The U.S. government has shut down, fortunately the NFC and AFC Championship Games take center stage. Clearly, the more compelling storylines are the football games and Tom Brady’s hand injury he suffered this week in practice.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s game at Cleveland is but a blur on my interest radar this week-end. Hopefully — the game in Cleveland will get both of these sleepwalking teams motivated and energized moving forward.
We know how the government thing will end. It will end the same way it’s ended for a very long time—with that being…conclusive evidence that neither Democrats or Republicans in any configuration can govern the country like adults. Granted, having a fourth grade level internet bully is like throwing gas on a fire, but who amongst can honestly say this would have had a different ending regardless of which candidate had been elected. Ask John Boehner if he’s surprised. No surprise–the American Freedom Caucus rules both Trump and McConnell. The rest is just window dressing.
So–it’s NFL football again for me this week-end taking my interest center stage.
The AFC Championship Game features the Jacksonville Jags at the New England Patriots. Tom Brady sustained a cut knuckle on his throwing hand this Wednesday. Four stitches were required to close the wound. Can he throw? Can he play? My guess is he’ll do both well enough to beat the upstart Jags and advance to the Super Bowl. The Jags are very good, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe the best defense in the NFL. I look at it this way though, the Pats have home field, Tom Brady with a sutured knuckle, a healthy Gronk, and the best head coach in the NFL…I might not give the points, but I’d still take New England to win. In the end, is Blake Bortles good enough at quarterback for the Jags to overcome all of which I just listed above? That’s the question in this one. Should be an intriguing game though. I’ll go New England 24- Jacksonville 19.
The NFC game should be a game of two franchises with two quarterbacks who have both traveled improbable roads to be on the cusp of the Super Bowl… Nick Foles and Case Keenum. Two great defenses. But here’s where I go to pick the Eagles to advance, namely home field and a better running game. Otherwise, these teams are almost identical. Neither have won a Super Bowl in their football history, neither have been to a Super Bowl in quite some time, both have suffered in recent years, but here they both stand one game removed from the Super Bowl. I’ll go Philadelphia 19- Minnesota 17.