Wild Wild-Card weekend. David Stern tribute. Vin Scully postscript.
Here we go.
In the big picture, I look upon last weekend’s NFL Wild-Card playoff games as a study of the changing of the guard.
For a team that has been the greatest dynasty in the sport. And for those who play the most significant position, the quarterbacks.
Let’s start with the team. Is it melodramatic to state that the New England Patriots domination of the league is essentially over?
I think not.
It’s not that dramatic because it happens to every team that has had the prolonged ultimate success that has made observers stamp them as a dynasty. It is only more than noteworthy because the Patriots have been champions longer and more continually than anyone else.
The Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans at home, and were outplayed in every way. Former assistants of New England head coach Bill Belichick have not enjoyed winning seasons. But a former player, Mike Vrabel, the second-year head coach of the Titans had the right stuff to knock off the Pats.
Basically, the Patriots are an aging team that didn’t have enough weapons for QB Tom Brady to perform his usual magic.
Tom Brady
Their attack has been mediocre all season. The team has been carried by its defense, which wasn’t at the level needed to overcome the problems on offense.
It appears the 42-year old Brady will continue to play at least another year. He still has the fire in his belly.
But I’d be surprised if he stays put. He’s likely to go where there is more firepower to his liking.
The winning quarterback in that game, Ryan Tannehill, is a fascinating story. Tannehill, who replaced a former number 2 draft pick, Marcus Mariota, was cast aside by the lowly Miami Dolphins after years of injury and ineffectiveness.
Tannehill, finally lived up to what the Dolphins hoped he would be, by guiding the Titans into the playoffs, and a memorable first round triumph.
The other games were filled with excitement, dramatic finishes, and drama, as well.
In the other AFC Wild-Card, the Houston Texans trailed the visiting Buffalo Bills 16-0 more than halfway into the third quarter. But they staged the biggest comeback in franchise history and took the lead 19-16 until a Bills field goal with :05 remaining in regulation sent the game into overtime. A Texans field goal won the game and advanced Houston to the next round.
One one hand, it was a marvelous testament to the Texans to fight back against a good team, with a superior defense.
Yes, the return of perennial all-defensive star J.J. Watt was a major factor. But the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who the Texans traded up to pick 12th overall in the 2017 draft, had the greatest impact.
Watson is just one of many young, athletic signal-callers who have changed the style of football’s key spot.
This week, Watson will be facing another of those youthful, exciting quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, who the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to pick 10th in that same draft.
Do you think the Chiefs and the Texans knew what they were doing?
Two thoughts about the Bills. They had a terrific season, but were just not ready to make the jump to finish the job in a tough post-season road test. They need reinforcements, which they will get. They have, in Josh Allen, another of the new-age QB’s, plus the defense and the poise and feel of a team headed for big days.
It could come as early as next season. I have them passing the Patriots as AFC East champions.
The biggest upset of Wild-Card weekend was the Minnesota Vikings stunning road victory over the New Orleans Saints.
There was no indication this would happen. But the Vikings defense took control and held the great Drew Brees and the New Orleans running game in check.
But the best feature of the game was the performance of Kirk Cousins, who defied his reputation of coming up short when the lights have been the brightest. It was Cousins, who engineered the winning touchdown in overtime, including a deep 43-yard pass to Adam Thielen to set up the winning toss for the game-winner.
Kirk Cousins
Before we move on, a note about officials calls which seem to be questionable, or to many, outright incorrect.
The Bills experienced one. And so did the Saints, on the winning TD toss.
In my New Year’s wish list for 2020, I wrote that I wished for the elimination of replay in the NFL.
I meant every word. I know that teams don’t lose a game because of one call. Even head coaches who are the victims of those calls will tell you that. To examine, frame-by-frame, of every critical play takes the air out of every balloon that is the excitement of live, unscripted athletic competition.
I’m glad no flags were thrown in those instances, including the game-winning pass for the Vikings.
Perhaps the quarterback who started the changes we are now witnessing, is Russell Wilson, who led the Seattle Seahawks to a road win in Philadelphia. For the Eagles, they had the misfortune of losing their starter, Carson Wentz, to injury on their third offensive series. Poor Wentz, who missed the Eagles Super Bowl success in 2018, and fought the injury-bug again this season. So, it was up to 40-year old, 17-year veteran Josh McCown to carry the banner. The Eagles kept within range of the Seahawks but it was an uphill climb all the way. Philly’s obstacle was too big to overcome.
So, in the Divisional round, my crystal ball is showing, in the AFC, the Chiefs over the Texans, and the Ravens (wait till you see them play), beating the Titans.
The 49ers are my pick over the Vikings, and in a surprise, Seattle over the Packers in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
That could set up round three of the division rivals 49ers and Seahawks in the NFC, and a Ravens-Chiefs showdown in the AFC.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern passed away at the age of 77.
Stern made the NBA the great league it has become.
When he took over as Commissioner, too many critics claimed the league was sub-par because there were too many African-Americans and that rampant drug use marred its appeal.
For those younger readers who can’t fathom the former, unfortunately that was exactly the cry of the critics.
Hard to believe in today’s world.
David Stern changed all that. He also brought about international involvement in the league, including the adoption of the Dream Team in the Olympics.
David Stern
He also made a brilliant move regarding television, which I was involved in with the broadcasts during his tenure.
CBS used to televise some of the NBA Finals on tape-delay, not to diminish the ratings of the key sweeps period for entertainment shows.
The basketball ratings were poor.
So Stern decided to reduce the telecasts of the league to only one game per month during the regular season.
Imagine, instead of the game-of-the-week, it became the game-of-the-month.
How genius a move by Stern!
Here was the rise of three super stars, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson.
The return to excellence of the Celtics, 76ers, and Lakers.
Fans demanded to know why they couldn’t see these teams and these players more often.
What David Stern accomplished, was creating a supply-and-demand scenario.
When the games were shown, the ratings flourished.
When they games returned to a weekly presentation, the fans tuned in. The rest became history.
Finally, a post-script to the story I wrote in early December on Vin Scully, the great baseball broadcaster who turned 92 in late November.
Vin Scully
It was essentially a letter of adoration to an announcer I worshiped as an 8-year old, amazingly got to know being in the same profession, and admired more than anyone, for his 67-year career as the voice of the Dodgers.
Readers may or may not know that my column posted on my website at dstockton.com is also published weekly in the Thousand Islands Sun from Alexandria Bay, NY where my wife Jamie and I spend our summer vacation.
There is a gentleman, who I do not know, but would like to learn his identity, who wanted Vin to see my story on him published in the Thousand Islands Sun.
I understand he has a daughter who lives in the Los Angeles area.
It seems, this gentleman learned of the church Scully attends from a story in Sports Illustrated a while back, and brought a copy of my story in the Thousand Island Sun to a noon service at the church on a visit to his daughter.
He had no idea the great Vin Scully would be present. But lo and behold, Scully was there.
Sitting in a pew right in front of the red-headed announcer, this gentleman gave Scully my column.
On New Year’s Day, I received a call from Scully which went to my voice-mail. He had called the newspaper and Craig Snow, who runs the paper, gave him my cellphone number.
I immediately called back, and in his incredible voice and delivery, told me the story of how he got to read my column.
We talked, got caught up, and shared memories.
But Vin Scully emphasized how grateful he was for what I wrote.
I made sure he knew how grateful I was, for all that he represented.
I was in shock for the rest of the day, considering how he got to read the story, and his kindness in finding me.
I will never erase that voicemail!
Nor will I ever diminish the power of the written word, as printed in a newspaper.
There forever.
