Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[MNHighwayMan]

It is fully typical of Minnesota sports to win championships before anyone cares. No one ever mentions the NFL championship the Vikings won the year before the merger,

Because that was the year of Super Bowl IV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, the first of their 4 super bowl losses?

Hmm, you're right. For some reason, I thought that was before the Super Bowl era. My mistake.

[Eth]

though at least it's not playing the same team in the same stadium in consecutive weeks like Memphis and Cincinnati

This should be Conference Scheduling 101: no cross-division games in the final week! The championship not being at a neutral site just compounds the problem.

As for my own team, I'm just glad this season's over. At least I was spared from seeing the offense shut out for a third time this season, even if it did require a muffed punt in the red zone to accomplish it.

In the AAC, that's possible because they have 6-team divisions.  For the conferences with 7-team divisions, this is unavoidable, though they can do what the BIG does and pick a pair of teams that are never ever going to meet the following week for their crossover game.

True, though as an ACC guy, I'm used to about a third of the conference playing non-conference rivalry games in the final week instead. So while we have 7-team divisions, we only have 6 in the Coastal and 4 in the Atlantic playing conference games the last week.

[NWI_Irish96]

though at least it's not playing the same team in the same stadium in consecutive weeks like Memphis and Cincinnati

This should be Conference Scheduling 101: no cross-division games in the final week! The championship not being at a neutral site just compounds the problem.

As for my own team, I'm just glad this season's over. At least I was spared from seeing the offense shut out for a third time this season, even if it did require a muffed punt in the red zone to accomplish it.

In the AAC, that's possible because they have 6-team divisions.  For the conferences with 7-team divisions, this is unavoidable, though they can do what the BIG does and pick a pair of teams that are never ever going to meet the following week for their crossover game.

True, though as an ACC guy, I'm used to about a third of the conference playing non-conference rivalry games in the final week instead. So while we have 7-team divisions, we only have 6 in the Coastal and 4 in the Atlantic playing conference games the last week.

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

[thspfc]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

[Alps]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

Sometimes there's a 5th team that's fun to talk about, like Boise State or UCF. But we all know they're not real.

[nexus73]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

Sometimes there's a 5th team that's fun to talk about, like Boise State or UCF. But we all know they're not real.

Uh, Boise State has had some outstanding seasons.  Remember their win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl along with a win over TCU in the same venue?  UCF had an undefeated season recently that saw them beat Auburn, which beat Alabama, who was playing for the title.  Both teams finished #2 in the final polls.  Not real?  Get real!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_UCF_Knights_football_team

Rick

[ET21]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

Sometimes there's a 5th team that's fun to talk about, like Boise State or UCF. But we all know they're not real.

Boise States real enough to appear frequently in one of the New Years bowls over the last 10 years. They shared that with NIU, in-conference rival Fresno State, and Marshall briefly for a few years in the early 2010s and UCF in the last few years.

[thspfc]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

Sometimes there's a 5th team that's fun to talk about, like Boise State or UCF. But we all know they're not real.

Boise States real enough to appear frequently in one of the New Years bowls over the last 10 years. They shared that with NIU, in-conference rival Fresno State, and Marshall briefly for a few years in the early 2010s and UCF in the last few years.

True, UCF did win the natty in 2017. How could I forget.
In all seriousness though, they legitimately could have been in the playoff field that year, though that's easy to say two years later. They beat Auburn, who beat both the national champion and runner-up during the regular season (but Auburn also did lose to Georgia in the SEC championship).

[Alps]

Wait, there's more than one team in the ACC?

Wait, there's more than four teams in all of college football?

Sometimes there's a 5th team that's fun to talk about, like Boise State or UCF. But we all know they're not real.

Boise States real enough to appear frequently in one of the New Years bowls over the last 10 years. They shared that with NIU, in-conference rival Fresno State, and Marshall briefly for a few years in the early 2010s and UCF in the last few years.

Hey guys, it's the Internet. Sarcasm is implied.

[ET21]

So how bout dem Cowboys? 

[triplemultiplex]

The high point of Mitchell Trubisky's career.

[Max Rockatansky]

So how bout dem Cowboys? 

Yes, they aren't a very good team that probably will win a really bad division with a losing record.  If it was any other fan base I think the expectations for the Cowboys would have been much more realistic this year.  They went 10-6 in 2018 it wasn't like they won 12-14 games. 

[Henry]

So how bout dem Cowboys? 

Yes, they aren’t a very good team that probably will win a really bad division with a losing record.  If it was any other fan base I think the expectations for the Cowboys would have been much more realistic this year.  They went 10-6 in 2018 it wasn’t like they won 12-14 games. 

