2018-19 NFL (Week 14)

Games I watched (some of):
Jags 9-30 Titans
Blow out, no fun, game over quick. The talk is that the Jags quit but I'd say they just weren't good enough to stop the Titans offense from the git-go. Henry's 99 yard run is the play of the year!

Saints 28-14 Bucs
The Bucs looked good early on and the Saints were scuffling. But the Saints blocked a punt early in the 3rd quarter and then dominated from then on. The Saints are mortal...and they can turn it around and whomp yo ass in a moment, too. Saints at home are gonna be tough to beat. The Bucs kinda looked for the first half but once the Saints turned up the heat, they couldn't hang.

Bengals 21-26 Chargers
Sloppy game. The Chargers were better throughout but they never could take over the game. The Bengals are in fuck-it mode: they've got too many injuries to win games, I think Coach Lewis is gone, so everyone's just auditioning for next year--which can be fun for the fans. The Chargers kinda took the week off and still got the W, that strategy doesn't always work.

Eagles 23-29 (OT) Cowboys
Boring game for three quarters +, then become a super fun game late. The Cowboys were better, moved the ball, but kept turning it over or stalling late in the drive, while the Eagles never got much offense going. Then in the 4th, they both started burning up and down the field on each other. If the Eagles played this way all the time, they'd be charging into the playoffs but they've been tentative and sloppy all year (can't convert on 3rd down) and looks like they're shutting Wentz down; kinda sorry season. The Cowboys are rounding into shape, still struggling at times on offense but they're gonna be a tough out in the playoffs.

Rams 6-15 Bears
The Rams just never got going, Goff was off, Gurley hardly touched the ball, felt like the Rams were playing possum or trying to shorten up the playbook instead of coming in balls out. The Bears D is really good, man, that pass rush is fierce. Trubisky is a maddening QB, looks good for a while then floats balls over the middle out of the blue, if he keeps the turnovers down to a minimum, the Bears can win games in the post-season.


Other results (surprising):
Pats 33-34 Dolphins
Not a shock to see the Pats lose in Miami, they kinda do that a lot actually, but the manner in which the L went down was eye-opening: 70 yard fluke play with multiple laterals is not the kind of play that beats a Belichik D very often. The Dolphins are not particularly good, especially on the road; the Pats are fine, gonna be a tough out but they are definitely not the favorite in the AFC this year.

Broncos 14-20 Niners
The Broncos were looking pretty good over the last month, they were getting back into the playoff race, felt like a trip to San Fran was winnable, not sure where they faltered. Good W for the Niners, their season has basically just been contractual obligation since Jimmy G went down, not much chance of them being competitive week to week, so any good play must feel pretty good to them. The Broncos need to win out, don't see that happening.

Steelers 21-24 Raiders
The Steelers are a naturally sloppy team, when that offense shows up they can beat anybody but when they don't they can lose to anyone. Case in point: Oaktown Raiders. Remember when the Raiders were on the way up? That was, like, two years ago...how'd they go from coming to ugh so quick?


Other results (not so surprising):
Jets 27-23 Bills
Good W for NYJ, pulled it out late in a road division game, felt like it was going to OT but they went for it, good for them. Both these teams are pretty bad this year, so this result doesn't mean much but the Jets gotta feel good about the W.

Panthers 20-26 Browns
Man, the Panthers had it in their hands, but they've been dreadful for the last month. Their playoff chances looked to be in the bag not long ago, now they are almost certainly out. The Browns, on the other hand, are actually still playoff-eligible, getting rid of Hue Jackson was a godsend for this team. They're not making the playoffs but they've been getting better all year and they're going to end the season on a good note, which is a good thing for a young team. Panthers, on the other hand, might be looking for a new coach.

Falcons 20-34 Packers
Yeah, I get it: the Packers are not good. But neither are the Falcons. Throw in that the Falcons aren't built to play outdoor in the cold on grass and this result should not be shocking even though the Packers just ditched their coach. The Packers still have a chance to go on a run and get into the playoffs but it just doesn't feel like its gonna happen this year. The Falcons were wrecked by early injuries and just kinda flailed around all year, the problem with that is you can't tell how good/bad they actually are, so no telling what they'll do in the off-season.

Ravens 24-27 (OT) Chiefs
Looked like a fun game. Chiefs badass offense (and crappy defense) against the Ravens badass defense (and crappy offense). Yeah, this result looks about right, though the Chiefs at home perhaps should've made shorter work of the Ravens. But the Ravens are a veteran squad, they know how to sludge up even the bestest of offenses. The Ravens are gonna be a tough out in the playoffs (seems like they're in, especially if the Steelers don't bother to win any more games) and the Chiefs are likely the favorite, though that defense really is pretty sorry.

Giants 40-16 Redskins
Ha! The Redskins are down to their 3rd string QB and the Giants have finally given up on life--which is their best chance to win apparently.

Colts 24-21 Texans
The Texans had a 9-game winning streak but this is a division game, anything can happen and in the grand scheme of things this was probably the right outcome.

Lions 17-3 Cards
Two bad teams having a bad game.

Vikings 7-21 Seahawks
These are two teams that I've been wrong about all year long: I thought the Vikings were balanced and set to take off this season (but they've been up and down, at best) and I thought the Seahawks were aging and on the way out (but they've shown great resilience and creativity). I was wrong about the Seahawks because I underestimated how impactful a good coach/good QB combo can be; I was wrong on the Vikings because I overestimated how good their coach/QB combo actually is. This was a playoff game: I think the Seahawks and the Vikings are out.


3 weeks to go:
AFC
(In) Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Pats; (I think they're in) Ravens; (in the hunt for the last spot) Steelers, Titans, Colts; (probably out) Dolphins, Broncos; (out) Browns, Bengals, Bills, Jags, Jets, Raiders

NFC Playoffs
(In) Saints, Rams; (probably in) Bears, Cowboys; (I think they're in) Seahawks; (in the hunt for the final spot) Vikings, Packers, Panthers; (probably out) Eagles, Redskins; (out) Bucs, Giants, Lions, Falcons, Cards, Niners