We put a lot of blowouts behind us this last weekend. While the blowouts made a lot of people unhappy and irritated, I didn’t mind. Honestly. Because what that means is, some really great teams are going to match up this weekend. I am excited for each game this weekend, and I think each one has something unique to offer. I am happy we discarded those bad teams last weekend, because there isn’t a bad team left in the bunch. Let’s get into it, annnnd… let’s get into some non-football stuff too.
Listicle of the Week: What player on each remaining team is underrated - NFC edition
The idea of something being underrated is clearly a very subjective thing. What makes someone underrated requires an assessment of both their value and their recognition, both of which can tricky. Here, I just want to highlight some players who don’t get a lot of attention for doing a great job, but deserve it.
Green Bay Packers: Eric Stokes CB
Eric is a rookie cornerback in his first season with Green Bay. The Packers first round pack came into this season as a critical piece of the Green Bay defense. The Packers already had an All-pro level cornerback in Jaire Alexander, but their second cornerback spot was an absolute black hole1. Stokes was drafted to fill that hole. He has done a great job for a rookie and turned an enormous weakness into a strength. His emergence was critical for the Packers and he delivered. He is not the rookie of the year, but he is just as important for Green Bay as Micah Parsons was for Dallas.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea DT
It’s hard for someone on the Bucs to be “underrated” because they got so much press last year, but I think it’s possible Vea is underrated, because he is incredibly dominant, and he is probably the 15th guy you hear about on this team. Vea is a world class run stuffer. Look at this. He regularly just throws elite players back at the quarterback. The Bucs have had the best run stuffing defense in the NFL for the last several years, and Vea is the first, second, third reason this is the case. His dominance inside in last year’s Super Bowl was a huge part of their victory.
Los Angeles Rams: Andrew Whitworth LT
Andrew has been the Rams anchor at LT since 2017 when he came over from the Bengals. Whitworth has been playing at a high level his whole career, including multiple Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selections. This year, he put together another solid year as one of the best pass blockers in the NFL. Why is that so impressive? Andrew is 40. Even at the end of a long, prolific career, Andrew remains a top tier LT, and a critical piece of the Rams success. Whitworth will be much tougher to replace than most fans realize if he misses this week with his knee injury.
San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Juszcyzk FB
Despite a shortage of normal vowels in his name, Kyle is the best player in the NFL at his position and a perennial Pro-Bowler (6 straight). So how could people not know who he is??? Well… he’s a fullback. Fullback has become a nearly obsolete position in the NFL. There is good reason for this. Most fullbacks were essentially just smaller offensive linemen. Teams figured out that you were better off having all five of your skill position players be… skilled. The 49ers have held onto Juszcyzk because he does offer skill. He can catch. He can run between the tackles in short yardage2. Most importantly, Kyle Shanahan likes to move him around the formation like a chess piece, seeking to unbalance the defense. With fewer teams playing defense with the focus of stopping the run, Juszcyzk elite blocking ability gives them a unique advantage most teams don’t have, and it’s a main reason why they can plug and play almost any running back and get huge yardage.
Worst Quote of the Week: Darren Rovell’s actual race card
Self-anointed sports business insider Darren Rovell fired off this beautiful, soon-to-be-deleted tweet the other night in an effort to defend himself from allegations of racism. This is a master class in how NOT to defend yourself from claims of racism. First, owning3 black memorabilia is not a defense against racism. Literally all it takes is money, and everyone knows wealthy people buy stuff as investments. Second, saying you have black friends doesn’t help anything. Imagine the pressure you have just shifted onto said “black friends” to now justify whatever it is you have said or done. If you actually have black friends, do them a favor and leave them out of this. Third, don’t go on a Miami U spaces event and tell everyone you own Rosa Parks’ signed NAACP card. THAT IS LITERALLY PULLING OUT A SIGNED RACE CARD. Don’t be like Darren Rovell.
Last Week: 2-1
Over/Under: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs Under 54.5
By far the highest over/under of the playoffs so far, this one is just too big. While it is certainly possible for these teams to get this high without hotboxing, I am just not buying it. These teams just had two of the greatest offensive explosions in history last week. I think just the law of averages indicates it is coming down. On top of that, these two teams aren’t jokes defensively. The Bills had the number one scoring defense in the NFL, and the Chiefs are demonstrably better than they were early in the season. I don’t think either of these teams will dominate like they did last week, and it would only take one to have a bad day (and there were plenty for both this year) to miss this high number.
