The election is over, finished and done,
It’s time for football, time for some fun.
Poor Mitt Romney, never thought he would fail,
Now you are free to discuss which celebrities you would nail.
Don’t worry you junkies, never should you fear.
Before you know it, the midterms will be here.
So sit right down and pull up a seat,
My recaps on the season just can’t be beat.
The Week That Was Meh – Starting off with the Chargers/Chiefs and ending with the Saints/Eagles game, I must say this weekend of games was pretty blah. Other than a couple of standout contests (Steelers/Giants, Seahawks/Vikings) the slate of games comprised a bunch of “who cares” games and a bunch of “outcome not really in doubt”. These weeks happen in the middle of the season before the divisional stuff gets into full swing and we, as fans, just have to ride it out by convincing ourselves that Falcons/Cowboys is worth watching (it wasn’t).
NFC Worst/Average/Best – The Cardinals have fallen back to Earth with a 5-game losing streak to the surprise of noone, and I’m pretty sure the Rams lost on their bye week. The Seahawks are still proving to be a feisty team and Russell Wilson deserves a memorial “Scrappy Doug Flutie” plaque, or possibly a bobblehead. The Niners are still one of the best teams in the NFC but not THE best. The Cardinals’ issues can be traced to their lack of stability at the quarterback position while the Rams are just being the Rams. You have to wonder what Larry Fitzgerald’s career numbers would look like if he had a guy named Brady or Manning passing to him for most of it. We might be asking Jerry Rice to make room on the GOAT mantle. Don’t sleep on Seattle, they are a genuine wild card threat and we know what happens when the Seahawks sneak into the playoffs.
The Bungals – This week when the Bengals lined up on the defensive side of the ball they looked across and saw Manning (Peyton) who put up almost 300 yards and 3 TDs on them. Well, someone in the scheduling department must hate this team because next week they are going to look across that line and see Manning (Eli) who is just as good if not better at this stage of his career as his brother. The Bengals were my pick to win the AFC North this year and they promptly tanked. Call it a sophomore slump for Dalton, because the defense is doing its job (2 picks on Manning after he went 5 games without one). This was a good year for the Bengals to take a shot because the Steelers look pedestrian and the Ravens look old. Plus, both of those teams have been hit hard with injuries to star players.
Pleasant Surprises – Other than the previously mentioned Seahawks, you would have to say the other nice surprise is the Colts. They are sniffing at a wild card spot in a relatively weak AFC. It’s also not out of the realm of possibility for the Dolphins to steal that last wild card. The Vikings and the comeback of Adrian Peterson are also nice surprises, but they are playing in one of the toughest divisions in football.
Unpleasant Surprises – Well, the Panthers suck, as Cam Newton appears to have been hit with Kryptonite. The Lions were supposed to contend for a playoff spot but they would be lucky to snatch the last wild card. The Bills made a big splash in the defensive free agency market and that 100 million dollars has purchased them a 27th ranked defense. I’d ask for a refund! The Eagles are a mess of epic proportions and Reid will soon be sent back to live among the walrus men.
Not Surprised in the Least – The Bears are playing some of the best defense in the league. Atlanta is undefeated and, while that is a mild surprise, their domination of the division is not. The Saints are a rollercoaster and now word has come down that their suspended coach is a free agent. Despite some serious injuries, the Texans continue to roll towards homefield advantage in the AFC. The Cowboys and Chargers are playing some of the most inconsistent football which comes as no surprise. They have been doing this for years.
Next Week – Honestly, most of the games look pretty boring. They either involve teams that should easily win or teams that are bad on both sides and are quickly falling into the “doncurr” category. Having said that, Eagles/Cowboys should be entertaining from a comedic standpoint and Texans/Bears is a chance for the Texans to prove they are a real contender. At least some of us still have fantasy football to care about.
Weekly Picks (Home team in caps)
Bye – Cleveland, Green Bay, Arizona, Washington
Mr Ross’s Picks
COLTS over Jaguars, Giants over BENGALS, DOLPHINS over Titans, Lions over VIKINGS, PATRIOTS over Bills, Falcons over SAINTS, BUCS over Chargers, Broncos over PANTHERS, RAVENS over Raiders, SEAHAWKS over Jets, EAGLES over Cowboys, NINERS over Rams, BEARS over Texans, STEELERS over Chiefs
Last week 9-5
Total 73-67
Mrs Ross’s Picks
Colts, Giants, Dolphins, Vikings, Patriots, Falcons, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, Jets, Cowboys, Niners, Texans, Steelers
Last Week 8-6
Total 72-68
