After the FIFA World Cup final game between Argentina and France, I said that if you watched that game and did not enjoy it, you were simply never going to be a soccer fan and that was okay. Similarly, if you watched the five NFL playoff games from last weekend and did not enjoy any of them, you are simply never going to be a fan on “American football” and that too is okay. All but one of the five games last weekend went down to the wire and were decided by a single possession. Three favorites won; two underdogs advanced. Established stars made their presence felt; less recognized players introduced themselves to the viewing audience. It was a fun weekend for NFL fans.
Naturally, here in Curmudgeon Central there is some focus on lessons that should be learned based on the games and their outcomes. Let me present three here.
The LA Chargers lost after leading 27-0. That is not the largest blown lead in NFL history; it is not even the largest blown lead in NFL playoff history. Nevertheless, it is a situation that needs to be addressed. Let me start with the Chargers’ offense. The Chargers ran 31 offensive plays in the second half which began with the Chargers leading 27-7; the average time consumed was 27 seconds per play meaning there was time to be drained from the clock if in fact the Chargers could have found a way to mount even a half-decent running game. However, the Chargers’ run game on Saturday produced only 67 yards on 23 carries and that convinced the Chargers’ offensive play caller to call 8 running plays and 20 passing plays in the second half. Yes, the offense needs to “stay aggressive”, but when leading by 20 points, there is also a “need” to drain the clock.
There is also some introspection needed by the Chargers’ defense – – players and coaches. Head coach, Brandon Staley, came to the Chargers based on his defensive credentials which at the NFL level were these:
- 2017-2018: Chicago Bears’ outside linebackers coach
- 2019: Denver Broncos’ outside linebackers coach
- 2020: LA Rams’ defensive coordinator
- 2021-2022: LA Chargers’ head coach.
For a “defense guy”, let me say that 2022 was not a season that looked as if the team had any sort of focus on defense. In the regular season here is how the Chargers’ defense fared:
- Yards allowed per game = 346.1 (20th in the NFL)
- Points allowed per game = 22.6 (22nd in the NFL)
But the defense showed up in the first half over the weekend with 4 INTs in the first half against the Jags; they were aggressive in the pass rush, and they played tight coverages. In the second half, the aggressiveness disappeared. Since I doubt that someone spiked the halftime defensive Gatorade with Quaaludes, the most logical conclusion is that the defensive play caller adopted a more passive approach to the game. And that defensive play caller is Brandon Staley.
Secondly, the Miami Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000; they went on the road to play the Bills and were double-digit underdogs having to start their 3rd string QB due to injuries to the other two guys. Nevertheless, the Dolphins led 24-20 early in the second half and much of the Dolphins’ ability to stay in the game was due to mistakes by Josh Allen. He lost fumble that turned into a scoop-and-score, and he threw 2 INTs. Those three turnovers produced 17 points for the Dolphins and kept them in the game despite the fact that the Dolphins amassed the grand total of 231 yards on offense for the game. Bills’ fans have to hope that Allen has gotten all his playoff turnovers out of his system in that game because 3 turnovers is not a winning ingredient.
Third, can someone – anyone – in the Ravens’ organization find and then utilize a competent WR? Mark Andrews is a fine tight end, but he is the only pass-catcher on the team that is worth the cost of the helmet necessary for a player to take the field. Let me be clear, none of the three QBs on the Ravens’ depth chart is a great passer; in fact, I will go so far as to say that all three are sub-standard throwers. Having said that, there is no one out there wearing Ravens’ colors to throw at other than Andrews.
The Ravens’ defense sacked Joe Burrow 4 times, yielded only 234 yards of offense to the Bengals, and held the Bengals to 17 points. [Aside: The miraculous 98-yard fumble recovery for a TD to win the game for Cincy cannot be hung on the Ravens’ defense.] But that defensive performance was not enough because the Ravens’ offense was anemic. The Ravens ran 74 plays in the game; the Bengals were limited to 50 and absent the miracle play that won the game, the score was tied.
Finally, I understand that the NFL playoffs are a celebration of achievement(s) by the participating teams and – as I said at the outset – the games this weekend provided top-notch entertainment. At the same time there is a need to look at the ugly underbelly of some happenings as is expressed in an old Scottish adage:
“A man gazing at the stars is proverbially at the mercy of puddles in the road.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
Forget the old Scottish adage (unless we are talking about Robert Burns). Here is an NFL adage that may describe the Los Angeles Chargers’ humiliating loss:
Once you turn off the engine, it’s hard to get it started again.
TenaciousP:
Another explanation might be that the Chargers are the AFC equivalent of the Lions… ???