NFL

Know When to Say When

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Now ex Astros Manager A.J. Hinch took the ball in game 7 of the World Series last fall from his starting pitcher Zach Greinke with one out and a runner on in the top of the seventh.  The Astros were nursing a 2-1 lead.  Greinke had given up a mere two hits and one run to that point.

It seemed like a good idea to Hinch at the time, obviously.  You have to know when to say when and you have to do it in real-time.  Now was when.  His replacement, reliever Will Harris, surrendered a two-run homer, and the Washington Nationals never looked back. They won game seven 6 to 2, and the World Series 4 to 3.

That was only one game, but it was a huge one.   Organizations take educated guesses on when to say when all of the time.  When it involves a legend, perhaps the greatest to ever play the game, “when” gets very complicated.  Take Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The Patriots are owned by a very grey-headed Rober Kraft. They are coached by a getting very grey-headed Bill Belichick.  The are quarterbacked by the GOAT who has a bit more grey around the temples daily.  You can own and coach with grey hair, but can you still play at the highest level when you have some?

If you believe that great organizations are built first by great cultures then by great people who strive to get with one, then collectively thrive by being in one, you might favor cutting ties with Brady.  Bring in the reliever, Will Harris.  After all, weren’t the Patriots looking (as they always do) to improve their roster when they nabbed Tom Brady in the sixth round with the 199th pick overall from the U of Michigan?

If you believe that there is only one Tom Brady, ever, then he has earned the right to go out on his own terms.  Maybe you would have stayed with Greinke.  But this isn’t one game.  It’s a body of work stretched over 20 seasons, nine Super Bowls appearances, six rings, and 75k and counting passing yards.

The Astros culture, as it turns out, was severely lacking.  Their owner took the ball from Hinch a month ago.  Where do they go from here?  With a new team president, a new GM, a new manager, and no ace named Gerrit Cole the culture must be built all over again.  This time it must be built with a real foundation.  Great players will only take you so far.  Time will tell.

The culture in NE is firmly in place.  It’s a personnel decision and a huge one.

But time waits for no man.  The Patriots technically have until March 18 at 4 p.m.(one month from today) to ink a new contract with Brady before he hits free agency. You have to know when to say when.   And you have to do it in real-time.

Mr. Kraft and Mr. Belichick, it’s time.  Are you going to take the ball from the GOAT, or are you going to let him face one more batter?

 

Will He Stay, or Will He Go?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Raise your hand if you’ve heard the following before, “The NFL is a quarterback-driven league.”  You can put your hand down now.   The NFL has put a premium on good qb play to the point where if you have a good one you win, and if you don’t, well, you won’t.

So, pray tell, what is going on this offseason?  An inordinate amount of QB’s could, have, or will change addresses this offseason.

Free agency is right around the corner.  Franchise tags must be placed on the keepers by March 10th.  Failing resigning or tagging, free agency begins on March 18th.  Let the wheeling and dealing begin.  But before that, let the speculation begin.

Tom Brady-  Obviously the biggest name that is a FA has nine Super Bowl appearances with six being victorious.  Much has been written on will he or won’t he go.  Reasons to stay are plentiful while reasons to go not so much so.  There are three big egos in the room here (four if you count Giselle) in owner Kraft, coach Belichick, and QB Brady.  Jimmy Garappolo can attest to that first hand.  BBR says he goes as this time his ego is bigger than Kraft’s will and wallet.  Where to?  Great question.

Drew Brees- At a young 41 years of age, Brees is a FA as well.  The year 2020 would be NFL year 20 if Brees returns.  The question here isn’t where.  It’s when.  Brees promised the NO organization an answer on whether he continues playing this coming year in the next few weeks.  He has publicly stated that he is a Saint until he retires.  BBR thinks that his competitive nature and good health will result in a “yay” over a “nay.”  But, we think it’s closer to a “nay” than many people think.

Cam Newton- Whew.  Isn’t it amazing how high Cam was riding and seemingly how far he has fallen?  Just a few years removed from a Super Bowl and a league MVP 2015 award, Cam’s tenure with the Panthers might be over and out.  A new owner, a new head coach, and a QB whisperer (for one year anyway) named Joe Brady are in town.  At 30, and with lingering injuries, BBR says that the Panthers want to rebuild and will say goodbye.

