With the playoffs fast approaching, there is no shortage of teams looking to make big plays and earn a spot in the postseason, and with that push comes plenty of opportunities for complete and utter failure. This week demonstrated exactly how desperate some teams on the bubble are to salvage their seasons.
Browns fans: I’m usually all for piling on the already self-loathing fans of historically terrible football teams, but I honestly cannot in good conscience say anything mean about Browns fans. However, if you, dear reader, would care for a laugh, I recommend you go searching for videos of Browns fans following their last-minute loss to the almost equally terrible Ravens. To see your already failed season fall even further into obscurity with a brutal loss to a division rival is just heartbreaking.
Walt Coleman: While this criticism is specific to the performance of the longtime referee’s crew on Sunday, it is really directed at the NFL offices where there is a continued failure to ensure consistent officiating. As a fan, I should not have to listen to commentators go back and forth on an obvious call for five minutes while the referees deliberate, and then -- most astoundingly -- still get the call wrong. There was much rejoicing when the NFL’s referees in-house would consult with on-site referees when a play was under review, but there are still numerous blown calls every week that, for whatever reason, coaches cannot challenge. Make everything reviewable and the game will be much better off.
The Patriots: While your dreams of a perfect season are over, you’re still the presumptive Superbowl favorites. Please, Patriots fans, stop complaining that the refs screwed you out of the win. That is all.
The Steelers: This has been quite the season for special teams to make some memorable plays. First was the Colts' horrendous fake punt, then the Dolphins' run back a kickoff to their own 1-yard line and this Sunday the Steelers ran what must have been the most obvious fake field-goal of all time and got picked off. Heads up, Mike Tomlin: when you have the backup quarterback take over holding duties from the punter for a particular play, the other team will notice.
The Falcons: As a Rams fan born and raised in the city of Atlanta, nothing is more tiresome than the litany of fair-weather Falcons fans that appear every three years when the Falcons start the season strong, while my team remains mediocre. Funnily enough, those fans had plenty of team pride when the team was 5-1, but very little in the 1-4 stretch since then.
As we reach the home stretch of the NFL season, I look forward to an in-depth discussion of the head coaches who will almost certainly be canned this offseason, as well as the Carolina Panthers, who at 11-0 remain the worst undefeated team I’ve ever seen.
