Monday morning NFL recap week 4

Steelers play tonight. Wow. Exciting MNF game between 0-3 teams. Who's staying up for that?

Other: Sunday was full of lead changes, interceptions, fumbles, and fun. I love Sundays when I don't give a damn about who wins or loses.

• Let's start with the best fumbling, bumbling of Sunday--and trust me there were tons--The best, however, goes to the Lions/Chiefs in the early game. On the opening play in the second half, Detroit forced a fumble on the kickoff and recovered the ball. They blew down the field to the red zone where Stafford threw the ball into the back of the endzone to Kenny Golladay, who made the catch and tiptoed both feet in bounds. Awesome touchdown. But wait! Instant replay showed Golladay being tackled, falling, and oops, the ball bobbled in his arms as he hit the ground. Ruled incomplete pass. (Tough being the receiver catching touchdowns on that complete the process rule when runners only need to cross the goal line with the ball no matter if their feet aren't anywhere near the endzone). 
• But Detroit had more downs, so they continued to try for the TD. Matt Stafford ran the ball when he had no open receiver and...fumbled. Ball recovered by the Chiefs.
• Then--listen, this just kept going--Kansas City fumbled the ball. Detroit recovered. Stafford handed the ball to Kerryon Johnson for a run into the endzone. Johnson lost the ball on his way to the ground, inches from the goal line. The ball rolled around, getting hit by limbs in the mass of bodies either pushing or tackling until it rolled out at the goal line. The Chiefs Bashaud Breeland scooped up the ball and, encouraged by his teammates, and no whistle ran 100 yards down to the other endzone. I mean, this was crazy stuff.CRAZY. 
• No whistle was blown on the play because--get this--this was the same officiating staff who made the oopsy-daisy whistle blow that screwed the Saints. Lesson learned, I guess. 
• The NFL Redzone did a Rich Gannon and John Gruden flashback that was quite entertaining, especially since Gannon was the analyst for the game. The video showed Gruden screaming at his quarterback, who replied with the old FU. Gannon snickered at the video but made sure to let us know how much he respected Gruden with a story about how his coach was always the first person he sought out after the game. Uh-huh, so much respect, Gannon, how about, "Totally not cool on my part disrespecting my coach. He should've washed my mouth with soap after that game." Kids are watching...
• Some vicious stupidity in the early games. The Pats hit the Bills Josh Allen helmet-to-helmet as he was a defenseless runner. So totally unnecessary. Then we had the Lions T.J. Hockenson thinking he was an Olympic hurdler. He jumped over two Chiefs defenders, one who grabbed Hockenson's foot, twisted, and as Hockenson came down, he landed head first. I genuinely believe both those men were out for a few seconds after. Did we not learn anything from Ryan Shazier????? Maybe Shazier should make the rounds in the lockerrooms reminding everyone of what could happen. Jeez. Both Allen and Hockenson were out of the game with possible concussions. 
• Then there was Brown's OBJIII and Ravens Marlon Humphrey, who thought they were on the playground. Acting like little kids, they threw punches and messed with each other until Humphrey had enough, threw Beckham to the ground and began choking him. I mean...really. The refs should've tossed them out of the game instead of throwing flags that offset one another. Is this really the kind of behavior we want to see from players? Beckham was covered most of the game and had zero yards.
• The refs did make a call on the Bears after they picked up a Vikings fumble and ran it into the endzone. A couple Bears players didn't like the way the Vikings had tackled Buster Skrine, so they came in and started pushing and shoving the Vikings. A ref threw the flag on the Bears, and that offset the touchdown. That ref sides with me. Stop the playground boy nonsense.
• Nifty little gadget play, although I prefer to think it was just smart eye to eye contact and making a play in the Chiefs/Lions game. The Chiefs Mahomes was under pressure. He scrambled, threw to Travis Kelce, who, before he could be taken down by a Lions defender, lobbed the ball back to where Shady McCoy was behind him and open. McCoy ran the ball and made the first down. 
• Kudos to Kenny Golladay, who I've labeled the Toe-Tapper of week 4. First, he did the toe-tapping catch in the endzone that was overturned due to the complete the possession rule. Then he got his touchdown with an easy catch. But then in the fourth quarter, he did the toe-tapping, drag the foot right in the left corner of the endzone that was remarkable. Such good footwork from Golladay. 
• Kudos to the Buffalo Bills, who refused to give up against the Pats. I've never seen such scrambling. This game had it all. Fumbles. Interceptions. Grounding. Vicious Hits. The Bills Josh Allen was knocked out of the game, and the backup Matt Barkley kept on chugging. I thought maybe they'd get it done, but Barkley got hit from behind mid-throw, and the Pats intercepted.
• Chicago's Mitch Tribisky took off running in the first quarter, but he didn't secure the ball, waving it around in one hand like he might decide to throw it after all, which was ridiculous since he was past the line of scrimmage. He didn't hear me screaming at him to protect the ball, so of course, the defender popped out the ball, but also, Tribisky was hit and knocked out of the game with a shoulder issue. Listen, QB's, if you're going to run, commit to it, protect the damn ball, head for the sidelines, and if you see you're going to be hit, go down.
• Congrats to one of the good guys--Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, who passed Tony Gonzalez for the second leading receiver in the NFL with 1,326 behind the great Jerry Rice.