Philip Rivers- After 16 seasons with average to below-average pass protection, and average to below-average wide receivers, Rivers and the Chargers have already agreed to part ways.  Rivers moved his family (not an easy task as the Rivers have eight children and expect a ninth in March) to Florida this offseason.  BBR thinks Rivers will look pretty good in teal and white with a touch of orange on his uniform.

Andy Dalton- If ever there was an easier prediction it might have been the longevity status of the Titanic after the brush with the big ice cube.  Dalton is gone and looks like a serviceable backup somewhere with a shot at being the starter.  The Bengals enter the Joe Burrow era starting about 1 minute after Roger Goodell gets booed off of the draft day stage.

Nick Foles- The Jacksonville sometimes starter lost his job to a guy named Gardner Minshew II midseason.  The salary cap hit for dumping Foles would be huge, but his favorite OC has moved on.  Will Foles?  The cost to keep him is just as huge at $22 million next year.  This smells like a draft day trade to a team that wants a starter but doesn’t see one worth it when they are due to select.  Jacksonville will likely need to add cash and/or a lower pick to get a third with playing time clauses up to a second for him.

Marcus Mariotta-The second overall pick in 2015 has seen his last days as a Tenessee Titan.  His successor, Ryan Tannehill resurrected his career with the address change to Nashville.   Can Marcus do the same?  Maybe.  He stares at initial receivers too long and holds the ball too long.  From the west coast, on a hunch, BBR thinks he heads back that way as a well-paid backup, but no more than that.

Teddy Bridgewater-  After a disastrous leg injury nearly cost Bridgewater his career and his leg, he rehabbed both, went to the Jets, then joined the N.O. Saints in 2018.  In 2019 Brees suffered a thumb injury that kept him sidelined for five games.  Teddy stepped in and bridged the gap until Bress returned and then some.  Shaking off two years of rust he went 5-0 as a starter against some good teams that had some darn good defenses.  He stayed with Sean Payton and Drew Brees to continue to develop in 2019 for less money ($7.5 mil) that was offered to him as a starter elsewhere.  He loves NOLA and NOLA loves him.  But, it’s time to grab a starting position and QB starting money somewhere, isn’t it?  Can you hear the clink, clink, clink of the slot machines from the new Vegas stadium?

Which brings us to Derek Carr.  Ah, enough already.

Coaching careers can be made or finished by the choices made on the above.   The heck with the XFL, let the offseason NFL games begin.

 

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-Super Bowl and More

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

You had way, way too much chip, dip, and beer.  It’s time to get back to your routine.  Here’s a serving of Ten Piece Nuggets.  Chew them slowly and drink lots of water to rehydrate.

