I typically take an approach to Sundays that’s one of the few qualities that would allow me to fix it in Texas. Football is my religion, and my work schedule–even now, such that it is–practically forces me to make it a day where I do little more than watch games and highlight shows morning, noon and night. Alas, due to a holiday promotion with a level of urgency that even I can’t fathom I was strongly requested to work a full day shift, even though in my experience Sundays between Labor Day and Valentine’s Day typically don’t have the kind of clientele that makes it worth anyone’s while. Judging by the store traffic I experienced yesterday, this definitely was an exception, and judging by the number of dads I saw they likely saw yesterday’s NFL slate in a similar light that I did. If there was indeed a week to avoid vegging in front of the screen(s) of your chocie, this was the one.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving by definition offers fewer quality games, especially with the league and Prime Video now firmly planting a flag on Black Friday. And since this particular Turkey Day had yielded such an impressive array of matchups and results–so compelling that even the football-reticent took notice–there were even fewer desirable leftovers than there were in my refrigerator–for me, three-day old turkey without gravy is typically a one-way ticket to a date riding a porcelain bus.
There were few matchups of quality teams to be had, and those that pitted good against meh were hardly headline-inducing. Still, a couple did produce surprises for the ones that on paper should have dominated. For starters, the feel-good story of the season is beginning to unravel before our very eyes, as CLUTCH POINTS’ Enzo Flojo noted:
The Indianapolis Colts entered Week 13 with a perfect home record. They carried legitimate AFC playoff aspirations and an opportunity to create separation in a crowded postseason race. Instead, they walked out of Lucas Oil Stadium stunned. They absorbed a frustrating, controversial, but ultimately self-inflicted 20-16 loss to the division rival Houston Texans.
What made it worse wasn’t just the dropped passes, the missed opportunities, or the officiating controversies. It was the unmistakable sense that the Colts had control early, only to let the game slip away. They had unforced errors that championship-caliber teams just cannot afford in December.
With CJ Stroud returning to the field for Houston and Daniel Jones battling through a leg injury, the game swung on a handful of pivotal moments. These included a missed extra point, a questionable pass interference call, a turnover on downs late, and a failed fourth-and-one earlier in the red zone. Indy also saw drops from the team’s top receivers. Add it all up, and the Colts’ first home loss of the season felt like a summation of critical flaws that finally caught up.
And in Charlotte, the NFC’s number one seed played down to their opponents and the murky weather that enveloped them, or so contended ESPN’s Sarah Barshop:
After the Los Angeles Rams beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 to become the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the Super Bowl favorite, coach Sean McVay made it clear that until the regular season was over, the team’s place in the standings wasn’t significant.
Just one week later, the Rams fell to 9-3 and out of the No. 1 spot after a 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday…With the Rams favored by 9½ points, it was the second-largest upset in the NFL this season, according to ESPN Research…The Chicago Bears (9-3) are now atop the NFC because they hold the tiebreaker over the Rams with a better conference record.
At least those games were competitive. The balance of what masqueraded as games of consequence for at least one team were snoozers. Jacksonville stayed in playoff competition with an outright annihilation of Tennessee and the Chargers eventually woke up to give the Raiders a beat-down, wiping out their respective mathematical chances for the post-season. Meanwhile, the Seahawks gave those of us who went heavy on Vikings for our fantasy teams de facto last rights in a game that the MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE’s Emily Leiker also reminded was a death knell for me who was otherwise coasting to my own meaningless first place standing on the back of an underperforming victor:
Fans expecting a showcase of two of the NFL’s star receivers on a sunny Sunday at Lumen Field instead got a defensive slugfest that saw both Justin Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba metaphorically sidelined. Neither Jefferson nor Smith-Njigba recorded a catch in the first half of the Vikings’ 26-0 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, and neither was even targeted until the second quarter. They combined for four total catches on 10 targets — Jefferson 2-of-6 for four yards and Smith-Njigba 2-of-4 for 23 yards. Jefferson declined to speak with reporters postgame after a career-low performance. It’s the first game this season after which he has not spoken.
Yes, I had them both on my fantasy team, and my beatdown was right up there with Minnesota’s. Thank G-d I was working; football-wise, I was fully sympatico with JJ.
And in an example where the competition and the result were even less desirable even to the winners, leave it to the Jets to find a way to piss off their fan base even with a W. Per NBC SPORTS’ Josh Alper:
It looked like the Jets and Falcons might need more than 60 minutes to settle their game at MetLife Stadium, but fortune wound up favoring the home team. Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor ran for a touchdown that tied the game 24-24 with 1:53 left to play in the fourth quarter. Both teams got the ball twice more, but the Falcons were forced to punt on both of their possessions. The Jets punted on their first and then got the ball back on their own 43-yard line with 35 seconds left to play.
Taylor ran for 14 yards and connected with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell twice for 15 yards to get the ball inside the Atlanta 35-yard line. The Jets called their final timeout after Mitchell’s second catch, but a false start knocked the Jets back five yards and set up a 56-yard Nick Folk field goal try on the final play of regulation. Folk’s kick just cleared the upright and the Jets got to celebrate a 27-24 win.
But considering the Jets are most def are in need of a draftable quarterback yet again, the end result means they dropped from a tie for #2 to #7, with another home game against the moribund Dolphins awaiting. Miami, for their part, somehow escaped with a home win against yet another officially eliminated opponent that even their most rabid fans couldn’t quite enjoy, as the PALM BEACH POST’s Joe Schad explained:
Miami beat New Orleans, 21-17, at Hard Rock Stadium…The Saints fell to 2-10. They scored a touchdown with 1:17 to play to close within 19-17. But Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted a 2-point attempt by rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and returned it all the way for a 21-17 Miami lead. But the game still wasn’t over as New Orleans converted a successful onside kick. The Dolphins then stopped the Saints on a 4th-and-1 run with 29 seconds left when linebacker Chop Robinson tackled Shough.
The silver lining to this cloud is that this coming Sunday looms to be far more meaningful and watchable, thus reducing the Fins-Jets to afterthought status. A look at the full slate shows a pretty robust array–and the lone Thursday night game is an outright loser-goes-home with Dallas and Detroit. And, hey, I’ll be able to watch all of them. That’s reason enough to look ahead. And on the heels of my most prolific day ever at my job (for what little that may be worth), even yesterday wasn’t a total loss.
Courage…