NFL 2019-2020 picks week 4

Last Week - 8-8

Overall - 23-25

Green Bay over Philadelphia - I forgot to make this pick in time, but I think I would've gone with the Packers at home.

Atlanta over Tennessee - I changed this one at the last minute. I mean, what is happening with the Falcons? Surely, they can do something at home.

New England over Buffalo - The Bills will show us here what kind of a football team they want to be this year.

Kansas City over Detroit - If Pat Mahomes keeps throwing and his receivers keep catching those wild, flying high passes, who will beat this team?

Indianapolis over Oakland - I contemplated picking the Raiders for a couple of days, but every time I go against the Colts, they win so...

Chargers over Miami - The Dolphins showed some spirit last week, but can they beat Phillip Rivers' arm?

Giants over Washington - I'm going with Daniel Jones.

Baltimore over Cleveland - Can Baker Mayfield work his arm as well as he does his mouth? So far, not so much. The Ravens are stacked with new players this year, and with this newbie QB, they are tough.

Houston over Carolina - Toss-up game

Rams over Tampa Bay - Just like the Chiefs, the Rams have the gunslinger. The Bucs? Yeah, who knows what goes on with those guys.

Seattle over Arizona - I had the Cardinals. I changed at the last minute. I don't know why. A feeling?

Minnesota over Chicago - Same with this game. Toss-up. I had the Bears, but then I switched. I'm just not sold on these Bears yet, despite their getting it together in the last half.

Denver over Jacksonville - I'm going with the home team.

Dallas over New Orleans - Hard to bet against the Cowboys with Drew Brees out, and yes, his replacement did well last week, but this week I'll know for sure if it wasn't a fluke?

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati - The Bengals have the same losing record but better stats. I don't think we won't go winless, but I don't know how well we will do this week. It's just hard for me to bet against my team.

Monday morning NFL recap - week 3

The week of the backups...

Steelers: Mason Rudolph had some good things and some bad things. Can't get upset about one game. I'll continue to stay positive for a few more.

• Credit again to the defense. Forced four turnovers in the first half.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick showed why the Steelers gave up a first-round draft pick to take the defender from the Dolphins.
• Our O-line only protects Ben? Terrible coverage for Mason Rudolph.
• Rudolph looked shaky at best. Not like the kid we saw in preseason. Frustrating. Then he came out in the fourth quarter and got to work. Not sure what happened, but the kid has an arm.
• The 49ers lost the ball five times. How did our offense not convert?
• Boy, Monday Night Football next week should be fun with the 0-3 Steelers against the 0-3 Bengals. Who's looking forward to staying up late for that?

Other:

• Eli Manning has played 16 seasons with the Giants? Holy-Make-Me-Feel-Old. How has time flown this fast? 
• So, Tom Brady tweeted during Thursday night's game between the Jags and Titans complaining about penalties. That got the media fired up. Leading up to Sunday's games, we heard all about the number of flags thrown in two weeks. Apparently, the refs are social media hounds because there were quite a few missed flags, in my opinion, this week. 
• Yikes. Eagles Miles Sanders had an exorcist moment, although not by choice. The Lions Miles Killebrew tackled Sanders by grabbing his facemask and twisting it 3/4 way around Sanders' head. No flag that I saw. 
• Joe Flacco. Sacked. Sacked. Fumbled. Hard to watch him completely unaware of defenders creeping up behind him. He needs to take a page out of Kansas' Patrick Mahomes, who let his o-line know that shit wasn't acceptable.
• Interesting how the initials AB, heard over and over and over again last week on the Redzone Channel, didn't make an appearance by Scott Hanson until almost at the three-hour mark.
• Same guy, different team. Now the Raiders problem, Vontaze Burfict couldn't make the tackles, but because he was near the pile of bodies, he'd randomly punch Vikings players. I'm getting tired of it. The NFL better jump on the bandwagon of the new world because people are getting tired of putting up with this type of nonsense.
• Giants Daniel Jones made his first appearance in the NFL, but it was Evan Engram's one-handed catch that will make the recaps. 
• New kids on the block-or the backups-three wins, three losses. Steelers newbie lost, but at least he didn't get killed in points like the Jets Luke Falk and the Dolphins Josh Rosen. The Giants, the Panthers, and the Saints should all breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe...just maybe

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NFL 2019-2020 picks - Week 3

Last Week - 7-9

Overall - 16-16

Jacksonville over Titans - I figured it was their time.