  1.  Jay Z and Beyonce’ had seats on the 50-yard line.  They sat in them all game including during Demi Lovato’s swift 1:50 rendition of the National Anthem.  It’s hard to say what they were protesting.  Jay Z signed a deal with the NFL recently to promote “social justice.”  Are they dissatisfied with the capitalistic society that they wisely profited from to afford such expensive seats?  Maybe they’re still mad at the NFL’s hands-off attitude towards malcontent Colin Kaepernick?  Wouldn’t it be something if the seats were comped by the big, bad, ugly NFL?
  2. If San Francisco had Kaepernick this season they surely could have done better.  Wait.  It would be hard to have done better upon further review.  They were the number one seeded NFC representative in the Super Bowl after all.
  3.  Maybe a good SF offense and a really good San Fran defense just ran into a better team when all 60 minutes were played.  After all, Patrick Mahomes is the first under 25 years of age QB to win the league’s MVP Award and win a Super Bowl.  The future seems quite bright for the young lad flourishing in an Andy Reid offense tailored to play to his strengths, of which there are many.
  4. Mahomes came to Miami without a title and left with one.  Maybe he’ll be like LeBron.  When the King arrived in Miami a while back he promised not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not even seven titles.  Quarterbacks, given today’s rules that so favor their health and production, can easily play into their forties.  LeBron has changed addresses twice since then and has three rings and counting.  How many will Mahomes, the best QB in the league, be able to garner?
  5. Another great QB arrived in Miami once.  It was 1983, and a man named Daniel Constantine Marino, Jr. was drafted late in the first round by the Dolphins.  He led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl in only his second year, 1984.  And after 9 Pro Bowl Appearances, one league MVP, and 18 playoff games he never went back to another Super Bowl in his 17 year Hall of Fame career.  Fame wasn’t fleeting for him, Super Bowl wins were.
  6.  Did you bet the J Lo will or won’t flash a little butt cleavage novelty proposition?  If you bet the “will” BBR thinks you lost.  But, or should we say butt, that was some of the only skin covered in the high energy, fast-moving halftime extravaganza.  Shakira and J Lo shook, rattled, and rolled and even used a stripper pole.  Wasn’t it just yesterday that the NFL apologized for the outrageous behavior of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson?
  7. Turning the page, but speaking of having skin in the game, Donald Trump congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs and the great state of Kansas last night after the SB victory in a tweet.  Not too long thereafter, he corrected his tweet to read the great state of Missouri.  That’s the problem with screen grabs though.  It’s out there now, forever.  Of course, the NFL seemed to not have a problem with what Shakira and J Lo grabbed on screen.  But we digress.  Trump is forever impeached anyway.  So said none other than a not so somber and prayerful Nancy Pelosi early last week.
  8. The Donald will deliver his State of the Union Address to Congress Tuesday PM.  Like Jay Z and Beyonce’, roughly half of the members of Congress will likely sit for the entire proceedings in protest of the President and all that he actually stands for.  And, as of now, the plan is that the Senate will acquit him Wednesday of both charged articles of impeachment.  Put a tent over the circus that currently is under the rotunda, please.
  9. The football season ended last evening.  But the primary season begins today.  The Democratic hopefuls will watch with interest usually reserved for Super Bowl viewing at the results in Iowa, the first whistle stop.  Polls (not the one J Lo abused) show Crazy Bernie Sanders with about a five-point lead 25-20 over Joe Biden going into today.  Bernie can make it rain at the Democratic Party’s party.
  10. Joe might not really want to win though after he takes a look at how Republican Senator Joni Ernst rained on his parade this past weekend. “Joe Biden should be very careful what he’s asking for because, you know, we can have a situation where if it should ever be President Biden, that immediately, people right the day after he would be elected would be saying, ‘Well, we’re going to impeach him,’” Ernst said.  Ernst explained that an impeachment case against Biden could be made “for being assigned to take on Ukrainian corruption yet turning a blind eye to Burisma because his son was on the board making over a million dollars a year” during his time as vice president under Obama.

It’s only seven months till football starts up again.  And, it’s only nine months till the general election.   The butt cleavage exposure never ends so to speak.

Trivia(l) Pursuit

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

If you were in pursuit of Super Bowl LIV trivia your internet explorer linked you to the right site.  Just like the ’80s Trivial Pursuit board game below are all of the pie pieces (and more) needed to be the smart one at your Super Bowl Party.

  1.  Jack Buck called Super Bowl IV with Pat Summerall.  The Kansas City Chiefs upset the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings for their first and only win.  Fifty years later Kansas City finally returns to the biggest game of all.  Joe Buck, son of Jack, is on the golden mic with Troy Aikman.
  2. KC and SF are the only two teams in the league whose primary colors are red and gold (though the gold is a bit different for each).  Wear red and accessorize with gold and you’ll be cheering for the winning team regardless.
  3.  Twenty plus years ago Mike Shanahan won back to back Super Bowls as head coach of the Denver Broncos.  His son Kyle Shanahan attempts to join his dad as a Super Bowl-winning coach Sunday with the 49ers.  If he does it will be the first father-son duo to do so.
  4. If the game comes down to a San Fran kick start putting the potato salad back in the fridge.  Veteran San Francisco place kicker Robbie Gould is in his 15th NFL season.  Good in the regular season, he has ice in his playoff veins.  In the playoffs he’s connected on all 27 extra points and 13 field goals he has attempted.
  5. The HD 4G screen that you will watch the game on was expensive.  But it’s a lot cheaper than the cheapest ticket currently available to the game.  That price, as of yesterday, was available online for just over $2600.  Super Bowl IV, previously mentioned, was not a sellout and tickets had a face value between $8 and $16 dollars.
  6. Who will win?  The quarterbacks don’t lose much.  Pick one.  Their career records as starters stand at 28–8 for Patrick Mahomes and 23–5 for Jimmy Garoppolo.
  7.  Expect some “trickeration” from KC coach Andy Reid.  You never know when he might punt, pass, or kick.  Don’t believe it?  Take a 30 second look at him at the tender age of 13 doing just that.  Take a look at #22 right behind him if you can see him.  Andy was born big-boned.

