NFL Week 7 – The Brian Branch Cup

 

 

 

 

Greetings Tipsters

Helluva weekend, that. Spectacular high-speed Moto GP crash at Phillip Island on Saturday, great race on Sunday – Marquez blew the start then fought back through the field for a thrilling win – Monday morning (which is Sunday in the US, so still the weekend) Detroit Lions travelled to Minneapolis, to a wonderful new stadium built after the roof of the old one collapsed from the weight of snow, to play the Vikings.

Lions blew the start too, going for a fake punt on fourth and seven deep in their own territory that the Vikings defended, then ran in a touchdown on the second snap. Bad first quarter from us but only 10-0 at the first break. After that we found our mojo, scored the next three touchdowns and led until late in the fourth when, with a five point lead and five minutes of clock to chew, Vikings recovered a fumble for a touchdown – which I may dub a Tuddy for the sake of abbreviation and a cross-code reference – then blew a 2-point conversion. So we got the ball back again. With four minutes and a 1 point deficit. No worries, we got it downfield, chewed the clock some more, Jake the rookie kicked the field goal then I had to endure the last fifteen seconds, which took a few minutes to play, of the Vikings O.

Phew! It was a great win. Another great game from Goff, who threw 15 before an incompletion and the Lions now the first team since the 1970 merger to throw more Tuddys than incompletions over four games, 18 to 15. Did we miss Hutch? You bet, Darnold, Vikings QB, had too much time to throw and the really good QBs will chew us up. I expect Detroit to trade for an edge rusher by the Nov 5 deadline, perhaps someone like Za’Darius Smith who is a good player on a lousy team and shouldn’t cost too much in trade or salary cap. There has been talk of Maxx Crosby, as good a player as Hutch, but the Raiders would ask two first-round picks and maybe a player for him, which is pushing it a bit.

Still, how much is a Superbowl worth? The Rams gave the Lions two first rounders and a player for Matthew Stafford and promptly won it. A win-win trade, we drafted well and Goff is in career-best form. Sure, he’s about as mobile as me in thongs but no longer panics under pressure – in fact, he is the most efficient QB under pressure in the league so far this season.

We sure could use an edge rusher, tho. The aforementioned Smith plays for Cleveland Browns and, oh boy, what a disaster that team is. Named for their first coach, Paul Brown, a genius innovator, they dominated the AAFC in the late 1940s before it was absorbed into the NFL, won three championships in six years and another in 1964 and was a consistent playoff team until the mid 1970s, then again in the mid 80s and… it kinda trailed off… thereafter…

Come the decadence, Art Modell, owner, wanted to move the team to Baltimore (check here for Baltimore/Indianopolis Colts) and there was hue and cry until a compromise which allowed the team to move but intellectual property, including name, colours, history, had to stay in Cleveland. Resuscitated in ’99, the Browns have been the subject of some entertaining videos made by long suffering fans, with four winning seasons and one playoff win, 38 starting quarterbacks, ten head coaches, one win over seasons 2016 and ’17. The type of team that makes other fans say “Browns is my second team” which, of course, Browns fans hated.

Until the DeShaun Watson trade. Cleveland is owned by Jimmy and Dee Haslam who hadn’t done much to rile up fans beyond the usual cluelessness exhibited by most billionaire owners. Watson had an almighty 4823 yard season with the Houston Texans in 2020, then sat out 2021 over a contract dispute. Meanwhile, 22 women filed a class action suit against him over sexual misconduct during massage sessions. No wuckies for Jimmy and Dee, who gave the Texans three first, one third and two fourth round draft picks, then, to the ire of every other team owner, gave Watson a fully guaranteed $230M over five years.

2022, DeShaun, aka Groper Cleveland and many less salubrious nicknames, was suspended for eleven games for his misconduct. He played like crap on his return.

2023, DeShaun played like crap until, oh no, my shoulder is sore, Ol’ Joe Flacco got off his couch and made the Browns look good.

2024, DeShaun plays like crap, Kevin Stefanski, a good coach, said that DeShaun would be the starting QB and everyone knew “that’s what the owners want”, then he popped an Achilles tendon Sunday and Kevin probably went to every church, temple and synagogue in the greater Cleveland area to give thanks. Jimmy should have too because the injury insurance gets them off the hook for $13M this season. Bailey Zappe, who started a few games for the Patriots, was signed off the Chiefs practice squad today. A few months in the company of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes may have helped him, he won’t start this week but maybe the next. An interesting few weeks ahead for the Browns.

American Football, it is bloody awesome to watch the games and to observe the machinations. A few days ago the Browns announced they would build a new stadium, 12 miles out in the suburbs but fully funded by private enterprise.

Cheers Tipsters

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About Earl O'Neill

Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.

Comments

  1. Mickey Randall says

    Thanks Earl. For no good reason I recently remembered the impossibly named quarterback, Elvis Grbac. What a handle! Is he the second most famous Elvis? Are there others?

  2. Similarly, Mickey, is Reg Presley the second most famous Presley?

  3. Earl O'Neill says

    Ian, Reg is the second most famous Presley not directly related to Elvis.

    My fave QB name is Colt McCoy.

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