Sunday, January 10, 2016

Quite A Weekend

I've watched a lot of playoff football over the years.  I saw Frank Reich lead his team from down 35-3 to a win.  I saw the Dolphins go undefeated.  I saw the best running back in the league turned down for a slant pattern at the goal line.

I've never seen a playoff weekend like this before.

Let's start with Kansas City blowing out the Houston Texans.  It ended very early.  It was not pretty.  Maybe the dead giveaway was J.J. Watt playing quarterback.  I honestly believe there was a lack of belief in the Texans locker room.  You don't play J.J. Watt at quarterback if you believe you can win the game.

Steelers/Bengals game was the worst of what football could be and the best of what football could be.  Some of the plays were the best of football, summed by a Willis Reed-like performance starring Ben Roethlisberger.  We also saw the dark side of the best football, summed by awful actions from Vonteaz Burfict, Ryan Shazier, and the Cincinnati Bengal fans.  The NFL is filled with too many thugs, but the fans acting out against an opponent as they did is inexcusable.

As a Seahawk fan from day one, I was pleased to see a win, especially since they hadn't done much in the first three quarters.  I was not pleased to see the defense allow the Vikings inside the ten yard line in the final minute of the game.  It took a reincarnation of Ray Finkel to secure a Seahawk victory.  It just wasn't the Super Bowl.  The bottom line: The weather won the football game, not Seattle.

One normal game in the mix and it was the Packers/Redskins game.  Aaron Rodgers played like he hasn't in several weeks, and the Redskin defense can make a lot of offenses well.  Especially when the Packer defense solved Kirk Cousins.  You like that?

What I like is next week's match-ups.  All four match ups are intriguing. I like Kansas City and Denver in the AFC.  The Chiefs are hot, the Patriots have been faltering down the stretch.  The Chiefs' defense is an overlooked gem.  I know.  They made me a strong competitor in my fantasy football league.  Even with Ben Roethlisberger making a Willis Reed like start in Denver, the Broncos have turned to Peyton Manning to try to advance.  He knows how to do that, and I'll bet he's starving to play one more time.  Hopefully, a last run.  I hate seeing people talk about Peyton Manning the way they have talked about him this season.

In the NFC, I favor Arizona and Carolina.  However, Green Bay may not have shown all their cards two weeks ago when the Cardinals ran the table against the Pack in Arizona.  Arizona's defense is not the Redskins' defense and watch for a big game from Carson Palmer.  Seattle are still the champs, and if anything was proved today, sometimes you just have to find a way to win.  Russell Wilson is a lot younger than Tom Brady, which is why I use this argument here instead of  earlier.  Carolina has a defense which can take over a game.  Look for the Carolina defense to win this game: Cam Newton will have to win the rest to bring a title to Carolina.

So...am I off base?

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Playoff Football

What I am about to say is gonna sound downright sacrilegious for an American male.  I finally sat down and watched my first NFL games of the season.  As a Seahawks fan, I watched Seattle at Arizona until they took that away against my wishes.  Finished watching the Chargers and Broncos.

When the weather was good, I umpired fall baseball.  I had work to do on the exterior of the house, followed by a set of pug puppies.  My calendar has been full.  Football fell to the bottom of the list.  A few people might say my priorities are out of order;  I say I'm living in  my world, not someone else's.

What I saw was simple: The NFL plays a boring brand of football.  The Seahawks played dynamic football on both sides of the ball, very inspired and look like a real threat come the playoffs.  Arizona looked like they mailed it in, but they have a lot of talent.  I believe Carolina is the class of the NFC, Arizona is great if the mood strikes them.  Watch out for the Seahawks.  They know how to win a championship.

Denver earned the AFC #1 seed, but it sure looks wide open.  New England has been uninspired the last couple of weeks, very much so today to love to a team that fired it's head coach.  Kansas City and Pittsburgh look the most dangerous to me.  Pittsburgh can score from anywhere on the field, and Antonio Brown is the best receiver in football.  Andy Reid has Kansas City playing inspired football, and he knows how to get to a Conference Championship game. Anything beyond that is a mystery.  I still favor the defending champions, New England.  They're the champs until someone beats them.

I love football, but I really love college football.  Even my Saturday calendar has been full of officiating, umpiring, announcing, and working on the house.  I watched Purdue's opening game at Marshall, then the two playoff games this past Thursday night.  Quite a disappointment that was.

The college playoff games were predictable, leaving a good matchup between Clemson and Alabama.   I hope the game lives up to the hype: it actually has the potential.  Alabama's experience is very attractive to me.  Clemson has a lot of offensive weapons and enough defense to make it very interesting.

Side note: I played in a Fantasy football league for the first time.  The draft process at a restaurant, While the outcome is still pending, I have a chance to tie for the best record in the league, losing the title on a tiebreaker.  I haven't watched a game.  How does this happen?

The NFL has gone to a clinical, by the numbers game.  If you know the numbers, you don't have to see them play.  Follow the numbers, watch the matchups, watch your opponent and what they have on their roster.  I can't be that smart.
 

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