NFL WEEK #22 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg

Okay gridders, this will be my last T&O report for this season. Here we go. 
 
1. In an awesome and dramatic comeback from a 25 point deficit, the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in SUPERBOWL LI by a score of 34-28.  Early in this game, it looked like the Falcons were going to blow the Patriots right out of Texas.  In the second half, the Falcons defense wore down and the game became a real "nail biter!"

The Patriots were never ahead in this game, until the very final play of the game, which occurred in Overtime giving the Patriots the 34-28 win. 
What an unbelievable comeback!  If I die tomorrow, I will die a very happy man!

 2. After being besieged and assaulted by an aggressive Falcons defense in the first half, Tom Brady shook off the beating he was absorbing and led the Patriots comeback.  After spotting the Falcons a 28-3 lead early in the third period, the Patriots defense shut the Falcons completely down and tallied 31 unanswered points.  

Brady was on fire during that stretch! He tossed for 246 yards in the 4th period alone, resulting in 19 Patriots points, including a pair of 2-point conversions.  Regulation time ended with both teams tied at 28-28. 

 3. The Patriots then won the Overtime toss, elected to receive, and Brady marched them 75 yards down the field to a game winning 2 yard touchdown run by James White.  This comeback was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal!

 4. This comeback was comparable to the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees in 2004, when they were down 3-zip in a best of 7 playoff series for the American League Championship. The Sox won the next four games, and then won four more straight over the Cardinals to take their first World Series in 86 years!  

 5. Many of us Boston fans had given up the ghost on this Superbowl, when the score reached 28-3. I was one of them. 

 6. By leading the Patriots to that comeback victory and winning his 5th Superbowl, Tom Brady has now surpassed Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Bill Russell, and Larry Bird in Boston sports glory greatness!  They named a tunnel after Ted, they may name a bridge after Tom. 

 7. What does not seem very debatable anymore is the fact that the vast majority of football pundits now claim Tom Brady as the GOAT, Greatest Of All Time!  I agree, Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback evah, better than Montana, Elway, Marino, and all the rest!

Some of the pundits are now laying claim to Brady being the greatest football player evah.  I don't agree with that, I still consider Jim Brown the greatest football player evah!   

 8. Many new records were set in the process of this epic, comeback win.  Firstly, this was the first evah Superbowl that went into overtime.

Secondly, the 25 point deficit was the largest evah in Superbowl History that a winning team had to overcome.  Thirdly, Tom Brady set the record for quarterback Superbowl wins with five.  Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana have four, and they won't be getting any more.  

Fourthly, Tom Brady now has five Superbowl rings, which ties him with Charles Haley for the most evah. Haley won't be getting any more.
Fifthly, Tom Brady now has 4 Superbowl MVP's on his resume, which is the most evah. He was previously tied with Joe Montana at three.

Sixthly, Brady completed 43 of 62 passes, for 466 yards.  All three stats qualify as the most evah!  Seventhly, Brady tossed for 246 yards in the 4th quarter alone, the most evah!

Eighthly, the Patriots had 37 first downs, the most evah in a single Superbowl game.  Ninthly, the Patriots little scat back James White caughts 14 passes, the most evah.  He also hit paydirt 4 times, the most evah.  He had 2 rushing touchdowns, including the Overtime winner, one receiving touchdown, and a rushing 2-point conversion.

Not a bad day for Mister White!  Tom Brady won the Superbowl MVP, but like he did two years ago with Malcolm Butler, look for Tom to give the new car that goes with that award to Sir James.  

 9. There were a lot more "most evahs," but I don't think tenthly is a word, so I'll stop at nine. 

10. Of course it's arbitrary and debatable, but many of the pundits consider Superbowl LI as the best evah!  In my opinion, Superbowl III was the best evah!

That was the Superbowl when the New York Jets were an 18 point underdog  to the vaunted Baltimore Colts, and soundly defeated them 16-7. Yep, that was the same Superbowl when flamboyant Jets Quarterback "Broadway Joe" Namath brashly predicted victory and then led the lightly respected Jets to that remarkable upset victory!  

I rate that the best Superbowl evah, as that game put the upstart American Football League on the map and it led to the AFL and NFL merging shortly after Superbowl IV.  It was certainly the most significant Superbowl evah, as the Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi, who was considered a "Football Divinity" and who won the first two superbowls, considered the AFL inferior! 

That game is still talked about today, 48 years later!

11. During that 4th period comeback, Julian Edelman made one of the greatest Superbowl catches evah!  With three Falcon defenders draped all over him, and the ball caroming off one of these defender's knees, Edelman had the presence of mind to somehow get open and the intensity of concentration to secure the ball before it hit the turf.

I'm not sure if it's as great as that David Tyree fluke catch in 2007, but it's pretty close.  

12. Julio Jones made a catch in that 4th period that was every bit the equal of Edelman and maybe even better!   It was a leaping sideline catch, capped off with a heroic and successful planting of both feet.  When this guy's football career is done he can get a job with Barnum & Bailey as the world's greatest human contortionist!

13. That Julio Jones catch was made very late in the game and somewhat deep in New England territory, as the Falcons were sitting on a 28-20 lead. The Falcons were trying to close the deal and a field goal would have done that.

Unfortunately for them, they not only stalled after that great catch, but lost yardage and incurred a 10 yard penalty that took them out of field goal range.  They eventually had to punt and give the ball back to Brady and the Patriots.

14. The funny thing about that Jones catch was that it gave Falcons owner Arthur Blank the false confidence to think that Atlanta had the game in hand.  He and his female companion (not sure if she was his wife or concubine) then ventured down to the Falcons sidelines completely jinxing them!

15. The gleeful look on Blank's face quickly turned from glee to horror.  Once the Patriots started marching back down the field unimpeded, Blank looked like he had just had a conversation with Vincent Price in which Price asked him what he'd like for his last meal!

16. By the way, by converting those two 4th period 2-point conversions, the Patriots took their kicker Stephen Gostkowski completely off the hook, and also unhooked the goat horns that were sitting on top of his head.  In the third period, after the Pats had scored a touchdown and narrowed the score to 28-9, G-ski missed the PAT kick.  

Just like last year in the AFC Championship game in Denver, that miss could have been critical!  Last year with time running out, the Pats were forced to go for a 2-point conversion to tie the game with the Broncos due to an earlier PAT miss by G-ski.  They failed on that attempt and ended up losing 20-18.

17. What a nice gesture to see the 41st president of the United States, George H. Walker Bush, wheeled into the stadium and given the honor of the initial coin flip. Walker was on "death's doorstep" a week or so ago, so it was nice to see him and his wife Barbara seemingly recovered.  

Unfortunately, his coin flip looked more like a coin flop or a coin drop.  The Patriots won that toss and contrary to what they ordinarily do, they elected to receive.  

I'm wondering why Jeb Bush wasn't charged with the job of pushing his dad's wheelchair into the stadium.  He has nothing to do!

18. By the way our 45th and current president, Donald John Trump, predicted an 8 point Patriots victory.  He was off by two points, so "The Left" started lambasting him again for his exaggerated predictions!

19. I think I heard somewhere, I forget where, that President Trump told someone there were a million people at Superbowl 51.  That must be the biggest attendance record evah!

20.  Superbowl concession prices were exorbitant.  $12 for a 16 ounce Bud Light and a bottle of water for $6.  Bud Light is a shit beer, mostly water, so you'd be better off buying the over-priced water!  Outrageous!

21.  During the week, there was some scuttlebut being bantied about, opining that this Superbowl would be Tom Brady's "Swan Song," that he was going to retire.  Since then, we hear that he plans to play another ten years and take a shot at breaking George Blanda's longevity record.  Ole George played until he was 48! 

22. In the Patriots 7 Superbowl appearances in this the Belichick/Brady era, they have never scored in the first period.  That's hard to believe!

23. Lady Gaga provided the half-time entertainment, but I didn't really watch her, so can't comment.  I used that time to take a leak, pop another beer, and ladle up some chili con carne.  I understand, however, that "The Left" was disappointed that she didn't make any Anti-Trump statements, as was rumored and expected.

If it wasn't for make-up and plastic surgery, Lady Gaga would be considered nothing more than a modern day Phyllis Diller.  She is equally as unglamerous, and maybe even more unglamerous.  I really don't see what the big deal is with her!

24. Matty Ryan started out strong in the first half, but kind of clamped up in the second half, especially late, when the Patriots were surging.  He did win this year's regular season MVP, but I don't think that will be much of a consolation for him, given the late game collapse of the  Falcons. 
In the second half, Matty "Ice" became Matty "Ice Cold!"  Like everyone else, he was nothing more than a Brady spectator!

For the record, Ryan was 17 for 23 for 284 yards and two touchdowns.  He had no picks but did have a very costly 4th period fumble.  He will now be suffering recurring nightmares the rest of this year and maybe the rest of his life!   

25. The post-game presentation of the Lombardi Trophy couldn't have been more awkward and embarrassing for Commissioner Roger "Numbnuts" Goodell.  Well I guess it could have been, if Robert Kraft had accepted the trophy and then hit Goodell over the head with it!  I wish he had.

As Numbnuts was making his obligatory spiel, you couldn't even hear him, as he was drowned out by the resounding "boos" coming from the Boston fans surrounding the podium.  Kraft, Belichick, & Brady went through the obligatory handshake, but the atmosphere was as cold as an Arctic snowstorm.  

Kraft's son's handshake with "Numbnuts" was so fast, you'd think Goodell's hand was on fire.  The term "awkward" might be the biggest understatement of the year!

26. As I write right now, the snow is falling in Boston and the parade in tribute to the championship Patriots is just starting.  I understand that the parade coordinators have pled to a local court to have Whitey Bulger released from prison to partake in this historical parade.  Whitey will be placed in a grocery shopping cart in the upper compartment, while Commissioner Roger "Numbnuts" Goodell will be stuffed into the lower compartment of the shopping cart.

Mark Richardson, one of the Patriots Militia Men is in charge of pushing the Whitey/Numbnuts cart.  The parade will end down by Boston Harbor, and in a recreation of the historic 1773 Boston Tea Party, Militiaman Mark will push that cart into the Harbah.  Neither Whitey nor Numbnuts are being outfitted with life preservers. 

27. We learned on Saturday night, that the following seven will be inducted into the Football Hall Of Fame this Summer.  They are Ladainian Tomlinson, Terrelle Davis, Kurt Warner, Kenny Easley, Jason Taylor, Jerry Jones, and Morton Anderson.  Good for them. 

Unfortunately, Terrell Owens was omitted again.   That's not only a damn shame but also an absolute disgrace.  Those who didn't vote for T.O. should be relieved of their responsibility.

T.O. is one of the top ten wide receivers in the History of Football.  Sure, he was a somewhat selfish player, and a jerkbag of a guy at times, but he didn't really get into any trouble off the field.  His statistics are right there with the best of them!  

28. Dak Prescott won this year's Rookie Of The Year award, beating out teammate Ezekial Elliott.  I think that was a good choice. Khalil Mack won Defensive Player Of The Year, another good choice. Matt Ryan won all sorts of other stuff, everything except the Superbowl! 

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

Patriots Tight End Martellus Bennett wins this week's Dumbshit award hands down!  The game was barely over when this ingrate announced that he would not be attending the annual champions visit to the White House to be recognized by President Trump.  He stated his reason as being in the spirit of "Unity."   

Unity, are you kidding me!  The Patriots are all about unity and this congenital imbecile just violated that unity!   Expect to see him on a bus out of Boston before too long.  Belichick should send him back to the Bears from whence he came and maybe he could also arrange for Bennnett to have an audience with Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel, another absolute dumbshit!

It's unbelievable gridders, how stupid people can be!

That's all she wrote gridders, the Good Lord willing, I'll see you again in the Fall!  Unfortunately, we won't be seeing Chris "Boomer" Berman anymore, as he is retiring.  I'm going to miss that guy, I found him very entertaining.

Thanks Boomer!

Macdawg, outta here for now.........


NFL WEEK #21 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg 

1. Not much happened this week, so not much to report.  I understand the NFL Pro Bowl was played yesterday.  I don't know who won and I don't really care.

2. The 49'ers have hired John Lynch to be their new General Manager.  He has no experience as a G.M., so I think it's a little risky giving him a 6 year contract.  I guess the 49'ers braintrust must have forgotten about the Matt Millen debacle as their general manager.

Lynch is a very smart, likeable guy, a future Hall of Famer, and a very knowledgeable student of the game. He's also a Stanford graduate, so that could be a plus.   Ex-players who know Lynch from his football days state he is without ego and a tireless worker, also very good traits. 

The Millen debacle aside, I think Lynch is a good choice and that he and their newly appointed Head Coach Kyle Shanahan will make a good team.  I sure hope so for the sake of the suffering 49'er fans, as they have been in the shithouse ever since Jimmy Harbaugh was summarily dismissed a few years back!

 3. Jimmy Irsay, Colts owner, has also hired a new General Manager, one Chris Ballard.  Ballard does have some good GM experience, as he has been the assistant to John Dorsey for the past 4 years.  Dorsey is the General Manager for the Kansas City Chiefs.  

Ballard and Dorsey are jointly responsible for the Chief's recent successess, especially in the player personnel department by drafting the likes of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Marcus Peters, and Eric Fisher. Ballard also spent time in the Bears organization as a scout.

I understand that Ballard turned down a chance to interview for the San Francisco 49'ers GM job.   I'd consider that a feather in his cap and an indication of his self confidence.  Why go to an organization who has Tattoo Man as their quarterback, when you can go to an organization that has Andy Luck as their quarterback!

4. Tom Brady Senior had an interview this week with Station KRON-4 News of San Francisco.  The elder Brady eviscerated Commissioner Goodell in this interview, branding him as a sneaky liar and his actions reprehensible, all relating to the 4-game suspension he arbitrarily imposed on Brady Junior, due to DEFLATEGATE. 

I think that was a real dumbshit thing to do, as it puts extra pressure on his son Tom.  Tom now will have to deal with all the typical Superbowl hoopla, plus the prospect of being the only 5-time quarterback winner, plus the added pressure of vindicating his father's excoriation of the Numbnuts Commissioner!  

It's a good thing that I already have a dumbshit honoree for this week, otherwise Tom Brady Sr. would take those honors.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

Roger Goodell once again is this week's DUMBSHIT.  It's the 9th time this year for Commissioner Numbnuts Goodell.

Last week in an interview with Colin Cowherd of ESPN, the inane commish announced that "it would be an honor to present the Superbowl trophy to Tom Brady, a surefire future Hall of Famer and that he'd be very happy to do it."  Yeh sure, and Pope Francis would be happy nominating Charles Manson for sainthood! 

Goodell is getting the dumbshit award because he is stupid enough to think that we footballs fans are stupid enough to believe that!  This clown has failed to attend a Patriots game in Foxborough ever since the Deflategate Debacle surfaced.  

In Week #19, he eschewed the AFC Championship game between the Steelers and Patriots to attend the Packers/Falcons game.  In Week #18, he eschewed the Texans/Patriots game to attend the Seahawks/Falcons game.  That's two straight weeks he spent in Atlanta, attending Falcons games.

No, he doesn't have some weird allegiance to the Falcons, he is scared to death to face the music in Foxborough!  Last year, Goodell was absolutely ecstatic when the Broncos knocked off the Patriots.  This year will be different, he will have to face the music and he really is not that good a dancer!

Can't wait!

Macdawg, outta here for now.........
 

  NFL WEEK #20 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg
 
1. Superbowl Fifty One is now set, featuring the American Conference Champion New England Patriots against the National Conference Champion Atlanta Falcons.  The Patriots have been established as early 3 point favorites.

The game will be played in Houston on Sunday February 5th, 2017.  Houston, we have a problem, the Patriots are on their way. Let the hype begin....

 2. Both conference championship games were routs, and for all intents and purposes, both games were over by halftime.  In the end, the Falcons routed the Packers 44-21 and the Patriots routed the Steelers 36-17.  

 3. In the NFC championship game, the Falcons paid the best memorial tribute possible to the Georgia Dome and it's last game, after 25 years of service.  Their thrashing of the highly touted Packers soothed some of those past unhappy, painful moments involving Michael Vick, Bobby Petrino, and the old "Dirty Birds" themselves.

 4. Atlanta won the toss and Ryan and the Falcons came out passing non stop.  That's exactly what it was, as the Packers couldn't have stopped a beachball that day!  The score was 24-0 at halftime, and 31-zip within seconds of the start of the third quarter.

Admitedly the Packers had a lot of hurt players, but their whole team played like they were hurt, and the Falcons surely hurt their feelings with that 44-21 beatdown!  That's 3 for 3 in the "hurt" department.  So much for the Packers 8 game winning streak. 

 5. Matty "Ice" was Matty "Ice" in that game!  He came out firing and continued to fire the entire game, never once  blinking.  He was definitely the dominant quarterback in that game and the star of the game. His final stat line showed 27 completions out of 45 attempts, for 392 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks.  Iceman also had a 14 yard scamper for a touchdown.  

 6. The Falcons standout wide receiver Julio Jones had 9 catches for 180, including a 73 yard touchdown bomb.  Many of the so-called experts consider JJ the best wide receiver in the NFL.  I don't know about that, because it seemed like the Packers secondary personnel was recruited from the Perkins School For The Blind!  Jones is good, no question, but not as good as the Packers secondary made him out to be.

 7. Mister Rodgers had a very subpar game, as he was continuously pressured by the Falcons rush and knocked down several times.  His statline was 27 for 45 for 287 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 pick.  Unfortunately for the Packers, those 3 touchdown tosses were "garbage time" jobbers, coming after the Falcons had built that insurmountable 31-zip lead.

 8. The Packers rushing attack in that game was next to nil.  Rodgers was their top rusher with 46 yards on 4 carries.  Therein pretty much tells the story of this game!

 9. Jordy Nelson rebounded from his cracked ribs injury and had a fine game, with 6 grabs for 67 yards and one touchdown.  Tight End Jared Cook had an even finer game with 7 grabs for 78 yards and a touchdown.  As previously mentioned, however, those touchdown grabs were pretty irrelevant to the final outcome.

10. With the unfortunate outcome of the Packers/Falcons game, the "Dream Superbowl" between the game's two best quarterbacks is NOT going to happen!  Actually maybe it is, as Brady is undoubtedly the best ever and Ryan is this year's MVP.

11. As a final Packer note, we must acknowledge the greatness of Aaron Rodgers for putting the entire Green Bay franchise on his back and carrying them to 8 straight victories and into the NFC Championship game.  The team went from a 3-6 start to a regular season 10-6 finish, followed up with two playoff victories.

If Brock Osweiller had been the Packer's quarterback, they would have finished behind the 3-13 Bears.  That gives you some idea how good Rodgers is!

12. In the AFC Championship game the strangest thing happened, as the Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive, which threw the Steelers off for the entire day.  They didn't know what to do, they were completely befuddled!  Coach Tomlin threw the challenge flag, as he thought the officials had missed something.  

It was was like some of those old Heavyweight Championship fights involving Sonny Liston or George Foreman.  Those feared and intimidating pugilists would essentially win the fight during the pre-fight introductions in the middle of the ring, with their glaring staredown of their opponents!  

13. Tom Brady came out like Jack "The Ripper" and ripped the Steelers defense to absolute shreds, like a butcher carving up a side of beef!  The Steelers put little to any pressure on Brady from their front four and I can't recall them blitzing very much, if at all.  

Brady could have been mowing the lawn back there in the pocket.  I didn't even hear mention of James Harrison, the Steelers lead rusher, until he made a tackle sometime in the second half!

Before you knew it, the game was out of hand!  The Patriots led 17-9 at halftime, 33-9 by the end of the third quarter, and 36-17 at the final gun. So much for the Steelers 9 game winning streak!  

14. It was "Tommy the GOAT" (as in Greatest Of All Time) and "Hogan's Goat Hogan" that did the Steelers in.   Brady went 32 for 42 for 384 yards and three touchdowns with no picks.  Chris Hogan had 9 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns, one a Brady-to-Lewis-to-Brady-to-Hogan "flea flicker" that broke the Steeler's backs!

15. The Patriots bruising back LaGarrette Blount was not much of a factor.  He did carry the ball 16 times for 47 yards and 1 touchdown, but much of that was when the game was out of hand.  He did have one bludgeoning run of about 17 yards, carrying a bevy of Steeler defenders on his back for the last 8 yards of that run.  That was impressive. 

16. The newly acquired Michael Floyd was no factor.  I thought he would play an important part of this game, but he didn't.  I didn't even hear his name.  I'm not sure he even got in for one play.  Perhaps he fell off the wagon or perhaps he just fell off the Belichick Wagon!  I don't know.

17. Actually, the Steelers had their chances to make the game competitive but squandered them.  Their big tight end Jesse James caught two Roethlisberger passes that both looked like touchdowns.  One was even called a touchdown, and subsequently overturned.  Unfortunately, the Steelers were unable to punch the ball in from the 1 foot line or the 1 yard line in these cases.  

I believe these plays were really the turning points to this game.

18. To beat the Patriots, the Steelers needed good contributions from their quartet of "B's."  The Big B's turned into Big Bums, as follows:

Big Ben - was 31 for 47 for 314 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. His only touchdown toss was in garbage time.

Bell - carried the ball 6 times for a measly 20 yards, before leaving the game for good in the 1st quarter with a groin injury

Brown - was double teamed all day, had 7 catches for 77 yards, and failed to hit paydirt.

Boswell - missed the PAT after the Steelers first touchdown, which was a foreboding omen of the misery ahead for the Steelers!

19. I like Mike Tomlin and think he's a very good, no nonsense coach.  I didn't however like his game plan relative to strict zone defense and no blitzing, as it gave Brady free reign to pass with complete impunity!  I also thought that his plan of attack when the Steelers were knocking on the
Patriots goal line was pretty weak!  It might have been wise to allow the 260 pound Big Ben a quarterback sneak or two. 

20. On a side note, I had heard that the Packers/Falcons game had the highest over/under spread in playoff history at 61 1/2.  The final score cracked that by a few points, but I had thought they might tally 90 points in that game.

21. Word has it that the Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, can have the San Francisco 49'ers head coaching job for the asking. They don't have much to work with out there, so why would he want that!

22. The Chargers have departed San Diego and are now up in Los Angeles.  That means this great metropolis, which has been without a professional football team for over 20 years, now has two of the worst teams in the NFL located in their city!  

23. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has terminated his general manager Ryan Grigson. I thought he would fire both Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano.  I guess he couldn't get anyone to sign up to take Pagano's place.

Grigson was the absolute shits in the four years he spent at the G.M. helm.  He was described by some of the Colts players as a man of "unwarranted arrogance!"  What a great description!  It not only describes Grigson, I would also apply it to Irsay.

24. Here's a good one for you gridders.  The Detroit Lions lost their last four games this year, choking like dingo dogs ravishing a wart hog carcass!
You would think any of their team members would be back in the gym or in the film room, figuring out how they can improve for the next season.

No sir, two of their starters, a couple of no names who actually have names, namely DeAndre Levy and Johnson Bademosi, were partaking in that idiotic "Women's March" in Washington D.C. this past weekend. That protest was nothing more than a plea for the preservation of abortion, the euphemistic term for baby murder.  

These cogenital idiots then followed up on their participation by posting pictures and videos on Instagram. One of these postings was a sign that read "Claustrophobics & Introverts For Equality."  That's a good one, a real beaut!  

Why not have a poster that reads "Arachibutyrophobics For Less Sticky Peanut Butter."  For the uninitiated, arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. 

You know what, I don't know who either of these bums are!  I had never heard of them, and since I follow professional football pretty closely, I will assume they are both WITHOUT accomplishment!  They are just two more losers in a cast of millions, who are looking for some sort of attention.

25. I'm really kind of suprised that the 49'ers "Tattoo Man" Colin Kaepernick didn't join that Women's March.  With all his tattoos, he'd make a good poster all by himself just walking around bare-assed!  Get 'em all the hell outta here!

26. I'm sure everyone watching NFL football on Sunday noticed that Commissioner Goodell once again was in attendance in Atlanta, not Foxborough. That's two weeks in a row that he has attended the Falcons games. Apparently he's either too embarrassed to attend a game in Foxborough, or so scared that he thinks he would require the National Guard as his escort.

I hope the "numbnuts" commish has already started preparing his Superbowl LI congratulatory speech for Brady, Belichick, Kraft, & the Patriots. I have it on good word that Belichick has already arranged to have Albert Marshall in attendance at that session.  Belichick will request that Goodell give the Lombardi Trophy directly to Albert, and inform Goodell that Albert is the Patriots ball boy who works in concert with Brady to ensure the footballs are properly or improperly inflated!

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

I'm going outside the realm of football to honor this week's Dumbshit.  This week's honoree is the San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich. Pops, as he is affectionately known, is widely acknowledged as the best coach in the NBA, and he might well be.  He has won a few championships.  

However, this self-righteous, condescending ass should stick to basketball and keep his opinions to himself, when it comes to politics. He came out blasting President Trump this week as mysoginistic and xenophobic, absolutely ridiculous claims in light of Trump's proven record.  No one gives a good shit what the pompous Popovich thinks! 

If I wanted to hear a coach's opinion when it comes to politics, I'd seek the advice of Bill Belichick, not Greg Popovich.  As an accomplished coach and as a man who knows what's going on in the country, Bill Belichick makes Greg Popovich look like Elmer Fudd. 

And just for the record, Belichick is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. 


Macdawg, outta here for now.........

             NFL WEEK #19 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg
 
1. The Conference Championship games are set.  Next Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will play the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta for the NFC championship. The Falcons are currently 4 point favorites.

On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will play the New England Patriots in Foxborough for the AFC championship.  The Patriots are currently 6 point favorites.

 2. In the Saturday afternoon game, the Falcons defeated the Seahawks 36-20.   The Seahawks jumped out to an early 7-zip lead but then the "shit hit the fan!" 

After leading the Seahawks to that early touchdown lead, Russell Wilson had a rather miserable game!  He finished with 225 yards and a couple of touchdowns but also had a couple of picks.  He was hurried and harried all day long by the Falcons defense. 

Additionally, he suffered the ignominious embarrassment of suffering a safety, when one of his behemoth lineman stepped on his foot as he was backpedalling for a pass.  He went down like a ton of bricks in his own endzone and was jumped on by a couple of Falcons defenders.  It reminded me of the Frazier/Foreman fight, with Howard Cosell screaming "down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!"

 3. Leading MVP candidate Matty Ryan proceeded to shred the supposed vaunted Seahawks defense for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns with no picks. It now looks very much like Matty "Ice" has finally come around, after previously being dubbed a complete flop at playoff time. 

Very early in the 4th quarter, the Falcons had jumped out to a 29-13 lead and that was about all she wrote.  The Falcons scored a somewhat meaningless touchdown with 3+ minutes to go in the game, and the Seahawks came back with an even more meaningless touchdown after that.  

 4. In the Saturday night game, despite playing like dogshit, the Patriots eventually prevailed 34-16.  Amazingly enough, they not only won the game but also covered the 16 point spread.  How they did it is rather uncomprehensible! 

Tom Brady, the best quarterback on the planet, was a miserable 18 for 38, an under .500 percentage.  He also had a very uncharacteristic 2 picks and was under siege all night long by a harrassing Houston defense!  

 5. The Patriots scored a couple of early touchdowns, but then went flatter than those flat notes the Saxophone player was hitting in his National Anthem rendition, prior to the Seahawks/Falcons game down in Atlanta.  In the second quarter, the Texans had closed the score to 14-13, and Tom Brady was under constant pressure by an aggressive and combative defense, led by  Jadeveon Clowney.  

Brady was sacked a couple of times and continually hit by Clowney and the others in near sacks. As a matter of fact, Brady was hit so often, he probably thought he was in a cage match against former MMA Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, rather than in a football match against lightweight Brock Osweiller!  

Man I'm glad that game is over, and that somehow the Patriots prevailed.  I had to run to the packy at halftime to get another twelver!

 6. I knew the Texans defense was ranked #1, but I had no idea they were that good!  I can't even imagine how good they will be next year, when J.J. Watts returns to action.  They surely will be the most highly sought defense in next Fall's Fantasy Football drafts.

 7. I think the Texans braintrust should now think very seriously about that old poker adage, "you have to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em!"  They should start today designing a "golden parachute retirement package" for the $72 million Brock Osweiller and find a few million more bucks so that they can acquire Tony Romo from the neighboring Cowboys.  

The oft maligned Osweiller had another ineffective game, with less than 200 passing yards and three picks.  This guy is most likely the worst quarterback in the NFL.  He's just tall, that's all!  If the Texans don't have the resources to get Romo, they would be better off picking up Timmy Tebow on the cheap, and I'm not shitting!

 8. I hate to question the cerebral Billy Belichick, but I can't stop wondering why the top scoring back in the NFL, LeGarrette Blount, was an absolute afterthought in that game.  I guess the "proof is in the pudding," as they say.  

Belichick gave yeoman duty to the diminutive running back Dion Lewis in that game. Lewis responded with three touchdowns, a receiving touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.  That was a feat never before accomplished in the Superbowl era.  

 9.  The Texans 400 pound nose guard Vince Wolfolk is a hero in New England.  He got a rousing applause from the Patriots crowd, when he entered the stadium.  I think at some time in the near future, after Wilfolk retires, he will be honored by the Patriots. 

It was also very heart warming to see Vince and Patriots Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia hugging after the game.  Patricia himself is a big man, but he looked like a pipsqueak with big Vince's arms wrapped around him!

10. In the Sunday afternoon game, the Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the 2nd quarter, which looked to be the start of a rout against the rookie laden Cowboys.  However, the Cowboys fought back and tied the game 31-31 with but 35 seconds left in the 4th quarter.

Apparently 35 seconds was too much time to leave on the clock!  Mister Rodgers led the Packers to one first down and then with but 13 seconds left, completed a long pass to Jared Cook along the Cowboys sideline.  That put the Packers in position for Mason Crosby's 51 yard game winning field goal.  

Final score, Packers 34 and Cowboys 31.  What a bitter loss for the Cowboys!  

11. Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott accounted himself very well and he certainly was not the reason the Cowboys lost.  Prescott passed for over 300 yards, tossed 3 touchdowns, and bulled his way into the endzone for a 2-point after touchdown tally, knotting the score at 28-28.  But for that one ill-advised pass that was intercepted, Prescott played brilliantly and was great in the clutch!

12. There is no doubt about it, the Dallas quarterback position is firmly settled for the future.  Before long, Dak Prescott will be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  He is good now and is only going to get better.

Prescott is charismatic, good looking, snazzily attired, and well spoken.  He is also a natural leader and an outstanding role model!  I think he will be the "Face of the NFL" for the next ten years!  

13. The Cowboys rookie running back Ezekial Elliott also had a fine game with 22 carries for 125 yards.  Despite his 22 chances, I think they should have given Elliott the ball even more, especially during that last Dallas drive, when it appeared that they were positioning themselves for a tying field goal.  I don't know if that was Coach Jason Garrett's fault or Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan's fault, but someone is to blame. 

14. I'm putting the brunt of the blame for that Cowboys loss on their Defensive Coordinator Rob Marinelli.  The Cowboys had two frigging weeks to prepare for that game, yet it was almost halftime, before the Cowboys defense made their first stop of the Packers offense.  That is completely unacceptable!   

Jerry Jones should be filling out Marinelli's walking papers this morning without the slightest of hesitation.  Marinelli should be sent back to the church bell tower in South Bend, Indiana post haste!  I'm assuming that's where he came from, given his uncanny resemblance to Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame!

As part of his severance package, Jones should agree to pay for a couple of new rubber knees for Marinelli.  In this day and age, there is no reason for a man in his lofty position to be pacing the Dallas sidelines like an orangutan!  It's a bad look for the prestigious Cowboys.

15. In the Sunday night game in frigid, foggy Kansas City, the underdog Steelers prevailed over the Chiefs 18-16, without even sniffing paydirt. What a strange game!

The Chiefs had the only two touchdowns of the game, but failed on a 2-point conversion with but two minutes to play, which would have tied the game. They actually made the 2-point conversion, but it was negated by an offensive holding penalty.  Set back 10 yards, they failed on their second attempt at the 2-point conversion.  

The Steelers were then able to ice the game, when on 3rd and about 5 from their own 10 yard line, and over a minute left, Big Ben hit Antonio Brown on the side line with a whizzing fast ball for the first down!  That was all she wrote, game, set, match!

That was a gutsy play and a gusty call, kudos to Coach Mike Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley. Most teams and most coaches would have just run on that play to milk the clock, punt, and then try to hang on for dear life.  Not the Steelers, well done, very well done!

16. Despite not hitting paydirt, the Steelers were definitely the stronger team in this game.  They had about 160 more offensive yards than the Chiefs and were much more effective on third down conversions, succeeding on 7 of 15 as compared to 2 of 9 for the Chiefs.

From a statistical perspective, Big Ben had a very mediocre game completing 20 passes for 224 yards, with no touchdowns and 1 pick. Alex Smith was even worse, completing 20 passes for a measly 166 yards with one pick and one touchdown.

Big Ben controlled the pace of the game by handing off to Le'Veon Bell and passing to Antonio Brown.  Bell had an impressive 30 carries for an even more impressive 170 yards.  Brown had 6 catches for 108 yards, including that game clinching catch at game's end, when he ran from one sideline to the other to get open.

17. Irrespective of Bell & Brown's contributions, the Steelers 4th "Big B" Chris Boswell was probably the star of the game.  Boswell hit six clutch boots, comprising the entirety of the Steeler's scoring and a total of 227 yards of field goal success.  That's pretty amazing!  

18. Conference Championship Games on Sunday January 22nd:

o Packers @ Falcons -  This game should be a real barn burner, with the last team to have the ball winning.  We could see 800 total passing yards and 8 touchdowns from gunslingers Rodgers & Ryan.  The over/under should be set at about 90.

o Steelers @ Patriots - With both Ben & Brady coming off mediocre outings, look for both to rebound in this game.  Since Belichick always schemes to take the opponent's best player out of the game, he has a tough decision with the Steelers flush with three superstars.  My guess is that he will scheme to take Bell out of the game, leaving it up to Ben & Brown.  Should be interesting...
DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

We have co-winners this week folks. They are Tight End Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and Wide Receiver Antonio Brown of the Steelers.
Kelce came up rather minisule in this big game with zero touchdowns, some key missed passes, and a very stupid and irresponsible unportsmanlike conduct" penalty!  He came up even more miniscule in his post game ranting about the referee's penalty call during the Chief's attempted game tying 2-point conversion after their touchdown.

He raked that poor ref up and down so relentlessly, you'd think the poor guy was an Islamic terrorist!  The problem is, the ref made the correct call.  For goodness sakes, Chiefs Tackle Eric Fisher had a "Full Nelson" headlock on James Harrison, as he was attempting to rush Alex Smith. Ray Charles could have made that call.

The other co-winner Antonio Brown had a good game but blundered terribly in the aftermath.  Coach Tomlin gave his team a post-game, locker room pep talk in which he used several invectives aimed at the Patriots and deriding their perceived advantages of home field, an earlier game, more rest time, and so on and so forth.  Everyone and their dumb uncles even know that what is said in the locker room stays in the locker room! 

Nope, apparently the attention seeking Antonio Brown didn't know that.  He taped Tomlin's 17 minute tirade and then rushed off to post it on his "Face Book Live" account for the whole world to see.  

Now then, I don't think this is that big a deal, but.....when you're heading off to the "Holy Land" to play against the "Holy Trinity" of Brady, Belichick, and Kraft, it might be wise to keep a low profile and not denigrate the entire papacy!  Now then, I don't think the Patriots need any added incentive for this game, but if they do, there it is.....

PARTING NOTE:

Today is Martin Luther King Day.  The Reverend Martin Luther King was a great man who richly deserves our honor and respect!  He certainly has mine.

Unfortunately, I think this great man would be very disgusted at some of today's African American leaders such as pseudo reverends Sharpton, Jackson, and Farrakhan and congressional leaders like John Lewis.  He's probably rolling over in his grave, listening to the inane ramblings of these frauds! 
Macdawg, outta here for now.........


 NFL WEEK #18 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg

​ 1. This was the most boring week of the season!  Home "chalk" won all four playoff games in blowouts.  After all the anguish and various perturbations from the pundits about wildcards, the wildcards are done!  What a waste of time!

Maybe Commissioner Numbnuts Goodell should make himself useful and eliminate wildcards.  It ain't gonna happen though, it's all about the "Almighty Buck!"
 
2. The once high flying Raiders got shot down in Houston by the Texans, 27-14.  Their back-up, back-up quarterback Connor Cook was so far over his head, he might as well have been in a fish tank with a lid on it.  The Raiders would have been better off bringing the 69 year old Jimmy Plunkett down from the stands and putting him behind center.

Cook was harrassed and pressured relentlessly by the Houston defense. He completed a mere 18 passes out of 45 attempts for a measly buck sixty-one, with no touchdowns and three picks!  To make matters worse, Crabtree and Cooper had the dropsies!  How Amari Cooper made the NFL All-Pro team is beyond comprehension, this guy has been an absolute bum this year!  Just ask any of his fantasy football owners.

This kid Cook was so putrid, he may never recover from the shellacking he took. At this time next year, Connor Cook will be Captain Cook dressed in a Salvation Army uniform, ringing the bell in the front of a Safeway Store, pleading for donations.

 3. The Texans Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney was a one-man wrecking crew, with a couple of sacks and a critical early interception, that pretty much spelled doom to any slim chance the Raiders might have had!  

The pundits and football "talking heads" are now comparing the Texans Defense to the old Steel Curtain!  Are you shitting me, they were playing against a greenhorn quarterback who was making his first NFL start!  Compared to Pittsburgh's old Steel Curtain, the Houston Defense is like a damn brillo pad!

 4. In the Saturday nighter, the Seattle Seahawks annihilated the cowardly Detroit Lions 26-6. That is the 4th straight loss for the Lions, who not that long ago had a comfy 3 game lead in the NFC North.  The Lions went right down the drain, after quarterback Matt Stafford hurt his throwing hand.

In that Saturday nighter, all the Lions could muster was a couple of useless field goals, as Stafford and Coach Caldwell had no answers. All Caldwell did was stand on the sidelines with that ever present grimace on his face, and grimace some more.  The Lions just gave Caldwell a vote of confidence and an extension last week.  After this game, they will probably give him his "walking papers!"

 5. Meanwhile, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had a pretty flawless game tossing 30 passes with 23 completions, 1 touchdown, and no picks. His one touchdown pass was to 2nd year man Paul Richardson, who made an unbelievable 1-handed grab in the corner of the endzone, with a defender draped all over him.  This catch was even better than that 1-handed job that Odell Beckham made last year.

Richardson made another fantastic 1-handed grab for a first down, later in that game.  This kid is lightning fast, with great hands, and will be in his third year in the 2017 season.  The fantasy football geeks are going to be all over this kid!

 6. In frigid Pittsburgh by the icy shores of the Allegheny River, the warm weather acclimated Miami Dolphins were playing the cold weather acclimated Pittsburgh Steelers.  That wasn't even a fair fight, it was like a real life dolphin fighting a polar bear on dry land!  The outcome was inevitable, a 30-12 thrashing of the Dolphins by the Steelers.

Before ten minutes had elapsed in the first period, that game was over.  In Pittsburgh's first two possessions, Big Ben hit Antonio Brown with short passes that he ran in for touchdowns.  The first was a 50 yarder and the second a 62 yarder.  That was really all she wrote, the Steelers didn't even need the two Le'Veon Bell touchdown runs that occurred later.  To add insult to injury, however, Bell rushed for an unbelievable 167 yards, a team playoff record.

 7. The 1972 Dolphins, who are now all septuagenerians and octogenarians, could have given the Steelers a better game than this sorry bunch of Dolphins.  They completely embarrassed themselves with their feeble effort and incompetent execution.

 8. The only drawback for the Steelers was that Big Ben got injured on the next to last play of the game. He was injured attempting a pass, when a behemoth Dolphin lineman fell on Ben's foot.  That's pretty stupid, you've got the ball, an 18 point lead, and very little time on the clock, why in the hell are you throwing a pass!

 9. In the Sunday Night game, the Giants jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, as their defense was holding the Packers and Mister Rodgers to next to nothing.  That lead however would have been either 14-0 or 17-0, save for critical drops by wide receivers Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepherd. 

Unfortunately, the Giants eventually choked their way to a 38-13 thumping.  The back breaker was when the vaunted Giants defense allowed Rodgers to complete a 42-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to the diminutive Randall Cobb, as the second half was coming to an end!   Are you kidding me, there must have been five Giants defenders in the endzone and they let a guy the height of Mickey Rooney make the catch.  Of course, it was aided by a push that was uncalled by the officials.

10. That pre halftime "Hail Mary" touchdown did the Giants in!  Once you let the camel's nose in the tent, before you know it, the entire came is in the tent.

After halftime, Rodgers and the Packers came out like a house afire!  Rodgers tossed three more touchdown passes and torched the Giants for a total of 362 yards with no turnovers. 

11. H'mmmm, maybe that Miami Beach Monday outing by the Giants wide receivers was their undoing.  There were at least 4 or more very catchable passes that were not caught, two of them in the endzone!  One thing is for sure, they will hear about that ill advised Miami Beach adventure from now until forever, and it may well have a lasting effect on a guy like Odell Beckham.

After a very calm and poised post game press conference, word has it that the petulant Beckham went beserk, banging his head and fist through some locker room walls. Maybe he was trying to knock some sense into himself.

12. The Giants head coach Ben McAdoo did a terrible job in that game.  He was much too predictable.

At one point in time, the Giants were 4th and 1 near midfield and he decided to go for the first down.  That was a good decision. He had a couple of big, bulldozing backs he could have used to navigate the one yard, but instead gave it to a back the size and strength of Peewee Herman. Needless to say, the first down attempt was thwarted, and the Green Bay comeback was initiated.

If McAdoo had any balls or brains, he would have called for a play-action pass from Eli to Odell, which could have put the Packers on the balls of their asses!  As far as I'm concerned, McAdoo lost a game he could have won right then and there!  You are not going to beat the Packers in Green Bay with field goals.

13. New York fans are brutal and quite unforgiving. I would recommend that McAdoo shave off that pimp-like mustache of his, buy himself a Bozo the Clown costume, and use that any time he wants to venture out onto the streets of New York City.  That way, no one will know who he is and he can evade the scorn he deserves.

14. The Packers great wide receiver Jordy Nelson went down in the second period of that game, when he got viciously speared in the ribs by a Giants defensive back.  Nelson was lost for the rest of that game and might well be lost for the rest of this season.  

Fortunately for the Packers, Randall Cobb more than made up for Nelson's absence.  Whether he can do it again next week against Dallas is another question, as they will have a week to prepare for him.

15. The Nelson spearing was a flagrant and illegal hit, that was missed by the officials, as was the Cobb "Hail Mary" push. All in all, the officiating this weekend was the shits!  Many calls were missed and many bad calls were made.  Significant improvements in staff must be addressed in the off season.

16. Week #2 Playoff Games:

o Seahawks @ Falcons - The Seahawks had a good game against the Lions, but don't weight that too heavily.  The Falcons are 4 point favorites and have a very high powered offense led by quarterback Matt Ryan, this year's most likely MVP winner.  Unless Ryan regresses, he and the Falcons should be able to light up the Seahawks like the Packers did in Week #14, when they thrashed them 38-10.

o Texans @ Patriots - Coach O'Brien's return to Foxborough is going to be about as warm and cozy as the atmosphere and mood in State College, Pennsylvania when he was the new coach of the Nittany Lions, in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky molestation scandal. That scandal shook Happy Valley to earthquake proportions and even tainted the lofty legacy of the previously invincible and untouchable Joe Paterno, St. Joe that is!

The Texans should not get too full of themselves, for beating the worst quarterback in the league this past week.  In this game, they'll be facing the best quarterback in the league.  The Patriots are a prohibitive 16 point favorite.  

In Week #3, the Patriots whitewashed the Texans in Foxborough 27-zip.  A rookie quarterback from North Carolina State by the name of Jacoby Brissett was their quarterback in that game.  Given that background, I think O'Brien and the Texans would be better off just forfeiting this game.

o Steelers @ Chiefs - Should be a great game with both teams currently playing at a high level.  The Chiefs are 2 point favorites, irrespective of the fact the Steelers have won 8 in a row, and that the Steelers lambasted them 43-14 in Pittsburgh in Week #4!  That betting line is entirely based on the unfriendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium.  Unfriendly that is, to the Steelers.  

o Packers @ Cowboys - The Cowboys are also 4 point favorites, irrespective of the fact the Packers have won 7 in a row.  That line is primarily based on the home field advantage and the Cowboys being a more balanced team.  If the Dak Prescott gets hurt, the Cowboys can bring in Tony Romo, which might be an upgrade.  If Rodgers gets hurt, the Packers may as well head back to Green Bay.

The Cowboys will have to take full advantage of their rookie phenom running back Ezekial Elliott and the best Offensive Line in football to keep the chains moving.  That coupled with their rookie quarterback Dak Prescott completing some strategic play action passes should keep the Pack at bay and Mister Rodgers on the bench.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

Commissioner Roger "Numbnuts" Goodell takes his sixth or seventh Dumbshit Award of the year. It has now been over a week and there is still no word on what punishment will be dispensed to Bronco's incorrigible defensive back Aqib Talib.

In last week's Raiders/Broncos game in an outrageous display of poor sportsmanship, Talib ripped the gold chain off of Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.  It was obviously a pre-meditated action, as he told teammates about his intention before the game.  This imbecile then boasted about it in a post game interview.  

To give you an idea of the ineptitude of Goodell and his commissioner's office, Talib is still under investigation by them for a Dallas barroom shooting incident last Summer, in which he shot himself in the thigh.  Apparently the myopic commish is short of manpower as his staff is still investigating the topic of deflated footballs up in New England!

Roger Goodell is a dumbshit without peer!


Macdawg, outta here for now.........

                                 
                                 NFL WEEK #17 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg

 1. The Patriots spanked the Dolphins 35-14 in Miami yesterday and retained the #1 seed in the AFC.  They now will have two weeks of rest, practice, and preparation.  Their first playoff game will be against a team using a back-up, or back-up back-up quarterback, from either the Raiders, Dolphins, or Texans.  
 
2. The Raiders got lambasted up in Denver by the Broncos, 24-6.  In the process, they lost the AFC West Division crown to the Chiefs, lost the #2 seed, lost a first week bye, lost a home game in the "Black Hole" and squandered whatever slim chance they might have had for playoff success.  

 3. The Raiders back-up quarterback to the disabled Derek Carr, a bloke by the name of Matt McGloin, got pummelled to the turf just before halftime.  He hobbled off the field looking like Chuck Wepner the "Bayonne Bleeder" right after his 1975 fifteen round battering by Muhammad Ali!  

That was probably a good thing for the Raiders, as McGloin was abysmal up until then, going 6 for 11 for a whopping 21 yards.  He missed a couple of wide open receivers so badly, that they couldn't have caught the ball if they were standing on a ladder!  Unfortunately, McGloin's back-up, a kid named Connor Cook looked like he had never played quarterback before!  

Now the Raiders, as the #5 AFC seed, will have to travel to Houston to play the Texans next Saturday, where they are a 3 1/2 point underdog. How could a season that was going so good end so badly!

 4. The Chiefs prevailed 37-27 in San Diego against the schizophrenic Chargers and captured the #2 AFC along with all the other goodies that the Raiders had and lost.  Their first playoff game will be in the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium and most probably against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Chiefs have been playing solid football lately.  Their quarterback Shitty Smitty from Kansas City has been doing a superb job directing their offense. Against the Chargers, he tossed for two touchdowns and ran for another.  

 5. The Chiefs "secret weapon" is rookie Tyreek Hill, who might be the fastest guy in the NFL!  He has had several touchdowns this year, a few of which were on special teams.  He scored another Sunday, returning a Chargers punt 95 yards for a touchdown.  Look for this kid to do some bigtime damage during the playoffs.

 6. The Pittsburgh Steelers already had the #3 AFC seed locked up, so they sat all their Big "B's" (Big Ben, Brown, & Bell) on Sunday. Using their "taxi squad" players and any rummies they could find on the street, they still prevailed, beating the Cleveland Clowns 27-24 in Overtime. They should have given the game ball for that win to the Cleveland coach Hue Jackson. 

The game was tied 21-21 with like a minute to go, with the Browns first and goal on the Pittsburgh 2 yard line.  All the Browns had to do was take three knees and kick the game winning field goal.  Instead, they call for a run and Isiah Crowell immediately fumbles the ball as the Browns squander a golden opportunity to win their second straight game and second of the year.  

So then, the game goes into overtime. The Browns win the toss, again get down to the Steelers goal line, and then botch their next six plays, (as a result of Steeler penalties), squander their touchdown opportunity, and have to settle for a field goal.

