Month: November 2024

The New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen earlier this week.  The Saints opened the season with two dominant wins and then proceeded to lose seven games in a row.  The last loss had to be considered “rock bottom” because the woebegone Panthers were the winners.  So, the team will move on under new supervision.

Dennis Allen was in his second iteration as a head coach in the NFL.  From 2012 through the first four games of the 2014 season, Allen led the Raiders to a record of 8-28-0.  His calling card in the NFL had been on the defensive side of the ball, and he returned to his specialty after his firing in Oakland.  He was on the Saints’ staff as defensive coordinator when Sean Payton announced that he was going to “step aside” as the Saints’ head coach.  With Payton’s future personal plans in doubt, the Saints simply promoted Allen to the top job probably anticipating a Sean Payton return.  Ooops …

From 2022 through the first nine games of the 2024 season, Allen’s record in New Orleans was a less than stellar 18-25-0 – – but it was an improvement over his time in Oakland.  We shall see if the team reverts to the juggernaut status it flashed at the start of the season; odds are that won’t happen.

But the fact that two coaches have already been shown the door in the NFL this year – – Robert Saleh late of the Jets along with Dennis Allen – – makes me wonder who else might not see the end of the 2024 season wearing the same team gear on the sidelines on Sunday afternoons.  And as I let my mind wander around the league, one of the first stops I made was with the Raiders.

Antonio Pierce took over in the middle of last year and the Raiders responded well.  Mark Davis bestowed a three-year contract on Davis, but the terms have never been reported.  And the Raiders are a mess.

Just this week, Pierce fired his Offensive Coordinator, Luke Getsy along with the Raiders’ OL coach and the Raiders’ QB coach.  Here are stats that suggest that might be a good idea:

• Raiders rank 29^th in the league in Total Offense
• The three teams below the Raiders are the Panthers, Browns and Pats.  Ugh …
• Raiders’ defense is no prize either ranking 29^th in the league in points allowed.
• Raiders are losing by an average of 9 points per game.  Oof …

Two points about Pierce’s decisions here:

1. He said these were 100% his decisions.
2. Isn’t he the guy who hired those assistants less than a year ago?

Might Antonio Pierce be the next one out the door?

If not Pierce, let me suggest that time may be running out on Doug Pederson in Jax.  His reputation is that he works well with QBs and in Jax he was supposed to turn the raw generational talent of Trevor Lawrence into a polished crystal that might make people forget about players like Peyton Manning and John Elway.  Let me simply assert that nothing of the sort has come from the duo of Pederson and Lawrence over the past two-and-a-half seasons.  In Year 1 in Jax, Pederson’s Jags won the division and made the playoffs.  In Year 2 in Jax, the Jags finished second in the division and missed the playoffs.  In Year 3, the Jags find themselves dead last in the division with a 2-7 record.  That is not exactly the sort of trajectory that head coaches seek …

Maybe I am reaching here, but perhaps Brian Daboll is on thin ice with the Giants.  In his first year with the Giants, he was named Coach of the Year, and the Giants were 9-7-1.  Last year the Giants faded to 6-11 but there were plenty of injuries that could take some of the blame for that regression.  So far this year, the Giants are also 2-7 and they occupy last place in their division.  Here is why I think Daboll might be in danger:

• This week the Giants play the woebegone Panthers in Munich Germany.
• If – – I said IF – – the Giants lose by double digits to a team with a point differential of minus-146 so far in 2024, he might have to buy a ticket on a commercial flight home.

These are not predictions; I am not rooting for any of these folks to be fired and humiliated.  I simply suggest here that if changing out head coaches catches fire in the NFL over the next several weeks, these are three potential candidates for a pink slip.

Finally, since today has been about coaches getting fired, let me close with this observation by Leo Durocher:

“If you don’t win, you’re going to be fired. If you do win, you’ve only put off the day you’re going to be fired.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

When teams go through seasons that are “hugely disappointing” and/or “brutally incompetent”, there is often a coach-firing event during the season or a nanosecond after the final whistle of the final game.  In most cases, my position is that the problem might reside in the construction of the roster and not the shortcomings of the coaching staff.  Indeed, it is far more common for in-season coaching changes to produce what Wall Street commentators call the “dead cat bounce”.  On Wall Street that means the price of the stock of a company about to go belly-up plummets toward zero but along the way it has some upticks – – if you drop a dead cat, it will bounce a bit when it hits bottom but that is not going to save the company.