And if you really want to be the smart one in the room take San Fran straight up to win the game.

Pass the chips.

Sixty Minutes From Deity

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Patrick Mahomes is just 60 NFL minutes away from attaching his name to NFL greatness in a much bigger way than here to fore.  And here to fore is only three years and counting for him.  But if you’re counting it’s been an impressive assent.

It’s been 50 years and counting since Kansas City won Super Bowl IV in 1970.  The KC fans have already elevated Mahomes to near Sainthood status.

Speaking of Sainthood, today we have attached a link to an article an eager BBR staff member wrote on October 3rd of 2018.  We think it’s a good read all over again and provides a little insight and backdrop into what was, could be, and what might be for the then even younger Mahomes.

Of course, the Gold Rush of the San Francisco 49ers might be able to slow his inevitable run (and pass) to greatness.  But, we should never doubt a man of the cloth.

Hit the link and enjoy the two-minute read.

The World Championship Game Revisited

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

And then there were four.  And after Sunday there will be two.  San Francisco, Green Bay, Kansas City, and Tennessee remain in the chase for the Vince Lombardi Trophy for winning Super Bowl LIV (54). Who might be those two?

SF is a 7 1/2 point pick over GB while KC is favored by 7 over Tenn.  If GB and KC were to advance it would be a rematch of Super Bowl I way, way back in 1967.

Did you know that the first Super Bowl wasn’t called a Super Bowl?  It was known as The AFL-NFL World Championship Game.  It carried that moniker because two bitterly rival leagues had not yet merged to form the NFL.

It was played in the LA Coliseum and the Packers rode a strong second half to win going away 35-10.  The game was awarded to the LA market a mere seven weeks prior to kickoff.  The date of the game was only agreed to three weeks prior to kickoff.

Hank Stram coached the Chiefs.  The man who has the trophy named after him coached the Packers.  That would be one Vince Lombardi.

It remains the only Super Bowl to have been simulcast in the United States by two networks. NBC had the rights to nationally televise AFL games, while CBS held the rights to broadcast NFL games.  Both were allowed to televise the game accordingly.

The players’ shares were $15,000 each for the winning team(GB) and $7,500 each for the losing team (KC).  Many playing in the game had regular season salaries that paled by comparison.

The Packers were led by veteran quarterback Bart Starr who was the top-rated quarterback in the NFL for 1966, and won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.  He completed156 of 251 (62.2%) passes for 2257 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.  A good QB in today’s game has double those pass attempts, completions, yards, TD’s, and interceptions.

This is also the only Super Bowl where the numeric yard markers were five yards apart, rather than 10 as is customary today.

Super Bowl I was the only Super Bowl that was not a sellout, despite the TV blackout in Los Angeles. Of the 94,000-seat capacity in the Coliseum, 33,000 went unsold.  Tickets were a whopping $12 ($92.18 in 2019 money) for the average seat.

So much for the adage the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Although one does.   Fifty four years later LA still doesn’t support the NFL.

 

 

 

Deal the Wild Cards

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Abby’s been playing some serious Texas Hold Em with her college football bet winnings these last few weeks.  She’s feeling good (maybe too good) about her picking prowess.  In between hands of poker last evening she decided to try her paw at the NFL Wild Card Games this weekend.  She gnawed on and pawed her way to the following.

