*Week 9
Two star quarterbacks injured and unable to play. However, this is becoming a rather disturbing trend in the league as quarterbacks are dropping like flies each and every week. So far this season,*13 teamshave been forced to start more than one quarterback due to injury.*If the NFL is going to promote its star QBs, they need them to be on the field. To correct this, expect fewer holding penalties, more "personal fouls" for late hits on QBs, and further refinements within the game to make it less and less violent.
Elsewhere, we saw two big-time teams make late game comebacks. First, the*Buccaneers*(with a back-up QB) blew a 21-point lead over the Super Bowl contendingSeahawks*and lost in OT. Then in the Sunday night game, the*Texans*(with their back-up QB and back-up head coach) also let a 21-3 halftime lead vanish and lost 27-24 to the*Colts. Oh yeah, and the*Jets*won again. WTF?
*
*Week 10
The Fix Is In was working Las Vegas this week, and didn't really watch any of the games. I know, I know, two weeks in this list have been lost due to vacation. But if it's any consolation, here's my Super Bowl pick:
The*Lions*to win it all. And you can see, I put my money where my mouth is.
Of course, part of this bet had to do with the odds (35/1). I still believe Peyton & Co are the best pick, but if I'm going to lay out some cash, I might as well get the best bang for the buck.
*Week 11
Two games, two subjective calls, two altered outcomes. Of course, the NFL backs its referees on both decisions. What else could/would they do? Admit their officials turned wins into losses (or vice versa)? The fact of the matter is, referees do this each and every week - it's just not always this obvious.
In the SF-NO game, as you can see in the slo-mo replay,*Drew Brees(who should forever forward have the nickname of "turtle neck") was NOT hit in the throat. As he fell, yes, he was wrapped up around the neck, but so what? As*Adrian Peterson has pointed out, the new NFL rules are designed to "baby" their QBs. Why? Because these are the league's money-makers. The league wants exciting, hi-scoring games and only great QBs can provide that. So Brees and NO are given a 15-yard bonus which leads to victory.
In the Monday night affair between CAR-NE, for once*Brady & Cowasn't*given the benefit of the doubt. How a clear pass interference is ruled an uncatchable ball is beyond me.*It was uncatchable becauseGronk*was being held/interfered with!*But so be it...the Panthers covered thanks to the call.*
*
"Parity" is a wonderful thing for the NFL...to hide behind. They want fans to believe that "any given Sunday" any team can beat their opponent. Of course, if you drill that mindset into fans, then they won't question any "unusual" victories they happen to see. This allows the NFL plenty of leeway to manipulate outcomes because, hey,*any given Sunday...
*Week 12
The marquee match-up of the week was certainly*Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. Thanks to turnovers, the Broncos jumped out to a 24-0 lead....then promptly blew it, rallied to tie, then lost in OT. Could this game have gone any other way? Many like-minded fans smelled a rat here. A future Hall of Famer in Manning couldn't hold a 24-point lead? Not when TV ratings are threatened he can't.
But the tide may be turning just a little bit. First, Sporting News actually*ran a piece*on how the "bad calls" have changed the playoff picture of many teams (that's right, one call*can*alter the outcome of a game). Then Pro Football Talk (of all places)*published an articlewhich discusses all the inconsistencies in recent referees' calls.*
But games can't be fixed...naw.
*Week 13
Honestly, this stuff almost writes itself. I don't think you really need me to point out this nonsense. It's self explanatory now.
What do I need to say? The only really shocking thing this week was the*Saintsinability to keep up with theSeahawkson Monday night. Considering it was the first real prime match-up onMonday Night Football*in some time, I thought the game would be a force-fed nail-biter, not a laugher. Otherwise,Steelershead coachMike Tomlintried to cheat by pulling aJason Kidd, but denied it. The*Raiderskept people interested in Turkey Day football by sticking around longer than many would believe against theCowboys.New Englandagain faltered in the first half, only to again come back and win against the lowlyTexans. And Sunday night, theGiantsfinished off the*RGIIImyth-building experiment thanks to a questionable ending.
It's just another typical NFL week.
*
*
Ha! The Baltimore news network that posted the best angle on Tomlin's "trip" had their video yanked...by the NFL I would presume
*Week 14
Remember last year when fans were calling for the heads of the replacement referees whose calls were altering the outcomes of games?
Well, buried beneath the snow on Week 14 were (at least) twohorrible*calls--both of which went the home teams' way and altered the outcomes of the games.