The Dallas Cowboys’ record in 2024 is 3-5-0; considering that the Cowboys’ leadership labeled the season as “all in” back around Labor Day, that is worse than “underachieving” or “disappointing”; that is simply “unacceptably bad”.  There will be no surprise here when the Cowboys make major changes once this season is in the books and try to move on to next year as another “all in season.”

There is an additional level of housecleaning necessary in Dallas; in fact, it has parallels to Greek mythology.  Recall one of Hercules’ twelve labors was to clean the Augean stables.  According to the myth, King Augeas’ stables had not been cleaned for 30 years even though it was home to thousands of oxen; Hercules achieved the cleaning by tearing holes in the walls and then diverting the flow of a nearby river through trenches he had dug for that purpose.  It is not clear from the myth how the people living downstream of the diverted river flow enjoyed their newfound riparian rights; I guess that is left to the readers’ imaginations.

The Dallas Cowboys need a similar cleansing; there are significant and obvious flaws in the construction of the roster in 2024; there just isn’t a lot of room to pretend that is not the case.  So, changing the coaching staff is cosmetic in the case of the Cowboys because the underlying problem is that the GM (Jerry Jones) is also the owner (Jerry Jones), and the owner is not going to fire the GM which would be the first step to charting a new course for the team.  To return to the Hercules myth, King Augeas did not tell Hercules how he had to clean those stables because if he constrained the problem sufficiently, Herc would not have been able to work his mythical powers.

Let me be very careful here to point out that there are boundaries on what I am going to say next:

• Jerry Jones suffers from a “syndrome” that was a hallmark of Danny Boy Snyder’s behavior whilst Snyder owned the Washington franchise.

I do NOT mean that Jones has engaged in the kinds of sleazy behaviors that have been alleged and reported on during the “Snyder Era” in Washington. What I mean here is that Danny Boy thought he knew a lot about football and what it took to build a champion; Snyder was an ”active participant” in the Draft and he once fired a coach because the coach chose not to start the QB that Snyder wanted him to.  For all the protests of thirsting to being a winner to DC, it was always clear to me that such an accomplishment would not be enough for Danny Boy; his team needed to win a Super Bowl in such a way that it was an accomplishment made possible directly through Snyder’s “football acumen”.  And the fact that kept getting in the way there was that Snyder’s “football acumen” was a mere drop in the river that Herc used to wash away all that bovine excrement in the Greek myth.

• Sound familiar to Cowboys’ fans yet?

The problem in Dallas is that it seems to be the only way to chart a new heading for the team must involve Owner Jones replacing GM Jones.  And that is not going to happen without GM Jones taking significant punishment to his ego for the shortage of his “football acumen”.  Remember, Jones had a falling out with Jimmy Johnson after Johnson won the Super Bowl twice with the Cowboys because, in part, Johnson was seen to be the architect of that accomplishment and not Jones.  That happened in 1994, which was 30 years ago, and which was the timespan over which the Augean Stables had not been cleaned.

• Coincidence?  You make the call …

Moving on …  Gregg Popovich is absent from the San Antonion Spurs’ bench at the moment with an “undisclosed health issue”.  Popovich is 75 years old and has had to miss some time on the bench; there was a similar circumstance where Popovich had to miss some time as the team coach due to health concerns a couple of years ago but the reports surrounding this “health issue” have a significantly darker tone than I recall from the previous incident.

ESPN’s Shams Charania said that there is “a great level of concern” related to the current situation and that the current issue is a “serious health issue”.  The only reporting on this subject that seems a bit encouraging to me is that Popovich is supposedly “at home and in good spirits” and that he has been in touch with his assistant coaches in addition to whatever medical folks are involved in his treatment.

Popovich has been the coach in San Antonio since 1996; his regular season record is 1388 – 821 for a win percentage of .628.

• Memo to Gregg Popovich:  Get well soon.  Then stay well.

Finally, let me close with this quote from Jerry Jones to suggest that he may not have as much “football acumen” as he thinks he does:

“This quarterback [Brandon] Weeden can drive the ball down field. He’s a thing of beauty on throwing a football. His passing motion and his arm, frankly, you won’t see a more gifted passer, power, accuracy, the entire aspect of it.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

The time has come for my quadrennial interlude.  Today is Election Day and it is important that every intelligent and informed citizen carries out their responsibility to vote.  My long-suffering wife and I voted last week in person at our local polling place to avoid any long lines at the polls; if you are registered and have not voted, please make time today to go and do so.

• I do not care for whom you vote; that is none of my business; you can choose vote for “my candidate” or “another candidate”; the important thing is that you vote.