Spread Pick: San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers -6
The Packers dominant throughout the season, and they get a San Francisco team that has struggled and battled their way faithfully to this point. I think the Journey comes to an end here for San Francisco. Jimmy Garoppolo still struggled last week and has a thumb injury and it’s likely they go separate ways in the off-season, or at least it’s feeling that way. The Packers are getting a number of key pieces back on defense and are almost fully healthy. They are at home and can probably win any way you want it. While it is expected to be cold, it is not going to be windy or snowy after the fall. There is no reason to think the 49ers will win this game. Don’t stop believin’ the Packers can cover too.
Money-line upset pick: Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +135
I am worried about the Bucs. They got a very overmatched Eagles team in the first round that was not playoff worthy. The Eagles also played to the Bucs strengths for whatever reason. The Rams will not be doing that. The Rams have the tools to take away Tom Brady’s favorite options, and to generate a big pass rush without blitzing. I also worry Matt Stafford will expose the weakness in the Bucs secondary. The one saving grace for the Bucs is being at home, but I don’t think it will be enough.
And the other game, I guess: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans -3.5
I’ll take the Bengals with the points here. I actually think Tennessee will win, but I think they will be hard pressed to get a big edge. I think Joe Burrow and crew can cover at least. This is the game I have the least feel for. I am not sure how a young team like the Bengals will do in their first road playoff game. I am not sure who is really, truly healthy for the Titans. I am not sure if the patchwork Bengals line can hold off an dominant Titans front. I’m not sure if we will get good Ryan Tannehill or not. This one is a bit of a mystery.
Fun non-football item of the week: This video
This isn’t a new video, but you absolutely should watch it if you haven’t already. It just gets me every time. Ahhh. That’s the good stuff.
Listicle of the Week 2: What player on each remaining team is underrated - AFC edition
Tennessee Titans: D’Onta Foreman RB
While most fans are foaming at the mouth for the return of Derrick Henry, I am not sure it is going to be the massive upgrade people think. Foreman has been roughly a statistical doppelganger for Henry. What’s more, this isn’t because of some sort of change in how teams account for him. He faced almost the exact same amount of players in the box as Henry. I am choosing to interpret this as: D’Onta Foreman is a lot better than you realize. I don’t think Henry is overrated. I just think Foreman is also quite good. I expect them to split carries, and I don’t think that will be a problem.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tee Higgins WR
Overshadowed in the brilliance of Ja’Marr Chase this year, has been the quiet excellence of Tee Higgins. While he obviously isn’t the superstar that Chase is, he is still a fantastic player. People lose sight, sometimes, of the fact that wide receivers don’t usually come into the league and immediately become elite. Many great receivers take a few years to develop, like Davante Adams. Higgins’ last 6 weeks (that he played) of the season he AVERAGED over a 100 yards a game and also added 4 touchdowns. That is FANTASTIC for a second year wide receiver. The Bengals actually have a 1, 1A situation at WR, and I am not sure people realize that.
Buffalo Bills: Tremaine Edmunds MLB
Tremaine in in his fourth season in the NFL and already has two Pro-Bowl trips under his belt. In the past, a tremainedous middle linebacker would have drawn a lot of attention, but now, this is less common. Today’s middle linebackers get much less attention, because running the ball has been so de-emphasized. The heroic run stuffer is a relic of the past. In it’s place are players like Edmunds, Fred Warner, and Darius Leonard who are as comfortable in coverage as they are bringing down a running back. Unfortunately, batting away a pass just isn’t as sexy as blowing up a RB in the hole. While he will never get the glory of a player like Ray Lewis, his versatility is an enormous asset.
Kansas City Chiefs: Juan Thornhill FS
Juan's is a name that most people other than Chiefs fans wouldn’t recognize. I am not here to paint the picture that Juan is an elite player, or even a very good one. What I am here to say, is that he was a good enough free safety that the Chiefs were able to sit human-bananas-foster4 Daniel Sorenson and actually have a functioning secondary. His ability to play mediocre football has alleviated a black hole in the Chiefs secondary and opened the team up to play a normal scheme again after struggling in the first half of the year.