As one would expect, the Steelers then finally get the ball and march right down for a winning touchdown behind their back-up quarterback, Landry Jones!   Hue Jackson you are one enormous Dumbshit!  It's no wonder the Browns have the #1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft!

 7. The Steelers will now play the Dolphins in Pittsburgh, this coming Sunday.  They are 10 point favorites.  Expect the Dolphins to take a beating
equally as bad as what was administered to them by the Patriots.  

You can completely dismiss the 30-15 thrashing the Dolphins gave the Steelers in Week #6 down in Miami.  Jay Ajayi rushed for over 200 yards in that game.  In the upcoming playoff game, expect the Steelers to flood the box, contain Ajayi, and make Matt Moore beat them.  Moore has about as much a chance of beating the Steelers as the Alleghany River has of drying up in the next 6 days!  

 8. The Houston Texans captured the #4 seed, but no thanks to themselves.  Firstly, they need to thank their ex-kicker Randy Bullock, now with the Bengals, for missing that game winning chip shot field goal in Week #16.  Secondly, they need to thank the Jacksonville Jaguars for beating the Titans, also in Week #16.

Had both of those things not happened, the Texans would be home watching the playoffs on television this weekend, where they belong. They lost to the Titans, 24-17, this week in Nashville, which should have been for the AFC South Division championship.   

The Titans fans must be outraged at the way that scenario unfolded!  I'm sure they had a "Blue Christmas" down there! Maybe Titans Coach Mularkey shouldn't be fired, but he should be put on probation for letting that happen.  

 9. The Texans might be going with their $72 million back-up quarterback Brock Osweiller this weekend, because their usual back-up, the $72 dollar Tom Savage suffered a concussion in the Titans game and might not pass the so called "concussion protocol."  If Savage can't play, and Osweiller is at the helm, it will be up to the Houston defense to win that game.

10. In the NFC, the Cowboys clinched the #1 seed last week.  They rested their big stars this week, which resulted in a 27-13 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.  They did insert Tony Romo for a couple of series and he looked damn good, completing 3 of 4 passing, including a short touchdown pass.  There is no doubt that he will be a more than able back-up, should something happen to Dak Prescott.  

The Cowboys had Mark Sanchez quarterback the team for most of the game.  He stunk it up pretty good, and it looks like he has made no improvements since his infamous "Butt Fumble" game with the Jets a few years back.  Cowboy fans better hope that nothing happens to both Prescott and Romo!

11. The Cowboys will be playing either the Packers or Giants in their first playoff game.  The Packers are blazing hot right now and the Giants have the Cowboys number, so neither one is a bargain for this #1 seed.  They would have been better off with the #2 seed.

12.  The Falcons are sitting pretty with the #2 NFC Seed, resting up for their eventual playoff game.  That game will most likely be against the Seattle Seahawks.

On Sunday, in a shootout between Falcons quarterback Matty Ryan and Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the Falcons prevailed 38-32. Between these two gun slingers, they tossed 86 passes for nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns!  It was like 4th of July down there in Atlanta.  

13. Matty Ice has had a great year and now appears to have the inside track on this year's MVP award.  Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are both better, but the Iceman has never won the award, so that may factor into the voting.  For what it's worth, I am in two different Fantasy Football leagues and Aaron Rodgers outscored Matty Ryan in both leagues.

14. The Seahawks have the #3 NFC Seed, but are still not the juggernaut they once were.  They get to host the Detroit Lions in Seattle this Saturday and are prohibitive 8 point favorites.  The Lions have now lost three in a row and are really reeling. They actually backed into the playoffs on their hands and knees, compliments of the Washington Redskins.  The Seahawks should be able to manage a win in this game based on three factors, their defense, their rowdy crowd, and their clutch quarterback Russell Wilson.

15. The Packers beat the Lions 31-24 in Detroit on Sunday night and captured the #4 NFC Seed.  Right after getting thrashed by the Redskins in Washington on Week #11, the Packers were on the balls of their frigid asses with a 3-6 record!  It was in the clubhouse after that game, that Aaron Rodgers predicted the Packers would "run the table" from thereon out.  Unbelievably enough, that prediction came true on Sunday night.

During that six game stretch, Rodgers hoisted his fellow Packers on his back and led them to six straight victories, while tossing for 15 touchdowns with ZERO interceptions. That was the greatest realized prediction since Joe Namath predicted the Jets would beat the vaunted Baltimore Colts in Superbowl III, way back in January of 1969!   Rodgers ought to get the MVP nod based on that alone.

16. The #5 seed goes to the New York Giants.  They knocked one of their bitter NFC East rivals right out of the playoffs on Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C.. Yes sir, they took it to the Washington Redskins 19-10.

The Giants now get the pleasure of venturing to balmy Green Bay to face the Packers and Mister Rodgers on Sunday afternoon.  The G-Men are 4 1/2  point underdogs, but they have a way of coming through in games like these.  

17. The Redskins, on the other hand, had their fate in their own hands and squandered it away.  I watched that game and never had the feeling that the Redskins would win it.  Don't forget folks, they also lost at home a couple of Monday nights ago to the ragtag 2016 Carolina Panthers.

 Incompetence reigns supreme in our Nation's Capital!  

18. The Redskins soon-to-be free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins had a horrible game with two critical picks.  He not only squandered away the game for the Redskins, he might have also squandered away an Osweiller-like $72 million, long term contract.  I'm sure that wary owners have to be assessing the Osweiller situation and becoming a little gun shy. 

Cousins should now hunt down that reporter and once again ask him "What do you think of me now!"  I think he'll soon be dropping that line.

19. Apparently the culture change from Phoenix, Arizona to Foxborough, Massachusetts has worked wonders for wide receiver Michael Floyd!  Floyd had a spectacular game against the Dolphins this past Sunday!

Firstly, he made a very difficult catch in the back corner of the endzone for his first Patriots touchdown.  Secondly, he made another even more difficult long catch for a first down right at the sidelines, which took the air out of a potential Dolphins comeback.  Thirdly, on a Patriots fumble
recovery and return, he knocked a Dolphins pursuer out cold with a crushing block!  The guy looked like he had been hit by a Mack Truck!

I don't know if Floyd had been brainwashed by Belichick and Brady, or what, but I think he's going to fit in just fine! 

20.  Did anyone see that post game interview with Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.  With that long beard and black hat, Edelman looked like a Hasidic Jewish Rabbi.

As a result, I looked him up on Google and found he is indeed part Jewish.  Not only that, but just last week he was honored by the American Jewish Historical Society as the 4th best Jewish football player ever.  The three ahead of him are Sid Luckman, Benny Friedman, and Ron Mix.

I don't know anything about Friedman, but Luckman was a Columbia grad who played for the Chicago Bears back in the 1940's, and is known as the first T-Formation quarterback back and a highly revered Hall Of Famer.  Ron Mix was a great San Diego Chargers lineman in the 1960's, and he also is a Hall Of Famer. 

21. Today is "Black Monday" in the NFL and the bodies are mounting. Mike McCoy and Chip Kelly have been added to the scrap heap already containing Jeff Fisher, Gus Bradley, and Rex Ryan.  

I am still surprised that Todd Bowles, Chuck Pagano, Marvin Lewis, Ron Rivera, and John Fox haven't yet been visited by the Grim Reaper.

22. San Francisco's CEO Jed York gave a press conference today to discuss the weekend's blood bath in 49'er headquarters.  I can't believe this guy is running this organization.  He looks and talks like he couldn't even qualify as a contestant on the old Gong Show!

The United States of Incompetence run rampant folks!  York is the same dipshit that approved the hiring of coaches Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, Jim "The Bowler" Tomsula, and Chip Kelly.  I think it was also he that masterminded the ouster of their only good coach in the past 8-10 years, Jim Harbaugh who took them to a Superbowl.

23. Oh by the way, the 49'ers behind Tattoo Man lost another game on Sunday, losing to the Seahawks 25-23.  I'm surprised the 49'ers team didn't hold a pre-game "Win one for the Chipper" meeting!  

Actually, their season was somewhat successful as they beat their most hated rival, the Rams, twice this year.  Unfortunately, they lost every other game finishing at 2-14. 

24. The Colts great Defensive End Robert Mathis and the Ravens Wide Receiver Steve Smith, Sr. both retired after this week's action.  I think they are both borderline candidates for the Football Hall of Fame.

Mathis was a fierce pass rusher and sack artist. Smith, though only about an inch taller than Mickey Rooney, was a clutch receiver and tougher than aritmetic.  They will both be missed.

25. Sam Bradford broke the alltime single season record for quarterback completion percentage.  His percentage of 71.6% eclipsed the previous record holder, Drew Brees, who had a 71.2% record. BFD, Bradford's average pass goes about 5 yards !

26. Handsome Frankie Gore eclipsed 1000 yards rushing for the 9th time.  That puts him in the rare and elite company of Curtis Martin, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and Walter Peyton.  Now that is a BFD!

27. Larry Fitzgerald had 107 receptions this year, the most receptions of all wide receivers.  That is damn impressive, since Fitzy is now a little long in the tooth!

28. The three worst teams in the NFL all won in Week #16 and all lost in Week #17, the Browns, Jaguars, and 49'ers.

29  Three underdogs prevailed in Week #17, the Jets over the Bills, the Bengals over the Ravens, the Giants over the Redskins,

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:
I have to give it to Broncos defensive back Aqib Talib, who in an outrageous display of poor sportsmanship ripped the gold chain off of Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.  This imbecile then boasted about it in a post game interview.  With a name like that and his history of crude and thuggish behavior, I'd recommend that Donald Trump put a tail on this punk!

By the way, I can't wait to see the penalty Commissioner Numbnuts Goodell dispenses on this one!

Happy New Years folks, I hope 2017 is a good one for all! 


Macdawg, outta here for now.........

  

                     NFL WEEK #16 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg


 1. The Patriots retained the #1 seed in the AFC and the Cowboys retained the #1 seed in the NFC.  They both have 13-2 records, which are the best records in their respective conferences.  

 2. The Patriots annihilated the Jets in Foxborough 41-3.  Beleagured Jets Coach Todd Bowles was suffering from kidney stones, but the stoning Brady and the Patriots gave him and his Jets might have been more painful!  This beatdown was so bad, that Belichick sat Brady down for the entire 4th quarter, pissing the hell out of fantasy geeks!

The Patriots finish with the Dolphins in Miami this week and must beat them to ensure the AFC #1 seed.  In this game, Coach Belichick will assuredly neutralize the Dolphins star running back Jay Ajayi and make back-up quarterback Matt Moore beat them.  Ajayi has rushed for over 200 yards in three games this year, including this past week against the Buffalo Bills.  Chances of that happening this week are slim to none!

 3.  The Raiders beat the Colts 33-25 in Oakland to retain their #2 position in the AFC, but lost their star quarterback Derek Carr in the process. Carr had his leg broken in that game and is now out for the season. His replacement is one Matt McGloin who has been assigned the task of leading the Raiders through the playoffs.  Good luck with that!  

The Raiders improve to 12-3 and still have their eyes on the #1 seed, but I think they'll be lucky to hold onto the #2 seed.  They play the Broncos this week in Denver and they'll be lucky to win that game.  However, if they do and the Patriots lose, they will have the #1 AFC seed. Don't bet all your Christmas money on that happening folks!

 4. The Steelers are solidly entrenched in the #3 spot, and will very possibly rise to #2 after this week's action. In a bitterly contested battle, the Steelers beat the Ravens 31-27, and won the AFC North Division title in the process.  This was another in the long series of knock-down, drag-out battles between these two rugged gridiron combatants. 

The good news about that Steelers win is that we now won't have to listen anymore this year to Ravens loudmouth Linebacker Terrell Suggs.  What a jerkbag that guy is!  

 5. The Steelers are now 10-5 and close out their regular season at home against the Brownies.  I didn't realize the NFL schedules byes for Week #17.

The Steelers could put loudmouth Terry Bradshaw in as their starting quarterback for that game and still win by three touchdowns!  
The attention grabbing Bradshaw recently blasted Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin as nothing more than a "glorified cheerleader!"  Yeh Terry, and you were better than Big Ben!  Get back on your medication!

 6. Ben Roethlisberger might be the best clutch quarterback in the NFL.  With the Steelers trailing 27-24, and less than 2 minutes to go, he completed pass after pass after pass, marching the Steelers to within breathing range of the Ravens goal.  Most quarterbacks in that situation would take the safe route and get in position to assure a tying field goal and an ensueing overtime period.

Yep, most quarterbacks, but not "Big Balls" Ben.  With less than ten seconds on the clock, Big Ben tosses a bullet to All-World receiver Antonio Brown, who does the "catch & stretch" for the game winning touchdown.  Unbelievable!

 7. The Kansas City Chiefs are now 11-4 and hold down the #4 AFC spot, in my estimation. They destroyed the defending Superbowl champion Broncos, 33-10, on Christmas night in Kansas City, treating them worse than Rudolph "The Red Nosed Reindeer" was treated by the rest of Santa's
reindeers!

The Broncos are now kaput and hopefully we won't hear anything more from their boastful star linebacker Von Miller.  Maybe he can go back on "Dancing With The Stars." 

Actually, the star of that game was Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who had 11 catches for 160 yards, including one for an 80 yard touchdown. Kelce demonstrated some real slick dance moves after a few of those catches, so maybe they should book him into the dancing show.

The Chiefs currently hold the #1 AFC Wild Card position.  They finish up on the road against the Chargers.  If they win that game and the Raiders lose to the Broncos, the Chiefs will capture the AFC West Division crown and the #2 AFC seed.  There's a decent chance of that happening, but I think they will have their hands full with the Chargers this week in San Diego.

 8. I will reluctantly concede the AFC #5 spot to the Houston Texans.  They fortunately beat the Bengals 12-10 this week, when Bengals kicker Randy Bullock missed a game winning, chip shot field goal with 3 seconds left in the game.  That kick looked like a rank golf hacker's sliced tee shot!  It's no wonder the Texans dumped that guy last year, what a bum!

 9. The big game this week between the Texans and Titans for the AFC South Division title is now just an afterthought!   The Titans lost 38-17 down in Jacksonville to the Jaguars, the third worst team in the NFL!  They also lost their budding superstar quarterback Marcus Mariota, who had his leg broken in that game!

Someone has to pay for that, and it might as well be their head Coach Mike Mularkey.  Apparently, Mularkey is full of malarkey having lost that crtitical game and his quarterback in the process.  Don't be surprised if Mularkey loses his job.

10. The #6 AFC spot goes to the Miami Dolphins.  They beat the Bills in Buffalo 34-31 in Overtime.  They hold the #2 AFC Wild Card and will retain that position, irrespective of the beating the Patriots will give them this week down in Miami.  

11. The Bills blew all their chances of a playoff spot, when they lost that overtime game to the Dolphins.  This morning, the Bills management blew
the Fat Ass Brothers out of town!  Yep, Rexy was summarily and ignominiously fired, and Robby too!

Rexy is a professional bullshit slinger, which is how he gets all his head coaching jobs.  Unfortunately with Rexy, after all is said and done, a helluva lot more is said than done!  He will probably get another job as a defensive coach, but that should be it.  Unless, of course, some unsuspecting, upstart owner is not familiar with the "Peter Principal!"

Robby Ryan might be the worst living defensive coach in the world.  Just look at his resume from Oakland, New Orleans, and Buffalo. He should never get another job. His next job should be as a greeter at Walmarts.

12.  Dead Ducks List #1 - Ravens, Titans, Colts, Bills, Buccaneers, & Vikings.  The Vikings are the only team in the history of the NFL, that started out
with five straight wins and failed to make the playoffs.

13.  Dead Ducks List #2 - Jeff Fisher, Gus Bradley, Rex Ryan.  The following "wounded ducks" will be following:  Todd Bowles, Mike Mularkey, Chuck
Pagano, Marvin Lewis, Ron Rivera, and John Fox.   Merry Christmas and Happy New Years fellas!

14. In the NFC, the Cowboys now have secured #1 spot throughout the playoffs.  They obliterated the Lions 42-21 in Big D on Monday night, improving their record to 13-2.  

They finish the regular season in Philly, against the Eagles.  That is now an absolute nothing game, so I'm sure Head Puppeteer Geraldo Jones will be ordering Head Puppet Jason Garret to be resting his star players.

15. The Dallas Duo of Prescott & Elliott were big stars in that Monday night game. Prescott went 15 for 20 with 3 touchdowns and no picks.  Elliott rumbled for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55 yarder.

Unbelievably enough, Dez Bryant was the biggest Cowboy star in that game!  Bryant caught two very difficult touchdown passes and threw for another.  Unfortunately for all the fantasy geeksters that drafted him or saved him as a "keeper,"  it was too little too late!  In the critical first week of fantasy Playoffs, dizzy Dezzy caught one pass for 10 yards and then immediately fumbled. What a bum!

16. I'm dropping the Seahawks from the #2 spot and elevating the Falcons to that position. The high flying Falcons eviscerated the Panthers 33-16 in Atlanta last Saturday, improving to 10-5 and clinching the NFC South Division title.

They finish at home against the Saints and that bodes well for the Falcons.  The Falcons are very good against teams with weak to so-so defenses, a characterization that best characterizes the Saints.  The over/under spread on that game should be about 75!

17. I'm not sure why, but I'll put the Seahawks as the #3 power in the NFC.  Their cloak of invincibility in Seattle was uncloaked and debunked on Christmas Eve, as the Cardinals beat them 34-31 with a last minute field goal.  Once the cloak of invincibility is destroyed, it's "Katie bar the door" folks!  Remember what happened to Sonny Liston and George Foreman, after the legendary Muhammad Ali shredded their invincibity!

18. Although the Seahawks still have a more than respectable 9-5-1 record and have already clinched the NFC West Division crown, they have lost 3 out of their last 5 games and have some notable flaws.  Their rushing game is pretty non-existent, their O-Line is like a colander, and their embattled quarterback Russell Wilson seems to be constantly running for his life!  Adding to their woes, their homerun hitting wide receiver Tyler Lockett broke
his leg in that Saturday game, and is now out for the year! 

19. With their 5th straight win, I'm elevating the Packers to the #4 NFC power spot.  They thrashed the Vikings 38-25 in Green Bay on Saturday and are on a real roll!  They are now tied atop the NFC North Division with the Lions, whom they will play next Sunday night in Detroit, to determine the championship of that division.  Both teams have 9-6 records.

20. It was in Week #11 that the Packers were thrashed 42-24 by the Redskins.  It was right after that game, that Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced that the Packers would "run the table" the rest of the way.  So far, his prediction, has come true but let's look at whom they beat.

Week #12 - Beat the now 6-9 Eagles 27-13 in Philly.
Week #13 - Barely beat the Texans, not exactly a juggernaut, 21-13 in Green Bay.
Week #14 - Annihilated the Seahawks in Green Bay 38-10.  Unfortunately, the Seahawks are not who we thought they were!
Week #15 - Barely beat the lowly Bears in Chicago, 30-27.  The Bears are perhaps the 3rd worst team in the NFL.
Week #16 - Beat the Vikings in Green Bay.  The Vikings have lost 8 of their last 10 games!

Now despite all that data, I do not trust Detroit nor their quarterback Matt Stafford in the big games.  The Packers beat the Lions 34-27 in Week #3 in Green Bay and they will beat them again next Sunday night down in Detroit to win the NFC North Division championship.

21. The Giants have already clinched a playoff spot, so I will put them in the #5 spot in the NFC power rankings.  They lost last Thursday night to the Eagles, 24-19, in the City Of Brotherly Love, but still have a very respectable 10-5 record.  Sure, Baby Hughey is playing like "dogshit" but they do have a good defense.

They play a nothing game against the Redskins down in Washington this week.  Well, it's a nothing game for them, but a big game for the Redskins.  I'm picking the Redskinnies to win that game.

22. I'm actually going to put the Redskins in this #6 spot.  They thrashed the lowly Bears last week 41-21 and if they can beat the Giants this week, they should get in the Playoffs.

They now have an 8-6-1 record, which will improve to 9-6-1 with a win over the Giants.  Both the Packers and Lions are at 9-6.  The loser of that game will fall to 9-7, which is worse than 9-6-1, thus allowing the Redskins to make the Playoffs.  

23. I'll put the Lions in the #7 spot.  The way I figure it, a win over the Packers gives them the NFC North Division crown, and a loss kicks them out of playoff contention.  The "bird is in their hands," hope they don't crush it!

24. I'll put the Buccaneers in the #8 spot, only because I heard they still have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs.  I'm sure it's a preposterous scenario, so I'll not even investigate it.  

They lost to the Saints in 'Nawlins last week, 31-24, and I believe that was their "Swan Song!"  Bye, bye Bucs!

25. The three worst teams in the NFL all won in Week #16.  The previously winless Browns beat the Chargers 20-17, the Jaguars beat the Titans 38-17, and the 49'ers beat the Rams 22-21.   In all there were 6 underdogs prevailing, as the Eagles upset the Giants, the Dolphins upset the Bills, and the Cardinals upset the Seahawks. 

26. There are a handful of games that might be interesting in Week #17.  Here they are:

o  Patriots @ Dolphins - Patriots need to win to ensure the #1 AFC seed.

o  Chiefs @ Chargers - Chiefs still have a shot at the AFC West Division crown.

o  Raiders @ Broncos - Raiders need to win to ensure the #2 AFC Seed and the AFC West Division crown.

o  Giants @ Redskins -  Redskins playoff hopes are riding on this game.

o  Packers @ Lions - The game of the week with the NFC North Division championship at stake.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

Head Coaches seem to be doing stupid things this time of year.  This week's honoree is roly-poly Coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs had their big game against the Broncos well in hand with a 27-10 lead and less than 2 minutes to go. They had the ball in the shadows of the Broncos goal and "Dumbshit" Coach Reid calls a timeout.  The next thing you know, the 390 pound Defensive Tackle Dontari Poe comes wobbling into the game for what appears to be an attempt at one of those old "Refrigerator" Perry touchdown runs that Mike Ditka and the Chicago Bears used to do.

They hike the ball directly to this gargantuan man, who goes wobbling towards the pack, then all of a sudden does a jump pass to an unguarded receiver in the endzone.  This foolish caper by Reid accomplished two things.

The first accomplishment is an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, documenting Dontari Poe as the heaviest football player ever to complete a touchdown pass.   The second accomplishment is an indelible memory etched in the minds of the Denver Broncos, that will undoubtedly come back to bite Fat Ass Andy sometime in the future!

Christmas is over folks, we are six days into Winter, and only 5 days away from the New Year.  Happy New Years!

Macdawg, outta here for now.........

  


                                NFL WEEK #15 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg
 
1. The Macdawg Power Rankings still have the Patriots #1 in the AFC and the Cowboys #1 in the NFC.  They both have 12-2 records, which are the best records in their respective conferences.  

The Patriots won the AFC East Division title this week, for the 8th consecutive time.  The Cowboys have already clinched a playoff berth, but need one more win to clinch the NFC East Division title. 

 2. The Patriots beat the Broncos 16-3 in Denver.  Tom Brady had a very pedestrian performance with a mere 188 passing yards and no touchdown passes.  Fortunately, the Broncos had no touchdowns.

The Patriots finish with the the Jets at Foxborough this week, and the Dolphins in Miami next week.  They need to win both, to ensure the AFC #1 seed. 

 3.  The Raiders have once again laid claim to the #2 spot in the AFC, after beating the Chargers 19-16 in San Diego, coupled with the Chief's last second 19-17 loss to the Titans.

The Raiders have a rather tough schedule these two weeks, playing the Colts this week in Oakland and the Broncos next week in Denver. They still have their eye on the #1 seed, but I think they'll be lucky to hold onto the #2 seed.

 4. I have moved the Steelers up another notch again this week to the #3 AFC spot, after coming back to beat the Bengals in Cincinnati 24-20. They improve to 9-5 and remain one game ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North Division.

The "B-Trio" of Ben, Bell, and Brown all had rather average games, as Big Ben had only one touchdown pass and Bell and Brown never hit paydirt. They did add another "B" to their trio, in the person of Boswell their kicker, thus making it the "B-Quartet." 

Nonetheless, the Steelers fought back from a 17-3 second quarter deficit and Chris Boswell was the hero of the game, kicking six field goals. None of them were chip shots, as Boswell successfully booted kicks of 45, 49, 49, 40, 49, and 30.  That's 262 yards of field goals, which is more than 2 1/2 football fields for goodness sakes!

The Steelers will play the Ravens this week in Pittsburgh, which will undoubtedly decide the AFC North Division champion.  The Steelers are currently one game up on the Ravens. The Ravens beat the Steelers earlier this year, so this game is really for all the marbles.

The Steelers finish their season at home against the Browns.  That's nothing more than a bye week.

 5. Kansas City has fallen from the #2 spot to the #4 spot, after their second very bitter loss at home in the space of a few weeks.  Remember, they lost to the Bucs in Kansas City in Week #11.  Interestingly and coincidentally enough, the Chiefs lost both of those games late in the fourth quarter, and by the same score, 19-17.  I find that odd.

The Chiefs now have a 10-4 record, one game behind their arch rival Raiders.  They are at home this week against the Broncos and in San Diego next week against the Chargers. They could lose one of those games, but will be the favorites in both.  At the current time, they have the #1 AFC Wildcard spot, and I don't see them relinquishing that, unless of course, it's to overtake the Raiders for the AFC West division title.

 6. In the 5th spot, I now have the Titans after their impressive upset of the Chiefs in Kansas City this week.  The Titans are now tied with the Texans atop the AFC South Division, both having 8-6 records.  The Titans have a solid and improving quarterback in Marcus Mariota and a very good running game in DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry.  

The Titans finish with two home games and I have them as the favorites to win the AFC South Division title.  They play the coachless Jaguars this week and the Texans next week, which will be for all the marbles. 

 7. The Ravens are in the 6th spot.  They are a tough team, and they now stand at 8-6 after barely beating the Eagles 27-26 in Baltimore on Sunday.
They are one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North Division and they travel to Pittsburgh this Sunday to play the Steelers on Christmas Day.  
The winner of that game will probably take the divisional title.

However, if the Ravens happen to win that game, they then must face the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week #17, while the Steelers are at home against the lowly Browns.  Anything could happen if that happens!

 8. I have to put the Texans in the 7th spot, as they are currently tied with the Titans, whom they will play in Week #17 for the AFC South Division title.  However, they are currently in the midst of a quarterback change and no one really knows how that will unfold!  Perhaps we will find out this week, when they play the Bengals in Houston. 

At any rate, after the Texans fell behind the hapless, helpless Jacksonville Jaguars 13-zip in Houston on Sunday, and after their quarterback Brock Osweiller threw his second interception, head coach Billy O'Brien had seen enough!   Obie decided to bench the $72 million B.O. and go to a backup by the name of Tom Savage.

No one outside of Houston knew who this guy was or where he came from.  The Houston crowd cheered madly when O'Brien put Savage in, not because they loved the guy, but because they were so down on Osweiller.  Hell, O'Brien could have put a uniform on the "Professional Regurgitator" from America's Got Talent fame, and the crowd would have cheered wildly for him!

Fortunately for the Texans, however, he led them to a comeback victory 21-20 over the Jaguars, thus keeping pace with the Titans. On Monday morning, the perspicacious O'Brien announced that Savage is the Texans quarterback for the time being.

As a side note, the Jacksonville illiteratti was so upset over their defeat by the Texans, that they decided to fire their coach Gus Bradley right after the game. In the spirit of Christmas, they bought him a second class bus ticket back to Jacksonville.

 9. The Miami Dolphins are in the 8th spot and their destiny is in their own hands, after clobbering the Jets in the Meadowlands 34-13 on Saturday night.  As a matter of fact, they are currently in position for the #2 AFC Wildcard with their 9-7 record, but I don't think they will hold on to that position.

For starters, their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is out for the year and they are now being led by Matt Moore.  Moore is okay, when they are playing a team like the Jets, who have given up for this year. However this week, Matt & Miami must go to snowy, frigid, windy Buffalo to play the Bills.  Next week, they are at home against the Patriots.  

I think we can mark them down for two "L's" right now, putting their record at 9-7 and probably out of the playoffs..

10. I now have a new team in the 10th spot, none other than the Buffalo Billies.  The Bills are now at 7-7 and play the Dolphins this week in Buffalo and next week they play the done-for-the-season New York Jets to close things out.  I see them winning both those games and finishing 9-7, which
might well put them in the playoffs as the #2 wildcard seed. 

11. I have the Colts in the #11 AFC spot, as they still have an outside shot at making the playoffs. They did trounce the Vikings 34-6 in Minny this past week, so maybe they could get hot down the stretch.  They are now at 7-7 and travel to Oakland to play the Raiders this week, then finish with the Jaguars in Indy. It's not too big a stretch to imagine them winning out and improving to 9-7, which could get them in, although it's very unlikely.

12. In the NFC, the Cowboys now have an absolute strangle hold on the #1 spot, after dispatching the Buccaneers 26-20 this past week. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott was brilliant in this game, completing 32 of 36 passes, one of the best one game quarterback ratioes of alltime!  He had no turnovers and rushed for a touchdown.

The Cowboys play the Lions next Monday night in Dallas, and in the last week they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.  They could lose one of those games, finish at 13-3, and still secure the #1 seed.  No one is going to catch them.

13. I'm putting the Seahawks back in the #2 spot, after they destroyed the Rams and the Lions lost to the Giants. Beating the Rams is no great accomplishment, but the Seahawks improved their record to 9-4-1 and clinched the NFC West Division with this win.  

The only mistake the Seahawks made in that game was the wearing of those putrid, psychedlic, shit-green uniforms.  They are worse than those old jail bird, throwback uniforms the Steelers sometimes wear!

Other than that, they still have a great defense and one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Russell Wilson.  On the downside, their running game is still lacking and their defensive "heart & soul" Earl Thomas is out for the year.

The Seahawks play the disappointing Cardinals in Seattle this week, then travel to Santa Clara next week to play the worst team in football, the San Francisco 49'ers.  They will win both those games, finish 11-4-1 and retain the #2 seed. 

14. I have the Atlanta Falcons upgraded to the #3 spot, after destroying the 49'ers 41-13 last week and improving their record to 9-5.  Devonta Freeman had a great game, rushing for 139 yards and hitting paydirt three times.  

The Falcons have a relatively easy remaining schedule with the Panthers in Carolina next Saturday and the Saints at home in Week #17.  The Panthers have a really short week, having played Monday night, so the Falcons should win that game, then beat the Saints in Atlanta to finish with an 11-5 record.  If they were to lose one game down the stretch, they would finish at 10-6, which should still be good enough to take the NFC South Division.

15.  Since the Lions still lead the NFC North division, I'm somewhat obliged to put them in the #4 spot. The Giants beat them quite handily this past week 17-6, dropping their record to 9-5.  The problem is that they have to play the Cowboys in Dallas on the day after Christmas and the onsurging Green Bay Packers the following week to finish out the regular season. 

I see them losing this week and then somehow beating the Packers in Detroit to finish at 10-6 and take the NFC North title.  The Packers however are closing fast and currently breathing down the Lions trembling necks, so I wouldn't bet any money on that outcome!

16. In the #5 spot, I have the Giants.  The G-Men blasted the Lions this past week in the Meadowlands, improving their record to 10-4.  They are currently solidly in position for the #1 NFC Wildcard.  Their defense is playing great, Odell Beckham makes at least one great play a week, and Eli is doing just enough. 

The Giants play the Eagles in Philly this Thursday night and then close out with the Redskins in D.C. in Week 17.  I see them splitting those games, finishing at 11-5, and retaining the #1 Wildcard seed.

17. I now have to move the fast charging Packers into the #6 NFC spot.  They barely beat the lowly Bears 30-27 in Chicago this past week, but have now won 4 in a row and improved their record to 8-6.    

Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't even play that well, as he had zero touchdown passes.  He made one huge play at the end of the game with time running out when, with the score tied 27-27, he hit Jordy Nelson with a 60 yard bomb. The Packers Mason Crosby then booted through a 32 yard game winning field goal.

The Pack plays the Vikings in Green Bay this week, then finishes the season against the Lions in Detroit.  It seems inevitable now that the winner of that last game will take the NFC North divisional title..

18. In the #7 NFC spot, I now have the Buccaneers.  As expected, they got beat by the Cowboys this past week, but they gave them a good game, losing by only six points.  The Bucs now have an 8-6 record and will be hard pressed to catch the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South title.

They play the Saints in 'Nawlins this week, and finish at home against the Panthers in Week #17.  I see them splitting those games, finishing at 9-7, and vieing with the Packers or Lions for that #2 NFC Wildcard spot..

19. After losing to the Panthers in D.C. Monday night, I have dropped the Redskins to the #8 NFC spot.  That was a bitter loss which dropped the Skinnies to 7-6-1, with their playoff hopes now dimming rapidly.  Like the Obamas, they seem to be out of hope!

The Redskins now play the Bears in Soldier Field this week and finish at home against the Giants in Week 17.  I think the Skinnies will split those games, finish the regular season at 8-7-1 and be done for this year.

20. Just for the record, we'll put the Vikings in the #9 spot, which means next to nothing. After starting the season like a "house afire" with five straight wins, the Vikings are now left simmering in the ashes.  This past week in Minny, they embarrassed themselves and the entire great state of Minnesota by getting shellacked by the Colts 34-6.

Mike Zimmer, their one-eyed head coach, was on the sidelines with bandages over half his face.  The way the Vikings were playing, he should have had bandages over both eyes and a bag over his head!  

After starting the season 5-0, the Vikings are now 7-7 and done for the season.  Adding insult to injury, their great running back Adrian Peterson returned to action and had a mere six carries for a measly 22 yards and one embarrassing fumble.  That pretty much sums up the Vikings season for 2016!

They can salvage a smidgeon of self respect if they can beat the Packers this week in Green Bay and knock them out of the playoffs.

21. It's the Christmas Season but you'd never know it, talking to some of the NFL head coaches.  Jeff Fisher was fired last week, Gus Bradley was fired this week, and there are more to come.  

Some of those on the chopping block are Chuck Pagano of the Colts, Todd Bowles of the Jets, Fat Ass Rexy of the Bills, Chip Kelly of the 49'ers and John Fox of the Bears.  Marvy Lewis of the Bengals should have been fired 5 years ago, but somehow he manages to keep his job.  He must have some "dirt" on the Brown family!

22. One more "just for the record."  Tattoo Man led the 49'ers to another "L."  Kaepernick is now 0 for 9 since taking over the helm of the 49'ers, but he's still kneeling down before every game and Allah is still not answering his prayers!

23. How come I still hear the "bleeders" screaming about "Global Warming?"  I guess none of them were in Chicago, Kansas City, Buffalo, or Minnesota this past weekend where it was below ZERO with the wind chill factor!

24. I just learned that the Giants raised a stink over deflated balls in their 24-14 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week #13.  The footballs in question were sent to the commissioner's office in New York. The Commissioner of the NFL dismissed this complaint within 24 hours and there was little to no publicity. 

Are you shitting me, Goodell spent millions and millions of dollars and countless legal hours investigating and prosecuting the Patriots over deflated balls, and he dismisses this complaint in a matter of hours!  That shows you just how hypocritical and duplicitous that sonofabitch Goodell is!  He is "the system" and the system is rigged!   Get that sonofabitch outta here!

25. Four underdogs prevailed outright in Week #15. They were the Titans, Colts, Saints and Panthers.

26. I see several good games in Week #16.  Here they are:

o  Giants @ Eagles - Thursday night game that doesn't really mean too much to either team.  

o  Falcons @ Panthers - The Panthers just deflated the Redskins playoff hopes, can they do the same to the Falcons?

o  Chargers @ Browns - The last real chance the Browns have to salvage one win this year, as they play the Steelers in Week #17.

o  Dolphins @ Bills - One of these teams will secure the #2 AFC Wildcard spot.  Who will it be?

o  Colts @ Raiders - Andy Luck's return to the Bay Area.  Can he keep the Colt's slim playoff hopes alive?  Can Coach Pagano save his job? Can the
Raiders retain leadership of the AFC West division?  

o  Bucs @ Saints - The Saints come marching home and send the Bucs marching back to Tampa.

o  49'ers @ Rams - A game of old, old arch rivals to determine who is worse!

o  Bengals @ Texans - Look for the Bengals to upset the division leading Texans and their new quarterback who nobody knows.

o  Ravens @ Steelers - A Christmas Day special to determine who will win the AFC North division.

o  Broncos @ Chiefs - This Christmas night game will end the short reign of last year's Superbowl winners.  "Horse Face" John Elway will be eating oats for his Christmas supper!

o  Lions @ Cowboys -  Unless the Vikings beat the Packers, this game really means very little. 

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

This week, I have a triumverate of head coaches as Dumbshit co-honorees.  They are, Seattle's Petey Carroll, Tennessee's Mike Mullarkey, and Kansas City's Andy Reid.

1. Dumbshit Petey Carroll had a huge 24-3 lead in the 4th quarter with 5 minutes to go and elected to execute a fake punt.  Jonathan Ryan, the Seahawks punter, made an easy first down, ran another 30 yards or so down field, and then got crunched by a couple of Rams, suffering a concussion!  

You gotta be shitting, how stupid is that!  Firstly, we are on the verge of the Playoffs and the Seahawks now have to find a new punter. Secondly, a bush league maneuver like that will not be forgotten.  That will come back to bite Petey in the ass sometime in the near future, mark my words!

2. Dumbshit Mike Mullarkey went for two points, after Mariota had marched the Titans downfield late in the 4th quarter to come within one of the Chiefs, 17-16.  An easy point after would have tied the game and possibly sent it into overtime.

Of course, the Titans missed the attempted 2 pointer.   This year Mullarkey had the Titans attempt several two pointers, most of which had failed miserably!  

3. Fortunately for Mullarkey, he was taken off the hook by Dumbshit #3, Andy Reid.  After the Titans failed 2-pointer, the Chiefs were unable to run out the clock, and had to turn it back over to the Titans with less than a minute to go.  Mariota marched them downfield to the point where they were about 53 yards away from a winning field goal.

It was frigidly cold that day in Kansas City, maybe 1 degree below zero.  Mullarkey sent kicker Ryan Succop in to attempt the 53 yarder.  He set up for the field goal and kicked the ball, just as "Dumbshit" Reid called for a timeout to ice Succop.  

Unfortunately for Reid, Succop was already icy cold and his attempted 53 yarder fell short.  This essentially gave Succop a practice kick and a couple of minutes to warm up.  His second kick went right through the goal posts, giving the Titans the 19-17 win.  Coach Reid was seen waddling off the field, shaking his head in disbelief!  What a dumbshit!

Now then, I haven't seen any stats on this but I would guess the "icing" timeout fails as often as it works.

Christmas is now back, so Merry Christmas folks!

​Macdawg, outta here for now.........

 



                                NFL WEEK #14 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg

 1. The Macdawg Power Rankings still have the Patriots #1 in the AFC and the Cowboys #1 in the NFC.  They both have 11-2 records, which are the best records in their respective conferences.

 2. The Patriots beat the onrushing Ravens, 30-23, up in Foxborough on Monday night to clinch the AFC East title.  This should have been a 4 touchdown blowout, but for a couple of costly special teams miscues by the Patriots and an uncharacteristic goal line interception tossed by Tom Brady.  

The Pats improved their record to 11-2 with this win. With the Raiders losing last Thursday night, they dropped to 10-3, which gives the Patriots the current hold on the #1 AFC Playoff Seed. 

The Patriots finish with the Broncos in Denver this week, the Jets at home next week, and the Dolphins in Miami in the last week of the regular season.  I see them losing one of these games and finishing with a 13-3 record. 

 3.  The Chiefs have taken over the #2 spot in the AFC, after beating the Raiders in Kansas City, 21-13, last Thursday night.  The Chiefs improved their record to 10-3.

The Chiefs are at home this week against the Titans, and again next week against the Broncos.  They finish the regular season playing the Chargers in San Diego.  They could lose one of those games, but quite likely could run the table.  I see them finishing at no worse than 12-4.

 4. The Raiders are in the #3 spot.  They have the same 10-3 record as the Chiefs, but the Chiefs have already beaten them twice this year.

The weather was frigidly cold in Kansas City last Thursday night, and the crowd was very loud and raucous.  Derek Carr was hampered by both of these factors, but more hampered by his injured hand.  He had to deal from the "shotgun" all night long, which limited the Raider's play flexibility.

The Raiders have a tough remaining schedule, as they play the Chargers this week in San Diego, the Colts next week in Oakland, and then finish up on the road again against the Broncos.   I see them losing one more game and finishing with a 12-4 record.

 5. I have moved the Steelers up to the #4 AFC spot, after beating the Billies 27-20 in snowy Buffalo on Sunday.  Big Ben didn't have a great game, but his running back Le'Veon Bell did!  Bell had 38 carries for an amazing 236 yards and three touchdowns and another 62 receiving yards.  A good rushing game is an extremely important factor during the playoffs, and the Steelers have one!

The Steelers are now 8-5, and though they have a relatively tough schedule down the stretch, they are now hitting their stride. They play the Bengals in the 'Natti this week, the Ravens in Pittsburgh next week, and finish with a bye against the Brownies in Week #17.

They should win at least two of those games, and finish 10-6. To ensure the AFC North divisional title, however, they will need to beat the Ravens in Week #16.  

 6. The Denver Broncos are shakily holding on to the AFC #5 spot.  They lost in Nashville 13-10 to the Titans, dropping to an 8-5 record.  

I didn't see too much positive for the Broncos to take away from that game.  Denver essentially has no running game.  They just signed the veteran Justin Forsett this past week, who promptly rewarded the Broncos with 6 runs for a whopping 17 yards, and a fumble on his very first chance. Their other back, the great Devantae Booker, added 1 yard to the Denver total, but it took him 3 attempts.

Denver's regular quarterback Trevor Siemian returned to action this week, but he was no great shakes!  Due to the anemic running game, Siemian had to attempt 51 passes.  He completed 35 of them, most of which were of the flare and screen variety.  He did have one 3 yard touchdown pass.

I don't think things bode well for the Broncos down the stretch.  They play the Patriots in Denver this week, the Chiefs in Kansas City next week, and the Raiders in Denver in Week #17.  They will most likely lose two of those games, and could very easily lose all three.  The best I see them finishing is 9-7, which will put them right atop the AFC Wildcard bubble.

 7. The Miami Dolphins are in the 6th spot, improving to 8-5 after beating the Cardinals, 26-23, in Miami on Sunday. Unfortunately, they played horribly in the 4th quarter of that game and made it much closer than it should have been, despite eking out the narrow win.  

Even further unfortunate however, is the fact that they lost their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the process.  He has some sort of an ACL injury that will undoubtedly keep him out of action for a while.

The Dolphins finish with the Jets in the Meadowlands this week, the Bills in Buffalo next week, and the Patriots in Miami in Week #17.  I see them losing at least two of those games and finishing 9-7 at best.

 8. The Ravens are in the 7th spot.  They are a tough team, but they now stand at 7-6 after their loss to the Patriots on Monday Night.  They have a very tough remaining schedule, as they play the Eagles in Baltimore this week, the Steelers in Pittsburgh next week, and the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week #17.  They could win two of those games and finish 9-7, but to ensure a playoff berth they need to beat the Steelers in Week #16.  I don't see that happening. 

 9. In the 8th spot, I have the Titans after beating  the Broncos this week in Nashville.  Mariota didn't have a good game and the officiating stunk to the high heavens, but the Titans got the win and improved to 7-6.  They have a tough schedule ahead, with the Chiefs in Kansas City this week, the
Jaguars in Nashville next week, and the Texans in Nashville in Week #17.  That last game should decide the AFC South division, and I'm picking the Titans to win that game and take that title with a 9-7 record. 

10. I have the Texans in the ninth spot, as they are currently tied with the Titans for the AFC South divisional lead.  They had a big win on Sunday, beating the Colts 22-17 in Indianapolis.

The Texans will be at home this week against the Jaguars and again next week against the Bengals.  They will finish against the Titans in Week #17 in Nashville.  They have their fate in their own hands, but I'm predicting they bobble it!

11. I have the Colts in the #10 AFC spot, but it might as well be the 20th, because they are going no where fast!  They lost at home in Week #14 to the Texans and their record is now a less than mediocre 6-7.

They have an extremely tough schedule remaining, with the Vikings in Minny this week, the Raiders in the "Black Hole" next week, and the Jaguars in Indy in Week #17.   They should lose at least two of those games, finishing no better than 7-9.  Look for Coach Pagano to be fired before Christmas.

12. In the NFC, the Cowboys still have a strong grip on the #1 spot, however that grip was softened somewhat by their 10-7 loss to the Giants in New York.  They are still two games up on the Giants and the Lions, their closest pursuers.  

In that Sunday Night game, Cowboys "Superstar" wide receiver Dez Bryant came up about as miniscule as one could.  He caught one pass for ten yards, which he immediately fumbled.  There is no way this bum should be called a "Superstar," he is more like a "Stupid Star."  Actually, he isn't even that, he's just stupid!

The Cowboys have a rough finishing schedule with the Bucs this week in Dallas, the Lions next week in Dallas, and the last week when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.  I think they'll win 2 of those games, finish at 12-3 and secure the #1 seed.

13. I'm going to jump the Lions into the #2 spot, just ahead of the Seahawks.  Matty Stafford seriously injured his finger in Sunday's game, and then went out and threw a late 4th quarter Pick-6, which gave the Bears a 17-13 lead.  He then led the Lions down the field, engineering another Lions comeback victory.  That's about his 6th this year.

It was Stafford's middle finger on his throwing hand that was seriously injured, then taped and gloved.  Stafford got the last laugh, however, as he scampered 20 yards for the winning touchdown, thereby giving the Bears the "Middle Finger!" 

The Lions have an extremely tough schdule down the stretch, so Stafford, bad finger and all, will need to keep working his miracles, if they are to keep the on-charging Packers at bay.  They are on the road the next two weeks against the Giants and Cowboys, and then finish at home against the Packers.  That game could determine the NFC North Champions.

14.  I have the Seahawks as the third best NFC team, discounting the thrashing they took Sunday in Green Bay.  That was the worst game of Russell Wilson's career, and the only time he has been the victim of a blowout!  While Mister Rodgers was tossing 3 touchdowns, Wilson was tossing 5 interceptions.  

They need to get that game behind them, and behind them in a hurry!  They will be able to do that easily this week, as they are at home against the coachless and enfeebled L.A. Rams!

The Seahawks still have a good defense, but they surely miss the loss of Earl Thomas to a broken foot.  Their running game is also weak, so that will put much more pressure on the rest of the defense and on their quarterback Russell Wilson.  I think Wilson and the Seattle defense will be up to the challenge.

They still have a three game lead in the NFC West division and they have a very easy schedule down the stretch.  They are at home the next two weeks against the Rams and fast fading Cardinals.  In week #17, they venture down to Santa Clara to play the worst team in football, the 1 & 12 San Francisco 49'ers.  They will finish no worse than 10-5-1 and easily take the NFC West title.  

15. I have the Atlanta Falcons firmly entrenched in the #4 spot. They beat the Rams so badly in Los Angeles this week, that the Rams head coach was fired.  Atlanta improved their record to 8-5, which has them tied atop the NFC South Division with the Buccaneers.

They have a really easy remaining schedule, with the 49'ers in Atlanta this week, the Panthers in Carolina in Week #16 and the Saints at home in Week #17.  They should win all of those games and finish with an 11-5 record.  If they were to lose one game down the stretch, they would finish at 10-6, which should still be good enough to take the NFC South Division.

16. In the #5 NFC spot, I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  They beat the Saints in Tampa this week in a close, bitterly fought game, before prevailing 16-11.  Although they are currently tied with Atlanta, they have a much tougher remaining schedule.  

They get the Cowboys in Dallas this week, the Saints in 'Nawlins in Week #16, and the Panthers in Tampa in Week #17.  I see them losing two of those games and finishing with a 9-7 record, and vieing for one of the two NFC wildcard spots.

17. In the #6 spot, I have the Giants.  Somehow, someway they beat the Cowboys in New York this week, 10-7, and improved their record to 9-4.  Eli had a shit game, but so did Dak Prescott.  Eli made one short pass to Odell Beckham, who took it to the house, and that was essentially the game!  

The Giants have a tough remaining schedule with the Lions in the Meadowlands in Week 15, the Eagles in Philly in Week 16 and the Redskins in D.C. in Week 17.  I see them losing at least 1 of those games, and possibly two.  At any rate, they should get to 10 wins which would should give them a wildcard berth.  

18.  In the 7th NFC spot, I have the Redskins.  They have a nice 7-5-1 record, and seem to win all the close games.  They won another close game on Sunday, as they beat the Eagles in Philly 27-22, when Cousins hit DeSean Jackson with a late 80 yard bomb.  That was sweet revenge for DeSean, who had been ignominiously dealt to the Redskins a couple years back by then Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly.  

