To Play or Not to Play… and Other Random NFL Thoughts
Submitted by BB
AFC
Do you believe in karmic justice? I’m not sure if I do, but the irony of the upcoming AFC championship game cannot be ignored.
Over three weeks ago, the Indianapolis Colts sent their starters to the bench after gaining the upper hand against the New York Jets. They’d proven what they needed to and couldn’t change their playoff seeding, so they opted to avoid possible injuries to their best players.
On the surface this was a wise decision; we all know that the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal. Conventional wisdom and history, though, reminded us that the Colts tend to falter given extra rest and a bye week.
That ghost was laid to rest as the Colts handled the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in the second round. They looked rested and focused. In this weekend’s rematch with the Jets, they will face a second team with a formidable defense and a vanilla offense. Strong run game, number one defense, a quarterback who manages the game and attitude that never quits. Does this ring a bell?
The 2001 Baltimore Ravens; Super Bowl Champions.
Second chances can imbue a team with bravado and extreme confidence, and the Jets epitomize this. They’ve got swagger and attitude in abundance. Rex Ryan is a motivator, and I’m sure that he’s going to remind them all week that nobody believes they belong—including the team that let them off the hook.
Many think that the Jets’ season should have been over in week sixteen. According to John Clayton of ESPN, a few of the players from the San Diego Chargers said this to players from the Jets before their game.
The Houston Texans will jump on that bandwagon too. Their hard work and winning against teams who did field their starting rosters was not rewarded at season’s end, while the Jets ended their season against teams who “laid down.”
The flip side of this argument is that the Colts, the Bengals and other teams who won often and early earned the right to take the time off.
I don’t buy into this. It doesn’t seem sporting; it sullies the spirit of competition. The Colts’ and Bengals’ decision to rest their most valuable players affected the seasons of other teams—a domino effect that stranded some that could have been in the post season. How would the Colts have felt in the Texans’ place, their team finally healthy and clicking? Yes, desperation and playing with your backs against the wall adds that sense of urgency, but lacking control over your own destiny has to be frustrating.
Did the 1972 Miami Dolphins team who finished the season undefeated and went on to win the Super Bowl have the same mindset as the Colts? I don’t think so. Every game mattered—an undefeated season was a worthy goal, something that no one had ever accomplished.
It’s still a worthy goal, especially since the season is longer now. And with Roger Goodell’s push to lengthen the regular season to eighteen games, the chances of going undefeated might become even slimmer.
This also means we’ll never get rid of Mercury Morris’ incessant crowing.
The Colts are still favored to win the AFC Championship, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. They might find themselves wishing they’d put that dog down while it was still asleep.
Norv Turner, the monkey is still on your back. Your team folded like cheap aluminum foil. It was very disappointing to watch the Chargers panic and bail on their game plan…or was that you, Norv?
Was I the only one who wondered if field goal kickers take kickbacks?
NFC
Why do I love the New Orleans Saints? Let me count the ways.
- Drew Brees. Vindication. This would be karmic justice after his experience in San Diego. I’m sure he prefers where he is now, though. Great chemistry between him and Sean Payton.
- Eight-plus players that he distributes the ball to, and we barely know their names (except for Reggie). This team has great role players who trust their star quarterback to do his job.
- Gadget plays. I’m a Boise State fan; of course I love this!
- The Super Dome. There was a comment that the “Katrina cred” was still hanging around. Whether it’s the cred, voodoo whammy, or a general jinx, this still seems like the loudest stadium despite its smaller size. Let’s see if Brett’s hard counts work there
- Who dat?! Come on….that’s just cool!
I will always first and foremost be a Forty Niner fan, but until the day they’re resurrected, I’ll take the Saints as my back up.
There is a lot of grumbling about Minnesota running up the score against the Cowboys. Both sides of this argument have merit. If you don’t want teams to score you need to stop them, or be sporting; you don’t need to rub your opponent’s nose in their loss.
Second stringers usually come onto the field when the game turns into a blow out. This is a sporting move, and an opportunity to give the backups valuable game time experience. Why shouldn’t the second string get to execute the playbook if the game is over and the score no longer matters?
But that wasn’t the case here. All of the starters were in, and they were throwing the ball on fourth down. Did anyone else thing the Vikings were rubbing the Cowboys’ noses in their defeat? And this is coming from someone who never roots for Dallas.
As an athlete myself, I like to think that everyone has respect and consideration for their opponents, no matter what sport you play. You don’ need to win by a landslide; one point will suffice.
And when the game is out of reach and all time outs are used, the victory formation shows a lot of class. But then again, who knows….maybe I’m just old. Maybe Dallas was too mouthy and the Vikings chose to lay the smack down on them.
Whatever the reason, I would watch for karmic justice on the trip down to New Orleans if I were the Vikings. The Saints are a different team, and they’ll be in their comfort-dome. Brett might be a “bayou boy” but I doubt he’ll be hearing cheers come Sunday.
That was some hit Kurt Warner took. Major kudos for returning to the game and showing that quarterbacks don’t always hide in the pocket and walk away from their mistakes. Whether he retires from the game or not, he’s played with dignity and class and has represented his teams well.
And if he says he’s retiring, I’ve no doubt that he’ll stay retired.
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Posted: January 19th, 2010 under BB's Take.
