SUPER BOWL LVI

Hollywood ending, right? Yet another playoff game that wasn't decided until the final drive? The refs insert themselves into the game just when it was needed? And people think I'm a "conspiracy theorist."

The pundits will break down this game in numerous ways, but there's only two that really matter.

One, Rams owner Stan Kroenke (perhaps the most hated person in St Louis, at least among NFL fans) relocated his team to LA basically at the NFL's behest, built a $5+ billion stadium for that move, took a bullet for the league in the ensuing lawsuit related to that move, and then assembled a much-talked about team of "all-stars" by bringing in Matt Stafford, Odell Beckham Jr, and Von Miller. And people are surprised this team won the Super Bowl? I wrote back in Week 3 they had all the story lines needed to be a contender, and well, mission accomplished. Kroenke got his reward.

Two, the refs...as usual. The refs were hands off all game as they have been all post season, really. Ignoring plays like this in the Super Bowl:

Then, when the game was on the line, here came the flags. Even ESPN pointed this disparity out:

This was perhaps the key flag as it helped save the Rams final -- and ultimately, game winning -- drive.

This overlooked one didn't hurt the Rams, either.

I mean, the referees literally pushed the Rams into the endzone to win the game. I don't know how else you can explain it. No flags all game, then when the Rams need a little help, boom! The flags fly, setting up a first and goal. TD scored. Rams win. Even Skip Bayless figured this out.

As usual, the referees tell the media and fans, "Oh well. Tough break." And then walk away.

And that's your Super Bowl. Enjoy it? Realize it was a total rig job? Good. Because it was. Spread the word.

I'll see you in September for more of the same.

PRO BOWL WEEK?

In case you haven't heard, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the team and the NFL primarily for racial discrimination. As bad as that may be, I'm not interested in it. What perked my interest in this was the allegation Flores made within his filing, namely that Dolphins owners Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 per game to tank the 2019 season as Ross wanted to secure the #1 overall draft pick. Flores denied he accepted the offer, yet the Dolphins finished 5-11; however, they did win their final two games.

In support of Flores' case, former Browns head coach Hue Jackson publicly declared that the Browns did something similar by offering him "bonus" money to tank games. He stated he accepted it. During Jackson's full two years with the team, they went 1-31.

Now, I don't know if anyone involved in all of this completely understands what was truly being alleged and admitted. The Sports Bribery Act of 1964 states it's illegal to "bribe" a player, coach or referee to alter the outcome of a sporting contest:

Whoever carries into effect, attempts to carry into effect, or conspires with any other person to carry into effect any scheme in commerce to influence, in any way, by bribery any sporting contest with knowledge that the purpose of such scheme is to influence by bribery that contest, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

In other words, Flores, Jackson and the owners of each team would essentially have broken a federal law. The FBI should be investigating this because it is literally the definition of "sports bribery." Even if they didn't accept the bribe/bonus as Flores alleges he did not, he would still have sat in on a "conspiracy to commit" sports bribery. They should all be in some legitimate legal hot water with these admissions.

Assuming Flores (and his legal team) and Jackson didn't know about the law, it also begs the question of why didn't each coach go to the NFL and/or the commissioner's office with these complaints? I mean, if you thought it was odd or morally wrong for the team owner to offer you money to purposefully lose games, shouldn't you have reported it to someone within the league? If a player, coach or referee is approached in such a manner by gamblers, they are supposed to immediately report it to the league or NFL Security -- or face repercussions of that failure to act. But in these cases, the coaches acted as if this were the norm in the NFL. As if these offers of bonus money for losses were typical. 

Are they? We know full well that NBA teams tank for draft picks. These are all, in my opinion, fixed games. The intent to lose on purpose is the very definition of a fixed game. But sportswriters don't apparently see it as such (I once had an argument with a sportswriter over this -- he hung up on me). In fact, some have written article extolling the virtues of tanking and suggested which teams should tank for their own benefit! Now, suddenly with Flores' case, this is a huge "integrity" issue for the NFL. Well, what about the NBA? Were coaches paid to tank in that league? Were owners like Mark Cuban -- who, remember, twice publicly declared he told his team it was in their "best interest" to tank away two seasons (he was fined $600K for said statements) -- paying "bonuses" when they called upon players and owners to tank? Is anyone going to look into any of this, considering, you know, it's a federal crime if it occurred?

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. But my guess is the "paid to tank" story is the first to disappear no matter how far the Flores lawsuit goes.

AFC & NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

I'm upset at myself for not seeing the Bengals being one of the NFL's chosen teams this year until Week 7. But who knew Joe Burrow would bounce back from injury as quick as he did and that Ja'Maar Chase would be the next big thing at WR? However, I did say that the Rams were one of the few NFC chosen teams back in Week 3, so I can pat myself on the back for that one. And go figure, once again we had two games that weren't settled until the last few moments, much like the NBA.

Bengals v Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes didn't look much like Patrick Mahomes all season. Yet, somehow, the Chiefs reached the Conference Championship game. Mahomes sprung to life in Divisional Round against the Bills, orchestrating comeback after comeback to finally win in OT, and throughout the first half of this game, he seemed to be still riding that high. Then, with just :09 left in the first half and on the Bengals 1-yard line (thanks to a soft defensive pass interference call), Mahomes became un-Mahomes-like. He threw an incomplete pass on 1st-and-goal, and instead of taking a certain 3 points on FG with :05 left, head coach Andy Reid listened to Mahomes and ran another play...which Mahomes essentially botched, ending the first half without adding any more points to their 21-10 lead.

Then, in the second half -- depending on your perspective -- either the Bengals defense woke up or Mahomes tanked the rest of the game. The Chiefs had four drives end in a punt, and a fifth that ended with a Mahomes INT. The Bengals tied the game, and with six minutes remaining, took the lead with a FG. So, here comes Mahomes for the final, potentially game-winning drive. Boom, boom, boom, Mahomes walks the Chiefs down field, setting up a 1st-and-goal on the Bengals 5-yard line with 1:30 remaining in the game. The first down is a one-yard run. Then, on second down, Mahomes fades back...and is sacked. A loss of five yards. On third down, Mahomes scrambles around more, and gets sacked again, fumbling in the process. Somehow, despite three Bengals defenders being on top of Mahomes, a KC lineman recovers Mahomes ill-timed gaff. The Chiefs kicks a much-longer-than-need-be FG to tie and send it into OT. 

The Chiefs win the coin toss (again, as they did versus the Bills the week before), and here comes Mahomes. Only Mahomes throws a bad incomplete pass, another incomplete pass that shouldn't been intercepted, and a then a third pass 35 yards downfield which is intercepted. In the course of his last five plays, Mahomes took a sack, took another sack and fumbled, threw an incomplete pass, a should've been INT, and a true INT. The Bengals then move downfield enough to win the game with their own FG. Super Bowl, here comes Joe Burrow.

I think, and I wasn't alone on Twitter, that Mahomes tanked this game. He won a Super Bowl, lost a Super Bowl (to Tom Brady), and needed to pay the league back for these victories. Hence, it was his time to take a dive. Mahomes didn't throw a pass to #1 WR Tyreek Hill the entire second half until the final INT pass in OT. He suddenly was off-target, and took two dumb sacks which could've been avoided simply by throwing the ball out of the back of the endzone.

But Joe Burrow -- the new "Joe Cool" -- emerged as the new it-QB of the AFC this season. He's a former #1 overall draft pick, a Heisman winner and national NCAA champion, and now a Super Bowl QB. That's someone the NFL can hang its hat on for 10+ years. Plus, the guy has some character, making him even more attractive to the sports media. Tack on a rookie #1 WR in Ja'Maar Chase along with a bunch of talent at the other skilled positions, and Burrow is certainly a star in the making. Never mind that the Bengals O-line is sub-par and allowed Burrow to get sacked nine times in their game against the Titans the week before, the Chiefs D could only get through to get sack Burrow once. Can that bad O-line hold up against the rush of their Super Bowl opponents? Because...

49ers v Rams: The 49ers were fodder. It terms of stories, they really didn't bring any of value to this game or potentially the Super Bowl. Jimmy Garoppolo? Yeah, he'd be about as exciting of a Super Bowl QB as Trent Dilfer or Kerry Collins was. Besides him, it was the Deebo Samuels show and the 49ers good, but not earth-shattering defense.

Meanwhile, on the Rams, you had a virtual all-star team. The team added Matt Stafford -- who no one cared about when he was on the Lions, but suddenly was the most talked about QB in the NFL once he joined the Rams -- Odell Beckham Jr and Von Miller to a stable of stars which included Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. There's some storylines for ya. Tack onto that a pretty darn new $5 billion stadium, which just so-happens to host this year's Super Bowl, and an owner that kinda-sorta fell on a sword for the league in a court battle resulting from his relocation of the team from St. Louis, and you had someone in "need" of a little league "help."

While the refs played hands-off yet again this weekend (14 total in both games: 6 in the CIN v KC game, 8 in this one...6 of which were on the 49ers), they did hit the 49ers for two 15-yard penalties, both of which aided in the Rams mounting a late second half comeback to win the game. It seemed, at times, that the Rams coaching staff were going out of their way to sabotage their own chances. Head Coach Sean McVay challenged two plays (after challenging just one all season) which he clearly wasn't going to win. And he didn't. The second one cost the Rams a second half time out, and in fact, they burned through all three time outs with over 10 minutes still remaining in the game. Then, as they drove down field in a drive that resulted in the game-winning FG, Stafford wasn't taking the clock down to zero before snapping the ball (at the same time, the Rams often seemed to snap the ball when the play clock was well beyond :00 without penalty earlier in the game). This gave the 49ers a slim hope of coming back to tie and/or win as they started their final drive with 1:46 remaining in the game. Then, the Rams defense woke from its slumber and ended the 49ers chances right quick.

