If the last several weeks isn’t an example of living in the ‘upside-down’ world in the NFL season, I am not sure what could be a better comparison!
Of all the whirlwind actions that unfolded across the time zones of dot.com fields, we may remember 2023 as the season Taylor Swift hi-jacked Sundays from the NFL!
As the tenth month segwayed into the giving and gratitude portion of North America’s holiday season, the USA’s Professional football league has been a wild ride! After experiencing euphoric highs, and crushing blows, here we go rounding the curve and beginning the final push (kick!) to the finish line of the fabulous North American 2023-2024 football season. Will any of us recall all the cheers, jeers and historic play over all the Swiftie cliches made by every broadcast play-by-play caller in every national football game?! This will be tough one to side with, and I am here for laying out my own man-eating moment, leaving a ‘blank space’ for anyone to reply.
As we segway deep into the second half of the NFL season, there’s been some unpredictability transpiring across the gridiron between sidelines. Following multiple injuries, on-paper expectations and preseason power rankings, things have been a little scrambled to say the least between favorites and long shots in the NFC and AFC alike.
Surprising Highs:
Philadelphia Eagles:
The team representing the supposed city of brotherly love have not skipped a beat on seeking the top seed once more in the NFC. With the exception of their one surprising loss to the JETS?!, they’ve been dominant. Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts have recently struck up some rumblings regarding their perfection of the ‘tush’ push on 4th and short options… It appears there’s been some whining heard around the league on the Eagles consistent success in the legalized stable scrum they tend to call at least once in every game so far this season (tush push was approved by the NFL in 2005, by the way…). The remainder of the season for Philadelphia will be partially challenging, and partially easy peasy, based on how their opponents have done so far. It will be challenging to say the least at this point to knock the Eagles out of the top seed, with the exception of their wings being clipped by unforeseen opponents (questionable games will be versus San Francisco, Dallas and possibly Buffalo or Seattle. I would be shocked, SHOCKED if they end up losing to the two worst teams in New York!
Detroit Lions:
Week after week, we are all waiting for the other shoe to drop… Week after week, Detroit vies to remind NFL opponents, they’re not the walkover from past seasons. The Lions are piecing together that viable play-calling not only to make the playoffs, but to contend for a number one seed! Head coach Dan Campbell has collectively assembled high performing lines and secondary units showing up on both sides of the ball. In previous decades, we’ve seen Detroit become a threat in the NFC North usually beginning with their annual Thanksgiving Day match up. It’s been six years since the Lions had a winning record (9-7), and more impressive, Detroit hasn’t began their season 8-2 in six decades! Yes, that is correct, DECADES! It was 1962! The only team right now with a better record is Philadelphia. It was stunning, honestly, to see Green Bay walk into Ford Field and man-handle Detroit yesterday, on Thanksgiving. The outlying question for the remaining games, will be, if the wheels are beginning to fall off? Or was the turkey day rivalry let down a blip on their radar? The Lions seem to have the easier schedule of opponents versus the Eagles. I am sure I am not the only one of the fantasy fans and NFL analysts from coast-to-coast peering into the motor city to see if they can finish out as strong as the muscle cars and music they’re known to produce!
Miami Dolphins:
After a disappointing fizzle of the 2022 season filled with controversial back-to-back concussions of Tua Tagovailoa the decision-making by coach Mike McDaniel seemed to be front and center to see if he truly has the gumption, fortitude and where-with-all to lead the South Beach squad back into contention, changing the headlines on the East Coast. After squeaking out a one-game-above .500 record in 2022 and making a playoff appearance, they were immediately eliminated by the Buffalo Bills. Miami has not won a playoff contest since 2000! I know the prime objective for McDaniel and his Miami mobsters would be to win the division, secure the top seed, and pull off a Marino and make a deep run in the 2023-2024 playoff, Nothing less! The Halloween costume that came in second of going viral behind the unfathomable duo of Taylor Swift and Travis (my hips don’t lie! Doh!) Kelce, are the kiddos that either ARE McDaniel fans, or their fathers that knew that would win as best costume as well as impression. You are asking why I am laying out this observation in the midst of my Miami up-and-coming surprising franchise take? Only the fact that the quirkiness and passive ruthless nature of Coach McDaniel are beginning to gain more eyes and momentum as the Dolphins are an actual legitimate threat for the top seed in the AFC. Everyone and their snowbird grannies will be tuning into Friday night ‘Prime’ time to see if Miami will hand the J-E-T-S as big of a beat down as they posted versus Denver in September.