And now back to our regularly scheduled ranting…

I want to focus today on a sports issue that relates to voting albeit not in any way similar in consequence to the Presidential election underway here.  I want to present to you some data and then ask a question about “voting” for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Here is a list of 8 coaches who are in the Hall of Fame for their accomplishments.  I will list them alphabetically with their win/loss record and win percentage appended.  Before I begin the list, let me note that these are not all the coaches in the Hall of Fame but that I do not believe that anyone would think that these guys slithered in through the cracks; I submit that all eight of these coaches are rightfully enshrined in Canton, OH:

1. Bill Cowher:   149 – 90 – 1    .623
2. Joe Gibbs:   154 – 94 – 0    .623
3. Sid Gillman:   122 – 99 – 7   .552
4. Bud Grant:   158 – 96 – 5   .621
5. Tom Landry:   250 – 152 – 6   .607
6. Chuck Noll:   193 – 148 – 1   .566
7. Hank Stram:   131 – 97 – 10   .574
8. Bill Walsh:   92 – 59 – 1   .603

            Before I present a candidate for the Hall of Fame and his coaching record, can we all agree that every coach on my list here belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Now let me offer up Candidate X for Hall of Fame consideration:

• Coach X was a head coach in the NFL for 4 different teams over a span of 21 seasons.
• Coach X posted a record of 200 – 126 – 1  winning percentage = .613
• Coach X never won a Super Bowl trophy – – but neither did Bud Grant or Sid Gillman on the list above.
• Coach X is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite his record fitting very comfortably in the range of records for those eight fully deserving coaches.

            So, who is this mystery coach who has been “denied his due”?  That is the coaching record of Marty Shottenheimer who was the head coach in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego.  [Aside:  He is also the one and only head coach of the Washington franchise during the Daniel Snyder Era to come out of that experience without a losing record.  Joe Gibbs on the list of Hall of Fame coaches above could not do that.]

The only knock on Shottenheimer’s record that jumps out at me is his failure in the playoffs and his failure to win a Super Bowl.  However, his teams did make the playoffs 13 times in his 21 seasons at the helm and those were times before the playoffs expanded to 12 and 14 teams each year.  So, what’s the deal here?

• No, I do not believe that there is a mysterious cabal of Hall of Fame voters that has conspired to keep Marty Shottenheimer out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• No, I do not think there is some measure of “secret sordid circumstances” in his career or his life.
• I simply think he has been overlooked.

Finally, the motto of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is:

• Honor the Greatest of the Game.

The “numbers” here tell me that one of the “Greatest of the Game” has slipped into a crack.

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Over the weekend, I ran across an image posted on Facebook – – as I recall – – of Randy Johnson about to release a pitch with the caption that this was one of his 413 strikeouts in a previous MLB season.  I thought to myself, “I don’t recall anyone ever striking out more than 400 batters in a season; if he did that there would have been a humongous hullabaloo and I would remember that.”  Thank you, Google.  It was not difficult to find a list of the MLB strikeout leaders by season and if you only consider the modern era – – post 1900 – – no pitcher ever struck out 400 batters in a season.  Nolan Ryan struck out 383 batters in the 1973 season and that is the modern era record for strikeouts in a season.

However, that search and the verification that the image I saw was “fake news” did produce something I did not know and something I find interesting; the top 12 season leading totals for strikeouts in a season has the following entries:

• Randy Johnson is on the list 5 times
• Nolan Ryan is on the list 4 times.
• The other three pitchers on the list are Sandy Koufax (1965), Bob Feller (1946) and Rube Waddell (1904).
• Gerritt Cole is the only active pitcher who comes close to this “Top 12”.  He is 14^th on the list having struck out 326 batters in 2019.

Sticking with MLB stuff for the moment, Bob Costas announced that he will end his career of broadcasting MLB games after four-plus decades behind the microphone.  His final game was the last one in the ALCS this year on TNT Sports.  Costas is 72 years old, and his “retirement” only applies to play-by-play broadcasting.  Costas will continue to be part of MLB network and will contribute to various studio programs on that network.  I have always enjoyed Costas on the radio and on TV going all the way back to his time with Tony Kubek about 35 years ago.

I am sorry to know he will not be doing play-by-play anymore because I always thought he was outstanding in that endeavor.  [Aside:  I know it is bordering on blasphemy to say so, but I preferred to hear Costas than Scully doing a game.]  However, I am glad to hear that he will still be involved with baseball communications on MLB Network and with some writing opportunities.

