2025 Season The Big Push wks 15 - 18

[Brian wolf]

End To The Regular Season Thoughts ...

--The Jets completed the Dog Watch with no interceptions and apparent effort against Buffalo, securing the second overrall pick.

--Ravens have themselves to blame for not winning a game without DK Metcalf. No safety help at all on Calvin Austin for the winning TD with :55 seconds left. Derrick Henry had only 5 carries in the second half, missing the rushing title as well by 27 yards. Loop had a good year until failing to make the winning kick.

--Cowboys have their first back-to-back losing seasons since the early 2000s. Schottenheimer has a presence like his father but can he really coach? Prescott had an impressive bounce back season and still hopes to make it to a conference championship game.

--With the Giants winning* early, the Raiders actually try and win a ballgame. Will they pursue a new coach and QB?

--Packers made the right decision resting their QBs but the team was still listless against the Vikings. Can they turn it around next week against Chicago?

*Edited ... I goofed.

[JWL]

--Ravens have themselves to blame for not winning a game without DK Metcalf. No safety help at all on Calvin Austin for the winning TD with :55 seconds left. Derrick Henry had only 5 carries in the second half, missing the rushing title as well by 27 yards. Loop had a good year until failing to make the winning kick.

I was disappointed to see John Harbaugh and/or Todd Monken not try to get closer or even try to score a touchdown with 14 seconds left. They had time to run one more play and had a timeout. Instead, Jackson took a snap and went backwards on purpose to set up a 44-yard field goal. Herman Edwards did this same thing in a playoff game in the same stadium 21 seasons ago.

3-8-PIT 23 (:06) C.Pennington kneels to PIT 24 for -1 yards.
Timeout #2 by NYJ at 00:04.
Timeout #3 by PIT at 00:04.
4-9-PIT 24 (:04) D.Brien 43 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-J.Dearth, Holder-T.Gowin.

The missed field goal led to overtime where the Jets lost.



Timeout #2 by BLT at 00:14.
1-10-PIT 24 (:14) L.Jackson kneels to PIT 26 for -2 yards.
Timeout #3 by BLT at 00:02.
2-12-PIT 26 (:02) T.Loop 44 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-N.Moore, Holder-J.Stout.

This missed field goal led to the offseason where the Ravens went.

[JWL]

The combined statistics of 25% of the Week 18 starting quarterbacks-
50 completions
90 attempts
388 yards
1 TD pass
1 interception

Thanks go out to Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Clayton Tune, Dak Prescott, Brady Cook, Josh Allen, Chris Oladokun, and Kenny Pickett.

In addition to the season finale week itself being the main culprit, there are other reasons in play here from a questionable need to continue an iron man streak to a season-ending injury while scoring a touchdown to a planned rotation where the guy played so poorly that the coach scrapped the rotation and said, "That's enough."

Can someone find any particular Week this century where any eight starting quarterbacks combined for such meager numbers?

[Brian wolf]

Haha ... I understand JWL on the Jackson kneeldown. I would have been happy they try for a TD pass--since I bet on the game--but Loop was set up for success.

[Brian wolf]

Wow ... talk about fate ... the Ravens release Tucker this past year due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Tucker was obviously distracted, as he had a bad year--for him anyway--in 2024 kicking for the team. The team went with a rookie kicker in Loop, who had a great season before missing a game winning kick that could have beaten the Steelers for the division. Now, Harbaugh has been fired. His teams have simply underachieved since he won his lone SB championship in 2013. Still in 18 years, his teams only had five non-winning seasons.