WTF is going on Uh-ohs:
Buffalo Bills:
The Bills Mafia and the wannabe mafiosos hanging on to the Buffalo wagon knew something was awry when Josh Allen threw three interceptions and the team experienced a season opening head scratching loss to the Rodgers-less Jets. Following the September 11th abrupt letdown, it seemed the Bills may have returned to the form and wins expected of them going into 2023-2024 season. Then, the lowest power-ranking opponents began to rip off wins against the Bills that included New England, Denver and Jacksonville. Buffalo is finally looking back to form getting a W back versus those Jets. Will the stamina of the Bills withstand against the stronger and higher ranking opponents in the upcoming weeks? The Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins will definitely not be handing out any mulligans to the Bills Mafia.
San Francisco Forty-Niners:
Here we go! The Cinderella undeniable phenom out of left field Mr. Irrelevant-becomes-relevant quarterback Brock Purdy starts off the 2023-2024 season ripping off to a 5-0 record before crashing back down to earth, losing three games in a row to extremely subpar opponents! San Francisco couldn’t have planned a better time for their bye-week to place the faithful derailed train straight and steady back on the tracks. The goal for the Niners definitely was to secure the number one seed for home field advantage through the playoffs. With Philadelphia squeaking out wins left and right, San Francisco truly has to win out to have any chance at the top seed, as well as a whole lot of help from the Eagles’ upcoming opponents (including the Niners) to knock them out of their current strangle-hold of top dog in the NFC. Following their Thanksgiving night blasting over the Seattle Seahawks (of, as Niners fans refer them as, ‘Sea-Chickens’ Tee-hee), San Francisco have 12 days to recover and prepare for a NFC Championship rematch where Purdy and Backup Quarterback Johnson sustained injuries creating an unfortunate lopsided game and loss. With Purdy back healthy, and the return of Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams from recent tweaks, there is no doubt San Francisco is dead-set on knocking Philly down a notch.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, and making it back to the AFC Championship last year, only to lose again to those Kansas Chiefs, I was dumbfounded to see Joe-Cool Burrow and the Bengals struggle, starting off 1-3! We kept hearing that the calm collected play caller was nursing an injury, and now seems to be out for the remainder of the season. Cincinnati are in last place in the AFC North right now with a 5-5 record, and running out of time! Jake Browning is stepping into Burrow’s prominent shadow and will be experiencing quite a bit of pressure to lift the Bengals up for an opportunity to at least squeak into the playoffs; will that be even possible? Browning is an undrafted free agent signed by the Bengals after Minnesota waived him a couple seasons ago. Jake was quite successful in his college football career at the University of Washington averaging almost 3500 yards passing and 23 touchdowns for the Huskies. Can Browning be another Purdy story for the ‘Who Dat’ Cats? The Bengals have opportunity with upcoming division opponents that have been struggling themselves.
The 2023-2024 NFL season has definitely been a wild card. Regardless of what’s on paper, and what’s discussed on the First Takes, Countdown shows, Sports Centers and sports columns circulating around our sphere, the ultimate outcomes never cease to disappoint or surprise fans hanging out in the various longitude and latitude joints we enjoy gathering! May the sweet cream rise to the top! Best of luck to all the fan bases that have withstood the good, bad and ugliness of their teams throughout their rooting roots!
P.S.
I couldn’t go without putting in my meager opinion and observation regarding Tom Brady’s interesting take with Stephen A. Smith. His mumblings regarding mediocrity, poor coaching standards and lackluster player development did not hit quite right. First of all, when there’s 32 teams and an expanded 17 game slate of games going on, there’s going to be a bit of water-downed performances and coaching that will occur. If that wasn’t a bold subliminal call-out to the league and owners about investing in off-the-field development, I don’t know what else it could be? Oh, wait… There’s one more iota this could be… With news of Brady’s attempt to become a small percentage owner investment falling through with the Vegas Raiders, Brady could definitely be vying for a front office GM role at a franchise near you. I understand he has a placeholder for a multi-year (multi-million $$$$$) for broadcasting with Fox in the coming year, I am not going to hold my breath seeing him anytime soon next to Strahan and company. My last reply regarding his comment about a watered-down product and the coaching, is for the franchises to actually STOP the mundane coach carousel with recycled aging predictable candidates, and research a little more in acquiring fresh coaching products that turn the game and player tune up around! The game is faster, the players are bigger, stronger… There’s no reason the league cannot create a multiple team any-given Sunday product that will entertain even the likes of an incredibly critical Tom Brady. Oh! I thought I was done, but one more teeny-tiny rebuttal on another ‘line’ spewed from ‘Terrific Tom’: Those ‘rule’ changes supposedly making the game ’soft’ allowed you to have a two-decade career Mr. Brady… Those ‘rules’ that made the head-to-head hits, the horse-collar choking, mask-grabbing throwdowns and blind-sided hits have benefited every player in having an opportunity of an improved mobile lifestyle following football, as well as less injuries and concussions. Thank you for giving us some insight on where you kind of stand? Maybe? I dunno… Moving on!
Bang! Bang! Niner gang! #FTTB. Prime game on Black Friday versus coaches off the Shanahan tree of coaching. Let’s go!