So, it's the Bengals v. the Rams in the second-ever home Super Bowl which, again, happens while the nation is still somewhat stuck in a pandemic. This game is a bit of win-win situation for the NFL (as was the CIN v KC game). If the Bengals win, then Joe Burrow ascends to QB royalty which the NFL needs as Big Ben and Brady step away from the game. If the Rams win, then their scumbag owner Stan Kroenke gets a "just" reward for his $5+ billion investment in the NFL and we see a "fitting" end to Stafford's "freedom" from the Lions. Plus, the rest of the Rams "all-stars" get a gold star as well. Burrow getting anointed may be a bigger deal to the NFL, but just getting to the Super Bowl in the manner he did almost guarantees this anyway. So, yeah, I'm picking the Rams to win it, but won't be shocked to see Cincinnati win its first-ever Super Bowl championship.

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Well, that was a complete 180, wasn't it? I knew things were funky this past weekend simply by checking my website's traffic as it increased 5x the normal which means fans saw these games and said to themselves, "something is up." So, they went internet digging and wound up here. Good move for them. They learned the truth.

But why wouldn't you suspect something beyond normal occurred in this weekend's four games. Three ended with a game winning field goal as time expired, and the fourth had the ridiculous back-and-forth in the final two minutes between the Chiefs and Bills before KC pulled it out in OT.  What're the odds all four games would be decided on the last play? The only question is, what can the NFL orchestrate to top it? Perhaps they don't need to as fans will tune into the Conference Championship games and Super Bowl regardless.

So, for those of you who missed it, or who are new to this site, or just want an alternative take to the usual sports reporting, here's what happened:

Bengals v Titans: If things all played out the same without any sort of "Butterfly Effect" in this game, the Titans blew this from essentially the get-go when the decided to go for two after tying the game at 6-6 with a touchdown. Instead of taking the lead which -- again, if everything stayed the same -- would've lasted until literally the end of the game, the Titans went for two and failed, keeping the game at 6-6. Had they been in the lead, even by just a single point, they could've been killing clock at the end of the fourth quarter with their star RB Derrick Henry instead of needing a FG to win because the game was tied. But they needed to score, and Ryan Tannehill did Ryan Tannehill things: throwing an essentially game-ending INT into triple coverage.

No one outside of Tennessee wanted more Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. It's the new "Joe Cool" Joe Burrow show now. The NFL and its media partners have crowned Burrow the new Joe Montana. He's what the people apparently want, and by God, you're going to get him. Building up his legacy now, especially as the "old guard' QBs fade away, is huge for the league. QBs drive ratings. They need star QBs to do that, and the only way you get stars is by creating them. Burrow is one of those guys, and barring injury, you're going to get more and more of him whether you want it or not. This is why Tannehill and the TItans had to go. No star power. Nothing to build on. It's Burrow's time to shine.

49ers v Packers: I think Rodgers tanked this game. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can see what I wrote about him prior to the season started (and FYI, I don't go back and edit this page as the season progresses). Here's the key section:

"IF the NFL was 100% legitimate (and we know it's not), why, if you were the Packers would you want Rodgers back? And why would Rodgers, in turn, give his all to the team this season? If Rodgers does hate the Packers front office as much as the public has been led to believe, why would he try to win a Super Bowl for them? Granted, his ego might not allow himself to "fail." But otherwise, why win the Super Bowl and give that "glory" to a group of people you can't stand? To me, it's set up for Rodgers to tank the season to punish the Packers more than it is for him to try and win it all. Which is why, if I were the Packers, I would've shipped him to some NFL Siberia to play out his final days. But we'll see what further drama the NFL can spin this into as the season progresses."

By all accounts, Rodgers will win the league MVP. That's an individual award. That's for him, and him alone. He did that. But winning the Super Bowl, well, that's a team achievement which means those guys in the front office he despises will benefit from such an outcome. I don't think Rodgers wanted that. So, he went out on Sunday night, delivered that opening drive for a TD, and in his head thought, "Yeah, I can beat the 49ers," and then coasted for the rest of the game, waiting for the rest of his teammates to implode. They did. Spectacularly. And the Packers lost. Rodgers can now walk away -- maybe from the game entirely -- as the MVP.

Rodgers is an odd duck. The more I hear from him -- and the more he pisses off the sports media establishment -- the more I like the guy. But I think he gets how this game is really played. He knew he would never be the G.O.A.T., never break the records Brady has now set, and perhaps with his outspoken way, see another Super Bowl given that the NFL wasn't about to give him the "help" needed to reach such heights because of his mouth. So, why fight it? Let Jimmy G and the 49ers be the sacrificial lambs to whomever the NFL wants to win the Super Bowl this year.

Rams v Buccaneers: Tom Brady is done. I didn't think we'd get a repeat of last year, and I didn't think Brady would get the Peyton Manning type of send-off. It's too cliche. And while Brady and the NFL have profited off each other for a long time now, Brady was going to have to finish as a loser at some point. This might just be the point. While he didn't get the farewell Big Ben or Brees did, Brady still had one final "omg" moment on Sunday to leave by.

Let's face it, the Rams have been the main NFC story all season. Their all-star roster was the talk of the league all season long as they gradually added Stafford, Beckham, and Miller. And while their ownership was in legal hot water over their relocation from St. Louis to LA, all of that got settled rather quietly out of the mainstream sports media's eye. But the league needs to re-establish a franchise in LA, and since the Rams were the ones who foot the multi-billion dollar bill to build that new stadium in LA, they shall reap said rewards.

Of course, it couldn't happen without some drama. So, the moment Al Michael invoked the famous 27-3 Super Bowl comeback from Tom Brady in the past, the Rams took a 27-3 lead early in the third quarter. And wouldn't you know it? The Bucs, led by Brady, came storming back to tie the game 27-27 with under a minute to go in the game. Now, it took not one, or two, but three LA fumbles plus a missed FG for that to happen, but dammit, it happened.

Then, the Bucs brains vanished. They didn't bother to cover Cooper Kupp who streaked down the middle of the field for the new-and-improved Matt Stafford to drop a bomb on, and boom. Rams win on a last second field goal (as had become the norm -- this was the third game this weekend to end on such a fashion). Brady, bloody lip and all, was out. The Rams advance. That's what a $5 billion investment in the NFL buys you.

Bills v Chiefs: I'm not sure how to summarize this game besides saying it was ridiculous. I thought the Bills would win to (A) help get the Bills a new stadium in Buffalo and (B) to further build up Josh Allen. But even with this loss, in the fashion in which it transpired, did both things. It showed the Bills are contenders and ever-so-close to being Super Bowl contenders so that the "Bills Mafia" will demand a new stadium. And Allen's "heroics" in the losing effort further cemented his role as one of the NFL's the-future-is-now QB stars.

If you missed the game, here's the key moment(s): The Bills, down 26-21 in the fourth quarter, put together a lengthy, clock eating drive, but it looks like it's coming up short as it's fourth down at the two minute warning. No matter. Josh Allen completes a 27-yard TD pass to take the lead. Then the Bills convert the two-pointer to go up by three. In the blink of an eye, Mahomes connects with Tyreek Hill for a 65 yard TD, and the Chiefs retake the lead. But in another blink of an eye,  Allen completes another TD pass and the Bills go back up by three with a mere :13 left in the game. It's over, right? Wrong.

For reasons still unknown, the Bills kick the ball off into the end zone rather than kicking in any fashion to force a return an eat up some of those precious few seconds. So, armed with all three time outs and needing just a FG to tie, here come Mahomes and his uncovered WRs. Two quick, big pass plays later, the Chiefs are in easy FG range. The kick is good. It's on to OT where the Chiefs get the ball, do Chiefs' things, and win on a TD.

"GREATEST PLAYOFF GAME EVER!" screams social media and everyone else. Sure. Fine. Whatever. I like fairy tales, too.

There were four penalties called in this entire game, but not a taunting flag on Tyreek Hill when he clearly taunted the Bills DBs as he ran in his 65 yard TD pass. Point of emphasis, right? Not here. No offensive holding anywhere to be found here, either. In fact, the entire weekend was essentially penalty free and very, very hands-off by the NFL's refs. The "let them play" mandate has been handed down, and the refs are capitulating.

Can't wait to see what the NFL has in store for us in its final three games.

WILDCARD WEEKEND

Well, that certainly didn't live up to its "wild" moniker. What a bunch of crappy football games. When the most talked about event of the weekend was an "inadvertent whistle," you know it was boring. So, here's quick breakdown of what did occur on this least wildest of weekends:

Raiders v. Bengals: This was the home of the aforementioned inadvertent whistle. Late in the second quarter, Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw a TD pass that should have been negated because the play was dead due to some official blowing his whistle (maybe because Burrow looked as if he was out of bounds when he threw that pass). Here's what the NFL said happened:

WEEK 18

a.k.a. The Clown Game(s)

There were a series of events that took place on Sunday which defy rational explanation. They all happened in order, and had to happen in order, for them to matter to the NFL and its fans. If you read through this and think to yourself, "well, that's odd, but it doesn't show any signs of manipulation," then I'm simply sorry for you because you're obviously a sap, a rube, or a complete knucklehead and there's no hope for you. Here's what transpired:

Colts v. Jaguars. This was to be known as "The Clown Game." The Jaguars are the worst team in the NFL, both record and seemingly talent-wise. Fed up, their fans were to ban together and show up to the home game dressed as clowns to send ownership a message (which would be completely ignored, but that's besides the point). It was so known and feared, some of the Jaguars' corporate sponsored wanted to pull their support prior to the game so as to not be associated with it all. Seriously.

