", the Thursday night opening demolition of the Ravens. Peyton Manning is the MVP, the only thing to figure out now is who's going to be a rebel and vote for someone else. Oh, and there's the whole playoff lack of success story that will be repeated ad nauseam until he gets another Super Bowl.
2.) Seattle (13-3) [no change]
Without a doubt the best team in the NFC and damn near unbeatable at home. Seattle's success is a bit surprising to me, at least, because they have a throwback offense (literally, since they hardly throw the ball downfield and are content to run it with Marshawn Lynch ad infinitum) and attempt to win with defense in a time when neither one ought to work. Somehow, it does work, and the Seahawks are tied for the best record in the NFL.
Without a doubt the best team in the NFC and damn near unbeatable at home. Seattle's success is a bit surprising to me, at least, because they have a throwback offense (literally, since they hardly throw the ball downfield and are content to run it with Marshawn Lynch ad infinitum) and attempt to win with defense in a time when neither one ought to work. Somehow, it does work, and the Seahawks are tied for the best record in the NFL.
3.) Carolina (12-4) [no change]
Probably the most surprising of the teams in this top 10. When they started 1-3, I had no expectation of them doing anything good, especially finishing 12-4 and making the playoffs. They also won the NFC South over the Saints (more on that below).
Probably the most surprising of the teams in this top 10. When they started 1-3, I had no expectation of them doing anything good, especially finishing 12-4 and making the playoffs. They also won the NFC South over the Saints (more on that below).
4.) San Francisco (12-4) [no change]
Credit is due to Jim Harbaugh, who took a team to a Super Bowl earlier this year and then got them back into the playoffs. Hard to believe, especially when one considers just how limited that offense is. Their defense is for real, but Kaepernick can barely throw the ball most days. The running game is fairly strong, I suppose. It doesn't interest me, and San Francisco moving on is not something I look forward to.
Credit is due to Jim Harbaugh, who took a team to a Super Bowl earlier this year and then got them back into the playoffs. Hard to believe, especially when one considers just how limited that offense is. Their defense is for real, but Kaepernick can barely throw the ball most days. The running game is fairly strong, I suppose. It doesn't interest me, and San Francisco moving on is not something I look forward to.
5.) New England (12-4) [no change]
Tom Brady had a "bad" year according to most metrics, yet the Pats are 12-4, won their division (again), and get a first-round bye. Pretty impressive stuff considering the player movement prior to the season and the eventual loss of Rob Gronkowski. Are they going to win the Super Bowl? Probably not, but it's not like I expect them to lose to anyone other than Denver, either.
Tom Brady had a "bad" year according to most metrics, yet the Pats are 12-4, won their division (again), and get a first-round bye. Pretty impressive stuff considering the player movement prior to the season and the eventual loss of Rob Gronkowski. Are they going to win the Super Bowl? Probably not, but it's not like I expect them to lose to anyone other than Denver, either.
6.) Indianapolis (11-5) [+2]
Some expected a bit of a step back from the Colts in Luck's second year. I was not one of those people. In fact, I wondered aloud just what would prevent them from winning the AFC South. The answer is nothing, because none of the other three teams put up anything resembling a fight. I guess Tennessee is the closest, but that's not saying much. They also get a rematch with the Chiefs in the first round, which should mean another win, but like I said above, these things hardly ever work out how I want them to.
Some expected a bit of a step back from the Colts in Luck's second year. I was not one of those people. In fact, I wondered aloud just what would prevent them from winning the AFC South. The answer is nothing, because none of the other three teams put up anything resembling a fight. I guess Tennessee is the closest, but that's not saying much. They also get a rematch with the Chiefs in the first round, which should mean another win, but like I said above, these things hardly ever work out how I want them to.
7.) New Orleans (11-5) [+2]
I expected more from the Saints, really. To finish 11-5 and second in their division is pretty disappointing to me. They whupped Carolina at home (as expected), but their road performances were all sorts of terrible. They didn't show up at Seattle and played poorly in Jersey, St. Louis, Carolina, and Tampa (yet somehow won that one due to typically moronic Bucs nonsense). It's hard to believe they actually went to Chicago and won, but that did happen. I don't know what to think of the Saints now. They're stuck with the 6th seed and given how they've played on the road lately, their chances of advancement have to be in the 0-10% range. This is particularly galling because Drew Brees is one of the few bonafide elite QB's in the game today, he's got weapons galore, a decent if unspectacular running game, and a defense that is opportunistic and quite good. So basically, I'm throwing my hands up and walking away.
I expected more from the Saints, really. To finish 11-5 and second in their division is pretty disappointing to me. They whupped Carolina at home (as expected), but their road performances were all sorts of terrible. They didn't show up at Seattle and played poorly in Jersey, St. Louis, Carolina, and Tampa (yet somehow won that one due to typically moronic Bucs nonsense). It's hard to believe they actually went to Chicago and won, but that did happen. I don't know what to think of the Saints now. They're stuck with the 6th seed and given how they've played on the road lately, their chances of advancement have to be in the 0-10% range. This is particularly galling because Drew Brees is one of the few bonafide elite QB's in the game today, he's got weapons galore, a decent if unspectacular running game, and a defense that is opportunistic and quite good. So basically, I'm throwing my hands up and walking away.
8.) Kansas City (11-5) [+2]
A meaningless game (for them) results in the Chargers making the playoffs. The fall is more cosmetic than anything.
A meaningless game (for them) results in the Chargers making the playoffs. The fall is more cosmetic than anything.
9.) Cincinnati (11-5) [-]
I had to let the Bengals back in thanks to them winning the AFC North and being flat-out better record-wise than Green Bay or San Diego. That said, I don't expect much out of this team, unless you count INT's and general buffoonery. And an inevitable loss in either the Wild Card or Divisional Round.
I had to let the Bengals back in thanks to them winning the AFC North and being flat-out better record-wise than Green Bay or San Diego. That said, I don't expect much out of this team, unless you count INT's and general buffoonery. And an inevitable loss in either the Wild Card or Divisional Round.
10.) Philadelphia (10-6) [no change]
Philly won the NFC East by beating Dallas in Jerryworld. As expected, they took advantage of a late turnover to seal it. At least this time it was Orton and not Romo. I guess that's something. At any rate, Philly might actually be dangerous. I don't expect them to go into Seattle and win, necessarily, but I think they'd make a game of it since they can actually play offense (unlike Carolina or San Francisco). However, their defense is not great. Actually, it's probably not even "good". I don't think that's a problem if they're putting up 40 or more. But can they put up 40 or more against the defenses they could potentially face?
