The 2015 playoffs began with a sub-.500 team vs Ryan Lindley.
All the more reason to expand the playoffs, amiright??
Making history shouldn't ever be predictable. And yet, somewhat predictably, the Arizona Cardinals recorded an NFL postseason record-low 78 yards of offense Saturday against the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers. Ryan Lindley did manage to throw his first career touchdown pass on the road in a playoff game, so there's a moral victory for...okay, I'll stop.
As the falling star that was the 2014 Cardinals finally crashed back down to earth in a pathetic heap, one couldn't help but feel for the once-hopeful Arizona fans and their dreams of a home field Super Bowl berth. Those hopes were dashed both by a particularly ferocious injury bug and a Carolina team desperate for a reason to call this season a success, despite a severe regression from their status as a good-not-great team in 2013.
Two Cam Newton interceptions and a special teams miscue of the highest severity gave the Cards life early, but the inevitable soon saw the Panthers emerge victorious.
On principle I will not put more thought into the outcome of a game
than those who actually participated in it.
Maybe the only AFC team that can beat New England plays in Foxborough this week.
Tom Brady and the Patriots are on a collision-course with Seattle or Green Bay in this year's Super Bowl. A compelling narrative either way, we'll likely either see a Brady-Rodgers shootout for the ages or Wilson vs legendary QB 2.0, but only if the Pats can get past the suddenly troublesome Ravens at home this week.
I guess we're all going to ignore the Broncos now that ESPN has
re-painted last season's Manning hype-train in Cowboys colors.
Baltimore simply manhandled the Steelers Saturday night. Pittsburgh, badly needing running back Le'veon Bell in the lineup to truly have a shot at winning, couldn't stop Baltimore from pressuring Ben (dude took five sacks and escaped several more) in what was probably the Ravens' best defensive outing this year (Pittsburgh also managed to rack up 114 yards in penalties). Baltimore's strong front seven and an accurate Joe Flacco reminded sports fans this team won a freaking Super Bowl two years ago, and could pressure Brady into a close game in Foxborough.
Cincy loses in the first round, and it's not totally Dalton's fault. But it still kind of is.
In a week of football that saw Carolina play a home game against Ryan Lindley, Cincy vs. Indy still managed to be the least interesting game of all. If you're interested in the Bengals ongoing status as essentially a first-round bye for their opponents, you can read up on it here.
The Cowboys are in the post-season, and have yet to implode(!)
...but that day swiftly approaches.
The Cowboys are headed to a second round matchup with Green Bay after the Detroit Lions proved unable to hold onto an early lead in Dallas, which for some reason will all be pinned on this play:
Which the Head Line Judge said was not a PI, but what does he know?
Instead of the fact that the Lions allowed their 14-point advantage to slip away, starting with this 76-yard strike right before the half.
"BAH," You say in disgust. "The NFL loves the Cowboys and/or hates Detroit, that was pass interference and you know it!"
"The Cowboys have the NFL in their pocket!
That's why they haven't been to the postseason since Avatar was in theaters!"
Rare is the occasion when the entire course of an athletic event is altered forever by one call—though I will concede that it is possible. This wasn't one of those rare times. What Lions fans (and far more likely, just sports fans who hate Dallas) don't want to admit is that the game was actually lost the play after the faux PI call, when the Lions failed to convert on a 4th and one.
FOURTH AND ONE.
IN THE PLAYOFFS.
Sorry, Detroit. I mean that. I'm sorry that Dallas won. 90 percent of North America is sorry that Dallas won. But the difference in this game wasn't a PI call you feel you were owed. The difference was, when Dallas had 4th and goal and badly needed a touchdown to breathe life back into their playoff hopes, they freaking did it.
Detroit had the chance to extend the drive with a gain of a yard. No dice. Game ov-wait, what?
Detroit...you were WINNING when that happened?! What are you even whining about then? How about playing some defense instead of allowing Dallas to score the final 17 points of the game? How about doing something with your next drive after Dallas scored the go-ahead touchdown? You were down four and had two timeouts and two minutes! There are drills in practice to prepare you for this exact scenario! At one point, you lost the ball in what was surely a game-ending mistake and Dallas literally fumbled it right back into your arms!
I guess now we've all known the bitter taste of what it must be like to be a Lions fan.
-L
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