The Eagles got next to nothing for Jackson and Kelly gave them absolutely nothing in his short stint as head coach!  What a debacle that was!
The Skinnies have a relatively easy remaining schdule with the Panthers in D.C. this week, the Bears in Soldier Field in Week 16, and then the Giants in D.C. in Week 17.  I think the Skinnies will win two of those games, finish 9-6-1, and quite possibly secure a wildcard playoff spot.

19. In the 8th spot, I now have the onsurging Packers.  Mister Rodgers and the Pack absolutely destroyed the vaunted Seahawks, 38-10, in Green Bay on Sunday, improving their record to 7-6.  

The Packers still have a tall order in front of them, but they have a decent chance of making true the Rodgers prediction of "running the table." On their remaining schedule, they have the Bears in Chicago this week, the Vikings in Green Bay next week, and the Lions in Detroit in Week #17. 

If they win 2 of those games, they will be at 9-7 and have a shot at a wildcard, but no guarantee.  I think it will come down to their big match against the Lions on the last day of the regular season.  That might well be for the NFC North Championship.  If it is, you have to favor the Packers. 

20. The Vikings at 7-6 are in the 9th and last meaninful spot. They have a relatively easy game this week against the Colts in Minnesota.  Next week, they travel to Green Bay to play the Packers, and then they finish at home with what should be an easy game against the slumbering Bears.

They probably need to win all three games, including the big game against the Packers in Week #16, if they expect to make the Playoffs.

21. Save for one ill-advised goal line interception, Tom Brady was on the beam on Monday Night.  He thrashed the supposedly vaunted Ravens defense for over 400 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.  His last touchdown was a 4th quarter bomb to Chris Hogan, which sealed the Patriots victory.   

I'm wondering if Ravens Coach John Harbaugh called Commissioner Goodell last night after this beatdown, to once again complain about under-inflated balls.  Their were underinflated balls in that game last night, and they were Harbaugh's, after Brady exacted sweet revenge!   As Jackie Gleason used to say, "How sweet it is!"

22. Oh, and by the way Mister Numbnuts Commissioner, I hope you have started preparing your congratulatory speech to Brady, Belichick, Kraft and the Patriots for winning Superbowl LI next February.  Get your head out of your ass and start writing...

22. The Browns and 49'ers both lost again, as they continue to battle it out to see who will have the first pick in next year's NFL Draft. The Browns play the Bills this week in Buffalo, the Chargers next week, and then finish with the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week #17.  They have a decent chance of beating the Chargers next week, as that game will be played in Cleveland aside the chilly shores of Lake Erie.

23. Actually, I think the 49'ers are the worst team in the NFL, not the Browns.  The Browns have been much more competitive.

After their Overtime loss to the Jets in Santa Clara, the 49'ers now have an abysmal 1 & 12 record. They play the Falcons in Atlanta this week, the Rams in Los Angeles next week, and then are at home against the Seahawks to finish their season.  They could easily lose all three, but they might beat the discombobulated Rams in Week #16.  Afterall, they thrashed the Rams 28-0 to open this season and the Rams are operating without a head coach and with a raw rookie quarterback.

24. By the way, how about Tattoo Man's wonderful performance this week, going 15 for 26 for a whopping 133 yards, as he led the 49'ers to another big "L!"  Kaepernick is now 0 for 8 since taking over the helm of the 49'ers, but he's still kneeling down before every game.  I guess that Allah is not answering his prayers.

I wonder if 49'er owner Jed Dork noticed all the empty seats in Levi Stadium on Sunday.  I wonder why that is!

General Manager Trent Baalke should change his last name to "Nobaalke" because if he had any balls at all, he would have ordered Head Coach Chip Kelly to bench the Tattoo Man permanently.  Kaepernick is not really impressing any other NFL franchises with his eight straight losses. 

25. Four underdogs prevailed outright in Week #14. They were the Bucs once again, the Texans, the Jets, and the Giants.

26. I see several good games in Week #15.  Here they are:

o  Browns @ Bills - That's a joke and the real joke is that this will be Fat Ass Rexy's going away party.  

o  Lions @ Giants - Important game for both, especially for the Lions, given the way the Packers have been rolling lately.

o  Steelers @ Bengals - Steelers are really rolling now, and the Bengals would just love to spring the upset.  Don't be surprised!

o  Titans @ Chiefs - If Mariota plays this week like he did last week, then the Chiefs will rout them!

o  Colts @ Vikings -  The Swan Song for Chuck Pagano and the 2016 Colts!

o  Saints @ Cardinals - Two nobodies playing for nothing!

o  Patriots @ Broncos - Won't be the same without Peyton Manning, but expect a tough game.

o  Buccaneers @ Cowboys - The Bucs have won five straight and the Cowboys have been revealed as NOT invincible.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:

I'm giving it to the Los Angeles Rams braintrust, owner Stan Kroenke and General Manager Les Snead.  Last week, they give head coach Jeff Fisher a 2-year contract extension.  This week, they fire him.  I mean really folks, how frigging stupid is that!  What a couple of doucebag dumbshits!  Just two more prime examples of the United States Of Incompetence!

Actually, if the Rams braintrust had thought out their decision a little more carefully, they would have waited until this week to fire Jeffy.  That way, Fisher could have laid claim to the most losses by an NFL head coach in the history of football.  The way it is now, he must share that dubious distinction with the great Dan Reeves of Broncos and Falcons heritage. 

Macdawg, outta here for now.........

 
                                       NFL WEEK #13 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg


1. In the Macdawg Power Rankings, I still have the Patriots #1 in the AFC and the Cowboys #1 in the NFC.


2. The Patriots improved to 10-2, as they thrashed the visiting L.A. Rams 26-10. The downtrodden 4&8 Rams behind their rookie quarterback Jared Goff were no match for the Patriots. You could have turned this game off at halftime with the Patriots up 17 to zip.


The Patriots are far from unbeatable, however, as the Great Gronk underwent back surgery last week, and he is out for the season. The Patriots finish with the Ravens at Foxborough this week, the Broncos in Denver next week, the Jets at home, and the Dolphins in Miami. I see them losing one or two of these games and finishing with a 13-3 or a 12-4 record. I hope I'm wrong, but that's what I see.


3. I have the Raiders solidly in the #2 spot, breathing down the backs of the Patriots. The "Comeback Kids" came back Sunday in Oakland from a 24-9 third period deficit and finished blowing the Buffalo Bills out 38-24.


Derek Carr brilliantly led the comeback with two second half touchdowns and a successful 2-point after TD conversion. Khalil Mack was again brilliant on defense with relentless pass rushes that led to one fumble and one interception.


The Raiders are every bit as good as the Patriots, and should keep pace with them going down the stretch. They have a very tough remaining schedule, however, as they visit Kansas City this Thursday, followed up by games at San Diego, at home against the Colts, and then on the Road again against the Broncos. I see them losing two more games and finishing with a 12-4 record.


4. The Chiefs are in the #3 spot and could elevate to #2 if they beat the Raiders at home in week #14. The Chiefs beat the Falcons 29-28 in Atlanta, based primarily on two improbable defensive plays, as they improved to 9-3.


Cancer survivor Eric Berry, Chiefs Safety, was the star with two monumental defensive plays. Firstly, he had a Pick-6 in the second quarter, giving the Chiefs a 20-13 lead. Secondly, late in the 4th period, he had a Pick-2 which gave the Chiefs a very improbable win.


The Falcons had just gone ahead 28-27 and were attempting the 2 point conversion to hopefully build a 3 point lead. Berry intercepted Ryan's pass in the endzone and "Took it to the House," giving the Chiefs what turned out to be the 29-28 win. Unbelievably enough, this same thing happened a few weeks ago, when Denver did the same thing to New Orleans!


Eric Berry is from the Atlanta area and it was there that he underwent treatment two years ago for Hodgkin's lymphomna. To make matters even more dramatic, his mother was up in the stands and he gave her the ball he had interecepted in the second period. This isn't Hollywood material, this is Twilight Zone material!


5. The Denver Broncos are solidly entrenched in the #4 spot. They had a rather unimpressive 20-10 win against the shitbag Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday down in sunny Florida on Sunday.


Denver's regular quarterback Trevor Semian needs to get back in a hurry. He's no "world beater" but he is a damn sight better than that guy Lynch they had in there yesterday.
The Broncos have a very tough schedule down the stretch, with the Titans this week, the Patriots next week, at the Chiefs in Week #16, and then at home in Week #17 against the Raiders. I see them splitting those games and finishing 10-6 and securing an AFC wildcard berth.


6. The Baltimore Ravens are right on the heels of the Broncos in the 5th spot. They annihilated the Dolphins in Baltimore yesterday, 38-6, improving their record to 7-5. Joe Flacco pretended he was Joe Namath, as he tossed for almost 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in perpetrating this beatdown!


The Ravens have a very tough remaining schedule, as they are at the Patriots this week, home against the Eagles next week, at Pittsburgh in Week #16, and at the Bengals in Week #17. They will probably split those games and finish 9-7, which probably won't earn them a playoff berth.


7. I still have the Steelers a frog hair behind the Ravens in the #6 spot. They dismantled Baby Eli and the G-Men, 24-14, in Pittsburgh, snapping the Giants 6-game winning streak! There were a lot of "field days" in Pittsburgh, all of them of the Steeler variety.


Big Ben tossed for about 300 yards and two touchdowns in engineering this beatdown. Le'Veon Bell has 118 rushing yards and 64 receiving yards. Recently convalesced Tight End Ledarius Green had 6 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Antonio Brown had 6 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.


Both the Steelers and Ravens are sporting 7-5 records. The Steelers remaining schedule is no cake walk! They are at Buffalo this week, and the Bengals next week, and then finish up at home against the Ravens and Browns.


The AFC North divisional title will undoubtedly be decided in week #16, when the Ravens visit Pittsburgh. I'm giving the Steelers the edge in that game.


8. In spots seven to ten are a bunch of flawed teams teetering on irrelevance! I think they may all finish with 8-8 records.


o I have the Titans in the seventh spot, only because they were on bye and the Dolphins and Texans got beat. They play the Broncos at home this week, are at the Chiefs next week, and at the Jaguars in Week #16. In Week #17, they are at home against the Texans, which might well decide the winner of the AFC South Division.


o I guess I'll put the Dolphins in the eighth spot, but their 6 game winning streak was not only snapped but crushed by the Ravens. They now have a 7-5 record, which is the best amongst a bad bunch, but they are really not that good. They have a very tough remaining schedule, with the Cardinals this week, at the Jets next week, at the Bills in Week #16, and at home against the Patriots in Week #17. I see them losing 3 of those games.


o I have the Texans in the #9 spot, as they are currently in a tie for the AFC South divisional lead with the Titans. They both have 6-6 records. They are at the Colts this week, home against the Jaguars next week, home against the Bengals in Week #16, and at the Titans in Week #17.


o I have the Colts in the #10 spot. They better hope that Andrew Luck stays healthy the rest of the way. They annihilated the Jets in the Monday Nighter and are now tied atop the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.
They have an extremely tough schedule remaining, and might even need more luck than Luck himself to finish at 8-8. They have the Texans next Sunday, are at the Vikings in Week #15, and are at the Raiders in Week #16.
They will finally get some relief in Week #17, as they finish at home with a virtual bye against the Jaguars. It might be too late, however, as they could be done by then.


9. In the NFC, the Cowboys have an absolute death grip on the #1 spot. With considerable help from the refs, they beat the Vikings last Thursday night up in Minnesota, 17-15, improving to 11-1.


It seemed to me that Commissioner Goodell must have gotten word to the striped shirters that he wanted America's Team to keep rolling. That overturned fumble by Ezekial Elliott early in the game was a ridiculous, incompetent decision that turned the whole tone of that game around.


The missed roughing call on the last play of the game was abominable, Ray Charles could have made that call! There were also several other questionable calls that went the Dallas way!


Be that as it may, no other team in the NFC is really close right now. The Cowboys are at the Giants this week, at home against the Bucs next week, at home against the Lions in Week 16 and at the Eagles in Week #17. I am projecting they win 3 out of 4 of these games, finish at 14-2, and coast to the #1 NFC seed.


10. I have the Seahawks as the second best NFC team. They obliterated last year's NFC Champion Panthers on Sunday night, 40-7. That game was an absolute joke!


As a matter of fact, the first play was a joke as Panthers Coach Ron Rivera benched their star quarterback Cam Newton for that play due to a silly disciplinary infraction. Rivera inserted the rust draped, grizzled back-up Derek Anderson. It completely backfired on Rivera, as Anderson immediately threw an interception on what was a simple swing pass to the flank.


Considering the way the Panthers played, they should have left the field right then and there and boarded a plane back to Charlotte. Rivera should have been made to take a Greyhound back to Charlotte!


11. The Seahawks have a good defense, but they lost one of their best defensive players, Earl Thomas, to a broken foot in last night's game. That will put much more pressure on the rest of the defense and on their quarterback Russell Wilson, who is pretty much carrying the offense on his own.


The Seahawks are now firmly in charge of the NFC West with their 8-3-1 record, and should win that division going away. The other three teams in that division are a combined 10-25 and stink to the High Heavens!


Additionally, the Seahawks have a very easy schedule down the stretch. They play the Packers in Green Bay this week, then are home against the Rams and Cardinals. In week #17, they venture down to Santa Clara to play the worst team in football, the San Francisco 49'ers.


A final boost to their fate, might be the return of Marshawn "The Beast" Lynch. He was on the Seattle sideline during the Sunday night game and the scuttlebutt is that he might be itching to return to the fold. The Seahawks running game is very spotty right now and Lynch would be a most welcome return!


12. The Detroit Lions are now firmly entrenched in the #3 NFC spot. They upset the Saints quite handily in 'Nawlins on Sunday, 28-13. They are tied with the Falcons for the third best record in the NFC at 8-4, and their quarterback Matty Stafford is playing as good as any other quarterback in the league right now!


As a matter of fact, Stafford out Brees'd Brees on Sunday. Stafford tossed for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66 yard bomb to Golden Tate. Brees had Zero touchdowns, breaking his streak of 60 straight home games with at least one touchdown.


The Lions have a fairly comfortable schedule down the stretch, as they play the Bears at home this week, the Giants in the Meadowlands next week, the Cowboys in Dallas in Week #16, and the Packers in Detroit in Week #17. I project they will win two of those games and finish as the NFC North Division champions with a 10-6 record.


13. Slipping to the #4 spot, I have the Atlanta Falcons. They started their late season swoon yesterday, as they snatched defeat from victory, with that late game Pick-2 on two point conversion try.


They have a really easy remaining schedule, with the Rams in Atlanta this week, the 49'ers in Atlanta next week, the Panthers in Carolina in Week #16 and the Saints at home in Week #17. They should win 3 of those games and finish with a 10-6 record, which should be good enough to take the NFC South Division.


I wouldn't bet too much on that, however, as the Bucs have all of a sudden come alive!


14. In the #5 NFC spot, I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They beat the Chargers in San Diego 28-21 and improved their record to 7-5, which ties them with Atlanta for the NFC South Division lead.


The Bucs have a tougher remaining schedule, however, as they have the Saints at home this week, the Cowboys in Dallas next week, the Saints in 'Nawlins in Week #16, and the Panthers in Tampa in Week #17. I see them splitting those games, finishing with a 9-7 record, and vieing for one of the two NFC wildcard spots.


15. In the #6 spot, I have the Giants. They still have a good record at 8-4, but they got shattered by Pittsburgh in Week 13, and their hopes of catching the Cowboys were shattered with that humiliating loss!


They also have a tough remaining schedule with the Cowboys in the Meadowlands this week and the Lions there in Week 15. They finish on the road with the Eagles in Week 16 and the Redskins in Week 17. I see them losing 3 of those games, finishing with a 9-7 record and fighting it out for a wildcard spot.


16. In the 7th NFC spot, I have the Redskins. They have a 6-5-1 record, but seem to win the close games. They have a relatively easy remaining schdule with the Eagles in Philly this week, the Panthers in D.C. next week, the Bears in Soldier Field in Week 16, and then the Giants in D.C. in Week 17. I think the Skinnies will win three of those games and finish 9-5-2, and secure a wildcard playoff spot.


17. In spots 8 and 9, I have the Vikings and Packers both with 6-6 records. I see them each splitting in their next 4 games, finishing out of the playoffs with 8-8 records.


18. I suppose we could put the Saints in the #10 NFC spot, but they will be damn lucky to win 7 games this year! They are done!


19. Tom Brady won his 201st game on Sunday, breaking the record of 200 held by him and Peyton Manning. Is he the best ever? Yep!


20. The 2&10 Jacksonville Jaguars are every bit as bad as the Browns, Bears, and 49'ers. They need to start looking for a new quarterback real soon! Blake Bortles threw another Pick-6 on Sunday, as the Jags lost 20-10 to the Broncos. In his career, Bortles now has ten wins and eleven Pick-6's! How pitiful is that!


21. How about Tattoo Man's wonderful performance this week. He had one completion for an astounding 5 yards, and of course, the 49'ers posted another "L," losing to the almost equally inept Bears 26-6 in Chicago's Soldier Field. That bum shouldn't even be allowed to play in hallowed Soldier Field!


22. I see the Rams management gave their Head Coach Jeff Fisher a 2-year contract extension. Jeffy has been their head coach for five years and has never had a winning season. This year the Rams are 4-8, so I was wondering why he is deserving of this extension!


I would guess the Rams management must have consulted with the Bengals management, before making this momumental decision!
By the way, did you see Fisher yesterday, when he wanted to throw the red challenge flag? He couldn't even find it, as his was buried deep in the overcoat and leggings he was wearing. What would the guy do, if he had to take a leak?


23. It was not a great week for underdogs, as only three prevailed outright. They were the Bucs, Chiefs and the Lions.


24. I see several good games in Week #14. Here they are:


o Raiders @ Chiefs - The best Thursday night game of the year! The Raiders are flying high, but the Chiefs have beaten them five straight.


o Broncos @ Titans - If the Titans want anyone to take them seriously, they have to win this home game.


o Texans @ Colts - Two mediocre 6-6 teams fighting for dominance in the weakly AFC South Division.


o Steelers @ Bills - Trap game for the Steelers after their impressive trouncing of the Giants.


o Saints @ Bucs - The Bucs are on a roll but the Saints with Brees are always dangerous.


o Seahawks @ Packers - I wonder if Mr. Rodgers knew that the Seahawks were on their schedule, when he proclaimed the Packers would run the table?


o Cowboys @ Giants - This game has lost it's lustre, since the Giants just got their asses whomped by the Steelers, and they now have essentially no chance of catching the Cowboys.


o Ravens @ Patriots - The Ravens have won some good games lately, but let's see if they can beat the Patriots in Foxborough. I'm sure that Terrelle Suggs will be running his mouth off this coming week.


DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:


I'm giving it to Panthers head coach Ron Rivera for benching his star quarterback Cam Newton for not wearing a tie. Are you kidding me, Cam Newton is one of the best dressed dudes in the entire League! He looked pretty snazzy in that hat and turtleneck jersey, why in the hell would he need a tie with that outfit!


Meanwhile, Coach Rivera dresses like Klem Kaddiddlehopper! I thought that benching was really silly, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised, if he loses the locker room over that blunder.
Especially since, the guy he used to replace Cam threw an interception on the first play of the game. Everything went down hill from there, and the Panthers got their asses whipped badly by the Seahawks, 41-10! In one short year, the Panthers have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse and Coach Rivera is the head custodian of the outhouse!


Macdawg, outta here for now.........





                                           NFL WEEK #12 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS By Macdawg


 1. In the Macdawg Power Rankings, I still have the Patriots #1 in the AFC and the Cowboys #1 in the NFC.
 
2. The Patriots, however, still have some chinks in the armor and they especially miss the two outstanding defensive players, Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, that Bill Belichick deep-sixed earlier this year.  Additionally, the Great Gronk left this week's action with a back injury, which coupled with his chest injury from last week, makes his timely return to action questionable, at best. 

It's a damn good thing they have ex-Bear Martellus Bennett in the fold.  He's a damn good tight end. 

Additionally, a new guy entered the picture in Sunday's game, a wide receiver by the name of Malcolm Mitchell.  I don't know who the hell he is or where he came from, but he caught 5 of Brady's passes for 42 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Exactly where do the Patriots go to get these guys?

 3. The Patriots edged the Jets in the Meadowland on Sunday, 22-17, as the incomparable Tom Brady led them back to another late 4th quarter victory, with some critical 4th down completions and the winning touchdown pass!  The Patriots 22-17 win upped their record to 9-2, which leaves them two full games ahead of the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East Division.

As a footnote, this was Brady's 200th win, tying him with Peyton Manning for the most NFL wins ever!  He also eclipsed 60,000 yards passing this week, placing him in a very small and elite group with Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, and Dan Marino. 

 4.  I have the Raiders ranked in the #2 spot, as they beat the Panthers 35-32 on Sunday in Oakland's "Black Hole."  The Raiders improved their record to 9-2 and they have sole possession of first place in the AFC West Division.   

The Raiders built a nice 24-7 lead in the first half, and then squandered it away in the second half behind a defenseless defense.  They entered the 4th quarter losing 25-24.  Derek Carr their feisty young quarterback had suffered a hand injury earlier, but he shrugged it off, donned a Michael Jackson like black glove, and led the Raiders to another come-from-behind win.  

Derek Carr is only in his second year, but this kid is damn special!  He's fearless, extremely confident, and great under pressure!  

The Raiders might also have the best defensive play

NFL PLAYOFFS WEEK #1 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg


1. So much for the advantage to home teams in bad weather!  That was pretty much the story line all week by all the "talking heads," yet the Eagles, Bengals, & Packers all lost on their frozen tundra turf! 

2. Additionally, most of those same, brilliant "talking heads" picked the Bengals and Eagles to prevail.  Old people suffer from CRS (Can't Remember Shit), while the "talking heads" suffer from DNS (Don't Know Shit)!  The old "talking heads" suffer from both of these insidious maladies!

3. The soaring Eagles got edged out by the visiting Saints on Saturday night, 26-24, as Shayne Graham kicks a 32 yard field goal on the last play of the game.  Shayne Graham?  I thought Garrett Hartley was the Saints kicker, what happened to him, did he say something politically incorrect?

It's a damn good thing Graham hit that 32 yarder, or he would have been been doing a Fats Domino rendition of "Walking to New Orleans" all the way from Philadelphia!

4. How can Andy Reid and his Kansas City Chiefs blow a 4 touchdown lead?  Just a few short weeks back they were applauded as one of the best defenses in the NFL and one of the best Chiefs teams in history!  What a pitiful way to end what was such a promising season, losing 4 out of 6 down the stretch, and then blowing a 4 touchdown lead in their playoff game!

5. That game was like a "Mash" episode, the Chiefs lost their best player, Jamal Charles, 6 plays into the game, and one of their best defenders, Brandon Flowers, shortly thereafter.  Several others got injured as play went on!

I felt sorry for poor Andy Reid, as he trudged his 400 pound carcass off the field at game's end!  That was a sad, sad sight!

6. We do, however, have to give huge profs to the Colts for Luckily pulling out that game.  The hugest profs go to their 2nd year quarterback Andrew Luck. 

The kid had a miserable first half in Saturday's game, but shrugged it off and absolutely shredded the Chiefs defense in the second half!  That play where he had the wherewithal to grab that goal line fumble and bang it into the endzone is stuff that legends are made of, as the saying goes!  He is a gritty, fearless, highly skilled competitor and the Patriots will have their hands full with him!

7. Huge profs also to 2nd year Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.  With the game this kid had, Hilton Hotels ought to set him up in the best Indianapolis penthouse suite they have, it's an advertising dream falling right into their laps!

Young T.Y. grabbed 13 of Luck's passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in that epic Colts comeback!  He's good, real good!

8. I was hoping the Bengals would win today, so they would be the Patriots opponent and Luck and the Colts could go give Peyton and the Broncos another spanking!  Now, we're going to have to do it the hard way, and knock both teams off.

9. Interestingly enough, the mighty Broncos lost only three games this year, but unfortunately for them, the other three AFC teams left in the playoffs are the three teams that beat them.

10. A few weeks back, I changed Andy Dalton's nickname from the "Red Rifle" to the "Unready Rifle."  Dalton was very true to his new nickname on Sunday as he had another horrible game with two crucial picks and one crucial fumble in a devastating loss to the fast charging Chargers and Philly Rivers! 

11. The Bengals had everything on their side, the weather, the fans, the advantage of being 8-0 at their home field this year, the momentum, everything, yet they blew it all!  It's not going to happen, but they should fire their head coach Marvin Lewis, no doubt about it!

12.  Marvy Lewis has been at the Bengals helm for some ten years and he has never won a playoff game!  Not one!   Not only that, but can you believe that Marvy had the gumption a couple years back to hold out for a raise and that the brainless Bengals braintrust gave him one!  They ought to give him another one now and publicize it as a "nice participation" type of bonus.

13. The Cincinnati Bunglers are really a joke, maybe one of the 2-3 worst run organizations in the entire NFL, right there with the Raiders and the Lions!   It has now been 23 years since the Bengals have won a playoff game.  You'd think maybe they'd get the idea that Marvy is not the right guy for their head coach!

14. The San Francisco/Green Bay game was like Ice Bowl III, played in frigid, below zero conditions.  Johnson & Johnson, or Merck, or some pharmaceutical company could have filmed Coach Harbaugh's post game spiel and used it for a Winter cold ad!  He looked more like Tom Coughlin than Jimmy Harbaugh!

15.   After Mister Rodgers of the Pack settled down, he played very well, but Tattoo Man of the Niners was the clear star of the game! 

Sure, K-Nick had a couple of ill-advised miscues early, but when the game was on the line he won it with speedy runs and accurate passes.  This guy is wicked fast, faster than the Roadrunner!  For his day's work, he had over 200 passing yards and nearly 100 rushing yards in brutally cold conditions.

16. We must also reluctantly give profs to Michael Crabtree who caught nine passes for 140 yards. We have a couple of new nickname options for this quarterback/wide receiver duo, take your pick, Kab to Crab, or Kap to Crap!

17. There was a little more "blood letting" this week as Mike Munchak of the Titans got axed.  They're dropping like flies, that numbers seven!  What about Dennis Allen and Jason Garrett, how do they keep their jobs?  

18. The list of Underdog Upset winners this weekend numbers two, the Saints and the Chargers.  It should have been three, but the Chiefs couldn't hold their 4 touchdown lead, and the great Dwayne Bowe couldn't stay in bounds on that game ending pass play.

19.  Playoff Schedule for Next Weekend 1/11 & 1/12:  

o  Saints @ Seahawks - The Battle Of The Shorterbacks, Brees & Wilson.  Hawks are 8 1/2 point favorites.  The Saints will do better in this rematch, but not better enough, the shorter shorterback will prevail.

o  Colts @ Patriots - The Best Quarterback in the NFL vs. The Best Young Quarterback in the NFL. Pats are 7 point favorites.  I don't know if the Pats will open up a 4-touchdown lead in this game, but if they do, they won't blow it.

o  49'ers @ Panthers - Tattoo Man versus Superman. Which scrambling QB is better and which defense is better?  This game is a pick, but it's tough pickings!  The teams are pretty equal, but I'll give the edge to the Niners, based on their Playoff experience.  This is the first time for the young Panthers, so they may have a little "stage fright!"

o  Chargers @ Broncos - Philly versus Peytie.  Philly and his Chargers beat Peytie and his Broncos a few weeks ago, but can they do it again?   I doubt it, I doubt it very much.  The Chargers are playing on stolen house money!

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK: 

I'm going to be presumptuous and bestow it on the Cincinnati Bengals braintrust, whoever they are, as I don't believe they have the gumption to fire Marvy Lewis.  After 10+ years without a playoff win, considering the talent that team has, Marvy should be axed, no question about it!

Unfortunately Gridders, we now live in the United States of Incompetence, so we must assume that the Cinci braintrust is too incompetent to recognize that Marvy should be fired!

Macdawg, outta here for now....can't wait til next week...





NFL WEEK #17 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

We are now a full 10 days into Winter, the NFL regular season is over, and the Playoffs are about to start.  Can't wait!

However, today is Bloody Monday and some blood must first be shed!

 1. The Cleveland Clowns wasted no time as they fired head coach Rob Chudzinski immediately after losing to the Steelers yesterday 20-7.  Chudzinski is now Gonezinski!  In a prepared statement, Cleveland management said "we have high standards and there's an urgency for sucess."

Really?   Take a look in Cleveland's "Dog Pound" to see how much credibility that statement has!  I'm recommending they hire Ronald McDonald as their next head coach.  He's the most popular clown in the country and they are the Cleveland Clowns!

 2. The Minnesota Vikings axed head coach Leslie Frazier this morning, after a dismal 5-10-1 season.  Frazier gets demolished today and the Metrodome gets demolished tomorrow.   Is Bud Grant still alive?  They should bring him back to coach.

Next year will mark about 10 years, since the infamous Vikings Sex&Booze Cruise on Lake Minnetonka.  I understand they will be pulling that cruise boat out of the lake and hauling it to the new stadium as part of the opening day presentations.  Mike "The Pencil" Tice, Daunte Culpepper, and other key members of that old Vikings squad will be aboard the boat and waving joyfully to the Minny throng, as part of the stadium dedication. 

3.  As expected, the combative Mike Shanahan got axed by Danny Snyder this morning.  Mike can now go home, wherever home is, and polish up his two Superbowl rings, both of which he owes to Terrell Davis not John Elway.

4.  In Tampa, head coach Greg Schiano has been tossed into the Bay and is now trying to swim his way back to Rutgers.  With all that blood all over him and the abundance of sharks in the bay, I don't think he'll make it!

5.  Henry Ford The Eighth fired Jimmy Schwartz a few minutes ago.  There is no two ways about it, Schwartz did a piss poor job as the Lions head coach.   However, the good news for him is that he has shown enough incompetence to go to Washington D.C. where he can land a really good job!

6.  Others not answering their phones this morning are  Mike Munchak of Tennessee, Dennis Allen of Oakland, Jason Garrett of Dallas, and Bum's Boy of Houston.

7.  Peyton Manning tossed 4 touchdowns last week against a hapless Texans squad and another 4 this week against a haplesser Raiders squad.  He should be able to take great consolation in those records in about 2 weeks, when his post-season will come to one more ignominious end!  

Sure, they have the #1 AFC Seed but so what!  The Broncos will most likely be playing the Colts in two weeks and we know what happened when last they met.

 8.   The Dolphins flamed out again this week, losing to green rookie quarterback Geno Smith and a mediocre Jets squad 20-7.  What a miserable way to finish out a season that has been beyond miserable!  They were without Incognito most of the season but were anything but incognito, the whole football world saw how pitiful they really were!

 9. Sexy Rexy Ryan saved his job in the process of the Jets 20-7 win yesterday over the playoff hopeful Dolphins.  Jets owner Woody Johnson gave Rexy a half-assed vote of confidence in his press conference yesterday, telling the whole world what a great job he's done, but not so nimbly side-stepping any discussion on a long term contract for Fat Ass.

Nonetheless, that was a big win for the Jets, knocking the rival Dolphins out of the playoffs.  That win parlayed with the Jets win last week against the Clowns gives them an 8-8 record for the season, good for second place in the AFC East.   Even better, their young quarterback Geno Smith, the human turnover machine,  is showing some improvement and some promise. 

10.  The Billies were competitive, but the Patriots prevailed 34-20 in a driving rain up in Foxborough.  The Pats finish 12-4 and take the AFC #2 seed.  They have a bye this week and will most likely be hosting the Bengals in two weeks.

11.  Despite the "Unready Rifle" who tossed another 4 picks yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Superbowl Champion Baltimore Ravens 34-17.  What a way for the defending champions to end their season!  They get thrashed by the Patriots last week and schooled by the upstart Bengals this week! 

No more Ray Lewis, no more Ed Reed, and no more Playoffs for the Ravens!  Quoth the Raven "nevermore!"

12.  The Colts finished up a nice 11-5 regular season by whacking a defenseless Jaguars team 30-10.  They should be able to polish off the Chiefs in Indy next weekend and then get ready to go visit Peyton and the Broncos up in Denver.  I'm predicting they will be mile high for that game and knock off the Broncos.

13.  The Kansas City Chiefs, employing their taxi squad players, had the Chargers set up for a technical knockout yesterday, when their Kicker, Ryan Succop, missed a game winning, chip shot field goal.  The Chargers eventually prevailed 27-24 in Overtime.  The win put the Chargers into the Playoffs as the #6 AFC seed and knocked the Steelers out of the Playoffs.

I would not recommend that Mister Succop visit Pissburgh anytime in the near future!  Maybe never!

14. After starting out 0-4, the Steelers made a nice comeback to finish the season 8-8.  They would have made the playoffs, save for that chip shot field goal miss by Ryan Succop of the Chiefs yesterday afternoon.  

They can blame Succop, or the refs for not calling an obvious penalty on the field goal try, but they really have no one to blame but themselves.  Let's not forget, they lost to a shitbum Vikings team over in England in Week #4!

15.  The Disabled Duo of Rodgers & Cobb put an abrupt end to the Chicago Bears playoff hopes in chilly Soldier Field yesterday afternoon!   Mister Rodgers came back from his broken collar bone and led the Packers to a 33-28 win, on a last second, fourth down, touchdown bomb to an also recently convalesced Randall Cobb.  It was an epic contest but another bitter, bitter loss for the Bears. 

16.  The philosophical Bears head coach, Marc Trestman, was very philosophical after the loss, but I don't think that helped anyone.  Jay Cutler played pretty well yesterday, but Trestman will forever be blasted by Chicago fans and the Football literati for eschewing the "hot hand" of backup quarterback Josh McCown in favor of Cutler.

Trestman will not be higher on the "Chicago Goat List" than Steve Bartman nor the goat himself, but he'll be pretty high on that list.  The bruised Bears can now start their Winter hibernation. 

17.  The Packers finish 8-7-1 and take the NFC North title with that win.  Packers fans are now super jubilant over the triumphant return of Mister Rodgers.

I recommend they temper their jubilation a tad, as this coming weekend, they will host the San Francisco 49'ers, who will be favored, and who will be significantly tougher than the Bears.    This is going to be like a "Cage Match" and Mister Rodgers will be the 49'ers prime target in that cage!    

 18. The 49'ers did not look invincible in Phoenix yesterday afternoon, but they did eke out a 23-20 win.  They grab the #5 NFC seed and get to travel to tropical Green Bay next weekend.

 19.  Although the Cardinals playoff hopes got dashed yesterday, they did finish the season with a very respectable 10-5 record.  Their head coach, Bruce Arians, will probably win his second straight "Coach of the Year," so congratulations to them and to him. 

Their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback tossed 5 picks in the last two weeks.  I think it's time for the Cardinals to look elsewhere for a starting quarterback.

 20. In 'Nawlins, Drew Brees tossed for 4 touchdowns and ran for another, as the Saints trounced the Suckaneers 42-17.  The Saints cop the #6 NFC seed and now get to visit Philly this coming weekend. 

That should be a great game and based on the Eagles performance in last night's game in Dallas, I think the Saints will win that game, despite being a slight underdog.  All bets are off, however, if the weather is real bad.

 21. In Atlanta, the Falcons were very competitive, but eventually succumbed to the visiting Panthers 21-20.  The Panthers finish the season 12-4, which earns them the #2 NFC seed, a playoff bye, and the NFC South divisional crown.  It's been a great year so far, for young Cam and the young Panthers!  

There's no telling who the Panthers will be playing in two weeks.  I'm guessing it will be the 49'ers, but I'm not betting on it!

22. In Seattle, the Seahawks dispatched the Rams 27-9 with relative ease.  They finish the regular season 13-3, the best record in the NFL.  They win the NFC Western crown, get the #1 NFC Seed and a first round bye.  All their playoff games will be in Seattle, probably the best home field advantage in all of football!

23. In the Sunday Nighter, the Cowboys once again self destructed.  Down 24-22 with a couple minutes to play, the Cowboys had the ball.   Kyle Orton was at the helm and performing admirably as the backup for the disabled Tony Romo.  With that much time, all he needed was 2-3 first downs to get Dan Bailey into position to kick the game winner, and give the Cowboys their first NFC East crown in years!

Unfortunately, this is December and this is the Cowboys.  On the very first play, Orton threw a pick, and the game, and the crown, and the playoffs were all lost.  Up in his luxury booth, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stood up, turned around, and walked to the back of the booth.  He appeared to be throwing up.

What a fitting image and a fitting ending to another 8-8 year for the Cowboys and the third straight year, in which they lost the NFC East crown on the last game of the year!   How 'bout dem Cowboys Jerry, how 'bout dem Cowboys!!

24. The list of Underdog Upset winners this week was not a list.  There was but one, none other than the New York Jets.  Attaboy Rexy!

25.  Playoff Schedule:   

o  Saints @ Eagles - Eagles are a 2 1/2 point favorite at home next Saturday night.  If the weather is decent, I'm picking the Saints to win.

o Chiefs @ Colts -  The Chiefs are in a tailspin and going nowhere!  Well, they are going to Indianapolis for their Playoff game next Saturday afternoon, but they are going nowhere after that!

o Chargers @ Bengals - The Chargers were damn lucky to get in!  Next Sunday afternoon, the Bengals hold serve at home and the Chargers go home!

o 49'ers @ Packers -  Next Sunday night, Mister Rodgers and the Packers will get a rather rude awakening. 

o Byes for Seahawks, Panthers, Broncos, Patriots

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK: 

I'm doing a collective DUMBSHIT this week to the NFL officials.  They have done a piss poor job all year and yesterday, amongst others, they blew a couple of key calls.

Late in the crucial Eagles/Cowboys game, the play clock was immediately decremented from 40 seconds to 25 seconds, and the refs didn't pick it up.  You'd have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to know there was a glitch in the time clock, yet they called a "delay of game" penalty that could have been very costly.  Why the oblivious Jason Garrett didn't question this is testimony to his ineptitude as a head coach.

On the potential game winning field goal in the Chiefs/Chargers game, the Chargers were very obviously lined up incorrectly and should have been flagged.  The refs missed this, and Succop missed the field goal.   The 5 yard penalty would have given Succop a mulligan and his chip shot field goal would have been a chippier chip shot.

I'm sure the Pittsburgh Steelers were very happy with that non-call.  Great job "striped shirters!"

Macdawg, outta here for now....



















NFL WEEK #16 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg


We are now a full 3 days into Winter and it's pretty much all over but the shouting for Fantasy Footballers. Congrats to those who won and condolences to those who didn't!

There's still a week to go in the regular NFL Season.  Here are a few of my thoughts.

 1. Peyton Manning tossed 4 touchdowns yesterday against a hapless Texans squad, breaking the single season record of 50, previously held by the great Tom Brady.  I guess we must now say that Peyton is the greatest regular season quarterback in the History of the NFL!

Unfortunately, Peyton is about 7th on the list of greatest all-around quarterbacks, including post-season play.  I'd have him behind Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Otto Graham, Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Y.A. Tittle, and his brother Eli Manning, who won two Superbowls. 

He is, however, ahead of his father Archie Manning, who never won any championships, and might never have even played in a Playoff Game.  Don't forget, he played for the New Orleans Saints back then, who were more popularly known as the New Orleans Aints!

 2. The Broncos clinched the AFC Western Division with their win over Houston, but they haven't yet clinched the #1 AFC Seed. they can do that next week by beating the Raiders in Oakland, or if the Patriots lose at home to the Billies.

 3. Unfortunately, Denver lost Linebacker Von Miller, their best defensive player in yesterday's action.  That puts a lot of extra pressure on an already suspect defense and on the record shattering Peytie.  I've been saying for over a year now, and we can see it unfolding before our very eyes......Things are not going to end well in Denver for John Elway, John Fox, and Peyton Manning. 

 4. Brady and the Patriots embarrassed the loudmouthed Ravens in Baltimore, 41-7.  The Patriots have clinched the AFC East crown and still have a shot at the #1 AFC seed.  The Ravens are now on the balls of their asses, hoping for a wildcard berth.

 5. All the AFC Divisions are now settled, in addition to the Patriots.  The Bengals are the AFC North Champs, the Colts are the AFC South Champs, and the Broncos the AFC West Champs.  By the way, is Indianapolis further south than Cincinnatti?

 6. The Kansas City Chiefs at 11-4 have clinched one of the AFC wildcards.  The one remaining AFC wildcard is being contested by the Ravens, Dolphins, and Chargers who are all 8-7.  The Steelers at 7-8 have an outside shot, but I would not recommend anyone in Pittsburgh buy tickets on the Stub network quite yet!

 7. The Dolphins dashed their chances down the drain, when they got shutout in Buffalo on Sunday 19-0. Their Offensive line is horrendous!  They can't block for their runners and they can't protect for their quarterback.  Their runners rushed for a total of 14 yards yesterday on 12 attempts and their quarterback was sacked 7 times.  

Could they be any more horrendous.  They sorely miss the undearly departed Richie Incognito and their failures are very un-incognito, the whole world sees them!

 8. The NFC conference championships are still up for grabs.  The NFC East will be decided in Dallas next week, when the Eagles and Cowboys clash.  The NFC North will be decided in Soldier Field, when the Packers and Bears clash.  Their longtime rivalry is very intense and dates back to 1919!

The Carolina Panthers have the lead in the NFC South, but the Saints are still in the running.  Lastly, the Seahawks have the lead in the NFC West, but the 49'ers are still in the running.

 9. One of the NFC wildcards will be the loser of the NFC South, either the Panthers or the Saints.  The other remaining NFC wildcard is being contested by the 49'ers and Cardinals. 

10. A badly injured Tony Romo had a heroic performance yesterday in Washington D.C., when he courageously led the Cowboys to a last second 24-23 win over the politically incorrect Redskins.  We learned just this afternoon about his serious back injury and that he will miss the rest of this season!

11. Ten minutes ago, I heard the duplicitous Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett say that Tony is still being evaluated and that he might be playing next Sunday.  Are you shitting me, he sounded more like Baghdad  Bob than an NFL Coach!

The bookies opened the Cowboys/Eagles line at Eagles -2 and when Romo's injury news hit, they upped it to Eagles - 7 1/2.  Who you going to believe, Garrett or the Vegas Book? 

12.  I don't give a Romoless Cowboys much chance to beat the Eagles next week.  That means Mr. Garrett will soon be fired.   However, I don't think all is lost for this poor bugger.  Given the bullshit he was spewing into the air at his just held press conference, I think he will be a damn good replacement for Jay Carney, the Muslim Messiah's Press Secretary!

13. Cam has arrived, just as I predicted in last week's T&O Report.  He actually had a lousy day Sunday, but found a way to rally his Panthers to a last minute 17-13 win!  The Panthers can win the NFC South next Sunday with a win in Atlanta against the down & out Falcons.

14. The Detroit Cowboys and Matty Stifford did it again this week.  I was shocked last week, when they lost to the visiting Ravens and the explosive duo of Stafford to Megatron yielded a miniscule 8 total fantasy points.  I figured it couldn't get any worse than that, but it did this week when that same duo, at home in their dome, yielded an even more miniscule 4 points to a down & really out Giants squad!   That really burnt a lot of us Fantasy Footballers!

15. Detroit has now lost 5 of their last 6 games and find themselves out of the running in the NFC North.  Since both the Bears and the Packers lost yesterday, all the Lions had to do was beat the lowly Giants this week and they could have won the NFC North crown with a win next week against the lowly Vikings. 

Stafford is more of a turnover machine than Jets rookie Geno Smith.  It's unbelievable how poorly he has performed in clutch situations in the last 6 weeks, it's just plumb pitiful!   

15. I know it's Christmas week, but I wouldn't be surprised if Detroit Head Coach Jim Schwartz gets axed on Christmas Eve. He deserves it, he can't coach a lick.  For severance pay, they should give him a broken down 1958 Edsel and boot him out of town!

16. On the subject of pitiful performances, how about the Bears getting lambasted by the Eagles in Philly last night, 54-11!   Today, I heard a Bear fan tell another Bear fan, "that the Bears stink!"  The other fan responded, "Like shit they do!"

17. In addition to Garrett and Schwartz, other coaches on the hot seat are, in heat intensity priority order are:

Mike Shanahan, Dennis Allen, Mike Munchak, Leslie Frazier, Rexy Ryan, and Mike Smith.  You may as well throw Wade Phillips in there also, he has been the Texans interim coach, after Gary Kubiak was axed.  Kubiak was lousy for sure, but nobody thought Bum's Boy would be any better, and he hasn't been!  Bum's Boy must also go.

18. We do need to give Bum's Boys some credit.  Afterall, he has pushed the Texans losing streak to a baker's dozen and the Texans are firmly in first place for next year's #1 draft choice.  Nice job Bummy's Boy!

19. The Arizona Cardinals flew into Seattle and outplayed the ferocious Seahawks 17-10, keeping their playoff hopes alive.  Carson Palmer had a lousy day with 4 picks, but the Cardinals defense played brilliantly as they held "The Beast" to a mere 71 rushing yards and kept him out of the endzone. 

This was a huge upset win for the Cardinals and most of the credit should go to the Arizona Defense.  I'd also give a good chunk of the credit to Bruce Arians, their head coach, who now is a favorite to win back-to-back Coach of the Year awards!  Good job Cousin Brucey!

20. This was the first time the Seahawks lost at home this year and the first time that their young quarterback Russell Wilson ever lost in Seattle.

21.  Tonight's Monday Nighter has the Falcons against the 49'ers.  This will most likely be the last game played in storied Candlestick Park, the home of the dominant 49'er teams of the 80's and early 90's, with legendary stars like Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, and Ronnnie Lott. 

There is an outside chance that the 49'ers can win the NFC Western crown and the NFC #1 seed.  If that were to happen, we would see another game or two in the storied Candlestick venue. 

I'd like to see that happen, it would be great!  Unfortunately, for that to happen the 49'ers must depend on their longtime, hated rival Rams venturing into Seattle next week and upsetting the Seahawks.  The Rams will probably be a 2 touchdown or so underdog, so that's pretty unlikely.   You never know though, you never know.    

22. The list of Underdog Upset winners this week numbers six again.  They are the Bills, Colts, Cards, Giants, Steelers, and Patriots. 

23. Interesting games on the Week #17 Docket:

o Packers @ Bears - The winner will be the NFC North Division champions.

o Eagles @ Cowboys - The winner will be the NFC East Division champions.

o 49'ers @ Cardinals - Wildcard berths at stake in this game, as well as a potential NFC Western crown for the 49'ers.

o Ravens @ Bengals - Ravens probably need a win to grab the last AFC wildcard berth.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:  In the spirit of Christmas, there will be no awardee this week.

Merry Christmas Gridders!

Macdawg, outta here for now...





















NFL WEEK #15 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg


I'm a little late this week, as I had Christmas mailings and various other chores to do.  Here we go.

 1. This week's action was dramatized by some pretty good upsets and some pretty good comebacks!  Unfortunately, the Patriots fell short in their comeback attempt, losing to the Dolphins in Miami, 24-20, when Danny Amendola dropped that perfectly thrown pass in the endzone at game's end.

Tom Brady's wife, Giselle Munchen, said it best a couple years ago, when she said "My husband can't throw the ball and catch it too!"  Billy Belichick needs to go back to the Perkins School for the Blind and find some better receivers!  I'd also suggest that he see if he can sign up "Big Papi" of the Red Sox to be his new tight end. 

 2. In Saint Looie, the so-so Rams manhandled Drew Brees and the Saints, 27-16.  The game wasn't even as close as the final score would indicate.  Brees threw for almost 400 yards, but he was constantly harassed and tossed two picks. 

3. The Saints do not travel well!  This week, they go to Carolina to face the upcoming Panthers in a showdown for the NFC South title.  Both teams are 10-4 and both teams have easy Week #17 schedules, which probably won't even matter.  I expect the winner of this game to take the NFC South title and the loser to be an NFC wild carder.

4. The Panthers had their way with the Jets down in Charlotte, coasting to a relatively easy 30-20 win.  This win and the Saints loss now sets up the big showdown game this Sunday.  I think the Panthers will be a slight favorite in this game.  We know all we need to know about Drew Brees and how great he is, but this game will tell us a lot about Cam Newton. 

I think it's Newton's time, I think the Panthers will prevail in this contest and Cam's legs will have a lot to do with it. 

5.  The Giants got shutout and embarrassed by the visiting Seahawks in the Meadowlands, 23-0.   Baby Hughey tossed another five interceptions, giving him a total of 25 for the year.  Geno Smith of the Jets threw another pick in the Jets game, giving him 21 for the year.  

