Here is the ESPN top 10 for Week 12:
1. Detroit: 9-1
2. Kansas City: 9-1
3. Buffalo: 9-2
4. Philadelphia: 8-2
5. Pittsburgh: 8-2
6. Minnesota: 8-2
7. Baltimore: 7-4
8. Green Bay: 7-3
9. San Diego: 7-3
10. Washington: 7-4
There are six teams on bye this week, so we only have 13 games. The Game of the Week is on Sunday Night, with the Chargers hosting the Ravens. That is the only top ten game this week.
I'm now 88-77 with my preseason predictions.
ReplyDeleteHere are the ones for this week. I don't feel so good about this week.
Pit @ Cle 13-14
KC @ Car 28-13
Min @ Chi 21-10
Ten @ Hou 7-35
Det @ Ind 24-17
NE @ Mia 42-3
TB @ NYG 14-17
Dal @ Was 21-3
Den @ Oak 17-20
SF @ GB 21-24
Ari @ Sea 17-14
Phi @ LA 17-24
Bal @ SD 35-14
Terrific on the Browns' win, though.
ReplyDeleteIn the game of the year in the Big Ten, and the game of many years for the Hoosiers, Indiana has taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter against the Ohio State University in Columbus. Indiana has been treated with disdain by everyone going into this game -- they are 10 1/2 point underdogs -- but they've looked good so far.
ReplyDeleteIn the second quarter, OSU dominates Indiana. The Buckeyes lose one great chance due to a goal line stand, and lose another because of an interception, but at the half OSU leads 14-7, and the Buckeyes have 138 total yards, compared to only 53 for the Hoosiers.
ReplyDeleteThe rout is on. OSU kicks off to start the second half, forces IU into a three and out, and then returns the punt for a touchdown. Bucks lead 21-7. Same as it ever was.
ReplyDeleteThe national media had a very low opinion of Indiana's football team, and it now seems clear that Indiana is even worse than the national media believed. OSU leads 28-7 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteRichmond crushes William & Mary 27-0 to win the Capital Cup. The Spiders have won 11 of the last 14 matchups in this series, and they now lead the overall series with a record of 66-64-5.
ReplyDeleteThe Tribe finishes with a record of 7-5, and their season is finished.
ReplyDeleteIn D-3, Sewanee went 2-8 this year, and 1-6 in the Southern Athletic Association.
ReplyDeleteI have turned the channel to watch Florida play Ole Miss, and once again I take my annual vow never to watch any Classic Big 10 game that is not OSU v. Michigan.
ReplyDeleteWith 7:40 left, Florida takes a 24-17 lead over Ole Miss in Gainesville, and the Rebels (8-2) are on the verge of being knocked out of the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteOSU crushes IU 38 to 15. I was genuinely surprised at the gap in quality between those two teams, and I've certainly seen enough of IU to hold me for the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not an IU fan, but I was rooting for IU here.
DeleteFlorida apparently intercepts Ole Miss with 24 seconds to lock up that game, but the officials review the call and conclude that the defender trapped the ball. So Ole Miss gets another chance, and on the very next play the Ole Miss quarterback throws a terrible pass -- and this one is intercepted for real. So Florida will win the game 24-17. The Gators move to 6-5 on the year, with back-to-back wins over LSU and Ole Miss. The Rebels will fall to 8-3, and will now almost certainly miss the playoffs. There was more drama in the last quarter of this game than in the entire Big 10 season.
ReplyDeleteNow we have a Classic WAC matchup, with Arizona State (8-2) hosting B.Y.U. (9-1) in Tempe, Arizona. Both teams have broken out their classic uniforms -- B.Y.U. is in the royal blue and white, and ASU is wearing the Sparky helmets. It's a bright sunny day in Arizona, and the game looks spectacular.
ReplyDeleteSparky is looking strong -- with 4:29 left in the second quarter, ASU leads BYU 14-0. Meanwhile, in the Classic Big 8, Kansas leads Colorado 10-0 with 11:36 left in the 2d.
ReplyDeleteThere is an Internet rumor that ASU's Sparky was originally drawn by a Disney alum who based the character on Walt Disney himself, and I really hope that's true.
ReplyDeleteThat's curious. "'Sparky" was Charles Schulz's nickname.