The Colts held their playoff destiny in their own hands. Win, and they were in. Beat the worst team in football, and your ticket is punched.

Then came kickoff, and the Jaguars DOMINATED. I don't need to go into the details -- which were difficult for any Colts fan to stomach -- but midway through the fourth quarter, the Jaguars were winning 26-3, and won 26-11.  They had no reason to play "spoiler" to the Colts. They actually had more to lose by winning because with a win, the Jaguars could/would lose their No. 1 overall spot in next year's draft.

But the Lions did them a favor. See, the Lions were sitting in the No. 2 overall draft pick slot, thanks only to a tie they had with the Steelers earlier in the season. They played the Packers -- the NFC's #1 seed -- and a loss to the best team in football would vault them over the Jaguars to claim that coveted No. 1 draft pick. Even with Aaron Rodgers playing the entire first half of this "meaningless" game, the Lions led at halftime 17-14. Despite the Packers taking back the lead in the second half, the Lions -- another team with nothing to play for -- rallied and won, 37-30. This cost them the No. 1 draft pick, thus "rewarding" the Jaguars for upsetting the Colts.

This turn of events meant two things: the winner of the Steelers v. Ravens game would be in the playoffs...as long as the Chargers v. Raiders game didn't end in a tie. As if that would happen, right?

So, the Ravens were at home but missing their star QB Lamar Jackson who had sat out the previous three games, and might not be healthy for the Wildcard round of the playoffs. What did they bring to the table as a playoff team? America had just witnessed the farewell of Ben Roethlisberger on Monday Night Football six days earlier, a total love fest, and wow, wouldn't it be great to see Big Ben get another playoff run? In a battle of relative ineptitude, sure enough, Big Ben pulled it off and the Steelers won in 16-13 barnburner.

The rest of the games this afternoon mattered little. Only the 49ers v. Rams game had any significance, and oddly enough, the moment the Seahawks knocked off the Cardinals to insure the Rams won the NFC West, Rams QB Matt Stafford threw a game-ending INT, sending the 49ers to the playoffs. 

But then as usual on Sunday Night Football, things got really weird. Only a tie would knock the Steelers out of the playoffs, and for some reason, this fact was discussed ad naseum throughout the day and throughout this game. And wouldn't you know it, somehow, someway, at the end of regulation, the game was tied and heading into overtime. It was ridiculous.

To get to that point, a lot of things needed to happen. And happen they did. The Chargers went for it on fourth-and-one(ish) inside their own 20-yard line. In the third quarter. They didn't convert. The Chargers committed twice as many penalties than the Raiders (that alone was a sign something was afoot this night), including this play which was ruled pass interference in the end zone:

WEEK 17

So I started the New Year with the stomach flu. Such a good time. But this meant that I once again really didn't pay much attention to what transpired this week because, well, I'm not one of those people with a TV in my bathroom.

There were two "given" games this weekend. First, with the passing of John Madden, you knew the Raiders were going to win. They already had the commemorative sticker on the back on their helmets come Sunday. So, was anyone surprised when they kicked the game-winning FG on Sunday to beat the Colts? I wasn't.

I'm old enough to clearly remember John Madden the announcer. And I remember fans of all stripes hating his moronic commentary, especially as he and Pat Summerall aged out of relevance. But that's forgotten now. The league-wide moment of silence made that irrelevant. But it was interesting to hear all of the John Madden talk. Because, if you paid close enough attention to it, he wasn't being honored for what he did to the game. Even though he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach, his true legacy to the NFL wasn't as a coach. He was being honored for what he did for the TV networks and the at-home audience. That's where he mattered. To making the NFL more TV friendly. For putting FOX Sports on the map. For the EA Sports video game franchise. For the freakin' turducken. He didn't revolutionize the sport of football in any way. He helped change the way the game was consumed by its audience, and that meant billions to the owners. That's why Madden was honored while poor Dan Reeves, another great coach with Super Bowls in his past who died this same week, was left as a footnote. Madden was football on TV, and that's where football made its money, on TV. That's why he is now memorialized.

The other sure thing came on Monday Night Football. It was billed as "Ben Roethlisberger's Final Home Game." Well, did you really think the Browns were going to upset that apple cart? Of course not. The Browns played like trash, sacrificing poor, injured Baker Mayfield to the Steelers defense (and nine sacks), so the ESPN crew could heap praise on "Big Ben" while completely forgetting those sexual assault/rape chargers that nearly ended his career years ago. Thank goodness he was able to get that final kneel down in the victory formation at the end of the game, huh?

Both of these games were gift wrapped. With a bow on top. There was ZERO chance of either the Colts or Browns winning because it wouldn't be good for the home fans and TV audience.

There were only two real surprises this weekend. The Bengals upset the Chiefs with Joe Burrow out-Mahoming Patrick Mahomes. Few saw that coming. But Burrow is exactly the type of player the NFL can hang its hat upon. He's a QB, a #1 overall draft pick, talented with a big arm, and he has a personality, but not the type that will turn people off to him (a la Aaron Rodgers). He's potentially a new Peyton Manning, and wouldn't the NFL love to see that? Burrow and the Bengals can potentially go far, especially if he can keep connecting with Ja'Maar Chase and the rest of the Bengals young WR crew. This game, this win, established all of that firmly in the heads of NFL fans. The Chiefs didn't need this game at all, but Cincy did. Giving them a win -- and from my understanding, a new officiating crew was brought in at the last minute to officiate this game -- did wonders for Burrow's Q-rating. Though I doubt they see the Super Bowl this year, if he can stay healthy, Cincy could be there in 2022 or 2023, easily.

The other shocker was of the completely weird sort.

WEEK 16

This week's post sucks. I'll admit it. But it was Christmas and what kind of lonely soul does nothing but watch the NFL during Christmas? Not me, and hopefully not you, either. In fact, I paid almost zero attention to the NFL this week, yet I still managed to catch about one minute of the Browns v Packers games. What did I see? I saw the Browns have the ball at midfield, with all three time outs, and needing a FG to win the game. Then I hear Joe Buck (maybe another announcer, who knows?) say that the Browns have rushed for over 200 yards in the game. So, what do the Browns proceed to do? Bench starting RB Nick Chubb, and throw three straight passes -- the last of which is intercepted (on a completely missed/ignored defensive pass interference non-call: see below). Maybe that's just "the Browns being the Browns," but c'mon,  what kind of end of the game plan is that? Did you just willingly give the Packers a Christmas gift? It was all I needed to see of the game.

The NFL is becoming a lot like the NBA in that you only need to tune into the last maybe five minutes of the game to know what's what. Many, too many if you ask me, games are coming down to the final drive, final two minutes, or even final seconds. This is especially true of prime time NFL games (Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nighters). Don't believe me? Check out one of my followers' list of games this season if you've forgotten what's transpired recently:

But if that's true, you say, what the hell happened in the Sunday night WFT v Cowboys game and the Monday nighter between the Dolphins and Saints? The answer, my friends, is a lot of bad football. Look, they can't all be nailbiters. If they were, even the dolts out there would catch on that something was up. But in the case of the Sunday night game, the Cowboys jumped out to an early lead, the WFT's defense got into a fistfight on the sidelines, and then they essentially quit playing. Ain't no amount of referee interference going to fix that to keep it close. And as for the Monday night affair, the Saints were so covid-ridden (down 20 players I believe...but no rescheduling the game for them, go fig) that they had to start their 3rd string rookie QB who, believe it or not, looked like a 3rd string rookie QB which the Dolphins' defense teed-off on for something like eight sacks and two interceptions. Again, no amount of flags was about to make that game look competitive. That's the way it goes sometimes.

So, where do we stand for the playoffs? In the NFC, it's the expected subjects who are already locked into place: the Packers, Rams, Buccaneers, Cardinals and Cowboys. Which just so happen to be the five teams I said "mattered" and we're going to be Super Bowl contenders back in Week 3. Two other NFC teams have to make it in, but whatever two of these teams -- 49ers, Saints, Eagles, Vikings, Falcons, WFT -- indeed reach the playoffs, they are fodder. There's no story lines within any of those franchises that matter and make for good TV. But the NFL's playoffs demand seven teams, so two more will be added by default.

As for the AFC, all that Brady v. Belichick Super Bowl talk dissipated rather quickly, huh? But the Patriots are somehow still in the mix. Otherwise, only the Chiefs have clinched. My expected playoff teams from Week 3 included the Chiefs as well as the Bills, Raiders, Ravens, Browns, and Chargers (who were whooped by the Texans somehow this week). The Bills are a lock, but my other selections are fading and/or in need of a bit of the NFL's "help" to get in as the Titans, Colts, Dolphins and aforementioned Patriots are somehow alive. I expect two of the these "other" four teams to not make it (one of the Titans and Colts are in because someone has to win the AFC South). The biggest "wild card," and a team I admittedly forgot about when making my Week 3 predictions, is the Bengals. Joe Burrow -- who threw for 525 yards and four TDs this week -- is becoming a story, and by default, that means he's dragging the rest of the Bengals with him. The big question for the AFC in these next two weeks is which QBs are "sexier?" Do fans want Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones? Or Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, David Carr, and Baker Mayfield? I have a feeling, barring injury, the latter grouping is more appealing to the NFL and likely to advance.

