Fourth and Long: The NFL in December
Back in 2007 and 2008, I wrote a weekly online pro football column dubbed “Fourth and Long” for the late Football for Breakfast website. One hopes the gentle reader will enjoy this blast from 12/05/07…
There’s nothing quite like the NFL in December.
The Colts, Buccaneers, Steelers and Chargers all extended divisional leads and the Giants got a much needed victory to firm up the top NFC wild card slot. On the other side of the spectrum, the Lions continued their collapse and the longshot hopes of the Eagles, Bears, Saints, Redskins and Broncos took some serious damage.
But perhaps the most critical game of Week 13 wasn’t available to as many fans as it should have been.
Why not?
Because it aired on Thursday night.
On the NFL Network.
Now most people don’t even know if they have the NFL Network since it’s only available to 40% of the country due to a long-standing conflict between the NFL and the cable companies. And if their service does carry it, it usually requires an additional fee to make it active. But more fans saw the Packers play the Cowboys than you might think. The game was still the second most-watched telecast of the evening, pulling in 10.1 million viewers on the NFL Network. And that’s not counting the more than one million local viewers in Dallas-Fort Worth and the countless cheeseheads in Wisconsin.
But to put these numbers in perspective, more than three times as many people watched the Patriots-Colts game earlier this season and twice as many watched the Eagles nearly upset the Patriots last Sunday night.
So for those of you unable to watch Super Bowl XLI 3/4, let me share with you some opinions that didn’t make it into the media coverage following the game.
The Packers played most of the game as if they believed that the Cowboys were the superior team. In his brief stint on the field before his game-ending injury, Brett Favre was tight and not his usual relaxed and carefree self. And instead of playing their successful style of football where short passes simulate a running game, the Packers consistently forced the ball deep downfield, perhaps trying to duplicate the Patriots success against the Cowboys from earlier in the season. The Packers even tried a first-half onside kick that should have worked if not for an inadvertent touch. But that is a play you call when you are trying to beat the undefeated New England Patriots. Not a play you call when you think you have the better team.
On the defensive side of the ball the Packers played without starters Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, taking away matchups the Packers were hoping to use against the Cowboys’ receivers and blocking schemes. But even with that disadvantage, Al Harris pulled off a brilliant takeaway from T.O. in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the referees deemed otherwise shifting the game, potentially, from a 10-0 Packers lead to a 3-3 tie.
In the end, Tony Romo and T.O. were too much for the Favre-less Packers. But Green Bay did make it close with their bread-and-butter passing game and Aaron Rodgers at the helm, a good thing considering their fortunes up to now have relied upon a 38-year-old quarterback.
This is not to diminish the Cowboys’ achievement. This is a team with a stranglehold on homefield advantage in the NFC. A team with a quarterback who seems incapable of being rattled no matter how big the stage. And a superstar in T.O. who is having his best season and on his best behavior. This is a scary team saying all the right things at the right time with an offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett who is making all the right calls.
But by the end of the game, it became clear that while the Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC, there is not much separating the two clubs. The Packers can walk away with the knowledge that with a healthy set of starters and a new gameplan, they can beat these Cowboys.
Hopefully come January we will be treated to another Packers-Cowboys classic.
‘Larry King’ Ramblings
What a terrific game Monday night. These are the exactly the types of games I cherish. Hard-hitting, back-and-forth battles where every play, every quirk of fate factors into the outcome of the game. Games where you can’t sit for the final two minutes, even at home, constantly pacing in front of the television.
The dynastic Patriots are finally getting challenged week in and week out, forcing them to use up more and more of their nine lives in games against the 5-7 Eagles and 4-8 Ravens. Though after Monday’s game, I can’t imagine the Patriots have any lives left to sacrifice.
On fourth-and-one with under two minutes to go and their undefeated season on the line, Tom Brady was stuffed on a quarterback sneak. The Ravens celebrated, but to no avail as defensive coordinator Rex Ryan had called a time out milli-seconds before the ball was snapped, negating the Ravens victory.
On fourth-and-one again, the Ravens stuffed RB Heath Evans. But offsides on the offense gave the Patriots yet another chance. And you don’t give Brady six shots to pick up a first down. Not surprisingly, he scrambled 12 yards to keep the drive alive.
And it would have been dramatic enough if the intrigue had ended there. But the Ravens held the Patriots to another unsuccessful fourth down with 55 seconds left on the 13-yard line. This time, Brady’s pass to Ben Watson fell incomplete. But the yellow flag, the Ravens nemesis this day, won out again, citing Jamaine Winborne for defensive holding.
By this point everyone watching the game knew that the inevitable would happen. The Patriots would win. Too many improbable events happened to keep this drive alive. We all knew the Patriots were destined to win this game.
And win the game they did on the next play, a questionable touchdown catch by Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds remaining. I was hoping the referees would overturn the call because the way this game should have ended was with another fourth down and no time left on the clock. One play for the undefeated season.