DeleteI saw some clip of the Arizona State coach going crazy at the end of this game, and I tried to look up what had gone on to precipitate his rage, but I gave up pretty quickly.
Kansas (4-6) now leads Colorado (8-2) by 17-0 with 9:02 left in the 2d in Kansas City.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on the Internet claimed that UK's trip to Austin, Texas today represents the farthest west the Cats have ever gone to play a football game. I really hope that's true as well.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned to learn this.
DeleteASU recovers an onside kick and drives down to make the score 21-0 with 1:53 left in the 2d quarter. Meanwhile, Colorado has scored to cut Kansas's lead to 17-7 with 6:32 left in the 2d.
ReplyDeleteHigh drama in the Big 8, where Kansas leads Colorado 23-21 with 11:54 left in the 3d quarter.
ReplyDeleteI was rooting here for CU.
DeleteChicago 16 - 24 Minnesota (7:22 left in 4th)
ReplyDeleteIndianapolis 6 - 24 Detroit (5:59 left in 4th)
Miami 31 - 7 New England (10:22 left in 4th)
N.Y. Giants 7 - 30 Tampa Bay (1:15 left in 4th)
Washington 9 - 13 Dallas (8:03 left in 4th)
Carolina 19 - 27 Kansas City (6:15 left in 4th)
Houston 27 - 30 Tennessee (8:30 left in 4th)
The decline of Washington has been one of the more depressing storyline of the last few weeks. A few weeks ago they were 7-2. Now they're being dominated on their home field by Dallas, who does not have Dak Prescott.
Something horrible has happened to Jayden Daniels. I don't know if he's hurt, or if the other teams have figured out Washington's scheme, or if other guys or hurt, but he's now awful.
ReplyDeleteDallas tacks on another touchdown to go up 20-9 with 5 minutes to go, and it's time for the remaining Washington fans to start on the very long commute they must make to get back home.
ReplyDeleteOf course, for most of the Washington fans, today will be their last home game of the year -- no one is going out there in the cold to watch a doomed team.
ReplyDeleteIn any other city, we'd have a good sense of how they suddenly became so terrible. But in Washington, it will just be a mystery. We never knew why the Capitals couldn't win the playoffs. We never knew why the Nats couldn't win in the playoffs. And we won't know what happened to this team. But this was an absolute must-win game, and they have been horrifically bad. They are done for the year.
ReplyDeleteChicago 27 - 30 Minnesota (F) (OT)
ReplyDeleteIndianapolis 6 - 24 Detroit (F)
Miami 34 - 15 New England (F)
N.Y. Giants 7 - 30 Tampa Bay (F)
Washington 26 - 34 Dallas (F)
Carolina 27 - 30 Kansas City (F)
Houston 27 - 32 Tennessee (F)
Feels like the season is really slipping away for both Washington and Houston, who both suffer horrific losses at home.
Houston missed a late chip-shot field goal that would have tied their game at 30. Washington missed a late extra point that would have tied their game at 27. That was actually Washington's second missed extra point of the game.
DeleteMiami was the only home team to win in the noon Central kickoffs. It's very unusual to have only one home winner in that round.
ReplyDeleteAfter three straight wins, Dolphins are now up to eighth in the conference, and seven teams will make the playoffs. Still a big longshot to recover from their awful start and advance. Really needed the Broncos to lose today.
DeleteI just realized that the Ravens/Chargers game is tomorrow night. Tonight's game is the Rams (5-5) hosting the Eagles (8-2).
ReplyDeleteGo, Chargers.
DeleteThe Vikings are now 9-2, which is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing. A former boss of mine has been a Vikings fan as long as I've been a Dolphins fan, so I'm rooting for Minnesota and him.
DeleteTrevor Lawrence's career record as a starter is 22-37. Tua Tagovailoa's career record as a starter is 35-22.
ReplyDeleteTua is terrific.
DeleteHere are the standings in the NFC North:
ReplyDeleteDetroit: 10-1
Minnesota: 9-2
Green Bay: 8-3
Chicago: 4-7
Meanwhile, Philly has won six games in a row and they have a three-game lead over Washington in the loss column. If the Eagles win tonight, they'll still have that three-game lead with only six games left.
ReplyDeleteThis is the 45th meeting between the Eagles and the Rams. The Eagles lead the series 23-20-1.