Philly won the NFC East by beating Dallas in Jerryworld. As expected, they took advantage of a late turnover to seal it. At least this time it was Orton and not Romo. I guess that's something. At any rate, Philly might actually be dangerous. I don't expect them to go into Seattle and win, necessarily, but I think they'd make a game of it since they can actually play offense (unlike Carolina or San Francisco). However, their defense is not great. Actually, it's probably not even "good". I don't think that's a problem if they're putting up 40 or more. But can they put up 40 or more against the defenses they could potentially face?
That's all for this season. I'm always unsure as to how I'll cover the playoffs, or if there's actually a point to it. That said, if I do post anything, it'll be here on NHC, likely after all the games have been played next week.
December 24, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 16
I guess it's now a given that unforeseen crap will occur in any given week. This week it was the supposed favorite losing at home for the first time in what seems like a millennium. That's right, Seattle went down and it was one of the ugliest games I've seen this year. Actually, I didn't even see that much of it because the Red Zone channel was covering other games. At any rate, it's not like the Rankings are totally screwed up, but there was a lot more movement than there should have been.
Probably.
The playoff picture has just about shaken out, but there are a couple of teams that can clinch in the final week. Obviously, the ones people will be looking at the most are Philly and Dallas, as they play each other Sunday night with the division on the line. It's been crap for most of the year, but both teams appear to have rounded into form somewhat. That said, even though my team won (barely), I think Philly looks better. It doesn't hurt to put up 50, that's for sure.
I'm undecided as to what I'll do as far as the playoffs are concerned. Power Rankings are pretty useless once the regular season is over, but I should probably write something about the games either as they occur or after they're all finished. We'll see how it goes; the playoffs are a different animal and one that usually annoys me more than any given week of the regular season.
My picks are usually worse. That said, I did get 10 right in Week 16. So I'm finally not being total shit. Yippie.
Here are the Rankings for Week 16:
Probably.
The playoff picture has just about shaken out, but there are a couple of teams that can clinch in the final week. Obviously, the ones people will be looking at the most are Philly and Dallas, as they play each other Sunday night with the division on the line. It's been crap for most of the year, but both teams appear to have rounded into form somewhat. That said, even though my team won (barely), I think Philly looks better. It doesn't hurt to put up 50, that's for sure.
I'm undecided as to what I'll do as far as the playoffs are concerned. Power Rankings are pretty useless once the regular season is over, but I should probably write something about the games either as they occur or after they're all finished. We'll see how it goes; the playoffs are a different animal and one that usually annoys me more than any given week of the regular season.
My picks are usually worse. That said, I did get 10 right in Week 16. So I'm finally not being total shit. Yippie.
Here are the Rankings for Week 16:
1.) Denver (12-3) [+1]
Peyton & co. regain the top spot with a record-breaking performance and a galling loss by Seattle. Losing Von Miller to a knee injury hurts an already compromised defense. We'll see how that affects them in the playoffs.
Peyton & co. regain the top spot with a record-breaking performance and a galling loss by Seattle. Losing Von Miller to a knee injury hurts an already compromised defense. We'll see how that affects them in the playoffs.
2.) Seattle (12-3) [-1]
Really, an inexcusable loss, even considering that Arizona is a division rival. The Seahawks intercepted Palmer FOUR times and still couldn't get points on the board. I find Seattle's offense to be incredibly boring, much like San Francisco's. I don't know why they insist on running the ball as much as they do (or how it's so successful in a time when passing is supposedly the better option), but it's really galling to see them pile up so many wins only to disappoint here at the end.
Really, an inexcusable loss, even considering that Arizona is a division rival. The Seahawks intercepted Palmer FOUR times and still couldn't get points on the board. I find Seattle's offense to be incredibly boring, much like San Francisco's. I don't know why they insist on running the ball as much as they do (or how it's so successful in a time when passing is supposedly the better option), but it's really galling to see them pile up so many wins only to disappoint here at the end.
3.) Carolina (11-4) [+1]
Is Cam Newton clutch? Not really. He got a lucky break, again. Still, it looks like they're a serious contender since they can play defense (despite it being legislated out of the league) and Newton can kinda throw, sometimes.
Is Cam Newton clutch? Not really. He got a lucky break, again. Still, it looks like they're a serious contender since they can play defense (despite it being legislated out of the league) and Newton can kinda throw, sometimes.
4.) San Francisco (11-4) [+1]
NaVorro Bowman was the hero last night. Somehow, when SF lined up on defense for that play, I felt that something good was going to happen for them. What do you know, they get the right bounce and Bowman takes an INT 89 yards to the end zone. That seals up the game and San Francisco is looking a lot better today.
NaVorro Bowman was the hero last night. Somehow, when SF lined up on defense for that play, I felt that something good was going to happen for them. What do you know, they get the right bounce and Bowman takes an INT 89 yards to the end zone. That seals up the game and San Francisco is looking a lot better today.
5.) New England (11-4) [+1]
Just when you think they're due to stumble (again), Brady and Belichick say "not so fast". A pretty incredible win.
Just when you think they're due to stumble (again), Brady and Belichick say "not so fast". A pretty incredible win.
6.) Kansas City (11-4) [-3]
I haven't lost faith in KC. Then again, I didn't have that much to begin with.
I haven't lost faith in KC. Then again, I didn't have that much to begin with.
7.) Arizona (10-5) [+1]
I still don't think Arizona is a contender.
I still don't think Arizona is a contender.
8.) Indianapolis (10-5) [+1]
A surprising win for the Colts. I hardly expected them to beat KC (though I did pick it, so there's that).
A surprising win for the Colts. I hardly expected them to beat KC (though I did pick it, so there's that).
9.) New Orleans (10-5) [-2]
Another disappointing performance on the road leads to another loss. The Saints were looking like one of the great teams, and then they went to Seattle, St. Louis, and Carolina...and went 0-3. Utterly ridiculous. I think they'll win against Tampa in the final week, if only because they're at home. Then again, Tampa played them tough....
Another disappointing performance on the road leads to another loss. The Saints were looking like one of the great teams, and then they went to Seattle, St. Louis, and Carolina...and went 0-3. Utterly ridiculous. I think they'll win against Tampa in the final week, if only because they're at home. Then again, Tampa played them tough....
10.) Philadelphia (9-6) [no change]
Six losses ensure that Philly stays where it is, despite the very impressive 50+ point performance. Let's face it, it's their matchup with Dallas that everyone cares about. The rest was merely a lead-in. Funny how things turn out, especially in a league where every game supposedly matters more than any individual game in any other league.