Streaming Recommendation of the Week: The Expanse
The Expanse is wrapping up it’s final season (for now) on Amazon Prime, and it is worth the investment. If you have been putting off trying it, now is the time. All the episodes will be there. You can binge watch to completion. The Expanse is the best Sci Fi show I have seen in a long time, easily being better than recent incarnations of Star Trek. What makes the Expanse so interesting is how geo-political sentiment is explored/exploited, the nuance of the characters involved and their viewpoints, the more realistic take (albeit still far from reality) of space exploration and use, and the total elimination of the glamorization of “space”. Space is viewed as grimy, dark, dangerous, and, above all, uncontrollable. This is a much more cynical take than you would see from a Star Trek series, but it still finds time to show meaningfully developed, positive characters. It is not without it’s weak plot points, non-sensical coincidences, and over-the-top acting in places. It’s not perfect, but it is worth the binge if you love science fiction like I do.
Requiem For A Team: Detroit Lions
What went wrong? Nothing? Can you say that about a 2-14-1 team? I mean this very sincerely. The Lions knew they would be bad. That was the plan. They entered the season with very little talent, a new coaching staff, a bad QB, and limited cap space. They were just as bad as you would have expected. But… they found some things. Amon-Ra St. Brown was a revelation. Before injury, D’Andre Swift looked good. Penei Sewell had a good rookie season. And the team played hard all year for Campbell, without really ruining their draft pick.
What do they need? More good players. They have holes all over the team. Obviously Goff is not a long term solution at QB. The defense lacks playmakers at every level. The skill positions are still thin, especially at WR. They will have good draft picks. If they can hit them, they will get a little better next year. Once the cap cleans up for good, they can target other young players to add as well via trade or FA.
Who should they draft? They have to be hoping home town hero Aidan Hutchinson falls to them at the second pick. Hutchinson dominated down the road in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines, and they need pass rushing help. After that, they have an additional first and high second round pick. Perhaps a QB at that point if there is a good option, and help for the secondary would be huge. They need to stick with best player available at this stage.
Who should they sign? The Lions status, location, and where they are in a rebuild indicate most major free agents are either not going to be interested, or be too old. Still, some names they could target include: JC Jackson, Jesse Bates, Michael Gallup, Mike Williams, Marcus Williams, and Marcus Maye. They need to avoid “win now” moves and focus on the long term. These are all players still fairly early in their career who could help solve key problems5.
Q and A section: As usual, real questions from real readers… unless they aren’t.
Q - If you could have one attribute from one NFL player- which player and which attribute would you choose? @tweet_wes
A - Ryan Fitzpatrick’s personality/attitude. I know most people would pick an incredible physical skill like leaping, or being fast, or throwing accurately or far. For me, I desperately wish I was more positive. Fitz’s seemingly unwavering joy, positive attitude, and generally beloved status are things I simply could never do, but would be so helpful to my life. I struggle to be positive, and often wish I could be more encouraging and upbeat to others, while I tend to get bogged down in who I am and what is going on with me. I don’t hate who I am, but having depression and an anxiety disorder sucks and I wish I didn’t have those things. I really admire his attitude, and it seems like setbacks never keep him down long, even as he admits he has them.
Q - A wizard (let’s say Gilbert Arenas) tells you he can give you the ability to fully communicate with one species outside of humans! What species are you picking and why? @therealFalcsGM
A - Easy, octopus. This isn’t even close. Octopusses6 are incredibly intelligent, often solving complex problems, using tools, escaping from their tanks, changing color, changing shape, changing texture, and disguising themselves. Their biology is wild, including 3 hearts and the ability to independently control each sucker on it’s body. And… best of all… they can Shawshank. You can’t find a more interesting animal on earth to chat with. Sorry. Not sorry. You’re welcome.
Q - Who would be on your all-time coaching staff, and could you include position coaches? @inventive_not
Head Coach: Don Shula. One of the greatest winners ever (second in wins all time), Shula had incredible ability to coach both offense and defense, passing attack and rushing attack, but his greatest skill was getting and maintaining the respect of his players. To me, he is the peak “CEO” coach.
Offensive Coordinator: Bill Walsh. The originator of the West Coast offense that spawned a massive, and massively successful, coaching tree, Walsh was quite possibly the greatest offensive innovator of all time.
Defensive Coordinator: Bill Belichick. Probably the greatest coach ever, I am choosing to put him here, because his ability to game plan defensively is by far the best ever, and I would want him to focus on that.
QB Coach: Andy Reid. I am not sure any coach has helped develop more great signal callers, Reid’s QB whispering really stands out.