ReplyDeleteThey've met three times in the playoffs:
ReplyDelete1. On December 18, 1949, the Eagles beat the Rams 14-0 in Los Angeles to win the NFL Championship.
2. On December 31, 1989, the Rams beat the Eagles 21-7 in Philadelphia to win a wild card game.
3. On January 27, 2002, the Rams beat the Eagles 29-24 in St. Louis to win the NFC Championship.
This matchup has been played in Cleveland, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteNorm Van Brocklin
DeleteRoman Gabriel
Ron Jaworski
Sam Bradford
Carson Wentz
All of those guys have played quarterback for both the Eagles and Rams. That's got to be the most notable list shared by two teams in the league.
OK, YouTube has sent me a playlist covering the songs I heard the most during 2024. Let's see what we've got.
ReplyDelete"Texas Hold 'Em," by Beyonce. I pretty much had this on repeat all through February and March.
ReplyDeleteI think I speak for all NFL fans when I say that no one wants to watch the pre-game show for Sunday Night Football. This game should kick off at exactly 7 P.M. Central every week.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear.
Delete"Lawyers in Love," by Jackson Browne. I listened to this most of the summer. For me, it is both mournful and nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
DeleteEating from TV trays
ReplyDeleteTuned into Happy Days
Waiting for World War III
While Jesus slaves
To the mating calls
Of lawyers in love
That's a mood that I remember very well, but it's not likely to be recovered anytime soon.
Never paid a lick of attention to the lyrics of this song. Glad you posted them.
Delete"If I Had $1 Million," by Barenaked Ladies. I'm not defending any of these songs -- I just happen to like them.
ReplyDeleteI like it, too.
DeleteI think you'll find that "cheesy sentimentality" is the common theme of this list.
ReplyDeleteIn my defense, I think cheesy sentimentality is the most appropriate response to our existence.
ReplyDeleteYes, amen.
Delete"United Kingdom," by ABC. For much of my life, I -- like many Americans -- thought I understood the U.K. But now I know better.
ReplyDelete"Alison," by Elvis Costello. I should have listened to this song more when I was younger.
ReplyDelete"We Don't Talk about Bruno," from the Encanto soundtrack. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius.
ReplyDelete"The Village Green Preservation Society," by the Kinks. More evidence that I don't understand the U.K.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, Donald Duck is about as American as anything could be.
DeleteI would like to read more on this intriguing point.
Delete"The Village Green Preservation Society" is all about things that the Kinks regard as quintessentially English. There are references to Sherlock Holmes, Tudor Houses, and what not throughout the lyrics. But one of the first lines in the song is "God save Donald Duck, vaudeville, and variety." Donald Duck was created by Walt Disney in 1934, and you can't get much more American than that. So I don't know why the Kinks see him as English.
Delete"Star Wars -- Throne Room and End Title," by the Film Symphony Orchestra. Look this video up on YouTube. I promise that you will recognize the exact point in the soundtrack at which the movie ends and they switch to the credits. I was there in 1977, when this actually came out -- and no one knew what to expect. And that moment, when the credits started to roll, was one of the most satisfying I have ever experienced. I have enjoyed pop culture for almost 50 years since then, and I have rarely enjoyed anything that much.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how you could ever have anything like "Star Wars" today, because there's no way kids today could ever be as bored as kids were in 1977.
DeleteI saw "Empire Strikes Back" before I saw "Star Wars." And while I came to enjoy the original trilogy a good bit and even went to (and enjoyed) the fourth movie several years later (the first prequel or whatever), I have to be the only American our age who actually has always preferred "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (and maybe even "The Last Starfighter," though that came later, and "2001: A Space Odyssey," ... earlier). Like your songs, I'm not defending my movie choices--I just happen to like them more.
DeleteI also preferred "Peggy Sue Got Married" to "Back to the Future" (and still do, actually).
We were watching "Close Encounters" the other night, and it was striking to see how much it looked like a movie from the early 1970's. "Star Wars" just completely transformed that whole type of movie -- not necessarily for the better.
Delete"If I Can Dream," by Elvis Presley. I listened to this for most of the summer. It's amazing to me that Elvis was a real person and not a character from a novel.
ReplyDelete"So Long So Wrong," by Allison Krauss. This is the best Allison Krauss track, and it's from the best Allison Krauss album.