Six losses ensure that Philly stays where it is, despite the very impressive 50+ point performance. Let's face it, it's their matchup with Dallas that everyone cares about. The rest was merely a lead-in. Funny how things turn out, especially in a league where every game supposedly matters more than any individual game in any other league.
Three Games to Watch (Week 17):
Green Bay @ Chicago (FOX)
San Francisco @ Arizona (FOX)
Philadelphia @ Dallas (NBC)
Green Bay @ Chicago (FOX)
San Francisco @ Arizona (FOX)
Philadelphia @ Dallas (NBC)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
December 17, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 15
I'm guessing that if there was a result you didn't want in Week 15...things didn't go your way.
Another crapshoot with the picks. But that's what happens when a bunch of games go bonkers. So-called contenders went down left and right and pretenders were exposed (I'm looking at you, Dallas). It was rough all the way around, really.
Here's hoping for better in Week 16, but if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it's that crazy shit is in and predictability is long gone.
Here are the Rankings for Week 15:
Another crapshoot with the picks. But that's what happens when a bunch of games go bonkers. So-called contenders went down left and right and pretenders were exposed (I'm looking at you, Dallas). It was rough all the way around, really.
Here's hoping for better in Week 16, but if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it's that crazy shit is in and predictability is long gone.
Here are the Rankings for Week 15:
1.) Seattle (12-2) [+1]
Given that they were playing a bad team on the road, it'd be (somewhat) excusable for Seattle to win with a bit of trouble. Instead, they dominated. Color me surprised.
Given that they were playing a bad team on the road, it'd be (somewhat) excusable for Seattle to win with a bit of trouble. Instead, they dominated. Color me surprised.
2.) Denver (11-3) [-1]
The #1 seed in the AFC went out on Thursday and got beat. Truly pathetic, especially considering who they lost to.
The #1 seed in the AFC went out on Thursday and got beat. Truly pathetic, especially considering who they lost to.
3.) Kansas City (11-3) [+2]
Meanwhile, their main competition in the AFC West went out and blew the doors off of Oakland, putting up 56. That's the highest number of points scored in a single game this season. Alas, KC's defense gave up 31, so it wasn't quite the runaway the "blew the doors off of Oakland" makes it sound like.
Meanwhile, their main competition in the AFC West went out and blew the doors off of Oakland, putting up 56. That's the highest number of points scored in a single game this season. Alas, KC's defense gave up 31, so it wasn't quite the runaway the "blew the doors off of Oakland" makes it sound like.
4.) Carolina (10-4) [+2]
Just when you think New Orleans has the NFC South locked up...they have another inexcusable road loss and Carolina handles a bad team at home. Pathetic.
Just when you think New Orleans has the NFC South locked up...they have another inexcusable road loss and Carolina handles a bad team at home. Pathetic.
5.) San Francisco (10-4) [+2]
A solid, if unspectacular, road win. But let's face it, they weren't going to look more impressive than Seattle this week.
A solid, if unspectacular, road win. But let's face it, they weren't going to look more impressive than Seattle this week.
6.) New England (10-4) [-3]
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
7.) New Orleans (10-4) [-3]
More disappointing.
More disappointing.
8.) Arizona (9-5) [+1]
Surprisingly, the Cardinals remain in the conversation. How this is possible, I have no clue. They're still on the outside looking in since the NFC's wild card teams are quite burly, but they still have a chance. It's more than I thought I'd say after 15 weeks.
Surprisingly, the Cardinals remain in the conversation. How this is possible, I have no clue. They're still on the outside looking in since the NFC's wild card teams are quite burly, but they still have a chance. It's more than I thought I'd say after 15 weeks.
9.) Indianapolis (9-5) [+1]
Domination. That is what you do when a division rival comes to your place. You let them have a field goal (maybe) and then proceed to outplay them in every phase of the game.
Domination. That is what you do when a division rival comes to your place. You let them have a field goal (maybe) and then proceed to outplay them in every phase of the game.
10.) Philadelphia (8-6) [-2]
If I expected anything out of the Eagles (aside from disappointment, I suppose), I'd be really disappointed. I didn't foresee them losing on the road to Minnesota, but at the same time, I'm not terribly surprised that it happened. Now if only Dallas hadn't failed to capitalize on it....
If I expected anything out of the Eagles (aside from disappointment, I suppose), I'd be really disappointed. I didn't foresee them losing on the road to Minnesota, but at the same time, I'm not terribly surprised that it happened. Now if only Dallas hadn't failed to capitalize on it....
Three Games to Watch (Week 16):
New Orleans @ Carolina (FOX)
Indianapolis @ Kansas City (CBS)
New England @ Baltimore (CBS)
New Orleans @ Carolina (FOX)
Indianapolis @ Kansas City (CBS)
New England @ Baltimore (CBS)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
December 10, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 14
A bit of a weird week, especially early on Sunday. To be honest, I didn't care for it much. Still, the playoff picture is starting to shake out a bit, especially since six teams have already been eliminated in the NFC. That makes it a lot easier to determine who has a shot, obviously. The AFC remains a mess of mediocrity with a scant few good teams at the top.
But it's not like anyone is perfect. Everybody has flaws and the weather will surely expose them now that it's getting colder across the country.
The interesting results meant that my picks were pretty disastrous. I ended up 8-8 straight up after the Cowboys' Monday night debacle. It's pathetic, really.
Here are the Rankings for Week 14:
But it's not like anyone is perfect. Everybody has flaws and the weather will surely expose them now that it's getting colder across the country.
The interesting results meant that my picks were pretty disastrous. I ended up 8-8 straight up after the Cowboys' Monday night debacle. It's pathetic, really.
Here are the Rankings for Week 14:
1.) Denver (11-2) [+1]
Back at #1, but for how long? I'm hoping the next three weeks, at least. Then when the playoffs start, everyone is back to square one. Well, everyone who makes the playoffs, that is. Peyton Manning slightly allayed concern about his cold weather performance. Of course, it doesn't really matter now as much as it will next month.
Back at #1, but for how long? I'm hoping the next three weeks, at least. Then when the playoffs start, everyone is back to square one. Well, everyone who makes the playoffs, that is. Peyton Manning slightly allayed concern about his cold weather performance. Of course, it doesn't really matter now as much as it will next month.
2.) Seattle (11-2) [-1]
The darlings of the NFC were bound to slip up on the road again, apparently. I wish someone would have told me in advance. Seriously, it's a really good thing for them to have all but sealed up home-field advantage. If they can't beat a team with no offense just because they're playing on the road, that is troublesome.
The darlings of the NFC were bound to slip up on the road again, apparently. I wish someone would have told me in advance. Seriously, it's a really good thing for them to have all but sealed up home-field advantage. If they can't beat a team with no offense just because they're playing on the road, that is troublesome.
