** In the last 44 years, there have only been 24 ties across almost 10,000 games. But amazingly, this season is the fourth time over that span ties have happened in consecutive weeks. It’s also the third time in that span that the Packers and Vikings have played to a tie. And remember, the Packers and Vikings still play another time this year.
** Having two ties early in the season with three teams expected to be in the playoff race (the Steelers, Packers and Vikings) means that figuring out playoff scenarios will be screwed up All. Season. Long. Think the playoff tiebreakers are confusing now? How does common opponents work when a tie gets in there? What happens if one of these teams picks up a second tie? What if the Packers and Vikings tie again?
** Right now, a Packers bow tie costs $19.99 on NFL shop. A Vikings traditional straight tie costs $24.99. The actual game tie could cost one of these teams a playoff spot.
** The Sunday after Thanksgiving is also known as National Tie One On day, where individuals are encouraged to give back to their community after the gluttony of the holiday. This year, that falls on Nov. 25 … the same day as the Packers/Vikings rematch. National Tie day producing a record breaking tie? Sounds likely to me.
WR: Stefon Diggs, 27.13 pts — started by Joel
RB: Todd Gurley, 29.77 pts — started by Bob
TE: Travis Kelce, 22.77 pts — started by Jo
K: Mason Crosby, 19.00 pts — started by Bob
DEF: LA Rams, 18.00 pts — started by me
D: Kevin Byard, 12.14 pts — on the wire
The most amazing thing on here isn’t that Mahomes tossed six TDs in his second start. It’s that WR AJ Green, who caught three TDs on his first three receptions of the Thursday night game, wasn’t the top wideout of the week. His line (5 catches, 69 yds, 3TDs) fell short of the ridiculous one that Diggs produced (9 catches, 128 yds, 2 TDs). And Digg’s teammate, Adam Thielen, had another 12 catches for 131 yds and a TD in that game. Nice work by Kirk Cousins, I guess.
Also Mahomes tossing six TDs in his second start is pretty amazing.
“Mom’s defenses” edition
3rd place: Carolina, -1.00 pts — on Mom D’s bench
2nd place: Baltimore, -3.00 pts — started by Mom D
1st place: Kansas City, -5.00 pts — on the wire
Some weeks you’re lucky, and some weeks your backup defense gives up almost as many points as your starting defense (34 for the Ravens, 31 for the Panthers).
By the way, if you bet that Leonard Fournette (41 yds) and Devonta Freeman (36 yds) and LeSean McCoy (61 yds) would have fewer combined rushing yds than undrafted, third-string Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay (152 yds) through two weeks, then you’d have a lot of cash … and be burned at the stake for being a witch.
** Headline in Saturday’s Washington Post: “Expect Maryland to go with what works today vs. Temple.” Bold strategy there. “Don’t try to fail.” Surprisingly, though, the plan didn’t work, as the Owls annihilated Maryland 35-14.
** As the Giants trailed the Cowboys 20-3 late in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game, NBC talking doll Cris Collinsworth let loose this gem: “If you’re looking for good news, it’s that the Giants offensive line isn’t being beaten physically. It’s that they are getting beaten by the schemes, and they just haven’t played together enough.”
As, so it’s not that the players aren’t strong, it’s just that they’re not good and not coached well. That is good news … for the rest of the NFC East.
** After Sunday’s win over the Eagles, NFL.com asked the question of whether or not the Buccaneers and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick are a legit contender with a story titled “Do you believe in FitzMagic?” Later in the day, it was announced the Tampa franchise owner has applied for a trademark for the phrase.
Ratings for the NFL immediately dropped 97 percent, as they should.
** Chiefs QB Pat Mahomes is on pace for 80 TDs this season (10 through two games), which would destroy Peyton Manning’s current record of 55 set in 2013.
** Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson is on pace for 2,200 receiving yds this season (275 yds through two games), which would destroy Calvin Johnson’s current record of 1,964 yds set in 2012.
** 49ers RB Matt Bredia is leading the league in rushing and is on pace for 1,472 yds this season (184 yds through two games). That’s on pace to be the second lowest total for a league leader since 1990, when Barry Sanders only managed 1,304 yds but grabbed the rushing title. The only other time no one passed 1,400 yds in the last 27 years? It was 2017, when Kareem Hunt led the league with 1,327.
** The Arizona Cardinals are on pace to score 48 pts this season (6 pts through two games) which would threaten the league’s all-time record of 37 pts by the 1934 Cincinnati Reds (who became the St. Louis Gunners midway through the season). But that team only played 11 games that year, which would work out to 53 pts in a 16-game schedule.
** The Giants are on pace to win zero games this year (0-2 through two games), which would tie the record set by the Cleveland Browns last year. QB Eli Manning is on pace for 320 pouty Eli faces this year (40 through two games), which would tie the record he has set every single year his dumb face has been in the league.
Another new addition to the Cowboys team this offseason was Texas native, University of Texas dropout, and longtime Cowboys fan Connor Williams. Questions about mental fragility have long surrounded anyone who plays for or roots for the most despicable team in all of football, but Collins stands out even in that crowd. Consider what his name clearly spells out:** Dallas rookie offensive lineman Connor Williams
Insane, evil, ill man was off meds. No loonier airlock.
Of course, if that really surprises you, I have some bad news…
** Dallas offensive lineman Zack Martin
Insane animal. Caveman led folks’ fritz.
** Dallas offensive lineman La'el Collins
Insane fool. Villain smells of dance ale.
Hell, their starting center is named “Joe Looney.” It’s a whole collection of mental patients out there.
** We could talk about how I’m already five games down to Dad in our weekly picks here, but that’s not really the important news. The big headline is that Dad and I both got losses in that Packers/Vikings game, because a tie means neither of us picked the right team to win. I feel like this has happened to us once before (in the 20 years we have been making picks) and it left us both cranky.For the record, Dad also predicted a tie one time, but he was wrong, and got a loss in that game.
** Worth noting, in case you missed it. The Eagles lost 27-21 in their second game of the season this year. The Eagles lost 27-20 in the second game of the season last year. And last year turned out OK. So...
** Of course the Patriots traded only a fifth-round pick for talented but troubled WR Josh Gordon. They traded only a fourth-round pick for talented but troubled WR Randy Moss back in 2007, and he promptly became a Pro Bowler again. Get ready for this to work out great for New England and Boston fans to still complain that it didn’t happen two weeks sooner.
Week 2 standings 1 — Kneel Armstrong (Sam), 274.82 pts
2 — Nick 'MVP' Foles (Capt. Awesome), 274.48 pts
3 — For Who? For Wentz? (Ant), 270.63 pts
4 — Witch Hunting (Jim), 259.41 pts
5 — The Garoppolo Gamble (Joel), 258.42 pts
6 — Philly Special (Joanna), 227.81 pts
7 — Character Limit? WTF (Paul), 224.15 pts
8 — Blue Collar Killers (Joel), 223.63 pts
9 — Kiss A Fish Today (Dad), 209.97 pts
10 — Last Exit 2 Kutztown (Bob), 209.87 pts
11 — We Love the Mud (Mom D), 207.42 pts
12 — SweatpantsEnthusiast (Mike), 179.51 pts
Less than half a point separates me from my rightful place atop the standings, but good work by Sam keeping that seat warm for me for another week.
For the record, the gap between first and last place in week 2 of 2017 was 102 pts, so things are actually closer than last year. Mike and his squad can take comfort in that.
Remember to set your rosters for this week’s exciting Browns/Jets contest on Thursday night, a game so captivating it’ll only air on NFL network. And even those folks will be watching replays of last year’s Super Bowl instead of paying attention.
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