I think these two should be able to toss another 4 next week, giving them a total of 50.  I'm recommending that Mayor Bloomer  change the name of New York City to "Turnover Town! "

6. Peyton Manning had a lousy game last Thursday Night, as the Broncos dropped one to the schizophrenic Chargers up in Denver, 27-20.  The Broncos defense is suddenly quite suspect, and they now find themselves tied atop the AFC West  with the Chiefs, both sporting 11-3 records.

7. Despite Denver's defensive lapses and the fact that their last two games are on the road, I see nothing preventing them from capturing the AFC West divisional crown and the #1 AFC seed.  The Patriots squandered their chances by losing to the Dolphins this week and the Broncos have already beaten the Chiefs twice this year.  The Broncos last two games are essentially byes.  They visit Houston this week and Oakland next week, could anything be easier?

8. The Raiders allowed their longtime hated rivals, the Kansas Chiefs, to come into town and make mince meat of them in a 56-31 rout!  What a debacle, as Chiefs running back Jamal Charles scores 5 touchdowns and quarterback Alex Smith tosses for 5.  The Chiefs amassed about 700 yards of offense in that game.

They have now scored over 100 points in their last two games!  That's pretty impressive offense!  The Colts visit Kansas City this week, so they should be able to add another 50.

9. The Raiders should definitely fire their General Manager Reggie McKenzie.  This bum was supposed to be their savior. He breezes into town and immediately fires head coach Hue Jackson, who had compiled a reasonably respectable 8-8 record in 2011.  He hires this unknown named Dennis Allen to replace Hue, and in his 2-year regime the Raiders are now 8-22!

McKenzie might as well have driven to the cemetary, dug up Dead Al and personally rolled him over!  What a disgrace, they could have done as well by hiring the inept Matty Millen as their General Manager!  We all know what Matty did to Detroit.

10. In Pittsburgh, the "Unready Rifle" and the Bengals proved they are unready for prime time, as they dropped the Sunday Nighter to the Steelers on the frigid shores of the Three Rivers!  The Ravens are now only one game back of the Unreadies, and their week #17 showdown in the Natti will probably decide the AFC North divisional winner. 

If it comes down to that, I'll take "Cool Joe" over the "Red Rifle."

11. The 49'ers put a nice 33-14 beatdown on the host Bucs down in sunny Florida.  The Tattoo Man is improving his read progressions, Michael Crabtree is back, and Frankie Gore is running as reliably as ever!  They are definitely playoff ready now, and are probably the only NFC team that can give the Seahawks a good battle up in Seattle.

They aren't going to catch the Seahawks for the NFC West crown, but they appear to be in excellent shape for an NFC wildcard. The Week #17 game in Arizona will probably be a meaningless game for the Niners, as I see the Cardinals getting thrashed this week up in Seattle.

12. The entire NFC East lost this week.  What a train wreck that division is!  The Giants shutout by the Seahawks wasn't even the biggest embarrassment! 

13. The Eagles lost to the ragtag Vikings 48-30 up in Minnesota. How can the Eagles defense allow an enfeebled Vikings offense to score 48 points, with the great Adrian Peterson standing on the sidelines in street clothes?  Shameful! 

14. The Redskins, led by Kirk Cousins, lost to the Falcons in Atlanta 27-26.  The vengeful Mike Shanahan eschewed a tie to force Overtime and then failed on the 2-point conversion attempt, which was a half-assed attempt at best.

Shanahan has shelved Robert Griffin for the remainder of this season, reducing RG3 to RGZero!  I am convinced his decision Sunday to go for the 2-pointer, instead of forcing the Overtime, was to spite both Griffin and Redskins owner Dan Snyder.  Everyone and their mother knows that Shanahan will soon be axed and, as a result, Shanahan is employing the "scorched earth" tactic!

15. In Dallas, the Cowboys squandered a 23 point halftime lead and essentially blew themselves up in the second half, handing an undeserved win to the Packers.  For the details, I refer you to the DUMBSHIT section below.

16. Talking Heads everywhere are raining all sorts of criticism down on Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who left the field and went into the clubhouse with a couple of minutes still remaining in the game.   Dez couldn't bear to watch what was left of this horrendous Cowboys meltdown!

I don't blame Dez for this, I would have left the entire stadium.  This guy might be a tad immature, but he is a winner, and can't stomach losing!  The Cowboys need more players like him, and they wouldn't be as bad off as they currently are!

17. The Packers are still without ace quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but are still hanging on to their playoff hopes.  With the Monday Night loss by the Lions, they are in second place in the NFC North, a mere 1/2 game behind the leading Chicago Bears.   They play the Bears in Chicago in Week #17, and that should decide the NFC North divisional winner.

18. With their choke-job 18-16 loss to the Ravens on Monday Night, the Detroit Lions have essentially played themselves right out of the playoffs.   The Lions are now one full game behind the Bears and a half game behind the Packers.  The Bears and Pack play each other in Week #17, so the winner of that game will most likely cop the NFC North crown.

The only hopes the Lions have is that the Muslim Messiah overturn one or two of their close losses, in the spirit of Socialism! He has already bailed out Detroit once or twice, so why not again?

19. The Lions multi-million dollar ace quarterback Matty Stafford played like Geno Smith, tossing for one measly touchdown and three picks.  Two of those picks were horrendous, especially the game ender, when he threw the ball right into the waiting arms of the Ravens defender, with nary a Lion receiver in sight! 

Calvin Johnson let that mouthy Ravens defensive back get into his head, and he also played like a bum!  He dropped two wide open passes, which were right on his hands, and then dropped a much more difficult 2-point conversion toss.  Megatron is supposed to be the best receiver in the game, how can he let a rank rookie's rantings throw off his game in such a big game? There goes his legacy! 

20.  Matt Stafford is the highest paid quarterback in the game, with the exception of Aaron Rodgers!  Are you kidding me, this guy is nothing more than Tony Romo North!  The Lions organization is more poorly run than General Motors, and that's pretty bad!  They should be renamed the Detroit Cowboys!

21. A good part of the blame for the Lions failures lies at the doorstep of head coach Jim Schitz.  There is no discipline on that team!  They should immediately fire Schitz and put the "full court press" on Giants coach Tommy Coughlin as his replacement.  They need a disciplinarian like Coughlin to straighten their franchise out.

That loss last night was very painful and I turned it off at the end.  Does anyone know if Johnny Harbaugh whacked Jimmy Schwartz  in the back, during their end-of-game handshake?  You know Gridders, like his brother Jimmy Harbaugh did last year.

22. I would be remiss, if I didn't give huge profs to Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who was personally responsible for all 18 Ravens points, as he booted 6 field goals.  In addition to booting a few chip shots, he successfully converted boots of 49, 53, and the game winning 61 yarder!  Very, very impressive for this young kid! 

His performance resulted in 30 fantasy points, and to add to his adulation by fantasy geeks, he made mention of his fantasy football achievements, in his post game interview.

23. The list of Underdog Upset winners this week numbers six.  They are the Rams, Vikings, Dolphins, Packers, Steelers, and Ravens.  That's a damn good week for the dawgs!

24. Interesting games on the Week #16 Docket:

o Saints @ Panthers - Both teams at 10-4 with the winner assuming sole position of the NFC South Division

o Colts @ Kansas City - Can the porous Indy defense hold the Chiefs to under 50 points?

o Cardinals @ Seahawks - The Cards will get a rude awakening in this one, very rude awakening!

o Patriots @ Ravens - You can bet the house that this game comes down to the last series!

o Steelers @ Packers - Will the Steelers continue their spoiler role?

o Bears @ Eagles - The Bears are going to need this game worse than the Eagles, but will they get it?


DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:  

I'm giving it to Dallas Head Coach Jason Garrett.  In a critical game, the Cowboys led the Packers by 23 points at halftime, 26-3. They had amassed over 100 yards in the first half running the ball, yet they decide they need to throw the ball in the second half and give Tony Romo a blank check.

Are you shitting me, doesn't Garrett know that this is December, when Romo does his deep sea diving?  That's exactly what happened. Old Tony tossed two costly interceptions at the end of the game, snatching defeat for the Cowboys and giving victory to the Rodgerless Packers.   Unfrigging believable!

The Dallas Cowboys are an absolute disaster!  Here's what owner Jerry Jones now needs to do. 

Firstly, fire his inept head coach Jason Garrett.  This guy should be a church greeter, not a head coach. 

Secondly, fire his defensive coach Monte Kiffin.  This guy should be in a rest home playing checkers, not up in a booth calling plays. 

Thirdly, he needs to fire the offensive coach Bill Callahan.  This guy needs to make an appointment to get his head examined.

Fourthly, he needs to trade away Tony Romo.  Romo should be a back-up quarterback somewhere, not a starting quarterback.  He is too turnover prone. 

Lastly, he needs to fire himself.  He should book himself into the same facility Kiffin goes to!

That's it Gridders.  It's chilly outside, but we're still five days from the start of Winter.  Maybe it's here already, I still see snow remnants on the ground.

Macdawg, outta here for now... 































































































~~NFL WEEK #13 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg










 1. Nice bounce back by Peyton Manning this week, as he leads his Broncos into Arrowhead Stadium and removes the scalps of the Chiefs, in an impressive 35-28 come-from-behind win.  Manning tossed for over 400 yards and 5 touchdowns in that unfriendly environment.   That is impressive Gridders, especially on the heels of his heartbreaking loss to Brady and the Patriots last week, damn impressive!

With this win, you can crown the Broncos AFC West Division champions.  All that remains now is to obtain the #1 seed, so Manning won't have to face Brady and the Patriots again up in Foxborough.

 2. That's three straight losses now for the Chiefs, after opening with 9 straight wins.  I don't think the Chiefs are really ready for prime time just yet!

 3. As a side thought, the Kansas City Chiefs name is a Native American theme, just like the Washington Redskins name.  With all the controversy surrounding the "Redskins" name, perhaps their name should be changed to the "Washington Thiefs," which rhymes with "Chiefs" and is indicative of what our politicians in Washington D.C. represent!

 4. On the subject of the Redskins, they lost again last night, as the Giants spotted them 14 points, before coming back to win 24-17. The Skins  have now fallen to 3-9.  The absymality of that record in the Nation's Capital is only superceded by the abysmality of the job Obama and his administration is doing!   I think I just invented a new word...that makes me a logodaedalus.

 5. The Patriots spotted the Texans a 10 point lead, and came back to beat them 34-31 in a toughly fought battle down in Houston.  That gives the Pats a 3 game lead in the mediocre AFC East Division, so they are a shoo-in to take that divisional crown.

 6. Houston defensive end Antonio Smith insinuated the Patriots must have been cheating or spying to beat the Texans.   Smitty, how stupid can you be, the Texans have the absolute worst record in the entire AFC and have lost ten straight games.  Meanwhile, the Patriots win ten or more games every year, and have the best quarterback in Football!   They don't need to cheat, or spy, or collude to beat a frigging Texan "town team!"  They could beat you guys with their second stringers!

 7. I see Fat Ass Rexy has finally closed down the pastry shop, that Geno Smith kept patronizing.  He allowed Geno one more turnover, making that 20 some, before shutting things down. 

After two more horrific quarters in the Meadowlands on Sunday against the very so-so Dolphins, Geno Smith was replaced by Matty Simms.  Matty is the son of great New York Giants quarterback Philly Simms.  Young Mathew went an unimpressive 9 for 18 for a whopping 79 yards, with no touchdowns, and one pick.  Fat Ass would have been better off giving the football to Daddy Phil.

The Dolphins ended up embarrassing the lowly Jets, 23-3. 

8. The Bears gave away another game this week, this time a 23-20 overtime loss to the divisional rival Vikings up in Minnesota.  The Bears porous run defense couldn't stop a slow moving beach ball!  The great Adrian Peterson rushed for over 200 yards, the 5th time in his career he has achieved this rare feat!

9. Peterson also became the third fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards.  Hall of Famers Jimmy Brown and Eric Dickerson are the only two, who did it faster.  I have seen lots and lots of great running backs over the years, and Jimmy Brown is by far the greatest.  Dickerson was great, but there are a handful that are greater.

I'd have O.J. Simpson, Gale Sayers, and Barry Sanders, amongst others, definitely ahead of Dickerson.  I'd also put Adrian Peterson ahead of him, no doubt about it!

10.  With Detroit thrashing Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day and the Bears losing yesterday, the Lions are definitely the odds-on favorites to take the NFC North Division.  The Bears are pretty competitive without Jay Cutler but the Packers are absolutely horrible without Aaron Rodgers!

11. The Bengals went on the road and shut down Philly Rivers and his high-powered offense.  They have a 2 game lead in the AFC North Division and should have things wrapped up before their season ending encounter with the Ravens in Cincinnati.

12. In Indianapolis, the Colts, in a close one, beat the Titans 22-14.  Tennessee is Indy's closest AFC South divisional rivals, but they aren't that close, being a full 3 games behind.

Indy will win that division easily, but they are becoming less and less impressive, as the season winds down.  Andy Luck is now making mistakes, and has been quite pedestrian in his last few games.  Yesterday, Luck passed for a measly 200 yards, with no touchdowns, and one pick.

To make matters worse, the great  Heisman Trophy winning Trent Richardson has been absolutely worthless to the Colts.  Yesterday, they gave him the ball 5 times, and he rushed for a total of less than 20 yards.  Plumb pitiful!

13. In the NFC East Division, Philly and Dallas are tied for the top with 7-5 records.  The Giants and Redskins are toast, so the eventual winner of this division will undoubtedly be determined in Week #17 when they play each other down in Jerrywood.

14. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Eagles quarterback Nick Foles are both playing excellent football at this time.  Be cautious on your expectations for  Tony, as it is now December, which is usually his worst month.

Nick, on the other hand, has a limited resume, so no one really knows how good he'll be in the pressure-packed games.  We do know, that in this season up to now, he has thrown 19 touchdowns with no interceptions.  That is very impressive.

15. Seattle is well in control of the NFC Western division and should win it pretty easily.  They may experience a hiccup tonight, in their game against the high faluting Saints, but I doubt it.  I expect they will clinch things next week, when they visit San Francisco.  They won't leave their hearts in San Francisco, but will break the hearts of the San Franciscans!

16. The 49'ers had another impressive win yesterday, beating their longtime rival Rams 23-13 in Candlestick Park.  The Niners are now 8-4 and in good shape to win a "wild card" playoff berth.  Malcontent Michael Crabtree has returned to the fold, but I don't really know whether that is good or bad for the 49'ers.  Let's see how he fares next week against the rugged Seahawks defense.

17. It looks like the NFC South will be a fight to the finish between the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.  After Seattle beats New Orleans tonight, I expect them to be tied with 9-3 records.  They play each other in Week #14 in New Orleans and in Week #16 in Charlotte.

Is this going to be a replay of the recent Chiefs/Broncos encounters, or are the Panthers and Superman Cam really the real thing.  We will find out very soon.

18. Four gridders had fantastic fantasy outings in Week #13.  They were Peyton Manning, Alshon Jefferey, Josh Gordon, and Eric Decker.  Depending on the fantasy format, their scores were high 30's, low 40's.  That is very impressive, but irrespective of that, two of these guys did so in losing causes.

Manning tossed for 5 touchdowns; Alshon Jefferey of the Bears, caught 12 passes for 249 yards, including two long touchdown bombs;  Josh Gordon of the Browns, caught 10 passes for 261 yards, including 2 touchdowns, one a 95 yard bomb; lastly, Eric Decker of the Broncos caught 8 passes for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns.

19. It was a bad week for underdogs, as only two prevailed outright, the Jaguars, and the Dolphins.

20.  The Fantasy Football Playoffs start in Week #14 Gridders, and there are some interesting games on the docket:

o Colts @ Bengals - This could be another agonizing day for young Andy Luck.

o Lions @ Eagles - Can the Lions make it two in a row.  They will have had 10 days rest, so should be raring to go!

o Seahawks @ 49'ers - The Niners need to win this game just in order to convince themselves they can beat the Seahawks.  This is another big test for them!

o Panthers @ Saints - This Sunday Nighter is the Game of the Week!  We know how good Brees is, but is Cam as good as all the experts are saying?

o Cowboys @ Bears -  It's December....will the December demons still be haunting Tony Romo?







DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:   Pittsburgh Steeler Head Coach Mike Tomlin takes the cake this week.  Come on Mike, everyone and their mother knew you were standing out on the field, hoping to impede Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones and prevent him from taking it to the house.   You accomplished your goal, as Jones had to veer to the right a tad to avoid you and he was shortly thereafter tackled by a Steeler defender.

You didn't even do a good acting job on this slight of foot maneuver.  Your silly grin completely gave you away.  I don't think you'll be grinning too much when El Fuhrer Goodell brings down the hammer later this week to the tune of about Fifty big ones!

It's a damn good thing that your foolishness didn't result in a Ravens loss, or the Raven fans, like the raven itself, would be talking about this forever!

That's it Gridders, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming!  So are the Fantasy Playoffs!

Macdawg, outta here for now... 




















































































































































































































Week #14













































































































































































































NFL WEEK #14 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg



 1. This week's action was dramatized by harsh weather conditions, the most unbelievable of comebacks, record breaking feats, heart breaking injuries, questionable officiating, and coach firings!  It had it all!  The East Coast games were played on frozen tundras, in frigid weather, or snow blizzards, or all of the above!  It was great   theatre for those of us watching in the comfort of our homes with a dog and a beer by our side, but I doubt it was very great for the players. 

 2.  In the Vikings/Ravens game in Baltimore, five touchdowns were scored in the last 2 minutes of the game!  Herman Munster IV, aka Joe Flacco, was nothing but Joe Cool at the end of that game, as he kept the Ravens in the thick of the Wild Card hunt.  Joe was very cool indeed, the Ravens should rip up his $100 million dollar       contract  and pay him $200 million!

3. The Vikings loss was even more bitter, as they lost their All World Running Back Adrian Peterson in the process.  He went down to injury and anguish early in that contest and may well be done for the year.  Coach Leslie Frazier might also be done, as the Vikings 3-9- 1 record does not sit too well with the Minny brass.

4. In Pittsburgh, the Dolphins from equatorial Miami were somehow able to peform and prevail in the harshest of weather conditions, keeping their Wild Card hopes alive.  They overcame a late "pick 6" by Ryan Tannehill and came roaring back to score the last 10 points of the game to cop the upset.  Thev even survived a last minute Steeler Keystone Kop/Cal Berkeley type of play, including about 6 laterals.  They were very to lucky to survive that, as Antonio Brown of the Steelers eventually took it to the house.  Unfortunately, it was negated as an unimpeded Brown went out of bounds on about the Miami 12 yard line.

Why wasn't Coach Tomlin on the field this week, re-directing Mister Brown away from the sideline?  How ironic is that whole episode, especially since it essentially ends the Steelers hopes for a playoff berth!  Earlier this week, Coach Tomlin was fined to the tune of $100,000 by El Fuhrer Goodell, and further threatened with the possibility of also losing a draft choice next year.  All that for an infraction of being one foot out onto the field!   That's two huge bites of the Shit Sandwich in less than a week!  How's it taste Coach?

5. In Foxborough, Tom Brady and the Patriots pulled off another miracle!  With about 2 minutes left and trailing the Cleveland Clowns 26-14, Brady led the Patriots to two touchdowns and another unbelievable win.  I'm telling you Gridders, Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the History of the NFL!  He's proving in week in and week out and with a cast of characters that belong in a Pop Warner Football League!

6. Unfortunately, the Patriots suffered a very bitter loss even more bitter than what the Vikings suffered with Peterson.  The Great Gronkowski went out in the fourth period to a season ending ACL/MCL knee injury.    This is very bad news for the Patriots, as we all know, miracle cannot go on for ever.  It's okay to hope for an occasional miracle, but when you start counting on them, you're in big trouble!  The Patriots will easily win the enfeebled AFC Eastern Division, but what then without Gronkowski?  Sure, they have another great G'Ski in Gostkowski, but  a kicker can only do so much, Gronk is irreplaceable!

7.  Now then, some of the 49'er fans who read my newsletter are complaining that I don't give enough love to Tattoo Man.  Alright, ok, Tattoo Man led the 49'ers to a nice , late game, winning TD yesterday afternoon, against their hated NFC Western Division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.  I must give Tattoo Man credit for that late rally, although I give more credit to Frankie Gore who busted a 50 yard run during that rally.  I would recommend that Tattoo Man have the final score of that game tattooed onto his forehead.

8.  Unfortunately, Tattoo Man is not in the conversation of "best quarterback ever."  However, I would rank him as the 7th best quarterback in the history of the San Francisco 49'ers.  I would have him behind Joe Montana, Yelverton Abraham, Steve Young, John Brodie, Frankie Albert, and Billy Kilmer.   There you have it 49'er fans, I hope you're happy and good luck against the Seahawks the next time you play them.  Unfortunately, that game will be played in less friendly confines!

9. In a Philadelphia snow blizzard, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy amassed 217 rushing yards, which included two long TD runs.  This broke the 64 year old Eagles record previously held by Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren.  McCoy's heroics, most of which came in the 4th quarter, led to a 34-20 Eagles victory, and puts them alone atop the NFC East Division, pending the outcome of tonight's Cowboys/Bears game.

10.  The home domed Detroit Lions played pitifully in the Philly blizzard.  Ace quarterback Matty Stafford might as well have been playing in rubber boots with hockey gloves on, as inept as he was!  His fantasy output this week was in minus territory, plumb pitiful gridders!

11.  The blizzard conditions, a field covered 6" deep in snow, and inept quarterback play also rendered the Lions great Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson useless!  He did break the Detroit receiving yardage record, previously held by Herman Moore, but there was no celebration.  When Megatron got up from the record breaking catch, he was covered in snow and looked like Yeti, the Abominable Snowman!   The Lions are still in first place in the NFC North Division, but at this point in the season, as the Playoffs near, they have way too many question marks and questionable characters on their team!  This is not the year for Detroit, not the Redwings, not the Tigers, not General Motors, and not the Lions!

12. Drew Brees bounced back nicely from that Week #13 pounding he got up in Seattle.  They definitely are a different and better team at home.   Hell, the Panthers didn't give up 4 touchdowns in the month of November, yet on Sunday Night, Brees thashed them for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.

 This 31-13 shellacking by the Saints breaks the Panthers 8 game winning streak and temporarily quiets those lobbying for Superman Cam to win this year's MVP.    The Panthers are good, but like what I said of the Chiefs last week in their encounter against the Broncos, they aren't quite ready for the Big Time!  Not this year!

13. The Saints are now alone atop the NFC South and it's theirs for the taking.  They play the Panthers in Charlotte in Week #16 and that will be another big game for both teams.  aching them a good lesson in humility. 

14. The Chiefs hog-whipped the hapless Redskinnies in our Nation's Capital on Sunday, 45-10.  How fitting is it Gridders, that this is one of the worst teams in the long and storied history of this franchise and at the same time, we have the worst Presidential administration in history residing and presiding in this city at the same time!  What a coincidence!

15. The Redskins fall to 3-10, as they co-mingle and co-commisserate with the miserable Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons as the worst of the worst!   The Redskins combative coach, Mike Shannahan, is on his last legs.  He'll be lucky to last the week!  Put in a call to Mayflower Movers Mike, you're gonna need 'em!  Too bad we couldn't line up a fleet of Mayflowers and rid Washington of all the incompetents!

16.  The Houston Texans are actually worse than the above feeble franchises, as they just lost their 11th straight game, and now sit at 2-11.   Coach Kubiak got fired on Friday, after their Thursday Night loss to the piss-poor Jaguars.  I am recommending that coaches Shannahan, Smith, & Frazier do not answer their phones this week!

17. Fat Ass Rexy re-installed "Turnover Genover" Smith as the Jets quarterback and he responded with a decent game, a 37-27 win over the lowly Raiders.  Geno even threw a touchdown pass this week,  Despite Fat Ass's prohibiition of same, Geno did have one turnover on Sunday, tsk, tsk!

18. In a battle of Andys, also a battle of divisional leaders, Andy Dalton outdid Andy Luck, and the Bengals won fairly easily 42-28.  Both quarterbacks posted huge stats and huge fantasy stats.  The Bengals still lead the AFC North Division by two full games and, interestingly enough despite the loss, the Colts clinched the AFC South divisional crown, when the Titans lost to the Broncos Sunday afternoon.  It looks to me like the Bengals will be very tough come playoff time and that the Colts are a player or two away from being ready.  One of those players is Reggie Wayne, who has been on Injured Reserve for many weeks, and who will not be back this year.

19. In Denver, the ancient, archaic, decrepit Peyton Manning proved to all the naysayers, that he could perform and perform well in frigid conditions.  The conditions were very frigid in Denver yesterday afternoon, and the Old Man threw for about 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in torching the Titans.  The Broncos are quickly closing in on the AFC West Divsion crown and the #1 seed in the AFC.  They finish with the Chargers, Texans, and Raiders, what could be easier? 

Wee Wesley Welker did get caught in a "Malachi Crunch" yesterday, suffering what appears to be a serious concussion.  He is very valuable to the Broncos but not invaluable, so expect Denver to keep right on rolling. 

20. The list of Underdog Upsets this week was scant, very scant, only the Miami Dolphins was on that list.  Dallas is a very slight favorite tonight, the conditions will be very harsh, and it is December, so I'm predicting an upset win for the Bears over a December deficient Dallas team.

21. Interesting games on the Week #15 Docket:

o Cardinals @ Titans - Wildcarder hopefuls

o Patriots @ Dolphins - Magic and Mirrors once again?

o Packers @ Cowboys - Will Mister Rodgers be back in class?

o Bengals @ Steelers - This Sunday Nighter might be another weather game.  The Bengals are much better, but will they impose their wills on the Steelers or play down to their level?

o Ravens @ Lions -  The Lions will be in the comfort of their own dome and their own home, expect them to bounce back from that miserable Philly snow blizzard loss!


DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:   I'm bestowing this illustrious honor on Houston Texans owner Bob McNair.  Bright Bob fired  Coach Kubiak this past Friday.  Gary Kubiak had a stroke at half time a few weeks back, and was just getting back at the helm.  The way things were going, he'd probably have a heart attack in a week or two, why didn't McNair wait for that?  Better still, why didn't he wait for Christmas Eve to fire Kubiak?   I'll tell you why Gridders, some people are "dumbshits" and some people are incosiderate "dumbshits!"  McNair is the latter.

That's it Gridders.  Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow!   Winter is here, the snow is here, and so are the Fantasy Playoffs, I love it!

Macdawg, outta here for now... 































































































~~NFL WEEK #13 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg










 1. Nice bounce back by Peyton Manning this week, as he leads his Broncos into Arrowhead Stadium and removes the scalps of the Chiefs, in an impressive 35-28 come-from-behind win.  Manning tossed for over 400 yards and 5 touchdowns in that unfriendly environment.   That is impressive Gridders, especially on the heels of his heartbreaking loss to Brady and the Patriots last week, damn impressive!

With this win, you can crown the Broncos AFC West Division champions.  All that remains now is to obtain the #1 seed, so Manning won't have to face Brady and the Patriots again up in Foxborough.

 2. That's three straight losses now for the Chiefs, after opening with 9 straight wins.  I don't think the Chiefs are really ready for prime time just yet!

 3. As a side thought, the Kansas City Chiefs name is a Native American theme, just like the Washington Redskins name.  With all the controversy surrounding the "Redskins" name, perhaps their name should be changed to the "Washington Thiefs," which rhymes with "Chiefs" and is indicative of what our politicians in Washington D.C. represent!

 4. On the subject of the Redskins, they lost again last night, as the Giants spotted them 14 points, before coming back to win 24-17. The Skins  have now fallen to 3-9.  The absymality of that record in the Nation's Capital is only superceded by the abysmality of the job Obama and his administration is doing!   I think I just invented a new word...that makes me a logodaedalus.

 5. The Patriots spotted the Texans a 10 point lead, and came back to beat them 34-31 in a toughly fought battle down in Houston.  That gives the Pats a 3 game lead in the mediocre AFC East Division, so they are a shoo-in to take that divisional crown.

 6. Houston defensive end Antonio Smith insinuated the Patriots must have been cheating or spying to beat the Texans.   Smitty, how stupid can you be, the Texans have the absolute worst record in the entire AFC and have lost ten straight games.  Meanwhile, the Patriots win ten or more games every year, and have the best quarterback in Football!   They don't need to cheat, or spy, or collude to beat a frigging Texan "town team!"  They could beat you guys with their second stringers!

 7. I see Fat Ass Rexy has finally closed down the pastry shop, that Geno Smith kept patronizing.  He allowed Geno one more turnover, making that 20 some, before shutting things down. 

After two more horrific quarters in the Meadowlands on Sunday against the very so-so Dolphins, Geno Smith was replaced by Matty Simms.  Matty is the son of great New York Giants quarterback Philly Simms.  Young Mathew went an unimpressive 9 for 18 for a whopping 79 yards, with no touchdowns, and one pick.  Fat Ass would have been better off giving the football to Daddy Phil.

The Dolphins ended up embarrassing the lowly Jets, 23-3. 

8. The Bears gave away another game this week, this time a 23-20 overtime loss to the divisional rival Vikings up in Minnesota.  The Bears porous run defense couldn't stop a slow moving beach ball!  The great Adrian Peterson rushed for over 200 yards, the 5th time in his career he has achieved this rare feat!

9. Peterson also became the third fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 rushing yards.  Hall of Famers Jimmy Brown and Eric Dickerson are the only two, who did it faster.  I have seen lots and lots of great running backs over the years, and Jimmy Brown is by far the greatest.  Dickerson was great, but there are a handful that are greater.

I'd have O.J. Simpson, Gale Sayers, and Barry Sanders, amongst others, definitely ahead of Dickerson.  I'd also put Adrian Peterson ahead of him, no doubt about it!

10.  With Detroit thrashing Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day and the Bears losing yesterday, the Lions are definitely the odds-on favorites to take the NFC North Division.  The Bears are pretty competitive without Jay Cutler but the Packers are absolutely horrible without Aaron Rodgers!

11. The Bengals went on the road and shut down Philly Rivers and his high-powered offense.  They have a 2 game lead in the AFC North Division and should have things wrapped up before their season ending encounter with the Ravens in Cincinnati.

12. In Indianapolis, the Colts, in a close one, beat the Titans 22-14.  Tennessee is Indy's closest AFC South divisional rivals, but they aren't that close, being a full 3 games behind.

Indy will win that division easily, but they are becoming less and less impressive, as the season winds down.  Andy Luck is now making mistakes, and has been quite pedestrian in his last few games.  Yesterday, Luck passed for a measly 200 yards, with no touchdowns, and one pick.

To make matters worse, the great  Heisman Trophy winning Trent Richardson has been absolutely worthless to the Colts.  Yesterday, they gave him the ball 5 times, and he rushed for a total of less than 20 yards.  Plumb pitiful!

13. In the NFC East Division, Philly and Dallas are tied for the top with 7-5 records.  The Giants and Redskins are toast, so the eventual winner of this division will undoubtedly be determined in Week #17 when they play each other down in Jerrywood.

14. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Eagles quarterback Nick Foles are both playing excellent football at this time.  Be cautious on your expectations for  Tony, as it is now December, which is usually his worst month.

Nick, on the other hand, has a limited resume, so no one really knows how good he'll be in the pressure-packed games.  We do know, that in this season up to now, he has thrown 19 touchdowns with no interceptions.  That is very impressive.

15. Seattle is well in control of the NFC Western division and should win it pretty easily.  They may experience a hiccup tonight, in their game against the high faluting Saints, but I doubt it.  I expect they will clinch things next week, when they visit San Francisco.  They won't leave their hearts in San Francisco, but will break the hearts of the San Franciscans!

16. The 49'ers had another impressive win yesterday, beating their longtime rival Rams 23-13 in Candlestick Park.  The Niners are now 8-4 and in good shape to win a "wild card" playoff berth.  Malcontent Michael Crabtree has returned to the fold, but I don't really know whether that is good or bad for the 49'ers.  Let's see how he fares next week against the rugged Seahawks defense.

17. It looks like the NFC South will be a fight to the finish between the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.  After Seattle beats New Orleans tonight, I expect them to be tied with 9-3 records.  They play each other in Week #14 in New Orleans and in Week #16 in Charlotte.

Is this going to be a replay of the recent Chiefs/Broncos encounters, or are the Panthers and Superman Cam really the real thing.  We will find out very soon.

18. Four gridders had fantastic fantasy outings in Week #13.  They were Peyton Manning, Alshon Jefferey, Josh Gordon, and Eric Decker.  Depending on the fantasy format, their scores were high 30's, low 40's.  That is very impressive, but irrespective of that, two of these guys did so in losing causes.

Manning tossed for 5 touchdowns; Alshon Jefferey of the Bears, caught 12 passes for 249 yards, including two long touchdown bombs;  Josh Gordon of the Browns, caught 10 passes for 261 yards, including 2 touchdowns, one a 95 yard bomb; lastly, Eric Decker of the Broncos caught 8 passes for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns.

19. It was a bad week for underdogs, as only two prevailed outright, the Jaguars, and the Dolphins.

20.  The Fantasy Football Playoffs start in Week #14 Gridders, and there are some interesting games on the docket:

o Colts @ Bengals - This could be another agonizing day for young Andy Luck.

o Lions @ Eagles - Can the Lions make it two in a row.  They will have had 10 days rest, so should be raring to go!

o Seahawks @ 49'ers - The Niners need to win this game just in order to convince themselves they can beat the Seahawks.  This is another big test for them!

o Panthers @ Saints - This Sunday Nighter is the Game of the Week!  We know how good Brees is, but is Cam as good as all the experts are saying?

o Cowboys @ Bears -  It's December....will the December demons still be haunting Tony Romo?







DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:   Pittsburgh Steeler Head Coach Mike Tomlin takes the cake this week.  Come on Mike, everyone and their mother knew you were standing out on the field, hoping to impede Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones and prevent him from taking it to the house.   You accomplished your goal, as Jones had to veer to the right a tad to avoid you and he was shortly thereafter tackled by a Steeler defender.

You didn't even do a good acting job on this slight of foot maneuver.  Your silly grin completely gave you away.  I don't think you'll be grinning too much when El Fuhrer Goodell brings down the hammer later this week to the tune of about Fifty big ones!

It's a damn good thing that your foolishness didn't result in a Ravens loss, or the Raven fans, like the raven itself, would be talking about this forever!

That's it Gridders, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming!  So are the Fantasy Playoffs!

Macdawg, outta here for now... 




















































































































































































































Week #14


































































































































































NFL WEEK #12 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg  
 
  1. This is just breaking news, so I have elevated it to my #1 note.  Everyone and their mother is aware of all the recent commotion and controversy over the Washington Redskins team name.  The fact is, it is demeaning and insulting to a lot of people!

 As a result, the team owner, Mister Daniel Snyder, has announced that, as of today, the word "Washington" will be dropped from the team name.  Thank Heavens, it took much too long!    
 
  2. The Chiefs were still punch drunk from the beatdown they received last week at the hands of the Broncos and, as a result, got ambushed by a marginal San Diego Chargers team, 41-38. When the Chiefs score 38 points, they are not supposed to lose, especially in Kansas City!

  3. I don't know what happened to the vaunted Chiefs defense, but I do know it is less vaunted today, after losing two of their stalwarts in Sunday's contest. Their two best sackmen, All-Pro Linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston left Sunday's contest to injury.  Neither may be available for next Sunday's crucial follow-up game in Kansas City against the Broncos. 

  4. The Chiefs should be very thankful to the Patriots, who came back from a 24 point deficit to beat the Broncos, 34-31 in Overtime, up in frigid and windy Foxborough, Massachusetts.  Both the Chiefs and Broncos now sport 9-2 records and their follow-up encounter next Sunday afternoon in Arrowhead Stadium should decide who will eventually win the AFC West.

  5. In the Sunday night classic contest between Tom Brady and his Patriots and Peyton Manning and his Broncos, Brady once again prevailed triumphant!  In years to come, this will probably be the game that completely validates Brady as being the better quarterback!  Sure, Tom has two more Superbowl rings than Peyton, and holds a sizeable 10-4 edge over
Peyton in their head-to-heads, but Sunday night's game was a game for the ages!

 The winds were howling and blowing above Gillette Stadium like that old Rock 'n Roll disc jockey Wolfman Jack!  The chill factor was well below zero.  The fans were bundled up like eskimos, and the Patriots legendary Minutemen looked like frozen statues cemented into the endzone!  
 
The great Peyton Manning was all bundled up from toe to head and looked like a mummified penguin, only less mobile!  He was more than happy to just hand off the ball to Knowshon Morino and see him crash into and through the Patriots line, time and time again, amassing over 200 rushing yards.   

Meanwhile, Brady was able to muster up the courage and intestinal fortitude to bear the unbearable conditions, and in the third quarter alone led the Patriots to three quick touchdowns, all of which were into those howling winds!  You would think it was September in Miami, given Tom's outward calm, his ignorance of the brutal conditions, his command of the Patriots offense and his tightly-spiraled, accurate passes!

 Midway through the 4th quarter, the Pats tied the game 24-24, then took a 31-24 lead.  Manning then mounted a turnaround of his own, and led the Broncos to the tying touchdown, 31-31.  The fourth quarter finished in a tie, and the game went into Overtime.

 Billy Belichick surprised the whole world, when he won the coin toss, and elected to kick to Manning and the Broncos.  It was a stroke of genius, as the Patriots had the wind during the entire overtime, and the tide of the game turned on a late punt deep into Denver territory, that was mishandled by the Broncos. The Patriots recovered and less than a minute later, they kicked the winning field goal and won the game 34-31.

 The final stats will show Peyton Manning with 2 touchdowns, one pick, and a measly 150 passing yards.  It will show Tom Brady with 3 touchdowns, no picks, and an impressive 344 passing yards.   Peyton Manning is undoubtedly a great quarterback, one of the greatest ever!  Tom Brady is better!

  6. After the Patriot fans finish celebrating their great victory over the Broncos, in a day or two, they should take up the cry "Get rid of Ridley!" Stephen Ridley put them in an awful hole last week, when he fumbled deep in Panthers territory, costing them a touchdown, and probably eventually costing them the game, irrespective of the Gronk foul/no foul!

 Yesterday, he did the same, which was the start of the Patriots 24-0 hole.  Of course, Belichick benched Ridley for the entire rest of the game,  but what will happen next week, when the Pats play the Texans?  Bench the bum!

  7. Did anyone notice the obligatory quarterback end-of-game greeting between Brady and Manning?  It lasted less than a nanosecond and I don't think two words were exchanged.  They should have just each walked about 5 yards out onto their side of the field, given each other the finger, and then retreated to their respective locker rooms!

  8. It was a miserable day all around for the Manning family, as Baby Eli and his G-Men lost to Tony Romo and the Cowboys in the Meadowlands, 24-21. That ends the Giants 4-game winning streak and for all intents and purposes ends their season!  The Cowboys and Eagles are now both 2 full games up on the Giants. 

  9. Neither the Lions, the Bears, nor the Packers want to take charge of the NFC North, so it is still up for grabs.  It will probably remain so through Thanksgiving and all the way through Christmas.

 10. The Lions lost at home to the lowly Bucs 24-21, as their careless quarterback Matty Stafford tossed 4 picks.  The Lions are losing games they should win, so they should be renamed the Cowardly Lions.  Stafford is unbelievably loose and reckless with the ball,
making the great gunslinger Brett Favre look like a Baptist Preacher!

 11. The Bears got mauled by the Rams in Saint Louis, 42-21.  It simply appeared the so-so Rams were a better team, so how good could the Bears be?  I don't think the return of Jay Culter will help them that much.

 12. The Green Bay Grave for quarterbacks is still in business!   Third stringer Scott Tolzien got benched yesterday in favor of newly signed, former Packer Matt Flynn.  Flynn took over for Tolzien in the 3rd quarter, with the Pack down 23-7, and led them back to a 23-23 tie and an eventual 26-26 Overtime tie with the Vikings. Ties are rarer than "hen's teeth" and that is the first tie of the year in the NFL.  
 
The Pack and all of Green Bay are praying feverishly for the return of ailing ace quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  I think it's wishful thinking, just like the mustache Rodgers is sporting.  I don't know if he looks like a young Adolph Hitler with that thing or a middle aged porn star!  
 
13. Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Harvard University graduate, is the back-up quarterback currently leading the Tennessee Titans into contention for a Playoff berth.  When Fitzpatrick was given the Wonderlic Test, a test all NFL prospects must take, word has it, that he finished the test in 9 minutes, scored a perfect 50, and then flicked the test back to his examiner.  How cool is that!   His score was the highest ever for any NFL quarterback.

 On Sunday with time running out, he led the Titans down the field and tossed the winning touchdown with some 3 seconds remaining on the clock.  The venue was Oakland's nefarious "Black Hole," the most intimidating environment in the NFL!

 Are you kidding me Gridders, consider the image.  You have a scraggly bearded, cerebral Harvard guy, who looks like Sigmund Freud, performing at the highest level, in the most tension packed environment in the NFL!  Up in the stands, you have fanatical Raider fans dressed like chain gangers, pimps, hookers, Indians, some sitting in suits of armor, and some even bare-assed!   

These same whackos are screaming insults at the top of their lungs, belittling, demeaning, and threatening opposing players!  I can't even imagine how anyone can enjoy the game, sitting in such bizarre, uncomfortable garb, but they seem to relish it!

 Kudos to Fitzpatrick for his fine performance!

 14. In one of last year's T&O's, I told you Gridders that things were not going to end too well either for Denver or for Indianapolis, that "Karma" was going to get both franchises.  My prediction is now turning true. 

Well, I don't know if it is Karma, but old age, immobility, and harsh weather will certainly be taking it's toll on Peyton Manning in the coming Winter weeks. Their poor old Head Coach, John Fox has recently undergone serious heart surgery, and is currently unable to resume his duties.   Their interim coach, Jack Del Rio, is doing a good job, but is strenuously being recruited by USC to become their next head coach!  The Tebow Jinx is definitely rearing it's ugly head!

 Meanwhile, the Colts just got thrashed and manhandled again, this time 40-11 by the Cardinals down in Arizona.   They are still handily leading the enfeebled AFC South Division with their 7-4 record and will undoubtedly win that division, but there are grey clouds
ahead.  

Their narcissistic owner Unslim Jim Irsay can tweet as much as he wants, but the truth is that the Colts are not that good.  They can't run the ball and they can't stop the run, two things that will lead to a very embarrassing defeat come playoff time!

 15. The Tampa Bay Bucs have now won 3 in a row, since dropping their first 8.  Quarterback Mike Glennon, The Human Scarecrow, has probably saved the job of head coach Greg Schiano.  If not, and he gets fired, the Lions should hire him.  I think he might be a good fit as the Lions coach, they are direly in need of some discipline!  Their head coach Jim
Schwartz should be renamed Jim Schitz, he is the shitz!

 16. We can see now why no one picked up future Hall of Famer Ed Reed this past week, i.e. except for the New York Jets.  Fat Ass Rexy had Reed on defense, when Flacco hit Jacoby Jones on that 66 yard bomb.  Jones was Reed's responsibility, but Fat Ass would have been as well off having one of those frozen Patriots Minutemen guarding Jones!

 17. Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith just can't stay away from that pastry shop!  Yesterday, he had another two turnovers , both interceptions, a measly 127 passing yards, and never got the Jets close to the endzone.  They had one lousy field goal for their day's work.  
 
18. It was a really good week for underdogs, as six prevailed outright, the Bucs, Jaguars, Steelers, Chargers, Cowboys, and Patriots.  Also, the underdog Vikings tied the Packers.  The Redskins are slight underdogs tonight at home against the 49'ers, and could make it eight.

 They didn't, as the 49'ers won handily 27-6, keeping the Redskins out of the endzone, as the Shanahan Family gets nearer to it's regime end in Washington.

 19.  Interesting games in Week #13 are a few more than last week, with two good ones on Thanksgiving Day:

 o Packers @ Lions - This Thanksgiving Day tradition lives on in Detroit, while most everything else is dead!  

  o Steelers @ Ravens - Thanksgiving Night game. It used to be the Black & Blue Battle, with the winner emerging as the AFC North champs.  Now it is a Wild Card competition.

 o Cardinals @ Eagles -  Are the Cards a fluke or for real?  This game might tell.  Both quarterbacks are red hot!

 o Rams @ 49'ers - No matter what, the Rams always play the 49'ers tough!  Expect the same in this game.

 o Bengals @ Chargers - the Bengals are very talented, but they need  to start imposing their will on less talented teams, like these Chargers!

 o Broncos @ Chiefs - the winner will sit alone atop the AFC West, and be in position to take the #1 seed in the AFC. Both teams just experienced bitter losses and bitter cold losses!

 o Saints @ Seahawks - Two divisional leaders battling, with the winner emerging as the potential #1 seed in the NFC.  The Seahawks are very tough at home, while the Saints are a lot less tough on the road. 
   
 o  The Byes for this year are over.  Thank Goodness!

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

 Earlier this week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave head coach  Jason Garrett the proverbial "vote of confidence."  This week's dumbshits are any and all those gullible enough to believe Mister Jones.  The "vote of confidence" is nothing more than the "kiss of death!"  
 
Mark my words Gridders, if the Cowboys don't make the Playoffs and win a game or two, Mister Garrett will be out on the street selling encyclopedias come next February!

That's it for now Gridders.   Happy Thanksgiving!   Turkey, gravy, stuffing, pile it on, there is Pepto Bismol in your cabinet.  

Macdawg signing
out.......


 









 NFL  WEEK #11 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg  
 
 1. The Chiefs get knocked from the unbeaten ranks by Peyton Manning and the Broncos up
in Denver on Sunday night.  The game was somewhat competitive, but it seemed to me like the Broncs were in control all the way.  

I think Andy Reid and his braintrust screwed up royally by not blitzing a somewhat
hobbled Manning. Even the Dumbshits amongst us know that you can't let Peytie
waltz around the pocket unscathed, it's a sure-fire recipe for disaster!

 2. Pre-game in that Kansas City/Denver contest, the cameras beamed in on Peyton Manning and Wesley Welker standing side-by-side and chatting.  What a humerous shot that was, it looked like Wilt Chamberlain standing next to Tattoo of Fantasy Island. 

 3. The pre-season Superbowl bound Atlanta Falcons lose again and fall to 2-8. 
No one in the NFC has a worse record than that!  Expect Mister Blank to be
transferring Mister Smith to one of his Home Depot outlets, where he will be
dispensing handyman tips and flyers to store customers.

 4.  The Seahawks pounded the Vikings up in Seattle yesterday afternoon and improve their record to 10-1, best in the NFC.  They are virtually a lock for the #1 seed in the NFC and with Russell Wilson, "The Beast" and the 12th man, I  don't see anyone beating them up in  Seattle.

 5. Andy Luck and the Colts bounced back nicely from that drubbing the Rams  gave them in Week #10.   Last Thursday night, they spotted the ome Titans a 14-0 lead, and then young Andy led them back to an eventual 30-27 victory.  That's a lot of comeback wins their young quarterback has engineered.

 6. The Lions blew one in Pittsburgh 37-27, while the Bears snuck by the
Ravens 23-20 in Overtime in Chicago.  These two teams now share top
billing in the NFC North, with 6-4 records. I don't think the question is
"who will win this division?," but rather "who will lose this division?

  7. That Ravens/Bears game in Soldier Field yesterday was delayed two hours due to
weather.  That's the third time this year, including the Superbowl, that he Ravens have been seriously interrupted due to harsh weather.  Is Edgar Alan Poe somehow jinxing this franchise.  Maybe he doesn't like them using the "Ravens" as their team name!

 8.  Did you get a load of those Steeler throwback uni's?  They looked like a ross between a Georgia chain gang and a bunch of circus clowns.  P.T. Barnum must have sold them these
uniforms.

 9. The Bengals fought back from a 14-0 deficit to beat their hated intra-state rival Browns 41-20.  Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had another miserable outing, with less than 100 total yards, and  another two picks.

I think Dalton should change his nickname from the "Red Rifle" to the "Unready Rifle!"  The Bengals have a good defense, but come playoff time, it appears The Rifle might come up shooting blanks. 
  
10. The Tampa Bay Bucs have now won 2 in a row, after starting the season with 8 straight losses. Their quarterback Mike Glennon looks like a human scarecrow, standing about 6'6" and weighing about 170.   After the season, he'll be a good candidate for the "Scarecrow" role in the reproduction of The Wizard of Oz!

11.  I see the Jets picked up future Hall of Famer Ed Reed this past week.  Ed is not now the great player he once was, but they picked him up for the inspirational leadership he can bring to the Jets.  I guess he didn't provide much leadership or inspiration yesterday, as the Jets got obliterated up in Buffalo by the Bills, 37-14.

12.  Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith is once again patronizing pastry shops. Yesterday, he bought another 4 turnovers, 3 picks and a fumble, to goalong with his horrendous 8 for 23 day for about 100 yards!  
 