Buffalo Bills v. Houston Texans (-2 1/2) – The Bills have had a fine year defensively and have a developing quarterback in Josh Allen.  They are a very live underdog this weekend.  However, the Texans have a developing quarterback that is more developed and can make game breaking plays with his feet.  Abby expects this one to be close for three quarters, but likes the Texans to cover.

Tennessee Titans v. New England Patriots (-5 1/2) – What’s wrong with New England?  What’s wrong with Tom Brady?  Is this the beginning of the end?  The media’s rampant “what’s wrong with” story line is just the fuel to fire up Mister Belichick and Mister Brady.  Tennessee comes in as the 6th seed and likely will play loose.  They are a trendy pick.  Abby likes a to zig when others zag.  The Patriots cover and it’s not really close.

Minnesota (+8) v. New Orleans – This looks to Abby as the toughest game to handicap this weekend.  Her contract with BBR insists that she make a pick, but she wouldn’t bet much doggone money on it.  New Orleans has been scoring points at a prodigious pace recently.  But, Minnie has been their kryptonite.  New Orleans gets it done at home, but eight points and a healthy Dalvin Cook provide enough to cover.

Seattle (-1 1/2) v. Philadelphia – Seattle is the lower seed as Philly is the division champion.  Philly hasn’t looked much like a champion in the weak NFC East.  Seattle has played significantly better against significantly better teams all year.  This one seems almost too obvious.  Seattle wins outright.

Abby’s got two jacks for hold cards.  Like the Wild Card weekend that’s a dangerous bet.

 

Black Monday in the NFL

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Yesterday was Black Monday in the NFL.  As the NFL Network sat round table discussing the firings of some head coaches the conversation turned naturally to the hiring of some new head coaches.  Over time the conversation morphed into the state of minority hiring at the key NFL franchise management positions of General Manager and Head Coach.

On the four man (no women) desk were host Steve Wyche, analyst Marc Ross, former GM and contributor Charley Casserly and a fourth whose name we couldn’t discern.  Time and again the refrain was that the NFL needed to do a better job of identifying, training, and interviewing potential minority candidates.  Time and again the refrain was that too few African Americans occupied these important positions.  Ross stated that only 3 or 4 head coaches were black.  It was flat out stated and repeated that the NFL needed to do a better job in creating diversity in the workplace.

Casserly once participated on the committee that created the Rooney Rule.  Adopted in 2003, the Rooney Rule is a National Football League policy that requires league teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. It is sometimes cited as an example of affirmative action, as there is no quota or preference given to minorities in the hiring of candidates.  Yesterday he expanded on it’s intent and the progress that has been made.  The panel listened and was unimpressed.

Yesterday’s news in and out of the NFL as well as their well intentioned discussion made us wonder.

One, in the ultra competitive NFL would owners choose GM’s and coaches based on race? Or is it always about qualifications and perceived future success?  Either you win or you walk.

Two, how many black coaches or GM’s would make the NFL “truly diverse?”  Would it be a percentage equal to the population in the U.S.?  That percentage is somewhere less than 15% per the last census.  If so 15% of 32 teams would mean 5 black head coaches.  If you have 3 or 4 pending comings and goings right now are you that far off?  Or, to be diverse, should it be more?

Three, so does it mean more than that? The data collected by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), shows that 70% of NFL players were African Americans at the start of the 2018 season.  Should 70% of the GM’s and head coaches be black?

Four, what about other minorities, or women, being included in this diversity shortcoming.  Nearly 52% of America is female.  Shouldn’t 52% of the above mentioned positions go to females?  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in his state of the league address last year said, “there is no reason why 50% of our coaches shouldn’t be women.”  Apparently the NBA is progressive.  The NFL is not.

Once upon a time all NFL place kickers were “straight on” kickers.  Hell, they even employed the disabled.  One kicker only had half of a foot.  Now 100% are “soccer style” kickers.  It seems like the league is predisposed, dare we say prejudiced, to one type of kicker.  That isn’t very diverse.  Ah, but the difference in the kicking style is the “how,” not the “who” you say.  In other words anyone can kick as long as they are successful and are “sidewinders.”