Buffalo over Cinncinati - Not that either team has come out remarkable, but the Bills have the edge, and they're playing at home.

Dallas over Miami - I mean...

Green Bay over Denver - Okay, so the Packers (especially the defense) showed me more last week, and they are at home. Joe Flacco is playing like the Flacco of the Ravens-sometimes good and sometimes not.

Atlanta over Indianapolis - The Falcons are on the brink. Today I feel they will get over the hump.

Kansas City over Baltimore - This is the hyped game of the week. I hope the Chiefs aren't underestimating the Ravens because when you do--BAM. Chiefs have the advantage of the home crowd, so they made the pick.

Minnesota over Oakland - This is my toss-up game. I still think the Raiders are a growing team and we will see more wins this year--but this team is on the road for like the next ten weeks so...

New England over Jets - I mean...

Philadelphia over Detroit - Can Carson Wentz keep away from injuries? Two quarterbacks with big arms. I went with the home team.

Arizona over Carolina - I had the Panthers winning. I changed it. No Cam Newton? 

Tampa Bay over Giants - Ah, jeez...No Eli Manning. Can Daniel Jones do better? Probably a good team to try it against but these Bucs--one never knows.

Chargers over Houston - Don't see this any other way.

Pittsburgh over 49ers - Yeah, I'm a fan...

Seattle over New Orleans - No Drew Brees. I saw what the Seahawks can do. Again, they are at home, and that stadium is LOUD.

Rams over Cleveland - Another game I'm looking forward to seeing. Maybe I'm going off that first loss in week one from the Browns. 

Washington over Chicago - I'm a rebel.

Last weeks of summer - my life

I’ve neglected to blog. I'm blaming my family because they are the fodder for my entries, and they have not been producing. Thus, I’m down to the brass tactics of writing nonsense--like a rundown of what’s happened in my life, and maybe my head, these last few weeks of summer.

• Two weeks ago, I stepped back into an ER and an ICU. I used to joke about how I was going to write a book titled, ER’s I have known, after the visits and time spent in them with my mother, and for years I broke into a cold sweat just driving by them, but then my daughter ended up twice in an ER, and my MIL visited one last Christmas. I got back into the swing. My friend’s daughter was in the ER, and we spent nine hours there before she was finally admitted and settled into a room. The next day I spent several hours at a different hospital with my friend, whose father was in the CICU. She’d called me the previous day while I sat in a children’s hospital. “You can’t have a crisis when I’m having a crisis!” Both patients were helped and discharged later in the week.
• Hospitals have changed. We now have security guards manning the ER, and at the second hospital, I had to walk through a metal detector. Having never done that in my past, I didn’t even notice it off to the side. Until the burly security guard stepped into my path and refused me entry, directing me accordingly. I had only my keys and a water bottle. He asked for my purse, and I pointed to the change purse attached to my keys. “Do you need me to open my water bottle so you can smell if it’s water?” (When I’m with my friend, we revert to our youthful humor.) He told me that it wouldn’t be necessary. “Whew, good, because it’s really vodka.” No reaction. 
• I’ve started keeping track of how many times I have to answer the question about my graduate college daughter, who is living with us. It’s nice that so many people are invested in her life, but it reminds me of the days I worked Oktoberfest when employed with the city’s recreation department. I operated the cash register for the food tent, and we seriously thought we’d lose our minds over the constant question: “What’s the difference between a knockwurst and a bratwurst?” My daughter is building her resume for grad school, and FYI a knockwurst is beef, and bratwurst is pork.
• I received notice that I’m a finalist in another writing contest. This is the first one that I’ve entered where published authors are included, so I’m quite proud of that feat. Now I have no excuse. I have to edit the first manuscript. 
• Football has returned, and oh, my, has it returned with a vengeance! Just as I’m adjusting to the offseason trades of players, it’s happening all over again as the new norm-NFL drama-and injuries are forcing more switching of teams. I need a spreadsheet to keep up. I’m learning that I genuinely don’t care that much anymore...
• I’m still toying with pen names. Who knew this would be so difficult? But that’s the next step, and then I have to build a social media base around that new name. And show that I have a high presence. Jeez. I just reached 100 followers on Twitter, and that took me ten years.
• I like to leave detailed accounts of my workday for bosses when they’re away for the day/and when I sub for teachers. I would want if the roles were reversed to keep abreast of what I missed. Recently, my boss told me she was holding my letter forever. It made her laugh uproariously. And to think I tell people I hadn’t been writing for years...
• I’m spending more time in my swimming pool than I have in ten years, floating and plotting in my head. Yesterday I was having trouble with my writing, so I put on my swimsuit and headed outside. Why did I ever step away from this? 
• I’m enjoying having my daughter back. There is still that parental control where I can tell her what to do since she’s pretty much at our mercy. Then there is the fact that she loves to cook. I’ve decided that all parents should demand their children to return home after college for a year of servitude to give back.