Have a great retirement, Good Sir.  You have earned it and thank you for good works…

One more historical baseball note today …  If you had a time machine – – like Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine – – you could set the date for July 2, 1963.  A baseball game that day between the San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee Braves provided a spectacle that has not been seen since then.

• The starting pitchers were Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn.
• At the end of the 15^th inning, the score was tied 0-0 and both starting pitchers were still in the game.
• Marichal continued his shutout in the top of the 16^th inning.
• With one out in the bottom of the 16tth inning, Spahn gave up a home run to Willie Mays to end the game 1-0.
• Warren Spahn threw 201 pitches in this game.
• Juan Marichal threw 227 pitches in this game.

In current baseball, managers get the vapors when a starting pitcher approaches 100 pitches in a game and/or must go through the batting order for a third time.  According to the box score for that game, both pitchers went through the batting order 6 times and started on a seventh sojourn.  Those were different times…

And speaking of “different times” let me close today with a quote from President Teddy Roosevelt.  No US President would dare say this today:

“The reason fat men are so good natured is they can neither fight nor run.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

It has been an unusual end-of-summer/start-of-autumn here in Curmudgeon Central with travel commitments ranging from Namibia/South Africa to Hawaii to New York to Philly and healthcare situations involving my long-suffering wife making me a “caregiver” – – a role I am not accustomed to at all.  All of that has precluded my having the time to follow football nearly as closely as I have done in previous years; that is the reason for the lack of Football Fridays to date.  Looking at the rest of the football season, there will be one weekend spent at sportsbooks with the “Las Vegas Crowd” and there will be a visit from the Dublin part of the family at Christmas.  I should be able to work around those events at least to some extent meaning:

• Football Fridays are back!

So, let me begin by catching up on the Linfield University Wildcats and their pursuit of another football season with a record above .500; they have done that every season since 1956 save for 2020 when their football season was cancelled due to COVID.  I am happy to announce:

• The Wildcats’ record in 2024 is 6-1 and since they play a 10-game schedule, they have indeed achieved a record above .500 for yet another year.

Linfield plays in the Northwest Conference; the champion of that conference gets an invitation to the Division III playoffs.  Linfield is 4-0 in Northwest conference games and has dominated those 4 opponents to the tune of 230 points to 34 points.  This week the Wildcats are on the road to play Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR.  The Boxers bring a 3-4 record to the contest.  Go Wildcats!

I shall also check on my previously identified “sleeper team” in Division 1-A college football – – the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  As of this morning the Huskers ate 5-3 with two of those losses coming at the hands of perennial powerhouse Ohio State and the team that is probably the biggest surprise in college football, Indiana.  To achieve bowl-eligibility, Nebraska needs to find a win in one of their last four games which are:

• Vs. UCLA
• At USC
• Vs. Wisconsin
• At Iowa.

Go Huskers!

 

College Football Commentary:

 

Having mentioned Indiana above, let me say why they are probably the most surprising team in college football this year.  [Aside:  I know Vandy fans will claim this label for their team; their arguments are valid; hence, my label for Indiana as “probably the most surprising” …]  The Hoosiers’ recent role in Big-10 football has been to be a punching bag; the last time Indiana won the Big-10 was in 1967.  So far in 2024:

• Indiana is 8-0
• Indiana has outscored opponents 382 – 113.
• Indiana is second in the country in scoring offense
• Indiana is seventh in the country in scoring defense

The next three weeks will be challenging for Indiana:

• At Michigan State – – Sparty is 3-1 at home this year
• Vs. Michigan
• At Ohio State – – The Buckeyes are 5-0 at home this year.

If I have counted correctly, there are 8 undefeated teams left in Division 1-A:

1. Army – – Ranked 21^st with a 7-0 record
2. BYU – – Ranked 9^th with a record of 8-0
3. Indiana – – Ranked 13^th with a record of 8-0
4. Iowa St. – – Ranked 11^th with a record of 7-0
5. Miami – – Ranked 5^th with a record of 8-0
6. Oregon – – Ranked 1^st with a record of 8-0
7. Penn St. – – Ranked 3^rd with a record of 7-0
8. Pitt – – Ranked 18^th with a record of 7-0

I know that Deion Sanders is a controversy magnet, and I recognize that he is at least part huckster in his dealings with the public.  But you have to give him his due; he has been able to assemble and coach up a competent football team that was embarrassingly bad only two seasons ago.  The Buffaloes are 6-2 this year (bowl-eligible before Halloween) and they are 3-1 on the road.  Colorado has 4 games left and only one opponent (Texas Tech) has a winning record as of today.  It is possible – not likely but possible – that Colorado could finish with a 10-2 record after going 1-11 just two years ago.