Finally, I just found this funny. The Panthers were well on their way to losing to the Buccaneers 32-6, but Panthers' WR Robby Anderson was still mighty proud of his catch and (unnecessary) celebration.

WEEK 15

Where do we start? With bad officiating? With bad play? With Covid? Choices, choices, choices....

Let's start with covid. Remember at the beginning of the season when the NFL not only warned players to get vaccinated, but threatened teams with losses if too many players tested positive and couldn't play? I do. Most everyone does. But did the NFL stick to its word? What do you think as a pair of games kicked off on Tuesday. This led to some interesting takes on Twitter, including this gem:

Yeah, ol' Tommy boy there lost his temper (and his two starting WRs and his starting RB) as the Buccaneers were shut out at home against the Saints in an exciting 9-0 barnburner. This lost cost the Bucs the #1 seed and a bye in the NFC...for now. And their potential Super Bowl opponents the Patriots also lost this week. Will that end all of the Brady v. Belichick Super Bowl talk? (Answer: no, it'll only damper it for now).

Speaking of poor play, the Cardinals -- who were the NFC's #1 seed -- lost, yes lost, to the Lions. The 1-11-1 Lions. It was a rather historic loss.

I get the "any given Sunday" thing, but come on. If this league is legitimate, there's no way the Cardinals lose to the Lions. None. Yet, the Lions won easily 30-12. Can anyone explain that rationally? I doubt it.

In the real Monday Night Football game (not the forced into being Monday Late Afternoon Game), the Bears lost to the Vikings. No surprise, right? But as much as the Bears did their typical Bears stuff, the refs appeared out to get them to insure the Vikings remained in the playoff hunt with a win. Check out this play which NFL officiating attempted to justify as a low block by the Bears player:

The refs shouldn't be "controlling" games at all. Be we all know they do. And Quinn, amongst others, think it's gotten out of control.

They aren't "that far off," Tony. If they were constantly that far off, they would be unemployed. I know I would be at my job if I screwed up that often. But not NFL officials. Best job security on the planet. But what he's referring to is a blatant pass interference call on the Rams defense that went unflagged, and because of the non-call, the Rams ended the Seahawks drive to attempt to tie the game near the end of the 4th quarter. it was literally a game deciding decision by the refs. And they ruled -- incorrectly -- in the Rams favor. Oh, well, Seahawks fans. Better luck next year!

WEEK 14

One of these two plays resulted in penalty on the player running out of bounds on a punt return. Can you guess which one it was?

If you selected the play in which the Packers "gunner" ran literally behind the Bears bench full of players, only to stop upon running into one (or more) standing along the sidelines, you would be wrong. No, the penalty was on the Bears player. This was significant because the Packers return man muffed the punt and the Bears recovered (for a TD, if I recall), but it was all nullified by the penalty. See how consistent NFL referees are when they enforce the league's rules in a game?

Of course, this is again one of those "fans will forget about it by next week, if not tomorrow" plays. Did it cost the Bears the game? Probably not. Did it negatively affect the Bears' chances? Certainly. Does anyone care about this play now on Wednesday when I write this? I doubt it, especially since the Packers were supposed to win this game. Had the Packers lost, and had the play been flip-flopped team-wise and contributed to the Packers' loss, then it might still be a big deal. But because it was the Bears. Pfft. Next!

This is partially why the NFL won't repair its broken officiating. Why bother? Fans forgive and forget (for the most part), regardless of which team is affected and how games are altered by this behavior.

Another behavior that affects outcomes, and which I talk much less about here, is player effort. From the same Packers v Bears game:

Quite possibly, that would've been a TD run by Bears QB Justin Fields had WR Allen Robinson held his block until the whistle blew. Instead, he half-assed it and Fields went out of bounds. Can you really blame Robinson though? The Bears were 4-8 on their way to 4-9. Would maximum effort on that play really changed anything? Maybe. Maybe not, but maybe.

But in how many other games and how many other players have done just as Robinson did on this play during the course of the season? Not lived up to those cliches (Give 110%! Take it to the next level!)? And how many plays were affected by such behavior? How many games have been tilted because a few players, just on a handful of plays, kinda said, "ah, f*ck it. I'm not bothering?" Who can count?

Now, is this intentional? Is it part of "the fix?" Yes to the first part, and well, maybe to the second. Yet even if it's "no" to the second, it's still affecting the outcome of games. Whether it's officiating or players' effort, all of this adds up and can sway outcomes. And at this point in the season, when the playoffs are already being set in place, do fans really care about it?

Remarkably, 14 of 32 NFL teams have either 6 or 7 wins with 13 games played. That's a lot of mediocrity, or a lot of parity at work. But all of those 14 teams are still in the playoff hunt. Really, only six teams are done for the year: the Bears, Lions, Jaguars, Texans, Jets and Giants. Which means with four weeks in the regular season yet to be played, there's a lot of "meaningful" football remaining. Still, we all know which teams matter. I don't even have to type their names out because you know who they are. The rest is just misdirection to keep fans hopeful and guessing. But all of those teams are fodder for the chosen few.

There was a lot of bad football this weekend. It made me wonder: why aren't there more blowouts like the Chiefs beating the Raiders 48-9? In big time college football, even when a #2 meets a #5, often it's a lopsided, uninteresting affair. Why isn't there more of that in the NFL? Is it because NFL players are professional? Teams are more evenly matched? Few differences in coaching schemes? What is it? Could it really come down to the NFL -- and by extension, its referees -- simply won't allow these things to happen if they can help it?

The Monday Night game between the Rams and Cardinals seemed to clearly be leaning in the Rams favor all night. Early in the fourth quarter, the Rams were winning 30-13. It was over. Then, suddenly with a little "magic," the Cardinals made it a 30-23 game. A recovered on-side kick -- the fourth one recovered by the kicking team this weekend -- made it suddenly feel as if the Cardinals could tie it with less than a minute remaining in the game. But then the refs stepped in, threw two could've-been-overlooked flags on the Cardinals, and the Rams won. But this all felt orchestrated, as if directed from above, to knock the Cardinals out of sole possession of the #1 seed in the NFC (creating "drama") while helping the Rams recover from a recent skid.

Again, another blowout was avoided. TV doesn't want blowouts. The advertisers don't want people tuning out, either. So how is it that games are often closer than they should be, even if a team, like the Cardinals on Monday, were dominated for 3+ quarters? Seems a bit too good to be true for the NFL's sake, doesn't it?

WEEK 13

OR: The Fix Is In Attends an NFL Game

A friend of mine offered me a free ticket to the Cardinals v Bears game at Soldier Field in Chicago. To the best of my recollection, the last time I was in Soldier Field was when my father took my brother, his friend and I to a Monday Night Football game in the early 1980s. The Bears played the Vikings, and I think the Vikings won 55-10. It rained. It was very cold and windy. Even as a maybe 10-year old kid, the thrill of the event passed me by the end of the first quarter, never to return.

The last football game I attended was at Lambeau Field probably 10 years ago when my lawyer (long story) gave my wife and I his season tickets to a Monday Night Football game as a gesture of good will. Oddly enough, the Packers played the Vikings, too. The weather was better and the Vikings won yet again, but I lost personally as I had to be the designated driver for my wife and two of her friends who, let's just say, "over imbibed" that night. It was a long, long night and an even longer drive home for me. Never-ending long.

So, my history of seeing the NFL live and in-person wasn't extensive, but somewhat memorable for all the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, a free ticket and time spent with friends made me cast aside those memories and take another chance. This was the new and improved Soldier Field. How bad could it be?

If you've never been to Chicago, you're lucky. If you've never been outside in Chicago in December, standing alongside the lakefront when it's in the mid-30s, windy and raining, you're doubly blessed. But this was exactly the situation I found myself in upon exiting my car -- after I nearly died twice and got lost attempting to find the proper parking lot (because Soldier FIeld is 100 years old and in the middle of downtown Chicago, there really is no specific parking lot for the stadium. Just several lots dotted around the general vicinity. They are color coded, but good luck spotting the sign for the lot you want/need to park at). To dress properly for such conditions is to prepare for war with Jack Frost himself, and by mid-way through the second quarter, I had lost.

Despite the remodel on Soldier Field, traversing the atrium around the main level was difficult, and at halftime, impossible. The walkway is maybe twenty feet wide, with food counters lining the outside, and for some reason, other food kiosks dotted along the inside. This means when seven total people in line for refreshments in the same section, the entire walkway is blocked for people wanting to walk through. It's an instant and compact log jam. No sort of remodeling can improve on this inane design. I almost hate to write this, but seriously, the Bears could use a new stadium with more interior space and real, honest-to-goodness parking available. (And no, I'm not being paid to write this. It's just an honest observation compare to other sporting stadiums I've been to over the years).

Besides these complaints, I learned two important things attending this game. Deep down, I knew both of these, but the first-hand experience really reinforced them. The first is an NFL game is meant to be consumed on TV. Now, the seat I was gifted was a prime seat: sixth row on the 50-yard line behind the Bears bench. Despite such an excellent view of the field, the first TD, which was a pass to the Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins, I couldn't see. My angle on it was bad, and because the TV camera crew somewhat blocked that corner of the endzone, all I could really see was Hopkins skidding out of bounds. It didn't look like an inbounds catch from my vantage point, and until we in the stadium were told it was in fact a TD, no one in the crowd knew this for certain either. If "the best seats in the house" don't allow fans to see all of the game, all of the time, are they really that great?

