Toughest Thing to Do in NFL is WIN a Game
What is the most difficult thing to do in the NFL?
The toughest thing to do is win a game.
Easy for outsiders to predict. Easy for fans to hope.
Not easy for teams to do.
They have to actually do it. Get it done.
Circumstances play a big role.
So we are in mid-December and we have two distinct worlds. The one in which thing have jelled beautifully, and
relatively smoothly.
Where the ride has been pure joy. And the other world.
Where there have been breakdowns, underachievement, and injuries.
Where it’s been rocky and unpleasant.
A world where the jobs of coaches are on the line.
Euphoria or depression.
I may be wrong but it seems more pronounced this season. Perhaps more in the NFC than the AFC.
Let’s zero in.
For teams like the Patriots, Chiefs, Saints, and Packers, for example it’s been business as usual.
What matters from here on in are playoff position and home field advantage.
It’s a nervous time for the likes of the Cowboys, Eagles, Texans, Bears and Rams.
Some will breathe a sigh of relief. Some will merely sigh.
Now, we go to those who at this point are living a dream.
Start with the Baltimore Ravens. I wrote about this group after they beat the Seahawks in Seattle and made your eyes pop.
Well, they haven’t lost since. Who can beat out Lamar Jackson for MVP?
Right now they are the story of the NFL year. And I’m well aware fortunes change at the blink of an eye.
I would put the 49ers in that category. Coming off the mat a year ago when they lost QB Jimmy Garoppolo for practically
the entire season. He came back, and the 49ers developed into a powerhouse, and not necessarily because of
Garoppolo. The running game and the defense have been brilliant.
There were moments of concern for the Packers and their new coach Matt LaFleur. It didn’t look like LaFleur and their
star quarterback Aaron Rodgers were on the same page in the beginning. But they meshed, and their defense has been
the key.
Matt LaFleur
The same can be said of the Vikings. They were ready to run Kirk Cousins out of town early on. Then the Minnesota signal-caller responded and delivered. Add the Seattle Seahawks, who remain a consistent stalwart. Always a threat to reach the Super Bowl. This year is no exception. So there is much joy in Baltimore, San Fran, Green Bay, Seattle and yes, in Buffalo as well.
The Bills were one of those teams who didn’t move the needle either way when it all started back in September.
There seems to be one truly breakout club every season. This year, it’s the Bills. Make no mistake, they are legitimate.
Of all those first round quarterbacks drafted in 2018, two have been major standouts. Lamar Jackson, of course, and
Buffalo’s Josh Allen. They will be the team to unseat the Patriots when the time comes. And it’s coming sooner than later.
Lamar Jackson
Josh Allen
Next season, the Oakland Raiders will become the Las Vegas Raiders. I’ve seen them enough to declare the Raiders, the
major challengers to the Chiefs in the AFC West. There is joy in Tennessee, too. What a rewarding campaign it’s been for
the Titans, and especially for QB Ryan Tannehill, who was discarded by the Dolphins. Talk about a last laugh.
Miami and Cincinnati will be drafting what they hope will be franchise quarterbacks in April.
The Browns have been a disappointment, but that is no surprise to me. They simply haven’t learned to win yet.
I feel they will, and they have that fiery leader in Baker Mayfield.
I promised myself I wouldn’t name all 32 teams in the league, and I won’t.
We’ve mentioned the haves so far. But now it’s time for the have-nots.
When it gets so bad that head coaches are either fired or rumored to be, that’s when the real disappointment emerges for fans and players.
The New York Giants lead the parade. Followed right behind by the Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars and Lions.
Ron Rivera has already been let go by Carolina. It doesn’t look good for Pat Shurmur, Dan Quinn, Doug Marrone, and maybe,
but but not likely, Matt Patricia.
Ron Rivera
It’s been a dismal time for those teams. For the most part, when you change head coaches, there is a new system, which means
adjustments, and new players to fit those systems.
It’s practically starting all over. Not fun.
They say the NFL season is a short season. A schedule of 16 games. But when you’re struggling, and limping home,
it’s a long season that seems to never end.
We all know, this is the way of all sports. What I’m describing is nothing new.
But in sizing up the NFL in it’s final month of the regular season, and gearing up for the the playoffs and the Super Bowl, let’s
also acknowledge the other side. The side no one talks about.
Every one in the league has been there.
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