football
Talking about college and professional football daily. Chances are we hate your team.
It Was 33-0: Vikings Clinch NFC North in Historic Fashion
For the Minnesota Vikings, they had another chance to clinch the NFC North, and this was the second time that they had the always favorable "win and in" scenario. Two weeks prior, they needed a win and a Detroit Lions loss; the Vikings did their part, but the Lions also won. Last week, all the Vikings had to do was defeat the Lions in Detroit, but that was not successful. So the Vikings had a third opportunity, and they were at home against an Indianapolis Colts team whose entire season was on life support. Sounds like easy pickings, right?
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Plot Thickens (Week 15)
Well, here it is. The last week before the holidays, and as usual, the scenarios are starting to pile up. I also love that Week 15 gives us the first Saturday games of the season; a long time ago, the NFL gave us four straight weeks of Saturday football: Week 16, Week 17, Wild Card Weekend, and the Divisional Playoff. Week 17 stopped doing the Saturday thing over a decade ago, and when the 18-week season began in 2021, the Saturday games now take place during three of the final four weeks of the regular season, as well as the aforementioned playoff rounds.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 14 Recap: Mr. Irrelevant's Wild Ride
The San Francisco 49ers pulled off an amazing win last week, but it came at a high cost: losing Jimmy Garoppolo. Jimmy G ended up leaving the game early in the first quarter due to a foot injury, and the news broke that week that it was season ending. An update stated that Jimmy G could return for the playoffs, but now even that is doubtful. So with Jimmy G and Trey Lance out, who did the Niners turn to last week, and again this week? None other than Brock Purdy.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
From Rags to Riches: A Look at the Rising NFC East
We all remember the 2020 NFL season very well, don't we? So many things stood out about that year, the main thing being that it was being played in the midst of a terrible pandemic. As for on the field, the most memorable thing about the 2020 NFL season? The NFC Least, I mean East. The National Football Conference's Eastern Division, which was a beastly division during my childhood, was an outright joke in 2020. The crazy thing, it seemed to be heading that way in 2019, but we did see .500 or better records that year. 2020 was a mess, as all four of the division's teams--the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the then-named Washington Football Team--all sucked.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Simple Tasks (Week 14)
One thing I've learned in the many years that I've tracked the NFL's playoff races: it's always fun to control your own destiny. Nothing makes a team sleep better at night than the feeling that all they have to do to get in is, as the late, great Al Davis once said, "just win, baby." Football fans love that scenario, too, because just winning is easy. You don't want to have to rely on any outside help; even if it's only one team standing in the way. You also don't want to back in as well, because while you did get what you played for, someone else got it for you.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 13 Recap: Ownership
It's December 2022. The Green Bay Packers are having a terrible season. The team's playoff chances are hanging by a thread. There is turmoil all over; from the front office to the team, to even the fanbase. It is not your typical season for the Green Bay Packers and the faithful fans, such as myself, and it leaves us wondering about the following year and beyond. Despite all of this, there's still one thing that remains very true:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Now The Real Fun Begins (Week 13)
It's here! The NFL's home stretch of the regular season is finally here! The season will enter the month of December, which is the pivotal month of the season, as that's when the playoff spots can be punched in, while teams can be thinned out. 2022 marks the third year of the NFL's current playoff format, which allows seven playoff teams per conference, totalling 14 in all. It is also the second year of the NFL's current 17-game, 18-week season, and with 12 weeks in the books, that leaves the final one-third left to play out. For those who are still trying to get used to this current playoff format, here's how it goes.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 12 Recap: It's Not Easy Being Green (and Gold)
Week 12's Sunday Night Football showcase between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles was one of the most entertaining games I had ever seen. Though the Packers got off to a bad start by falling down 13-0 quicker than a hiccup, the team bounced back and actually took the lead, on the road, against a team who lost only one game. Just before halftime, the game was tied at 20, but a late Eagles touchdown made it 27-20 after two quarters. Unfortunately, the Packers didn't get back in to the game, but they made it close at the tail end. The Eagles went on to win, 40-33, improving them to 10-1, while the Packers fell to 4-8 and are on life support.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the Vast Decline of the NFC South
I said this once before; I do love "trainwreck divisions," because they get all the interest and attention. This on-and-off trend started in 2010, when the NFC West was so terrible that the Seattle Seahawks ended up finishing first with a 7-9 record. Since then, we have seen our share of mediocre/subpar division champions over the years. Even the NFC North fell victim to this in 2013. I remember that year vividly; Aaron Rodgers missed several weeks due to injury, yet while the Green Bay Packers did regress, so did the rest of the division. Rodgers returned on the final week to defeat the Chicago Bears, resulting in the Packers winning the division at 8-7-1.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 11 Recap: Loser Should Be Fired
So the game that seemed to get most of the attention featured two teams who are nowhere near the playoff line: the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos. This was the second meeting between the clubs; the Raiders won the first meeting in Vegas, which was the Raiders' first win of the season. The reason why this matchup got a lot of attention is simple: these team have the biggest bumblers at head coach.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
109th Grey Cup Recap: 18 and Victorious
Oh man, this one is special. As I'm writing this, I'm still on a huge happiness high from the game I just watched. On November 20, 2022, the 109th Grey Cup took place in Regina, Saskatchewan--the provincial capital's first time hosting the CFL's annual championship game since 2013, which saw the hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders capture the Cup. In this year's affair, the Toronto Argonauts faced off against the Winnpeg Blue Bombers, the first Grey Cup meeting between the clubs since 1950. For the Bombers, they were looking to win their third straight Grey Cup and become the first team to do so since the then-named Edmonton Eskimos won the 66th-70th Grey Cups. As for the Argos, they were looking to win the Cup for the first time since 2017.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 10 Recap: Hail to the Commanders
This is my second year writing week-by-week NFL recaps, and I've never started with Monday Night Football. Of course, it's not every Monday that the last unbeaten team loses on that day. The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, and upon looking at the matchup, a thought entered my mind. The last time Washington faced off against an undefeated Pennsylvania team? Washington won. They defeated the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers two years prior, and interestingly, that was a Monday game (due to COVID outbreaks postponing the game). So could this team do it again?
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
