Ref Ball Returns
Did you find it odd that there were so many one score games this past week? Well, the indication for most of the games was that there were many penalties and a good chunk of them were uncalled for to say the least. The uproar is comical and predictable. Calls for challenges on a penalty or have replay assist overturn a called penalty. The answer isn’t to have more replay. If these referees are truly terrible at their job, how about hold them accountable for making terrible calls? The worst case scenario is that the league is deliberately scripting these contests or another angle is that gambling is more prominent than you want to admit within league circles. Players have been suspended for betting, but what do we know about the referees? I’m asking those kinds of questions because it’s becoming harder and harder to appreciate that what I’m watching is truly organic and without added assistance to create more a dramatic flare. The sports leagues are fixated on entertainment value and not what made them truly unique in the first place. Competition based on merit and drive to be the best on the field on any given day. It has become replaced by money and popularity to the umpteenth degree. I hope the worst case scenarios aren’t true, but I’m becoming increasingly skeptical about it with each passing week.
What The Hell Was That?
It’s a given that the Dallas Cowboys defense isn’t going to be a game changer for them this season. The offense, however didn’t do themselves any favors this past week. Playing a home game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil against the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas had some weird clock management issues, a false start penalty and a kickoff that went straight into the end zone without hitting the landing zone first. The result is they left the Ravens with 7 seconds on the clock of a tie game with QB Lamar Jackson able to start their drive from their own 35-yard line. Seven seconds doesn’t sound like much, but with one timeout and a Cowboys defense that refused to cover the middle of the field it’s an eternity. Jackson found WR Zay Flowers, immediately called the timeout and setup kicker Tyler Loop for the potential game winning field goal. He promptly made it and after the celebration was over we are left with wondering if Dallas will ever learn from this? Also the Ravens almost blowing another double digit lead should be a cause for concern, but when they redeemed themselves at the end that goes out the window for now.
Trouble Is Brewing At Lambeau
I don’t believe that the Atlanta Falcons have suddenly figured it out with the return of QB Michael Penix. What I do believe is that the Green Bay Packers are in serious trouble. The Falcons gained 498 yards of total offense in Green Bay. 194 of that came from RB Bijan Robinson rushing the ball. WR Drake London gained 194 receiving yards on top of that. That was basically the offense for the Falcons which makes sense given the talent those two possess. The Packers can’t run the ball to save themselves. They gained 17 yards on 9 attempts. In today’s NFL that is historically bad. QB Jordan Love throwing the ball 53 times doesn’t make for a winning formula. They miss RB Josh Jacobs and that domestic violence case is looming large right now. There are viable targets for Love, but the offensive line isn’t doing him any favors and by not establishing the running game is playing a part in that. On defense even if Micah Parsons was available to play right now, it wouldn’t matter. There is no life to this unit at all three levels of the defense. They’ve allowed 39 and 35 points to the Vikings and Falcons respectively who both haven’t exactly been lighting it up to start the season. That was an embarrassing showing on their home field and they better course correct quickly otherwise those boos will get louder and louder with calls to fire head coach Matt LaFleur.
