The season may be almost over, for both the NFL and college, but there's still a lot to talk about in the world of football. Shall we begin?
1) Was the playoff ultimately successful in its first year in college football?
Did anyone see the ratings? Uh, yeah, I'd say it was a success. The only problem I had with the whole process was regarding the committee. Each major conference should receive equal representation among the committee members, the Power 5 conferences need to decide whether to all have conference title games or not, and either the committee should come out with just one poll (the final one), or stay consistent and logical from week to week. The Big XII may not have had a conference title game, but dropping TCU from 3 to 6 after beating Iowa State 55-3 makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
2) Did the Detroit Lions get jobbed by the refs in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys?
Quite possibly. Sure, the Lions could have gone for it on 4th-and-1 and converted, could have punted the ball more effectively, could have stopped Dallas on their winning drive, and could have scored on their final drive, however, that still doesn't detract from the importance of the missed calls. Even if the referees called all four penalties on the most controversial play of the game, while the offensive face mask and defensive holding and pass interference penalties would have offset, the Lions would still have wound up with the ball at the Dallas 31-yard-line with a 1st-and-10 due to the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dez Bryant. Also, perhaps more importantly, the missed holding call by Dallas on their ensuing drive would have set the Cowboys up with a 3rd-and-16, which could very well have nullified a field goal on the drive, let alone a touchdown. One play may not ultimately decide a game, but these two plays certainly played a large factor in it.
3) Did the Dallas Cowboys get jobbed by the refs in their loss to the Green Bay Packers?
Yes and no. According to the rulebook, it appeared as if the refs made the right call in overturning the Dez Bryant catch. However, in my own rulebook - you know, my eyes - that was a catch. The NFL has to define certain things more clearly to make rules more comprehendible to coaches, players, fans, and referees alike. On a running play, the ball carrier simply has to have control of the ball while the tip of it crosses the goalline for it to constitute as a touchdown, even if he's hit and fumbles after crossing it. Why then must a receiver not only catch the ball in the end zone, but maintain possession after being hit and falling to the ground for it to constitute as a touchdown?
4) Did the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers or did the Packers simply lose to the Seahawks?
As usual in these situations, it was a combination of the two. Being down 19-7 with about 5 minutes left in the game, there was no way the Seahawks should have won the game. Now, I've always been against the prevent defense. Sure, it often times prevents the long pass downfield. However, it also allows offenses to get into a decent rhythm, and so long as runners are able to get out of bounds after a 10- to 15-yard gain, those yards can add up mighty quickly. This doesn't even take into consideration the fact that if this offense has a shifty runner with the football, he can very easily turn that 10- to 15-yard play into a 30-yard play, as was evident in the game on Sunday. In any case, even after the Packers allowed the touchdown which closed the gap to five at 19-14, with an onside kick recovery, the game would have been over, and they didn't do that. Oddly enough, the Packers defense allowed the following touchdown (and two-point conversion) so quickly, it benefited their offense some, as Aaron Rodgers was able to lead them to a game-tying field goal in regulation that prompted overtime. Then Russell Wilson forgot about the first three quarters, where he was awful, and took over in overtime. The Seattle Seahawks had to do a lot of things right and the Green Bay Packers had to do a lot of things wrong to have made that comeback possible, and that's exactly what happened.
5) Is the New England Patriots' deflated ball controversy a big deal?
In the broader scope of things, yes, it is a big deal. The New England Patriots have faced their fair share of controversy through the years, namely "Spygate." So, if this turns out to be true, skeptics will continue to say, "You see? The Pats can't win without cheating," especially if they go on to win their fourth Super Bowl with Bill Belichick at the helm. Also, expect the team to face a penalty if it turns out to be true, the loss of draft picks being the most probable penalty. However, when it comes to the game on Sunday, I don't care how "deflated" the ball was, it made absolutely no difference in the outcome. The Patriots ran the ball 40 times for 177 yards, including 148 yards on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns by LeGarrette Blount. What was the score again? Ah, yes, 45-7, and it could have been worse.
6) Who will win Super Bowl 49 (sorry Roman numerals)?
