NFL 2021 - 2022 Season

Hello with Spring of course comes Football in the Autumn. Life's like that.

Of course there are all these click bait "news" accounts on whether Green Bay hates Aaron Rodgers or whether Aaron Rodgers hates him or where Aaron Rodgers will go or whether he'll retire from the NFL and host Jeopardy. There was even some suggestion that the Browns were looking at him. I'm sorry. What? No. I like Aaron Rodgers. But No. Even with all I've just said I don't really care about Aaron Rodgers all that much. What I care about way more is:

This season's NFL schedule! Yes it has finally come out. With one serious wrinkle. A game has been added. There will be one extra NFC at AFC game. I ask you why? I know why of course---money. But I'd prefer things like a solidifying of what can be reviewed by officials for example. Because officials are so infallible! But we've got what we got. Here for example is the Cleveland Browns schedule. There are things I like about it. Not the extra game though. But there's one aspect of the schedule that's absolute weird. Check it out.

Week Date Opponent Time
1 Sept. 12 at Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 p.m.
2 Sept. 19 Houston Texans 1 p.m.
3 Sept. 26 Chicago Bears 1 p.m.
4 Oct. 3 at Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.
5 Oct. 10 at Los Angeles Chargers 4:05 p.m.
6 Oct. 17 Arizona Cardinals 4:05 p.m.
7 Oct. 21 (Thu.) Denver Broncos 8:20 p.m.
8 Oct. 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 1 p.m.
9 Nov. 7 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.
10 Nov. 14 at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
11 Nov. 21 Detroit Lions 1 p.m.
12 Nov. 28 at Baltimore Ravens 8:20 p.m.
13 BYE
14 Dec. 12 Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.
15 Dec. 18/19 Las Vegas Raiders
16 Dec. 25 (Sat.) at Green Bay Packers 4:30 p.m.
17 Jan. 3 (Mon.) at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:15 p.m.
18 Jan. 9 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.

As you see opening day is at Kansas City. It's an afternoon game. I actually thought this would/should be the first Sunday night game. Dallas at Tampa is rightly the first Thursday night game. Both of those Thursday and Sunday night games are of course on NBC.

The rest of the schedule seems surprising balanced. Plus the majority of divisional games are later in the season. But! the very weird element of this schedule is the at Baltimore followed by a bye followed by the hosting of Baltimore. I mean what? Who thought out this nonsense? What is this? Home and Home from the NBA? Baltimore meanwhile does not have a bye week then. They travel to Pittsburgh. So that's a lot of divisional activity for Baltimore. Hopefully they'll lose all three games.

Who else is looking forward to Football now that Spring is here????

The Knicks are doing so well for the first time in so long, and i'm following the Yankees of course, so i'm not quite ready to start following the NFL too closely just yet.

I'm glad you started this thread though. And that's a great point about setting Baltimore up for a let down late in the season.

I have been incredibly annoyed that Aaron Rodgers is one of ESPN's lead stories EVERY. SINGLE. DAMN. DAY even though ABSOLUTELY NOTHING NEW develops in that story most days. It is ABSURD and ESPN should be ashamed of themselves for pimping this story so ridiculously far.

Does anybody know who's going to be starting under center for New Orleans this year yet? 

That Baltimore/Baltimore thing is, indeed, weird. I have a feeling there will be some grumbling about it when it comes closer. Then again, less need to study your opponent when you've just played them.

THE game of the year is clearly Week 4, TB at NE. Cam, I think, starts that one for NE, but then it's Mac time.

Aaron seems like an obstinate guy. I think he's either playing for Denver or hosting the game show by week 1.

Deshaun Watson will, I think, be sitting on the Houston sideline.

I hope Tebow makes the Jags lineup and is mentoring/catching passes from Trevor Lawrence by opening day.

Buffalo still takes the AFC East, but narrowly. Miami suffers a setback.

Not sure if I like that extra game on the schedule. Love more football, but dislike the watering-down of sports.

Like the new 9-men-on-defense onside kick rule.

I think Goff does better in Detroit than Stafford does in LA.

Don't like that the NFL is heading toward so much streaming of the broadcasts. It will become difficult to find the games.

Ultimately, yay football, can't get here soon enough.

I saw TB at NE on the schedule. Yep that'll be fun.

I don't like the new onside kickoff rule. But then again I don't like the rule which prefaced it requiring the player on the kicking team to start at the line instead of running up as the ball is kicked. It had the consequence of making onside kicking impossible, or damned near, but this is too much the other way. With only 9 players on the other side for onside kicks what is to prevent a team from kicking onside every single time?

First week all done.

AFC Takes.

Cleveland did well the first half. Kansas City still the better team.

Pittsburgh beat Buffalo. Not what I was expecting.

Cincinnati won their opening and close game. Last year they lost their opening and close game.

Baltimore loses at Vegas in OT. I watched the OT. Wild. I like the Ravens QB but still hate the Ravens.

Second week:

Houston at Cleveland. Cleveland better win or the season approaches toast. Harder games in the future.

Vegas at Pittsburgh. Now I am looking forward to this game.

Cincinnati at Chicago. Chicago should win. But you know...

Kansas City at Baltimore. This game should be interesting. A must win for Baltimore I think.

What's going on in the AFC Central???

The Cleveland Browns (now 2-1) handled the very new Chicago Bears and former Ohio State Univ. QB by a score of 26-6. Perhaps the score should have been even more lopsided except that the Browns committed many penalties.

The Baltimore Ravens (now 2-1) squeaked by the seemingly woeful Detroit Lions on a last second field goal. The score was 19-17. Good for the Lions to have shown up. They may have a shot of defeating the Bears next week.