It was nice to watch a game without the likes of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman chattering on and on. That wasn't missed at all. And despite the stereotypical "the speed of the game" talk, it was quite easy to follow the action on the field. The NFL and its referees need to stop hiding behind this excuse for missing certain calls. I could focus on the offensive line and spot holding (uncalled, of course) from my seat. Why can't they?

What TV really does for you -- besides allowing you to watch the game without enduring rainy, 30 degree weather -- is it sucks you into the action. With all its little bells and whistles, TV pulls the viewer into a game in a way that seeing it live does not do. It immerses a fan completely in the sport. You can't escape it when its on TV as opposed to watching live in-person. This seems counterintuitive, but I found it to be true. The stadium, its sights and sounds, the food and drinks, the people around us, it all distracted me from the supposed action on the field. But on TV, nothing but the game exists. And that's what they want...until they want to sell you something.

The other fact is NFL fans are beyond dedicated to their sport. No matter how much talk of the truth of "the fix is in" is made, you won't break them of this love.

I walked through a gravel parking lot along the lakefront. The wind kept any flag flying straight and stiff. The cold rain pelted and stung my face. And yet, I saw hundreds of fans huddled around charcoal grills, sipping beers, and laughing it up under makeshift tents and tarps as if it was 70 degrees and sunny. The weather didn't matter. They didn't feel it, or perhaps, they didn't care. They were there for a good time, and not the weather, not the crappy parking situation or stadium floor plan, or even the Bears terrible play was going to dampen the day for them. They wanted that distraction from regular life. They craved that entertainment. And dammit, they were going to enjoy it.

Maybe in the back of their heads they knew the truth. They knew this wasn't that fun. There were better ways to spend their day, and certainly cheaper forms of entertainment available in the city. But it wasn't "Bears football." There was only one product that goes by that name, and a certain badge of honor clings to attending a game in person that doesn't come with watching it from home. You can't strip that away from these people. And honestly, in some ways, that's fine. Enjoy it, if that's your thing. I've never set out to stop people from watching the NFL (or any sport). I just want fans to understand what it is they are consuming. That this league is really a big, multi-billion dollar business and with that comes a lot of unclaimed baggage.

But unless I get another free ticket, I'm not about to darken the door of another NFL stadium.

As for the rest of the NFL this week, here's more of the same from the refs:

WEEK 12

So, now that I've suggested a possible Brady v. Belichick Super Bowl, I've seen two articles -- here and here -- suggesting the same thing. The only difference is both authors believe it'll just "happen." Organically. Not that the NFL will shove it down our throats by manipulating games to get the matchup it and the network(s) desire.

I didn't think the Patriots had a hope of reaching the Super Bowl this season. And honestly, I didn't think we'd see Brady and the Bucs back in the big game either. If this were to be the Super Bowl matchup in Super Bowl LVI, well, I think my job here is done and I can walk away from this with my head held high because such a fantastical matchup proves what I've been writing and talking about for nearly 15 years here.

Back in Week 3 I said these were the likely Super Bowl teams:

AFC: Bills, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, and Browns.

NFC: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers, Cardinals, and Rams.

How are my predictions doing? Well, Tampa Bay is still alive obviously. And the Packers, Cowboys, and Cardinals are winning each of the other divisions. The Rams, who looked so strong early and have collected an All-Star roster by adding Odell Beckham Jr and Von Miller, have suddenly struggled. Matt Stafford, who the media adored upon landing in LA, has quickly lost that luster with each successive loss. The story is now that Stafford is dealing with a slew of "injuries" which are affecting his play. This may be true, and if Stafford can't play as the league needs him to, the Rams are toast. However, there are no other real contenders in the NFC. The 49ers? The Saints? The Vikings? The Eagles? The Reds....er, WFT? None are building story lines, and without a story, well...no league help. And without league help, you're not going to win. I doubt I'm wrong with my early season choices.

Now, I clearly didn't have the Patriots in the AFC. No one did. They were trash last year, and without Brady, no one seemed to care that the franchise existed. But with rookie Mac Jones behind center, they are a "legitimate contender," despite Jones being average at best. Yet, the Bills are still solidly in the mix (remember, they "need" a new stadium) as are the Ravens and Chiefs who are atop their respective divisions. The Chargers, Raiders and Browns are in playoff contention, too. While the Chargers have no excuses as to why they are barely over .500, the Raiders have had their share of issues -- the Gruden emails, Ruggs DUI leading to a woman's death, and more -- and the Browns have had injury issues, including QB Baker Mayfield. All of this can be overcome by each franchise, and needs to be fixed quickly, otherwise the "help" isn't likely to come. The only other team I "missed" on is the Bengals, and while they certainly have playoff aspirations, Joe Burrow and company are still a year or two (at least) away from a Super Bowl.

In Week 3, I knew who the Super Bowl teams were going to be (minus the Patriots, and again, if they face off with the Buccaneers, that's all the proof you'll ever need in regards to this all being an entertainment product manipulated to achieve the best matchup and associated TV ratings). But what's the point of all these game, then, if a dope like me can see the writing on the wall? Good question, no? Why do we need all of these analysts on TV breaking down film for fans? Why do all these sportswriters need to spend all that time typing up so many "think pieces?" Why do websites pump out advanced analytics and buzzwords like "DVOA" when, in the grand scheme, these stats are meaningless? These industries survive and thrive on fans who can't see the proverbial forest through the trees. If they keep fans off balance with all this news and information, they won't see what's right in front of them: 10 teams matter. The rest are filler. And the 10 that matter only do so because they feature "stars" or "story lines" that sell. And it's likely the two best stories of these 10 will be chosen to play in the Super Bowl, no matter what the stats and analytics claim to say. That's the NFL in a nutshell. Prove me wrong.

FYI, I'm actually going to attend an NFL game on Sunday. My first in maybe 12 years. I'm only going because the ticket is free (and about the 10th row on the 50 yard line). I'll report on my experience next week.

WEEK 11

Wow. I almost forgot to make a post about this week's games. They must've been sooooo exciting that this completely slipped my mind. I can sum up pretty much everything with about four tweets. See if you catch on:

Here's a new interview I recently gave to the Joe K'Amo show, recorded Tuesday 11/16. Enjoy!

WEEK 10

You know all the cliches players like to throw out about playing the game: "always give 110%," "take it to the next level," etc. Teddy Bridgewater really lived up to that on this play after throwing an INT, didn't he?

No explanation followed that play as far as I know.

But the league's referees aren't off the hook. No, even Pro Football Talk (an affiliate of NBC Sports) isn't happy with officiating either.

I wonder why this may be? Could it be calls such as these?

The second of these moronic calls, the hit on Tannehill, erased an INT. Maybe it wasn't completely "game changing," but it kinda, sorta was. Which brings up a point: why are the Titans so good? Well, some team has to win the AFC South. It's not going to be the Jaguars or the Texans, so who do you want? The Colts or the Titans? Neither QB is great, and while you could argue Wentz is a better story, if Derrick Henry can return from his injury, he's probably the biggest star on either of these teams.

But as a fan of mine, Patrick, pointed out to me this week, the Titans are in "need" of a stadium upgrade. The team is not demanding a new stadium -- even though theirs is 22 years old *gasp!* -- yet the Titans are looking to the city for some cash for these "much needed" upgrades. Is there a connection? How cynical (or logical) are you? And is a similar "need" the reason why the Bills are a Super Bowl favorite? Because Buffalo wants more than just a few new seats; the ownership there is demanding a new stadium "or else."

The Packers also had a sale of their "stock" in which 300,000 "shares" are going up for sale for $300 a crack. While the stock does make you an "owner" of the Packers (an oddity in all of pro sports), it doesn't go up in value, it cannot be resold, and really, is worthless. But it's going to raise a bunch of money for a team with some $250 million in reserve...and this comes days after the league fined the Packers $300,000 for "covid violations" surrounding Aaron Rodgers.

Meanwhile, in the Packers last game, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll seemed to think the refs handed the Packers a home win over his squad. Is he right? Well, he's not completely wrong, that's for sure. Because when it comes down to subjective calls -- which these "bad" calls were -- it's all a gray area which is interpreted in a variety of ways. None is completely wrong. None is totally correct. But it all seems to go the NFL's way, doesn't it?

One last thing I want to mention here. While I still stand behind my earlier prediction of which teams matter this season, the sudden rise of the Patriots makes little sense...unless...and this is a big "UNLESS"...the NFL pushes a Bucs v. Patriots -- that is to say a Brady v Belichick -- Super Bowl. I mean, minds would explode over such a rematch. The regular season match-up was over-hyped as it was. But a Super Bowl? KABOOM!!! Don't discount such a thing just yet. Money talks. Always.

WEEK 9

The story of the week should've been Las Vegas Raiders WR Henry Ruggs killing a woman and her dog in a 156 mph car accident. Instead, it was Aaron Rodgers and his "immunized" status. I'm not about to get into Rodgers' health choices and all that went along with it as the sports media had their torches and pitchforks out for a NFL star they once embraced. What interests me is how the NFL handled all of this (or really, didn't handle it).