3.) New England (10-3) [+1]
Speaking of troublesome, the Pats now have to regroup without Gronkowski, again. I can't say I'm terribly confident about their chances. Sure, they'll win their division and likely get a first-round bye, but what happens after that? Most likely a tough loss. If anyone can prevent them from getting into a funk, it's Tom Brady. That said, his weapons seem far less imposing, especially without Gronk.
Speaking of troublesome, the Pats now have to regroup without Gronkowski, again. I can't say I'm terribly confident about their chances. Sure, they'll win their division and likely get a first-round bye, but what happens after that? Most likely a tough loss. If anyone can prevent them from getting into a funk, it's Tom Brady. That said, his weapons seem far less imposing, especially without Gronk.
4.) New Orleans (10-3) [+1]
What better way to rebound from a terrible loss than to put it to a division rival? New Orleans fairly well dominated Carolina and look like they'll take the NFC South and if they're lucky, a first-round bye. I wouldn't want to play them in New Orleans, though they seem to be fair game anywhere else.
What better way to rebound from a terrible loss than to put it to a division rival? New Orleans fairly well dominated Carolina and look like they'll take the NFC South and if they're lucky, a first-round bye. I wouldn't want to play them in New Orleans, though they seem to be fair game anywhere else.
5.) Kansas City (10-3) [+1]
They put a drubbing on Washington. Still, it looks like the fifth seed or bust.
They put a drubbing on Washington. Still, it looks like the fifth seed or bust.
6.) Carolina (9-4) [-3]
I wonder if that ball control stuff will work in the playoffs. Maybe if they're not playing Seattle or New Orleans. Otherwise, I don't particularly like the Panthers' chances.
I wonder if that ball control stuff will work in the playoffs. Maybe if they're not playing Seattle or New Orleans. Otherwise, I don't particularly like the Panthers' chances.
7.) San Francisco (9-4) [no change]
The offense is sickening, even with the overhyped return of Crabtree. But at least they showed up this time.
The offense is sickening, even with the overhyped return of Crabtree. But at least they showed up this time.
8.) Philadelphia (8-5) [-]
Trading out one NFC East team for another. But let's be honest here: that race won't be well and truly finalized until the last week of the season. Unless Dallas continues to bumble their way to bad losses, Philly will still have to beat them in Dallas to secure the division. Who'd have thought that the winner would have a >.500 record? It's gonna happen.
Trading out one NFC East team for another. But let's be honest here: that race won't be well and truly finalized until the last week of the season. Unless Dallas continues to bumble their way to bad losses, Philly will still have to beat them in Dallas to secure the division. Who'd have thought that the winner would have a >.500 record? It's gonna happen.
9.) Arizona (8-5) [+1]
I thought the Rams would give them more of a fight. Oops. So now the Rams are eliminated and the Cardinals still have a shot, amazingly. I don't think anyone expected them to be the dark horse in the NFC West.
I thought the Rams would give them more of a fight. Oops. So now the Rams are eliminated and the Cardinals still have a shot, amazingly. I don't think anyone expected them to be the dark horse in the NFC West.
10.) Indianapolis (8-5) [-2]
Despite winning the AFC South, the Colts hardly look like a threat to anyone. I didn't think they'd miss Reggie Wayne quite so much. I mean, it's one thing to not perform as well when missing a star player (which Wayne clearly is), but it's quite another to look as badly as the Colts have looked over the last few weeks. I hope they can right the ship, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Despite winning the AFC South, the Colts hardly look like a threat to anyone. I didn't think they'd miss Reggie Wayne quite so much. I mean, it's one thing to not perform as well when missing a star player (which Wayne clearly is), but it's quite another to look as badly as the Colts have looked over the last few weeks. I hope they can right the ship, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Three Games to Watch (Week 15):
New Orleans @ St. Louis (FOX)
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (NBC)
Baltimore @ Detroit (ESPN)
New Orleans @ St. Louis (FOX)
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (NBC)
Baltimore @ Detroit (ESPN)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
December 3, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 13
It stinks.
Well, maybe "stink" is the wrong word for it. At any rate, things are not so rosy at the moment, though the Rankings seem pretty strong.
I'm disappointed in New Orleans' complete and utter lack of effort. They weren't in that game from the opening whistle. Also, I believe I called it about Arizona not being a contender. So how do I explain Cincinnati and Carolina? I mostly throw my hands into the air and walk away sulking.
I still have no clue how Pittsburgh managed to give away that game on Thanksgiving. And as far as the supposed story with Tomlin goes: nothing happened. He didn't touch Jacoby Jones or the side judge who was following the play. Nothing should happen to him as a result, especially this ridiculous nonsense about draft picks. That said, the NFL will probably fine him. I don't think it's deserved, but as you probably already know...I wasn't consulted.
Here are the Rankings for Week 13:
Well, maybe "stink" is the wrong word for it. At any rate, things are not so rosy at the moment, though the Rankings seem pretty strong.
I'm disappointed in New Orleans' complete and utter lack of effort. They weren't in that game from the opening whistle. Also, I believe I called it about Arizona not being a contender. So how do I explain Cincinnati and Carolina? I mostly throw my hands into the air and walk away sulking.
I still have no clue how Pittsburgh managed to give away that game on Thanksgiving. And as far as the supposed story with Tomlin goes: nothing happened. He didn't touch Jacoby Jones or the side judge who was following the play. Nothing should happen to him as a result, especially this ridiculous nonsense about draft picks. That said, the NFL will probably fine him. I don't think it's deserved, but as you probably already know...I wasn't consulted.
Here are the Rankings for Week 13:
1.) Seattle (11-1) [no change]
A nice win, I guess, but it's rather obvious that the Saints can be had on the road. I still have a problem trusting Seattle on the road, as they are much closer to mediocre than great outside of whatever they call that architectural marvel. They put teams away at home, though. And that will serve them well as they run off to the Super Bowl.
A nice win, I guess, but it's rather obvious that the Saints can be had on the road. I still have a problem trusting Seattle on the road, as they are much closer to mediocre than great outside of whatever they call that architectural marvel. They put teams away at home, though. And that will serve them well as they run off to the Super Bowl.
2.) Denver (10-2) [+1]
It's probably just me, but with Peyton Manning's performances the last couple weeks, I could see someone else sneak into winning the MVP. True, he tossed four TD's to Eric Decker (he who couldn't catch a cold through most of the season), but the sharpness we were accustomed to seeing through the first half of the season is starting to wear off. It's nothing huge, really, unless his current play continues into the postseason. But with a first-round bye and a home game to follow, they have no excuses anyway.
