Voltaire

There's an argument to be had for Alabama, FSU, and Texas. Maybe even Georgia and Ohio State. There is no outcome in which somebody was not going to get hosed, rather, it was who would get hosed.

It IS three, they're now going for four. They're playing circa 1902 Big Ten football right now, before anyone invented the forward pass.

It hopefully changes in the offseason but until then, I think everyone should do it. "Our quarterback is to small." Fock your quarterback; teach a defensive tackle to take snaps under center. It's porcupine and fox out there. The fox has 100 ways to escape a predator. The porcupine only one ... but it a really, really good way.

Next up.... the Steelers featuring Mitch Trubiski.

The Jets have six more weeks to pull it off.

It's glass half full/glass half empty. They'll win their division and likely the home playoff game against the Ram, Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings (I don't list Dallas because they have a hot date with whatever pukes out of the NFC South). If that's good enough, OK. Coming out of the preseason, I thought it was god enough. Then, a few weeks into the season, I got my hopes up and thought that they were a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but over these last four weeks, its becoming clear that they aren't as good as Philly or San Francisco. They don't have a pass rush, and their defensive coordinator is mediocre. Ragnow, Anzelone, and McNeill likely won't play against the Bears but maybe the week after. James Houston finally returns around Christmas, maybe CGJG returns later. Vaitai and Moseley are done. They just signed Bruce Irvin, he's six years older than the second oldest player but in his first game, he got a sack and KOed David Carr in limited time... he only played like twelve snaps as he gets is game-legs under him... so, maybe there's still magic in him yet and he's not a washed up big name.

Whatd'ya know. Green Bay looks likely to actually pull this one out.

Now it's in Mahomes' hands, see if he has any magic for this game.

I'm telling you, I see the injuries and the flaws. It's been a while since they've been beating teams by two TDs each game. They barely escaped against the Chargers and Bears, they lost to the Packers, and today were spotted a 21 point lead on New Orleans, then let the focks back in the game to make the ending a bit scary. Good teams win, great teams cover; we've not been covering lately.

I don't know why I find myself rooting for the Packers when the focks aren't yet eliminated from winning the division while the AFC doesn't matter, but I am. Must be love of underdogs.

I love the Lions, I don't hate them. Because I love them, I watch most every play of every game and am not sold on Aaron Glenn's schemes as defensive coordinator. Opponents are not scary but games are too tight, we're not blowing out bad teams anymore. The offense is carrying the team but sputtered with turnovers againat Chicago and GreenBay. Signing Bruce Irvin seems like a catch, he doesn't look washed up. he already got a sack in his first game and knocked David Carr out of the game with a clean but incredibly hard hit. (It looked to me that it was clean, but they gave him a roughing the passer flag, which I thought was total BS, so -whatever- opinions differ). The Lions should be getting James Houston back soon to also help with the pass rush and CJGJ may well return by the end of the year. Moseley is done for the year an so is Vaitai most likely. Alex Anzeloni missed this game. Both Alim McNeill and Frank Ragnow just got dinged in the NO game, hopefully they'll be OK. I do want the Lions to win the NFC because I don['t like their chances to go into Philly or SF and win, but Green Bay just fouled that up last week to make it tougher.

The Ravens division had been the toughest in football and they were on top of it before all the other teams lost their QBs. Granted, the Jets were a bad loss. Also, I'm not factoring in where the records ends up, rather it's more the 'OMG, I'm playing THEM! cr@p your pants' factor.

They got whooped at home but they still have both a better record and Ws over teams #4 and #5.

Where I had them last week.

Packers and Bengals both have a chance to make big moves up into that massive clusterfock under Houston. GB particularly could even move up with a close loss, but I won't be dropping them. Bengals still need to be rightsized a couple of games from losing Burrow, and that may well mean entering the purgatory of being on par with the NFC South (where I almost stuffed them last week).

Browns were about to tie the score.... missed the XP.

I don't know why every team doesn't copycat the Tush Push. You don't need a QB like Hurts to run it. Every team has Defensive Tackles capable of leg pressing a ton. Have one set aside a half hour learning to take snaps under center = problem solved.

You never forget a game like this played in a the massive storm in 1998. Here I am talking about it 25 years later. They're memorable because they're so rare. See Stoyanovich fall on his ass during a FG attempt at 25:37

Rooting for a tie between the 49ers and Eagles. Lets go tie!

Rain... focking bullsh*t. One of the most memorable games I remember (granted. from the comfort of my living room) was a nasty rainstorm in KC in the late 90s. The stadium was a flood and the field a total mess. I enjoyed it greatly as something totally different. Fcoking play, cupcakes.

Back home. Stick a fork in New Orleans, now the Lions own the tiebreaker vs the entire NFC South, pretty much ensuring they don't face the Cowboys in the NFC playoffs. WTF does "delayed" mean? Football games almost never get delayed.

Derek Carr is rolling around in pain after hard clean hit and bullsh*t penalty.

As a Michigan fan, I get the sense Alabama will be much more formidable than QB-less Florida State. For old times sake, playing Washington in the Rose Bowl to close out the Pac10 might have been a bit special Many traditions are going out of the window.

Been a tough game for the middle of both lines for the Lions, Frank Ragnow left earlier and now Alim McNeill.

Doing Dad stuff at the ice skating rink, watching my youngest daughter rather than the games.