Monday, December 22, 2008
E.K.'S NFL HOLIDAY WISH LIST
• First things first: The overtime procedure in the NFL sucks! How long will it take for the league to recognize it? My guess is, until a Super Bowl is won by a team who wins the coin flip and kicks a 45-yarder to win it on the first possession of OT, that's what we're stuck with. NFL, please: Go to the Kansas plan, or some form of it.
• Now, let's examine what St. Louis needs:
With nine minutes left in their opening game at Philadelphia, the Rams trailed 38-0 and went for a field goal. They lost 38-3. In the last few minutes of the first half against Seattle in Week 3, they trailed 24-3 and went for a field goal. They lost, 37-13. Trailing the Jets 40-0(!!) in the third quarter in Week 10, they went for a field goal. (Did you get that? I'll repeat, to make sure: When trailing by 40 points, they kicked a field goal to make the score...40-3.) They lost, 47-3.
Oh, they weren't done. Against the 49ers in Week 11, they trailed 35-3. Then they kicked two field goals in the third quarter to make it 35-9. I can not stress how unbelievable this stuff is. They trailed 35-9 until the last two minutes, and lost, 35-16. (The Rams would later lose a 13-point lead in the last four minutes against the 49ers and lose again.) In Week 13 against Chicago, they served the Bears a 21-0 cushion and then proceeded to...*sigh*...kick a field goal. Had they figured it out yet, that field goals when you trail by these huge margins do not help you? Nope, they hadn't, because...
...against Arizona in Week 14, they trailed 27-7 in the fourth quarter and...you get the idea. They lost, 34-10.
...soooooooo, I'm wishing for a new coach for the St. Louis Rams. For their sake. And actually, for our sakes too, because we deserve to watch better football than this garbage.
• I would wish for a new coach for the Cleveland Browns, but there's no need. He will be fired shortly after Cleveland's season ends. Rest easy, Browns fans. Although I suspect you know this.
• It is entirely possible that the Chargers could make the playoffs at 8-8, while the Patriots would miss out at 11-5. What the hell? I wish for a fix to this crap.
• I'm wishing for as few indoor playoff games as possible. (All of this is assuming the playoff bracket holds up as it stands right now.) So in this vain, I'm not particularly hoping for wins by Minnesota and Indianapolis, and I definitely don't want Atlanta to somehow get a home playoff game (which would only happen if they advanced to the NFC title game against the #6 seed). I'd also like to see as many games played on grass as possible, and since the Giants are the only team that can play a home game in the playoffs outside on artificial turf, I'd like to see the Falcons upset them in the second round (Arizona won't beat the Falcons in the first round).
• What the hell: Let's hope for a Lions loss in Week 17. I never thought 0-16 could happen, especially in this day of alleged parity in the league, but let's go for it, eh?
• My last wish, as far as the NFL goes...bring some prowess back to the San Francisco 49ers.
• Now, let's examine what St. Louis needs:
With nine minutes left in their opening game at Philadelphia, the Rams trailed 38-0 and went for a field goal. They lost 38-3. In the last few minutes of the first half against Seattle in Week 3, they trailed 24-3 and went for a field goal. They lost, 37-13. Trailing the Jets 40-0(!!) in the third quarter in Week 10, they went for a field goal. (Did you get that? I'll repeat, to make sure: When trailing by 40 points, they kicked a field goal to make the score...40-3.) They lost, 47-3.
Oh, they weren't done. Against the 49ers in Week 11, they trailed 35-3. Then they kicked two field goals in the third quarter to make it 35-9. I can not stress how unbelievable this stuff is. They trailed 35-9 until the last two minutes, and lost, 35-16. (The Rams would later lose a 13-point lead in the last four minutes against the 49ers and lose again.) In Week 13 against Chicago, they served the Bears a 21-0 cushion and then proceeded to...*sigh*...kick a field goal. Had they figured it out yet, that field goals when you trail by these huge margins do not help you? Nope, they hadn't, because...
...against Arizona in Week 14, they trailed 27-7 in the fourth quarter and...you get the idea. They lost, 34-10.
...soooooooo, I'm wishing for a new coach for the St. Louis Rams. For their sake. And actually, for our sakes too, because we deserve to watch better football than this garbage.
• I would wish for a new coach for the Cleveland Browns, but there's no need. He will be fired shortly after Cleveland's season ends. Rest easy, Browns fans. Although I suspect you know this.
• It is entirely possible that the Chargers could make the playoffs at 8-8, while the Patriots would miss out at 11-5. What the hell? I wish for a fix to this crap.
• I'm wishing for as few indoor playoff games as possible. (All of this is assuming the playoff bracket holds up as it stands right now.) So in this vain, I'm not particularly hoping for wins by Minnesota and Indianapolis, and I definitely don't want Atlanta to somehow get a home playoff game (which would only happen if they advanced to the NFC title game against the #6 seed). I'd also like to see as many games played on grass as possible, and since the Giants are the only team that can play a home game in the playoffs outside on artificial turf, I'd like to see the Falcons upset them in the second round (Arizona won't beat the Falcons in the first round).
• What the hell: Let's hope for a Lions loss in Week 17. I never thought 0-16 could happen, especially in this day of alleged parity in the league, but let's go for it, eh?
• My last wish, as far as the NFL goes...bring some prowess back to the San Francisco 49ers.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
AT LEAST ONE NFL PICK FOR WEEK 15
Some of the lines aren't up where I catch them, so I'll just get tonight's game out there, which is:
New Orleans (+3) over CHICAGO.
There. Now my silence streak is over. Hadn't posted anything in several weeks. Hate to see my loyal readers hanging in suspense.
New Orleans (+3) over CHICAGO.
There. Now my silence streak is over. Hadn't posted anything in several weeks. Hate to see my loyal readers hanging in suspense.
