Something smells in the NFL
The 2008 NFL season is only 2 weeks old and so far the thing that stands out is how bad some teams are. Let me illustrate:
- I knew that Seattle was bad this year, in large part due to injuries, but I didn’t really comprehend how bad. Their situation is so low that they had backup QB Seneca Wallace practicing as a reciever all week, and they had also planned to use him to return punts. That went out the window when he hurt himself while warming up for Sunday’s game! Even still the team played all right on Sunday and even had leads of 14-0 and 17-6. However, they managed to take their suckage to a low normally reserved for road games and lost to the ‘Niners in OT. Ouch.
- Oakland is the worst team in the NFL. In fact they are the worst team the NFL has seen for years. It’s so bad that Head Coach Lane Kiffin and Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan (who has the ear of team owner Al Davis) don’t talk to each other. When asked about the defensive paly calling during a press conference last week Kiffin said, “Do I have the exact belief we do on defense? No, but it’s hard to have the exact belief that we do. So, it is what it is.” How fast can Al Davis say, “You’re Fired!”?
- As bad as Oakland is, they beat the Chiefs yesterday. In Kansas City. Ouch.
- The officials are even adding to the stench this year. Referee Ed Hochuli’s blown call on the Denver fumble at the end of yesterday’s game in San Diego allowed Denver two extra chances to score when the game should have been over. They scored the touchdown on 4th down, and then successfully made a two point convert to win the game rather than kicking the 1 pointer to take it to overtime.
- This was actually the second big mistake on the day for Hochuli’s crew. Earlier in the game they had allowed Denver to keep the ball after Champ Bailey stripped it from Chris Chambers who was clearly down… San Diego challenged the ruling, but “the replay equipment [was] not working” and the ruling on the field stood as called. Denver scored a touchdown on that possession as well. The Chargers coach Norv Turner was livid following the game. I really have a hard time feeling all that sorry for him though. If he hadn’t let his team get into such a big hole early in the game (21-3 in the second quarter) then maybe they could have won the game outright instead of praying fro Denver to screw it up!
- How could I write a post about teams that stink without mentioning St. Louis? ‘Nuff said!
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