It’s reality-check time for the Golden State Warriors and the bettors who put money on the team to break a major record. Stephen Curry is not in Michael Jordan’s airspace yet, and he’s probably not getting there this season.
Matt Youmans
Every good soap opera features twists and turns and marriages and affairs. The NFL is not much different. It’s a year-round drama, and for the longest time we have followed the careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and their complicated relationship.
It’s a psychological ploy that sometimes works and sometimes is worthless, but Aaron Rodgers is giving it a shot this week. He’s embracing the underdog role on behalf of the Green Bay Packers.
It took months for coach Pete Carroll to admit the obvious and finally say this week a Super Bowl hangover was a big reason the Seattle Seahawks were so sluggish to start this season. But the good news is hangovers eventually go away.
Just when it seemed Peyton Manning might go out with a whimper, he was called on in relief and delivered a win. He was exactly what the Denver Broncos needed, just when it seemed they no longer wanted him.
By most indications, the end is here for Tom Coughlin as coach of the New York Giants. In a cutthroat business, he has no playoff appearances in four straight seasons, and it does not make business sense to give him a shot to extend the streak to five.
Instead of ripping the losing coach, pause for a moment to praise the winning quarterback. Deshaun Watson did not get much pregame hype from the media and was quickly dismissed by most bettors, yet he directed a dominant performance by Clemson.
Even a genius is capable of a dumb decision. Bill Belichick is normally the sharpest gambler walking NFL sidelines, and the math usually supports his rolls of the dice, but he owns this rare blunder.
With time winding down in the regular season, it’s possible we have seen the last of Peyton Manning.
It’s no cinch Connor Cook will be a quality starter in the NFL, a league desperately in need of a few good quarterbacks. But he’s about to audition for the role, and the stage he gets to take on New Year’s Eve is about as big as it gets.
If anyone wonders why NFL wagering is so popular, Ben Roethlisberger is one reason. If he’s on the field, he’s never out of a game. When the Pittsburgh Steelers are down, only a fool counts them out.
If this is the end, it’s sad. What appears to be the Chargers’ final season in San Diego is coming to a forgettable conclusion. Philip Rivers has spent his 12-year NFL career as the quarterback for one team.
It never has been easier to reach a bowl game, which is not a good thing.
It was not a performance that will establish Brock Osweiler as the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback. It’s not going to make him a marketing star, either, meaning commercials pitching cars, insurance and pizza are not suddenly coming his way.
Never is it easy to call for a coach’s job, especially when he’s a two-time Super Bowl winner. Tom Coughlin has put himself and the New York Giants in a tough spot, however, and there’s no doubt his job is on the line.