NFL 2020 competition

[Pies4shaw]

We kicked off this morning (our time) with the Chiefs pummeling the Texans 34:20, easing up.

It's great to be able to report that the Chiefs debuted a brilliant new running back - like they needed more offensive weapons.

[Pies4shaw]

Rodgers and the Pack set out on their route to winning their 10th anniversary Super Bowl with an away win over Minnesota. Rodgers threw 4 TDs. We need to see a Rodgers v Mahomes Super Bowl and we may just get it.

Brady's Tampa Bay stumbled about a little and lost to New Orleans.

The Rams just held off Dallas.

And Washington beat the Eagles. Getting Ron Rivera - who is a fantastic coach - may turn their fortunes around. Sad to hear he has just been diagnosed with cancer. Best wishes to him for a swift and permanent recovery.

[K]

What is the format of this NFL season?

Is it shortened because of the pandemic?

[Pies4shaw]

Same as always, although fans are only allowed to attend in some places (and even in those, in reduced numbers). The playoffs have been increased to 7 teams in each conference, though, so I suppose that means two extra playoff games - that's nothing to do with COVID, though.

[Pies4shaw]

I had an opportunity to watch Cam Newton with the Patriots last night (I recorded it on Monday morning - it clashed with about 5 other games I wanted to see more). If he stays healthy, he's going to be scary in that scheme when he learns the plays (he was with the team about 4 weeks before he started). I wouldn't put it past BB to have found himself another way to get the Pats back to the Super Bowl, just when everyone said they must fall away. The Dolphins have a good defence but they didn't know what to do with Newton - and, but for a fumble into the end zone by a running back at the 1-yard line (that results in a touchback for the other team, for those of you who might need the explanation), the game would have been in the Pats' keeping way earlier.

He's good. Not Rodgers good - but there is only one of those and you don't have to be Rodgers good to win the Super Bowl with BB coaching.

[Pies4shaw]

And just when you thought that the Kansas City Chiefs didn't need any more scoring threats, their field-goal kicker, Butger, rattled off three perfect kicks of 53, 58 and 58 yards (the first nullified by an offside penalty, the second by a Chargers timeout) to win the game in OT.

Meanwhile, the Pack overcame a poor start to thump the Lions 42 to 21, with Aaron Jones having some game - 168 yards on the ground with 2 rushing TDs (one a 75-yarder) and another 68 yards in the air on 4 catches (including one TD). The Bears beat the Giants, too, so the Pack and the Bears are already two games ahead at the top of the NFC North after the Vikings lost 28 to 11 against the Colts.

The Bills, Titans, 49ers, Rams, Steelers, Bucs, Cardinals (sorry, Presti35 and other Washington fans) and Ravens all won. The big game later this morning is Patriots at Seahawks and the Saints visit the Raiders tomorrow morning.

The Browns beat the Bengals 35:30 in last Friday morning's game. Both QBs showed why they were number one overall picks in two of the last three years. Although the Bengals went down, they will have loved what they saw from Joe Burrow. Really, though, they have to find some help for him on the ground - there is just no excuse for forcing a rookie to throw 61 passing attempts, even if he did complete 37 of them for 316 yards and 3 TDs. 24 rushes for 68 yards is never going to get it done (and Burrow had to take 7 of those 24 rushes himself). Joe fumbled twice - but this is a step up from QB-ing for LSU and he'll take a little time to get used to the defensive pace of the NFL.

The Cowboys had a brilliant comeback over the Falcons. They looked gone trailing 29 to 10 at the half but held their nerve to win 40 to 39 with a field goal as time expired. Here's ESPN's take for the Cowboys fans: https://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/29931601/mike-mccarthy-first-win-dallas-cowboys-comeback-ages:

[Pies4shaw]

Wow. What a game! The Seahawks, with Russell Wilson just about perfect (5 TDs and just 1 INT, which only came because his receiver spudded up a pass he should have completed) have held on to be beat the Pats 35:30. Only the clock stopped Cam Newton - he had 1st and 10 at about the 3-yard line with 3 seconds on the clock but was submarined on his only chance to run it in as time expired.

If I were BB, I'd be quietly confident with Newton under centre. Yes, it was a 5-point loss - and it will hurt - but Wilson had to play at a ridiculous standard and, even then, could have seen his team lose. Cam looks like he did at the Panthers, just with the best coach in the history of the game looking after the team.

