THE COUCH – I feel happy. I feel redeemed. And not just because the San Francisco 49ers lost. The team many were touting as the NFL’s best went down to to a mediocre Vikings squad led by Christian Ponder. Ponder that, mofo.
I’ve been saying it since last year and will continue to say it: Yes, the 49ers have a great defense – probably the best in the league right now – but so long as head coach Jim Harbaugh continues to run a retrograde offense that relies on gadget plays to get big chunks of yards, they will never be a truly dominant team. More often than not, the Niners will play close games, allowing their opponents to hang around. And when you do that… anything can happen.
Sure, things may break their way and they’ll manage to win a Super Bowl – thanks to that phenomenal D. After all, their division is so bad they’re all but guaranteed a playoff spot for the next few years. But then again, maybe they’ll never reach the big game and continue petering out against high quality teams in the post-season.
I hope it’s the latter. Harbaugh seems like boor and a bully. My gut is telling me to root against him.
Speaking of coaches I don’t like, Greg Schiano is quickly working his way up the list. After only three games as an NFL head coach, he’s already twice ended a losing game by ordering his D-line to fire into the offense’s Victory formation.
What a major league assh@le. Even his own players are embarrassed by the bush league (read: college) tactics. As well they should be. They’re professionals. Whether or not Schiano is remains to be seen. He’s certainly not acting like one.
And surprise, surprise, it turns out he’s good friends with Bill Belichick. Birds of the feather and all that.
Meanwhile, New Orleans is 0-3 with two of those defeats coming at home. This time it was against a Kansas City. Yes, that Kansas City. I mean, they’re better than the Royals, but not by much.
I think it’s now official: Commissioner Roger Goodell successfully gutted the Saints when he decapitated their coaching staff. And for the record, he punished the Saints for BountyGate more than he punished the Patriots for SpyGate.
Yet another reason why the players don’t respect him.
Speaking of Goodell, the lockout of NFL officials that he’s (mis)handling on behalf of the owners continues unabated. And it reflects rather poorly on the league. Because it’s clear to just about everyone that the scab refs just aren’t up to snuff. I have yet to see a new crew that can run the games as efficiently and effectively as the pros.
In short, the NFL product is declining in quality and losing value. For real. Not much so far, but the longer this drags on, the more you have to wonder.
Finally, the Dolphins almost beat the Jets down in Miami. To me, that says a lot more about the Jets than it does about the ‘Fins.
And the networks’ insistence on showing Tim Tebow’s short run for a first down on a fake punt says more to me about the state of our culture than it does about Tebow’s contributions on the gridiron on behalf of the Jets, which is of course minimal.
West Coast Craig drops the max later this afternoon.
P.s… Thanks to OregonPete23 for putting our research staff onto this:
https://youtu.be/NmY7ttVNiWo