And the way the past two weeks have played out, we all know how it would have ended.
‘Heidi’ Chronicles
This week I gave my undivided attention to The NFL Today pregame show on CBS.
Not The Salt-Free American Express NFL Today as FOX would undoubtedly have offered. While CBS is courteous to Southwest Airlines and the rest of their advertisers, they are nowhere near as offensive as their Ram-Tough FOX counterparts.
But back to the show, it became immediately clear that James Brown is simply the best studio host not only for football, but for any sporting event on television. He is talented, likeable and a master at handing off each topic to his other co-hosts.
Dan Marino, Bill Cowher, Shannon Sharpe and Boomer Esiason are all very polished and impressive analysts and CBS is smart enough to keep the focus of the show on them instead of bouncing around to a slew of disconnected segments like FOX. But by the end of the show Marino, Cowher, Shannon and Boomer came across more like individual contributors instead of a likeable team that FOX offers with Terry, Howie and Jimmie.
As for which show is better? It depends on your tastes and whether you prefer the NFC or the AFC. But if you are looking for the latest news and rumors around the league, FOX’s Jay Glazer is head and shoulders above the abrasive former general manager, Charlie Casserly.
Next Sunday, I plan to watch the marathon pre-game shows of ESPN to see how their phalanx of co-hosts and analysts stack up against FOX and CBS.
Playoffs?!? Don’t Talk About Playoffs?!?
With apologies to Jim Mora, it’s never too early to talk playoffs…
AFC Playoff Seeds
1) New England Patriots (12-0): While the Patriots look mortal for the second week in a row, the result remained the same. Another blueprint. Another loss for the challenger.
2) Indianapolis Colts (10-2): The Colts are back after staving off a tough challenge by the Jags.
3) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): The Steelers see how they stack up against the Patriots.
4) San Diego Chargers (7-5): With the AFC West almost sewn up, the Chargers need to get ready for playoff football. Beating the Titans would be a good way to start
5) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4): Another tough loss to the Colts. If the Jags want to challenge in the AFC, they need to win these types of games.
6) Cleveland Browns (7-5): The Browns lose another close game they desperately needed to position themselves for the playoffs.
Still in the Hunt: Tennessee Titans (7-5): Albert Haynesworth changes the entire complexion of this team.
NFC Playoff Seeds
1) Dallas Cowboys (11-1): Impressive win over the Packers. Cowboys also clinch a playoff berth and are now the favorites to go to the Super Bowl for the NFC.
2) Green Bay Packers (10-2): Packers should take heart that they had a chance to win this game late without Brett Favre, without Darren Woodson, without Kimoyui Edafu and without the benefit of Al Harris’s takeaway from T.O.
3) Seattle Seahawks (8-4): Nice win over the Eagles. The Seahawks may be tough enough to challenge the Cowboys and Packers come January.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-4): An improbably victory over the Saints without Jeff Garcia probably clinches the division.
5) New York Giants (8-4): Gritty comeback against the Bears should guarantee the Giants a wild card spot.
6) Arizona Cardinals (6-6): Terrific win over the Browns gives the Cardinals the last playoff spot for the time being
Still in the Hunt: Minnesota Vikings (6-6), Detroit Lions (6-6).
‘John Madden’ Wayback Machine
The death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor brought a shock of perspective to the NFL this week. A moment of silence before every game and a 10-player ‘missing man’ formation on the Redskins’ first defensive play were all moving tributes to an athlete lost in the prime of his young career.
But in 1971, there was an even more harrowing moment on the field.
On October 24, the Lions trailed the Bears 28-23 late in the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. With the Lions running their two-minute offense, reserve wide receiver Chuck Hughes jogged back to the huddle after an incomplete pass intended for tight end Charlie Sanders.
Only he never made it.
Hughes collapsed at the 15-yard line where Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus checked to see if he was okay. Butkus suddenly began waving his arms and frantically signaled the Lions sideline. Team doctor Richard Thompson ran onto the field, giving Hughes mouth-to-mouth and massaging his heart before putting him on a stretcher and sending him to Henry Ford Hospital where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack.
Perhaps with today’s sensibilities, the NFL would have suspended the game. But not in 1971. The Lions failed to score and lost 28-23, the final minutes played in stunned silence.
Battle for Darren McFadden (or Colt Brennan or Whoever the #1 Pick Will Be)
#1 – Miami Dolphins (0-12): Officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Dolphins are legitimately looking at going winless this year.
#2 – San Francisco 49ers (3-9): Another loss. Nine losses in last ten games. And don’t forget who gets this draft choice come April. Hint, they’re the only undefeated team in the league.
#3 – Atlanta Falcons (3-9): This team is in some serious trouble. Perhaps Chris Redman will get a shot at running the offense.
#4 – New York Jets (3-9): A resounding victory over the Dolphins doesn’t prevent the Jets from being eliminated from the playoffs.
#5 – St. Louis Rams (3-9): The Rams have really picked up the pace, going 3-1 in their last four games.