I'll make my pick next week. I know, I'm a tease. Sue me. On second thought, please don't. Thanks.
1) Was the playoff ultimately successful in its first year in college football?
Did anyone see the ratings? Uh, yeah, I'd say it was a success. The only problem I had with the whole process was regarding the committee. Each major conference should receive equal representation among the committee members, the Power 5 conferences need to decide whether to all have conference title games or not, and either the committee should come out with just one poll (the final one), or stay consistent and logical from week to week. The Big XII may not have had a conference title game, but dropping TCU from 3 to 6 after beating Iowa State 55-3 makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
2) Did the Detroit Lions get jobbed by the refs in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys?
Quite possibly. Sure, the Lions could have gone for it on 4th-and-1 and converted, could have punted the ball more effectively, could have stopped Dallas on their winning drive, and could have scored on their final drive, however, that still doesn't detract from the importance of the missed calls. Even if the referees called all four penalties on the most controversial play of the game, while the offensive face mask and defensive holding and pass interference penalties would have offset, the Lions would still have wound up with the ball at the Dallas 31-yard-line with a 1st-and-10 due to the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dez Bryant. Also, perhaps more importantly, the missed holding call by Dallas on their ensuing drive would have set the Cowboys up with a 3rd-and-16, which could very well have nullified a field goal on the drive, let alone a touchdown. One play may not ultimately decide a game, but these two plays certainly played a large factor in it.
3) Did the Dallas Cowboys get jobbed by the refs in their loss to the Green Bay Packers?
Yes and no. According to the rulebook, it appeared as if the refs made the right call in overturning the Dez Bryant catch. However, in my own rulebook - you know, my eyes - that was a catch. The NFL has to define certain things more clearly to make rules more comprehendible to coaches, players, fans, and referees alike. On a running play, the ball carrier simply has to have control of the ball while the tip of it crosses the goalline for it to constitute as a touchdown, even if he's hit and fumbles after crossing it. Why then must a receiver not only catch the ball in the end zone, but maintain possession after being hit and falling to the ground for it to constitute as a touchdown?
4) Did the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers or did the Packers simply lose to the Seahawks?
As usual in these situations, it was a combination of the two. Being down 19-7 with about 5 minutes left in the game, there was no way the Seahawks should have won the game. Now, I've always been against the prevent defense. Sure, it often times prevents the long pass downfield. However, it also allows offenses to get into a decent rhythm, and so long as runners are able to get out of bounds after a 10- to 15-yard gain, those yards can add up mighty quickly. This doesn't even take into consideration the fact that if this offense has a shifty runner with the football, he can very easily turn that 10- to 15-yard play into a 30-yard play, as was evident in the game on Sunday. In any case, even after the Packers allowed the touchdown which closed the gap to five at 19-14, with an onside kick recovery, the game would have been over, and they didn't do that. Oddly enough, the Packers defense allowed the following touchdown (and two-point conversion) so quickly, it benefited their offense some, as Aaron Rodgers was able to lead them to a game-tying field goal in regulation that prompted overtime. Then Russell Wilson forgot about the first three quarters, where he was awful, and took over in overtime. The Seattle Seahawks had to do a lot of things right and the Green Bay Packers had to do a lot of things wrong to have made that comeback possible, and that's exactly what happened.
5) Is the New England Patriots' deflated ball controversy a big deal?
In the broader scope of things, yes, it is a big deal. The New England Patriots have faced their fair share of controversy through the years, namely "Spygate." So, if this turns out to be true, skeptics will continue to say, "You see? The Pats can't win without cheating," especially if they go on to win their fourth Super Bowl with Bill Belichick at the helm. Also, expect the team to face a penalty if it turns out to be true, the loss of draft picks being the most probable penalty. However, when it comes to the game on Sunday, I don't care how "deflated" the ball was, it made absolutely no difference in the outcome. The Patriots ran the ball 40 times for 177 yards, including 148 yards on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns by LeGarrette Blount. What was the score again? Ah, yes, 45-7, and it could have been worse.
6) Who will win Super Bowl 49 (sorry Roman numerals)?
I'll make my pick next week. I know, I'm a tease. Sue me. On second thought, please don't. Thanks.
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