As fall draws to a close and winter term looms, those students interested in football can take solace in the fact that their holiday vacation will end on a positive note—the commencement of NFL playoff action. With only five more weeks left in the regular season, there is still quite a bit of room left for some upsets and unpredictable divisional showdowns.
COURTESY OF UPI/Archie Carpenter
Left Behind: The Kansas City Chiefs are among a handful of teams in the NFL whose seasons are effectively over.
Except for the Kansas City Chiefs, anyway. Even if the 1-10 Chiefs win every one of their remaining games, it is still mathematically impossible for them to reach the postseason. In a clear sign that the team has raised the white flag, the Chiefs replaced quarterback Matt Cassel with Brady Quinn, who currently sports a QB rating of 17.1. (If you’re unfamiliar with this stat, it basically means that Quinn is playing with the aptitude of a high school second-string quarterback.) On a positive note, Chiefs fans should look forward to their team securing a nice spot in the 2013 NFL draft. Until then, all they can do is start counting down the days until baseball season begins again, when the focus will shift back to the Royals.
Over in the NFC, Arizona Cardinals fans are currently experiencing a whole different level of pain—a deflation of optimism. After the first four weeks of regular season football, the only teams besides the Cardinals with a 4-0 record were the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons. As of today, the Cardinals are 4-7, while the Falcons and Texans have each only dropped one game out of their first 11.
Many blame quarterback Kevin Kolb’s replacement during the losing streak: John Skelton, who in six games threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns. When the Cardinals had enough of Skelton’s miserable performance and replaced him with rookie Ryan Lindley in last Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams, Lindley managed to throw four interceptions, two of which were returned by the Rams for touchdowns. With Kolb out of the picture (and no timetable set for his return), the fate of the Cardinals looks grimmer by the day.
Of course, I could just as easily bash the Carolina Panthers (three wins) and Jacksonville Jaguars (two wins), but no one expected much progress from either team. On the other hand, the New Orleans Saints, a team that has reached the playoffs in three straight seasons, started the year with four straight losses. As an offensive-minded team, complete with one of the best quarterbacks playing today and a slew of fantastic running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, the Saints never had to worry too much about their defense—until now.
By allowing an average of 156.5 rushing yards each game—the worst average in the NFL—the Saints’ offense has been unable to counteract their abysmal defense as it has in the past. New Orleans has managed to regain some stamina since the rough start and currently sits at 5-6 on the year, but with upcoming road games against the Falcons and New York Giants on the schedule, the Saints better hope that their namesakes shine some divine light on their troubles.
It’s a tumultuous time to be part of a professional football franchise. Projections are rendered meaningless from week to week, and it seems as though every other team is playing without its starting quarterback. There is no telling what the rest of the year will bring, of course, and there’s still plenty of football left to play. But for some teams, this season is already over.
There’s always next year.