NFL week 11

I didn’t get my picks in on time this week. I made several, picking the Steelers as always, but I was undecided on a couple games and left it for later, missing the deadline. It's been a lousy week beginning with TNF and ending with a trip out of the state.

First, I’m going to address what occurred Thursday night with eight seconds left in the Steelers/Browns game. Three thoughts before it happened?

1. Are we playing the Bengals?
2. Three helmet to helmet hits by Cleveland players that have knocked out three major Steelers players? Something is fishy.
3. The Browns were winning, yet why are they so angry?

Funny enough, during the play, my eyes were on Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph. I was concerned. Not only was he frustrated, but he was getting late hits that weren’t being called. I saw Myles Garrett take him down before the cameraman cut to follow the ball’s trajectory. 

My thoughts:

1. Nice, gentle takedown but unnecessary with .8 seconds left and the game basically over.
2. Probably should have drawn a flag.

Then came the moment. If you follow football—heck, even if you don’t—you’ve seen it. The scuffle between Garrett and Rudolph on the ground, which escalated until Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and hit him in the head with it. Steelers guard David DeCastro got between the two, pushing Garrett around the field. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey who had joined DeCastro to help, saw the helmet hit, and he lost it, pummeling Garrett until DeCastro took him to the ground where Pouncey then kicked the man. 

Nothing new when the Steelers play their division rivals. 

But...seriously?

I barely slept, and I had to be up at 4:00 a.m. for an early flight to Indiana. Twitter went wild. The football analyst was shell-shocked. There was talk of charges being levied against Garrett. It went viral. 

Here are my thoughts:

1. David DeCastro should’ve been more of a topic. He was handling the situation the way it should’ve been dealt with. He got in between the two men to separate them. After the hit, he subdued the abuser, taking him to the ground. He had it handled!
2. For Maurkice Pouncey to erupt, the way he did is inexcusable. I’m tired of everyone talking about his protection of his quarterback. No, DeCastro’s protection of his quarterback was correct. Pouncey’s anger? Kicking a man when he was defenseless and being held down on the ground? That video is horrendous. Had that been a police officer, we would be calling for his job.
3. The hit by Garrett on Rudolph? Same thing. Inexcusable. He is so lucky he didn’t seriously hurt the Steelers quarterback. Hit him in the crown, and he’d be facing charges. 
4. Rudolph isn’t innocent. He took exception to the takedown, and words were exchanged. Garrett refused to get off Rudolph, so Rudolph tried to take off Garrett’s helmet. Childish, sure, but typical in football. Doesn’t make it right, but the BROWNS WERE WINNING. Why was Garrett rubbing it in? At some point, the high road has to be taken. By both sides.
5. The Browns are the most penalized team this year in the NFL. Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, just like fired Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, is responsible for not nipping that in the bud. It’s a problem. The NFL should be addressing that. Why aren’t they? Before things get out of control. 

I thought the four analysts on Fox on Sunday made the most sense. This action shouldn’t define Myles Garrett. He immediately apologized. He’s now lost his job indefinitely. It was a stupid moment in his life that he will regret and think about forever. 

What hasn’t been discussed? The anger from both sides. My husband reminded me how most hockey games have this type of brawl in each game. Why is that? It shouldn’t be the norm. It shouldn’t be all accepted. Is this how we want our kids to play sports?

I’m glad to step away from the NFL this week while I spend time with family. I got my football fix at the Notre Dame/Navy game, which was full of respect, not only for our military people past and present but for the players and the fans. 

It was the first game I watched that didn’t have a million thrown flags. It was serene. Respectful. Laidback. Nothing happened, but the game. The students behaved. The fans cheered for the opposite teams' band upon entrance into the stadium. 

At the end of the game, one in which Notre Dame dominated, scoring over 50 points, both teams went to Navy’s end of the field and stood while their band played the Navy school song and then both teams hiked to the opposite end where the ND band did the same thing. Every person in the stadium stood in dead silence for both songs, cheering at the end of each. 

That’s the way sports should be. The NFL could learn something from these two teams.