NFL Season Recap


On Sunday the NFL season drew to a conclusion. It was, as ever, full of some surprising outcomes, including those that made the playoff field. Here's some of my observations from a terrific day of games.

* San Diego collapsed. There was a point a few weeks ago when the Chargers seemed to be out of things, but then they rallied. A win in Baltimore and then a great comeback over the 49ers had them poised to return to the playoffs. They controlled their own destiny. But Sunday in Kansas City, the magic ended.

* Baltimore backs in. Yes, technically they won. But the team struggled against the Browns' third-string QB on an offense that lacked Josh Gordon. The Ravens have not looked good this season and might struggle mightily against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

* Atlanta fails to show up. The Falcons have been an awful team all season, but they came into the game 5-0 against the NFC South. All they needed was a home win against division foe Carolina to eek into the playoffs. Instead, they suffered a 34-3 route that ended their season and cost Mike Smith his job.

* Teams rally for coaches, except in Chicago. Both the 49ers and Jets delivered nice wins for their outgoing coaches, but not the Bears. Mark Trestman's offense mustered just nine points against the Vikings, a fitting end for a lost season. In August, the Bears looked poised for an offensive break out. But it just never happened.

* Hope for the future. Both the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans missed the playoffs, but both finished nice seasons at 9-7 thanks to defense. With a bit of help on offense, both teams could be in playoff contention next season.

Check back for my full playoff predictions on Saturday!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more