When I said Indiana – – or maybe Vandy – – was the biggest surprise team in the country this year, I was focused on “positive surprises”.  Since that is not the norm here in Curmudgeon Central, let me take a moment and identify the biggest negative surprise for 2024 to date:

• The Florida State Seminoles

This is a blueblood program going back to the days of Bobby Bowden.  In the two seasons leading up to this one, the Seminoles’ combined record was 23-4.  As of this morning, Florida State carries a 1-7 record, and the one victory was over Cal by the score of 14-9.

• The Seminoles rank 131^st in the country in Total Offense
• The Seminoles rank 81^st in the country in Total Defense
• The Seminoles rank 112^th in the country in Sacks Allowed
• The Seminoles rank 81^st in the country in Penalties Assessed

Here are the last 4 games of the season for Florida State:

• Vs. UNC – – Tar Heels are 4-4 on the season – – a winnable game?
• At Notre Dame – – Irish are ranked #8 in the country
• Vs. Charleston Southern – – Lose this home game and beware of torches and pitchforks
• Vs. Florida – – Call this one the Underachievement Bowl

Here is an observation by Bobby Bowden that might apply to this year’s Seminoles’ team:

“To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can’t explain why it happened. Something has to happen that you can’t coach.”

Let me review some of last week’s games:

Texas A&M 38  LSU 23:  The Aggies rallied in the second half to get this win.  The Aggies are undefeated in SEC games and lead the conference as of today.  They have a clear shot to the SEC Championship Game and a slot in the expanded CFP.  The Aggies’ final game of the season is on Nov 30^th when they host the Texas Longhorns.  Circle that game on your calendar…

Iowa 40  Northwestern 14:  That is the third time this year that Iowa has scored exactly 40 points in a game.  In recent years, it might have taken Iowa 12 quarters of football to amass 40 points.

Ohio St. 21  Nebraska 17:  The Buckeyes had to come from behind to win this one over my “sleeper team” for 2024…

Pitt 41  Syracuse 13:  Undefeated Pitt was a measly 3-9 last year so this is quite the turnaround.  An oddity in this game is that the Panthers had three Pick-Sixes; you don’t see that very often.

Alabama 34  Missouri 0:  This game was never close.  What started out as a promising season for Mizzou came up short last week.  That is their second conference loss putting 5 teams ahead of them in the SEC with fewer losses plus Alabama which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Texas 27  Vandy 24:  Back in August, this looked almost like a BYE Week for the Longhorns, but they had to fight to win this battle.  I had not seen Vandy QB, Diego Pavia, play before last week; he has an unusual style that is very effective; if you get the chance to see Vandy play, he is worth watching.

Baylor 38  Oklahoma St. 28:  Believe it or not, Oklahoma St, is 0-5 in conference games.  Back in August there were folks who thought they were in the upper echelon of the conference teams.  As of today, the Cowboys are the only team in the Big 12 without a conference win.

Looking at the contenders for the Brothel Defense Award for 2024 – – the college defense that gets scored upon most easily – – here are the “Top 3”:

• Ball State gives up 40.4 points per game
• Utah State gives up 41.5 points per game
• Kent State gives up 46.6 points per game

That list is a sad “State” of affairs…  Sorry!

Next week, I will begin to winnow the list for my imaginary SHOE Tournament which – if ever implemented – would determine the worst team of the year by play on the field.  This week I only have a few preliminary observations:

• Kent State is the nation’s last winless team and is “leading” the pack for the Brothel Defense Award.  They are a heavy favorite to make the Tournament.
• Southern Miss not only loses; they lose big time.  If you only look at games against Division 1-A opponents, they lose by an average of 26 points per game.
• Kennesaw St. won its first game of the year last week beating previously unbeaten Liberty.  But they are still in “Tournament contention”.  That is the first time Kennesaw St. beat a Division 1-A team in school history.

 

NCAA Games of Interest this Week:

 

(Fri Nite) San Diego St at Boise St – 23.5 (57):  Boise St. looks as if it will be the Group of 5 entry into the CFP this year – – but they need to run the table…

Vandy at Auburn – 7 (48):  Let me be sure I understand this.  Vandy beat Alabama on the road and Vandy lost to Texas by a field goal last week.  And now Auburn is a full touchdown favorite this week …

Indiana – 8 at Michigan St (52):  The Hoosier Express keeps on keeping on …

UNC – 2 at Florida St. (48):  With a loss here, the Seminoles will be 1-8 and will be on the watch list for the SHOE Tournament.

