NFL
My favorite Christmas movie of all-time is Bad Santa, starring Billy Bob Thorton. When I watch that movie, I literally laugh out loud because of his characters anger and bitterness. The same can be said about being a fan of the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and New York Giants. Their seasons have been a disaster. To describe their year, I will quote Billy Bob from the movie, “I’ve been to prison once, I’ve been married – twice. I was once drafted by Lyndon Johnson and had to live in crappy-ass Mexico for 2 1/2 years for no reason. I’ve had my eye socket punched in, a kidney taken out and I got a bone-chip in my ankle that’s never gonna heal. I’ve seen some pretty crappy situations in my life, but nothing has ever sucked more than this (Season)!”
5 Things The Sports Whisperer learned about week 15 in the NFL:
#5) The Chargers are who we thought they were:
I am going to quote former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green, in one of the best post-game rants ever. I am just going to change the Bears (who he was taking about at the time) to the Chargers.
“The Chargers are what we thought they were. They’re what we thought they were. We played them in preseason…—the Chargers are who we thought they were! That’s why we took the damn field. Now if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who we thought they were!”
Los Angeles is 7-7 and out of the playoffs. This team just simply breaks your heart week in and week out. They win the games they are supposed to lose and lose the games they are supposed to win. Phillip Rivers was awful Saturday night. He threw three interceptions as his team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 30-13. I don’t know where the Chargers go from here, but I think it is time to part ways with Rivers. He has never won a big game and is the epitome of inconsistency when his team needs him the most.
#4) Mike Mularkey is playing checkers, every other coach is playing chess:
The Tennessee Titans lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 25-23. The Titans are now 8-6 and I don’t know how they won 8 games, it is truly a Christmas miracle. There is a reason their head coach, Mularkey, has a career record or 35-52. He is who we thought he was, a terrible coach. With just over a minute remaining the Titans were facing a 3rd and two inside the 49ers, 40-yard line. With a duel threat quarterback in Marcus Mariota, the Titans run a dive with their running back and get stopped. They kick a Field Goal, SF got the ball back and kicked a game winning FG with no time remaining. Mularkey played for the three points and was not interested in taking time off the clock or letting Mariota throw or run and get another fist down. This was about a bad of a loss that I have seen in a long time. You can blame 90% of this teams loses this year, directly on their conservative, 1980’s play calling coach.
#3) Is Todd Gurley the MVP and is Sean McVay, The Coach of The Year?:
The LA Rams went into Seattle and took the Seahawks to the woodshed. The Rams won 42-7 but it wasn’t even that close, they were up 34-0 at halftime. Todd Gurley rushed for 152 yards, had 28 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Gurley has 17 touchdowns on the year and should get major consideration for the MVP. McVay should win coach of the year as well. At just 30 years of age, the rookie head coach has shown that age doesn’t matter. He has this team believing and they could get to the Super Bowl. The future looks bright in LA.
#2) Do the New York Giants draft a quarterback?
The Giants are 2-12, the last time their team was this bad was 2003 when they finished 4-12 and Eli Manning became their quarterback the following year. The Giants will be in the same position this year. They can draft a franchise QB, and they should. It is very rare that legendary quarterbacks are followed by another legend. Aaron Rodgers followed Brett Favre, Andrew Luck followed Peyton Manning. The examples are few and far between. If I am running the Giants I select a Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma with the #2 overall selection (If he’s available). If not, take another college QB.
#1) The Patriots are who we thought they were.
On February 1, 2015, The New England Patriots snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by beating the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, in Super Bowl XLIV. Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson in the end zone to seal the victory for New England. On Sunday that Patriots shocked the Steelers winning 27-23, in Pittsburgh. The Patriots led by 3 with 56 seconds left. Ben Roethlisberger found JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 69-yard catch and run down to the 10-yard line. There was a controversial booth review as tight end Jesse James couldn’t hold on to what was originally called a touchdown. With 7 seconds left “Big Ben” faked the spike and threw a slant that was deflected to Duron Harmon. The Patriots, once again had an interception in the end zone to seal a win. The “Haters” are going to say the Patriots are lucky, or the referees help them win. That is hogwash. Here is the bottom line. No matter how much pressure is facing them late in games, the Patriots never falter. On offense, Brady is a surgeon, slicing up defenses. On the other side of the ball, defensively, their players “trust the process”. Late in games, they stay in their lines, they do exactly what the coaches tell them to do and that is why the will win their 15th division title in 17 years.
The Sports Whisperer’s Top 5 NFL Power Rankings:
#5) New Orleans Saints 10-4. The Saints are the only team in the NFL that have three players with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. (Alvin Kamara, Mark, Ingram and Michael Thomas)
#4) Philadelphia Eagles, 12-2.
#3) LA Rams, 10-4.
#2 Pittsburgh Steelers, 11-3
#1) New England Patriots, 11-3.
Follow the Sports Whisperer on Twitter… MonteAJP23 and listen to The Full Monte Show Monday and Thursdays at 6PM (sports and politics) and The Full Monte Football Show Sunday at 11 AM on NBS Radio.