The Cincinnati Bengals (now 2-1) with a surprise win (maybe?---well for me it was) over the at-home Pittsburgh Steelers. The score was 24-10. Is it that the Bengals are better or the Steelers need to move beyond Ben. Maybe some of both.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (now 1-2). I almost get losing to the Raiders at home as the Raiders seem to be en fuego. But the Bengals at home? I thought that win at Buffalo would be a good start to a reasonable season. But maybe that was more Buffalo Bills opening day kinks as they walloped the Dolphins on the road and Washington at home. Time to say bye-bye to Ben? I think so.

Next week:

Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings: winnable for the Browns.
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos: tough call. Broncos are 3-0 but their opponents have been weak weak weak (Giants Jags and Jets). Strategically I'm hoping for a Ravens loss.
Cincinnati Bengals hosting Jacksonville: winnable for the Bengals but it wouldn't surprise me if the Jags show up.
Pittsburgh Steelers at GB Packers: I think another loss for Pittsburgh. GB just edged SF who seemed hot with two games on the road. But maybe the Steelers will do better on the road? I doubt it.

Other NFL scores of interest:

LA Chargers over KC (in KC) 30-24. The Browns could have been KC on opening day. KC could now be 0-3. Instead they're 1-2 and appear to be in a very tough division. As for LAC they could now be 3-0 but they played too poorly against the visiting Dallas Cowboys. Next game for LAC: the undefeated Raiders. The game after that: The Cleveland Browns. Both at home.

LVRaiders over Miami in overtime 31-28. I watched some of this. But left viewing entirely after the first half. The two Raiders home games both OT's. Next week at LAC. Should be a good game.

GB wins over SF. I thought SF was hot. Well back to earth. GB I predict will be the only team from the NFC north to make the playoffs.

Other playoff predictions:

Tennessee the only team from the AFC south.
Buffalo maybe the the only team from the AFC east. Maybe Miami. But I doubt it.
The AFC north and west will be fighting for the majority of the playoff spots. What's interesting is that the AFC north and west play each other. That's where Miami may be able to slip in. But I doubt it.
The NFC south and west have the strongest teams (it seems). They will probably dominate the playoff spots. Maybe two from the East???? I doubt it. Fortunately for the south and west the south plays the east and the west plays the central.

Week 4 in the saga of the AFC North:

Cincinnati just got by Jacksonville. Maybe because it was a Thursday Night game after an emotional Week 3 win at Pittsburgh. Cincinnati now 3-1.

Cleveland in a weird game defeated Minnesota on the road 14-7. Cleveland defense was superior to Cleveland offense. Mayfield seemed off. A lot of errant passes. Regardless Cleveland now 3-1.

Baltimore won on the road at Denver. More decisively than last week at Detroit. What does this mean? Maybe Baltimore was grateful for the week 3 win and played better in week 4. Or Denver's first three victories were against such weak opponents that their 3-0 record was misleading. Regardless Baltimore now 3-1.

Pittsburgh loses by 10 at Green Bay. Not unexpected. But the Steelers are now 1-3. And in a world of hurt.

as for week 5

Packers at Bengals. My guess is the Packers. We'll see...

Browns at Chargers. Chargers played way better last week than the Browns did. A better Browns team needs to show up. My guess is the Chargers.

Indianapolis at Baltimore. Last week Ind. demolished Miami on the road. I still pick Baltimore.

Denver at Pittsburgh. Denver I suppose.



Other notes from week 4.

Arizona which had so far squeaked by most of its previous opponents arrived in LA and left with the spoils. Are they now the best team in the NFC?

Seattle also won on the road in SF. Tonight's game is LA at Seattle. Each team needs a win.

Dallas is looking better. Dominating a previously 3-0 Carolina.

Tampa at New England. Didn't watch it. Didn't care. If New England was a better team I might have. Still the score was close.

Pats get to face Houston missing FOUR starters on the OL.

The ghost of David Carr and his 76 (?) rookie sacks could be seeking out my boy Mac Jones.

Pats won however. Wasn't expecting that!

It's dark days in the Seahawks vs 49ers smack talk FB page. "You guys suck" "Yeah, well you guys suck worse"

The hot team right now is apparently the New England Patriots. Although the Kansas City Chiefs seem to be regaining their stride.

Wouldn't it be weird to see a Tampa vs New England super bowl?

My thought is though that there is no stellar completely dominant team this season. In the playoffs any team can win or lose a particularly game.

On a personal note, I never saw so much excitement in a victory than the Detroit Lions exhibited after the first win of the season. After so many close losses. And the last second TD throw---it wasn't cheap. It was thrown deliberately low---away from the defenders. Meanwhile the remainder of the season has the Lions' tougher opponents at home (Arizona, Green Bay) with the weaker opponents on the road (Denver, Atlanta, Seattle). Let's see what the Lions can do.

The Cleveland Browns meanwhile have a horrible concluding schedule. Baltimore, Las Vegas, at Green Bay, at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati. We'll see...

The playoffs are upon us and I almost want to say Who Cares? There are no great teams. And this ploy of adding an extra game to the season still doesn't appear as anything other than money-grubbing. I will be absolutely astonished if any team in the AFC wins the Super Bowl. I think the NFC is better. And I think the Packers will represent. Although they need to play with more mojo. Particularly if the Bucs make another championship appearance. In the AFC I suppose that it will be KC and probably either Buffalo or New England as I think that Tennessee as the Number 1 seed is a little laughable. I will root for Ohio team Cincinnati as even though they lost twice to the otherwise disappointing Cleveland Browns they did defeat the Steelers and the Ravens twice.

I guess it doesn't pay to be the number one seed with a first round bye.

Tampa is automatically now the favorite in the NFC.

Rooting for Cincinnati in the AFC.

Cincinnati prevails in OT! On to the SuperBowl!