Florida vs. Georgia – 16 (52.2):  The Gators need to find two more wins to become bowl-eligible.  This is not one of them.

Pitt at SMU – 7 (58):  The Panthers are undefeated so far in 2024 and are a full touchdown underdog here.

Navy – 11 at Rice (50):  Navy lost its first game of the year last week to Notre Dame.  Rice is 2-6 on the season and just fired their coach.  Hi ho …

UCLA at Nebraska – 6.5 (40):  My “sleeper team” is favored at home.  Go Huskers!

Oregon – 14 at Michigan (46):  The Ducks are ranked #1 in the country.  The Wolverines are 5-1 at home.  I gave this game consideration as the College Game of the Week.

Texas A&M – 3 at South Carolina (44):  A let-down game for the Aggies after beating LSU …?

Ohio St. – 3.5 at Penn St (45):  This is the College Game of the Week.  Ohio St is ranked #4 in the country and Penn St is ranked #3.

Wisconsin at Iowa – 3 (40):  This is not your father’s Iowa football team; Iowa has scored 40 points in three games so far this year (see above).  I have to take this game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

As the NFL trade deadline approaches, there is some movement where playoff-hopeful teams try to add a piece or two to their rosters for a final push.  Bottom-dwellers hope to extract draft capital from those top teams in order to rebuild.  And then, there is this trade:

• Ravens get WR Diontae Johnson plus a 6tt round pick from Panthers
• Panthers get a 5^th round pick.

The Panthers are a bad team; their 6^th round pick is going to be at or near the top of Round 6.  Meanwhile, the Ravens are a top team and their 5^th round pick is going to be near the bottom of Round 5.  Just focus on that part of the trade; it is pretty much a “pick swap” that may only be separated by 3-5 picks deep into the third day of the draft.  From that perspective, why did the Panthers also give up their best WR in the deal?

I don’t know who the architect of the roster is in Carolina and who is pulling the strings, but that trade is a total mystery unless Johnson was such a humongous pain in the ass that it will be a benefit to the Panthers to have him reporting to work somewhere else.

The Panthers say they are going to start Bryce Young again this week and they plan to continue to develop him as their QB.  Good for them; I wish them well; Bryce Young seems like a nice person.  But someone must be there to catch the passes he throws and with Adam Thielen still on IR, here are the WRs on the Panthers’ roster:

1. Jalen Coker – – Rookie – – Holy Cross
2. Xavier Legette – – Rookie – – South Carolina
3. Jonathan Mingo – – Second year – – Ole Miss
4. David Moore – – Sixth year – – East Central (OK)

Surely you have seen the miraculous Hail Mary pass that ended the Commanders/Bears game last week.  I have four things to say about that play and that game outcome:

1. The play never should have happened.  The Bears gave away about 15 yards worth of real estate with 6 seconds on the clock on the previous snap allowing the Hail Mary play to be called in the first place.  Instead of guarding the sidelines to keep the clock running, the Bears dropped in coverage.  Bad defensive play calling!
2. The Commanders have had just about everything go right for them this year.  They are a good team and are seemingly in the good graces of the football gods.  Do NOT underestimate the power of such a combination.
3. I believe the Commanders will win the NFC East.
4. If anyone still believes that Jayden Daniels is a “work in progress” they need to rethink that position.

Nick Chubb returned for the Browns and gained 52 yards on 16 carries.  Not eye-popping numbers but given the severity of the knee injury that has kept him off the field for about a year, that was a good showing.  The Ravens lost to the Browns last week and their defensive secondary played terribly.  Far too many Browns’ receivers were running free with 5 yards of separation; in those situations where the defenders were around the ball, they tended to get both hands on it and then drop it.

The Cowboys lost to the Niners.  I think the important message there – – in addition to the fact that the Cowboys’ defense was once again not up to the job – – is that the Cowboys’ offense is almost a singularity.  Dak Prescott targeted CeeCee Lamb 17 times in the game; talk about one-dimensional…

The Eagles’ defense showed up en masse again this week.  In the last three games, the team has given up a total of 36 points and 7 of those came on a Pick Six.  With the loss here, the Bengals are now 3 full games behind the Steelers in the AFC North.

The Packers beat the Jags on a last-second field goal.  The Jags gave up 30 points in the game bringing their season total to 224 points.  Only the Panthers are more generous on defense.

