football
Talking about college and professional football daily. Chances are we hate your team.
Divisional Playoff Recap: 99 Problems, and McCarthy is #1
I do love Divisional Playoff Weekend, and I have my reasons. For one, it's the last chance we have to enjoy Saturday NFL action, and secondly, it serves as a hotbed for surprising upsets. The Divisional Playoff once served as the opening playoff round when the leagues merged in 1970, but it has been the second round since 1978, when a second Wild Card was added and resulted in the debut of the Wild Card Playoff. It's the last stop before the Final Four, aka the Conference Championship, and regarding this year, it was quite tame following Super Wild Card Weekend.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Super Wild Card Weekend Recap: The Comeback Reboot
This year's Super Wild Card Weekend marked the observed 30-year anniversary of "The Comeback." We all know about that by now; the infamous Wild Card Playoff contest between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers, which saw the Oilers up 35-3 during the midpoint of the 3rd quarter. However, in a span of a quarter and a half, the Bills' 32-point deficit disappeared, as after sixty minutes of game time, both teams had 38 points. The Bills won it with a field goal, completing what was the largest comeback in NFL history until the Minnesota Vikings came back from a 33-0 deficit on December 15, 2022. It still remains the largest playoff comeback in league history, but comebacks like that are rare.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
3 Teams I Want to Win Super Bowl LVII, and 3 Teams I Don't Want to Win
I absolutely love the NFL playoffs, always have. I remember back when ABC had Monday Night Football, they also had the Wild Card Saturday coverage, and back then, those games were on early in West Coast--at the same time as the Saturday morning cartoons. I loved my Saturday morning cartoons back then, but I also enjoyed that one day a year that I would wake up to playoff football back then. Of course, the playoff format and broadcasting schedule has changed since then. This is the second year of this current format, which will begin with six Wild Card Playoff games, followed by the Divisional Playoff (which will introduce the bye week teams to the fray). The Conference Championship is the last stop, and then it's the Super Bowl, and this year, Super Bowl LVII is in Arizona and will air on Fox.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 18 Recap: Completing the Puzzle
Though Week 18 served as the final week of the NFL season, the week where the last pieces of the playoff puzzle would be filled in, it was also the first bit of NFL action to take place after Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest. The week saw everyone tracking Damar's process, which improved vastly to the point where he was finally talking on his own, which served as the best news of the entire season. With that, the Buffalo Bills took the field in front of their home fans in Orchard Park, and they were looking to win for Hamlin.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
The Final Countdown (Week 18)
First off, the most important news of the entire season: Damar Hamlin is continuing to improve! The most recent report revealed that Hamlin actually touched a relative's hand, and then asked--in writing--the following three-word question:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 17 Recap: Destiny Controlled
It's been a tough period for everyone. We are still reeling from what we saw on Monday Night Football with Damar Hamlin. It was all I could think about last night, and like so many others, it's still on my mind. I truly hope Hamlin recovers, I hope we can look back on this horrible moment and say that we are so glad and so happy that Hamlin survived and is living a good life. That's what we all want, and that's what we're praying for. With that said, there is the matter (albeit an immensely secondary matter) of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, and there are two options regarding that game: either it'll be played on a later date, or it'll be canceled and declared a tie. Honestly, I'm for the latter, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one saying this.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
It Was 35-3: 30 Years Later
It's been almost six years, but "28-3" is still discussed as the most embarrassing choke job in the NFL. Sadly, it's for very good reason. "28-3" happened on the biggest stage of the NFL: the Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons had the New England Patriots on the ropes, which is a huge understatement. When you have the biggest dynasty in recent history on the verge of a blowout loss, that's a big deal. For football fans who watched, it was a big sigh of relief, as it looked like the Patriots' dominance was coming to an end. That was not the case, as the Patriots managed to score 31 unanswered points and won Super Bowl LI in overtime--the first Super Bowl to reach OT.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
New Year, Same Objective (Week 17)
We are now down to the final two weeks of the regular season, and it's always at this point that things really pick up. Week 17 continues the holiday stretch, as it enters the New Year. Before 2021, Week 17 was the final week of the season, but now it's the penultimate week, though the importance remains the same. Some teams can come within range of clinching a spot, a division crown, or even home field, while others see their margin of error shrinking...fast. Week 17 will set the stage for the final week, with potential do or die games being created as a result. But before we get into all of that, let's take a look at the playoff picture.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 16 Recap: Do You Believe in Christmas Miracles?!
When the Green Bay Packers lost their Sunday Night Football matchup to the Philadelphia Eagles, I felt my hope for this team decreasing. I was resigned to the realization that this team's season was over; a realization that remained after the Packers beat the Bears. Then I watched the Sunday Night game between the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants, and then something hit me:
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Can the Steelers Sneak Their Way Into the Playoffs Again?
As a bit of a Pittsburgh Steelers enthusiast, one of the main questions I had entering this season was, "How will this team fare in the first year after Big Ben's retirement?" They did draft a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft: Kenny Pickett out of Pitt, and many Steelers fans expected the team to start him right off the bat. However, the team decided to give the newly-acquired Mitch Trubisky the nod, and as a Packers fan who watched my team torment Trubisky during his time in Chicago, I still can't believe that guy is a Steeler, though I was pulling for him to do well.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
A Stocking Stuffer of Playoff Scenarios (Week 16)
Week 15 was absolutely chaotic, but we fans haven't seen anything yet! Three weeks remain in the NFL season, and we are now in the holiday stage, and that's where so much can happen. In the case of Week 16, it's the NFL's Christmas Week, and in the spirit of giving, a lot of playoff spots can be given out, while other teams could end up with coal in their stockings. As the iconic Gladys Knight once sang, "Let's get down to the real nitty-gritty."
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 15 Recap: So You're Telling Me There's a Chance
For the last few weeks, I semi-lamented over Week 15's Monday Night matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers. The reason was simple: when the schedule makers plan the Monday games, they pick out the biggest marquee matchups for the early months, and as for the December games, they pick out the ones they figure would be highly important. Regarding this game, this was set figuring that the Packers and the Rams would be jockeying for position, even the #1 seed.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
