Post by spiderfan on Oct 2, 2023 19:44:58 GMT -8
Hello Sports Coast to Coast, it is I, Spiderfan your official NFL analyst coming to you with the Week 4 edition of Red Hot Gridiron. Without further ado, let us begin!
Never Underestimate Just How Bad A Bad Team Can Be
Last week during THE ROAD TO 0-17, I highlighted the Broncos-Bears game as the game that would decide who in my opinion was the team most likely to go 0-17. With both teams having come off humiliating losses, it was kind of hard to predict how the game would go. On one hand, the Broncos offense is better than it was last year because Sean Payton's gimmicky one dimensional offensive scheme of "bootleg play action every other play to keep Russell Wilson from throwing INTs", so I can see why the Vegas oddsmakers had the Broncos as the favorite despite their horrendous defense. On the other hand, the Broncos have a horrendous defense, which should put the Bears in position to finally have a productive day on the offensive side of the ball. Here's the trick with all of what I just talked about: Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be. This was something that I have talked about over the years when talking about the New York Football Tinys, much to my enjoyment and intellectual frustration. But during Broncos-Bears I kept thinking to myself "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be."
The first time I thought that to myself was when the Bears during a 28-7 lead early in the second half. Here I was, having previously thought that the Broncos would actually be competitive. How stupid! Then as the second half progressed, the Broncos chipped away and chipped away and chipped away culminating in a fumble return touchdown by the Broncos that was only their second turnover they had forced all year to tie the game with a little more than 6 minutes to go in the game. That then led to the second time I thought to myself "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be." Bears came back on offense and drove down into FG range and due to the aforementioned horrendous Broncos defense, instead of trying to force a stop on defense and keep timeouts for the offense, Broncos HC Sean Payton decided to take not one, but two defensive timeouts to give the defense a chance to gain their composure. We're talking literal basketball style timeouts at that point. So for the third time I thought to myself "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be."
Bears HC Matt Eberflus responded to this completely incompetent game management by Sean Payton, by having completely incompetent game management himself. On 4th and 1 in FG range, the decision was initially made to not go for it despite the Broncos only having 1 timeout remaining and an almost near certainty that a 4th down conversion would mean the Bears could chew the rest of the clock and win the game with a short field goal. Weak move by Eberflus, right? Well, after trying to get the Broncos offside and failing, the Bears took a timeout, signaling that they would go for the go ahead 50ish yard FG. Then the decision was made to go for it after all. Okay, good idea. Except after calling a timeout, the Broncos defense had to time to get ready for the Khalil Herbert run that the announcers even said everyone in the building was expecting. Why not an Eagles style push? Why not a RPO with Fields? Why not a play action that probably would have probably resulted in a TD considering the Broncos sold out for the run? Why not just kick a FG if you weren't going to go for it initially? The amount of questions led to me thinking myself for the fourth time "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be."
Then after the Broncos got the ball back, the Bears managed to keep them from chewing the rest of the clock, and forced a FG that gave the Broncos the lead. So despite the Bears incompetent game management that failed to capitalize on the Broncos incompetent game management AND giving up a FG, they still had a chance to tie or win the game. For the fifth time I thought to myself "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be."
With relative ease the Bears went down to midfield ANNNNNNNDDDD Bears QB Justin Fields threw an ugly interception after having arguably his best game as a NFL quarterback. For the sixth and final time I thought to myself "Never underestimate how bad a bad team can be." Those SIX times I had that thought are why this game deserved it's own segment and not just a brief mention in ROAD TO 0-17. The ebs and flows, that despite multiple other games having gone into overtime and despite other games being total blowouts made it both the best and worst game of Week 4. Well, that and this Week not producing as much interesting to stuff to talk about as previous weeks to be fully transparent. Even if there had been though, I still would have wanted to do a deep dive on this game, because these are the types of games that really get my writing bones going.
Other thoughts:
-The Lions not choking away that game against Packers really makes me feel optimistic about them being a real playoff contender this year. It really the solidified that this Lions team is different than the ones of the past. That might be an overreaction, but I gotta call it as I see it.
-Each team in the AFC South has had their ups and down over the past 4 weeks, but my big takeaway is that it is going to be a very competitive division. I can see an argument for each team winning it and whoever does win it is going to give someone a hard time in the postseason.
-The Ravens seem to do one of two things in recent years: Either they start the season good and end mediocre to poorly OR they start the season mediocre to poorly and end good. I think this Ravens' team is the latter.
-What should be taken away from the Eagles-Buccaneers game last week after the results of this week's games? The Buccaneers are really good, they just went up against a team that is better than a lot of teams in the NFL.
-Suffice it to say, the Dolphins offense performance last week had more to do with how bad the Broncos defense was, than how good their offense actually is. The CBS stations that petitioned to get the Dolphins-Bills have to feel like idiots.
-By the end of the year, I think that the Cardinals win against the Cowboys will be, or a least will be in the running for, weirdest outcome of the year.
-Y'know that Khalil Mack guy is pretty good.
-Luckily for Zach Wilson, the hosts and callers of New York sports talk radio will ignore his ultimately game losing lack of effort in recovering a fumble, to instead complain about a holding call that looked to me, setting aside my pro-Chiefs bias, like holding. Good for him!
-I'd mock the Tinys, but the reality is that the Seahawks offense wasn't impressive and if it weren't for the Tinys turnovers that resulted in 14 easy points for the Seahawks, it would have been a much different game. My biggest takeaway/hot take was that the Seahawks should put in Drew Lock over Geno Smith as the offense for the Seahawks looked the best it has looked in a LONG time.
ROAD TO 0-17
2 teams are currently 0-4. I will keep doing this segment until every team has a win or a tie. Teams currently without a win or tie are:
Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers
Having just got done doing a deep dive on the Broncos-Bears, all I'll say is that I still think the Panthers are going to turn things around late in the year. Their existence in this segment will be long forgotten about, although if they somehow do end up with the second worst record, they'll get all the draft capital back and then some that they traded for Bryce Young. Sure, they could end up with the worst record, but after what happened in Broncos-Bears? I'll be shocked if the Bears don't end up with the #1 pick and I won't be totally surprised if they go 0-17.
ROAD TO 17-0
2 teams are currently 4-0. I will keep doing this segment until every team has a loss or a tie. Teams currently without a loss or tie are:
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
The NFC now possesses the only two undefeated teams left. Most would argue that they are the two best teams in football entering the season, so it shouldn't be surprising that they are still here. I'm mildly surprised that the 49ers are here because I thought Brock Purdy's play wouldn't be as good as it has been. There is a lot of football left to go though, so that could still happen. Even if it doesn't, because of the Eagles success last year, I'm inclined to go with the Eagles as the team that IMO is most likely to go 17-0.
And with all of that said, that is all for this edition of Red Hot Gridiron. As always I hope ya enjoyed and hope ya to see ya again next week! Remember, football is the greatest game in the world. This is spiderfan out