football
Talking about college and professional football daily. Chances are we hate your team.
The Conference Royal Rumble Continues (AFC Week 17)
For the first time since 1993, Week 17 will not serve as the final week of the season. It is now the penultimate week with the NFL season now being 18 weeks long--on a permanent basis. Prior to this season, Week 17 ended the season, and it was fitting, as Week 17 has often fallen either on the final weekend of the year or the first weekend of the New Year, which is what I loved about Week 17. In this case, Week 17 opens on the 2nd day of 2022 with 15 games, with a 16th taking place on the following day. Even with the permanent shift in the schedule, Week 17 remains pivotal in the NFL season, as a lot can be settled during the season's penultimate week.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Week 16 Recap: Giving and Receiving
Week 16 of the NFL season always falls on Christmas time, and every year, it can be cause for celebration for a select few teams in the league. This year's NFL Christmas weekend was no exception, as five more teams joined the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 playoffs. One such team was the Dallas Cowboys, who looked to win the NFC East this week. They received their gifts before taking the field for their Sunday Night Football clash against the Washington Football Team.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
One Down, 13 To Go (Week 16)
I love Week 16, and it's mainly because it occurs during Christmas time. Until this season, the Christmas and New Year's weeks served as the final two weeks of the NFL season, but now we have the additional week, so the holidays serve as a festive lead in to the final climax. Though Week 16 is now the antepenultimate week of the season, it's still pivotal to teams jockeying for playoff position. In the case of this season, it's extra pivotal. Only one team is officially in the playoffs entering Week 16, leaving a whopping 13 spots up for grabs in the final three weeks. Seven of the spots could be filled this week, and five division titles could be wrapped up. Without further ado, the playoff picture.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Week 15 Recap: A Division Clinched & Tuesday Night Football
Week 15 featured quite a few shakeups to the schedule, mainly caused by the horrendous wave of players testing positive for COVID-19, with the report that some of the positives are from the Omicron variant. The Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns were among several teams that were hit the hardest, and that led to the NFL juggling the Week 15 schedule. Schedule shifts like this were nearly a regular thing in the 2020 season due to positive tests, and that year, it resulted in Monday Night doubleheaders, some games on Tuesdays, and even a Wednesday game. Until Week 15, those moves had been avoided, and time will tell if any of the following three weeks will be impacted as well.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
So Many Clinching Scenarios, So Little Time (Week 15)
For only the third time since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978 (it's 17 games now), Week 14 ended with no playoff spots clinched. So with four weeks remaining, all fourteen slots in this year's NFL Playoffs are all open, though after Week 15, seven of them (an even 50%) could be filled. Before we get to the scenarios, here's the playoff picture.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Week 14 Recap: Death, Taxes, and Aaron Rodgers Owning the Bears
In a world where uncertainties are increasing by the bulk, it is refreshing that one thing remains true and constant: Aaron Rodgers owns the Chicago Bears. Week 14's Sunday Night Football matchup featured the Green Bay Packers hosting the Bears--the first meeting since Rodgers stated the obvious to Bears fans back in October. It was a bit of a shaky start for the Packers; special teams was a total mess for the Green and Gold, though Rodgers delivered two first half TDs, and Rasul Douglas picked up another Pick 6 interception (his second in as many games).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
108th Grey Cup Recap: Dirty Dozen
When the Winnipeg Blue Bombers won the 107th Grey Cup in 2019, it was an emotional win. It was the Bombers' first Grey Cup Championship since 1990--at the time, the longest drought in Canadian Football League history. The 108th Grey Cup saw the same ending: the Blue Bombers emerging as Grey Cup Champions. Like the last one, it was emotional, but for a different reason: because they had to wait just over two years to defend their championship, and they were successful.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The 1st Clinching Scenarios (Week 14)
As expected, Week 14 features the first clinching scenarios of the season, which has reached the second week of December. Counting the upcoming Week 14, five weeks remain in this season, with the playoffs kicking off on January 15, 2022--which actually marks the 55th anniversary of the very first Super Bowl. Before we get to the scenarios, let's take a look at the current playoff picture.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Week 13 Recap: Lions Win!. Top Story - December 2021.
They did it! They finally did it! Like most things the Detroit Lions do, it wasn't easy. Week 13 saw the Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings for the second and last time this season; the first meeting in Minnesota saw the Vikings win via a last second field goal, and also saw Lions head coach Dan Campbell tearfully hype up his team. As for this meeting, the Lions had a big lead, 20-3, but it ended up slipping away, bit by bit, with Justin Jefferson's touchdown giving the Vikings a 27-23 lead with under two minutes left in regulation.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
108th Grey Cup Playoffs: Division Finals Recap
The CFL's Division Finals serve as the last phase before the big game: the Grey Cup Championship. The previous round, the Division Semifinals, saw the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders win on their home fields and advance to the CFL's final four. The teams headed on the road to Toronto and Winnipeg, respectively, with the chance to play for the prestigious Grey Cup.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Story So Far (Week 13)
We made it. We made it to the magical month of December. Any NFL fan knows that December is when, as Jim Ross often says, "business starts to pick up." December is not only the last month of the calendar year, it is also the final full month of the NFL season, and that's when the playoff races get very interesting. Before this season, the regular season either ended on the final Sunday of the calendar year, or the first Sunday of the New Year, but now it's a 17-game season played in 18 weeks, meaning that the season is now guaranteed to enter the New Year.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 12 Recap: Winter Is Coming
Among the many things I love about Thanksgiving is this: it serves as the precursor to the home stretch of the NFL season. With Week 12 in the books, we are now two-thirds through the season. Yet already, a nuclear winter is starting to hit some teams who fancy themselves as playoff or even championship contenders. Let's start with the most glaring downward trend, the Los Angeles Rams.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