The most egregious of them was the pass interference call at the end of the*Browns-Patriots*game. This wasn't pass interference, yet the call basically gave the Pats yet another come-from-behind win (shades of Spygate continue to linger).
Then there were the calls in the wildVikings-Ravensgame. They were so one sided,*Adrian Peterson called the refs out after the game. The clinching call against Minnesota negated a game-sealing interception, and set up*Flacco*& Co up for the winning score. This game was so poorly officiated,*the NFL--unsolicited--called Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier to discuss it.
I'm sure you could add a call or two yourself to this list (like the non-TD that the referees gave toBengals*RB Green-Ellis "upon further review"). But are any pundits calling for a change in the way things are done in the NFL? Nope. All is well...
*Week 15
Ho boy. Wondering how/why thePackers*came back and won; the*Lionsdropped yet another winnable game; theBroncos,*Patriots, and*Saints*lost; theSteelers*wiped the floor with theBengals; and theVikings*rolled theEagles?
The answer is obvious: to set up several Week 17 "grand finales."
If all holds up, Week 17 will feature three pre-playoffs playoff games:*Bears v. Packers,*Bengals v. Ravens, and*Eagles v. Cowboys. As it's certain one of these games is "flexed" to Sunday night, it'll probably give FOX, CBS, and NBC each one of these "can't-miss" match-ups.
Week 17 may also feature very meaningful games with*Jets v. Dolphins,*Chiefs v. Chargers, and*49ers v. Cardinals.
This is exactly what the NFL wants and needs to survive: Increased interest, plenty for pundits to talk about/hype, and the season coming down to the final week.
So why is Dez crying?
*
**Week 16
The tweet on the left is what I posted prior to the 1 pm kickoffs on Sunday. It was, as history has shown, 100% correct. The*Cowboys*won, the*Packers*lost, and thus the*Eagles*beat the*Bears. Of course, each of these three games were interesting for other reasons.*
First,*Tony Romo*led the Cowboys to a last second win, then had to undergo season ending back surgery. The Packers lost, but perhaps only because*the referees interfered with the very end of the game*(and people think I make this stuff up). Finally, the Bears had every reason to win Sunday night as it would've made their Week 17 match-up with the Packers meaningless. But the NFL couldn't have that. Thus, the Eagles--who were playing for nothing as their Week 17 game vs. the Cowboys was the only one which mattered--crushed the Bears.
There were other questionable instances in other games as well (the entire*SEA-AZ*game comes to mind). But what all of this does is set the table for a bountiful NFL Week 17. In fact, out of the 16 games to be played, by my count 13 of them have playoff implications whether it be who's in/out or home field advantage.*
Funny how that worked out, isn't it?
*Week 17
Packers-Bears. Chiefs-Chargers. Eagles-Cowboys.
I think the video explains it all...Well, it did until YouTube yanked it, posting: "This video contains content from NFL, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA), ATO Records and Warner Chappell, one or more of whom have blocked it on copyright grounds." But the email notice I received said, "Your video, "The Fix Is In Presents: The NFL & Its Referees Rigging the 2013 Season ("Bad" Calls)"*may have content that is owned or licensed by NFL. As a result, the video has been blocked on YouTube."*
So to be certain, I reposted the video without the musical background. Now if it's pulled, I'll know the NFL was behind it. Then I'll fight it until the bitter end. Posted here is the revised, non-musical version with the exact same visual content.
*
*Wild CardWeekend
NFL CommissionerRoger Goodell(from the video linked in the photo posted to the left):*"...It's one of the great things about the NFL, besides the fact that it's unscripted..."Why would he need to make such a comment without provocation?
That aside, the NFL is going to expand the playoffs (also discussed in that video), so Week 17 (soon to be Week 19 or 20 when the league moves to 18 games) can be more meaningful to more teams. Who cares about quality when you can have quantity? And with the success of recent Wild Card teams who have won the*Super Bowl*(like last year's Ravens), the fans are alreadyconditioned to buy into this.
So when*theChargers*gets 18,000,000 breaks to reach the playoffs, then knocks off theBengals*whenAndy Daltongives them the game (repeatedly), everyone will simply cheer. Or when theChiefs*put up a 38-10 halftime lead and the home town*Coltsstorm back to win, everyone can celebrate the abundance of offense the league has bless us with. And when the referees decide it's too cold to throw any legitimate flags against either the49ers*or thePackers, everyone can be happy the refs are "letting them play."
Enjoy your expanded playoffs....
*Divisional Playoffs
Um....Marques...what?