Now I know many have labeled Rodgers a "liar," but no one seems to be denying that the Packers, the NFL, and potentially a few in the media were well aware Rodgers did not get vaxxed, despite his "immunized" comment. If this was the case -- and again, no one has said this is what he was lying about -- then why did the NFL wait until Rodgers tested positive to react and/or punish him and the Packers? Being a non-vaccinated player, Rodgers clearly, without a doubt, broke NFL protocols repeatedly, beginning in the preseason when he didn't wear his mask while on the sidelines during games. But because the NFL never did step in and fine/punish Rodgers and the Packers for these violations -- which the league knew he was committing -- this "incident" is considered his first violation of the rule. Such a response is kind of like saying we can prove he robbed 18 banks, but because we arrested him redhanded just now, those other robberies won't count against his record.

So, yet again, the NFL rules are shown to be subjective -- even when it relates to off-the-field incidents. So it's very likely the punishment the league dishes out in this instance will be minimal (a $14K fine for Rodgers, and $300K for the team -- just announced as I was writing this), and Rodgers will have to mask up moving forward. More important to Packers fans may be that all the hubbub around Rodgers' "lies" will cost the team any further "help" from the league. With the media turned against Rodgers (hell, even Terry Bradshaw freaked out over Rodgers' statements), the shine on the Packers may have faded right quick. Let's see what sort of protection Rodgers gets once he returns to the field.

Speaking of the Packers, let's go back to two of the plays from their Thursday night game against the Cardinals last week. In one play, Rodgers was pulled down from behind with the Cardinals defender yanking him down by his number. Rodgers turned to the ref mid-tackle, looking for a "horse collar" penalty which never came because the play was legal. Well, in the Vikings v Ravens game this week, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was tackled in exactly the same fashion, but the Vikings were flagged, extending the Ravens first quarter drive. During the last play of the GB v AZ game, the Packers CB wrapped his arms around Cardinals WR AJ Green prior to intercepting the ball which everyone labeled a "great play." In the Sunday night game between the Titans and Rams this week, late in the fourth quarter, a Titans CB made the exactly same play against a Rams WR by wrapping his arms around him and guess what? It was flagged as illegal contact. So, two plays -- with the exact same interaction between players -- were ruled in two completely opposite ways by the referees in charge of the game. If this doesn't sum up what's wrong with NFL officiating, I don't know what else does.

Despite this, fans are eating it up:

NFL fans apparently are fine with plays like this being flagged as "roughing the passer":

And no real issue when a ref hip-checks a player...after deciding him staring at the opponent's bench after a big sack is "taunting."

Of course, there was a lot wrong with the officiating in the Monday night Bears v Steelers game which seemed to give the game to the Steelers. When a source like Pro Football Talk tweets out/states such things, it should make you wonder what went on Monday night.

This should make all fans, not just disgruntled Bears fans, take notice in a game decided by two points:

The thing about it is, just like Rodgers and his multiple violations of NFL vaccine protocols, nothing is done to NFL referees when they make, what seems to be to everyone else, mistakes. No fines. No suspensions. No firings. No nothing. Just play on. This, to me, is proof positive that these "bad calls" are not really bad calls, but calls the NFL wants its officials to make. The NFL wanted the Steelers to win Monday night, therefore, it instructed its referees to give them "help" when and where subjective calls could. Hence, you get lopsided penalties which favor one team over the other, but no reprimands from the league over this blatant favoritism.

Before I go this week, let me just point out a few other "NFL oddities" this week (which all seemed to benefit the bookmakers this weekend). The Packers are forced to use Jordan Love in his first ever start against Patrick Mahomes and the Packers cover the spread. The Browns cut All Star WR Odell Beckham Jr, and beat the Bengals outright. The Cowboys get their All Star QB Dak Prescott back and get crushed by the Broncos. The Titans lose their All Star RB Derrick Henry and go into LA and beat the tar out of the Rams. The Cardinals are without their All Star duo of QB Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins (and lose their starting RB mid-game), but no worries, they wipe the floor with the 49ers. And everyone's favorite to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl -- the Buffalo Bills -- lose to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars 9-6. Uh, ok? Any given Sunday, right?

You really buying that?

WEEK 8

First, a little baseball. When I was a kid, I was much more of a baseball fan than a football fan. I could watch baseball all day long and still want more. This past month or so, when I've been down with covid, I had a chance to watch a lot of the baseball playoffs. I can't stand the sport anymore. Despite the fact that I was watching "the best" MLB had to offer in the playoffs, it's a terrible product. Analytics has seeming turned the sport into a matter of home runs vs. strike outs, and little else. It's not the game I once knew and loved -- prior to all of this The Fix Is In stuff -- and it doesn't appear to be coming back.

That said, the World Series was kind of interesting and odd at the same time. From the AL side, the Houston Astros -- the much maligned, "caught red-handed cheating but who apparently cares?" Astros -- were on a redemption tour and reached the Series. The NL representatives were the Atlanta Braves, whose home state and stadium were not good (read: not woke) enough for MLB a few months ago and had the All Star Game ripped away from them. Now, the Braves played host to the World Series which couldn't be taken away, no matter how many times the fans did the Tomahawk Chop. Of course, this series went to six games -- more games, more money, something even the RAND Corporation realized back in 1968 went it issues a report titles "Has the World Series been Fixed?" (conclusion: yes). But perhaps Game 5 was the most important of the series because the Astros winning Game 5 (a) prolonged the series, (b) didn't allow the Braves to win it at home (still punished by the league for the same reasons it lost the All Star Game?) which kept MLB commissioner Rob Manfred from being soundly "booed" by the Braves fans, and (c) since Game 5 was on a Sunday and up against the NFL, having it conclude in Game 6 (or 7) freed up space in the sports media world for it to garner all the possible attention it could by being the only game in town on Tuesday. Funny how that all worked out for MLB, no?

Ok, on to football.

Amazing the difference a week can make. Last week, there wasn't much of note in the NFL. This week, the league's old tricks were on full display right from the bat on Thursday night in the game between the Packers and Cardinals. If it's a prime-time game, it must come down to the final two minutes and/or drive, right? I mean, that's been the norm this season. The Packers seemed to have the game won, but there was still time for rising star Kyler Murray to heave another "Hail Murray" and get the Cardinals a victory. And it seemed like that was about to happen when this play took place:

Everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- asked, "what was AJ Green doing on that play?" My response was, "waiting for the penalty flag." But it never game. The Packers CB wrapped both arms around Green during his route. I've seen less called pass interference, or defensive holding, or even illegal contact. But no flag appeared. Game over. The Cardinals were the last undefeated team to fall, and this new "instant classic" of a game sets up a rematch somewhere down the line in the playoffs (probably) because the game drew huge numbers:

WEEK 7

This week was a total nothingburger. There were only three games which were determined by one score. Of course, two of these were prime-time games (Thursday's Browns v Broncos game and Monday's Saints v Seahawks). The rest were really blowouts. And thanks to my lingering covid fatigue (which is starting to become more of a bother to me than my hospital stay), I napped through most of the NFL's nonsense. There were no real "game changing" penalties or non-calls, and there was no real controversy this week. Of course, there was this gem of a play in which the "Football Team" weren't given a touchdown -- despite clearly being a touchdown -- thanks to the NFL's new rule on QB's "giving themselves up" because, you know, safety:

That's only not a touchdown on Planet NFL. In the rest of the universe, it's six points.

What this week's games did more than anything was to establish the "powers that be" in the league, team-wise. Back in Week 3, I wrote that the Super Bowl was going to come down to two of these teams:

AFC: Bills, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, and Browns.

NFC: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers, Cardinals, and Rams.

Yes, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have fallen apart, but there's still 10 games to go. And while I feel less confident about them, I still think they can/will make the playoffs. They just don't need a third Super Bowl berth this early in Mahomes' career. He's been established enough for the next decade of play. The team I may have overlooked -- but not by much -- is Joe Burrow and the Bengals. They may make a push as the hype train surrounding them surges. But the rest of the teams, I stand by. And this week just further established them as the contenders and everyone else as pretenders. Sad, isn't it, that it's already been sorted out and we're not even halfway through the season?

So, since there isn't much else to say at the moment, here's an interview I did on Monday night the 25th if you want to give a look/listen. Newbies to my ideas might find it quite interesting.

WEEK 6

The New York Post, which had the guts to actually ran a two-page story on yours truly in the past, tweeted this out:

I'll be honest. I didn't read the article that tweet links to, but I don't need to. You don't need to read it either if you're here visiting this website. You get it. You understand. There's one thing for the NFL's officiating to be bad, and then there's where it actually stands today: bad, potentially correctable, but left alone because the league (and certain teams) are benefiting from these "bad" calls. I mean, this is actually a thing that happened Sunday:

The NFL could correct that. They could make sure a dumb call like that isn't made and doesn't potentially affect the outcome of the game. But it doesn't. And it doesn't appear as if it will anytime soon. So, ask yourself, why? The league added an "eye in the sky" this season, wherein certain plays -- no one seems sure as to which -- are instantly reviewed by the league to "speed up the game and make sure calls are correct." But it's not every play. If it were, then coaches wouldn't need those little red flags. And it's not to call penalties, or to force the on-the-field refs to pick up flags on incorrectly called penalties. So, what, exactly, is the "eye in the sky" doing? What's its purpose? And why is it employed haphazardly?

For example, the "eye in the sky" could've corrected this overlooked offsides:

But it didn't, nor can it. But "missing" this easy call cost the Bears. Did it cost them the game? Probably not, but it didn't help. And possibly being ahead 10-0 or 14-0 on the Packers might have been enough to sway the game the Bears way. Instead, the ensuing interception led to a Packers TD and the score was soon tied. A nudge here and there by the officials can do more than fans assume. Just ask the Cowboys after they nearly escaped from New England with a win:

The "Fixed Game of the Week," however, wasn't the Bears v Packers or the Patriots v Cowboys or even either of the Sunday or Monday night "nail-biters" played between the Steelers and Seahawks and the Bills and Titans (but those two one-score games were certainly suspect). No, the really doozy was the Thursday Night prime-time affair played between the Eagles and Buccaneers.