It's probably just me, but with Peyton Manning's performances the last couple weeks, I could see someone else sneak into winning the MVP. True, he tossed four TD's to Eric Decker (he who couldn't catch a cold through most of the season), but the sharpness we were accustomed to seeing through the first half of the season is starting to wear off. It's nothing huge, really, unless his current play continues into the postseason. But with a first-round bye and a home game to follow, they have no excuses anyway.
3.) Carolina (9-3) [+2]
I've been wrong on this team so far. And now they go to New Orleans; the winner is the favorite to win the division...until the next meeting.
I've been wrong on this team so far. And now they go to New Orleans; the winner is the favorite to win the division...until the next meeting.
4.) New England (9-3) [+2]
I love how beating a crappy team could somehow be turned into accusations of cheating. Incredible.
I love how beating a crappy team could somehow be turned into accusations of cheating. Incredible.
5.) New Orleans (9-3) [-3]
A tough road to hoe, perhaps, especially with Carolina coming up. But Drew Brees was bad from beginning to end and they never looked like they were in the game. A concern.
A tough road to hoe, perhaps, especially with Carolina coming up. But Drew Brees was bad from beginning to end and they never looked like they were in the game. A concern.
6.) Kansas City (9-3) [-2]
The darlings of the first half of the season have fallen on hard times, losing twice to Denver and once to no-account bums San Diego. Even with Alex Smith playing slightly better (he still doesn't throw it down the field enough for my taste, but no matter) and putting up points, all of a sudden the defense is sagging. Talk about yards all you want, it's scoring defense that really matters. The Chiefs are now hemorrhaging points and can't get pressure on the opposing QB. Not a good combo.
The darlings of the first half of the season have fallen on hard times, losing twice to Denver and once to no-account bums San Diego. Even with Alex Smith playing slightly better (he still doesn't throw it down the field enough for my taste, but no matter) and putting up points, all of a sudden the defense is sagging. Talk about yards all you want, it's scoring defense that really matters. The Chiefs are now hemorrhaging points and can't get pressure on the opposing QB. Not a good combo.
7.) San Francisco (8-4) [no change]
They won and Crabtree is back. Yippie. Now do us all a favor and beat Seattle, okay? Or at least try to compete this time around.
They won and Crabtree is back. Yippie. Now do us all a favor and beat Seattle, okay? Or at least try to compete this time around.
8.) Indianapolis (8-4) [+1]
The Colts have to be concerned. By all accounts, they're an shoe-in for the playoffs, but boy, do they look confused. I'm not sure how Andrew Luck will do in the postseason. Maybe it doesn't matter. But right now it looks like one win in the Wild Card round and then out to a significantly better team in Denver or New England. Ouch.
The Colts have to be concerned. By all accounts, they're an shoe-in for the playoffs, but boy, do they look confused. I'm not sure how Andrew Luck will do in the postseason. Maybe it doesn't matter. But right now it looks like one win in the Wild Card round and then out to a significantly better team in Denver or New England. Ouch.
9.) Dallas (7-5) [+1]
November has ended and December begun, which usually doesn't bode well for the Cowboys. The division is eminently winnable. How they'll do in the playoffs is anyone's guess. Assuming they get there.
November has ended and December begun, which usually doesn't bode well for the Cowboys. The division is eminently winnable. How they'll do in the playoffs is anyone's guess. Assuming they get there.
10.) Arizona (7-5) [-2]
"Dude, I called it".
"Dude, I called it".
Three Games to Watch (Week 14):
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati (CBS)
Seattle @ San Francisco (FOX)
Carolina @ New Orleans (NBC)
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati (CBS)
Seattle @ San Francisco (FOX)
Carolina @ New Orleans (NBC)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
November 26, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 12
As I stated on Twitter, my picks this week were garbage. As you can see from the Rankings this week, there were some changes as teams moved down and a couple of the winners made hay as a result. Seattle was on a bye and managed to move up thanks to the ineptitude of the Denver Broncos late Sunday night. That game was really quite ridiculous for just about all 60 minutes.
It looks like there will be a lot of good games this week. That said, there are plenty of chances for teams in my top ten to fall on their faces. I'm not a fan of that, per se, as I would hope that things would get more solidified with just a few weeks to go in the season.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Enjoy the football on Thursday and Sunday.
Here are the Rankings for Week 12:
It looks like there will be a lot of good games this week. That said, there are plenty of chances for teams in my top ten to fall on their faces. I'm not a fan of that, per se, as I would hope that things would get more solidified with just a few weeks to go in the season.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Enjoy the football on Thursday and Sunday.
Here are the Rankings for Week 12:
1.) Seattle (10-1) [+1]
On a bye and moving on up. This may not last more than a week; we shall see.
On a bye and moving on up. This may not last more than a week; we shall see.
2.) New Orleans (9-2) [+2]
Drew Brees wasn't great, but got the job done against Atlanta. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because it was a division game. Still, it's troubling when Brees is playing at home and can only put up 17 points when he put up 49 just a couple games before.
Drew Brees wasn't great, but got the job done against Atlanta. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because it was a division game. Still, it's troubling when Brees is playing at home and can only put up 17 points when he put up 49 just a couple games before.
3.) Denver (9-2) [-2]
A bad loss thanks to a muffed punt and a terrible performance from Peyton Manning, who looked like he didn't want to throw the ball and wasn't competent when he did. Blegh. I guess it's a plus that Knowshon Moreno ran through the Patriots' defense at will...but what did it get them, exactly? The defense was a letdown and Manning's inability to throw the ball didn't help.
A bad loss thanks to a muffed punt and a terrible performance from Peyton Manning, who looked like he didn't want to throw the ball and wasn't competent when he did. Blegh. I guess it's a plus that Knowshon Moreno ran through the Patriots' defense at will...but what did it get them, exactly? The defense was a letdown and Manning's inability to throw the ball didn't help.
4.) Kansas City (9-2) [-1]
It'll be problematic if Justin Houston and Tamba Hali miss more than a couple games between them. But now all of a sudden it looks like the Chiefs might be able to throw the ball around a bit. That bears watching, because if their offense gains any competency whatsoever, they have to be looked at differently.
It'll be problematic if Justin Houston and Tamba Hali miss more than a couple games between them. But now all of a sudden it looks like the Chiefs might be able to throw the ball around a bit. That bears watching, because if their offense gains any competency whatsoever, they have to be looked at differently.
5.) Carolina (8-3) [no change]
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't trust Carolina. Props for the win, but good Lord, was that ugly. It should not have been that difficult.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't trust Carolina. Props for the win, but good Lord, was that ugly. It should not have been that difficult.