NFL 2019 Monday morning recap

My Steelers buddy’s daughter suggested we do shots for every time Antonio Brown’s name was mentioned during the game, but CBS kept us sober. Unfortunately, not so the Steelers...

Steelers:

• Nice to see the defense has improved in the offseason. Three sacks in the first quarter!
• Ben landed on his shoulder, and we could’ve started our shots with this injury with how many times he winced and clutched his arm. Please. I have an injury to my throwing arm, and dammit, I’m still working.
• Last week Collinsworth remarked on how he believed not playing the veterans in preseason hurts in the regular season citing Ben’s play. Jeez, how many weeks is it going to take to get up to speed? I’m ready for Ben to retire. I think our future is Mason Rudolph. 
• I got my wish when Ben went out at halftime and didn’t return. Rudolph came in looking confident. Not his fault, Moncrief couldn’t catch that pass, tipping into the Seahawks’ defender’s hands. He finished with 112 yards, 12 of 19, 2 touchdowns. We might have won if he’d started.
• I didn’t understand why the Steelers cut Eli Rogers. Guarantee, the coaches are regretting that decision. Listen, get ready to drink, because AB is gone. GONE and good riddance, but that means the others have to step up and show they’ve got some talent. Moncrief was awful last week and not much better this week. We don’t have time for that kind of play. 
• Glad that our newbie Devin Bush didn’t continue running the wrong way after he recovered the Seahawks fumble, but whoa, it was a tense moment watching him being discombobulated.
• How well does Pete Carroll look at 68?
• The defense was better this week but still has a long way to go to rebuild. The running game isn’t what it used to be. Maybe the Steelers are going to have to let go of the old way of playing football and embrace the changes. Time will tell, but it’s going to be a long season.

Other:

• I left my buddy’s house after the game and came home to replay all the other games. I use the NFL Redzone channel, and within the first six minutes, I’d already had five shots. Holy mention AB’s name. By the time the channel had shown the Pats first drive down the field, had I been drinking for real, I’d of been passed out. Yeah, people, we get it. The number one WR who deviously worked the entire NFL, fucking up two teams on the way to that spot on the Patriots roster, is good. No one disputes his athleticism, but trust me when I say, this isn’t the same man whose hand I shook at Heinz Field, and I, for one, don’t regret his leaving. And I’m done talking about him.
• The Jags coach gave a little sideline show with his walking over and screaming at Jalen Rose. Not sure what was happening there, but several players had to pull the coach away. Is there a rule for coaches being disrespectful to players?
• Dallas’ Dak Prescott had a massive 42 yard run in the second quarter that looked smooth as butter. Just amping up his worth, I think.
• Official Walt Anderson blew dead a play where the Saints recovered a Jared Goff fumble and headed to the end zone. Because Anderson blew the play dead incorrectly, oh, well. Uh...yeah, that’s annoying. If the Saints lose today, I hope Anderson has an escort to his vehicle.
• Pat Mahomes...yikes, this kid...and how are so many of his peeps open, huh? Unbelievable.
• My favorite miscommunication was Rams Jared Goff hitting Everett in the back with the ball. Uh, if you can see the name of the player and not see his face...his back is turned. Just saying...
• Yikes, the holding calls that were caught today that took touchdowns off the board, were crazy. I would love to see that stat for week 2. 
• There were SO many penalties in games that negated significant yardage, downs, and touchdowns. Wow.
• The Denver Broncos fourth-quarter comeback was epic. I hate to cheer on Joe Flacco, but how great was my former Steelers and current fantasy player, Emmanuel Sanders?
• And then how good was the Bears seconds comeback to end with a 53 yard FG? Now that’s some good football!