Of course, the game went Tom Brady's way. That's not surprising. No one thought the Eagles had a hope of winning this game, and they didn't. But these are the sorts of calls -- which, again, went the Bucs' way -- which should make all NFL fans wonder what's going on:

What was really strange was the entire game flow. The Bucs jumped out to a 21-7 halftime lead. No surprise there. Everything pointed to a blow out. And soon after the Eagles went three-and-out on their first possession after halftime, the Bucs drove back down field and scored to push it to 28-7. Then, Tom Brady couldn't complete a pass...until it mattered. The Eagles made it a 28-22 game, going for an unusual two-point conversion when the score was 28-20 (which was odd given the accepted point spread was Eagles +7, meaning with that two-point score, the Eagles covered despite losing). So, just as it seemed the Eagles were in it and made a blowout an "interesting" one-score game -- as most prime time games this season have been -- Brady re-found his form, and put together a 12 play drive to seal the victory. But nothing about this game, especially in the second half, felt right. It felt orchestrated, as if Brady knew to take it easy to keep the game close, without having to worry that the Bucs wouldn't win.

These are the games that really bare close attention. No one call changed the game. No real controversy stirred the pot. And no one expected the Eagles to have a chance anyway. But this game felt manipulated. That's what matters. It's not that the NFL is always attempted to "fix" games to get certain teams a win. I believe that does happen. But these smaller manipulations that make games closer and/or more "exciting" than they should be is the real issue because it's more subtle and more effective on fans than they would think is possible.

Oh, and the Raiders won despite losing head coach Jon Gruden to the "email scandal." A couple more wins like this, and perhaps a playoff berth, will make fans -- and owner Mark Davis -- forget the entire affair rather quickly. Most NFL pundits will forget it in a matter of weeks no matter what the Raiders do on the field. But that's the point. These emails already proved that the likes of ESPN's "NFL insider" Adam Schefter routinely plots and plans with the league to do their bidding (all while profiting from his sad behavior), kind of like I've been telling you about all along. The leagues and the networks are in this together. NEVER forget that.

WEEK 5

The news story of the week is certainly Jon Gruden quitting as head coach of the Raiders over 10+ year old emails he exchanged with former Washington team president Bruce Allen. There's a lot to unpack here, and from a few different angles. So let's start here:

If you're unaware of the details behind Gruden's scandal, this Wall Street Journal article is a good overview. However, and this is one of my biggest bugaboos on this entire story, is that the author (and nothing against him because he's not alone) based his WSJ article on reports of Gruden's emails. He hasn't seen them. In fact, I'm not sure who outside of the NFL has actually seen/read the real emails. I want to see the real deal, not someone quoting from those emails. And if you're unaware, the investigation into the "workplace culture" in and around the Washington Football Team (back when they were the Redskins), somehow revealed approximately 650,000 emails. And we, the public, are only aware of four or five of them in which Gruden -- back 10-11 years ago when he was working for ESPN on Monday Night Football -- apparently ended his career today. What the hell's in the other 649,995 emails? What were the responses to Gruden's offensive language? What else was written, and by whom? Of course, there's no FOIA for a private company like the WFT or the NFL, so who knows? And who knows when, if ever, we even get to see a fraction of any of those emails -- and if we get to see the real deal as opposed to some writer's take on those emails.

Not to defend what Gruden wrote in those emails, but he had to resign while literal criminals are currently playing -- and being hailed -- by the same pundits who demanded Gruden and his "bad language" be punished. KC Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill has been accused of both domestic and child abuse, but who cares? Newly signed Chiefs WR Josh Gordon has been suspended by the NFL six times for various drug issues, but welcome back! Former Chiefs RB Kareen Hunt, now starring on the Cleveland Browns, was cut when a video of him hitting and kicking a woman was released, but no prison, no problem. That's just three players off the top of my head. There's more within the ranks of the NFL who've done far worse than use offensive language in an email. In fact, I wonder how the talk in some locker rooms really sound? Is Gruden really that much of an outlier that he needed to be removed this instant from his head coaching duties? Not my place to say, but I feel confident in writing that plenty of other NFL players, coaches, and front office people have said much worse than what's in Gruden's emails.

Lastly, think about those emails a moment. They were private, and sent 10+ years ago. What if, just what if, someone got a hold of those and approached Gruden to say, "Look at these, Jon. Remember these? Probably be pretty bad if these somehow got out and were seen by the public, wouldn't they? Might cost you your job in this ultra-woke atmosphere we find ourselves in. Now, what say I make these disappear and you do me a favor? What's this weekend's spread on the Raiders game?" Catch my drift? Embarrassing photos -- like those of Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer that came out recently -- can be used against someone. So can damning emails. So can a lot of things. Gruden's emails weren't (at least I don't think they were) used in such a fashion, but certainly they could be. When your back is against the wall, some people are willing to do just about anything to get out of such a situation. If Gruden had an out -- even if it meant throwing a game -- would he have done it to save his career?

That tweeted stat needed to be updated as it became 19 games thanks to the Monday Night Football game. And go figure:

Some of this was thanks to the sudden ineptitude of NFL kickers. In the Packers v Bengals game alone, there were five missed field goals (and an extra point). All of the FGs were missed in the 4th quarter and overtime -- which makes one wonder why neither team pushed harder to either (a) score a TD or (b) at least get closer for their failing kickers. In the MNF game between the Colts and Ravens, even though they reported their kicker was battling an injury, the Colts "played" for the FG with about five minutes left in the game to go up two scores. That FG attempt was blocked. The Ravens scored, tied the game to send it to OT, and promptly won the game thanks to that coaching decision. In total, 12 extra points and 12 FGs were missed just this week. If you want to make games interesting for both casual watchers as well as bettors, these 24 missed kicks will do just that.

Now, for my favorite tweet of the week:

Now, you might be asking "which game was this ex-NFL player referring to?" Does it matter? Bad calls abound. The Browns v Chargers game turned on a "bad call" which benefited the Chargers. The London game between the Jets and Falcons was marred by a "roughing the passer" call which wasn't really roughing the passer. The Bills v Chiefs game (which was the game in question here) had several calls -- which went mostly the Chiefs way -- that were questionable enough to cause Al Michaels to say on SNF, "the refs are calling everything tonight."

This is your NFL today. Enjoying it?

WEEK 4

Did you hear that Tom Brady was returning to New England to play against his former team? You had to be a hermit living in a cave to avoid the news. I was actually amazed that the Brady v. Belichick match-up on Sunday Night Football was only the second most watched SNF game ever. I thought for sure that it'd be number one given the hype and the importance added to the game. Goes to show what I know.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game was the betting on it. Despite it seeming to the public that Tampa Bay is/was the better team, and the public betting its money on that side all week long, the line on the game didn't budge. It stayed pretty close to TB -7 all week up until kick off. The bookmakers were comfortable needing the Patriots to cover, and cover they did, as they lost -- after nearly winning on a 56-yard FG that hit the upright (magnets?) -- by only two points, 19-17.

Most of the calls on Sunday Night went the Patriots way, leading one prominent sports writer to take note:

The refs blew an offsides call against the Steelers on what should've been a block FG attempt returned for a touchdown. Instead, it was a penalty and rather than going into the locker room at halftime up 17-14, the Steelers "penalty" had them down (and ultimately out) to the Packers 17-10. Momentum shift? Certainly. Did it cost PIT the game? Can't say, but being up 17-14 with the Packers getting the ball after intermission would've been a better position to be in than the one they found themselves, wouldn't it? Here's the play, along with the perfect Twitter response:

And you also know trouble is afoot when the NFL's own PR guy is calling their games the "ultimate reality show:"

I mean, he's not wrong. The NFL is just another TV show. To hammer that point home, consider this final tidbit from the CBS "Game of the Week" in the 3 pm time slot (which was the PIT v GB game). It's all a show, people.

WEEK 3

It seems kinda crazy, but after Week 3 you can almost cross some teams off the list of playoff contenders, and for others, you can pretty much punch their ticket right now. Let's be honest, the NFL is a quarterback driven league, and not just in terms of talent, but also in relation to fan interest and TV ratings. Last season, the only team that made the NFL successful ratings-wise was Tampa Bay because Tom Brady was their QB. Amazing then that Brady not only reached the Super Bowl, but won it. Not much has changed this season.

The media is in love with Matthew Stafford and the Rams this season. In. Love. They could care less when Stafford was a member of the Lions. But now in Sean McVay's offense, Stafford is "reborn." The Rams will be in the playoffs. And since the Super Bowl curse was broken last season (thanks to Brady), there's a shot they make the Super Bowl this season when LA's new $5 billion stadium plays host. Yes, it would be a repeat, but doesn't the Rams ownership "deserve" something for that $5 billion investment in the NFL?

Oddly enough, the LA Chargers are also getting a lot of love thanks to their second year QB Justin Herbert. The Chargers were completely jobbed in Week 2 in their game against the Cowboys -- but the Cowboys couldn't start 0-2. So, the Chargers came out in Week 3 and took it to the Chiefs. Could it be possible the NFL presents us with a "cross-town" Super Bowl with both LA teams getting into the Super Bowl? It would one-up last year's home Super Bowl, but it might be too much of a stretch, even for the NFL. (Plus, LA wouldn't get a tourism bump having both home teams in the Super Bowl). But it would be one heck of a story, wouldn't it?