6.) New England (8-3) [+1]
Tom Brady might have taken the first half off (again), but he rounded back into form rather quickly in the second. Somehow, with that win he looks better than Peyton Manning, despite the fact that Peyton locked up the MVP in the first 8 or 9 weeks.
Tom Brady might have taken the first half off (again), but he rounded back into form rather quickly in the second. Somehow, with that win he looks better than Peyton Manning, despite the fact that Peyton locked up the MVP in the first 8 or 9 weeks.
7.) San Francisco (7-4) [+2]
It would be foolish to suddenly take Colin Kaepernick seriously based on Monday's game. He has been a decent player thus far in around a year of starting NFL games. But he's not revolutionizing the game as some *cough* Ron Jaworski *cough* claimed he would. That may have something to do with his receivers. I don't know for sure, I just go by what I see. So far, aside from last night, what I've seen is a guy who isn't playing that well on the whole. But he does have moments where it looks like he'll eventually turn into something great. It's just that those moments are less frequent those of say, Russell Wilson or Andrew Luck.
It would be foolish to suddenly take Colin Kaepernick seriously based on Monday's game. He has been a decent player thus far in around a year of starting NFL games. But he's not revolutionizing the game as some *cough* Ron Jaworski *cough* claimed he would. That may have something to do with his receivers. I don't know for sure, I just go by what I see. So far, aside from last night, what I've seen is a guy who isn't playing that well on the whole. But he does have moments where it looks like he'll eventually turn into something great. It's just that those moments are less frequent those of say, Russell Wilson or Andrew Luck.
8.) Arizona (7-4) [-]
Not a contender, but they're looking good right now.
Not a contender, but they're looking good right now.
9.) Indianapolis (7-4) [-3]
Speaking of Andrew Luck...whoa. He might be taking a step back after losses in two of three. At least with this guy, I know what the problem is: Reggie Wayne's absence. That, and the running game is probably not where it needs to be. I loathe the running game, but it looks like Luck needs some production out of it for him to be successful.
Speaking of Andrew Luck...whoa. He might be taking a step back after losses in two of three. At least with this guy, I know what the problem is: Reggie Wayne's absence. That, and the running game is probably not where it needs to be. I loathe the running game, but it looks like Luck needs some production out of it for him to be successful.
10.) Dallas (6-5) [-]
I'm not sure about the tiebreaker situation. At the very least, Dallas is tied for the lead in a crappy division. So they're in for this week. Yes, I'm biased.
I'm not sure about the tiebreaker situation. At the very least, Dallas is tied for the lead in a crappy division. So they're in for this week. Yes, I'm biased.
Three Games to Watch (Week 13):
St. Louis @ San Francisco (FOX)
Denver @ Kansas City (CBS)
New Orleans @ Seattle (ESPN)
St. Louis @ San Francisco (FOX)
Denver @ Kansas City (CBS)
New Orleans @ Seattle (ESPN)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
November 19, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 11
A somewhat disappointing ending to a decent week in the NFL. The Monday night game has just finished as I write this; New England lost to Carolina after a potential penalty in the end zone was picked up. The Pats had a horrific defensive lapse that allowed Carolina to score the game-winning TD. So that was disappointing.
Otherwise, things went much like I thought they would. Although I'm a bit annoyed that Cincinnati isn't in full collapse mode as the Miami loss might have suggested. Then again, despite them being 7-4, I refuse to include them in my top 10. Call it bias or whatever else; they're not getting back in this season unless they really show me something. Considering that they still have Dalton at QB...I'm not holding my breath.
Denver won a game it probably needed to have. I don't think they're feeling a whole lot of trepidation about facing New England or playing KC in Arrowhead. KC doesn't have enough on offense to compete and their defense wasn't exactly successful in slowing down Manning. The Pats are a question mark on offense and their defense can be had, even by a sub-par QB.
Seattle and New Orleans both look fairly sharp. I was a bit concerned about how much trouble Drew Brees had with the 49ers defense. And let's be honest, that last call against Brooks was a pure "let's defend the QB" thing by the refs. I'm glad the Saints won, but it's not like it was all skill like the week before. Seattle might actually be getting stronger offensively. I guess having their O-line intact is important to them playing better. Who knew?
Here are the Rankings for Week 11:
Otherwise, things went much like I thought they would. Although I'm a bit annoyed that Cincinnati isn't in full collapse mode as the Miami loss might have suggested. Then again, despite them being 7-4, I refuse to include them in my top 10. Call it bias or whatever else; they're not getting back in this season unless they really show me something. Considering that they still have Dalton at QB...I'm not holding my breath.
Denver won a game it probably needed to have. I don't think they're feeling a whole lot of trepidation about facing New England or playing KC in Arrowhead. KC doesn't have enough on offense to compete and their defense wasn't exactly successful in slowing down Manning. The Pats are a question mark on offense and their defense can be had, even by a sub-par QB.
Seattle and New Orleans both look fairly sharp. I was a bit concerned about how much trouble Drew Brees had with the 49ers defense. And let's be honest, that last call against Brooks was a pure "let's defend the QB" thing by the refs. I'm glad the Saints won, but it's not like it was all skill like the week before. Seattle might actually be getting stronger offensively. I guess having their O-line intact is important to them playing better. Who knew?
Here are the Rankings for Week 11:
1.) Denver (9-1) [+1]
Manning didn't get hit. Not surprisingly, the Broncos won and made it look...not incredibly difficult. They probably weren't at their best, necessarily, but given how the Chiefs offense is run, I'm not sure they had to be.
Manning didn't get hit. Not surprisingly, the Broncos won and made it look...not incredibly difficult. They probably weren't at their best, necessarily, but given how the Chiefs offense is run, I'm not sure they had to be.
2.) Seattle (10-1) [+1]
Let's all jump on the Percy Harvin bandwagon. Nevermind, that's not my thing and it never will be. Russell Wilson is turning into a player, but at the same time, he's not at the MVP level just yet. Not when Manning and Brees are doing what they're doing week in and week out.
Let's all jump on the Percy Harvin bandwagon. Nevermind, that's not my thing and it never will be. Russell Wilson is turning into a player, but at the same time, he's not at the MVP level just yet. Not when Manning and Brees are doing what they're doing week in and week out.
3.) Kansas City (9-1) [-2]
Let's slow down with the "fraud" talk. Everyone and their mother should have known this was going to happen. Things may be different in Arrowhead, and if they are I'm sure people will then overreact to what they see there. If it wasn't already abundantly clear, there is a ceiling to Alex Smith.