13.  Don't look now, but the G-Men have won four in a row, after dropping their first 6.  Next week, they host Dallas, and a win will pull them even with the Cowpokers.

14. In Philly yesterday, Nick Foles led the Eagles to another nice win, this time 24-16 over the divisional rival Redskins.  This was the Eagles first win at their home Linc, after ten straight losses!

The Eagles now perch alone atop the NFC North, with destiny, fate, and  good "karma" all blowing their way!  Mike Vick is no longer their starting quarterback but has been reassigned as the team ombudsman.  Look  for him on the sidelines with suit and bow tie.

15.  Considering ignominious streaks, the hapless Jaguars scored their first touchdown this year in and on their home field.  Since wonders never cease, soon after they scored
another one.

 Unfortunately, they got blown away by the Cardinals 27-14. No wonder no one shows up to
watch them.  

16. The Redskins loss to the Eagles drops them to 3-7, and tightens the noose  ever tighter around the neck of Head Coach Mike Shanahan.   Redskins owner Dan Snyder is too impulsive and impatient to put up with Shanahan's shenanigans any longer.  I'd recommend you get yourself a new health plan Mikey, before the end of this  year!

17. The Herman Munster cousins both lost yesterday.  Hermie II came back ontothe field in Houston to another round of roaring "Bronx Cheers!"  He continued his mediocre ways by going 12 for 25 for a buck fifty, with no  touchdowns, against a less than stellar Raiders
team.

 In Chicago, Hermie III  went an equally pedestrian 17 for 31 for a little more than a buck fifty, with two interceptions and one touchdown.

18.  Both Harbaughs lost yesterday, Johnny to the Bears in OT in Soldier Fieldand Jimmy to the Saints in a seat squirming heartbreaker down in 'Nawlins!  
   
19.  Jimmy Harbaugh had a couple of borderline ref calls go against his Niners, but what a big crybaby this guy is!  He bitches at just about every call that  goes against him, he's worse than Magic Johnson was during his playing days, and that's pretty damn bad!

20.The Niners have no one to blame but themselves for that heartbreaking loss to the
Saints.  The Tattoo Man couldn't hit water yesterday, if he fell overboard. He went 17 for 31 for a measly buck twenty seven, with one pick.

He failed repeatedly to convert crucial third downs and  unlike the top quarterbacks of the game, he showed very little pocket  patience!  In all, the Niners had a pitifully low 12 first downs in  yesterday's game, and that blame falls right on the muscular shoulders of Tattoo Man!

21. While I'm on the subject of knocking the Niners, could someone please buy TattooMan a hat that fits him!  He looks like Bluto of Popeye fame, standing on  the sidelines with that big old, oversized cap sitting on his skinny, little ad.  He ought to at least look the part!

22. To the 49'ers credit, however, their defense was pretty staunch.  Last week, the Saints amassed 40 first downs against the Cowboys.  The 49'ers ld the Saints to 23 first downs, well below their usual norm!

Additionally, this was the first game in 21 straight that Drew Brees failed to toss at least 2
touchdowns.  This game was not lost by the 49'ers defense, but rather by their offense and their special teams.

23. It was a good week for underdogs, as five prevailed outright, the Bucs, lls, Steelers, Dolphins, and Raiders. It looks like the Pats are slightderdogs tonight down in Carolina, so they'll probably make it six. 

They didn't, as the spineless refs retracted the obvious pass interference call!  Just one more assurance that we are now living in the United States Of Incompetence!
 
24. Interesting games in Week #12 are few:

 o  Colts @ Cardinals - are the Cardinals at 6-4 really as good as the 6-449'ers?   I don't think so, but this game might tell us.

 o Cowboys @ Giants  The winner of this game will be in position to challenge the Eagles for the NFC East divisional crown.  Who will it be?

 o Broncos @ Patriots -  Manning & Brady in another classic encounter.  Expect Billy to have a lot more surprises in store for Peytie than Andy did!

 o byes this week for the Bills, Bengals, Eagles, and Seahawks

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

This weeks DUMBSHIT awardis a collective one, going to the refs officiating the 49'ers/Saints game and  those officiating the Patriots/Panthers game!  The two calls at games  end in both games most probably changed the outcome of both games.  

The calls were absolutely ridiculous!

The hit to the head on Drew Brees was as accidental as it gets, and should not have been called.  It  essentially took a hard fought win away from the 49'ers and gave it to the Saints. Deplorable!

 In the Monday Night game, a flagrant penalty occurred against Gronkowski on the last play of the game.   The ref who threw the penalty flag then retracted it! Are you kidding me,
that defender accosted Gronk just as he entered the endzone and then pushed himto the back of the endzone. 

Guess what one of the commondenominators was in those games Gridders.  The home team got the call.

The problems are, the refs have no gumption, they are too old, their legs are too old, their eyes are way too old, nd their brains are much too old to be officiating important games!  

The NFL officiating isbecoming the laughing stock of the country and could very well "kill the goose  that laid the golden egg!"

Wake up Commissioner Goodell, before it's too late! 

That's it for now Gridders. It's cold outside, I have to go round up some wood. 

 Macdawg....












 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
 
 
NFLWEEK #10 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg  
 
 1. The Chiefs were on bye this week, so obviously kept their unbeated streak alive at 9-0.  They travel to Denver this week to confront the Broncos and Peyton Manning.  Peyton took a low hit at the end of yesterday's Broncos/Chargers  game and was hobbling around like Chester Dillon of old Gunsmoke fame.

 If he can't rebound quickly from that injury, it does not bode well for the Broncos but does bode well for the Chiefs keeping their unblemished record intact!  An MRI today on Manning has all of Denver nervously hanging and hoping!

 2. The Jacksonville Jaguars broke their winless streak up in Music City Nashville yesterday, as they beat the Tennessee Titans 29-27. It's a good thing for Coach Mike Munchak, that Titans owner Bud Adams died a couple weeks ago, otherwise he might have been out on his ass this morning! Adams was an original founder of the AFL and did not abide fools too well!  He was the guy that gave everyone the bird at the end of a Titans game a couple years back, while hanging out of his luxury booth!

 3.  I think with all the turmoil abounding within the Miami Dolphins franchise, that the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a good chance of breaking their winless streak tonight.  After all, they almost beat the powerful Seahawks last week, they are at home, and the Dolphins will be missing two of their starting offensive linemen.  
 
I wonder whom Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito will be rooting for tonight?

4. The Atlanta Falcons were picked by many to win this year's Superbowl.  After their 33-10 drubbing at home yesterday by the Seahawks, they are sitting with a dreadful 2-7 record!  Only the Jaguars and the Bucs have worse records.  

 5. The Seahawks now lead all NFC teams with a 9-1 record and have a commanding 2 game lead in their NFC West Division.  They are also looking pretty good schedule wise. They
have two remaining road games, but only one tough one, Week #14 against the 49'ers.  The other road game is against the Giants.  

They do have a tough home game in Week #13 against the Saints, but their other home
games should be relatively easy.  They will be hosting the Vikings, Cardinals, and Rams. I don't see the Seahawks finishing any worse than 13-3, which should be good for the #1 NFC seed and home field throughout the Playoffs. 

 6. The ragtag Rams put a horrendous 38-8 beatdown on the Colts yesterday in  Indianapolis! The Colts seem to be able to beat really good teams, but fall flat against weaker teams.   They have beaten the 49'ers, Seahawks, and Broncos, yet have lost to the mediocre Chargers and  Rams.

Andy Luck had perhaps the worst game of his young career, as he was unable to spark a Colts rally and tossed 3 picks attempting to do so! 

 7.  The Lions beat the Bears 21-19 in Chicago and take over sole possession of the NFC North Division with their 6-3 record.  They are now in excellent shape to take command over this division, as that was their second win this year against the Bears and the Packers are in complete disarray.

 8. Not only is Mister Rodgers out indefinitely for Green Bay, but their second tringer Seneca Wallace is also now out.  The fate of the Packers now rests in no-name 3rd stringer Scott Tolzein. 

However, I heard that the Packer braintrust is now trying feverishly to determine the whereabouts of ex-Packer backup quarterback Matt Flynn.  If anyone knows where he is or whom he is now with, give the Packers a call. 

I also heard that one of their executives is now on a Greyhound bus  heading South to Bayou Country, with jersey #4 in hand.  I'd say that the Packers should just pack it in for this season, and hope for better luck next year. 

9.  Once again, the NFC East has no one over .500.  The Eagles and Cowgirls are tied at the top with 5-5 records, while the politically incorrect Redskins and the less than mammoth Giants both sit with 3-6 records.

10.  I would suggest that no one listen to the bullshit of Eagles Coach Chipper Kelly, regarding the Eagles starting quarterback.  The unpredictable and unreliable Michael Vick was in street clothes yesterday, while Nick  Foles tossed three long TDs up in Green Bay.  
 
Foles has now tossed 10 touchdowns in the last two games and 16 straight  touchdowns with no picks.  Expect to see Mr. Vick in street clothes again when the Redskins visit Philly next Sunday.

11. Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper has gone from the "shithouse to the penthouse" since
the start of this season.  Remember, Cooper was the guy shouting racial epithets at that music concert last Summer, which, when surfaced, raised the ire of many of his black teammates.  All is now forgotten and forgiven, especially amongst the Philly faithful.  Riley caught two TD bombs yesterday, and that makes 5 in the last two games!  
 
John Madden always said "winning is a great deodoorant," and old Riley has gone from
smelling like a skunk to smelling like a French whore!

12. Unfortunately and despite the recent successes of Foles, the Eagles might be heading for big trouble.  So far this year, they are 5-1 on the road and 0-5 at home. Four of their remaining 6 games are at home, which does not bode ell for these raptors.

13. Drew Brees and company absolutely dismembered and disemboweled the defenseless
Cowgirls last night in the Big Easy!  Brees tossed for 4 touchdowns and the score was a downright embarrassing 49-17, as the Saints amassed over 600 yards of offense. 

To add to the Cowboy's embarrassment, the Saints set an NFL record with 40 first downs.  That's forty frigging first downs Gridders!  The Cowboys only had about 40 offensive plays the entire game!   That is truly unbelievable!

It appears that the hirsute Robbie Ryan gets the last laugh.  Don't forget, he is the Saints Defensive Coordinator, and was the Cowboys Defensive Coordinator last year, before Jerry Jones gave him his "pink slip." Revenge is so sweet!

14. Jerry Jones should have paid some of those bishop imposters up in the stands a robust fee to administer "Extreme Unction" to his deathly sick Cowboys!  It looked like they had all the necessary priestly garb on. 
 
15. The Carolina Panthers beat a hard-nosed 49'er team 10-9 in Candlestick Park yesterday afternoon, and have now won 5 in a row.  Their defense is stout and puts great pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  Young quarterback Cam ewton has made great strides, has a powerful arm, and has learned to avoid stupid mistakes.  

The Panthers are definitely a force to be reckoned with!  They play the atriots in Charlotte next Sunday, then the Saints twice in the remaining schedule. That should tell us whether or not the Panthers are ready for a serious Playoff run. They might still be a year away, but maybe not.

16. Meanwhile, I think we can take Tattoo Man's placque down from that revered wall  in Canton, Ohio.  Kaepernick tossed for less than 100 yards yesterday, had  no touchdowns, 1 interception, and rushed for a measly 16 yards in 4  attempts.  The NFL scouting systems seemed to have caught up with the Tattoo Man.

17. The 49'ers are now a 6-3 team, which means they have no guarantee of making the
Playoffs.  To make matters worse, they lost their star Tight End Vernon Davis to a concussion in Sunday's game.  They have two very tough games remaining on their schedule, one in New Orleans against the Saints and one  at home against the Seahawks. They should get to 10 or 11 wins, but their offense is definitely suspect.  

18. It was a great week for underdogs, as six prevailed outright, the Jaguars, Eagles, Rams, Ravens, Lions, and Panthers.  Maybe tonight the Bucs will make it seven. 
  
19. There are some interesting games on the Week #11 docket:

 o  Colts @ Titans - can Luck and the Colts bounce back and eliminate  their only possible AFC South competition, weakly as it is!

 o Lions @ Steelers - Can the Lions keep it going?  Pittsburgh has now won 3 straight, but they are unhappy, this might be a tough one!

 o Redskins @ Eagles - Can the Eagles finally get a home win, after 5 losses?

 o Browns @ Bengals - Battle of Ohioans. This could be a good one, the Bengals have had two straight bitter OT losses, the Brownies are coming off a bye and are well rested, and most importantly, they don't like each other! 

 o 49'ers @ Saints - The Niners better start saying their prayers early and often! he Saints were not in a compassionate mood last night, but things might be different next week on the Sabbath. 

 o Chiefs @ Broncos - This is the game of the week!  I sure hope Peyton is able to suit up, or it might be the bust of the week!

 o Patriots @ Panthers - Finally a good Monday Nighter.  The Patriots are well  and well rested and the Panthers are coming off a great road win!  Anyone's guess as to who will win this one.

 o  Byes this week for the Cowboys and Rams

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

I'm giving this week's award to Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis.  This guy needs his head
examined, the way he botched things in OT during the Bengals/Ravens game on  Sunday
afternoon!

The Bengals tie the Ravens 17-17 at the end of regulation time on an absolute "Hail Mary" pass that somehow gets deflected twice, right into the waiting arms of wide receiver A.J.
Green.  Then the Bengals win the coin toss, march downfield to about the Ravens 30 yard line, just close enough to try a go ahead field goal.

On 4th and 1, Marvy calls timeout, in order to determine what to do next.  Will he kick a 46 or 47 yard field goal, will he go for the first down, or will he pooch punt and back the Ravens up deep in heir own territory.  The last option was a good one, based on how stoutly the Bengals defense had been playing all day.  They had held the Ravens  scoreless the entire second half!

Keep in mind, Marvy is playing with "house money" as he had a 2 1/2 game lead over the Ravens coming into the game and he luckily finds himself in Overtime on that preposterous "Hail Mary" pass and reception.   Unfortunately, Marvy approves a half-assed, end around running play that results in a 15 yard loss, turning the ball over to the Ravens, close to Bengals territory. 
 
The Ravens then get a couple of first downs and their kicker Justin Tucker oots through a 46 yarder to win the game. That was the same length kick, that the cerebral Marvy had
eschewed.

No wonder this bum has never won a playoff game in his ten years as Bengals head coach!  Maybe the anile Bengals braintrust can give Marvy a contract extension for his good work and great judgement.

Happy Veterans Day Gridders!  God Bless our veterans!  Without them, we'd be like France.  Now that I think of it, that  is kind of the way we are currently going under the current leadership.

That's it for now Gridders.

Macdawg signing out.......




















L WEEK #8 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg 

 1. It's  Halloween Week Gridders, and tricks are a plenty in the city of Saint Looie!  The great fans of that great city are mired in gloom and doom  this morning, after a bitter, bitter weekend and even bitterer Monday Night! 

Firstly, the beloved Boston Red Sox finished off Sunday night's game with a  pick-off at first base!  How dreadfully eerie is  that? 

Secondly,  big Jon Lester bedazzled and befuddled the Cardinals hitters Monday night, allowing only Matt Holliday's 4th inning solo homerun. Big Jon worked into the 8th inning, allowing a mere 4 hits, and striking out 7.  

Thirdly,  Japanese trickster Koji Uehara hornswoggled his way through the last four Cardinal batters, preserving a 3-1 Red Sox win and securing another precious save! 

Lastly  in the Monday Night Football Game, and this is very anti-climactic, the trickless St. Looie Rams were on the verge of a great upset win over the  powerful Seattle Seahawks, just up the street from Busch Stadium.   Unfortunately, the hapless Rammies  couldn't find their way into the  endzone on a first and goal at the 1 yard line, late in the 4th quarter.  They lost the game 14-9.  

Suck  it up St. Lousters, suck it up! Get your "Poor Souls" costumes ready for Halloween Night! 

 2. As bad as the last few days have been for the Looies in Saint Looie, times have been great for the Beaners in Beantown!  Not only are the Red Sox on the verge of their 3rd World Series victory in the past ten years, but the Patriots are now firmly atop of the AFC Eastern Division, two games up on  Fat Ass and the Jets. 

Tom  Brady, without much of a complementary staff, pulled out another come-from-behind win on Sunday, against a less than stellar Miami Dolphins squad. It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win!  Times are now looking up, as next week a downtrodden Steelers team will be visiting Foxborough.  win!

 3.  The only undefeated team is Kansas City, who had a tough game Sunday at home against the Brownies.   They prevailed 23-17, however, and kept their undefeated streak alive at 8 straight.  

 4.  In weeks ten and twelve, we will find out just how good the Chiefs are and how good the Broncos are, as they play each other. The Chiefs will definitely not go undefeated this year.  They may end up with a mirror reverse record of last year, from a 2-14 season to a 14-2 season.  Andy Reid will win NFL Coach of the Year, then get his ass beat in the Playoffs, like he always has done!

 5.  The two remaining winless teams remained winless.  The Bucs got hammered 31-13 by the Panthers on Thursday Night and the Jaguars got hammered 42-10 by the 49'ers over in London on Sunday! Both coaches have to go and the sooner the better!

 6. The Dallas Cowboys once again found a way to lose in their Sunday afternoon encounter in Detroit with the Lions.  Leading 30-24 with less than a minute to play, they let Matt Stafford, Calvin Johnson & Company march down the field, with no timeouts, and punch it into their endzone for a dramatic 31-30 win!

 The vaunted Cowboys Defense allowed over 600 yards of offense, which included nearly
500 passing yards by Lions quarterback Matty Stafford. I guess next year will be your year Jerry, not this year!

 7.  Calvin Johnson, the great Lions receiver, masterfully outshined the ranting malcontent Dez Bryant in both on-field performance and off-field character. Megatron amassed an amazing 329 receiving yards, which is the second most in NFL history, a mere 7 yards short of the alltime record.  That record was achieved in 1969 by little Flipper Anderson of the Rams, who caught 15 passes or 336 yards in a historic game against the New Orleans Saints. 
 
I remember  a touchdown grab he made in the closing seconds of halftime, when Flipper caught the ball, ran into the endzone for the TD, then continued running right into the clubhouse.  That was unbelievably cool and is firmly etched into my memory!

By the way, for the details on the "Malcontent," I refer you to the "Dumbshit" section at the end of this report.

 8. The NFC East Division is the most enfeebled division in the NFL!  No team is over .500 and the Cowboys are in first place with a mediocre 4-4 record.  The overall divisional record is 11-26, how putrid is that?  The New York Giants, who lost their first six games this year, will probably win this division.

 9.  Take heart Cowboy fans, Minny is coming to Big D in Week #9.  You can win that game with Jerry Jones at quarterback!

10.  I keep telling you Gridders "I told you so," so I'll tell you again, "The Cincinnati Bengals will run away with the AFC North Division!"  They beat he smithereens out of the Jets on Sunday, and have now opened up a 2 1/2 game lead on the reigning Superbowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, who luckily were on bye this week.  

The Cleveland Clowns and the Pittsburgh Kneelers both suffered ignominious losses in
Week Eight, to fall 3 & 3 1/2 games respectively, behind the upcoming & onrushing Bengals.  The "Red Rifle" gets to shoot the shit out of his divisional rivals 4 more times this season!  It's ugly now, but will get uglier! 

11.  Fat Ass's favorite quarterback, the schizophrenic Geno Smith, turned back into Dr. Jekyll on Sunday, in an absolutely dreadful performance!  This green rookie tossed for a measly 159 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions, both of them pick 6's!  That was pretty much "all she wrote" in that game.

For the record, that was the great Geno's 16th turnover of the year. This kid loves pastries!

12. Early in the first quarter in Oakland, Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor ran through the Steelers defense, or lack thereof, for a 93 yard touchdown.  Interestingly enough, that is an NFL record for quarterback touchdown runs, and even more interestingly, those 93 rushing yards were more than Pryor's total passing yards for the day! 

13. In the worst and least interesting game of the year, the San Francisco 49'ers shellacked the dreadful Jacksonville Jaguars 42-10 in Wembley Stadium, London, England!   They would have been better off watching a Ladies Lingerie League football game!

14. To add insult to injury, the perspicacious Commissioner Goodell has arranged to have the juggernaut Jaguars play thrice more over in England in the near future!  Are you kidding me, those Brits must be stupider than we Yankees!  

Believe me Gridders, that is pretty hard to do, as we Yanks re-elected a "do nothing," "never did anything" bloviating bum from Chicago for a second term as our Prez!  We are now "The United States of Ineptitude" where incompetence reigns supreme!  

15. Remember earlier this year, when the Atlanta braintrust coaxed future HOFer Tony
Gonzalez out of retirement to be a part of the Falcons dream run to the Superbowl in 2013?  Unfortunately, that dream has turned into a nightmare!

On Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, the Falcons got routed by a very average Arizona Cardinals team, 27-13.  Matty Ice got knocked on his ass 4 times and tossed another 4 interceptions.  The Falcons fall to a miserable 2-5 record, a full 4 games behind the lofty New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons look more like "dead ducks" than soaring raptors!  Glad you came back for the dream run Gonzo, enjoy your tributes in the upcoming Falcon games!

16.  Out in Denver, RG3 was unable to duplicate Andy Luck's outstanding performance of
Week #7, when he engineered that dramatic upset over the previously unbeaten Denver Broncos.  As a matter of fact, RG3 turned in another dreadful performance, and turned back into RG ZERO, as his Redskins squandered a 2 touchdown lead in the second half, and succombed to an absolute rout by the Broncos and headmaster Peyton Manning, 45-21.

The entire football world knew, that the only way the Redskins had a chance was with the legs of young Robert Griffin.  Unfortunately, Griff ran only five times for an embarrassingly, measly 7 yards!  His passing wasn't much better, as he tossed 15 times for a meagre 132 yards with two picks!

17.  Griffin has gone from the penthouse, as the Heisman Trophy winner a couple years  back, to the outhouse as our Nation's bumbling, fumbling quarterback. As he entered the outhouse, he spotted Mister Michael Shanahan sitting on one of the seats!  With the recent misfortunes of Griffin, Shanahan's days are definitely numbered in the Nation's Capital!

Expect Redskins owner Dan Snyder to change his focus from the "Redskins" team name to
the Redskins team blame, and that will be right on the doorstep of Shanahan.  Get your accounts in order Mike. 

18.  It was a bad week for underdogs, as only three prevailed outright, the Giants, Cardinals, and Raiders.

19.  If you think Week #8 was bad, Week #9 looks horrendous! It looks like only one game of interest, and that of mild interest only, the Bears at the Packers in the Monday Nighter. With Cutler doubtful and the Packers now humming, this could be a blow-out!

 o  Byes this week for the Cardinals, Broncos, Lions, Jaguars, 49'ers, and Giants.

DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

This week's award goes to the selfish, narcissistic Dizzy Dezzy Bryant, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.  This imbecile went bananas on the Dallas sidelines, ranting and raving at quarterback Tony Romo, receiver coach  Derek Dooley, head coach Jason Garrett, and anyone else who would listen, because he thought he wasn't getting enough passes thrown his way! 

During his first rant, the Cowboys were actually ahead.  Apparently the clueless Dez thought he was in a contest between himself and Megatron, and that the Dallas vs. Detroit encounter was secondary.  
 
Someone n the Cowboys organization needs to give this moron a good, swift kick in the  ass and then sit him down and teach him the facts of life in the NFL.  Romo,  Garrett, Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones and all the rest need to stop enabling this jerk!  

Can you just imagine something like this happening in the New England Patriots organization?  The bum would be out of town on the next bus!  Now you  know why the Cowboys keep finding ways to lose games and why they will not be  winning a Superbowl anytime in the near future!

Congratulations Dizzy Dezzy, it's all about you, "me, myself, & I" is all that matters!  You could not have been more deserving of this week's DUMBSHIT crown!

 That's it for now Gridders.  Happy Halloween!

 Macdawg signing out.......




ing out.......                                                                   NFL WEEK #7 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg 1.  Another undefeated team bites the dust! Peyton Manning and his Broncos go up in flames in Indianapolis, as the Colts edge them 39-33 in the game of the year! It was a bitter-sweet day for Peyton.  The 2 minute tribute by the Indy fans and management was sweet, but the loss was bitter!     2.  With this Broncos loss, the only remaining undefeated team is now the Kansas City Chiefs,who barely survived at home yesterday afternoon against the ragtag Houston Texans.  Rest assured Gridders, the Chiefs will not go undefeated, their upcoming foes include the Broncos twice, and away games at Indianapolis and San Diego.  They will incur at least two losses. 3. There are still 3 winless teams, as the Bucs got beat by the Falcons in Atlanta (31-23) and the Jaguars got creamed at home by the Chargers, 24-6. The Giants play tonight in the Meadowlands against the Vikings, Adrian  Peterson, and newly acquired and appointed quarterback Josh Freeman.   4. It took only a week for ex-Buc Freeman to be given the QB reigns up in Minnesota. Tonight we will see if he is ready to handle them.  We will also  see if the G-Men can break their worst losing streak in years! 5.  Andrew Luck is tremendously talented and the Colts are an imposing threat this year!  They have now beaten 3 of the top 5 teams in football, the Broncos, the Seahawks, and the 49'ers.  They are for real and so is their 2nd year quarterback Lucky Luck! The Colts sit atop the anemic AFC South Division, with an insurmountable 2 game lead.  The rest of the franchises in that division are "has beens" and "never has beens," the Titans, the Texans, and the Jaguars! You can crown the Colts right now!  No need to wait. 6. The Steelers and Big Ben win their second straight, edging the Superbowl hampion Baltimore Ravens at the bell, 19-16, and avoiding overtime.  Meanwhile, the Bengals beat the Lions in Detroit, 27-24, and open up a 2 game lead in the AFC North.  In Week #1, I told you Gridders that the Bengals would win this division going away, and it's now starting to happen.     7. With the Tigers and Lions losing this weekend, I was surprised to awake this morning and discover the Detroit fans hadn't burnt down their city! I guess they are deep in mourning and not in a destructive mood! 8.  I have a tip for the Detroit fans......Call up Washington and talk to the Messiah.  I'm sure, via "presidential executive order" and in the grand spirit of "Socialism," the "Annointed One" will be happy to send Big Papi from the Red Sox to the Tigers for Prince Non-Fielder and also send brainy Billy Belichick to the Lions for the dull-witted Lion's coach Jimmy Schwartz.  9.  The "sour grapes" from Detroit were so sour, their football announcers were still spitting them out during the Lions/Bengals game on Sunday afternoon. What a bunch of cry babies.  I didn't see Jimmy "Smokes" Leyland spitting them out in his post-game press conference on Saturday night.   Jimmy is a class act and a great Baseball man!10.  Speaking of Socialism, the penultimate socialist, Commissioner Roger Goodell, in his quest for absolute NFL parity, has apparently informed the refs to do whatever they could to accomplish this.  The refs did exactly that at the end of the Patriots/Jets game, when they made the most incompetent, asinine, ridiculous penalty call of all-time!This was a hard-fought, bitterly contested game, that the Patriots surely would have won, after Nick Folk missed a 56 yard field goal attempt in Overtime. That miss would have given Brady and the Patriots the ball on the 46 yard line, where a couple of first downs would have put them in position for a winning field goal.   However, one ref in particular decided that should not be the case, so called the 15 yard penalty, resulting in a first down for the Jets, and which moments later allowed Folk to kick a "mulligan" and win the game!    This was an outrageously bad call, see the "Dumbshit" section at the end of this report for more detail.11.  Despite getting robbed in this game, Brady and the Patriots, especially the atriots defense, is not playing well!  The only good news is that the Great Gronk" is back!  Gronkowski grabbed 8 Brady offerings yesterday for a cool 114 yards.  Unfortunately, he did not hit paydirt and neither did the Patriots.12. This was another rough week for the Munster Cousins!  In Kansas City, Herman Munster III was standing alone on the Houston sidelines in his Halloween costume, as the Texans dropped their 5th in a row.  Meanwhile in Pittsburgh,  Herman Munster IV barely eclipsed 200 passing yards in the Raven's loss to the Steelers, their greatly despised nemesis!   13.  RG3 is back and RG2 and Jay Cutler are gone!  THREE threw two touchdowns, passed for nearly 300 yards, and rushed for another 84 yards, to regain his appropriate title.  The Redskins squeaked by the Bears 45-41 in a rue "barn burner!"  Meanwhile, Cutler was a measly 3 for 8, for an even measlier 28 yards, with one pick and no no touchdowns, before hobbling out of the game in the first quarter with what looked like a serious knee injury.   Here comes Josh McCown and there goes Jay Cutler, along with the Bears hopes for a playoff berth.  Too bad Chicago, call Detroit for commiseration!14. The Cowboys unimpressively trounced the Eagles 17-3 in Philly on Sunday and now sit atop the enfeebled NFC East Division with a lousy 4-3 record.  Tony Romo had one of his worst games of the year, with a couple of picks and only one touchdown. Foles and Barkley of Philly were even worse!   There have been some really bad games this year, but this might have been the worst game of all!  The two teams punted 18 times!  Beyond bad!    15.  Tampa Bay Coach Greg Schiano took his farewell trip over to Altanta and guided his distracted Buccaneers to their 6th straight loss.  How much longer does this guy have?  Did the Tampa braintrust lose Jon Gruden's phone number, what's going on?16. This point is somewhat pointless, but since I was upbraided last week by one of my good friends, a true 49'er fanatic, I will make it anyhow.  In a nothing game in Music City Nashville, the second place 49'ers beat a boringly, inept Titans team, 31-17.  The Titans ineptitude and the boredom of this game was punctuated by the incessant laughing of the Tattoo Man, Colin Kaepernick.Next week, I should be able to make an even greater point of irrelevance, after the ebacle of the century in London, England, when the 49'ers face off against the toothless Jaguars, in Wembley Stadium.  I'm sure you Gridders can't wait!  17. It was a good week for underdogs, as five prevailed outright, the Bengals, Bills, Cowboys, Jets, and Colts. Only one other dawg, the Texans covered the spread and another dawg, the Bucs, pushed.   18.  Not much of interest in the Week #8 docket, just a couple, and one is a tretch.  Schedule-wise, this looks like the worst week of the year! o Cowboys @ Lions, the books will have to put the over/under at about 80 for this one. o Jets @ Bengals, which is really a stretch as "a good one," but look for Fat Ass and his Jets to get their justly due come-uppance in this one! o  This week's Thursday Night Game is a "little shit game," but a "shit game" nonetheless, the Panthers at the Bucs. o  In the "SHIT GAME OF THE YEAR," the 49'ers and Jaguars will travel to London and go at it in Wembley Stadium. What a beauty that will be! o  Byes this week for the Ravens, Bears, Texans, Colts, Chargers, and Titans.DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEKOn Tuesday of this week, I had already picked out the Week #7 winner.  It was going to be the ego-maniacal Colts owner, Jim Irsay, who had the balls to dishonor the great Peyton Manning in an ad-hoc press conference.  In essence, this congenital idiot said that Manning didn't produce enough Superbowl wins for Indianapolis. I use the word "congenital" because this guy's daddy, Robert Irsay, was just as stupid as he is!  He's the dope who moved the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night, leaving Baltimore fans hanging!    Peyton Manning has done more for the Colts franchise than anyone ever has, including greats Don Shula and Johnny Unitas and shitbums Carroll Rosenblum and Irsay & son!  The beautiful stadium that the Colts now play in is aptly called "The House That Peyton Built," it is not called the "Irsay Insanitarium!"    Unfortunately, that late, asinine call in the Jets/Patriots game was so outrageous, I had to give a pass to dumbell Jimmy Irsay, and bestow this week's dumbshit award on umpire Tony Michalek.  Tony Michalek, now who in hell has ever heard of this moron!  Well, now you have, and it's all because of his bogus "unsportsmanlike conduct" call that changed the outcome of the game.Here's what you need to know about this flagrant, idiotic call.  Firstly, it was a new rule for 2013.  Secondly, here we are 7 weeks into the 2013 NFL football season, and it had never once been called heretofore by anyone! Thirdly, it was called during overtime in a crucial AFC Eastern Division game!  Fourthly, the rule was incorrectly interpreted by the imbecilic Michalek.  Fifthly, the so called violation had no impact at all on Nick Folk missing the 56 yard field goal!    And sixthly, and this is the kicker, it was such a ridiculous call, that the Jets coach, Fat Ass Rexy Ryan, couldn't help but laugh at how that resulted in a Jet's win!!!!Mister Michalek you are the biggest DUMBSHIT of the year!   Congratulations sir, yesterday nobody knew who you were, but this morning the whole Football world realizes what a complete moron you are!     Well done sir!  I'm sure you'll be receiving a call from the White House to join their illustrious staff!  Incompetence reigns supreme in the good ole United States of America!RIP NOTE:  The great "Bum" Phillips passed away this weekend.  The folksy Bum coached both the New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers, and was a truly unique character, and very good to and for football!  So long Bum, hope to see you later on!That's it for now Gridders...   Macdawg signing out.......                                                                  
































































 NFL WEEK #6 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by acdawg

 1. What a freaking day for Boston fandom!  Absolutely unbelievable! 
It's one thing  to get one miracle, but two?  You gotta be kidding!

 Firstly, Tom Brady and the Patriots,  on the balls of their asses following a couple of
late turnovers, come back and  edge the Saints 30-27 in the last few seconds of Sunday afternoon's contest.   Brady hit rookie Kenbrell Thompkins in the corner of the endzone for this highly  improbable win and the stadium erupted with  glee!

 Secondly, on Sunday night, the  beloved Boston Redsox down 5-1 with 2 outs in the 8th
inning and on "life  support," rally to tie the game on the heroic randslammer by Big Papi on the  very first pitch delivered by Tigers reliable loser, Joquin Benoit!  

Tiger's right fielder Tori Hunter makes a brilliant effort to catch Papi's slam, and  goes headfirst into the Red Sox bullpen.  He was given a standing 8-count, then  sent back out to right field to resume his responsibilities.

 In the 9th, the Sox Japanese reliever, with about 6 vowels in his name, mows down  the Tigers like he had a machine gun!  The Sox lead off their 9th with a walk by  the maniacal looking Johnny Gomes. 

Gomes, looking like he's about to slit  someone's throat, gets to third when a slow ouncer to short is botched and  overthrown past a very clumsily fielding Prince ielder.  "The Serial Killer Look Alike"  then scores the winning run on a eeing-eye grounder by Jarrod Saltalamacchia that barely slipped by a diving Tiger shortstop.   Up until that game winning hit, this guy was nly known for having the longest name of anyone in the Big 
Leagues!

 It's now about noontime in Boston,  and the city is still celebrating these two very
improbable comeback wins!  This  day will now be talked about forever by Boston fans!  The legends never stop  growing in Boston!

 2. With this Saints loss, the  undefeated team count is now down to 2, comprised only of the Chiefs and  Broncos, both out of the AFC Western Division.  The Chiefs throttled  their longtime rival Raiders 24-7 and the Broncos on cruise control got by a  scrappy but 
overmatched Jaguars team,  35-19.

 3. The Chiefs play at home next  week against a down & out Texans team, so they should remain unbeated.   Peyton goes back to Indiannapolis, where he goes up against his beloved Colts  and young phenom Andrew Luck in the Sunday Night Game.  I smell an upset there.   

  4. The bookies made a killing on  that Denver/Jaguars game, despite the 28 point spread, the largest ever in NFL  gaming history!  The money was all over Denver, but they definitely did not take  the Jaguars seriously!   Kind of makes one  wonder....

 5. There are now only 3 winless teams, as the Steelers and Big Ben beat up on the  Jets, 19-6 in the Meadowlands.   Meanwhile, the  Giants, Bucs, and Jaguars continued  their losing ways.

 The Giants might win next week, as  the Vikings visit town.  The Bucs go to tlanta, so not much hope for them.  The  Jaguars will be hosting San Diego, so you have to give them a pretty good chance  against the schizophrenic Chargers.

 6.  It was a rough day for the Ryan Brothers Sunday!  Fat Ass Rexy got his fat ass  whaled by the Steelers, and the tonsorial-inelegant Robby Ryan, looked like he  was going to throw-up, after Brady's late game heroics!

 7.  It was also a rough day for the Munster Cousins!  Herman Munster III was being  thrashed by the mediocre St. Looie Rams, when he went down to injury and the  Texan fans started cheering!  How boorishly rude is that?

 His cousin HM IV, got beaten on his  home turf by the Green Bay Packers, 19-17.  The Ravens kind of squandered that  game by eschewing a couple of early field goal opportunites.  Put a lot of the  blame for that loss on Johnny Harbaugh, not Joe  Flacco.

 8. HM III's replacement, racecar  driver T.D. Yates, picked right up where HM III left off.  Yates tossed a couple  of picks, including a pick-6, which makes that the 5th game in a row that the  Texans have had that ignominious feat accomplished against  them!

 9.  The "Quarterback Debacle  Bucket" was filled to the brim in Week #6. Here are the occupants, Matty Schaub,  T.D. Yates, Terrelle Pryor, Baby Eli, Geno Smith, Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden and RG3.  This octet was horrendous accounting for 15 interceptions and multiple fumbles!

 Actually, I could have thrown 3 more  bums in this bucket, as Carson Palmer, Chad Henne,
and Ryan Fitzpatrick all  threw two interceptions in their wonderful losing efforts. 

10.  Mike Tomlin's game speech, not  his game day speech, apparently worked. The
Steelers finally forced their  first turnover of the year, how pitiful is that!

 The Steelers were not playing any games literally or figuratively, as they beat the Jets with relative ease.   I think  Tomlin's game boycott will continue this week, as the hated Ravens come to the Steel City in Week #7.  That hould determine who is the worst team in the AFC 
North.

11.  Speaking of debacles, Tampa Bay  Coach Greg Schiano is about ready for his farewell trip.   His Bucs travel to  Atlanta next Sunday, and Atlanta might be the hard-nosed one's
last stop!  Been  nice knowing you buddy, now go back to college!

12.  How long now before ex-Buc Josh Freeman is given the QB reins up in Minnesota?  Matt Cassel had an atrocious day  against the visiting Panthers, had two picks, and was very ineffective in his  attempts to lead the Vikings back from adversity.   The Vikes got thrashed 35-10 by this mediocre Panthers squad, and Cassel is definitely not the Vikings answer at quarterback!

13.  The gritty but Trent-less  Browns, on a 3-game winning streak, played the Lions pretty tough in Cleveland, but eventually succombed 31-17.   Meanwhile, the Trent-full Colts are also on a  3-game winning streak, to which Trent Richardson has contributed next to nothing!   I expect that streak to also be broken tonight in San Diego.   

As predicted, the Bolts beat the Colts, breaking their 3-game winning streak. Trent
Richardson was a complete non-factor.  It looks like we have another great  college running back on our hands, who is turning into a bust as a professional.  
 
14. Only  two underdogs prevailed outright in Week  #6, the Panthers and Rams.  Indy is a very small underdog in tonight's game,  maybe they can make it three.

It did get to three, but not because of Indy.  Apparently the betting public was all over the Colts in this game, as they went from a 1/2 point underdog to a 1 1/2 point favorite.  Of course, they got screwed as the Chargers completely outplayed the Colts and won going away 19-9. 

There's a few interesting games  on next week's docket Gridders, but only a few.

 o  Cowboys @ Eagles, the winner will be alone atop the NFC East Division.

 o  Patriots @ Jets, this is always a somewhat interesting game, contrasting the disheveled Fat Ass against Tom Terrific, a man of tonsorial and sartorial splendor!

 o  Bengals @ Lions, these two teams are atop their respective divisions, but are 
they pretenders or contenders?  

  o  Broncos @ Colts, this is the game of the week.  Will Peyton exact some measure  of revenge, or will Andy confirm the perspicacity of Colts managment.  I  think they made the right decision in letting Peyton go and grabbing Andy, I'm  sure they did, but there will always be lingering questions...

  o  The Monday Nighter is a real ho-hummer, Vikings @ Giants.  I sure hope
there is  an interesting MLB Playoff game scheduled for that night.

 o  Byes this week for the Saints and Raiders to lick their wounds.

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

This week's winner is a collective one, all those  fantasy owners who cast their lot and their fortunes with Redskins quarterback  RG3.  He has been a huge disappointment, in leading
Washington to their abysmal  1-4 record!  Hell, they could have brought back Mark Rypien to do that!

 I  told you a few weeks ago Gridders, that RG3 was no longer RG3, but that he was more like  RG2.  I now have to update that, not to RG1, but to RG0, as in ZERO! 
 
I  personally benched Matt Stafford yesterday in favor of Griffin.  Stafford had a  brilliant day with 4 touchdown tosses and around 23 fantasy points.   Meanwhile,  Griffin stunk it up with no touchdowns, a pick, and a fumble, tallying anywhere from a measly 5 to 12 fantasy points, depending on your league scoring format!

CLOSING NOTES

 First, keep Adrian Peterson and his family in your thoughts & prayers, as his two year old son was murdered the other day by the infanticidal boyfriend of  his ex-wife!  How evil is that Gridders?  It's unbelievably evil, give that bastard  the "Chair!" 
 
Secondly, say your goodbyes to oldtime Hall Of Famer, Artie Donovan.  Artie, a BC alum and longtime Colts lineman, was one of the game's true characters!  He passed away the other
day,  and will be sadly missed by all of us oldtimers!  Take care Fatso!

That's it for now Gridders...  
 
Macdawg.....


























































































































































NFL Week #5 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg


1. The undefeated team count is now down to 3, comprised of the Saints, Chiefs, and
Broncos.  All three of these undefeated victors won on the road.  Meanwhile, the Patriots lose to the Bengals and the Seahawks lose to the Colts and both fall from this elite group.  
 
The Chiefs come back late and squeak by the Titans, 26-17.  The Broncos, down early by two touchdowns, capitalize on a late Romo miscue and edge the Cowboys, 51-48. The
Saints beat the Bears 26-18, but seemed to have things under control for the entire game.

 2. There are still 4 winless teams, the Giants, Bucs, Steelers, and Jaguars.  We may see one or two of these bedraggled franchises post a win next week, but it won't be the Jaguars, who will probably get annihilated by 60 points when they visit Denver to play the Broncos!  The early spread on this game is 28 points, which might be the largest spread in NFL history!  

Unfortunately, it is not large enough!

 3. The Broncos continued their winning ways in the Shootout down in Dallas.  The great Peyton Manning tossed for 4 more touchdowns and ran for another. On his rushing
touchdown, the lead-footed Peyton, who couldn't beat Haystacks Calhoun in a foot race, probably could have crawled in, as there wasn't a Dallas defender within 10 yards of him.   

Manning did show he was somewhat human, by tossing his first interception of the year.

 4. Tony Romo outdid Manning statistically, but once again self destructed at the end.  Romo shredded the Denver defense, tossing 5 touchdowns and for over 500 yards! 
He had but one interception, but unfortunately it came in the closing minutes of the game, deep in his own territory.  This serious late game miscue, which has become the Romo Trademark,  allowed Manning and the Broncos to milk the clock down to about 3 seconds and then kick a game winning field goal, to cop the win 51-48.  

That's 99 freaking total points Gridders!  I don't know what the over/under was, but I'm
guessing the over bettors eclipsed that number by a margin of 40 points or more. 

  5. Brady and Belichick got their asses beat in rainy Cincinnati, 13-6.   This win was
primarily fueled by a ferocious Bengals pass rush, which flustered Brady unmercifully.  To add insult to injury, Tom's streak of 52 straight games with a touchdown pass was snapped two short of tieing Drew Brees record of 54 straight games.

 6. Thank God for the Red Sox, or the Beantowners would have once again been tossing tea into Boston Harbor!  The Sox beat the Rays twice this past weekend, and need one more
win to advance to the American League Championship contest.   By the end of October, Big Papi may be available to play nose guard for the Patriots and help plug the hole left by Vince Wolfolk's absence. 
 
  7. Andy Luck and the Colts spotted the previously unbeaten Seahawks 12 points, but eventually mounted a comeback, and eked out a narrow 34-28 win at the end of this
bitterly fought contest.  Both young quarterbacks, Luck & Wilson, lived up to their billing, and fans still do not know which one is better.

They both perform outstandingly, when the pressure is on!  Andy won this one, but I wouldn't bet on him winning up in Seattle.  The first one to win a Superbowl might
well decide the question of who is better.

 8. As good as Peyton played on Sunday, younger brother Eli played equally as bad!  Eli had
another 3 picks on Sunday against the Eagles, boosting his total for the year to a horrendous 12!  He also had three "intentional grounding" calls against him, which were sure-fire series killers.  

  9. I don't think things could get much worse for New York sports fans.  The Giants are
winless at 0-5, the Jets will probably get drubbed down in Atlanta tonight and fall to 2-3, and the Yankees missed the Baseball Playoffs this year!  

New Yorkers might have the Superbowl to look forward to next February, but
neither of their teams will be playing in it.

10.  Mike Tomlin gives some of the most powerful, impassioned speeches after his Steelers
lose and Tom Coughlin gives some of the dullest, most unimpassioned speeches after his Giants lose.  It doesn't seem to matter, as the results are the same, both the Steelers and Giants lose the next week, after these speeches.  

11.  Greg Schiano delivers speeches that are very didactic and not at all inspiring to his
charges.  It looks like he is the prototypical, successful college coach, who goes to the professional ranks and continues to treat his players like they were 20 year old college kids.  It never seems to work and it certainly isn't working with Schiano and his Buccaneers.

12.  The Bucs released embattled quarterback Josh Freeman this week and he was quickly acquired and signed by the Vikings.  He will probably crack the Vikings starting lineup at some point, have a reasonable amount of success, and that will be Schiano's death knell in Tampa!

13. The East divisional teams are pretty putrid!  The NFC East teams have a combined record of 5-14 and the AFC East will have a combined record of 11-9, assuming a loss by
the Jets in tonight's game.  

Many of the 8 teams  comprising these divisions will lose again next week.  They won't all lose, however, as the Redskins and Cowboys go head-to-head next Sunday Night.

14.  The Texans got thrashed last night by the 49'ers in Candlestick, and their quarterback Matty Schaub stunk it up again.  The embattled Schwab threw a pick-6 for the 4th straight
game, which is a pretty incredible display of ineptitude!  The pick-6 was one of his three interceptions.  They have to make a quarterback change down in Houston, they have no other choice!  

15. Don't look now, but the Browns are now 3-0 since sending the great Heisman winning Trent Richardson to the Colts.  The Colts are also 3-0, but Richardson has not been the reason, he has been a 2-bit bit player.  Andy Luck is the reason for their success. 

16. C.J. Spiller of the Bills finally came out of the doldroms and had a good fantasy outing last Thursday night.  Spiller had a 54 yard touchdown run, finding paydirt for the first time this year.  Despite this long TD run, he still did not  eclipse 100 yards. 

Spiller tallied about 2 dozen fantasy points in bonus leagues and about 1 dozen in PPR leagues.  Unfortunately, most of the fantasy geekers had Spiller on their bench in Week #5.

17. Five underdogs won outright this week.  The Ravens beat the Dolphins, the Colts beat
the Seahawks, the Eagles beat the Giants, the Cardinals beat the Panthers, and the Raiders beat the Chargers.  The only really surprising upset was the Raiders over the Chargers in the early Monday Morning game.

18. Many interesting games on next week's docket Gridders.

 o Packers @ Ravens, two teams who once were but no longer seem to be!
 o Saints @ Patriots, Brees against Brady.   Saints have a lot of weapons, Patriots do not!
 o Indians @ Cowboys, can Tony and the Pokes rebound from their bitter loss yesterday?
 o Colts @ Chargers, look for a Colts let up, after their comeback win over the Seahawks. 
 
o  Byes this week for the Falcons and Dolphins.

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

 Deliberations underway, to be announced later. Stay tuned....

This week's winner is Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett for two blunders during the Cowboys/Broncos game.  Both blunders were late in the critical 4th period.

 The  first was when he accepted a 5 yard penalty against Denver, making it 2nd and 9
yards for a touchdown, instead of 3rd and 4 yards.  There was about 2 1/2 minutes left in the game at that time.  Why in the world with anyone in their right mind give Peyton Manning an extra shot at scoring?  That's as stupid as it gets!  Of course, Manning led the Broncos in for a tieing touchdown, making the score 48-48. 

The second was after Romo's critical  interception deep in Dallas territory.  The only way Dallas would have a chance after that unfortunate turnover would have been to let Denver score a touchdown and hope that Romo could answer with a Dallas touchdown, creating a
tie and forcing an Overtime.  Romo would have had well over a minute and based on how he had been torching the Denver defense all day long, it was very doable!  

Of course it didn't happen, Garrett let Manning milk the clock down and then Prater kicked the winning field goal with no time left!  They pay these coaches a lot of lucre, you think they could figure out these scenarios.  

Jason Garrett you are this week's Dumbshit!