RB Coach/Run game coordinator: Mike Shanahan. The original coach to get 1000 yard backs to grow on trees, nobody mastered the ground game better than him.
WR Coach/Passing coordinator: Marv Levy. The first coach on this list who didn’t win a Super Bowl, Levy went to four which is still pretty impressive. His K Gun offense was a precursor to the modern 3 wr/1rb offenses I described in The OCHO this week.
Offensive line Coach: John Madden. A good O-lineman himself, John valued line play more than most, and his track record of success is notable7.
Defensive line Coach: Mike Tomlin. The youngest/most recent coach on the list, Tomlin has proven to be a master at developing pass rushers, most recently developing new sack-record-holder TJ Watt.
Linebackers Coach: Bud Grant. The mastermind behind the Purple People Eaters, he also didn’t win a Super Bowl, but he too went to four8.
Secondary Coach: Tony Dungy. The creator of the legendary Cover Two scheme that took over the NFL for years. Dungy was a former defensive back who knew exactly how to teach DB play. He taught some of the best to ever do it.
Special Teams: Scott O’Brien. Who? The long time Bill Belichick assistant was known to be a brilliant special teams mind in conjunction with Belichick, who famously obsessed over special teams in a way few before him ever did.
Which Keanu co-star /character would make the best head head? Excluding Gene Hackman in the replacements. @DustFin13
A - Back to back coaching questions! Who is editing this thing?9 The correct answer is NOT the following, Morpheus from the Matrix (won’t trust analytics), Woody from Toy Story 4 (too Urban Meyer), Winston from John Wick (too backstabby), all 47 Ronin (no coaching by committee), J Bone from Johnny Mnemonic (too hip hop), Harry from Speed (too self destructive), Bill from Bill and Ted (too Nick Sirianni), or Bodhi from Point Break (too Pete Carroll). No, the correct answer is “John Milton”, played by Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate who is basically Bill Belichick but with a better suit, better hair, and a better disposition. The paradise is not lost on me.
Q - If you are playing in a big game are you better coming in red hot knowing you can't be that good again (like the Bills) or knowing you played a bad game but still survived and so it might be behind you (like Chiefs vs Browns last year in divisional)? Former Intern Nate
A - I would rather come in having been really great. As we saw with last season's Chiefs, a win like that can reveal problems that aren't solvable. In the Chiefs case, it was their crumbling offensive line that caught up with them in the Super Bowl. While an overly dominant performance can lead to a let down, it can also be a sign that your team is rocking on all cylinders, and I would rather take the chance at that than paper over critical flaws.
Q - You can only have one snack food at your Super bowl party. What do you choose and what is your reasoning? @mbernadetteE
A - Incredibly tough call, but I am going to say boneless wings. JK. I will say buffalo wing dip/chips. It’s upstate NY here, so I am going to stick with the theme. I am assuming that things like Wings or pizza aren’t snacks in this equation. My reasoning is simple with a dip, you gotta be able to keep going back to the well as the game goes along. I also strongly considered 7 layer dip (same reason) and mini pigs-in-a-blanket with a dipping sauce. I love me some widdle piggies.
Garbage plates: yes or no? @Briangriffiths
A - Yes, barely. For those of you who are not from Rochester NY and the surrounding area, a garbage plate is a local… delicacy?… that was created by one Nick Tahou and turned into the signature dish of an otherwise unspectacular upstate NY city. I have had the original Nick Tahou version and, other than the mac salad, it was fine. That isn't my favorite version however, as Mac's Philly Steak in my home town has a version with onion rings and cheesesteak that is really good.
Tom Brady tore them apart by targeting this spot over and over in last year’s playoffs.
Owning blacks is how American racism got started, why would you think owning black memorabilia would fix it?
frankly an underrated dessert since we are here. Other underrated desserts include, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, pumpkin roll and fruit tarts.
Calvin Ridley might be worth a trade flier too, for a team that doesn’t have much to lose and needs elite players.
no, sadly it is not octopi, although octopodes is still on the table since it has Greek origin. Pod is a classic greek pluralization which is why whales are in pods.
No losing seasons and won the Super Bowl.
In an interesting quirk, the only two NFL coaches to go to and lose four Super Bowls also both won the Grey Cup, Canada’s Super Bowl. Oh, Canada.
No one which is why it is too wordy and has sloppy grammar.
Had a garbage plate whilst in Key West. Good stuff !!