Let's slow down with the "fraud" talk. Everyone and their mother should have known this was going to happen. Things may be different in Arrowhead, and if they are I'm sure people will then overreact to what they see there. If it wasn't already abundantly clear, there is a ceiling to Alex Smith.
4.) New Orleans (8-2) [+1]
It never hurts to be lucky. And it never hurts to play against a team that makes dumb mistakes like running into a guy who called for a fair catch. Still, I thought the Saints played far too conservatively for a team who routinely performs so well at home.
It never hurts to be lucky. And it never hurts to play against a team that makes dumb mistakes like running into a guy who called for a fair catch. Still, I thought the Saints played far too conservatively for a team who routinely performs so well at home.
5.) Carolina (7-3) [+1]
Still not buying that they're a contender. Getting lucky on a screen pass isn't the kind of thing that impresses me.
Still not buying that they're a contender. Getting lucky on a screen pass isn't the kind of thing that impresses me.
6.) Indianapolis (7-3) [+3]
Playing last Thursday means the Colts are a bit lost in the shuffle as it were. They still look like they're among the better teams in the AFC.
Playing last Thursday means the Colts are a bit lost in the shuffle as it were. They still look like they're among the better teams in the AFC.
7.) New England (7-3) [-3]
Despite the record, this is a seriously flawed team. 20 points scored against a team that's not really that great, plus a lack of coverage on a screen pass. I'm not sure what to think and it's not like there have been a ton of games where Brady's been on and you think it's his year again. This is definitely not one of those years. But maybe something will happen in the playoffs.
Despite the record, this is a seriously flawed team. 20 points scored against a team that's not really that great, plus a lack of coverage on a screen pass. I'm not sure what to think and it's not like there have been a ton of games where Brady's been on and you think it's his year again. This is definitely not one of those years. But maybe something will happen in the playoffs.
8.) Detroit (6-4) [-1]
Idiotic fake field goal call and no scoring in the second half leads to a loss to one of the worst teams in the league. Pathetic.
Idiotic fake field goal call and no scoring in the second half leads to a loss to one of the worst teams in the league. Pathetic.
9.) San Francisco (6-4) [-1]
Kaepernick still can't throw and the offense is pedestrian as a result. Not that I expected them to beat New Orleans in the Big Easy...but they did put in a game effort, at least. Now if only people would shut up about Crabtree; he's not the Lord and Savior of this team, people.
Kaepernick still can't throw and the offense is pedestrian as a result. Not that I expected them to beat New Orleans in the Big Easy...but they did put in a game effort, at least. Now if only people would shut up about Crabtree; he's not the Lord and Savior of this team, people.
10.) Chicago (6-4) [-]
A rough win, but a win nonetheless. Green Bay is falling off the face of the earth and Detroit looks like they can be had despite being so prolific offensively. The Bears are making headway, but they have to win the division outright; they can't bet on tiebreakers saving them. Cutler or McCown? I'd stick with the hot hand until the petulant whiner is healthy. Even still, Cutler's not a franchise QB and shouldn't be treated as such. Nor should he be paid as such.
A rough win, but a win nonetheless. Green Bay is falling off the face of the earth and Detroit looks like they can be had despite being so prolific offensively. The Bears are making headway, but they have to win the division outright; they can't bet on tiebreakers saving them. Cutler or McCown? I'd stick with the hot hand until the petulant whiner is healthy. Even still, Cutler's not a franchise QB and shouldn't be treated as such. Nor should he be paid as such.
Three Games to Watch (Week 12):
Saints @ Falcons (NFL Network)
Colts @ Cardinals (CBS)
Broncos @ Patriots (NBC)
Saints @ Falcons (NFL Network)
Colts @ Cardinals (CBS)
Broncos @ Patriots (NBC)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
November 12, 2013
2013 NFL Power Rankings, Week 10
Another ugly week in the NFL as a couple of teams that were looking solid dropped games that they should have won. I'm hard-pressed to explain what happened in Indianapolis. People are looking at that one as an anomaly. Maybe that's the case, but without Reggie Wayne, one would have to assume that the Colts offense was going to take a hit at some point. It wasn't going to be bread and circuses the rest of the season.
But to lose to St. Louis? That's what I don't get.
Meanwhile, on the west coast, San Francisco is back to looking inept on offense. When they can't run the ball effectively, they're toothless, because Colin Kaepernick is so inconsistent passing the ball. He looked unable to do it against Carolina, and while they've got a strong front seven, their secondary hasn't been getting as many plaudits that I've seen. On the other side, Cam Newton wasn't exactly a world-beater either. They seemed lucky to get the one TD that was scored in the entire game. I'm sure people in the NFL offices are throwing their hands up in disgust at that result. After all, the rules weren't changed to ensure a passing league (not that anyone really takes advantage of it) to then have a mess like the one that played out in SF.
Thankfully, the New Orleans Saints were ready to throw the ball as many times as necessary until it was demonstrated that they no longer needed to do so. It came at the expense of my Cowboys, but no matter. I picked the Cowboys to win and was disappointed. I figured that if Drew Brees didn't come out like a house on fire, the Cowboys would have a chance. What do you know, Brees comes out a little shaky (but nothing like the crapfest that was the previous week's game against the Jets) and the Cowboys took a lead.
Then Brees had his turn.
It was 28-10 at halftime and anybody who was watching knew it was already over. But what a display. After watching so much crappy football through Week 10, it was nice to see Brees and his receivers get into such a relentless groove.
Here are the Rankings for Week 10:
But to lose to St. Louis? That's what I don't get.
Meanwhile, on the west coast, San Francisco is back to looking inept on offense. When they can't run the ball effectively, they're toothless, because Colin Kaepernick is so inconsistent passing the ball. He looked unable to do it against Carolina, and while they've got a strong front seven, their secondary hasn't been getting as many plaudits that I've seen. On the other side, Cam Newton wasn't exactly a world-beater either. They seemed lucky to get the one TD that was scored in the entire game. I'm sure people in the NFL offices are throwing their hands up in disgust at that result. After all, the rules weren't changed to ensure a passing league (not that anyone really takes advantage of it) to then have a mess like the one that played out in SF.
Thankfully, the New Orleans Saints were ready to throw the ball as many times as necessary until it was demonstrated that they no longer needed to do so. It came at the expense of my Cowboys, but no matter. I picked the Cowboys to win and was disappointed. I figured that if Drew Brees didn't come out like a house on fire, the Cowboys would have a chance. What do you know, Brees comes out a little shaky (but nothing like the crapfest that was the previous week's game against the Jets) and the Cowboys took a lead.
Then Brees had his turn.