So, did the media's love for Patrick Mahomes die? First, they drop a Sunday night game to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, then they lose to the Chargers -- and a lot of it was due to Mahomes play. His "gunslinger" ways backfired dramatically in both games which, of course, brought some consternation from the media. A lot of "what was he thinking?" which no one seemed to care about when he was completing those no-look passes. I'm sure the Chiefs are still a playoff contender, but a third-straight Super Bowl? Probably not.

The Ravens are likley playoff bound as well, thanks to Lamar Jackson. Yes, it took a miracle on Sunday night to beat the Chiefs and a second miracle in the form of a record breaking 66-yard field goal (which bounced off the crossbar before going over) and an overlooked delay of game penalty (which should've made it a 71-yard attempt). But the media loves Jackson even though he's not much of a passer. With Burrow and the Bengals looking very average and Ben Roethlisberger looking a year past retirement, the Ravens only competition are the Browns. And Baker Mayfield and his commercials may give them an edge in that division, both teams will likely make it. Interestingly, take this into consideration in regards to the "missed" delay of game call that saved the Ravens. These might be two true "company men" for the NFL:

WEEK 2

I'm sure you don't want to hear me complain, but Week 2 of the NFL season still had me in the firm grips of covid brain. The strangest symptom I've dealt with is the inability to sleep. At best, I sleep for 60-90 minutes during which time I dream/hallucinate wildly, and then I wake up as if I was out for a week, but it was an hour. It's like time doesn't operate normally between 11 pm and 6 am for me. It's killer because I dread going to bed (which most sick people look forward to), and from my understanding, it's a common complaint for covid patients.

Although I did kinda/sorta watch NFL football this weekend, I really don't feel I have the ability to comment on what went down. What I did notice from watching a lot of TV, including more ESPN than I've seen in years (the hospital TV didn't have many channel choices), is the OVER-REACTION to every game, especially after Week 1. The hyperbole coupled with the commentary after certain teams won/lost was RIDICULOUS. I know ESPN has been dying for the NFL to re-start, but my God, how they over-analyzed and over-deconstructed every single play/game is insane. I can't believe anyone not hospitalized actually sits there and absorbs this coverage.

The only game I kinda/sorta absorbed Sunday was the Cowboys v Chargers game in LA. It seemed to me, even in my stupor, was that refs were doing everything in their power to insure the Cowboys did not start 0-2. Every call, and there were a lot of them, went against the Chargers. They weren't all penalties, either, although many were called. I think the Chargers lost 2 TDs to penalties, and they lost the game on a last second FG.

Here's two things I caught on Twitter which stood out to me:

WEEK 1

Um, I have no idea what happened in Week 1. On August 31, I tested positive for covid. The next five days, I ran a 100-102 fever. When that broke, the respiratory symptoms kicked in heavily. Five days later, I required hospitalization and oxygen (did not need a vent, thank God). So, I was in the hospital for 6 days, then sent home with supplimental oxygen to recover which is where I am now.

I feel like an 80-year old man. No energy. No stamina. Can't do much of anything. But working my way back to full health.

For full disclosure and for your own information, I know where I caught this disease. It was at my high school reunion as at least 10 other people also tested positive in the same time frame I did (there were maybe 40 of us at this reunion). I am not vaxxed. Of the people who I know tested positive, half were vaxxed while half were not. I was the only one to get so sick as to require being hospitalized of the group. Also, I know from speaking to my doctors that my body for some reason did not create antibodies to fight covid (no idea what variant I have) which probably led to my severe issues. I was given a plasma infusion in the hospital which is what I think kick started my system and got me feeling better. So, I honestly cannot say that being vaxxed would've prevented my outcome because the vax may not have really worked for me/my system. But I had never before been hospitalized for anything in my life until this past week.

I'm not about to tell anyone to get vaxxed. I believe it's a personal choice, and it's up to you to weigh the risks. This was my experience. It was not (and is not) enjoyable. At all. It's going on three weeks.  But again, my outcome might have been "bad luck" given what happened to others in my group that also came down with covid. I hope you and yours stay safe, and that if you should fall ill with covid, your results are better than mine.

Hopefully, I can wrap my brain around football for Week 2. But at the moment, I make no promises.

PRESEASON

Well, here we go again....

I was honestly hoping I wouldn't be available to write a weekly review of the 2021 NFL season. With a little luck, that still may be true. If the planets align and some higher power intervenes, I may get my wish and be whisked off to engage in a very exciting project. But until that comes to fruition, I'm here and ready to fulfill my fans' wants and needs in regards to calling out all of the hypocrisy the NFL and their media partners dish out.

There's been two stories of note this offseason. The first is the Aaron Rodgers saga. There were a lot of headlines related to this. "Rodgers wants out of Green Bay." "Rodgers demands the GM is fired." "The Packers will trade Rodgers." "The Packers won't trade Rodgers." "Rodgers is set to be the new host of Jeopardy!" "Rodgers will never wear the green-and-gold again." "Packers demand mutliple first round draft picks for Rodgers." "Rodgers misses all of Packers off-season workouts." "Rodgers set to retire." Blah, blah, blah.

First day of actual training camp, Rodgers is right where he was at the end of the 2020 season, starting QB for the Green Bay Packers. What to make of all of this? Personally, I think he really does have a beef with the Packers. I also think he realizes Green Bay is a dead-end and the NFL isn't about to help them to another Super Bowl championship. So, he wants out. But the Packers (and the league), can't allow a player to dictate what's what (like players in the NBA often do these days) which forced them to play hardball with Rodgers and keep him locked in with the team. If he retired, fine. The league will move on without him. He's a cog. And despite the endorsement deals, he's not a particularly well-loved cog, even in Wisconsin (and especially after this drama). Eventually, the team and league forced Rodgers to eat crow and crawl back to where they demand he plays. If he plays ball, they'll let him do his thing -- next year -- under management's terms.

IF the NFL was 100% legitimate (and we know it's not), why, if you were the Packers would you want Rodgers back? And why would Rodgers, in turn, give his all to the team this season? If Rodgers does hate the Packers front office as much as the public has been led to believe, why would he try to win a Super Bowl for them? Granted, his ego might not allow himself to "fail." But otherwise, why win the Super Bowl and give that "glory" to a group of people you can't stand? To me, it's set up for Rodgers to tank the season to punish the Packers more than it is for him to try and win it all. Which is why, if I were the Packers, I would've shipped him to some NFL Siberia to play out his final days. But we'll see what further drama the NFL can spin this into as the season progresses.

The other big offseason news revolves around the somehow still ongoing pandemic and the covid vaccine. I'm not about to get political in this space, nor am I about to debate the pros/cons of the vaccine. That's not why you're here. What I do find interesting with this subject matter as it relates to the NFL is twofold: one, how the league and its media partners are breathlessly reporting the vaccination rates of each team (NBC's Pro Football Talk being the most prominent that I've seen, especially on Twitter). They are also basically outing players who choose not to get vaccinated. What the hell does it matter to fan how vaccinated or not their favorite team's players and coaches are? Just go play football. Two, why it may matter is that the NFL announced that there would be no make-up games for teams that had to shut down due to a covid outbreak. In other words, a covid outbreak could cost a team a win. Or in even other words, if, say, the NFL wanted/needed an under-performing team to get into the playoffs, claiming a player/team tested positive (whether or not true) could now get the league the win that team needs without even stepping out onto the field. If it happens, just remember you read it here first back in August when I posted this.

The video embedded in the tweet below came out just a few days after I posted this, but it's necessary to note because this is what the NFL is telling its media partners, and by extension, the fans, will be its new point of emphasis moving forward:

Remember when holding was a "point of emphasis" two years ago and flags littered the field? That's what's coming with this emphasis on "taunting" which is even more subjective than holding was (or should be). So, moving forward, how many first downs are going to be rescinded (or given) because one player did something a ref considered "over the line?" How many outcomes are going to be shifted because of this?

We'll see soon enough because I am certain that this will come into play in a major fashion because it's another perfect way to alter the flow of a game within "league rules." And as you should be well aware by now, league rules are very much open to interpretation.

This was a late, pre-season delevopment as buried in this ESPN article. Here's what the "worldwide leader" wrote:

Games will be decided by people behind the curtain

The NFL will have two methods for backstopping officials this season, and both will add a measure of mystery that didn't previously exist in the administration of the game.

First, owners approved additional responsibilities for the replay official sitting in the press box of each stadium. Those officials are authorized to provide the referee with certain objective information, gleaned in real time from television broadcasts, and the referee can use it to make or change a call without requiring a coach's challenge.

Second, the NFL will use multiple league employees to make decisions on formal replay reviews following the retirement of senior vice president Al Riveron. A league source said that senior vice presidents Walt Anderson and Perry Fewell will now supervise the process. Vice president of replay Russell Yurk will be involved as well, but to this point, the NFL hasn't identified who will be making the final decisions.

Until now, every NFL officiating and administrative decision during games has played out in front of our eyes. We saw who threw flags, and we knew when officials discussed options. When the referee went to the hood -- or more recently, the tablet -- to look at a replay, we understood whom he was talking to and who was ultimately responsible for the decision. In 2021, at least, that process is shaping up to be murkier and less transparent. Referees might get advice from an unseen assistant, and replay decisions will be made by unidentified individuals.

Not everyone will care, especially if it leads to better-officiated games. But some of these calls will affect the outcomes of games, and we won't always know who made them, how they made them or why.