I can't point to any single play or moment in any of these four games that would make me say, "This was fixed for Team X." But consider this: it was just as possible for the Conference Finals to beSaints v. Panthers*and*Colts v. Chargers. Would the hype and storylines be just as compelling to pundits and fans alike had this been the case?*Is*Newton-Brees*the same as*Wilson-Kaepernick? Maybe. ButLuck-Rivers*is not*Brady-Manning*by any stretch.Food for thought.
What is also interesting is just a month ago,*CBS Sports posted this article*about certain NFL referees being downgraded after poor performances on Thanksgiving. This would likely cost them playoff assignments. Sounded good, but the two refs under fire -Blakeman*and*Triplette*- have worked playoff games. Blakeman oversaw the SD-DEN game, and Triplette was unleashed in the SD-CIN contest. Did they*heed the NFL's mandate to call more penalties, and more importantly, call them the right way?*
So here's my tweet from Dec. 30th. Not exactly a perfect prediction, but more right than wrong....
*
*Conference Finals
The NFL's media front asked*it's fans what Super Bowl it wanted, and then the league delivered. A #1 seed vs. a #1 seed in America's biggest game held in America's biggest media market.*How unlikely, right?
Honestly, I received 50+ emails from fans and every single one said that they thought the NFL was givingManning*the Super Bowl. I did not have one person say they thought some other team would win it all for some other reason. Has it become that transparent?
In the*NE-DENgame, to me, it felt like*Brady,Belichick*and Co. knew it was in the bag for Manning. Brady missed several throws he almost always makes, the "genius" Belichick couldn't get his defense to touch Manning in the pocket, and had the Broncos not screwed up themselves, this game wouldn't have been as close as it seemed.
As for the*SF-SEA*game, when that clear fumble on the goal line was upheld by replay, then SEA fumbled it away anyway, yet*Kaepernickthrew an INT directly into a SEA DB's hands, I knew this game was over. While I can't standHarbaugh's constant screaming on the sidelines, he had many legitimate gripes against that "All-Star Officiating Crew" assembled for the game. It was a bit lopsided in SEA's favor.
Oh, andRichard Sherman's post game "interview" was straight out of the WWE's playbook. As if the lines weren't blurred enough....
*Super Bowl 48
(I never rewrite these posts. It's an integrity thing I guess. But I did change this one about 24 hours after I posted my original thoughts on Super Bowl Sunday itself.*A fan named Richard pushed me, for the proper reasons. I think I was just in the wrong state of mind during the first take.)
If a boxer is going to tank a match, he doesn't go 10 or 12 rounds then take the dive. He goes down early because he doesn't want to take the unnecessary punishment. Well, that is exactly what the*Broncos*did here: they went down on the first offensive play of the game (leading to a score at the highly coincidental time of :12 seconds a la the Seahawks' "12th Man." And this happened again at the start of the 2nd half. Can I see some odds on*that?)
Granted, the previous top seven scoring teams in NFL history never won a Super Bowl. But none of them were so decimated as the Broncos were, scoring a mere 8 points in the biggest game of the freakin' year (against aSeahawks*defense that really feasted on many, many bad offenses during the regular season). You can argue that a great defense always beats a great offense, but seriously, was that anywhere near the Broncos record-setting offense we've seen all year? Down 20+ points and running? Punting? Wide receivers running 2 or 3 yard routes when they needed 5 yards, catching the ball, then running backwards as opposed forward for a first down? And*Manning*-*five-time MVP Peyton Manning of all QBs*- missing WRs, taking quick checkdowns, and not making smart decisions? What happened to that reputation for relentless practice? What happened to "Omaha?" A little crowd noise and a bit of pressure (no sacks, mind you) were enough to derail this freight train? No. This wasn't a choke job. It was something else.
As a lead up to this game, Vegas was taking all the Denver money they could get. It moved the line from beingSEA -2*to*DEN -2.5. The public was taken. As the "smart" money poured in late in the week on Seattle, the line didn't budge back the other way. Vegas knew. They saw this coming. And they made a freakin' bundle.
And the*NFL*along with*FOX? Well, we all knew the ratings would be huge. A #1 faced a #1. People were stoked for this game. And despite what they were witnessing, I believe many, many fans continued to watch because they knew a Manning comeback was brewing. Heck, we've seen unbelieveable comebacks all NFL season long. Why wouldn't one happen here? Well, it ain't coming if the team is laying down. But until even Troy Aikman said, "This game is over" at the start of the 4th quarter, I don't think many people believed it.*
Well, it's over all right. Long over.
*
See ya next year!
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