Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...
JAGUARS My, oh, my. The Jaguars season, which in some ways has progressed like a bad reality TV program, has come down to its final straw. The boys head out to Kansas City to play the Chiefs, all with very faint hopes of possibly squeaking into the playoffs.
Should the Jags beat the Chiefs, they would need the Jets to lose at home to the Raiders, they would need the Bengals to lose at home to the Steelers, and they would need the Titans, of all teams, to lose at home to the Patriots.
As you can imagine, the chances of all these stars aligning is quite slim. Unfortunately, the Jaguars put themselves in this position with losses the past two weeks, as we all know. They had so many chances to really move forward heading into the playoffs. But they have made mistakes in key situations, and, combined with the loss of many starters due to injury, especially on Defense, this team has simply come up a tad bit short. It’s been a completely frustrating season for all involved, from the players to the coaches to the ownership and fans.
The Chiefs are a tough group, led by the bull-rushing of Larry Johnson on offense. Herm Edwards has done a decent job in his first year as the K.C. coach, and it will be a tough task on the part of Jack Del Rio to get his squad fired up to beat these guys.
And we will all watch and wonder what could have been.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE This should be a wild and crazy weekend in the National Football League, for all intents and purposes. Most of it will center on who will qualify for the two wild card slots in each Conference. In the NFC, there seems to be a tremendous amount of mediocrity. Teams that you wouldn’t think deserve consideration for a playoff slot are still alive.
There are five teams in the NFC with 7-8 records. They are: the Giants, Packers, Falcons, Panthers, and Rams. One of them will receive the sixth and final wild card spot in the playoffs, no matter what. Coincidentally, all five teams play their games on the road. Tom Coughlin has certainly had some massive problems with his Giants in the second half of the season, having lost six of his last seven games. However, New York has the best shot at that final wild card slot, if his boys can come through and beat the Redskins in Washington. If they don’t, then the Packers are next, but they have to play the Bears in Chicago.
You also have the Falcons in Philly, the Panthers in New Orleans, and the Rams in Minnesota.
So, as you can see, its gonna get real nasty in the NFC this weekend. Its entirely possible a team with a 7-9 record could make the playoffs for the first time in history. We shall see.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL As we all know, with the New Year celebration, we also have a plethora of Bowl games, which to me have become a joke. Nonetheless, a lot of us are entirely interested in seeing these matchups to view who will do what in certain situations.
Here in town, the West Virginia Moutaineers will face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Tech was in town a few weeks ago for the ACC Championship, so I don’t expect to see as many fans from the Atlanta area as we might expect to see from West Virginia.
The Gator Bowl has a definite history for this city, without question, having been around for quite a few years. But I think local interest in this game has dwindled to some extent, as other games nationally have gotten more prominent, while the teams that have come here in recent years haven’t been as glamorous.
Certainly, there is still a product and a game that receives interest, especially from the teams that will show up. But I think something needs to happen, on the part of the Gator Bowl Committee and the NCAA, to change certain aspects of this game to make it more prominent, for it to receive better coverage and attention.
Tom Weppel talks trash on Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. on WIOJ-AM 1010, and on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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