ReplyDeleteI also had a little Alison Krauss jag and actually traded letters with her and a member of Union Station once, but I'd moved off of them mostly by the time this record came out.
DeleteI don't remember nearly as much about my life in the late 1990's as I do about my life in the late 1970's. But I do know that I spent most of 1997 and 1998 listening to "So Long So Wrong" -- both the song and the album. I also spent a lot of time watching basketball and going to Borders. I regret none of it.
ReplyDeleteMy only complaint about Allison Krauss is that she can be a bit twee. But she avoided that problem on this album, which is why it's her best.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up "twee"--don't think I'd ever read it!
Delete"I Know a Heartache When I See One," by Jennifer Warnes. I listened to a lot of Jennifer Warnes toward the beginning of football season.
ReplyDelete"Talkin' Like You," by Connie Converse. Go on the Internet and look up Connie Converse. The recent biography about her was one of my favorite books of 2023. It's an amazing story. This is her best song.
ReplyDelete"Fell on Black Days," by Soundgarden. For me, Chris Cornell is the only person from that era who can stand comparison with Kurt Cobain. Music in the 1990's achieved a level of despair so powerful that as a member of their generation, I feel lucky to have avoided their mood.
ReplyDeleteOf course, while those guys were miserable, I had UK basketball to think about. For example, this album was released on March 8, 1994. I missed it in part because I spent the weekend of March 11 to 13, 1994 in my house watching UK beat Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Florida to win its third SEC Tournament in a row. In all seriousness and humility, I'm glad I spent the time thinking about basketball instead of black days.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow ... hadn't heard or thought of this song for 30 or so years. It's terrific. I actually saw Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert once.
ReplyDeleteThis song was a fairly constant companion to another person and me for a short period, and I can't imagine she's paid any attention to it in 30 years either.
"John Deere Tractor," by the Judds. I don't think it's possible to move from a small town to a large city without having this mood some of the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I've said this before, but I always know my wife is starting to wind down and actually go on vacation when we're about six hours deep on an interstate and she starts going into the whole story of the Judds. And if she eventually gets to the whole story of Stringbean and Grandpa Jones, then it's going to be one of those great vacations where it's almost like she forgets where she lives and what she does for a living for a few days.
DeleteI can't tell you how relaxing it is to repeat stories like that.
Delete"How Can I Be Sure," by the Young Rascals.
ReplyDelete"Don't Think Twice It's All Right," by Ed Sheeran. I know very little about Ed Sheeran, but this is a great cover version of an amazing song.
ReplyDeleteThis is good.
DeleteI love this song, but my favorite thing about it might be that I don't think we would've ever gotten "Maggie May" without it. And that reminds me that I haven't listened to Every Picture Tells a Story in several years and need to get that out for lunch tomorrow.
I listened to it a few months ago -- it's terrific.
Delete"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" by R.E.M. According to YouTube, I am in the top 0.2 percent of R.E.M. listeners, and that strikes me as very true.
ReplyDelete"Monster" was released on September 26, 1994, and was the last R.E.M. album that I bought immediately and spent months listening to. A lot of things changed in my life around that time, and I never had the same relation to pop culture again.
ReplyDelete"Leaving California," by Shawn Smith. This song appears at one of the most iconic moments in "The Sopranos."
ReplyDeleteOn the first play of the second half, Saquon Barkley goes 70 yards to put the Eagles up 20-7. He has 14 carries for 143 yards. He killed Washington down the stretch last Thursday, and now he's broken this game open.
ReplyDelete"You Gotta Be," by Des'ree. This song was released on March 28, 1994, and is another one of those last fireworks that went off while I was still obsessed with pop culture.
ReplyDelete"One Normal Night" from The Addams Family Musical. I'm really glad that Broadway made a comeback in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteThe Rams strike back with a TD of their own, and Philly leads 20-14 with 10:51 left in the 3d.
ReplyDelete"Crazy," by Patsy Cline. I used to listen to this song a lot when I was in college, which is a great time to listen to this type of music.
ReplyDeletePlus, I was in Nashville, which is a great place to listen to this type of music.
DeleteSaquon Barkley may be the best running back for a serious Super Bowl contender since Emmitt Smith was playing for the Cowboys.
ReplyDeletePhilly's offense is rolling now. They go 70 yards in 7 plays to take a 27-14 lead.
