Unlikely is Closer to Likely than Impossible

I realized this afternoon that when your team isn’t playing, football is awesome. Three OT games including the unintentional comedy that is the New York Jets. The Red Zone was positively manic as the 1:00pm games finished up. It’s starting to come together. Oh, sure. There are still many twists and turns ahead of us on our pigskin journey but it’s safe to say we know where we’re going.

Clearly, the Pigskin Pundits and Bobbleheads that picked Houston to represent for the AFC in Super Bowl XLVII must feel pretty good about themselves. What can’t the Texans do? The run the ball, they pass the ball, they play defense. Can they punt the ball? Do we know? The Texans are in the 3-0-0 Club, a rather select company with the Falcons and the Cardinals. (Should we wake Mercury Morris, yet? Probably not.) All the chatter about Matty Ice and his new OC is apparently true. They made a West Coast trip on a short week and took the Chargers to the woodshed. They’re now +46 in point differential matching – wait for it – the Texans.

As for the Cardinals? Yeah, let me just quote myself from my last post…

Meanwhile, Arizona could make me feel a whole lot better by holding serve against Philadelphia. I’d feel even better about the Patriots’ defense if Larry Fitzgerald goes for 100 and a score against the Eagles. And I’d feel as giddy as a schoolgirl if the Cardinals’ defense shuts out Michael Vick and Company. So, I’m saying Arizona 27, Philadelphia 0. Just writing that made me feel better.

The Cardinals won, 27-6. I’ll take it. Also, Larry Fitzgerald goes 9 for 114 with a TD. Thank you.

The 0-3-0 Club is even more exclusive, with just the Browns and the Saints in residence. I think we all saw this coming for Cleveland but New Orleans? It seems my Pigskin Gods Hate the Saints (maybe because of Bountygate and maybe it’s not such a small data sample anymore) Theory may have some juice.

The Saints fell to the Chiefs, who traveled to the Big Easy sporting an 0-2-0 record. Despite their apparent allergy to the end zone, Kansas City scored 17 unanswered points (5 field goals and a safety) to turn a 24-6 deficit into a 27-24 OT win. The Saints will travel to Green Bay facing 0-4-0 right between the eyes. And 0-4-0 doesn’t blink.

The Saints aren’t the only ones scratching their heads.

Two weeks later, the Giants have still got to be wondering how they lost to the Cowboys. Especially if they watched any of that Tampa Bay game. I bet they laughed when Schiano ordered up the blitz against Romo in the victory formation. It’s always funny when it happens to someone else. I’m waiting for some team to fake the kneel down and throw one over the top against the Buccaneers in that situation. Anyway, instead of enjoying the perks of membership in the 3-0-0 Club, the G-Men find themselves in a three-way tie with the ‘Boys and the Eagles.

The Steelers have to be wondering if that really happened. Pittsburgh outgained Oakland by more than 100 yards and won time of possession by more than 12 minutes and still lost. Will Polamalu and Harrison be ready to go next week against the Eagles? Terrible Towel twirlers better hope so.

Fate, Thy First Name is Cruel

I really hoped the Patriots would win so I could bitch relentlessly about the “officials.”

I will, anyway. Bitch! I have never seen so many bad calls/non-calls in a season let alone a single game. I thought the holding call against Gronkowski that took the winning TD off the board last week was thin but this game had the phantom holding call against McCourty followed by Ray Lewis wrestling Gronk to the ground without a hanky in site. Ravens offensive linemen held Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich so often and so egregiously I began to think the referees were blind. For blind men it was actually a fair effort.

Horrible. Atrocious. Hideous.

Thanks, Roger Goodell. You have turned the greatest sport on earth into a travesty.