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It’s NFL Time: Ready for ‘RedZone’; Not Ready for Fading Rams or Fishy Patriots

September 8th, 2019 · No Comments · NFL, Rams

In a few hours, NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson will begin firing National Football League news at us, with accompanying action clips. To me, that marks the true start of the NFL season. Not some bad Thursday night game that left people wondering about the competence of Mitchell Trubiski.

I consider Hanson’s work some of the most impressive in all of modern sports. How many of us can stay informed about six or seven or eight NFL games simultaneously and bring us quickly up to date as each game unfolds? Seems like a nearly singular skill, and Hanson has it. He also has the ability to sit in a chair for six-plus hours, apparently doing without a bathroom break on some Sundays. Does he wear an adult diaper?

What I am not looking forward to is the third season of the Los Angeles Rams under the guidance of coach Sean McVay.

I am not yet over the 13-3, “fewest points scored, ever” egg the Rams laid in the Super Bowl. They were the ones with the “3” in the 13-3. And, of course, what made it ever-so-much worse was that the “13” was scored by the New England Patriots.

Which leads us off in a few other directions.

I have to concede my interest in the NFL, which rebounded a bit these past two seasons, is heading in the other direction. I know there will be many games today, but I can’t say I care about any of them in particular. It’s too early. And the NFL requires too much work to keep up to speed year round. (Scott Hanson in an earphone might help.)

I have no idea whom the Rams are playing today. At this point, I’m not going to look it up. I will let RedZone advise me. That has surprised me, my pessimism concerning the Rams. I am a far bigger Dodgers fan, at the moment. Even if they keep losing World Series.

My main concerns about the Rams are these: 1) This is Year 3 of McVey and his high-octane offense, and I think the rest of the league is going to continue solving it. The last two months of the 2018 season provided a lot of evidence of an attack getting tired/stale/bogged down. 2) I am not at all sure quarterback Jared Goff is all that; stats are circulating that seem to suggest he is not a particularly special passer in a league with lots of good ones. And 3) I’m not at all confident that Todd Gurley, star running back, is really healthy and can still be the guy he was in the first half of last season.

And then there are the New England Patriots.

Somebody tell me when the NFL investigation into the Patriots signing the suddenly available Antonio Brown begins. How do the perennial (seemingly) champions get one of the best receivers in the league — for a measly $15 million? In the retrospect of one day, doesn’t it seem kinda … oh … fishy how that went down? Brown talks himself out of Pittsburgh, gets to Oakland, turns up his WQ (weirdness quotient) even more, asks the Raiders to release him, and they comply … and then he is a Patriot a day later?

Anyone else flashing back on gifted bad boy receiver Randy Moss leaving Oakland and “catching” on (let’s call it) with the Patriots? That 2007-season team was the one that came within a “helmet catch” of a 19-0 season. Bill Belichick at work. Again. (And you get just one guess at which team is now the favorite to win the Super Bowl, since that Antonio Brown cat signed on.)

For me, those are the two main topics. The Rams and the Patriots. And if they get together again for the Super Bowl … give the points and take Belichick.

Be with you shortly, Scott. Now I’m actually a bit curious whom the Rams are playing.

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