ReplyDeleteBarkley has 16 carries for 152 yards, and 4 catches for 47 yards. The Rams appear to have no answer for him.
ReplyDelete"You Walk with Me," from The Full Monty soundtrack. This song sounds like it should be about 80 years old. But they can still do this sort of thing on Broadway.
ReplyDelete"Georgia on My Mind," by Willie Nelson. I think this version is incredible.
ReplyDelete"A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard," by Jeremy Messersmith. I think this was one of the many great songs that was played on the old TV show "Chuck." The folks who made that show were experts at finding this type of song.
ReplyDeleteSee also "Bears," by Sam Isaac. Or "Christmas TV," by Slow Club.
Delete"Daddy Lessons," by Beyonce. There's also a version of this song that she does with the Dixie Chicks. I believe that Texas, like the U.K., is one of those places that I will never quite ever understand as much as I would like.
ReplyDeleteI don't even get Whataburger. Or Dr. Pepper.
Delete"Fight the Power," by Public Enemy. People don't talk about this side of 1980's culture. It wasn't all Duran Duran.
ReplyDelete"Wishin' and Hopin'" by Ani DiFranco. Of course, this was the opening song to "My Best Friend's Wedding," which was released on June 20, 1997. Julia Roberts was born in 1967. Rupert Everett was born in 1959. Cameron Diaz was born in 1972.
ReplyDelete"Love Hurts," by the Everly Brothers. This song is almost perfect, which is why there are so many good cover versions. It's almost impossible to do a bad version. The combination of the bouncy tune and the bleak lyrics is irresistible.
ReplyDeleteSome fools think of happiness
Blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves, I guess
But they're not fooling me.
I know it isn't true
I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie
Made to make you blue
That's pretty dark for pop culture.
"You'll Never Walk Alone," by Gerry and the Pacemakers. The fact that a Rogers and Hammerstein song was covered by a Liverpool band in the same year that Liverpool F.C. won the English Football League and thereby became one of the most famous sports anthems in the world is the sort of thing that makes you realize how amazing real life can be.
ReplyDeleteIt also does a good job of answering "Love Hurts."
Delete"Mama Who Bore Me," from the Spring Awakening Soundtrack. This whole soundtrack is amazing.
ReplyDelete"Superman (It's Not Easy)," by Five for Fighting. This song was released on April 16, 2001, and has contributed to some amazing fan-made videos about the various Superman movies.
ReplyDelete"Found Out About You," by the Gin Blossoms. At some point during almost every summer, I remember what Eric told me about the history of the Gin Blossoms, and then I listen to their songs for about two weeks. Now here are some bleak lyrics:
ReplyDeleteIs there a line that I could write
That's sad enough to make you cry?
And all the lines you wrote to me were lies.
The things you said and did to me
They seemed to come so easily
The love I thought I'd won
You give for free
Wow.
"Rockstar," by Nickelback. Released on August 14, 2006, and thus one of the last remnants of American culture as it was before the Housing Bubble burst and everyone switched to smart phones.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the Giants think it was a good idea to combine Saquon Barkley with the Eagles' offensive line? With three minutes left, Barkley goes 72 yards for another touchdown. That's 26 carries for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns.
ReplyDeleteIf the last four teams standing in the NFC are the Lions, Eagles, Vikings, and Packers, then we are in for a treat.
ReplyDeleteThis is a real Moneyball move by the Eagles. The rest of the NFL had decided that 27-year-old running backs were all about the same, and therefore weren't worth very much compared to wide receivers. But the Eagles are showing that the rest of the NFL was probably wrong. There aren't that many running backs who can break the game open with 70-yard touchdown runs.
ReplyDelete"Bargain Store," by Dolly Parton. She's amazing, and she always has been.
ReplyDelete"Blackbird," by Beyonce. This is a really beautiful cover.
ReplyDelete"Find the River," by R.E.M. Here's how it begins:
ReplyDeleteHey now, little speedyhead
The read on the speed-meter says
You have to go to task in the city
Where people drown and people serve
Don't be shy, your just dessert
Is only light years to go
This song is the last song on R.E.M.'s greatest album, "Automatic for the People." That album was released on October 5, 1992. Exactly one week later, I started life at my first real job in Washington, D.C.
"The Old Red Hills of Home," from the Parade soundtrack. You should really listen to this song -- I can't do it justice.
ReplyDelete