IIRC, as far as no teams within a division finishing at least .500, it has happened twice before. There was the year the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record, and then the one with the Panthers taking the NFC South at 7-8-1.

[webny99]

I saw this last night, and got a good laugh out of it:
"At the start of Week 12, the Redskins needed 15 straight games to break their way to win the division. The Cowboys' loss to the Bears is the 7th straight."
So, you never know - it still could be the Redskins that get to host a home playoff game! 

The thing about the Cowboys is that their offense is among the best on paper, but they haven't been able to translate that into points... or wins. Their three most recent loses have all been inexplicable, but if I was a fan, I'd say the 13-9 loss to the Patriots remains the worst, most frustrating of them all.

Come to think of it, I think I'd say the same thing about the Bills, who also have three losses (just over the entire season, not straight): They were destroyed by the Eagles, and lost to the Browns on a missed field goal, but the 16-10 loss to the Patriots at home remains far, far more frustrating than either of those.

[thspfc]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

[NWI_Irish96]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

[thspfc]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

The wins for the losing playoff teams were both against teams that pretty much managed to get to the playoffs but were not at all super bowl contenders. I think the Cowboys might be able to win one. They did beat the exact same Seattle team in the WC last year.

[Max Rockatansky]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

The wins for the losing playoff teams were both against teams that pretty much managed to get to the playoffs but were not at all super bowl contenders. I think the Cowboys might be able to win one. They did beat the exact same Seattle team in the WC last year.

How many teams have the Cowboys beaten this year with a winning record again?

[thspfc]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

The wins for the losing playoff teams were both against teams that pretty much managed to get to the playoffs but were not at all super bowl contenders. I think the Cowboys might be able to win one. They did beat the exact same Seattle team in the WC last year.

How many teams have the Cowboys beaten this year with a winning record again?

0.0, but weird stuff happens.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

In the case of the Seahawks, they defeated the (defend Super Bowl Champion) Saints in Seattle. That was the game that made Marshawn Lynch, "Beast Mode."

[apeman33]

Stat of the day: the two teams to make the playoffs with a losing record (2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers) both won their first playoff game. Maybe there's a method to the Cowboys' madness?

Not sure who the Seahawks and Panthers beat, but the NFC East champ will be hosting the one out of the 49ers and Seahawks that doesn't win the NFC West, which will likely be one of the best ever teams not to win their division.

In the case of the Seahawks, they defeated the (defend Super Bowl Champion) Saints in Seattle. That was the game that made Marshawn Lynch, "Beast Mode."

The Panthers beat a Cardinals team that was playing its third-string quarterback due to injuries.

[apeman33]

Going into today, it is possible for there to be both three-way and four-way ties for the NFC East championship at 6-10. And Dallas would win the tie-breaker in both cases.

(The four-way scenario includes an unlikely Washington win over Green Bay, so it's probably not going to happen).

So yeah, the Cowboys can win the division title four games under .500 and go into the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.

[LM117]

I saw this last night, and got a good laugh out of it:
"At the start of Week 12, the Redskins needed 15 straight games to break their way to win the division. The Cowboys' loss to the Bears is the 7th straight."
So, you never know - it still could be the Redskins that get to host a home playoff game! 

On the bright side, the Redskins helped the Panthers by sealing the deal on Ron Rivera's fate. It was tough to read about his firing, but it needed to happen. Tepper isn't fucking around.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28219337/panthers-owner-david-tepper-ron-rivera-firing-thought-was

[Beltway]

So yeah, the Cowboys can win the division title four games under .500 and go into the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.

Well, two games under 0.500.

The difference between 8-8 and 6-10 is the winning of 2 more games.

[webny99]

So, in a highly-anticipated matchup, the Bills D holds the Ravens to 24 points, but the offense can't match it, and thus it continues to be the offensive struggles that prevent the W in close matchups.

The blame squarely falls on offense for now 3 of the 4 losses: Pats, Browns, and now Ravens; while blame is split for the Eagles loss (which, by the way, remains the only time all season the Bills D has given up more than 25 points). And with the top-ranked Niners D giving up 46 points to the Saints (!) the Bills advance to second overall in points allowed at 212, behind only the Patriots at 168.

These last five weeks have to be cause for concern for the Pats, though, having not scored more than 25 points since, ummm... week 9 against the Browns. They've gone 2-3 since then; hilariously, both W's are against NFC East opponents. Can't wait for Dec. 21st in Foxborough!