It was 28-10 at halftime and anybody who was watching knew it was already over. But what a display. After watching so much crappy football through Week 10, it was nice to see Brees and his receivers get into such a relentless groove.
Here are the Rankings for Week 10:
1.) Kansas City (9-0) [no change]
The last undefeated team was on a bye before heading to Denver in Week 11. I guess that's good scheduling?
The last undefeated team was on a bye before heading to Denver in Week 11. I guess that's good scheduling?
2.) Denver (8-1) [no change]
Manning is not looking too healthy at the moment, specifically in the lower body. That said, I'm not worried about how he'll play. Now, if the O-line allows Poe and Houston to get in his face and take him off his spot, then they'll have problems. But as of right now, I think it'll probably be fine. Probably.
Manning is not looking too healthy at the moment, specifically in the lower body. That said, I'm not worried about how he'll play. Now, if the O-line allows Poe and Houston to get in his face and take him off his spot, then they'll have problems. But as of right now, I think it'll probably be fine. Probably.
3.) Seattle (9-1) [no change]
What Seattle really needed was a solid road win. And boy, did they get one, as they shellacked Atlanta in the Georgia Dome. I didn't hear much talk about Matt Ryan's gaudy record there. Couple this win with SF's loss and Seattle is looking like a #1 seed already. Who's better? Maybe New Orleans. Maybe not.
What Seattle really needed was a solid road win. And boy, did they get one, as they shellacked Atlanta in the Georgia Dome. I didn't hear much talk about Matt Ryan's gaudy record there. Couple this win with SF's loss and Seattle is looking like a #1 seed already. Who's better? Maybe New Orleans. Maybe not.
4.) New England (7-2) [no change]
Pats were on a bye and head to Carolina in Week 11. Assuming a good performance by Brady, I think the Pats win a close one. But if the Carolina front seven pulls one on Brady like they did on Kaepernick, it'll be long and ugly. Not something I want to waste my time watching, really.
Pats were on a bye and head to Carolina in Week 11. Assuming a good performance by Brady, I think the Pats win a close one. But if the Carolina front seven pulls one on Brady like they did on Kaepernick, it'll be long and ugly. Not something I want to waste my time watching, really.
5.) New Orleans (7-2) [+2]
It still looks like the Saints are a 12-win team. It helps when they play a defense that isn't as good, but I'm still a bit concerned with some of their road performances. If they have playoff game(s) at home, I like their chances, because they look damn near unstoppable. Otherwise, it's a roll of the dice, and if they have to go to Seattle, well, just forget it.
It still looks like the Saints are a 12-win team. It helps when they play a defense that isn't as good, but I'm still a bit concerned with some of their road performances. If they have playoff game(s) at home, I like their chances, because they look damn near unstoppable. Otherwise, it's a roll of the dice, and if they have to go to Seattle, well, just forget it.
6.) Carolina (6-3) [+2]
I mentioned last week that I wasn't really a believer in the Panthers and that I'd re-evaluate them if they beat SF. Well, they beat SF (barely), and I can report that I remain unconvinced. They don't look like a Super Bowl contender, which is what everyone in the national sports media is trying to make people believe. I suppose they're a good team, but much like KC and Denver they've made hay against a fairly weak schedule. Now they get the Patriots at home and have another chance to impress.
I mentioned last week that I wasn't really a believer in the Panthers and that I'd re-evaluate them if they beat SF. Well, they beat SF (barely), and I can report that I remain unconvinced. They don't look like a Super Bowl contender, which is what everyone in the national sports media is trying to make people believe. I suppose they're a good team, but much like KC and Denver they've made hay against a fairly weak schedule. Now they get the Patriots at home and have another chance to impress.
7.) Detroit (6-3) [+3]
It looks like Detroit might be a division champion in 2013. The Bears are having trouble keeping Cutler healthy, as usual, and didn't stick with the hot hand. Green Bay is moribund until Rodgers returns, by which time they may already be out of the division race. So that leaves Detroit, since everyone knows that Minnesota isn't making the playoffs. The Lions are a hard team to defend, so maybe they can do something in the playoffs this time around. It wouldn't hurt to have everyone healthy this time.
It looks like Detroit might be a division champion in 2013. The Bears are having trouble keeping Cutler healthy, as usual, and didn't stick with the hot hand. Green Bay is moribund until Rodgers returns, by which time they may already be out of the division race. So that leaves Detroit, since everyone knows that Minnesota isn't making the playoffs. The Lions are a hard team to defend, so maybe they can do something in the playoffs this time around. It wouldn't hurt to have everyone healthy this time.
8.) San Francisco (6-3) [-3]
The way they lost was more galling than the fact that they lost. I could accept them losing 24-21 or something like that. But to only put up nine points and have Kaepernick look inept for basically the entire game? Unacceptable and inexcusable. It's hard to think that SF is a contender when Seattle and New Orleans look so much better. Hell, Detroit might be a better team at this point.
The way they lost was more galling than the fact that they lost. I could accept them losing 24-21 or something like that. But to only put up nine points and have Kaepernick look inept for basically the entire game? Unacceptable and inexcusable. It's hard to think that SF is a contender when Seattle and New Orleans look so much better. Hell, Detroit might be a better team at this point.
9.) Indianapolis (6-3) [-3]
The Colts fall back just a bit, but I expect a bounceback sooner rather than later, despite not having Reggie Wayne. I know that missing your best receiver is not usually a key to success, but for some reason I think the Colts can do just enough without him to score and win games. Maybe it's just blind faith. It could also be the fact that the rest of their division is crap. Tennessee, the team that will likely finish in second, just lost to Jacksonville. So yeah, I'm not really feeling the AFC South so much.
The Colts fall back just a bit, but I expect a bounceback sooner rather than later, despite not having Reggie Wayne. I know that missing your best receiver is not usually a key to success, but for some reason I think the Colts can do just enough without him to score and win games. Maybe it's just blind faith. It could also be the fact that the rest of their division is crap. Tennessee, the team that will likely finish in second, just lost to Jacksonville. So yeah, I'm not really feeling the AFC South so much.
10.) Green Bay (5-4) [-1]
Predictably, it was ugly without Rodgers. It will likely stay that way until he returns. Hopefully they're not already out of it by then.
Predictably, it was ugly without Rodgers. It will likely stay that way until he returns. Hopefully they're not already out of it by then.
Three Games to Watch (Week 11):
San Francisco @ New Orleans (FOX)
Kansas City @ Denver (NBC)
New England @ Carolina (ESPN)
San Francisco @ New Orleans (FOX)
Kansas City @ Denver (NBC)
New England @ Carolina (ESPN)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)