football
Talking about college and professional football daily. Chances are we hate your team.
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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
Could the Jacksonville Jaguars Win the AFC South?
In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were on a huge high. It was their first full season under head coach Doug Marrone, and that year saw the Jags finish 10-6 and capture the AFC South. What followed was quite a magical run, something that hadn't been seen since 1996, their second season in the league. The Jags defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card, and trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Playoff to reach the AFC Championship for the first time since that aforementioned sophomore season. They had a lead late against the New England Patriots, but it got away from them, and Jacksonville still has to wait for their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
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. Dawkins2 years 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. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