That's it for now Gridders...

 Macdawg  10/8/13


  


  


  


  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
 
 
 
 
































































































































































































































 NFL WEEK #4 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg


1. The undefeated team count is now down to 5, The Bears lost on Sunday to the Lions, and there will be a loser in tonight's Dolphins/Saints contest.  I see the count dropping at least two pegs in the Week #5 action.

 The Saints drubbed the Dolphins in the Monday Nighter, 38-17. The undefeateds are
now comprised of the Patriots, Broncos, Saints, Seahawks, & Chiefs.  
 
The Chiefs are the biggest surpise amongst that group.  The portly Andy Reid
has done an outstanding job reversing the fortunes of this long suffering
franchise.  Let's not forget that they only won about 2 games last year and
were a complete laughing stock, before the Portly One arrived.  
 
Amongst Reid's 4 wins this year, was a very rewarding and triumphant return to
Philadelphia, where he exacted some very satisfying revenge from that
dysfunctional franchise!  Kudos to rolly-polly Andy!  Long live the
Chiefs!  They are not an original AFL franchise, but they have been around
since 1963, and that's a long, long time!

 2. There are now only 4 winless teams as the Skins and Vikings both emerge victorious on
Sunday.  The Giants, Bucs, and Steelers remain winless, as do the Jaguars, who may not win a game all year!   The Giants may beat the Eagles in the Meadowlands next week and luckily the Bucs and Steelers are on bye.

 3. With their fourth loss of the year on Sunday, the Steelers have their worst start since 1968, that's 45 years Gridders.  Their once vaunted defense hasn't had a turnover all season, how bad is that!   Coach Tomlin made an impassioned speech in the post-game press conference, and said heads would roll, but I don't know, 2013 appears to be a lost cause for the poor Pittsburghers!

 4. The Steelers great quarterback Big Ben was more immobile on Sunday than London's legendary Big Ben!   Things do not look good in the Steel  City!

 5. It was not only a bad day but also a sad day for the Steeltowners, as the great L.C.
Greenwood of Steel Curtain fame passed away on Sunday.  He joins fellow
Steel Curtainers Ernie Holmes and Dwight White amongst the "dearly departed"
and that now leaves only Mean Joe Greene as the last man standing! 

6. The bloody Britts did get the pleasure of witnessing the unparalleled skills of Adrian Peterson, as he rushed for 140 yards, and tallied two touchdowns, one a 69 yarder from
scrimmage.  The game also had reasonable drama, as it went right down to the last play, before the Vikings prevailed 34-27 over the winless Steelers.  

7. That should pique the Londoners pigskin interest for the time being, but look for all that to be obliterated in and expunged in Week #8, when the vaunted 49'ers and the hapless Bucs clash in Londontown.  That could turn out to be the debacle of the decade!

 8. Peyton Manning had another Denver field day against the Eagles yesterday, with four more touchdowns, over 300 passing  yards, and one more game with no picks!  For the year, he has 16 touchdowns and no interceptions, pretty phenomenal! 

9. The undefeated Pats won again this week 30-23 down in Atlanta.  Brady demonstrated another masterful display of voodoo black magic, as he led this ragtag band of rookies and scrap heapers to another win.  Brady eclipsed 300 passing yards for the first time this year.  He also tossed two touchdowns, the last to rookie receiver Denbrell Thompkins who had a fine game, with several catches and over 100 receiving yards.

 10. Despite their 4-0 start, the Patriots are anything but invincible!  As a matter of fact, they are now un-Vinceable as veteran Vince Wolfolk, the heart and soul of their defensive
line, went down early and now appears to be lost for the year, with a serious knee injury!  

Additionally, their other rookie wide receiver, Aaron Dobson, went down to what looked like a serious neck and/or head injury, as he got crunched between two Falcon defenders in the endzone.  To add to Patriot woes, their All-World Tight End Rob Gronkowski was a late
scratch in Week #4.  Who knows when the Great Gronk will return!

 I am very guarded concerning the  Patriots future.  Unfortunately, that future appears a little bleak, I believe in Brady but I don't really believe in "Black Magic!"

 11.  With Peyton Manning on pace for about 55 touchdowns this year, every "Talking Head" and their brother is handing this year's MVP to Peytie.  Not me, I think Tom Brady is the current favorite for MVP.  

The logic is simple.  If Brady was at the Bronco's helm, there is no question they would be still at 4-0 with the weaponry that Denver possesses.   If Manning was at the Patriot's
helm, there are many questions about what their record would be!  I doubt very much it would be 4-0.  

12.  By the way, Peyton's little brother, Baby Eli, is on a pace for about 37 interceptions this year!    

13.  The Munster Cousins had a terrible day on Sunday, both losing 23-20.  Herman Munster IV, aka Giuseppe Flacco, tossed 5 interceptions up in Buffalo, as his favored Ravens lost
embarrassingly to a mediocre Bills squad. 

It was much worse in Houston for Herman Munster III, aka Matty Schlaub, as he clutched defeat from the jaws of victory, when he threw a late game pick-6, leading to an eventual overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.  That was a bitter, bitter loss for the Texans, as they had a 10 point lead with little time to go, before Hermie tossed that pick-6.  For
the record, he has now tossed pick-6's in his last three games and the Texan fans are now crying for Hermie's head!

 14. The Texan fans are not the only ones up in arms.  A bloody & battered J.J Watts very nearly threw Hermie under the bus in his post-game press conference. He didn't, but everyone who heard him, knew what he was saying and inferring!  
 
The Houston defense played their asses off in that game and did NOT deserve to lose.  Look for a change down in Houston and look for it to happen soon.  Matt Schaub does not seem to have the intestinal fortitude it takes to get the job done! 

15.  Russell Wilson does have the intestinal fortitude to get the job done, and he has the skills to go with it.  He is one cool cucumber, fleet of foot, elusive, and not afraid of
high pressure situations.  He is wicked good, and right now, I'm ranking him as the best of the young breed quarterbacks!

 16. The Red Rifle got stifled in Cleveland, as the Brownies beat the Bunglers in the Dogbone Bowl, 17-6.  Cinci never hit paydirt, as the Brownies held them to two measly field goals.  The Cleveland populous has fully embraced ex-Patriot Brian Hoyer as their savior, and the Browns are now tied with the Ravens and Bengals atop the AFC North Division.  

17. The Browns are now 2-0 since sending the great Heisman winning Trent Richardson to the Colts.  The Colts are also 2-0, but Richardson has been a rather pedestrian performer in his two games for Indy. 

18. RG3 and his Redskins got on the board with a win.  It was impressive enough, since they overcame a 2 touchdown deficit, but RG3 does not appear to be the same RG3 he was last
year. I would say he's only about RG1 or RG2 at this time.  The Redskins only hope this year is the absolute hopelessness of the NFC East Division.  No team is over .500 and their combined record is 4-12.  
 
19. C.J. Spiller of the Bills and Doug Martin of the Bucs did nothing this week to change their statii as the two biggest fantasy busts for 2013!  Neither hit paydirt  in Week #4 and neither eclipsed 100 rushing yards.  Martin didn't even hit 50 yards.

20. New Yorkers are grousing loudly nowadays!  Both the Giants and Jets got annihilated on Sunday! Coaches Coughlin and Ryan will be lucky to last October!  The Giants are winless and the Jets have two very lucky wins.   These two might be "trick or treating" together on Halloween Night as human cadavers.  They better not be working the New York metropolis on that night, no one will give them any candy!

 21. Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith has been disasterous!   On one play, he tried
to evade a Titans defender using an old Meadowlark Lemon "behind the back" trick.  Apparently, Smitty hasn't mastered this maneuver, as it resulted in a fumble and a touchdown for the Titans.  That play rivaled last year's Mark Sanchez "ass fumble" for
ineptitude. 

Smitty had two picks and two fumbles for his day's work.   By the way, does anyone
know who is next in line for the Jets quarterback opening?

 22. There were several underdogs who prevailed this week, but most were mild upsets. 
The Bills over the Ravens was not really expected, nor was the Browns over the Bengals.  However, the Seahawks over the Texans, the Cardinals over the Bucs, the Vikings over the Steelers, and the Pats over the Falcons were all pretty much toss up games.

 23. Many interesting games on next week's docket Gridders.

o Patriots @ Bengals, will Brady's Black Magic continue? 
o Lions @ Packers, this should be the biggest over/under spread of the week, an old fashioned, Wild West shootout! 

o Seahawks @ Colts, who is the better young quarterback, Russell Wilson or Andy Luck? 
o Ravens @ Dolphins, this will be a good defensive battle!
o Saints @ Bears, this will be another offensive shootout!  
o Broncos @ Cowboys, how good are the Broncos, how bad are the Cowboys?  This game should tell.

 o Texans @ 49'ers, do the Texans stay with Matt Schaub at their helm?  It's a tough decision with them travelling to San Fran to face the vaunted Niners!

 o  Byes this week for the Vikings, Steelers, Buccaneers, and Redskins.

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK

 I have to give this week's honor to Houston quarterback Matt Schaub, for snatching defeat from victory with that late 4th quarter, ill-advised pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Seattle.  That was horrible and eventually resulted in a 23-20 Seattle
overtime win! 

The Texans had the game well in hand, and that one blunder flushed it all down the drinker!  I think it probably also pretty much dooms the rest of the 2013 season for the Texans.  I don't see them bouncing back from such a bitter, bitter loss on their home field.  I also don't see them rallying behind a quarterback who has never demonstrated an ability to get the job done, when the going gets tough!

 That's it for now Gridders...


 Macdawg 9/30/13

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 
 
 
 
 


















































































































             NFL WEEK  #3 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg              

 1. The undefeated team  count is now down to 6, but will go back to seven after The Monday  Nighter.  The Texans lost but the Patriots, Dolphins, Chiefs, Bears, Saints, & Seahawks remain unblemished at  3-0.  Look for the Broncos to join that illustrious group in tonight's game.

 2. The Dolphins and Saints clash next week in the Monday nighter in 'Nawlins.  I'm predicting the number will most likely fall to 5 winless after the Week 4 action.

 3. The Saints were only marching in the first two weeks of the season, but they are rolling now!  Evidence their 31-7 trouncing of the Cardinals yesterday afternoon.   If this continues, we will see the cannonization of Saint Sean before Christmas arrives!

 I think they'll keep rolling with an impressive win next week against an inspired and refurbished Dolphins team.  Inspiration and refurbishing only goes so far.   
 
4. There are now only 6 winless teams as the Browns and Panthers escaped from that ignominious clique in Week 3.  The Jags, Skins, Giants, Vikings, Bucs, and Steelers remain entrenched.  
 
5. Since the Steelers and Vikings clash next week, there will soon be at least one more escapee from the winless ranks.  This contest, which interests no one, will occur in
London, England.   These two downtrodden franchises should stay there and start up a new league in jolly old England.  They both stink to the high heavens this year!

 6. The undefeated Pats won again this week 23-3, and this time against a pretty decent Tampa Bay defense.  More importantly, their rookie wide receivers seem to be getting better synchronized with handsome Tommy Brady.

 The new Aaron in town, Aaron Dobson, caught 7 of Brady's offerings for 52 yards and Kenbrell Thompkins caught 3 passes for 41 yards and tallied the first two touchdowns of his young career.

 More impressive was the fact, that after each of Kenbrell's touchdowns, there was no raucous celebration or display.  I was very impressed with that, and I believe Billy Belichick deserves full credit for that accomplishment!

 The game next week against the Falcons in Atlanta should be much more telling!

 7. In the Munster Bowl, Joey Flacco, alias Herman Munster IV, and his Ravens
thrashed Matty Schaub, alias Herman Munster III,  and his Texans, 30-9.  I believe Munster IV gave the game ball to the newly born Munster V.  So heart warming!

 8. I'm thinking now, I may have been a little quick in writing off the Ravens for 2013.  Time will soon tell, but I still believe strongly the Bengals are the class of the AFC North.

 9. Amongst the young NFL quarterbacks, it looks like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck are distancing themselves from the rest of the pack. Cam Newton and the Red Rifle are definitely behind these two, but showing reasonable respectability and performance.   

Meanwhile, Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick have been pretty horrible so far. Especially K-Nick, who has tallied an abominable Minus 3 and Minus 1 fantasy points, the past two weeks!  Plumb pitiful gridders, plumb pitiful!  

10.  I would have to rate C.J. Spiller of the Bills and Doug Martin of the Bucs as the two
biggest fantasy busts so far for 2013.  Both of these backs were in the top 10 of all players, as forecasted by "fantasy experts" and so far, both have underachieved horribly.  I don't think either one has cracked 10 points in any of the first three games this year.

 Other early fantasy busts are Colin Kaepernick, RG3, and Larry Fitzgerald. 
 
11. The Tom Coughlin era may be coming to an ignominious end in the Meadowlands.  The Giants are winless and got shutout and embarrassed by a mediocre Panthers team, 38-0, down in Charlotte on Sunday.   

New Yorkers have little patience for pathetic performances, and the curmudgeonly, "old school" Coughlin is very easy to dislike.  This will be the year he gets lampooned and takes
the fall for the Giants demise!

 12.  Meanwhile, Eli Manning is off to his worst start in years, as he completed his third shit game of the year in Week 3.  Eli went 12 for 23 on Sunday down in Charlotte, for an anemic 119 yards with no touchdowns and one pick.  His output for the day was an embarrassing minus 1 fantasy points! 

Someone needs to get to the drugstore and buy Baby Hughey some Depends, as he has been shitting the bed badly this year!  

13. The Rams are another disappointment this year.  It is primarily due to no running game. 
Young Sammy Bradford has shown good improvement, but with no rushing game, he is
much too vulnerable.  

Yesterday, he was sacked 6 times.  Poor Sammy will not last the year at this rate. It appears the dealing of Stephen Jackson by the Rams to the Falcons was a bad deal, a very bad
deal.  

14. The unbeaten Bears won once again, and pretty impressively against a fast-falling Steelers team.  They trounced the Steelers 40-27 in Steeltown in the Sunday Nighter.   

We need a couple more weeks, however, before we hand them the NFC North divisional title.  As a matter of fact, look for them to get dumped by the Lions in Detroit next
Sunday.

15. There were at least three very surprising upsets in Week #3, the Browns over the Vikings, the Bengals over the Packers, and the Colts over the 49'ers.  All those
occurred on the home field of the favored team. 
 
Other milder upsets were the Chiefs over the Eagles, and the Lions over the Redskins, also done on the  home field of the favored team.  Parity prevails in the NFL!

 16. Some fairly good games on the docket next week Gridders.

 o Bears @ Lions, winner will be in first place in NFC North
 o Eagles @ Broncos, look for an upset in this one. 
 o Patriots @ Falcons, should be very telling for both teams!
 o Dolphins @ Saints, Saints will keep marching and Dolphins will stumble!

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK: 
 
This week's award goes to Greg Jennings, wide receiver of the Minnesota Vikings.  In the off season, Jennings left the perennial contending Green Bay Packers to join the enfeebled Minnesota Vikings.  He was paid the princely sum of $45 million dollars by the Vikings.  
 
A week or so ago, this bum spouted off against Aaron Rodgers, the Packers quarterback, and arguably the best quarterback in the league.  I seem to also recall, that Mister Rodgers led the Packers to a Superbowl win a few short years ago.  
 
Meanwhile, Mister Jennings has gathered in 11 catches for ZERO touchdowns this season.   How pathetic and feeble is that?   $45 million for this malcontent?  There sure are a lot of dopes around nowadays!

 Send the moron from the Vikings who closed that contract to Washington D.C., he'll fit in nicely there amongst all the Obama appointed incompetents!    
 

That's it for now Gridders.  
 
  Macdawg  9/23/13


NFL WEEK  #2 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

 1. There are now only 8 undefeated teams, after week #2.  they are the Patriots, Dolphins, Texans,  Chiefs, Broncos, Bears, Saints, & Seahawks.  Look for that number to
drop to five, after next week's action.

 2. There are also 8 winless teams, Browns, Jags, Skins, Giants, Vikings, Bucs, Panthers, and the  loser of tonight's Steelers/Bengals game.  That should also drop to 5 or
less, after next week's action.  Add the Steelers to the winless list. 

3. The Pats won again this week, tonight, but again got lucky!  Another very narrow win and over a disheveled Jets team with a raw, rookie quarterback.

 As anemic as their offense is, it's hard to believe that the great mastermind Billy Belichick couldn't somehow have worked Tebow in! Their rookie wide receivers couldn't catch a ball, if they were using butterfly nets! The Patriots would be better off picking up a couple of guys from the Perkins School of the Blind!

 4. I know that everyone and their mother have already canonnized Belichick, but I'm
telling you again, he is vastly overrated! He got rid of too many good players
too soon, Richard Seymour, Avante Samuel, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a few others.

If it wasn't for him lucking out with Tom Brady, he'd just be another Joe Schmoe. Check out his pre-Brady record, it's about a 40% winning record.

 5. Herman Munster III celebrated the birth of Herman Munster V with a modest win yesterday over the visiting Browns, 14-6.   They lost Ray Rice to injury in the process.  

I told you this would be a bad year for the Ravens, and despite the win yesterday, the loss of Rice is another harbinger of the misery upcoming! 

6. RG3 had a decent game yesterday, but most of it occurred at garbage time in the second half, as the Redskins got scalped by the Packers, 38-20!  It could be the "Sophomore Jinx!"  Mister Rodgers had an outstanding game with 4 touchdown passes and nearly 500 passing yards, as the Packers easily prevailed 35-20.  

7. Packer running back James Starks rushed for 132 yards Sunday.  That was the first
time in 2+ seasons a Packer rusher has topped the 100 mark.  Hard to believe, given the importance of balanced offensives!

 8. Peyton once again slapped around Baby Eli in the Manning Bowl.  The record now stands at Peytie 3 and Baby Hughey Zero.  

9. That's two straight shit games for the Hughster.  Yesterday Eli had 4 picks in that ignominious lambasting!

 10.  Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano was specifically hired to bring strict
discipline to the Bucs team.   The Bucs had 10 penalties yesterday against the Saints, to go with the 11 they had in Week #1 against the Jets.  

Twenty-one penalties in two games?  That's not much in the way of discipline!

 11. The Bears won their second straight game yesterday, beating the Vikings in Chicago 31-30.  That is also their second straight win accomplished with a late 4th quarter
rally.  That's pretty impressive, this might be the Bears year!

 12. The 49'er's Tattoo Man got tattooed but good by the Seahawks up in Seattle last night,
28-3.   His fantasy score was an embarrassing Minus 3, which included 3 interceptions and a fumble, and zero touchdowns!  
 
13. Prodigal manager Sean Payton is now 2-0, since returning to his saintly flock.  It was a tough game, as Drew Brees had his C+ game going, and pulled out the 16-14
win in the waning moments of this contest.

The Saints & Payton should be 3-0, after they trounce the Azzie Cardinals in 'Nawlins next
week.

 14. Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno had a fantasy field day yesterday, with touchdown runs of 20 and 25 yards.  I'll bet fantasy footballers across the country will be eagerly looking for him on the waiver wires this week.  

15. Only two underdogs won outright in Week #2, the Dolphins again, and the Chargers.  There were a lot of close games this week and quite a few where the favorites pulled
out the win in the waving moments of the 4th period.

 16. Some good games on the docket next week Gridders, starting with the Chiefs at Eagles Thursday Nighter. Here are the others:

 o Texans @ Ravens, Herman Munster II v. Herman Munster III
 o Packers @ Bengals, great test for the Bengals
 o Rams @ Cowboys, should find out which team is the pretender
 o Lions @ Redskins, unleash RG3 for this shootout
 o Falcons @ Dolphins, if Fins win, they are for real!
 o Bears @ Steelers, the Steelers decline continues

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK: 
 
This week's award goes to Fat Ass Rexy Ryan.  Rexy was out prowling the Jet's sideline last Thursday night in a sweater, soaking up the drenching rain like a sponge. 
 
That's about as stupid as it gets, wearing a sweater in a rainy downpour!
 
That's it for now Gridders


Macdawg


NFL WEEK  #1 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg
 
1. There are 16  undefeated teams, after week #1, but unfortunately, the mighty Superbowl
champion Ravens and the mightier Packers are not amongst them.  Look for that undefeated number to be less than 10, after the Week #2 action.  
 
2. The Superbowlers got thrashed and routed by the Broncos in Denver last Thursday night, as "Old Man  Manning" tossed for an unbelievable seven touchdowns and nearly 500 yards!   

3. Look for the Ravens to tank bigtime this year.  Edgar Alan Poe's classic line "quoth the raven  nevermore!" can be their watchword this season!

 4. Here's why the Ravens are going down.  Firstly, their heart & soul, Preacher Ray, has retired and is now doing his preaching as a member of the illustrious "Talking Heads"
assemblage.   

Secondly, their best defensive player, Ed Reed, has flown the Raven's coop.  Thirdly, their best and most reliable receiver, Anquan Boldin, is also amongst the dearly departed.  A.B. had a better than modest game yesterday, with 13 catches for over 200 yards, and a touchdown with his new 49'er team!    

Additionally, Joe "Cool" Flacco, aka Herman Munster III, has received a longterm 90 million dollar contract, or so, which is much more handsome than he.  This will serve as a
disincentive as the Ravens journey downhill.  
 
Lastly, Jacoby Jones, the lightfooted dancer supreme, got rolled by his own teammate yesterday, and is now out for the season!  Jones was the guy who made two or three critical
plays during the Playoffs last year.  One was that last second "Hail Mary" that he snared to eliminate Denver in the AFL Championship game. 

5. All four AFC North Divison teams lost in Week #1.  Look for the Bengals to emerge as the
power of that division.  I'm picking the Ravens to end up in the cellar and the Brownies and Steelers to battle it out for second place, but with very mediocre records.

6. By the shores of the San Francisco Bay on Sunday afternoon, the fairly ferocious 49'ers  took the measure of the powerful Packers.  It was  another squeaker, 34-28, as the Niners once again prevailed.  That is now three straight for the Niners over the Packers.

 7. The 49'er's Tattoo Man got tattooed in the 2nd quarter by Packer Linebacker Clay Mathews on an illegal, out-of-bounds, flying tackle.  Mathews must have thought he was
old time grappler Argentino Rocco, executing that move.  Tattoo Man was
unaffected by this brutish play and had a brilliant day, with over 400 passing
yards,  three touchdown tosses, and no picks.  
 
8. As a side note to that 49'er game, the 49'ers tackling of Packer receivers in the first half was worse than abominable.   They must have gotten their asses chewed out  royally at halftime by the bombastic Jimmy Harbaugh, as their tackling was pretty decent the second half! 

9. Prodigal manager Sean Payton is back with the Saints, and they celebrated by edging the highly touted Falcons down in 'Nawlins, 23-17.  Look for both of these teams to get considerably better as the season proceeds.

 10. The Patriots and Tommy Brady won their 10th straight opening day game, but it was not easy!  The gritty Bills hung tough and actually had a narrow lead late in the fourth
quarter, until Gostkowski kicked a chip shot field goal with 5 seconds left, giving the Pats a 23-21 win. 

Brady performed like a magician using "smoke & mirrors" and utilizing the modest skills of
experienced journeymen Ben Vereen, Danny Amendola, and Julian Edelman.  As stated by both Brady and Belichick in their post game conferences, this game was riddled with Patriot mistakes and there is a lot of work yet to be done!

 11. Highly touted Patriots rookie Kendall Thompkins looked like a Pop Warner player!  His
play was riddled with route running mistakes and the frustration on Brady's face  was unbelievably apparent!  This guy is supposed to be real good, but if he doesn't improve his play considerably, this cat will be spending the year in the Belichick Doghouse!  
 
12. Put the ball on the ground, then put your ass on the bench!  That happened to Patriots RB Stephen Ridley and Giants RB David Wilson.  Both fumbled early in their games at critical times and were benched for the rest of the game!  Wilson fumbled twice, so I guess cumudgeonly Coach Coughlin showed more patience than business-minded Billy Belichick!

 13. The New York Jets were even luckier than the Patriots!  They beat the visiting Bucs on a last minute field goal, 18-17.  That field goal was a sizeable 48 yarder, but it should have been a record tieing 63 yarder!  Unfortunately, Bucs Linebacker Lavonte David incurred a boneheaded roughing penalty on Jets QB  Geno Smith, which then resulted in the Jets game winning field goals seconds later!

 14.  I now suspect that come Thursday night, the Jets will still be celebrating their "hard to
believe" win.  Meanwhile, the Patriots will be lamenting their near loss all this week and focusing on corrections.  Right now, neither team is that good, but look for a Patriots blow-out of the Jets on Thursday night!

 15. Football Talking Heads should be renamed "Talking Asses/Elbows" as they don't know their asses from their elbows!  Two of their top three projected fantasy wide receivers played like absolute dogshit in Week #1!   They were  Megatron himself, aka Calvin Johnson, and dizzy Dezzy Bryant, each of whom tallied two measly fantasy points apiece in yesterday's action.  That is plumb pitiful!

 16. On the subject of plumb pitiful, how about the play of Jacksonville quarterbacks in their 28-2  drubbing at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs!  Their starting QB Blaine Gabbert went 16 for 35 for a meagre 112 yards with no touchdowns and 2 picks.  The bum who replaced him was no better!  The two of them lost 50 yards on sacks.  The team's total rushing production was a whopping 71 yards!

That new GM of theirs should be removed from the "hot seat" and placed right into the frying pan!  This guy stated they couldn't use Timmy Tebow and they start their season with a putrid performance like that!  Fire the bum!

 17. Michael Vick seemed to thrive in Chip Kellys rapid fire offense, as he led the Eagles to a sweet victory over the Redskins in the Monday Nighter.  Vick passed for 2 TDs and ran for another.  He amassed 203 passing yards and 54 rushing yards, in an excellent opening game performance!  
 
18. RGIII showed a lot of rust in his return to action, especially in the first half.  The kid
settled down in the second half and rallied the Skins from a huge deficit to within one score of catching the Eagles.  It was not to be, as the Eagles prevailed, but it bodes well for the
future.

 19. Unfortunately, the entire Redskin team demonstrated great ineptitude and incompetence in the first half.  They were almost as bad as their political neighbors on
Capital Hill, but not quite!  That would be impossible!

20. Four underdogs won outright in Week #1, the Titans, Dolphins, Jets, & Eagles. 
Another 4 or more pushed or covered the spreads, so I doubt the bookies took a
bath this week.  

21. Some good games on the docket next week Gridders, starting with the Jets at Pats Thursday Nighter.  Here are the others:

 o   Cowboys & Indians, Chiefs that is...
 o   Indians @ Packers, Redskin Indians that is ...
 o   Vikings @ Bears
 o   Rams @ Falcons
 o   Manning Brothers Bowl, Broncos @ Giants
 o   49'ers @ Seahawks

 DUMBSHIT OF THE WEEK:  

This could easily go to Patriots Tight End Aaron Hernandez, but his behavior was
more evil than stupid.  It also could go to Detroit Lions tackle Ndamukong
Suh for incurring another stupid penalty on Sunday, which will probably result
in another suspension for this dirtiest of the dirty players in the League.   
 
Or, it could go to Lions Coach Jim Schwartz for appointing Suh captain of the Lions
team!  I mean really, how stupid is that, everyone and their brother know about Suh's
history!

 However, this week's DUMBSHIT AWARDS is going to Tampa Bay Bucs Linebacker Lavonte
David.  This guy is a good player, but he incurred an absolutely foolish 15 yard penalty by hitting Jets QB Geno Smith while he was out-of-bounds, in the last 10 seconds of Sunday's Jets/Bucs game.  The 15 yards put Jets kicker Nick Folks just close enough to knock through  a 48 yard game winning field goal. 

That was about as stupid as it gets!

 That's it for now Gridders...

Macdawg  9/10/13
 Macdawg


 


 


 


  


 


 


  





L Superbowl XLVII - THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg



























1. Two weeks ago, the lights went out in Georgia, just like the song says, when the 49'ers dispatched the Atlanta Falcons, 28-24. Last night, the lights went out in 'Nawlins for the San Francisco 49'ers, who were dispatched by the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in Superbowl XLVII. Those lights going out were in the figurative sense.

The 49'er fans now face a long winter of second guessing, along with many coulda beens and shoulda beens!

2. In the literal sense, the lights also went out last night in 'Nawlins at the start of the 3rd quarter and stayed out, delaying the game for almost 40 minutes. Was it Divine Intervention? I don't think so, as the Ravens were leading 28-6 when the lights went out, and the long delay helped the 49'ers regroup and rally to score 17 points in about 4 minutes time.

The Blackout prevented the Blowout, as the Niners rallied to close the gap to 28-23. In the end, it was all for naught for the Niners but it added considerable drama to this classic contest!

3. The Blackout In New Orleans is another great example of the United States of Incompetence! The Superbowl is the biggest sports event in the world, how can the "powers that be" not have addressed a back-up plan for a possible power outage? It's incomprehensible! Someone should be fired!

I'm pretty sure the mayor of New Orleans and our beloved leader in Washington will be blaming "W" once again!

4. Like their previous two post-season games, the 49'ers fell far behind early, but this time were unable to come back. They did come back from a 28-6 deficit and closed the gap to two points, 31-29, but were never able to take the lead in this Superbowl.

With two minutes to go, they were first and ten on the Ravens 7-yard line but were unable to get into the endzone. They called for three straight passing plays, when 49'er fans all over California were screaming for Tattoo Man or Frankie Gore to run the ball.

5. When they failed to convert on 4th down, the 49'ers valiant comeback effort was all for naught! Michael Crabtree was definitely fouled and molested on that 4th down play, maybe not too unlike what he was accused of doing a couple weeks back, but the ball that Kaepernick tossed him was uncatchable, i.e. uncatchable in the field of play.

6. Despite the one interception, Kaepernick had a very nice game, tossing for over 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and running for another one. Unfortunately, Michael Crabtree had two critical drops and V.D. had another critical drop. That seems to have been lost in the game's post mortem, but those were definitely critical drops!

7. Frankie Gore had a very respectable game with some 120 rushing yards. It is rare indeed, when that happens and the Niners lose. Actually, the 31 total points the 49'ers posted in this Superbowl was tied for the most ever for a losing team.

8. The Kaepernick interception was the 49'ers first Superbowl interception ever! More frustrating, however, was that this was the 49'ers first loss in their 6 Superbowl appearances. Unfortunately for Tatoo Man, that first interception and first loss is his current legacy. He's young and should have many productive years, but right now, that is what football folks will discuss.

9. Preacher Ray goes out with a Superbowl win, completing this very improbable Hollywood ending! He wasn't really much of a physical factor in this game, but he was a participant in the historic last minute goal line stand by the Ravens! More Hollywood stuff!

10. Maybe it was Divine Intervention, although Colin Kaepernick is also a religious man. Those tattoes up and down both arms are bibilical scriptures, and his antic of kissing his bicep is accordingly a tribute to The Almighty! It is not a display of braggadocio.

11. Now in his retirement, Preacher Ray can ride the Gravy Train or the Glory Train. On the Gravy Train, he can barge his way in between Marino, Simms, Ditka, Hughey, Prime Time, the Sharpe Brothers, and The Chin and bloviate for ever!

On the Glory Train, if he wants, he can do absolutely nothing and just bask in the glory of this glorious Superbowl Victory! Or, he can start his own denomination "Ray's Praisers" and give praise and glory to God! We'll have to wait to see how this plays out.

12. Joe Flacco had a great game with 3 touchdowns and nearly 300 passing yards, with no turnovers. He was the MVP of Superbowl XLVII. He should now forever be considered "Joe Cool" and not Joe Flucco, Joe Flacco, or Joe Schmoe!

13. Although Joe Cool was a worthy choice, I think I would have voted Jacoby Jones for MVP. He had a 56 yard touchdown catch, with some of that critical yardage coming after the catch, when he got off the ground and scampered into the endzone. Additionally, he set a Superbowl record when he took the 2nd half kickoff deep in the endzone and took it 109 yards to the house, giving the Ravens their 28-6 lead.

14. Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin also had a big game. He made several key, acrobatic catches as he was pretty well covered by 49'er defenders. He deserves a lot of the credit for this Ravens Superbowl win!

15. In the end, as so often happens, the older brother prevails, as it did once again in this the Brotherly Bowl. The score is now Johnny 2-0 and Jimmy 0-2. This older brother/younger brother phenomenon is uncanny!

















































































































































16. Jim Harbaugh made several serious blunders in this Superbowl. As a result, I will bestow this year's last DUMBSHIT award on younger brother Jimmy.

Firstly, how do the 49'ers possibly start the game with an illegal formation penalty, negating a nice first down pass and gain by Kaepernick? That is totally unacceptable!

Secondly, that challenge Jimmy made on the referee's spotting of the ball was ridiculous! Sure, he won that challenge, but it still resulted in a 3rd down and inches for Baltimore and was not at all worth the risk of losing a critical second half timeout! As a matter of fact, the Ravens got the first down on their very next play.

Thirdly, everyone and their grandmother knew that the key to a 49'er victory was getting pressure on Flacco. Why in the world weren't more blitzes called? It doesn't make any sense!

Lastly, Jimmy's overall timeout management was awful and the last series of play calling was very questionable!

17. Two weeks between the championship games and the Superbowl is too long. The reporters have to scratch their asses for story lines, and no one really cares that Ray Lewis was using steroids, or what Chris Culliver thinks about gays in the locker room, or that John Harbaugh was studious and Jim Harbaugh was lazy. No one cares, cut the gap to 1 week Mister Goodell.

18. This year's electees for Canton's Football Hall of Fame included Larry Allen, Chris Carter, Curly Culp, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, Dave Robinson, and Warren Sapp. Charles Haley was once again left out, as were Kenny "The Snake" Stabler and Ray Guy. Although this year's electees were worthy, I would not have taken any one of them ahead of that trio.

For the record, Charles Haley has 5 Superbowl rings, which is more than anyone in the world! By the way, Haley was the pre-eminent pass rusher of his day, not just a bit player in a powerhouse franchise. How long are the voters going to punish this guy for that pissing incident in the 49'ers parking lot?

19. Other guys that got overlooked were owners Eddie DiBartolo and Artie Modell and Michael Strahan. I have no problem with that, the two owners had some serious boney skeletons in their closets and Strahan can wait his time. He should get that gap in his teeth filled in, while he is waiting.

20. In closing, please keep the great Muhammad Ali in your thoughts and prayers. We lost Stan "The Man" last week and this week we hear that the old "Louisville Lip" is ailing badly! Those are two of the greatest athletes of the 20th century!

Muhammad Ali is my favorite athlete. He was unparalleled in confidence, charisma, courage, bravado, and pugilistic skill! He is not in a class of his own but is in a pretty special class! As an American icon, I have him in the same class with Elvis and Babe Ruth. It can't be better than that!



This is my last report for this football year. Hope you enjoyed them. The good Lord willing, I'll see you again next September.



Macdawg 



Superbowl XLVII Week - THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

It's been a slow week and fantasy football withdrawal syndrome is in full effect! I have taken up scrabble and crossword puzzles to fill the gap.   I only have a few thoughts and observations this week.

1. The Superbowl was changed to the Harbowl, and then to the Blood Bowl. These are the two hardest hitting teams in football, so look to see some bones broken and some blood shed. A team of medics will be assigned to each side.

2. The over/under on Bernard Pollard taking someone out is "1" and I'm taking the over. This is the guy responsible for putting Tom Brady out for an entire season, and the guy who also took out Wes Welker, the Great Gronk, and Stephen Ridley. He is a human junkyard crushing machine!

3. The line on the Superbowl game has dropped from 49'ers by 4 1/2, to 49'ers by 3 1/2. Lots of gamblers are betting on the "Divine Intervention" theory.

4. I don't know if God is going to intervene, but....doesn't the older brother always get the best of the younger brother in most competitive events? That would give the edge to Johnny, Herman IV, and the Ravens. This is a really tough game to pick!

5. If the 49'ers can put the pressure on Joey Flacco, that will give them a definite edge. The Munster Man is very immobile and about as lead-footed as New Orleans own Fats Domino! However, if you give Flacco time like the Patriots did, he will burn you! He has a big arm and a fleet receiver in Torrey Smith.

6. I'd like to see Randy Moss score the winning touchdown and get a Superbowl ring. Yes, I know he often acts like a fool, and is doing so again this week with his ramblings, but he is one of the greatest receivers in the history of football, and deserves to get a ring! He is also probably the most athletically talented receiver ever!

Most talented, yes, but best receiver ever, no, that has to go to Jerry Rice. Randolph is like Jerry Lee Lewis, who was the self professed "world's greatest entertainer!" Everyone knew that wasn't true and everyone knows what Randolpho is saying isn't true!

7. Ray Lewis has been peppered with questions, accusations, insinuations, and rumors of using "performance enhancing drugs!" Are you kidding me, steroids and other performance enhancers have been ingrained and entrenched in football culture for many decades. Hell, it was even down at the high school level, as far back as the '60s!

Ray Lewis is one of the most competitive players in history. With performance enhancers running rampant in football, anyone who thinks Ray abstained from same is delusional beyond psychiatric correction!

If someone picked 100 random football players and bet me $100 on each player, concerning his use of peformance enhancers, I would bet "yes" everytime! If by some magic, we could determine the truth, I would have a wad of C-notes in my pocket!

8. This Manti-Teo escapade with the imaginary girl friend has gotten ridiculous! Who cares? Why didn't the guy just buy a talking mannequin and ride around South Bend with her beside him? How foolhardy must this guy be? That's three questions in a row. This will all end perfectly, when the Cleveland Clowns draft him, as that is where he belongs!

9. I see the Jets might dispense with Darrelle Revis. Sure would be nice to see the Patriots get him. That is about as fat a chance as Fat Ass Rexy's fat ass! The Patriots are the absolute last team in the NFL that the Jets would consider for this trade!

10. I also see that Jarmacus Russell has shed about 20 pounds and is down to about 320, on his quest to get back into the NFL. His chance of getting back is fatter than himself, Fat Ass Rexy, and the chance of the Patriots acquiring Revis Island! Ain't gonna happen Gridders!

11. Speaking of "fat chances," Art Modell is up again for Hall of Fame consideration. That ain't gonna happen either, and shouldn't happen, they are still burning this bum in effigy in Cleveland!

12. The Pro Bowl was played last Sunday but did anyone watch it? I didn't. This is the absolute worst of all All-Star games. It is even worse than the NHL All Star game!

13. The over/under line on the Pro Bowl was 80 1/2, and that was surpassed with ease! There is no defense played in that game, so they should not even select defensive players. Commissioner Goodell should cancel this game.

14. In the Monday morning USA Today issue, I see that our illustrious leader was featured in an article, because of his concern about head injuries in the NFL. This guy ought to get his own head examined! What a hypocrite, we are now killing 1 1/2 million babies a year in the United States, and our "paper mache" leader is expressing concern about head injuries in the NFL!

15. "Stan the Man" Musial died last week Gridders. Stan Musial was a great baseball player and a great man! I am an American League fan in general, and a Ted Williams and Boston Red Sox fan in particular, but I loved Musial and his overall greatness!

Bob Costas gave a brilliant, heart wrenching eulogy for Musial at his memorial service. Check it out on .......

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201301/costas-delivers-touching-eulogy-musial#ooid=5saXVyODphCHeknci__UpTrCRIB58cqL

It will bring tears to your eyes! It did to me! Macdawg, signing off for now......



Macdawg, signing off for now, be back with my final report next week




NFL Championship Week - THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

1. Last night, the powers that be changed the name of the Superbowl to the Harbogger Bowl. It's Jimmy Harbaugh and The Tattooed Man and the San Francisco 49'ers against Johnny Harbaugh and Herman Munster IV and the Baltimore Ravens.

2. The 49'ers and the Ravens prevailed yesterday by both shutting out their somewhat worthy, and somewhat unworthy opponents, in the second halves of their respective games. Both losing teams were winning their games at half time and then failed to score the rest of the game! Given that fact, neither the Falcons nor the Patriots deserved to win and advance to the Superbowl!

3. Sure the refs stunk and there were some key injuries to some key players, but when a team gets shut out for two straight quarters in their most important game of the year, they have no one to blame but themselves! Case closed!

4. The Falcons had a nice 10 point lead at half time, 24-14, as Matty "Ice" performed brilliantly and flawlessly! In the 2nd half, he turned into Matty "Ice Cold" and made two key blunders that cost the Falcons the game. The first was an interception and the second was a fumble. Sure, Ryan had 30 completions for close to 400 yards and 3 touchdowns, but no one will remember that. What they will remember is the interception and fumble and the stigma of blowing a 17 point lead! That's the way it is and that's the way it goes!

5. Meanwhile, the Tattooed Man, Colin Kaepernick, had only half the number of completions that Ryan had. However, the Tattoed One tricked the Falcons by running very sparingly, and tossing spiral bullets after spiral bullets and leading the 49'ers to two second half touchdowns that resulted in victory!

6. Handsome Frankie Gore had an excellent day with 21 carries for 90 yards, affording the 49'ers the balance they needed. V.D. was used very effectively by Kapernick, grabbing 5 catches for 106 crucial yards, including one touchdown.

7. Julio Jones had a phenomenal game, with 11 catches for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns! Roddy White had 7 catches for 100 yards. Tony Gonzalez had 8 catches for 78 yards and one touchdown. This trio all had excellent statistical games, but it was all for naught!

8. If this is Gonzo's last game, he went out a champion despite never winning a championship! He was, has been, and is a class act! Thanks for the memories Gonzo! See you in Canton in 5 years.

9. By the way, the Falcons second half breakdown probably spared 49'ers kicker David Akers from a lifetime stigma of missing a critical, short field goal. I suppose Jimmy Harbaugh will be re-instituting kicker tryouts this week in San Francisco. I think he'll be trying to wrest the Polish Cannon away from the cross-Bay Raiders.

10. According to retiree Ray, Divine Intervention did it again! Ray was pretty mediocre in Sunday's game but God stepped in and led the Ravens to their second straight upset victory. I thought the Israelites were God's "chosen people" not the Ravens! When did all that change?

11. I think Ray may be right, afterall the Patriots lost their best receiver, The Great Gronk, to injury last week, and yesterday they lost their best pass defender, Aqib Talib, in the first quarter. It can't just be coincidence, it has to be Divine Intervention! There are lots of heathens in the Bay State, so I'm sticking with this hypothesis.

12. The bookies have the 49'ers a 4 point favorite, but I don't care. I'm going with God on this one and taking Ray and the Ravens in the Superbowl.

13. Joe Flacco, also known as Joe Fluko, Joe Flucko, Joe Flako, Joe Fako, and Herman Munster IV, can now resume using his baptismal name of Joseph Flacco. Say it aint so Joe, say it aint so, we love your nicknames!

14. Yep, old Joey threw for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns, with no turnovers, in leading the Ravens to their AFC Championship.

15. Tom Brady had a very mediocre day. He had two interceptions, but one was on a deflection and the second was on a desperation "Hail Mary" in the waning minutes of the game. He did make some mental mistakes, especially at the end of the first half, when he failed to call time out to preserve time, with the Patriots in the shadows of the Ravens endzone. They did come away with a field goal, but a quick timeout would have allowed for at least two touchdown tries. That was very baffling!

16. Wee Wesley Welker had a bucket of catches and a lot of receiving yardage, but he dropped a couple of critical passes. That is two years in a row that the Wee One has dropped a critical pass or two.

17. Coach Belichick was not "Brilliant Billy" but "Bumbling Billy" in Sunday's contest. The Patriots got absolutely no pressure on Flacco, yet they failed to blitz him. Flacco could have mowed the lawn back there, with all the time he had. The one time the Patriots did blitz, it resulted in a quick sack!

Very baffling that with their lack of pressure, they didn't blitz more often. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, Belichick is overrated!

18. This week's Dumbshit is going to Michael "Malcontent" Crabtree. Here the 49'ers are on the verge of history, and this clown gets caught up in a sexual assault charge? Are you kidding me! I'm not saying he's necessarily guilty, but "where there's smoke, there's fire!" Crabtree has been a classless moron ever since he was drafted by the 49'ers, and refused to sign!

Not only that, but he was pretty invisible in the NFC Championship game, but after one of his catches, he acted like he had just won the Superbowl. Minutes later, he catches a pass and immediately fumbles it on the threshold of the Falcons endzone. What a frigging "Dumbshit" Michael Crabtree is!



Macdawg, signing off...













NFL Week #2  Divisional Playoffs - THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by  Macdawg
 


1. The Conference Championship games are  now set for next Sunday. In the NFC
Championship, the 49'ers will play the  Falcons in Atlanta. That game should be
a very close line, 1-2 points in favor  of Atlanta.  H'mmmm, it came out as San
Francisco a 3.5 point favorite,  pardon the pun, but that seems out of line to me! 

In the AFC Championship, it is a  replay of last year's championship game, the Ravens playing the Patriots in  Foxborough. I would guess the Patriots will be about a 7 1/2 point favorite.  That's what it is, so I guess that's what it should 
be.

2. At the start of the season  Gridders, I told you that things would not end favorably in Denver. It didn't,  "Karma" will always get you! The underdog Ravens upset the highly favored  Broncos in mile high Denver, in double overtime, 38-35! 
 
John Elway, John Fox, and the entire  Broncos braintrust got just what they deserved.  At least last year, Tim Tebow led you to one playoff win. This year, one and done!   Now all  these arseholes can hook up  with TimmyTebow and go to Disneyland together! 
 
3. The Hollywood ending was supposed  to end for Ray Lewis this weekend, but it ended instead for Peyton Manning.  Now,  the matchup that the entire football world was drooling over, i.e. Brady v. Manning, is not going to happen. Such a 
shame!

4. Actually, Peyton Manning will be  in New Orleans for this year's Superbowl. Unfortunately, he will be at home with  his family watching the game, not at the stadium playing in the game!

5. I was very surprised that the  Ravens beat the Broncos in mile high Denver, after the beatdown the Broncos put  on them just last month in Baltimore. I didn't think that was possible. I would  like to say that Ray-Ray's Hollywood ending ends next week in Foxborough, but I  won't say that. I don't want to jinx the 
Patriots.  

6. By the way, Rahim Moore, Denver's  safety, terribly misplayed that last minute 70-yard touchdown bomb to Jacoby  Jones. No way he should have let Jones get behind him! He will now forever be  Denver's counterpart to Boston's Billy Buckner.  He'd be better off moving to Canada. 

7. Peyton Manning had a great regular  season this year, but was terrible in Saturday's playoff game. He had two interceptions, one of which led to the Raven's game winning field goal in double Overtime. This game alone set him another peg below Tom Brady in the terms of great quarterbacks.

8. Isn't it ironic that Ravens  Offensive Coordinator Jim Caldwell has twice ruined the best seasons that Peyton  Manning ever had! He did it Saturday, calling for that bomb to Jacoby Jones,  that sent the game into Overtime, that eventually the Ravens won. 
 
Perhaps you recall that Caldwell was  the Indy coach in 2009, when the Colts were undefeated going into Week #16, and  he and Billy Polian decide to rest the Colts starters in the second half of a  game that they were leading 15-10. The rest of course is now but history, as  they lost to the Jets in Week #16, spoiling their undefeated season.  They later  lost to the New Orleans Saints 31-17 in Superbowl 44. 
 
It is now 4 years later, and the year  2009 is only memorable to Peyton Manning for the 2 crushing losses! He must have regular nightmares of Caldwell!

9. Father Time has definitely caught  up with not only Ray Lewis, but also the perennial All-Pro safety Champ Bailey.  The Champster let Baltimore speedster Torrey Smith burn him for two long touchdowns. Champ should also be retiring after this season.

10. After the game, Ray Lewis was pontificating like a Black Jimmy Swaggart, bellowing out preachings of fire, brimstone, and divine intervention! I am certain that Jesus Christ loves Ray, but I don't think he cares whether Baltimore wins or not. Afterall, that's the team that is named the Ravens in honor of the diabolical Edgar Alan Poe, who lived in Baltimore.

11. By the way, the elite Joey Flacco  showed up on Saturday. Flacco, aka Herman Munster IV, went 18 for 34 for 331  yards, with 3 touchdowns and no picks. That's a very impressive performance!  Did he sell his soul to the devil?  

12. There will be no complaints this week about under using Running Back Ray Rice. The undersized Rice carried the  ball an incredible 30 times, rushing for 131 yards. 
 
13. In the Saturday Nighter, Colin Kaepernick had what I consider the greatest game in Playoff history, as the 49'ers routed the highly acclaimed Packers! The tattooed man rushed for 181 yards, including two long touchdowns, and passed for another 263 yards and two touchdowns. The 181 rushing yards is a Playoff record. 
 
What was especially impressive was  that he did all this after starting the game with a very rookie-like pick-6,  putting the 49'ers in a quick 7-0 hole. That interception could have been  devastating, and would have been to most young quarterbacks, but Tattoo Man just  shrugged it off!