Maybe anyone can man the running back position too as long as they are successful?  Sure.  Christian McCaffery, the only white running back of note in the entire league, has had such a great season that he might be a top MVP vote getter this year.  See.  Diversity indeed.

U Haul, the trucking company, announced yesterday that they were going to a “no nicotine” hiring policy beginning in 2020 and beyond.  So much for diversity.  If you can kick the habit come work for us.

The NFL says if you can kick a football come work for us.  But, it’s time to stop kicking this can down the road when it comes to hiring head coaches.  The NFL needs more diversity in certain positions of employ.  In others it’s doing just fine.  No need to take a knee after all.

 

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-NFL

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

It’s the beginning of a long holiday week.  People are dashing around from shopping malls to shopping malls.  Amazon Prime trucks are dashing from address to address.  The BBR staff is having it’s annual holiday golf tournament today.  So we’ll keep it short with a quick, NFL Ten Piece Nugget served five from the NFC and five from the AFC style.  It will be good to get something in your stomach before the eggnog and bourbon take control.

  1.  The NFC side of the playoff picture is as clear as a bell and as foggy as England.  Huh?  Five of the six spots are spoken for, with the sixth a Philadelphia  and Dallas mess.  Dallas controlled it till yesterday’s loss to Philly.  Now if Philly wins against the New York football Giants they are in.  If they lose, Dallas is in with a win over Washington.  Winner is division champ.  Loser goes home.
  2. If the loser is Dallas, Jason Garrett is going home too.  Jerry Jones said he was very disappointed in his team’s performance yesterday. Duh. They failed to score a touchdown against a banged up, but hungrier, Philly team.  With Cooper, Prescott, and Elliot as your big three on O a lot of money isn’t getting a lot of production.  Prescott was asked post game, “what’s the problem?”  His answer was profound.  “I don’t know.”
  3. The other five spots are sealed while the order and bye’s are anything but.  San Francisco, Green Bay, New Orleans, Seattle, and Minnesota are in.  Only N.O. is for sure the division champ and therefore a host of a wild card at a minimum.  But home field is at stake as are the top two seed spots.  There are too many “if’s” to detail them.
  4. One thing is for sure though.  There are too many “if’s” by team to consider anyone of them a prohibitive NFC Super Bowl favorite.  New Orleans inexplicably lost to Atlanta a while back.  San Fran did the same yesterday to lowly Arizona.  Green Bay is much better at home than the road.  Minnesota and Seattle might both need to win three in a row on the road.  But, they are both very live wild card teams, if they wind up as wild card teams, built for post season play.
  5. New Orleans lacks weapons outside of one who is nearly unstoppable this year.  Marvin Harrison’s NFL record of 143 catches in a season stood for 17 years, and no one came within even six catches of it.  Sunday New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas broke Harrison’s mark with one game to go.  Thomas already has 145 catches on the year after he caught 12 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 38-28 come-from-behind victory over the Tennessee Titans.  Can a wide receiver win the MVP award?  Well, Thomas is 66-1 while Lamar Jackson is 1-30.
  6. Speaking of Thomas as we swing into the AFC, the QB and his Baltimore Ravens now have to be considered a strong favorite to take home the Lombardi Trophy in Miami regardless of who the NFC rep is.  Baltimore is winning big weekly and dominating in all aspects of the game.  After a 2-2 start, they are winners of 11 straight.  Eleven straight wins in the NFL is called domination.  In an AFC Conference loaded with really good quarterbacking, this just in, Lamar Jackson is good.
  7. But, as usual, don’t count out New England just yet.  Their yearly trip to the biggest game of all got a shorter route thanks to Saturday’s gut check win against a gutsy Buffalo Bills team.  A win this week against Miami in New England will give them a first round bye.  This just in, Tom Brady is good.
  8. Perched at # 3 is KC.  If you fell asleep Sunday night you missed a 26-3 Chiefs snoozer over the somnambulistic Chicago Bears 26-3.  They need a win and a week 17 loss by NE to have a bye.   This just in, Patrick Mahomes is good.  The Bears are not.
  9. Don’t sleep on the Houston Texans.  They clinched the AFC South for the fourth time in five years Saturday.  They can score and they can play decent defense.  If KC loses and Houston wins they could move up to the all important #2 seed and gain the all important bye week as well.  This just in, Deshaun Watson is good.
  10. Buffalo has won ten games and counting this year and are in as the fifth seed.  They are a dangerous wild card team.  They’ll scrap you for a ball anytime, anywhere.  This just in, Josh Allen isn’t good yet, but he’s moving in the right direction.  The Tennessee Titans could still get in.  They drafted Marcus Mariotta in round one a few years back.   Miami did the same with Ryan Tannehill.  Tennessee looks to have given up on MM like Miami did on Tannehill.  Miami’s loss is Tennessee’s gain for now.  Pittsburgh needs lots of help to get in.  Oakland needs lots and lots of help to get in.