The Chiefs beat the Raiders 27-20.  The game turned in the third quarter when Patrick Mahomes threw an interception that was returned to the Chiefs’ 3-yardline.  The Raiders got nothing – – as in nada – – from that possession.  Later when the Chiefs secured a turnover from Raiders’ QB, Gardner Minshew, they promptly scored a TD.  End of message …

The Falcons beat the Bucs last week.  The two teams had been tied atop the NFC South; now the Falcons are in sole possession of first place there.

The Colts stayed within a field goal of the Texans but in the end, it was the Texans that prevailed.  That outcome gives the Texans a 2-game lead in the Division over the Colts with tiebreaker in hand.  Anthony Richardson suffered 5 sacks in the game.

Tua Tagovailoa returned to action last week after sitting out a month to get over his latest concussion.  With him at the helm, the Dolphins kept it close but lost 28-27 after the Cards held the ball for the last five-and-a-half minutes to set up a chip shot field goal to win as time expired.

The Chargers beat the Saints last week.  That win puts the Chargers above .500 and within striking distance of the Broncos for second place in the AFC West.  That loss – – the sixth in a row for the Saints – – leaves them with a 2-6 record which is only one game better than the woebegone Panthers.

Speaking of the Panthers, they lost to the Broncos by 2 TDs last week and saw their defense get pantsed repeatedly by Bo Nix who just may work out as the Broncos’ starter for a long time to come.

The Pats beat the Jets on a late TD that came on a 4^th and goal situation.  Aaron Rodgers and the Jets got the ball back with less than 30 seconds left in the game and never got close to field goal range on the possession.  Here are two important take-aways from the game:

• Both teams are 2-6.
• Both teams are bad enough that 2-6 is representative of their play in 2024

 

Games this Week:

 

There are two teams with BYE Weeks this week:

1. Niners:  They are in a three-way tie for the lead in the NFC West at 4-4 along with the Cards and the Seahawks.  The best news that the Niners can hope for is that with another week of rehab, Christian McCaffrey might be back and ready to go next week.
2. Steelers:  Mike Tomlin’s charges are a surprising 6-2 at this point in the season; only the most rabid fans would have seen that as a realistic target back around Labor Day.

The Jets beat the Texans last night.  I wondered why the Jets were short favorites at home in the game until I saw/heard that the Texans’ top two WRs were out and two of their offensive linemen were either out or doubtful.  The Jets tried their best to hand the game to the Texans but did not succeed.  The Jets committed a roughing the kicker penalty which is a rare occurrence in the NFL AND committed a roughing the long-snapper penalty on a field goal attempt.  But they won so “Fireman Ed” can strut around and pretend that he had something to do with the victory.

 

Pats at Titans – 3 (38):  When I looked at the slate of games and saw this one at the top of the list, I immediately saw “Dog-Breath potential” in the pairing.  However, that designation will go elsewhere notwithstanding these two bad teams who bring a combined record of 3-12 to the kickoff.  The oddsmakers see a low scoring affair which makes sense since neither team excels on offense and both teams have a respectable defense.  Tune in here if you are a fan of punting; there should be plenty of that.

Chargers at Browns – 1 (42):  Jameis Winston is a better QB than DeShaun Watson in 2024 and somehow it took the Browns’ braintrust 7 games to figure that out.  Oh wait; they didn’t figure that out; Watson suffered a season ending injury forcing them to put Winston on the field.  Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers like to run the football; the Browns’ defense is going to make that difficult.  FYI, the Chargers have only allowed 13 points per game to this point in 2024…

Saints – 7 at Panthers (43.5):  Here you are, ladies and gentlemen; this is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Check out the “Tale of the Tape”:

• Saints are 2-6 and Panthers are 1-7.
• Saints have lost 6 games in a row and Panthers have lost 5 games in a row.
• Panthers are 29^th in the NFL in Total Offense
• Saints are 32^nd in the NFL in Total Defense

Fans in New Orleans and Charlotte viewing areas will have to see this contest on their local stations.  For everyone else who watches NFL football this Sunday, this is an Avert Your Eyes Game.

Dolphins at Bills – 6 (49):  The Dolphins have their QB back in action, but it may be too little too late in 2024.  The Dolphins – – and the Jets – – trail the Bills by 3.5 games in the AFC East.

