Monday, January 08, 2018

Monday morning NFL recap - wildcard playoffs

Since my family left after the holidays I've been down with a cough. Saturday I went down for the count. I spent the day in bed with a fever sleeping, getting up about the time the first football game started. Armed with a blanket for warmth, I settled on the couch and made it through the first half before falling asleep again, waking just as the Titans won the game. At that point, I gave up, hit the record button for the second game and went to bed.
  • About 3,000 Cleveland Browns fans hosted a losing parade on the streets in Cleveland poking fan at the team's 0-16 season. The players, of course, didn't find it amusing. As a fan, albeit of another team, I didn't get it. I know the Browns fans are annoyed after years of horrible football, but to march with a coffin? Where do you even pick that up? Browns fans need to talk to Chicago Cubs fans to learn how to stay loyal and to have faith.
  • The Titans/Chiefs game was called by John Gruden and Sean McDonough, the latter who kept mentioning Gruden's move to coach the Raiders. The official announcement was supposed to come on Tuesday so Gruden kept sidestepping everything McDonough said. It was awkward, to say the least, but also quite ridiculous. Apparently, the Raiders realized that too because an hour after that game they then announced their partnership with Gruden via social media.
  • Tennessee scored a touchdown on a deflected pass by quarterback Marcus Mariota who then caught the ball off the defender to touch the pylon. The media keeps talking about the unbelievable play, but seriously? It was a great play, but it isn't like it was planned. It was a fluke.
  • The camera caught the Falcons Grady Jarrett giving referee Ed Hochuli the finger after Hochuli called Jarrett for an offsides penalty. Bad, bad boy.
  • Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan spent a lot of time eating the turf in the first half, at one point going in for the concussion protocol exam. As if we believe they would have kept him from going back in. 
  • Jared Goff had an opportunity to run on fourth down right before the two-minute warning. He had a clear path to the end zone but chose instead to throw the ball. Ugh. He should have run. I chalk that up to inexperience.
  • The Jaguars quarterback, on the other hand, Blake Bortles ended up with more rushing yards than he did passing yards. 
  • I bet Jared Goff's father is a hard ass dad. He was shown during the game after his son threw a touchdown pass to get back into the game and I thought, boy he looks like one of those guys, a former major league sportsman himself, who picks up his kid and tells him everything he should have done. I can spot those parents because I was one.
  • Concussion protocol in three of the four games for quarterbacks. Cam Newton took a huge beating, at one point pulled from the game to deal with an injured eye. Since the Panthers already have been fined for sending Newton back in the game with a concussion, I'm not so sure that they should be evaluating anyone.
  • I don't really care for this stoic always-looks-like-he's-pissed Cam Newton, do you?
  • Iffy call there at the end of the Panthers game. Newton was called for intentional grounding? Uh, yeah, I'm not so sure. 
  • And now the news, via social media, is about the Bills Richie Incognito making racial slurs to the Jags. Don't even get me started on why this guy is even in the NFL. I hope someone high up investigates this and chucks this guy out.
  • I sure am going to miss those shots of Sean McVay. Sniff.

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