Enjoy a few lousy NCAA Bowl games that no one really cares about and a few NBA early season games that no one really cares about till the weekend.  Then it’s the NCAA playoffs and the final regular season week in the NFL.

A little sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the eggnog is just the right finishing touch.

 

Payton’s Happy Place

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Late last week the New Orleans Saints and it’s head coach Sean Payton agreed to a five year contract extension.  Terms weren’t disclosed but our guess is that it pays $10 million per year at a minimum.  It’s great work if you can get it.  Payton can buy most anything he wants with that kind of dough.  Except, remember, money cannot buy happiness.

And, by Sunday night Payton was not very happy.  The Saints got worked in the second half by the NFC reigning champion LA Rams, and lost 27-9.  But, it was who they lost and how they lost that raises the coach’s blood pressure.  Midway through the second quarter, Drew Brees injured his thumb and after surgery Monday will miss the next six weeks.  Brees has played 15 seasons for the team and has played in at least 15 games each of those years.  That healthy streak is done.

But another streak is three games long and perhaps growing.  If you have any blood pressure you know that in the NFC Championship game in January was greatly influenced by a blown referee call effectively sending the Saints home and the Rams to the Super Bowl.  The head of NFL officiating apologized to Payton shortly after the game.

Fast forward to week one of this season and the Saints were victims again.  This time an improper run off of the clock just prior to the half cost them a chance at a shorter field goal in a tight battle with the Texans. The head of NFL officiating apologized to Payton shortly after the game.  Sound familiar?

And, on Sunday, the Saints scooped up a late second quarter fumble in a 3-3 defensive slugfest and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown.  Except the head referee thought that Rams QB Jared Goff arm had started forward, hence he blew the whistle, and the call.  The Saints got the ball on their own ten yard line as a consolation prize.  After a three and out the Rams got a short field and kicked a field goal.  This was a seven or ten point swing(depending on how you see it) in a deadlocked game.  Game changer.  The head of NFL officiating apologized to Payton shortly after the game.  Sound familiar?

Which brings us to a question.  If money cannot buy happiness, can it buy better officiating?  There is no grand plot to sabotage the Saints.  But, there is a standard deviation or two outlier outcome that puts them on the wrong side of three game changing, horrible calls.  Enough already.

Which brings us to a question.  If the NFL sent a whopping $8.7 billion net after expenses to the teams to share in 2018, could they consider paying for full time referees?  Doesn’t every other league worth talking about have full time officiating?   Of course they do.

Players are asked, er, told, um, must weigh in at a specific team desired weight.  They train year round, attend offseason OTA’s, study film, report to a fall camp, play four preseason games, play seventeen regular season games, and play as many as four playoff games.   You miss any of this you get fined.  You play poorly you get fired.  But most of all, you dedicate yourself  24/7/365 for the good of the team and the respect of the game.  Is it too much for the NFL to dedicate time, training, money, and people to officiate the sanctimonious NFL game in the same manner?  If they did, they could make far less “I’m so sorry” calls.

Money ($7.25 million) did buy Teddy Bridgewater as the highest paid backup in the league to Drew Brees.  He now needs to be a bridge over troubled water for six weeks.  Hopefully that money spent will buy Sean Payton some happiness.

Well, that assumes that the part-time employment referees will break their blown calls streak like Brees’ broken thumb will break his.