Ten NFL Takes - Week 14

 

Take number one: A blocked field goal is rarely noteworthy enough to be mentioned here, but not every blocked field goal is executed by 1) a 300 pound defensive lineman who 2) leaps over the long snapper without touching him and 3) lands on his feet on the other side of the line of scrimmage so he can 4) jump *again* getting 5) just enough of his hand (invariably referred to as a “paw” when you are that big) up in the air to 6) block the attempt that would have tied the game with like 20 seconds left in it. Yes, I know it was an irrelevant win in a game contested between two teams who won’t come close to sniffing the playoffs, but as a sheer feat of athleticism, it was off the charts. Kudos, Bryan Bresee.

Take number two: Exactly one-quarter (eight) of the league has three or fewer wins. I know there are bad teams every year, but I do not remember a season with this many god awful teams. I don’t know if it’s bad players, bad coaching, bad drafting, or bad general manager-ing (probably a combination of one or more of those things in most situations) but how do you justify asking fans in say, Jacksonville, to shell out good money to watch a 10-6 rock fight against the Titans?

Take number three: The “V” in MVP stands for “valuable” and as I said last week, while Saquon Barkley is having a great season, the Eagles, with a league average running back would still be good. Take Josh Allen off the Bills and replace him with a league average quarterback and Buffalo is probably one of those three win teams I mentioned above. You want to give Barkley offensive player of the year? Be my guest. But MVP? Six touchdowns, more than 400 yards from scrimmage and almost single-handedly dragging your team to a win in a shootout with the Rams? Color me impressed.

Take number four: Nothing encapsulates the Aaron Rodgers experience with the Jets quite like tantalizing ownership into bringing him back next year by having (by far) his best game of the season in a loss that officially eliminated them from the playoffs. Chef’s kiss.

Take number five: The Chiefs are a Rorschach Test for pundits. They are either inevitable or historically lucky in a way that will be exposed in the playoffs and there does not seem to be much nuance in between, except we forget they lost their top two wide receivers very early in the season, were without their number one running back for like eight weeks, and have been putting the offense together on the fly ever since while never solving their left tackle problem. We expect Mahomes Magic and he delivers it when he needs to, but gets questioned when he is not putting up video game stats. The AFC is still the Arrowhead Invitational and I just think we need to ask ourselves whether it is more or less likely they can scratch out two wins at home in January or lose one. My money’s on the former.

Take number six: The Falcons are hip deep in the sunk cost fallacy and I wish someone would explain to Raheem Morris that he has dynamic weapons at wide receiver, tight end, and running back but a guy with the mobility of a slab of concrete behind center and maybe, just maybe, it would be a good time to see what the dual threat talent the team drafted in the first round who has a cannon attached to his left arm can do before the season slips away entirely.

Take number seven: Can Hard Knocks just follow around Mike Tomlin all day? Like, here is Mike hyping the team at Starbucks where he gets his coffee. Here is Mike pumping up his dog’s vet after a check up. The absolute star of this version of Hard Knocks and a good example of why football is both so fun and so profound. It is a game but it is also a low key form of deep male bonding, exercises in leadership, and sacrificing yourself for the greater good. I hate the term “leader of men” but watching Tomlin cook in that Steelers training facility and prowling the sidelines on Sunday is inspiring.

Take number eight: I have no idea if Sam Darnold is a mediocre quarterback being elevated by the talent around him in Minnesota or a good quarterback who just needed the right team and system to unlock his talent, but I do know some GM is going to cut him a very large check in the off season to find out.

Take number nine: I do have an idea that Jameis is who we thought he was. A roller coaster talent who can make a couple of plays a game that only the most gifted quarterbacks can make but will also toss a couple of back breaking interceptions that make you question how he has a roster spot. He’s started more than 100 games in his career and averages more than one interception per game. He has thrown 14 pick six interceptions. His arm talent means he will stay in the league well into his 30s, but his decision making means he will never be more than a back up.

Take number ten: Non-football. It sucks when good players leave your team. It is exponentially worse when they sign with teams in your division. The Nats were a joke when they came to DC in 2005 and then clawed their way into relevancy by drafting well, making strategic trades, and signing free agents. They won more regular season games than any other team in the 2010s except the Dodgers and ended the decade by winning the World Series. And then … they slid into irrelevance and don’t seem to be too eager to do much about it while the freaking Mets just cut Juan Soto a check for three-quarters of a billion dollars and he will come to Nats Park in their uniform for the next 15 years while Bryce Harper is now in like year six of playing for the Phillies. Just infuriating.