Cowboys at the Falcons – 3 (50.5):  If you like offenses that move up and down the field with only minor resistance from defenses, this is the game for you.  The Falcons give up 348 yards per game and the Cowboys give up 372 yards per game.  There could be moments in this game where viewers may think they are watching an NBA game…  I like this game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Broncos at Ravens – 8 (46.5):  The Ravens lost to the Browns last week and that game exposed the inability of the Ravens’ defense to limit the so-called “chunk-plays”. Here is a statistical oddity:

• The Ravens rank first in the NFL in Rush Defense today.
• The Ravens rank last in the NFL in Pass Defense today

Overall, the Ravens rank 25^th in the NFL in Total Defense this morning, only one slot ahead of the Cowboys’ defense which is certifiably mediocre-at-best.  Meanwhile, the Broncos are 5-3 riding a stingy defense that is 3^rd in the NFL as of now.

Raiders at Bengals – 7 (46):  Yes, I also considered this game as a “Dog-Breath” candidate for a moment or two, but the presence of talent such as Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase along with the comedic stylings of Gardner Minshew keeps this game from such a lowly status.  The Bengals are 3-5 but their point differential for the year is only minus-8.

(Sun Nite) Colts at Vikings – 5 (46.5):  With the Texans’ loss last night, the Colts can narrow the Texans’ lead in the AFC South to a half-game if they win here.  The Vikes have lost two games in a row; they sit third in the NFC North and one of the two teams ahead of them must win this weekend.  Big game for both teams…

Commanders – 4 at Giants (44):  The Commanders are on a roll; the Giants are one step away from being a hot mess.  However, historically over the past three of four decades, the Washington team plays poorly in Met Life Stadium no matter what they are calling the venue at the time of the kickoff.  I think the Commanders will break that jinx this week; I like the Commanders to win this one comfortably; I’ll take the Commanders to win and cover on the road; put that in the “Betting Bundle”,

Bears at Cards – 1 (44.5):  The spread here opened the week as “Bears – 2”.  Obviously, there had to be a lot of money on the Cards at that number to flip the favorite.  In fact, there is one Internet sportsbook that has the game with the Cards as 2-point favorites this morning.  The Cards’ record is 4-4 but that has them tied for the lead in the NFC West with the Niners and the Seahawks.  In fact, every team in the NFC West has exactly 4 losses as of today so every game means a lot to all the teams there.

Rams – 1 at Seahawks (48):  Here is another game where the favorite has flipped.  The line opened as “Seahawks – 3” and now the Rams are favored.  Just because this game means a lot to both teams, I thought about it as the Game of the Week for a moment or two but then…

Lions – 3 at Packers (47.5):  This is the Game of the Week.  The Lions lead the NFC North at 6-1; the Packers are right behind them at 6-2.  The winner will lead the division on Monday morning.  Here is a situation that might be interesting if not important:

• Here we are in November, and this will be the first time the Lions have played a game outdoors.

Both defenses here rank in the middle of the pack as of today.  The two offenses rank 5^th and 6^th in the NFL as of today but the Packers’ QB, Jordan Love, has a groin injury that might make the Packers have to play Malik Willis.  Should be a good one; I like the Lions to win and cover here unless there is a “weather event” in Green Bay around game time; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Jags at Eagles – 7.5 (45):  The Eagles trail the Commanders by half a game this morning and I think the Commanders are going to win big on Sunday.  That means the Eagles need to win this game.  The Jags are 2-6 and their defense ranks 29^th in the league in both Total Defense and Scoring Defense.  Jags’ coach, Doug Pederson, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Pats.  If the Jags get blown out here, the Eagles might be responsible for him becoming unemployed.  As the world turns …

(Mon Nite) Bucs at Chiefs – 9 (46):  The Chiefs are cruising; the Bucs find themselves trailing the Falcons by a game in the NFC South.  For the Chiefs, this is a big game because it continues their 7-game winning streak; no matter the outcome, the Chiefs will still be in first place in the Division on Monday morning.  For the Bucs, this game is a bigger deal because they will know the outcome of the Falcons/Cowboys game on Sunday and this game will either be an opportunity to catch up in the standings or an important game to keep pace with their division rival.

So let me review the “Betting Bundle”:

• Wisconsin/Iowa OVER 40
• Cowboys Falcons OVER 50.2
• Commanders – 4 over Giants
• Lions – 3 over Packers

And here are three Money Line Parlays just for fun:

• Texas A&M @ minus-145
• Georgia @ minus-600     Bet $100 to win $98.

 

• Nebraska @ minus-250
• Navy @ minus-420
• Indiana @ minus-300     Bet $100 to win $131

 

• Commanders @ minus-200
• Eagles @ minus-300     Bet $100 to win $100

Finally, these words from Vince Lombardi:

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………