14. Kaepernick is a real enigma!  He really isn't getting much credit at all, he looks to be every bit as quick and  fast as RG3, and his arm looks to be equally as powerful. 
 
Unfortunately for the  Tattooed Man, RG3 looks like and talks like a Rhodes Scholar, while K-nick looks  like he should be riding a "low rider" up and down El Camino Real with rap  music blaring into the air! 

15. Although Kaepernick received and deserved the majority of the credit, don't forget the yeoman like performance of handsome Frankie Gore, who had 23 carries for 119 yards. Also, Michael "Malcontent" Crabtree had 9 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. With the Tattooed Man at the helm, Crabber seems to now be a bona fide #1 receiver.

16. Aaron Rodgers is considered the best quarterback in the NFL today, by most pundits. Unfortunately, he will be sitting at home watching the rest of the games on his television, just like most of these fat-assed pundits.
 
Yessir Gridders, Tom Brady is now the only Superbowl winning quarterback left in the Playoffs. 

17. In the Sunday Morning game, the  Atlanta Falcons jumped out to a nice 20-0 lead, and they had the monkey off  their backs and gasping for air. The monkey was still alive, but only barely, as the Falcons entered the 4th quarter with a sizeable 27-7 lead.

Then, Russell Wilson, the diminutive rookie quarterback, led the Seahawks to three 4th quarter  touchdowns and a very improbable comeback lead of 28-27, with but 25 seconds to go. 

18. The monkey had morphed into a  gorilla and was now firmly enclasped on the backs of Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez,  Coach Mike Smith, and the rest of the Falcons players. The Falcons were choking once again, and this bitter loss would forever stamp this Falcons team with the stigma of being the quintessential chokers! 
 
As fortune would have it, after the  Seahawks ensuing kickoff, Ryan hit two quick passes for 41 yards, the last an 18  yarder to future Hall of Famer Gonzalez.
Matt Bryant came in and saved the day with a 49 yard winning field goal. It would have been a very tough Winter for the Falcons, had they lost this game. Now they get to play a veteran and  grizzled 49'ers team next week, with a young quarterback every bit as dangerous  as the clutch Russell Wilson!

19. In the Sunday Nighter, the  Patriots start slowly but eventually do in the Houston Texans, 41-28. Once Brady settled down, he pretty much shredded the Texans defense with quick passes to Wee Wesley Welker, and a couple of touchdown passes to unknown Running Back  Shane Vereen. 

20. The Pats defense allowed the oft maligned Matty Schaub, aka Herman Munster III, to complete 34 passes for 343 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Now, they must face Schaub's cousin, Herman Munster IV, next week in order to get to the Superbowl. Munster IV, Joey Flacco, is a much better quarterback, and the Ravens are on a high with the impending retirement of Preacher Ray, so this is going to be a very tough game! 
 
21. The loss of the Great Gronk, the best tight end in football, early in the 1st quarter yesterday is a bitter loss  to the Patriots. They also lost him to injury last year, a loss which probably resulted in their eventual Superbowl loss to the New York Giants. 
 
The loss of Gronk is going to make the Patriots challenge against the Ravens even tougher! They also lost little Danny Woodhead to injury on the first play of Sunday's game. Woody, however, is a much more fungible commodity.  He can be replaced, Gronkowski cannot. 
 
22. I have two very worthy "Dumbshit"  awards to bestow this week. They are going to head coaches Johnny Fox of the  Denver Broncos and Petey Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks.

Coach Fox had the great Peyton  Manning at the helm and instead of using Peytie to win the game, he decides to  play "not to lose the game!"  Late in the 4th quarter, with the Broncos facing a  3rd and 8 situation, and the Ravens out of timeouts, Fox decides to run little Hilly Hillman into the middle instead of letting Manning complete a measly 8 yard pass that would have iced the  game!

Then, after the Ravens tied the game at 35-35, Fox follows that blunder up by choosing to have Peyton take a kneel  down with 31 seconds left in regulation time.  Are you shitting me, if Matty Ryan can put the Falcons into field goal position with only 25 seconds left, why couldn't Manning do the same? Prater has a good leg and in sky high Denver his range is greater than Matt Bryant of the Falcons.

Seahawks head coach Petey Carroll also had two huge screw-ups in Sunday's Seahawks/Falcons game. Petey screwed up things at the end of the 2nd quarter, and squandered a sure 3 point field goal, allowing the half to end with the Falcons leading 20 to zip. 

Then, at game's end with Matt Bryant about to attempt the game winning field goal, old Petey calls the last second timeout, as Bryant bangs his kick wide 
right.   Given the mulligan, Bryant banged his  next kick right through the uprights for the game winner. Cameras flashed to the sidelines, showing a forlorn Petey with face in hands, chomping on his gum, like he was Mike Ditka.  

What a couple of "dumbshits" Johnny  Fox & Petey Carroll! They deserved to lose! 
 

Macdawg, signing off...

NFL Wildcard Week THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg
  
1. The "chalk" wins and covers all 4 games, the Texans by 6 over the Bengals, Packers by 14 over Vikings, Ravens by 15 over Colts, and Seahawks by 10 over Redskins.  The betting public probably had a good weekend.

2. The Cincinnati Bunglers lost to the Houston Texans, 19-13. Their bungling head coach, Marvy Lewis, keeps his ignominious distinction intact, of never having won a Playoff game!  It's unbelievable Gridders, that this is the same guy who held the Bengals braintrust hostage a couple years back over his contract renewal!

The Bengals "brainless trust" succumbed to Marvy's demands, rewarding him with a hefty raise and more power.  Well, we are now living in the United States of Incompetence, where incompetence reigns from Washington D.C all the way down!  

Marvy's 10 year coaching record with the Bengals is under .500 and he has never won a Playoff game!   Perhaps, the Bengals should reward Marvy with another raise.

3. Gary Kubiak, who has only a slightly better record than Marvy, prevails on the foot of his kicker Shayne Graham.  Graham kicks 4 field goals in the Texans 19-13 win.   The Texans were actually very lucky to win this game.  Late in the 4th quarter of Saturday's game, A.J. Green was wide open in the endzone and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton overthrew him badly.   
 
That's the way it is, when two teams meet, both of whom have a history of not getting it done at clutch time.  The team that makes the biggest screw-up at the end, ends up losing!  

4. For his reward, Kubiak now gets the privilege of leading his team back up to New England, to once again face a Patriots squad.  This time, the Patriots are well rested and injury free, which does not bode well for the Texans. 

Four field goals will not get the job done by the Texans against Billy & Tommy up in the cold climes of Foxborough.  Expect them to once again get pounded into submission by the Elvis helmets! It was less than a month ago up there, where Gary & Hermie Munster III got pounded by Billy & Brady 42-14!   Expect the same next Sunday afternoon.

 5. In the Saturday night game, the Green Bay Packers held the great Adrian Peterson to under 100 rushing yards.  Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers, although he had no touchdown passes, picked the Vikings cleaner than a mother monkey picking fleas from her baby!   

The Vikings jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but should have boarded the plane back to Minneapolis right after that field goal.  As soon as Mister Rodgers got warmed up, the game was over!  

Sure, Vikings starting quarterback, Christian Ponder, was a late scratch but so what!   Sure, Joe Webb, Ponder's back-up, was ineffective, but so what!  Ponder wouldn't have made a difference, neither would have Jack Webb, Joe Friday, or Fran Tarkenton for that matter!    
 
6. The season is now over for Peterson, but he had a great year, rushing for over 2000 yards and coming within 9 yards of Eric Dickerson's alltime rushing record!  A.P., or A.D. as he prefers, can now sit back and await his awards, certainly "Comeback Player of the Year" and maybe "Most Valuable Player."

7.  Meanwhile, the Packers can pack for their trip to San Francisco, to see if they can redeem themselves from a season opening 30-22  loss to the Niners in Green Bay.  Green Bay is a lot healthier and a lot better now, as opposed to then, and San Francisco is a little bit hobbled. That should be a great game next Saturday night in Candlestick Park by the Bay!  Toss a coin on that game.

8. In the Sunday morning game, the Hollywood ending ended for the Indianapolis Colts.  It probably ended early Sunday morning, when their back-up coach Bruce Arians, was rushed to a Baltimore hospital.  I don't know if he was suffering from stress, heart palpitations, or pre-game jitters, but he was not on the sidelines to call the Colts offensive plays.  The Ravens thrashed the Colts, 24-9, and I don't think Arians presence or absence really mattered.

9. The Ray Lewis "Last Roundup" saga was very impressive and provided an excellent emotional balancer to the Arians/Pagano Story!  Of course, Ray provided the necessary emotional leadership to his Raven teammates, but he also had a pretty good game with thirteen tackles.    
 
It was and has been pretty obvious that Ray has lost a step or two, over the years, and is not nearly as quick as he used to be!   On Sunday, we also saw him drop an extremely easy interception, one that the "One Armed Man" on the old Fugitive show could have caught.   Ray made the right decision, its time for him to go!

10. Unfortunately, the Ray Lewis Hollywood ending will not end in New Orleans on February 3rd, but will end in Denver next Saturday night.  In mid December in Baltimore, Peyton Manning and his Broncos dismantled the Ravens, 34-17.  Since then, Baltimore has not gotten much better and Peyton has certainly not gotten worse!  It will be a very rocky, Rocky Mountain ending for Ray Lewis.  He has been one of the alltime greats, but no one escapes Father Time!

11. I would rate Ray Lewis #1 amongst the NFL's great linebackers.  He might not have been quite as ferocious as Dick Butkus, but he was a much greater leader.  He certainly wasn't as skilled as Lawrence Taylor, but Taylor had no leadership skills.  He couldn't lead a chimpanzee on a leash!

12. In Sunday's afternoon game, the Battle of Baby Quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks spotted Robert Griffin III a 14-0 lead, and came roaring back to spank them 24-14!  RG3 was probably only operating at 60% capacity, with the brace on his injured knee, but you have to give credit to the plucky Wilson. 

Wilson led the Seahawks to this stirring comeback, as he rushed for 67 key yards, and passed for another 187 yards, converting many key third downs. He had one touchdown toss and no interceptions.  This guy might be small, but he's big in heart.  RG3 will probably win "Rookie of the Year," but I would have no quarrel if Wilson were to win it.

13. Concerning awards, Bruce Arians will very likely win "Coach of the Year" and deservedly so.  However, Petey Carroll has to be a very close second. Old Petey eschewed the million dollar Matty Flynn as his starting quarterback back in the early Fall, and went instead with an undersized, unknown, black quarterback, who was drafted in the 3rd round as the 75th overall pick.  

Kudos to Petey and kudos to Russell Wilson!

14.  The Seahawks will now travel to the Deep South to play the Falcons in Atlanta next Sunday afternoon.  This game has the Falcons as a miniscule 1-point favorite, but that really doesn't mean anything.  The Seahawks have a clutch quarterback, who can scramble effectively, and a "Beast" of a running back who pounds people into submission.  Additionally, they have an outstanding defense.  

Meanwhile, the #1 seeded Falcons have the proverbial "demons" that need to be exorcised!  In the Mike Smith/Matty Ryan Era, they have never won a playoff game. Tony Gonzalez, whom some experts consider the greatest Tight End ever, has also never won a playoff game. To make matters worse, old  "Megaphone Mouth" Roddy White has been doing too much public boasting.  
 
All those things put all the pressure on the Falcons, while the Seahawks are playing with "house money."  I think all that stuff will be too much pressure on the Falcons, so I'm giving the edge to the Seahawks.  
 
15. Black Monday saw seven very deserving head coaches meet their demise!   Those that got chopped were Andy, Romeo, Norvie,  Chan Gailey, Pat Shurmur, Ken Whisenhunt, and Lovie Smith.  Somehow, I don't know how, seven others avoided the axe.  They were Rexy, Munchak, Rivera, Mullarkey, Allen, Garrett, and Jim Schitz. 
 
16. The Kansas City Chiefs have already hired a new coach.  They fired 350 pound heavyweight coach Romeo Crennell for a lousy 2-14 record, and because he was eating too much at the post-game clubhouse buffet, costing the Chiefs dearly!  

They hired 355 pound heavyweight coach Andy Reid, who had a shitass 4-12 record with a much more talented Philadelphia Eagles team.   I refer you to point #2 above.  This is just one more telling example of rampant incompetence in the new United States of Incompetence! 

17. By the way, did anyone catch today's press conference, where Chiefs Owner/CEO Clark Hunt introduced Andy Reid to the Kansas City media?  I did, and I didn't know whether Hunt was introducing Andy as the new Chiefs head coach or nominating him for sainthood!  What a joke!

18. Jets coach Rexy Ryan was spotted sunbathing in the Bahamas this past week in a French speedo, with a tattoo on his outer right biceps sporting his scantily clad wife Michelle in nothing more than a Jets jersey with Mark Sanchez's #6 on it.  I heard that he had another one on his right ass cheek of his wife sporting a #15 Timmy Tebow jersey!   You gotta love Rexy, what an imbecile!

19. I probably should give Rexy this week's Dumbshit Award, but he has been a multiple winner over the years.  Thus, I will give the award this week to the entire National Hockey League, their owners, their executives, their players, and their union.  They finally settled their labor dispute, after the majority of the season has passed by with no play!

You have to be kidding me, they settle this dispute right in the middle of the NFL Playoffs!   I don't think anyone gives a rats ass about the NHL,  I don't think anyone even knows what the dispute was about, and American fans are not about to flock back to watch NHL games.  I don't even think they care now up in Canada!   What a bunch of dumbshits!!  
 
Christmas is over and New Years is over.  Happy Birthday to Macdawg today and Elvis tomorrow!

Macdawg, signing off...


 


 NFL WEEK #17 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

1. The Playoffs are now set.  The Texans and Packers both lose on Sunday, and lose their round one byes.  The Broncos and Patriots grab the #1 and #2 seeds in the AFC and the Falcons and the 49'ers grab the #1 and #2 seeds in the NFC. They all have round one byes.   

2.  The other Playoff teams are the Texans, Ravens, Bengals, and Colts in the AFC
and the Packers, Redskins, Seahawks, and Vikings in the NFC. 
 
3.  The carnage from yesterday's games left the Bears, the Cowboys, and the reigning Superbowl Champion New York Giants out in the cold!

4. The G-Men finally got their act together and thrashed the Philadelphia Eagles,
42-7.  Unfortunately, it was too late and the Giants have been ignominiously
eliminated from this year's playoffs.  Hip, hip, hooray!!

5. Giants QB Eli Manning tosses for 208 yards and 5 touchdowns in this rout.  This elevated his standing in the Manning family up a notch.  He is now ahead of brother Cooper, but still behind brother Peyton, father Archibald, and mother
Olivia.

6.  In Indy, cancer stricken head coach, Chuck Pagano, returns to the sidelines and
leads his team to an inspirational 28-16 upset over the heretofore #1 seeded
Houston Texans.  Its a great Hollywood story, but actually Chuck didn't do much
leading at all in yesterday's game, it was his back-up Bruce Arians, who
continued to lead the over-achieving Colts. 

Arians should win Coach of the Year for his great performance, filling in for the ill Pagano.

7. Texans Matt Schaub and Gary Kubiak aren't really ready for primetime!  They finished the year losing two straight games to underdogs and losing the AFC #1 seed.  Now, they must face the surging Cincinnati Bengals, who finished the year with three straight tough wins over tough opponents. 

The Texans will be favored again but that didn't matter to the Minnesota Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts, so it won't matter to the Bengals.

8. In Minnesota, the Vikings got into the playoffs by beating the previously #2
seeded Packers, 37-34.  They will play each other again this week, in round one
of the playoffs, this time outside on the frigid Green Bay tundra, not inside
under a dome with perfect temperatures.  Give a definite edge to Green Bay on
this matchup.

9. Adrian Peterson ran wild again, rushing for 199 yards. He cracked the highly
revered 2000 yard milestone, but fell a scant 9 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's
alltime record of 2106 yards.  Its too bad the Packers didn't tie that game on
Sunday and send it into Overtime.   Had that happened, A.P. would have been a
lock to break Dickerson's record.

10. In Detroit, the expected shootout between the Bears and Lions never really
happened.  Calvin Johnson fell a mere 26 yards shy of cracking the 2000 yards
receiving barrier.  Last week, Megatron broke Jerry Rice's 16 year receiving
yardage record and pushed his new yardage record to 1974 with his 5 catches for
72 yards on Sunday.  However, who will remember that in the years to come? 

Two thousand yards, yes, but not 1974 yards!

11.  The Bears did what they had to, in beating the Lions 26-24, but it was to no
avail.  They squandered their once dominant position for the Playoffs and now
find themselves on the outside looking in!  Lovie Smith might be getting his
pink slip this morning also!

12. As expected, Peyton Manning and the Broncos routed the enfeebled Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in Denver, 38-3!  With that win, the Broncos secured the #1 AFC seed.  With their 14th loss of the year, the Chiefs secured the #1 pick in next April's NFL draft.  Congratulations to both teams! 
 
13.  In the Sunday Nighter, the Cowboys got beat by the Indians, and Dallas too is
now done for the year.  As predicted last week, the demons jumped up and once
again spelled doom for the Cowboys!   Tony Romo had two early interceptions,
that resulted in no damage, but his late game interception was the last nail in
the Cowboys coffin! 

14.  Rookie Robert Griffin III is really special.  He was obviously well under 100%,
but still led his Redskinnies to victory in a closely fought game!  His kind does not come around too often.  He reminds me of Magic Johnson, who had that same type of killer instinct and performed his best, when the chips were down!

15.  Next week, the Seahawks with their great rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson, travel to our Nation's Capital to square off against RG3 and the Redskins. The diminutive Wilson tossed his 26th touchdown of the year on Sunday, tying the great Peyton Manning's long held rookie record.  Both rookie quarterbacks are very special, but I have to give the nod to the Heisman winner.

16.  The year 2012 might have produced the best crop of rookies in the History of
Football!   Besides the three outstanding quarterbacks, Griffin, Luck and Wilson, we had running backs Alfred Morris and Doug Martin, who ran for about 1600 and 1500 yards, respectively.  Last year's Heisman Trophy Winner, Trent Richardson, rushed for nearly a thousand yards for the ragtag Cleveland Clowns, and he appears to be the real thing!

We had a kicker up in Minnesota, Blair Walsh, who was the top fantasy kicker for
year and we had another rookie kicker, Kai Barth, who didn't miss a field goal
all year, until the first quarter of last night's game.  Kai Barth sounds like a
religious cult, not an NFL professional place kicker!

We also had a few receivers, who look like outstanding NFL'ers to be.  T.Y. Hilton,
Justin Blackmon, and Cecil Shorts III are a few of these, but we had others. 

Overall, it was an outstanding rookie crop in 2012! 
 
17. The Baltimore Ravens ended the year poorly, losing to divisional rival
Cincinnati, 23-17.   They will now host the Indianapolis Colts, led by rookie
Andy Luck and their inspirational head coach Chuck Pagano.  Ray Lewis will
return for this game and his pre-game speech should be worth the price of
admission.
 
I know the Ray and the Ravens are not what they once were, but I
still think the Colt's Hollywood story ends in Baltimore next weekend.   
 
18.  The Jets close out a shit season with a 28-9 loss up in Buffalo!  Mark Sanchez
showed some improvement, with only one pick and one fumble.  No touchdowns for Senor Sanchez, but only one interception.  That gives the Jets something solid to build on for next year!  Meanwhile, Timmy Tebow warmed up the bench pretty nicely, in his New York Swan Song!  

19.  No letdown Sunday for the 49'ers, as they trounce the Azzie Cardinals 27-13 and secure the #2 NFC seed.  The Cards finish the season 5-11, so I'm sure Kenny
Whisenhunt is another who is very nervous this morning.

20.   Will Black Monday get a few others, it should.  Norvie, Romeo, Rexy, Pat
Shurmur, Ron Rivera, Chan Gailey, Mike Mullarkey and Jim Schitz are all
excellent candidates for the chopping block!   
 
21. Four underdogs won outright in Week #17, the Bucs, Colts, Panthers, and Vikings. 
 
22. Playoffs start next week Gridders.  Here they are:

 o  Seahawks @ Redskins - Battle of scrambling rookie Quarterbacks

 o  Bengals @ Texans -  Are the Bengals finally for real, and can the Texans    regroup after ending the season with 2 straight losses?

 o  Vikings @ Packers - Can A.P. and the Vikings duplicate yesterday's performance?  The game is in Green Bay, so it's doubtful. 
 
 o  Colts @ Ravens -  Take your pick, rookie Andy Luck or veteran Joe Flacco.  
 
 o  Byes -  Broncos, Patriots in the AFC and Falcons, 49'ers in the NFC

 23. Gridders, this week's "Dumbshit" is being bestowed on the highly revered Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots great head coach.  With the game well in hand 28-0 late in the fourth period, old Billy has Tom Brady and many of his starters still in the game.  What is the matter with this guy, doesn't he remember what happened a few weeks ago and last year with the Great Gronsky?

Why risk a late game injury, when the game is well beyond doubt!  What a dumbshit!

Happy New Year Gridders!  2012 had to be one of the worst years in our country's history, so here's hoping 2013 is better!

Macdawg, signing off...12/31/12

  NFL WEEK #16 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

1. RG3 returns from his knee injury and leads the Washington Redskins to an important 27-20 win over the Eagles.  The Redskins are now in sole possession of the NFC East and will play the Cowboys next week in the Nation's Capital to determine the divisional winner.

2. With the Eagles falling to 4-11 for the year, I heard that head coach Andy Reid departed the facilities hidden in a grand piano box, to elude the wrath of the poor Philly fans!  What a miserable year they have had!  

3. The Cowboys got beat in Overtime by Drew Brees and the Saints, 34-31.  What else would you expect at this time of year from the Dallas Cowboys.  I told you last week gridders that there are still some demons lurking in the hearts and minds of the "snakebitten" Cowboy players!!   You saw them yesterday and will see some more next week.

4. The Superbowl Champion New York Giants got soundly thrashed by Joe Flacco and the Ravens, 33-14.  The Giants were never in that game, and they are now in serious danger of missing this year's Playoffs.  They must beat the Eagles in the Meadowlands this week and hope the Cowboys, Vikings, and Bears lose. It is very doubtful that all 4 things will happen and the Giants have no one to blame but themselves.  They had a 3-game divisional lead just a few short weeks ago, and squandered it!

5. Did Joe Flacco sell his soul to the devil?  How in hell did Jolting Joe, alias Herman Munster III, toss for 300+ yards and two touchdowns, and run for another one?  He also had no interceptions in that game, as he engineered the Ravens rout of the Giants, unbelievable!  

With that win, the Ravens clinched their second straight AFC North divisional
title.

6.  The Houston Texans stopped Adrian Peterson's march to 2000 yards and pretty much ended A.P.'s quest to break Eric Dickerson's 2106 rushing yards record.  They held Peterson to 86 yards and kept him out of the endzone, but in the process lost to the visiting Vikings, 23-6.   
 
7. The Bears went to Arizona and snapped out of their doldroms, with a 28-13 pounding of the Cardinals.  In order to make the playoffs, they must now beat the cowardly Lions in Detroit, and hope the Packers beat the Vikings in Minnesota.  Odds are decent that both things will happen, as the Bears and Packers are slight favorites in both games.

8. Norvie and his Chargers came alive in New York yesterday and thumped the dysfunctional Jets and their even more dysfunctional head coach, Rexy Ryan, 27-17.  The Chargers defense had 11 sacks against the Jets, along with a fumble recovery, an interception, and a 63 yard punt return for a touchdown.  This game should give Norvie something to remember and Rexie something to forget, as each goes out the door, after next week!

9. In the past several years, Norv Turner has consistenly come up miniscule in the big games.  He has to go, along with General Manager Smith.  Maybe Phil Rivers should go too.

10. Rexy has turned this season into an absolute disaster the way he has handled the Jets Quarterback situation.  He has stuck with Mark Sanchez through thin and thin.  There has been no thick.  

Additionally, concerning Tim Tebow's role, Ryan has been more duplicitous than that old Iraqi Minster of Information.  I think his name was Tariq Aziz.  Or, was it Baghdad Bob?  Whatever it was, Rexy needs to go and go quickly.

11.  Rexy should now team up with twin brother Robby, and these two dopes should join the World Wide Wrestling Federation.  The sinister Mister Moto can be their manager.  Their first match can be a tag team encounter against Fireman Ed and Timmy Tebow.  I'm certain the public would pay to see that, I'd pay to see
that!

12.  The Bengals finally got the monkeys off their backs, as they beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 13-10, and clinch a Playoff spot.  They and the Indy Colts have secured both AFC Wildcard berths.  The Steelers are done. What a fitting way to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception" by Franco Harris,  by getting eliminated in the Playoffs by the pussycat Bengals!  Serves 'em right, that "Immaculate Reception" was shitluck!

13.  The Pat/Jags game this past week was pretty unreportable. Tom Brady had a
sub-par performance, despite getting the narrow 23-16 win. I was expecting at
least 40 points from the Pats, and they barely reached 20!

They still have an outside chance for a #1 or #2 seed, as they have beaten both teams that are ahead of them, the Texans and the Broncos. It's a long shot, but I think the Colts have a chance of beating the Texans, since the game is in Indy, and they might be fired up with the return of their head coach Spagnano. I don't think there's a chance in the world, that the Chiefs will beat Peyton Manning and the Broncos up in Denver!

Of course, the Pats need to beat the Dolphins. They should, since its in
Foxborough, but Miami always seems to play them tough late in the season. 
 
14. Calvin Johnson had 225 receiving yards in the Saturday nighter and broke Jerry Rice's 17 year receiving yardage record, but so what again!  The Lions have now lost 7 in a row, and have an even more abysmal 4-11 record.  Their head coach, Jim Schwartz, is the shits!  He should change his name to Jim Shitz!

15. Speaking of the shits, the referees once again were the absolute shits!  They had an excuse around week 3 or 4, but what is their excuse now?  The blunders I observed this weekend were much too numerous to innumerate!  Ed Hochuli should get back on the steroids, maybe it would improve his performance, which is but one amongst the shits I'm discussing!

16. It was a tough week all-around for Hall of Famer Rice!  Not only did Megatron break his single season yardage record, but wee Wesley Welker broke his record of most games with 10+ receptions.

17. This week's Sunday Nighter was another dark, dreary, rainy, miserable night, only it was on the West Coast not the East Coast.  These Sunday Nighters are turning into Rod Serling "Twilight Zone" episodes!

18. Seahawks rookie quarterback, little Russell Wilson, did it again!  The rook sidestepped and eluded 49'er rushers left and right all night and converted an amazing 11 of 12 third down conversions, tossing for 4 touchdowns!  This guy has more tricks in his bag than Harry Houdini!  He had another unbelievable performance in leading the Seahawks thrashing of the mighty San Francisco 49'ers, 42-13.

19. The only disappointment for the Seahawks was, that they did not hit the 50 mark for the 3rd consecutive time.  They had a chance, but the compassionate Petey Carroll removed rookie Russell from the game with a couple minutes to play and sent in their multi-millionaire man, Matty Flynn, to mop things up.  That guy gets paid a lot of money to mop up for a rookie!

20. The 49'ers were never in this game and fantasy geeks owning Kaepernick, Gore, and Akers were grimly disappointed in their performances!  Many Fantasy Superbowl hopes went down the  drain up in rainy Seattle on Sunday
Night!

21. Six underdogs won outright in Week #16, the Saints, Vikings, Chargers, Bengals, Rams and Ravens.

22. Some more great games on tap for Week #17 Gridders, here they are:

o Cowboys @ Redskins - The game of the week.  Winner becomes the NFC East divisional champions.  
 
o Ravens @ Bengals -  The Bengals need to send the message that they are for real!  I don't know if that's so, I have my doubts.

o Bears @ Lions - Can Megatron hit the 2000 yards mark and can Bears win to stay alive?  
 
o Texans @ Colts - Cancer stricken Colts coach, Chuck Pagano, returns.  Can Texans hold on as the #1 AFC seed?

o Packers @ Vikings -  Can Adrian Peterson hit 2000 yards rushing?  Can Packers win to assure the #2 NFC seed and a first round bye?

o Eagles @ Giants - Witness the return of Michael Vick and the demise of the vaunted New York Giants!

o Cardinals @ 49'ers - 49'ers must win to capture the NFC West divisional title, and keep alive the possibility of the #2 NFC seed.

o Rams @ Seahawks - If a miracle happens and the Cards beat the Niners, the Seahawks could win the NFC West. 
 
23. Gridders, this is Christmas and although there are some worthy candidates, in keeping with the spirit of the season, I'm not going to annoint a "Dumbshit" this
week.

Merry Christmas Gridders, not Happy Holidays, but Merry Christmas!  Enjoy your
day!

Macdawg, signing off...

NFL WEEK #15 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

1. Sans RG3, the Washington Redskins, originally the Boston Redskins, spanked the Clevland Browns, 38-21, and have taken control of the NFC East. They are currently tied with the Cowboys and Giants, all with 8-6 records, but the Skinnies have the inside track to the divisional title. 

They play the Eagles in Philly this week, and we all know that Andy and his Eagles are now burnt toast! RG3 should be back this week to engineer the needed win. If Three can't go, their other rookie, Kirk Cousins, should be just good enough to get by the low flying raptors. 

2. In Week #17, the Redskins are home in a showdown against the Cowboys, which should be for all the marbles. The Cowboys finally showed a little grit and spunk, as they beat the Steelers in OT down in Dallas, 27-24. That win exorcised some of their demons, but not all of them, there are still some demons lurking in the hearts and minds of the "snakebitten" Cowboy players!! Get ready to see them sometime in the next 2 weeks.

3. There were three shutouts in Week #15, which is very unusual. The Raiders whitewashed the Chiefs  15-0 in a game where neither team reached the endzone. The Saints shellacked the Bucs 41-0, which was somewhat of a surprise. Lastly, the Falcons lambasted the Superbowl Champion Giants 34-0, in a huge
surprise!

4. Do you think Bucs coach Greg Schiano was more embarrassed by the Saints shellacking or Coach Coughlin's post-game upbraiding of him in Week #2? Both were dosages of humility this guy will never forget! This has been an up-and-down baptismal year for rookie coach Schiano. 

5. Four more divisional leaders lost this week, Bears, Ravens, Giants and Patriots. Parity reigns! 
 
6. In the oldest rivalry in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers spanked the Chicago Bears in Chicago for the umpteenth time and clinched the NFC North divisional title. There is no doubt, Mister Rodgers and the Packers have the number of Mister Cutler and the Bears.

7. The Bears have now lost 5 of their last 6 games, after starting out 7-1. They fall to 8-6 and are now in danger of missing the Playoffs. It doesn't help that the petulant Jay Cutler was seen bitching at people on the sidelines, after tossing a ridiculous pick right into the arms of a Packer defender. This guy does not take responsibility for any of his many errors! The Bears are going nowhere, and they'll be getting there pretty fast!

8. The Texans whacked the Colts, 29-17, and clinched the AFC South divisional title. The Colts are still in good shape for a Playoff berth, and should secure same in Week #16 with a win against the enfeebled Chiefs in Kansas City.

9. Norvie and his Chargers laid down out in San Diego to the visiting Panthers and got clobbered 31-7. The Chargers were only able to muster 164 yards of total offense, the worst performance in Norvie's 6 year reign as head coach. Next year, Norvie will be doing constipation commercials and Philly Rivers will be one of the star clowns in the Ringling Brothers Circus! They are absolutely
pathetic!

10. As predicted last week, the Bengals are now looking good to take the AFC North, after routing the dysfunctional Eagles, 34-13, in the Thursday Nighter. Both the Ravens and Steelers lost this week and continue their stumbling and bumbling. I don't think either can now stem the tide!

11. The well rested Bengals now need to beat the favored Steelers this week in Pittsburgh and the Ravens next week in Cincinnati. The probability of both wins happening is good. The Ravens will be favored at home this week against the Giants, but I don't think they'll beat the Giants. 

12.  Adrian Peterson excelled again, rushing for 212 yards against the St. Louis Rams, including an 82 yard touchdown run from scrimmage. A.P. has now amassed 1812 rushing yards, and is 293 yards away from Eric Dickerson's alltime single season rushing record of 2105 yards. 
 
With the Texans and Packers on the Vikings upcoming docket, I don't see A.P. breaking this record. I do think he will once again hit the magical 2000 yard mark, which is unbelievable coming off his December 2011 knee injuries & operations!

13. With this win, the Vikings improve to 8-6 and keep their Playoff hopes alive. The loss drops the Rams to 6-7-1 and virtually eliminates them from the Playoffs.

14. Miracles never cease, as the Arizona Cardinals broke their 9 game losing streak with a 38-10 win at home against the completely dysfunctional
Detroit Lions. BFD! The Cardinals still need to clean house and clean house
fast!   So do the Lions!

15. It is nice that Megatron is on the verge of breaking Jerry Rice's 17 year receiving yardage record, but so what! The Lions have lost 6 in a row, and have an abysmal 4-10 record. Their Superstar Quarterback Mathew Stafford is now looking more like Ryan Leaf or Joey Harrington than Bobby Layne, as he tossed 3 more interceptions, including two pick sixes! He stinks and the Lions are in worse trouble than the Detroit automobile manufacturers!

16. While one of the rookie quarterback phenoms was on the sidelines in Cleveland, and the other phenom was getting routed down in Houston, the third rookie quarterback was having a field day up in Toronto, Canada!

Little Russell Wilson rushed for 92 yards, including 3 touchdowns, passed for another two hundred yards and a touchdown, and engineered the Seattle Seahawks 50-17 rout of the Buffaloed Bills! This guy is amazing and it's amazing he is getting no press and no profs, due to the hype surrounding phenom rookies Griffin and Luck. 
 
17. In the Sunday Nighter, it was a dark, dreary, rainy, miserable night in Foxboro, but a very entertaining and exciting game! I think we might have witnessed a preview of Superbowl XLVII.

The 49'ers ambushed the Patriots early and jumped out to a unbelievable 31-3 lead! Unbelievable as that was, more unbelievable was that the Niners let the Patriots get back into that game in little over one quarter in a near historic collapse! 
 
Brady went a little beserk, in leading the Pats furious comeback! He tossed for one TD, ran for another, and  handed the ball to Woody Woodhead for the other two, as the Pats pulled into a 31-31 tie late in the 4th period. 

Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as a green pea rookie by the name of LaMichael James runs back the ensueing kickoff 62 frigging yards! Are you shitting me, what in hell was Belichick's vaunted Special Teams doing on that play? On the first snap after that, Kaepernick tosses a 38 yard TD pass & run to "Crybaby" Crabtree. Those two plays pretty much sealed the 49'ers victory and the Patriots doom! 
 
In the end, the Patriots got tattooed by the tattooed man and their own miscues! Colin Kaepernick tossed 4 touchdown passes in that game and made some key runs to escape sacks and secure first downs. 

Fans got to see the best and the worst of the Patriots in that game. Brady tossed the ball 65 frigging times, which is way too much!  He completed 36 of those tosses, amassing 443 passing yards, and completing one touchdown.

Unfortunately, Brady tossed two picks and Hernandez and Welker dropped several catchable balls. To the 49'ers credit, they forced 4 turnovers in that game, two of them Brady interceptions. That was the key to  their 41-34 victory, which clinched them a wild card berth.

18. It sure was nice to see the great Randy Moss back at Foxboro. The Patriots Minutemen gave him the salute they always gave him as a Patriot, and Randy reciprocated with a salute back. 

That was real nice! Also nice was that Moss scored the first touchdown of the
game, grabbing a pass from Kaepernick and running it in for a 34 yard
score.

19. By the way, what is it with all those Kaepernick tatoos? This guy looks like a walking freak show! Instead of a starting NFL quarterback, the guy looks like he should be a sideshow for Barnum and Bailey! He's probably got tatoos on his
pecker!

20. In the Monday Nighter down in Music City, Fat Ass Rexy Ryan and the Jets go up in flames, 14-10, to the shitbum Titans!  Senor Mark Sanchez has another truly abominable game, tossing  4 picks, then fumbling away a potential winning opportunity, late in the game, deep in Tennessee territory! That was beyond   awful!

This loss knocks the Jets out of Playoff contention and should spell the end for Rexy, Sanchez, and a few more of the incompetents in upper management! The Jets are a true microcosm of the current state of our country, the United States Of Ineptitude!

21. It also spells the end in New York for Timmy Tebow. Tebow Time never happened in New York, despite a few feeble, awkward, futile, and ill-conceived attempts by Rexy. He and the rest of the inept crew did nothing to exploit the talents of Tebow, and these dopes are now getting exactly what they deserve, the frigging boot! 
 
22. Five underdogs win outright in Week #15, they are the Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, Panthers, and 49'ers. 
 
23. Some more great games on tap for Week #16 Gridders, here they are:

 o Saints @ Cowboys - Can the schizophrenic Cowboys keep it going?

 o Vikings @ Texans - Can A.P. amass 150 more yards? Can the Texans secure the #1 AFC seed?

 o Redskins @ Eagles - Will RG3 return? Will the Eagles lie down again? Can the Skins keep it going?

o Bengals @ Steelers - Are the Steelers really done and are the Bengals really real?

o Giants @ Ravens - Are the Giants and Ravens really as bad as they are playing? Are Eli & Herman Munster III really that bad?

o 49'ers @ Seahawks - Can the Seahawks tally 50+ for the 3rd straight week? I don't think so, but look for a letdown by the Niners and an upset by the
Seahawks.

24. I'm going with Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll as this week's
DUMBSHIT.  In Sunday's contest against the Bills in Buffalo, Petey has a 30 point lead in  the 4th quarter and has his team execute a fake punt. Are you shitting me!  This will someday soon come back to bite Peteyboy right in the ass!  Carroll must think he's still at USC, trying to pile up points for an improved BCS ranking.

Merry Christmas Gridders, not Happy Holidays, but Merry Christmas!!

Macdawg, signing off...

       

NFL WEEK #14 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg

1. For the most part this year, the Thursday night games have been the shits! We had a great opener, Cowboys against Giants, but it's been mostly downhill since then. I wish they would do away with the Thursday Night games.

By the way, I'm not counting Thanksgiving Day as part of this, as we had three great games that day. That's a long standing, rich tradition, which we should keep forever!

2. Unbelievably enough, the St. Louis Rams are respectable once again. They beat the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday with a last minute touchdown and are now 6-6-1, not bad at all. Jeff Fisher is doing a great job with that franchise! I consider Fisher a top candidate for "Coach of the Year."

3. Four divisional leaders lost this week, Bears, Falcons, Ravens and
Texans. Some think parity is good for the NFL, I think it sucks!

4. The Indianapolis Colts are now 9-4, after winning only 2 games all last year. Andrew Luck has been nothing short of phenomenal in his rookie year! 

The Colts will now face the divisional leading Texans twice in the next three
weeks, with an intervening game at Kansas City against the Chiefs in Week #16.

They will get to 10 wins this year and be in the Playoffs. I don't see them going too far in the Playoffs, but just getting there is a huge accomplishment! Their interim head coach, the guy who looks like King Kong Bundy, is another top candidate for "Coach of the Year."

5. The Jets win again, the first time they have won 2 straight this year!  Sure, it was against the dreadful Jacksonville Jaggies, but so what!  They are now 6-7, and have three weak sisters on their remaining schedule, the Titans, Chargers, & Billies. As bad as they have been, they could actually get to 9 wins, although I'm predicting only 7-8 wins.

6. By the way, which Rexy do you like better, the current "humble" version or the old "brash" version? I myself liked the bragadocio Rexy.

7. With the heads of Norv Turner and Andy Reid on the chopping block, all of a sudden, the Chargers upset the mighty Steelers in Pittsburgh and the Eagles upset the gritty Bucs in Tampa Bay. That is the worse thing that could have happened for Chargers fans and Eagles fans, the absolute worse!

8. Who will win the AFC North? We have the once vaunted, but now stumbling Ravens, the once vaunted, but now really stumbling Steelers, and the  never vaunted, never anything Bengals, who are now playing pretty good.

Strange as it seems, the Ravens and Steelers could actually lose out and the Bengals could win out. If that were to happen, the Bengals would finish at 10-6, the Ravens at 9-7, and the Steelers at 7-9. The Bengals would then win  the NFC North.

Check it out Gridders, the Ravens play the Broncos, Giants, and @
Bengals, all very losable. The Steelers play @ Cowboys, Bengals, & Browns.
The Bengals play @ Eagles, @ Steelers, and Ravens. This could well
happen!

9. Adrian Peterson rushed for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Vikings upset of the Bears on Sunday, 21-14. A.P. now has 1600 rushing yards for the year, and the way he's going, he might hit 2000 yards rushing in 2012! That's unbelievable, given that he underwent serious knee surgery less than a year ago!

10. Peterson has to be the "Comeback Player of the Year!"   Sure, Peyton Manning came off very serious neck surgery and is having a brilliant year, as he has led the Broncos to a division championship! However, look at the positions and what they do. 

Peterson pounds into and by 300 pound, vicious brutes week in and week out, while Manning never gets touched! Manning could be mowing the lawn back there, given the protection he receives.  Get real Gridders, Peterson is the hands-down choice!

11. In the "Beltway Battle," RG3 did it once again, leading the Redskins to an improbable last minute win against the once vaunted Baltimore Ravens. Actually, it was even more improbable than one would imagine, as Three left the game to knee injury, before the comeback was complete.

In marched a rookie named Kirk Cousins, who threw the touchdown pass, than scrambled into the endzone for the 2-point, tying conversion. The Skins then won the game in Overtime. That stuff usually only happens in Hollywood, not Baltimore!

12. Despite all this drama and jubilation in Washington, I think that late game injury to Griffin puts an end to any realistic hopes the Redskins had to make the Playoffs. Firstly, it's doubtful RG3 will play this week, and secondly, even if he does, how effective will he be on a bad wheel?

The Skins finish their schedule at the Browns, at the Eagles, and at home against the Cowboys. With RG injured or out, they will lose two of those games, finish up at 8-8 and be on the outside, looking in. Sorry Skins fans, it has been a nice run with your phenomenal rookie, but now all you have to dwell on the rest of the winter is the ineptitude of the President and all the other lamebrain politicians in our Nation's capital!

13. The Arizona Cardinals drop their 9th straight, after opening the season with 4 straight wins. This loss was a complete embarrassment to the Cardinals team history, the State of Arizona, and the NFL itself! Are you kidding me, a 58-0 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Shithawks, which ranks up there as one of the alltime blowouts in NFL history! It included 4 picks, 4 fumbles, 3 sacks, and two defensive touchdowns!

The Cardinals hierarchy should not only immediately appoint Sheriff Joe as their new head coach, they should dress Whisenhunt in one of those polka-dot pink
uni's and toss him in jail! He's as must a must go, as there is! 

14. Brady Quinn reverted from "Tom Brady like" to "Marcia Brady like" in Cleveland on Sunday. The Chiefs and Brady were thrashed by the Brownies,
30-7, as the Quinnster went a lousy 10 for 21 for a measly 159 yards, with no
touchdowns and one pick. That's a dreadful performance, especially after last
week's great emotional win over the Panthers, in the wake of the Jovan Belcher
murder/suicide tragedy!

15. So much for Houston Texans players announcing their Monday
Nighter in Foxboro against the Patriots was the biggest game in their franchise
history!   The Texans were never in that game, as the Patriots quickly opened up
a 21-zip lead and eventually blew them out 45-14!

Tom Brady was continually harrassed and hit by the best pass rusher in the game, J.C. "Swatts" Watts, but somehow managed to toss for 4 touchdowns, in leading the Patriots to this rout! If that was your "gut check" Houstonites, then break out that age old refrain "wait 'til next year," as it ain't gonna be this year!

16. Five underdogs win outright in Week #14, they are the Rams, Panthers, Vikings, Chargers and Eagles.

17. Some great games on tap for Week #15, here they are:

o Giants @ Falcons - Battle of Divisional Leaders

o Broncos @ Ravens - Another Battle of Divisional Leaders

o Packers @ Bears - Battle for NFC North Divisional Leadership

o Colts @ Texans - QUESTION MARK GAME: Are the Colts for real and can
the Texans rebound from their embarrassing Monday Night loss to the Patriots?

o Bucs @ Saints - Both these teams will be out of the Playoff Wildcard hunt, after the Saints prevail in this contest.

o Vikings @ Rams - The winner of this game will remain in the Wildcard hunt, the loser will not!

o Steelers @ Cowboys - The winner of this game will have the inside track to a Wildcard berth and the loser will be on the balls of their respective asses!

o Redskins @ Browns - This is a real "trap game" for the onrushing
Skinnies! Browns are at home and playing a lot better lately.

o  49'ers @ Patriots - Game of the Week! This will be a great test of the 49'ers Defense and Offense and a test of the Patriots Defense. The winner of this game will probably emerge as the Superbowl favorite.

18. I could easily give the DUMBSHIT Award this week to Dallas Cowboys Defensive Tackle Josh Brent. Brent is facing charges of "drunk driving
manslaughter," relating to the fatal accident last Saturday morning, when his
friend and teammate Jerry Brown was killed! This guy will be facing demons the
rest of his life and will never, ever be the same!

Although Brent is actually very deserving of this week's dumbshit, I am going to refrain, as many of us have used bad judgement in the past in somewhat similar situations.  Hypocrisy is never in style!

Instead, this week's "DUMBSHIT" award is going to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on two counts. Firstly, for not settling the Referee Strike much earlier. The impact of this ridiculous commissioner decision is still impacting the NFL games on a week-to-week basis.  

The refs were atrocious again this week, as they still seem to be rusty and erratic! That late game "roughness" call in the Cowboys/Bengals game was unbelievably bad and led the Cowboys to a win, which should have been a
loss. It also will have major ramifications on the eventual Wildcard berths!
Very bad, very bad indeed!

Secondly, for wasting all that time and money on "Bounty Gate" and now, just today, vacating the entire matter. The only ones who made out on that debacle were the always avaricious lawyers. It wasn't the fans, especially  the  New Orleans Saints fans. They were deprived of the skillful services of their great head coach, Shawn Peyton, in addition to several of their defensive players. The Saints season has been in the drinker from the start of the season, and despite a mild recovery the past few weeks, it is now going back down the drinker!

Goodell is a real Dumbshit, despite all the "talking heads" proclaiming his genius! Nice job Rojjy!
  

Macdawg, December 11th, 2012, signing off until next week.....


 


                  


NFL WEEK #13 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg
 
1. Drew Brees had his worst game of the year last Thursday, against the Atlanta Falcons!  He threw the ball 50 times and had 5 interceptions, that's an unbelievable 10% of this great quarterback's tosses resulting in picks Gridders!   Needless to say, the Saints went down the drain to the Falcons, 23-13, and their previously slim playoff hopes also went down the drain!
 
2. With that win, the Atlanta Falcons improve to 11-1 and clinched the NFC South Division.  The Houston Texans beat the ragtag Tennessee Titans, clinch a Playoff berth, and also improve to 11-1.  The Falcons and Texans have the two best records in the NFL.   We will now all sit back and wait to see, if either one of them can win a playoff game! 

3. In the Meadowlands, the inept New York Jets beat the equally inept Arizona Cardinals 7-6 in a real "barn burner!"  Fat Ass Rexy Ryan finally saw the light late in the 3rd quarter and benched Senor Sanchez after 3 interceptions and a pitiful 10 for 21 for 97 yards and no touchdowns!
 
The Sanchez replacement was not Timmy Tebow, was not Fireman Ed, and was not Fireman Fred, but rather Fireman Greg.  Yessir Gridders, Fat Ass brings in a guy by the handle of Greg McElroy who tosses 7 times for a sterling 29 yards.  He did however manage to toss a touchdown, the only one of the game, that turned out to be the game winner.
 
4. Unfortunately for Arizona fans, unlike Fat Ass's enlightenment, Ken Whisenhunt did not see the light!  Old Whissy stuck with the great Ryan Lindley, who was an abominable 10 for 31 for an anemic 72 yards, with no touchdowns, and one pick!  Listen up Azzie fans and management, you need to dump Whissy, hire Joe, and give Jake "The Snake" Plummer a call.   That's 8 straight losses for you boys, after starting out 4-0!  

5.  The Patriots whacked the Dolphins 23-16, and won the AFC East division championship.  That is now 10 division championships in 11 years by Tom Brady!   Not bad for a 6th or 7th rounder, whatever he was!
 
6.  Brady's longtime rival, Peyton Manning, tossed three touchdowns in the Broncos 31-23 win against the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  That win clinched the AFC West Division championship for the Broncos.
 
I told you last week Gridders, there was no way the young Bucs were going to beat Manning.   That was plain silly to even consider!  I'm hoping we see another great Brady/Manning encounter down the line a few weeks from now!
 