Meanwhile, condolences to James White, one of the Pats' offensive stalwarts. He sat out the game because his Mum and Dad were in a car accident. His Dad passed away and his Mum is in critical care.

[Pies4shaw]

Great game this morning between New Orleans and Oakland. The Saints looked to have the game in their grasp early (not least because they had a 10-point lead and a future Hall of Fame QB surrounded by offensive weapons) but the Raiders were powerful from the early part of the second quarter and won reasonably comfortably in the end.

The Raiders now factor in my thinking for the NFC Championship. Meanwhile, the Saints face a must-win game against the Packers next Monday morning. If New Orleans lose, they'll drop 2 games behind the NFC pace and they really would have been thinking Super Bowl, so that would be a genuine blow to them.

[Pies4shaw]

How things change in 6 days. The Patriots (of course) sorted out Oakland this morning, winning comfortably.

Good game between Dallas and Seattle, at the moment - 9:9, early in the second. A showboating WR cost Seattle a 16:9 lead, late in the first. There will be footage - a TD completion on a deep route and Metcalf held the ball out as he slowed down to jog into the endzone - whereupon Trevon Diggs belted the ball out of his hand through the back of the endzone for a touchback. I wonder how guys like that go in the locker room after the game. It may not matter because the Seahawks will probably still win but, really....

Meanwhile, Atlanta did that thing again where they give up 20 points in the last quarter to lose a game they were winning comfortably (Chicago now 3 and 0; Atlanta 0 and 3) - see: https://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/29987791/social-media-reacts-another-week-another-huge-blown-lead-atlanta-falcons . Elsewhere, the Dolphins beat the Jaguars last Friday and, this morning, Josh Allen threw 4 TDs and ran in another as he just got the Bills over the Rams, 35:32, Washington lost to the Browns 34:20, the Titans came from behind to pip the Vikings 31:30, the 49ers pulverised the Giants 36:9, the Steelers beat the Texans 28:21 and the Bengals and Eagles drew 23:23 after OT.

[Pies4shaw]

And the Pack has taken out the heavyweight battle of the future Hall of Fame QBs in New Orleans, 37 to 30.

Rodgers didn't have his star receiver (Davante Adams) - he was inactive with a slight hamstring injury - but The Man Who Is Almost Now Worthy Of Being Mentioned In The Same Breath As Brett Favre found Allen Lazard 6 times (on 8 targets) for 146 yards. The receivers weren't always quite on the same page as Number 12 but they did enough (3 TDs caught). The game was in the balance at 27 all when New Orleans challenged a first down call with Aaron Jones trying to make the yard on 4th on 1, inside Green Bay territory near midfield. New Orleans won the challenge and had a short field. But Hill (brought in for Brees as QB to mix it up for that play) fumbled as Zadarius Smith did his thing and ran it back a few metres. Rodgers got the ball back, the Pack took the lead with a FG, New Orleans went 3 and out, then Rodgers did his thing again - the Pack marched down the field for the TD. The 10-point lead was always going to be too much.

Thus, the Pack is one of just three undefeated teams in the NFC (Seattle and Chicago are the other 2). Their games against Chicago may be crucial to the playoff standings.

The Monday Night (Tuesday Morning) game tomorrow morning is a gem - Kansas and the Ravens - one will go 3-0 in the AFC (with the Bills, the Titans and the Steelers) and the other will fall slightly behind. Since they are probably the two best teams in the NFL, this is BIG.

[Pies4shaw]

Well, Mahomes took the Ravens apart in the AFC Championship Game preview.

This could be difficult. The only good thing to come of this for the Ravens is that, whatever happens, they can't get dismantled by the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. My Pack on the other hand (should they, of course, get there ....)

[K]

Headlines:

Titans have eight positive coronavirus tests among players and staff, giving NFL its first outbreak

and

NFL postpones Titans-Steelers game after coronavirus outbreak

[Pies4shaw]

Good. The NFL has to find a way to stop the Titans beating the Ravens in the playoffs.

[Pies4shaw]

Here's the updated power rankings:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-week-4-chiefs-take-back-throne

Chiefs 1, Pack 2. Let's just play the Super Bowl, now.

[K]

Where are we in the season now relative to the pointy end?

I guess SB is still late January...