7.  Greg Schiano is a damn good coach, despite the public upbraiding Coach Coughlin of the New York Giants gave him earlier this year.  Schiano and his Bucs are still in the Wildcard hunt at 6-6, and should go to 7-6 next week, when the shitbum Eagles travel to Tampa this week for part of their winter vacation. 

8. The Pittsburgh Steelers led by the aged Charlie Batch beat the once vaunted Ravens in Baltimore, 23-20.  That was a great win and it prevented the Ravens from clinching the AFC North Division championship.  This win by the Steelers snapped a Ravens 15 game home winning streak.
 
Charlie Batch was very emotional after that win!  He and Big Ben hugged for about 2 1/2 minutes, after the game.  I was waiting for Ben to release the Bear Hug and lift Batch over his head, in readiness for a Big Splash!   Hell, Charlie Batch is so old, that Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice was still playing, when Batch was a rookie!
 
9. It was not a good week for either of the Harboggers.  Johnny and his Ravens lost to their arch rival Steelers, and Jimmy and his 49'ers lost to their arch rival Rams, 16-13 in Overtime.  Dumbshit Jimmy has thrust his 49'ers right into a quarterback controversy, despite the hollow, and duplicitous words he is spewing out of his lying mouth to the deaf and dumb doting press!
 
10. Just last Wednesday,  Jimmy claimed that Colin Kaepernick was 1A and that Alex Smith was 1B.  Unfortunately, everyone and anyone will take an "A" over a "B" at anytime!
 
Kaepernick didn't have a horrible game in that 16-13 loss to the Rams, but he had 3 serious, rookie miscues, two of which resulted immediately in 9 St. Louis points.  He had an intentional grounding in the endzone, which resulted in a 2-point safety.  He also had a very errant, backwards lateral to Teddy Ginn late in the 4th quarter, that was fumbled into the endzone with a Ram defender gaining control for a Rams touchdown.
 
11. Just for the record, all the blame should not go to Harbaugh and Kaepernick.  Late in the 4th quarter, K-nick hit a 49'er receiver right in his open hands, on the doorstop of the Rams endzone.  That would have clinched the win.  This bum was pretty much unharried, but he inexplicably dropped this excellent pass, then started looking around for someone to blame, but unfortunately for him, there wasn't anyone to blame but himself!   What a joke!  I don't know who this bum is, but he is definitely a bum!
 
Also, Teddy Ginn made some feeble effort trying to control that errant lateral by K-nick.  If he had any brains at all, he would have slapped it out of bounds, but he didn't even try!
 
Lastly, lets not forget that the once reliable David Akers missed a potential overtime winning field goal, from about 52 yards.   Most of your reliable NFL kickers would have made that field goal.  Rams kicker Greg "The Leg" Zegatron made two from over 50 yards, one from 53 in the 4th quarter to send the game to Overtime, and another from 54 in Overtime to win the game. 

12.  The schizophrenic Dallas Cowboys barely eke out a win over the discombobulated, injury riddled Philadelphia Eagles, 38-33!  Are you kidding me, the Eagles were without Michael Vick, LeShawn McCoy, and DeSean Jackson and the Cowboys were just barely able to eke out this win!  

Additionally, the Eagles were starting inexperienced quarterback Nick Foles, who can't get out of his own way, and the Cowboys had one measly sack against this novice!  Gridders, this does not bode well for the immediate future of your Cowboys!
 
13. Meanwhile, the Santa Claus jobs are filling up fast, and Roly-Poly Andy Reid is still refusing to go to Macy's for his interview!  The Eagles fall to 3-9, and Andy somehow manages to avoid the axe, this in the year that owner Jeffrey Lurie said 8-8 would not be acceptable!  Andy must have some dirt on Jeffrey.
 
Meanwhile, Andy turns around and fires his Defensive Line Coach.  Andrew the problem is in your mirror, take a look, that's the guy who needs to be fired!  Fire yourself you Dumbass!
 
14.  The two phenmenal rookie quarterbacks, RG3 and Andy Luck, both led their underdog teams to great wins this week.  Luck engineered a late, 2-touchdown comeback against the defenseless Lions and Griffin engineered a late game comeback against the vaunted New York Giants.  These two are every bit as great as the hype that preceeded their entry into the NFL!
 
15.  Unfortunately, another great rookie quarterback is flying so far under the radar, we don't even know his name.  Just for the record, his name is Russell Wilson. 

On Sunday, this undersized rookie led the Seahawks to a great upset 23-17 win over the grizzled Chicago Bears in Soldier Field!  He tossed for near 300 passing yards, with no picks, and two touchdowns, one the game winner, late in the 4th period.  Wilson has a better TDs to Interceptions ratio of all starting quarterbacks, except for Tom Brady!  Pretty damn good Gridders, don't forget this "little fella."
 
16. By the way, in the Monday Nighter did anyone see poor Eli wandering around the field after the loss to RG3 and the Redskins?  He looked like Forest Gump looking for his mother!
 
17. Another good week for underdawgs Gridders, as six prevailed outright, the Seahawks, Colts, Chiefs, Rams, Steelers & Redskins. 

18. There are a few interesting games on tap for Week #14. 

o Cowboys @ Bengals - One of these under-achievers will have to win!
 
o Ravens @ Redskins - this is the "then again" in my refrain last week, I'm going with RG3 again, then again, then again again!
 
o Saints @ New York Giants - after a Monday Night loss to the elusive, evasive RG3 and the Redskins, the Giants will be "fit for Bear" with their ferocious pass rushers, against the rather immobile, pocket-sitting Drew Brees. This could get real ugly!

o Texans @ Patriots - the homely Herman Munster III will not be up to the task against handsome Tommy & the Patriots. Elvis helmets in a romp!
 
19. Last week, I panned Brady Quinn pretty good!  This week, he's getting high praise from me.  Firstly, he went 19 for 23 with no picks and two touchdowns, as he led the Chiefs to a very dramatic and emotional win over the Carolina Panthers,27-21, in the wake of the terrible Jovan Belcher tragedy!
 
Secondly, last week I said he played like Marcia Brady.  Well this week, he played like Tom Brady.  That might be a slight exaggeration, but he played a lot more like Tom than Marcia!
 
Lastly, Quinn gave a very emotional, heartfelt talk to his teammates after the game, very tender and very touching, asking for their prayers and support for the 3-month old, little girl, who was orphaned in the aftermath of this tragic murder/suicide by Belcher!
 
Let's not forget Gridders, this was a murder and a suicide.  That is the ultimate act of cowardice and selfishness!  I will not shed a tear for Belcher, but will definitely keep Kasandra Perkins, the child's mother who was murdered, and the child in my thoughts and prayers.    

20. This week's "DUMBSHIT" award is going to .........................................I'm giving it this week to renowned sportscaster Bob Costas, for speaking out at halftime of the Panthers/Chiefs game on gun control, in the wake of the Jovan Belcher murder/suicide tragedy on Saturday morning. That was way out of place, panning the 2nd Amendment at halftime of an NFL game. He's a smart guy, but what a DUMBSHIT move that was!  

Costas should have been asking for prayers for the victims and donations for the orphaned little girl.  But of course not, he chooses that time to perform his liberal ranting about gun control!
 
 Macdawg, signing off...............12/4/12
 
 

 

 


     NFL WEEK #12 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg
                        (peter.macmurray@comcast.net)

1. Thanksgiving Day knocked three NFL bubble teams into irrelevance. They are the Detroit Lions who fell to 4-7, the Dallas Cowboys who fell to 5-6, and the New York Jets who fell to a pitiful 4-7! All three are done for the year, and look for at least two of the coaches to lose their jobs at year's end.

2. The Detroit Lions lost to the visiting Houston Texans 34-31 in Overtime. This was their 9th straight Thanksgiving Day game loss and all on their home turf! What a disgrace this team is! I think Schwartz lost this team the moment 49'er coach Jimmy Harbaugh slapped him on the back a little too aggressively, after the 49'ers won a close one over Schwartzy's Lions in last year's contest. 
 
3. The Lions lost their Thanksgiving Day game this year, when Schwartz illegally threw the red rag to challenge an 81 yard touchdown run by Justin Forsett. Forsett's knee and elbow had obviously hit the ground at midfield, but the refs didn't blow the whistle. 

The illegal toss of the challenge flag by Schwartzy resulted in a 15 yard
"unsportsman like conduct" penalty, and eliminated the automatic review, which
would have assuredly overturned Forsett's touchdown.

4. That's a stupid rule, but even more stupid of Schwartz to not know the rule! By the way, what would have happened had Gary Kubiak thrown the red rag on that play? Would that have meant the play could not have been automatically reviewed, ensuring the touchdown for the Texans?

That is an obvious flaw in that stupid rule, the overriding rule should be "Get the frigging call correct!

5. To add to the Lions embarrassment, their felonious Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh kicked Texans Quarterback Matt Schaub right in the nuts! Apparently, the oblivious refs missed this, as no penalty was called. This Suh character is an absolute congenital idiot! Remember last Thanksgiving, when he stomped his foot down on that defenseless Packers lineman? 

Here's a good rule to follow Gridders, people don't change but the apologists just keep apologizing!

6. The Cowboys lost handily to the Indians on Thanksgiving Day, 38-31. This was like Custer's Last Stand for the Cowpokes, as they drop to an irrelevant 5-6 in the NFC East Division, two full games behind the New York Giants. No Playoffs this year Jerry! Your team stinks! 

They lack the courage and the character to win the tough football games. 
 
7. As predicted in last week's report, Robert Griffin III lit up the Cowboys, like Jerry Lee Lewis lit up that  piano, while singing "Great Balls Of Fire!" What a masterpiece by the Third, over 300 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, against the Skins arch rivals on Thanksgiving Day in the House That Jerry Built!

RG3 took the inside track to this year's Rookie of the Year Award. Hell, RGE had the Redskins up 28-3 at halftime. Of course, the Cowboys and Romo made their patented second half comeback, which fell a little bit short! What else is new?

8. In the Thanksgiving Night game, the Patriots embarrassed the Jets 49-19. This game got out of hand quickly, as the Patriots scored 3 times in about 90 seconds in the second quarter, two on Defensive scores. It was so bad, that Fireman Ed, the greatest of all Jets fans, took his fireman's hat off and disconsolately left the game with his head hanging down, before the end of the second quarter. 
 
9. You know what, if the Jets upper management had any balls at all, they would have fired Rexy Ryan on Friday morning and given the head coaching job to Fireman Ed. He certainly couldn't do any worse than Rexy has!

10. The Arizona Cardinals dropped their 7th in a row, after their 4-0 start, which included a win in Foxboro over the powerful Patriots. Hopefully Cardinals management has been in touch with the infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio, as a replacement for the pathetically performing current coach, Ken Whisenhunt. 

The Cardinals players will look real good in those pink, polka dot uniforms, playing against the equally inept New York Jets, in the Meadowlands next
Sunday!
 
11.  That would be a great game, Joe Arpaio and his Cardinals against Fireman Ed and his Jets in the Meadlowlands! Hell, someone would have to win it, and one of
those coaches would be 1 & 0. On the other hand, I suppose it could end in a
tie...

12.  Andy "The Pandy" Reid puts another dreadful "L" on his resume, this time to the ragtag Carolina Panthers on Monday Night in Philly. The dysfunctional Eagles got spanked by Cam Newton who tossed for 2 TDs and ran for 2 more. 
 
Hey Jeffrey Lurie, how does that 8-8 low bar you set at the beginning of the season look now?  The Eagles are now 3-8, heading for 5-11 or maybe even 4-12? Let Andy go now, so he can get some Christmas work as Santa at downtown Macy's. 
 
13. The other rookie quarterback phenom, Andrew Luck, bounced back nicely, after that Patriots lambasting last week, to lead his Colts to their 7th victory of
the year. It was a serviceable effort on Luck's part, nothing great, and nothing
to get fired up about Colts fans. Afterall, it was the enfeebled Billies that
they beat. 

Nonetheless, Luck and the Colts are on their way to 9 wins this year and a possible wildcard spot. That's a lot better than their 2-14 record from last
year!

14. The other great Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning, now the Broncos Quarterback, led the Broncs to a serviceable 17-9 win over the Chiefs in Kansas City.   Peyton had a very pedestrian day, with less than 300 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception against a dreadful Chiefs squad.

Chiefs Quarterback Brady Quinn was pretty atrocious in that game, tossing for a measly 126 yards, with no touchdowns, and one interception! Any of the old Brady Bunch, including Marcia Brady, would be better at quarterback than Brady
Quinn!

15. The Chargers and Norvie did it again. This time, they snatched defeat from
victory, by allowing little Raymie Rice to run for 30 yards on a 4th and 29
situation! That run at the end of the game led to a first down, a game tying
field goal, and an eventual win in Overtime by the visiting Baltimore Ravens.

How in the Hell can that happen Gridders, it was 4th and 29 frigging yards, with
Norv's job on the line, and the Chargers season on the line! I'll tell you how
Gridders, on that play, those Charger defenders looked like the old Keystone
Cops with a little bit of the Three Stooges thrown in. They were missing tackles
left and right, banging into each other and stumbling over themselves, as little
Raymie was darting in and out of the fumbling defenders!

Ray Rice has more courage and character in his little finger, than the Chargers have in their entire team! God are they dreadful! The team stinks, Norvie stinks,
Philly stinks, General Manager A.J. Smith stinks to the High Heavens, and even
their waterboy stinks! Get rid of them all!

16. Chargers owner Alex Spanos should beckon Smith & Turner to his office for a
meeting on Wednesday morning. He should tell them to dress up in suit and tie. 
 
As they enter his office, he should have the famous George Jones country song "He Stopped Loving Her Today" playing in the background. As soon as George gets to the part of "all dressed up to go away," Spanos should turn to those two
nincompoops and ask them, "need I say anymore?" Get the Hell out of here and
never come back!  What a frigging disaster that Chargers franchise is!

17. There is no quarterback controversy in San Francisco! Despite the shit that the duplicitous Jimmy Harbaugh is spewing into the air, Colin Kaepernick is now his man. The more I see and hear of Harbaugh, the more I dislike him! His
communications training must have been done by the old Russians, the masters of propaganda.  
 
18.  Kaepernick led the 49'ers to a nice win in 'Nawlins over the Saints, 31-21. He
did some good things, but let's not get carried away, it was the 49'ers Defense
that won that game. They had two Pick-Sixes against the usually accurate Drew
Brees, which completely turned the tide in that game!

19.  Just when we thought that things would tighten up in the NFC North Division, they didn't! Jay Cutler returned to the Bears lineup and led them to an easy win over the Vikings in Soldier Field. Meanwhile, the Giants and Eli absolutely thrashed Mister Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday Night in the Meadowlands! 
 
That was the worst game Rodgers has had in 2-3 years. His O-Line couldn't block
anyone. It looked like he had the Bears O-Line, when they played the 49'ers a
couple weeks back! Rodgers is good Gridders, but he's not that good. The Packers
have some serious problems on both Offense and Defense that they need to solve in a hurry! Not to mention, how erratic their kicker Crosby has been in recent games. 

20.  The Falcons barely got by the Bucs in Atlanta, 24-23. They are winning the close ones this year, but I still don't have the confidence that they will come
through at Playoff time! The jury is still out on that and will remain out, until they win a playoff game or two.

21.  I know that Big Ben is still out, but what happened to the Steelers? Eight
turnovers by them in their 20-14 loss to the Cleveland Clowns, that is  unthinkable! Byron Leftwich was not the answer last week, and Charlie Batch was
not the answer this week. Maybe they can coax Neil O'Donnell out of retirement
for Week #13.

22.  In the Monday Nighter, did anyone see Panthers coach Ron Rivera on the sidelines with sunglasses on? Someone ought to tell this dope that the sun goes down about 5pm in Philadelphia in late November! This clown still had them on at 11pm at night!

23.  The Johnson Brothers, Andre & Calvin, under-achieved this week, with a
combined measly 17 catches for 328 yards and 1 touchdown, in their Thanksgiving Day encounter. Andre was 9 for 188 and Calvin 8 for 140 with one TD. Last week, the Bros had a combined 19 catches for over 400 yards, and a couple of touchdowns. The Fantasy geeks can't be too happy with this
regression!

24. A good week for underdawgs Gridders, as five prevailed outright, the Browns,
Jaguars, Dolphins, Rams, & Redskins. 

25.  There are a few interesting games on tap for Week #13. 
 
o   Saints @ Falcons - Thursday Night, will probably be the Saints Swan Song for
2012! 

o   Seahawks @ Bears - The Shithawks are starting to reappear!

o   Colts @ Lions - The Colts need this game, if they plan to get to 10 wins! The
Lions are dead!

o   Vikings @ Packers - Jared Allen should have a field day against that porous
Packers O-Line!

o   Bucs @ Broncos - Peyton Manning will school that young Bucs Defense, you can take it to the bank!

o   Steelers @ Ravens - If Big Ben isn't back, the Steelers can mail this game in
and pack it in for the year!

o   Giants @ Redskins - I'm going with RG3 again, then again, then again again!

26.   This week's "DUMBSHIT"  award is going to
.........................................

I have to give Lions coach Jimmy Schwartz the Dumbshit Award this week. It was
inexcusable for him not to know the rule about tossing the challenge flag on a
play that is automatically reviewed!  If he did know the rule, and ignored it, it
is more inexcusable. The Lions season went down the drain on that miscue!

That's it Gridders, Christmas is now coming ...
 
Macdawg, signing off...

1.  The New Orleans Saints come marching into the Devils Den in Oakland and whale the Raiders 38-17.  After starting 0-4, the Saints have now leveled their record at 5-5 and have thrust themselves into the Playoff hunt.  They have a tough one this week, the 49'ers in 'Nawlins, which will probably decide their playoff fate for this year.  

2.  The Arizona Cardinals have dropped their 6th in a row,  after their wonderful
4 & 0  start.  Coach Ken Whisenhunt has been benching his players left and right for poor performance.  Whisenhunt himself should be benched and replaced by the infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  

The Sheriff can dress the non-performing players in pink, polka dot uniforms and see if that helps their performance. Nothing Whisenhunt is doing is
helping.

3. The Cowboys win their second straight game for the first time this year, and
seem to be America's Team again!  They barely eke out a victory over the 2&8
Cleveland Clowns down in Dallas and now their fans are celebrating like they won
a Superbowl!

The Cowboys actually needed Overtime and a few referee breaks to eke out this win. Don't get your hopes too high Cowboy fans, you'll probably get schooled by the rookie phenom RG3 on Thanksgiving Day!

4. The "jig is up" in Philly.  Andy "The Pandy" Reid has posted another dreadful
"L" on his resume, as his dysfunctional Eagles got spanked and schooled by RG3
and the Washington Redskins 31-6 in the Nation's capital. 
 
At  the start of this season, owner Jeffrey Lurie stated an 8-8 record for the
Eagles would not be acceptable.  Really Jeffy?  How about a 5-11 or maybe even a
4-12?  The Eagles are now 3-7 and the way they're playing, those numbers are
entirely possible.

5. The Eagles Defense couldn't stop their noses from running!  Andy's only hope is to immediately sign some of those goons with the billy clubs, who were
patrolling the Philadelphia voting polls.  Obama won't be needing them anymore
and maybe they can stop some of those onrushing defenders, by banging them over their heads with the billy clubs! 

6.  To compound their problems, the Eagles All-Pro Running Back LeSean McCoy
suffered a concussion at the end of that blow-out debacle on Sunday.  McCoy has
since been placed in that dark room with Michael Vick as Andy and his new
quarterback Nick Foles take turns turning the lights on and off.  Could things
get any worse in the City of Brotherly Love?

7. In dispatching the Eagles with such ease, Robert Griffin III had a near perfect
game.  RG3 went 14 for 15 for 200 yards, tossing 4 touchdowns, with no
interceptions, and rushing for 84 yards.   That is a phenomenal performance! 
 
8. The other rookie quarterback phenom, Andrew Luck, as predicted, got schooled and got schooled good up in New England, as the Patriots lambasted the Colts 59-24!  Billy B. and Brady gave Luck a taste of the same medicine they used to give to  Peyton Manning, when he came to town!   

9. Poor Andy had no luck at all, tossing 3 interceptions, two of which were "pick
sixes!"  He was able to add to his education, as he spent a lot of time on the
sidelines, watching Brady march the Patriots up and down the field for 8
frigging touchdowns!  The 59 points the Patriots posted is the most in their
storied history, which goes back to 1960, when the American Football League was first established. 

10. Meanwhile, out in Denver, Peyton and the Broncos had no problem polishing off Philly and the Chargers, 30-23.  Don't let the score fool you gridders, the
Chargers were never in that game.  Philly had another miserable outing, with 2
more picks.  He now has more picks than a community of landscapers!  What a
bum!

Chargers coach Norvie Turner looked ashen white at game's end, like a man attending his own funeral!  That will be taking place real soon.

11. Fat Ass Rexy Ryan got a nice 27-13 win over the Rams on Sunday in Saint Louis. His star quarterback, Senor Sanchez, had his best game of the year, going 15 for 20, for an astounding 178 yards, with no picks. That's no picks for the senor gridders!   Sanchez even had a touchdown toss. 

The fat-assed one now has his fat ass and his big eyes on the Superbowl Trophy
again.  Let's see what happens on Thanksgiving evening, when Brady & Billy
come to the Big Apple.  

12.  I'd like to see Fat Ass get fired and get signed by Jerry Jones as the Cowboys
Offensive Coordinator.   Rexy and his twin Robby could add to the Dallas drama
by getting into fisticuffs right in the middle of a Cowboys game.  Remember
their daddy Buddy did that with Kevin Gilbride a couple of times, when he was
the Bears Defensive Coach and Gilbride was the Bears Offensive Coach. That would be great theater!

13.  Detroit City has undergone some tough times lately.  The heavily favored Tigers got swept by the Giants in the Fall Classic and the Cowardly Lions lost to the Packers on Sunday, dashing all hopes for this year.  They are now sporting a
pitiful 4-6 record, as they dwell in the cellar of the NFC's Black & Blue
Division.  At least General Motors is still in operation, might not be
profitable, but they are still in operation. 

14.  The Packers are now tied with the Bears at 7-3, atop the NFC North.  They are
rallying a bit lately, but I don't think Packers fans should get too confident. 
Their kicker, Mason Crosby, has the yips!  In a recent stretch, he missed 5 out
of 6 average length field goals, pushing them right, or yanking them left.  That
does not bode well for the future!  I think the Packers are jinxed this
year!

15.  Falcons were lucky not to lose their second straight game, after starting 8-0.
They barely got by the fast falling Arizona Cardinals, 23-19 in Atlanta, as
their All-Pro quarterback Matty Ice tossed 5 interceptions.  You have to go back
45 years to 1967, before a team won a game with their quarterback tossing 5
interceptions!   That is some piece of trivia Gridders!

16. The Texans were lucky to escape with a win, as they had to come charging back down in Houston to beat the worst team in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jerk-Offs!  They even needed Overtime to eke out the 43-37 win.  Matt Schaub had a field day, with 5 touchdowns and over 500 passing yards.  
 
17.   The Johnson Brothers, Andre & Calvin, are back on the beam.  The brothers
had a combined 19 catches for over 400 yards, and a couple of touchdowns on
Sunday.  Not everyone is happy, but you fantasy geeks, who own one or both
brothers are surely happy!

18.  It looked for a short while like Byron Leftwich could step in for Big Ben, and
lead the Steelers to victory over their hated rival the Ravens.  Lefty took the
second snap from scrimmage and ran and stumbled some 47 yards for a touchdown,  giving the Steelers an early lead.  That was about his one and only highlight of the night, as the Ravens eventually prevailed in the Sunday Evening Slugfest, 13-10.  

Anyone have any doubts that Big Ben would have somehow led the Steelers to victory?   Not me!

19.  How about referee Ed Hochuli telling the whole world that the play was not under review in the Browns/Cowboys game.  The muscular Edwardo had his head under the hood of the review box for about 5 minutes, before announcing to the
crowd in typical Hochulian style,  "the play on the field stands as called, although it was not under review. I was just trying to get my head warm under that hood." 
 
This guy should be given an important job in the next Obama Administration, maybe Secretary of State, or Secretary of Defense, something important.   Actually, I think the brawny one would be a helluva lot better than the bozos currently assigned!

20.  In the Battle of Backups, the 49'ers blew out the Bears 32-7!  The Bears were
never in that game!  The Bears Offensive Line could not hold back the ferocious
49'ers rush, and poor Jason Campbell took a terrible beating!  The cops should
have been arresting people out there!

Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick looked terrific under center for the 49'ers!  He seems fearless and has a strong arm, fast feet, and a good head!  That's a powerful combination!   

I think we have a "Quarterback Controversy" in San Francisco!  Don't forget, this
was the kid that masterminded the University of Nevada Reno's huge upset victory over the Boise State Broncos, as they were marching to a National Title a few years back!

21.  A real, real bad week for underdawgs Gridders, as only the Jets prevailed.  You know who made all the money this week!

22.  Check out these coaching records Gridders. 

Andy Reid of Eagles 3-7, Rexy Ryan of Jets 4-6, Norvie Turner of Chargers 4-6, Mike  Mullarkey of Jaguars 1-9, Jimmy Schwartz of Lions 4-6, Ron Rivera of Panthers 2-8, Ken Whisenhunt of Cardinals 4-6, Pat Shurmur of Browns 2-8, and Romeo  Crennel of Chiefs 1-9.  

Anyone think that Irishman Billy O'Brien of the Nittany Lions might be offered a job or  two.  Don't forget, this guy was the Offensive Coach of the offensive juggernaut New England Patriots just last year. 

23.  There are many interesting games on tap for Week #12, including three good
Thanksgiving Day games! 

o  Texans @ Lions -  The final nail gets pounded into the Lions coffin!
o  Redskins @ Cowboys - Scalps will be taken!
o  Patriots @ Jets - Fat Ass gets his fat ass beaten again! 
o  Vikings @ Bears - Get an ambulance ready for Jason Campbell, because that    Bears O-Line stinks to the High Heavens!
o  Falcons @ Bucs - Might be the young Bucs coming out party!  They are hot and the Falcons are fumbling!
o  49'ers @ Saints - It's "do or die" for the Saints!  They've been doing lately,
not dying, but the Niners are a very tall  order!
o  Packers @ Giants - Can the Giants regroup after their bye week?  Packers
regrouped after getting screwed up in Seattle by the Replacement Refs!

24.  This week's "DUMBSHIT" award is going to
.........................................
I have to give Patriots coach Bill Belichick the Dumbshit Award for unnecessarily
leaving the Great Gronkowski in the game on Sunday, during the Patriots blow-out of the Colts. Hell, the score was 58-24 Patriots, and Gronk was in to block for
the Point After attempt. 
 
Are you shitting me, that's ridiculous! Of course, Murphy's Law prevailed and Gronk broke his arm on that play. He will now be lost for 4-5 weeks, and Brady will be like Abbott without Costello, or Laurel without Hardy! Makes no
sense!
 
Happy Thanksgiving Day Gridders!

Macdawg, signing off til next week....



                  NFL Week #10 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATION by Macdawg

1.  The New Orleans Saints knock the Atlanta Falcons from the undefeated ranks, with a 31-27 win on Sunday in 'Nawlins.  The saintly ones have the Falcons number!  

The Falcons had 3 shots to win the game, as they were second and goal on the
Saints 1-yard line with the game winding down.   They failed to get the job done
and now all the questions resurface about the Falcons ability to perform when
the pressure is on!  

2.  In the ultimate Battle of Failure At Crunch Time, the Cowboys beat the Eagles,
38-23.  Tony Romo had his best day of the year with two touchdowns and no picks, and he was at his best down the stretch.  

3.  Meanwhile, Michael Vick, Andy Reid and the Eagles had a miserable day, as they drop their 5th straight and fall to a pathetic 3-6.  To add insult to injury,
Vick left the game with a concussion in the second period. 
 
4. The Eagles have never been the same, since brilliant Defensive Coordinator Jimmy Johnson died.  The supposed fix they put in a few weeks back, of firing Juan Castillo and hiring Todd Bowles, has completely backfired.  The Eagles defense now gives up 8 more points than it did previously, and they are providing no protection for Vick.  

5. With the Eagles enfeebled O-Line, Mike Vick needs a suit of armor to stay
intact.  It's too late now, however, as he's out with the concussion and a guy
named Nick Foles is at the Eagles helm. 

It sure is getting tiresome, listening to Andy's same old weak excuses, week, after week, after week!  We have to play better, we have to coach better, yadda, yadda, yadda!   It won't be too much longer now Andy, get your Santa costume ready.

6. The Superbowl Champion Giants look like anything but champions lately!  They
lose embarrassingly to the Bengals in Cinci, 31-13 and were never really in that
game.  Eli had 2 picks and no touchdowns in a miserable performance! 

That's three straight games where Eli has not thrown a touchdown, that does not bode well for the G-Men.   Fortunately, they have a bye this week, giving them and Coach Coughlin time to regroup.

7.  In the Thursday Nighter, the Indianapolis Colts continued to roll, this time
rolling the feeble Jacksonville Jaguars down in Florida.  Their story right now
is stuff for a Hollywood script. 

Unfortunately, it will come to a halt this week, as they venture up to Foxboro to get their asses slammed by the Patriots!

8. In Charlotte on Sunday, Peyton Manning and the Broncos Defense completely
dismantled the Panthers and Cam the Ham, 36-14.  Cammie had little to celebrate
in this embarrassing loss, with two picks and incurring 7 sacks from the Broncos
Defense. 

The only celebrating was done by the Bronco defenders, who mockingly
performed Cammie's patented "Superman rip the shirt off" maneuver!  That was
enjoyable to see! 

9. Actually, the Patriots were damn lucky to win, as they keep blowing leads late
in their games.  Sunday, the ragtag Bills were on the verge of an upset, when
the cerebral Ryan Fitzpatrick got a brain cramp, and threw a pass directly to a
Patriots defender, standing in the endzone. 

The Pats escaped with a narrow 37-31 victory.  I don't care what the experts say, their defense really stinks!

10. On the subject of brain cramps, how about that pick-6 that Philly Rivers threw
right into the arms of the Bucs defender Leonard Johnson?  Are you kidding me,
the guy is right in front of Rivers about 10 yards away with no Chargers around
and he throws it right to him! 

Johnson grabs the interception and runs 83 yards to the endzone, with Philly chasing in less than "hot pursuit" with arms flailing like a little kid having a temper tantrum! 
 
11.  Poor Norvie Turner, his leash is getting shorter and shorter, as each week
passes.  This week, he and the Chargers travel to Denver to play the Broncos. 
That's like leading Norvie to the Electric Chair!  

The Chargers are currently 4-5, will soon be 4-6, and Norvie will be gone before Thanksgiving Day.  He won't be giving thanks on that day but the Charger fans will be!

12.  How about the Rams/49'ers 24-24 tie?  That's the first NFL tie in 4 years. The
Rams should have won that game, as offensive penalties negated a game winning field goal by Legatron, and a long, potential game winning pass to the 49'ers 1 yard line.  

Jeffy Fisher cannot be too happy with his offensive coaches!   That
game was like the oldtime Rams/49'ers rivalry, with hard hitting, scrums,
scraps, pushing, shoving, the whole 9 yards!  Great stuff!

13. How about the two fake punts by the Rammies?  Both were converted into first downs.  One was with the Rams punter tossing from his own endzone.  Now that takes grande cajones!  

14.  Those fake punts by the Rams were certainly more pressure-packed, than the
bogus fake field goal by the Baltimore Ravens against the Oakland Raiders, when
holder Sam Koch ran it in 7 yards for a touchdown. 

At some point, that will come back to haunt Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh.  The Ravens were up 41-17 at the time of this fake maneuver.   That's crazy!  
 
15.  It certainly wasn't a very good week for the Mormons.  49'ers quarterback Alex Smith left the game with a concussion, and earlier in the week presidential
candidate Mitt Romney lost to the Muslim Messiah.

16. Week #10 in the NFL was more like a Demolition Derby than a slate of football
games.  You needed a scorecard to add up all the injuries! Four starting
quarterbacks went down and out. 

They were Michael Vick of the Eagles, Alex Smith of the 49'ers, Jay Cutler of the Bears, and Big Ben of the Steelers.  There were also 2-3 other serious injuries to defensive players.  That is brutal stuff!

17. In Minnesota, Adrian Peterson had a field day against the dysfunctional Detroit Lions.  A.P. ran for 171 yards, including a 61 yard game sealing touchdown.   Hell, some of the medical experts didn't even think Peterson would be able to  play this year, after his reconstructive knee surgery last December. 

Now, he's the leading NFL rusher!  Pencil him in for "Comeback Player of the Year," right ahead of Peyton Manning.  

18.  Fat Ass Rexy Ryan got his fat ass kicked again up in Seattle by the Seahawks.  They are an absolute wrecking crew on their home turf.  They dismantled the befuddled Jets 28-7, as their Head Coach Pete Caroll showed no mercy on his former USC star quarterback Mark Sanchez.  There is no loyalty in
Sports!

19. The Jets are now in last place in the AFC East, and pretty much done for the
year.  Quarterback Sanchez might be just plain done!  He had another miserable
outing, with a pick in the shadows of the Seahawks endzone, a fumble, and no
touchdowns.  

20. Next week, the Jets visit Saint Looie, and you know damn well that Rams Coach Jeff Fisher and Chris Long are licking their chops.  Tebow might throw a monkey wrench into their plans, but Fat Ass Rexy is pretty stubborn!

 21. The Battle of Seven-Oners in old Soldier Field on Sunday Night was a push &
shove defensive struggle.  It was very fitting that this game was played on
Veterans Day! 

The Texans prevailed 13-6 in a downpour.  Unfortunately, the Bears lost more than the game, they lost quarterback Jay Cutler to a concussion in the 2nd period.  His backup, Jason Campbell, was not up to the task, and looked pretty bad to be truthful. 

22. The hugely underdog Chiefs gave the Steelers all they could handle in Pittsburgh on Monday Night.  The Steelers prevailed 16-13, aided by an ill-timed
interception in Overtime by another shitbum ex-USC quarterback, Matt Cassel.  

Cassel is really a horrible NFL quarterback.  His one successful year in New England now seems to be quite the aberration!

23. The Steelers win was very costly, as Big Ben went out early in the second half
with a shoulder injury.  The Steelers must now play their hated rivals the Ravens twice in the next three weeks, and without Big Ben, it's sayonara baby!

24. It was a pretty good week for underdogs, as 6 prevailed outright.  They were the Saints, Vikings, Titans, Bengals, Texans, and Rams.  I'm counting the Rams/49'ers tie as a win for the Rammies.

25. There are a some interesting games on tap for Week #11. 

o  Chargers @ Broncos - Blowout City baby!

o  Colts @ Patriots -  Rookie Come-Uppance Game

o  Ravens @ Steelers -  Big Benless Game 

o  Bears @ 49'ers -  Battle of Backups


Macdawg, signing off...


NFL WEEK #9 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg





1. The Falcons dump the Cowboys in Atlanta, 19-13, and remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL at 8-0. That was a nice win for the Falcons, and solidified Mike Smith as the current choice for Coach of the Year, and Matt Ryan as the current choice for MVP.

2. That was another embarrassing and disgraceful finish for the Cowboys. They just can't finish a game! They have an amazing ability to clutch defeat from victory! Tony Romo had a pretty good game statistically, but he always finds a way to do something stupid at game's end to prevent victory. He just doesn't seem to have that gene that Brady, Brees, Rodgers, and the Manning Brothers have!

3. The Cowboys are no longer "America's Team," and aren't even "Mexico's Team," they are now "Guatemala's Team!" What an underachieving, dysfunctional bunch of losers these Cowboys are! There is now great unrest in Dallas, as Owner/President/General Manager Jerry Jones paces the floor, trying to decide whether to dump Jason Garrett or get another face lift!

4. In the Thursday Nighter, the inept Chargers beat the inepter Chiefs, 31-13 in Kansas City. In the process, they improve to 4-4, allowing their sycophant followers to believe they are in the hunt for the AFC West divisional crown! This is not about to happen, won't happen, and will never happen! Not this year Gridders.

5. Meanwhile, Chiefs Quarterback Matt Cassel showed the world why he never took a single snap, during his college career at USC! Cassel tossed for a measly 181 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, in this pathetic Chief's loss! In the past 4 years, Cassel has gone from the penthouse to the shithouse, from being Tom Brady-like to being Ryan Leaf-like. He has dropped down like the proverbial "lead balloon!"

6. The Pittsburgh Steelers fly into a hurricane devastated New Jersey on Sunday morning, and go on to overcome a powerful New Giants squad, 24-20, with a late game comeback. Big Ben gets the best of Baby Hughey, and wins the Battle of the 2004 QB Draftees. Eli is good, but I'd take Big Ben.

7. The Steelers also beat a complicitous refereeing squad, who bent over backwards in favor of the G-Men. That incomplete pass that the refs turned into a fumble and fumble recovery for a touchdown was a complete joke! Additionally, they missed an openly obvious and flagrant clipping call on the ensuing fumble recovery run to the endzone! That crew was worse than the old Replacement Refs, it was unbelievable!

8. I loved Mike Tomlin's fake field goal play, where Suisham tried to run it in for a touchdown. It didn't work, because tight end Heath Miller let one of the defenders run right by him and tackle Suisham. It didn't backfire, however, as the Steelers Defense held the Giants on their ensuing possession, and then marched in for a touchdown on their next possession. Tomlin is my favorite NFL coach!

9. Cam Newton bested RG3 and won the Battle of Heismaner's in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. That is good for Cam, but more importantly great for Mitt Romney! History shows that whenever the Redskins lose their last home game before the election, the incumbent loses.

10. Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck led the Colts to a hard-fought win over the gritty Miami Dolphins, 23-20. In the process, rookie Andy broke the rookie quarterback record for yardage, as he tossed for an impressive 433 yards, which included 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions! It was Cam Newton's record of 432 yards from last year, that he broke.

11. That was a very emotional post-game speech given by Leukemia suffering Colts coach Chuck Pagano!   He talked about unfortunate circumstances being overcome by dreams and goals,
and that he specifically plans on dancing at the future weddings of his two daughters.  I sure hope his dream comes true, but the Grim Reaper does not usually allow cut ins, when he's standing in line for the next dance!.

12. The San Francisco fans celebrated the Giants World Series victory last Wednesday, by turning over and destroying a million dollar bus. Hopefully, they will display similar passion tomorrow in venting their anger and tossing Nancy Pelosi into the Bay! What a despicable, loathsome person!

13. With that 31-17 trouncing Sunday at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, the Arizona Cardinals have now posted their 5th straight loss. They take this week off to prepare for making it six in a row in Week #11, when they visit Atlanta.

14. Don't look now Gridders, but the Chicago Bears have the second best record in the NFL, at 7-1. Who would have thought that, after getting really trounced by the Packers up in Green Bay in Week #2? One other team, the Houston Texans, are also 7-1, and the Bears and the Texans will get it on next Sunday Night at Soldier Field. Should be a good one!

15. How about the grizzled, old, bird throwing owner of the Tennessee Titans, Buddy Adams,
lambasting his team, after Sunday's pathetic loss to the Chicago Bears!  Old Bud left the game in the 3rd period, then flew in his private plane from Nashville to Houston, with smoke jetting out of his plane and both of his ears!  Old Buddy is not happy, so look for an axe or two to fall shortly!!

16. Peyton Manning engineered another 4th period comeback on Sunday, leading the Broncos to a 24-20 win over the host Bengals. That comeback puts Peyton in the record books as the alltime leader, with 48 such comebacks, one more than the great Dandy Dan Marino. In the minds of the pundits and experts, it also puts him ahead of Eli, as the better of the two Manning Brothers!

17. Tampa Bay's rookie Running Back Doug Martin rushed for 251 yards and tallied 4 touchdowns in Oakland on Sunday, leading to a 42-32 Bucs win over the Raiders. Martin had touchdown runs of 1 yard, 45 yards, 67 yards, and 70 yards in one of the most impressive fantasy football performances ever! In some fantasy leagues, rookie Martin amassed 79 points! That's unheard of! In my 10-team league, Martin score more than 6 of the teams.

18. Given the above performance by Doug Martin, Adrian Peterson's performance against the Seahawks of 182 yards and 2 touchdowns seemed rather pedestrian! A.P. will be the "hands down" Comeback Player of the Year! It's unhuman what he has done!

19. In the Monday Nighter in 'Nawlins, the Aints pounded the Beagles and Mike Vick mercilessly! Philly falls to 3-5, and the Philly Faithful is crying even louder now for the head of Andy Reid.

It shouldn't be too long now, as the Eagles performance has been dreadful! Their Offensive line is worse than dreadful, a good housecleaning is necessary!

The Dynasty that never was, is now over!

20. It was not a good week for underdogs, as only 4 prevailed outright. They are the Bucs again, the Colts again, the Panthers, and the Steelers.

21. There are a few good games on tap for Week #10.

o Falcons @ Saints

o Cowboys @ Eagles

o Texans @ Bears

22. This week's "DUMBSHIT" award is going to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Last week, this bonehead holds a press conference to announce the New York Marathon will take place on Sunday as planned. This was a decision that was obviously based on the "Almighty Dollar," with no consideration given to the multitude of New Yorkers who were devastated by Hurricane Sandy, abandoned in the streets homeless, foodless, and helpless!

Of course, public outcry and outrage caused the boneheaded mayor to reverse his opinion and declare the New York Marathon cancelled, in an impromptu follow-up press conference! What a phony this political clown is!


When you get a moment Gridders, please say a prayer or two for those poor folks in the Northeast, who have been left in such desperation and despair by Hurricane Sandy! We all have a spare moment or two, during our busy days.

Also, please send a few bucks along to the Red Cross to aid in their recovery. They need help!

Lastly, get out and vote Gridders, we need to make our voices heard loudly and clearly! I heard earlier, that the great Timmy Tebow has tweeted that Obama will jump out to an early lead, but that all that will change, as soon as the Republicans get off of work!

Macdawg, signing off...





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NFL WEEK #8 THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS by Macdawg



1. The Falcons dominate the Eagles in Philadelphia and remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL at 7-0. That was a bitter loss for the Eagles, coming off their bye week, when they are supposed to be the dominant ones!

2. The storm has moved into Philadelphia with a vengeance! I'm not talking about Hurricane Sandy, but rather%

 NFL WEEK #3 THOUGHTS &  OBSERVATIONS

1. Fall is now here  Gridders, and the NFL credibility has fallen about as far as it can fall, what with the unbelievable ineptitude of the Replacement Refs! This is now turning  into a traveling circus not at all unlike the old Barnum & Bailey  tours.
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2. Up until last night,  the argument was that the replacements had not cost any team a game. No longer the case Gridders, as that debacle of a call at the end of the Monday Nighter resulted in an undeserved loss for Green Bay and a gift-wrapped win for Seattle!  That was unbelievably bad.
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3. This week's DUMBSHIT, hands-down, is the illustrious NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. If Goodell doesn't get this resolved in the next couple of days, he
should be impeached before the week ends! These Replacement Refs shouldn't be allowed to ref a Peewee Football game, let alone an NFL game! This has now become the weekly Abbott & Costello, Alfonse & Gaston, and Laurel & Hardy shows, all rolled into one!
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 It's hard to believe Gridders, but with the current state of affairs in the NFL, Commissioner Goodell is making Baseball Commissioner Bud "Lite" Selig look like Albert  Einstein!
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 4. Goodell took Cam Newton off the hook, as the Camster was in line for this week's dumbshit award. With his team down 23-0 in the Thursday Nighter and time running short, Cammie finally gets into the endzone and immediately goes into his Superman routine. Are you kidding me, you're getting your ass thoroughly trounced, you can't read
any of the defenses, you're throwing picks left and right, and you start
celebrating? That's about as imbecilic as it gets!
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5. Sorry Newton lovers, but at this point in time, Cam "The Ham" Newton looks like Duante Culpepper "incarnate," only a little bit faster! This kid better smarten up quickly or he'll end up in the Arena League!
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6. There are now only 3 undefeated teams, as another 3 dropped from these ranks in week #3. Houston, Arizona, and Atlanta remain undefeated, while San Francisco, San Diego, and Philadelphia took it on the chin.
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7. Everyone and their mother knew the 49'ers/Vikings game was a "trap game" for the Niners! Irrespective of that, the 49'ers fell right into that trap and got beat embarrassingly by the lowly Vikings. Put that loss on Jimmy Harbaugh and his coaching staff, that was inexcusable! And by the way, where was Randy Moss when the Niners were trying to stage their comeback? Very, very poor coaching job by the highly praised Harbaugh!
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8. The Replacement Refs tried to help out the 49'ers, by giving them a couple extra Time Outs, and an extra Challenge, but even that was to no avail! 
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9. Meanwhile, down in Phoenix, Michael Vick and the Eagles were thrashed soundly by the underrated Cardinals. Vick got hit so many times, that he should have been given a half dozen 8-counts! Roly-Poly Andy Reid has been around for years, but unfortunately, still does not understand the importance of establishing the run. His run should soon be over in the City of Brotherly Love! 
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10. How the Chargers had been undefeated is anybody's guess! They might not win another game, I'm telling you Gridders, they stink to the "High Heavens!" They have nothing! Norvy should also start packing his bags.
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11. In Dallas, the highly touted Cowboys eked out an unimpressive narrow victory over the ragtag Buccaneers. The Cowboys are no longer "America's Team," they might be "Mexico's Team," but they are not "America's Team!" 
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12. You gridders ever take a good look at Cowboy's coach Jason Garrett? He looks like professional golfer Jimmy Furyk with a shortened up nose job!
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13. There are now only two winless teams, the Cleveland Clowns and the New Orleans Aints. The Aints are really in trouble now, it's amazing how much they miss Coach Peyton! I'm sure the bags will be on fan's heads in Week #5, when the Chargers come to 'Nawlins for a Monday Nighter! The Clowns are always in trouble, they are used to it, so it
doesn't matter in C-Town!
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14. The Oakland Raiders had a dramatic 4th quarter comeback, allowing them to upend the perennial powerhouse Steelers. It wasn't for "Dead Al" that they won this game, but for their Wide Receiver Darrius Heward-Bey. Bey took a big hit late in the 4th quarter, and
left this game on a stretcher, pretty much immobilized. Thoughts and prayers are with him, hope he recovers.
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15. The Harbogger Brothers split yesterday. Jimmy and his 49'ers lost in Minnesota while the Replacement Refs gift-wrapped a win for Johnny and his Ravens, over the Patriots. That last second field goal did not look good and there were innumerous questionable calls against the Patriots in that game! That's two straight weeks now of "rob jobs" against the Patriots by the Replacement Refs!  Bad, really bad!
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16. Herman Munster's grandsons both won yesterday, and expectedly so, as Halloween will soon be here. Munster III took care of Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Denver, without too much trouble and Munster IV and his Ravens got the gift-wrap in Baltimore.
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17. The Titans got on the board with a home win in OT over the favored
Lions. Lots of offense in the 4th quarter of that game, but the Lions may be down and out now, just like their QB Stafford, who went down and out late in that game!
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18. Unfortunately, Chris Johnson of the Titans was insignificant and immaterial to Tennessee's win. My condolences to all Fantasy Football Owners stuck with C.J. this year!
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19. Condolences also to all those Fantasy Owners, like me, who had Jamal Charles on their bench this week! Charles had over 200 yards rushing, a 91 yard TD from scrimmage, and some 40 fantasy points. Shit and shoved in it, Gridders!
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20. The two rookie QB phenoms, RG3 & Andy Luck took it in the chops again Sunday. It's going to be a long, long year for these two rooks. They are both very good, but they will be paying some heavy dues this year, as they learn the Pro game!
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21. Another nice game and another nice win for Baby Hughey this week against the Panthers! God, it hurts to have to give the Hughster profs!
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22. Rexy, Senor Sanchez, and the Jets eked out a narrow victory over the Dolphins down in Miami. Unfortunately, they can now pack it in for the year, as they lost their All Pro defensive back Derrelle Revis. We can now sum up their remaining season with one word,
"forgettaboutit!".
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23. Looks like nine underdogs prevailed outright in Week #3, the Vikings, Titans, Bengals, Chiefs, Jaguars, Cardinals, Falcons,  Raiders, and Seahawks. You know damn well the books made a killing in Week #3 Gridders, especially last night when all the gamblers were trying to get even by picking the Packers! It's a very Gray Tuesday for those poor buggers! 
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25. Some really shit games on the docket this coming week Gridders, starting with the Clowns at the Ravens in the Thursday Nighter. The only half way interesting games are:
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o  Giants at Eagles 
o  Bears at Cowboys 
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That's enough for this week's T&Os, it's more than enough...
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 Macdawg
the steamroolled...