Let's chat about the National Football League. This week's schedule, all times Eastern, is the final week of the regular season.
The next post will be a single, post-season thread that'll include discussions about the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
Sun 2025-01-05 1:00PM Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys
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Notes -
I picked such a perfect time to end my decade-long sojourn in the wilderness of Jags fandom and to come home to the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has this entire team massively overperforming, to the point where I am currently ruminating over how much I’d be willing to spend for a ticket if they end up hosting a playoff game. The sky is the limit for what this team can achieve once its onerous cap obligations are finally cleared out and Joe Hortiz can truly start crafting the team in his and Harbaugh’s image.
I’m on record stating that the Chargers will never have an organic base of local support in the Los Angeles market, but honestly if they keep things on the current trajectory, perhaps I’ll have to eat my words. Even if they get absolutely BTFO in the playoffs this season, it will still be the best Chargers season I’ve seen in at least a decade, and will have filled me with (probably dangerous) hope.
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A local homeless man in the ABC store was very excited to tell me that the Washington commanders are gonna be in the playoffs this year. This was like a month ago.
Was he correct? Are the commanders any good this year? In order to properly blend in with the sports dads in my neighborhood do I need to actually pay attention to National football aside from finding out when the Superbowl is? (I forgot to do this one year and accidentally scheduled a party that weekend, it was poorly attended.)
Regrettably the commanders look like they are going to be good and more relevant for a few more years at minimum. Changes in the ownership structure and some high profile new players mean they'll have a few years of success.
Because they have been mostly pretty shit for a while and are in one of the most toxic division in American sports....people are going to be excited about it.
If you want to troll just start a conversation about the name of the team.
If you want to contribute something (which can be done without implying you know a lot about football if you just ask it as a question) you can comment that they must be the team winning the NFC East next year* (that'll get em going for awhile).
*The NFCE hasn't had the same winner (out of the four teams in it) for decades, so it's widely anticipated the Commanders will be the winner next year since the Eagles won this year. This is always good for some laughs and discussion.
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The Commanders have had a good year, they did make the playoffs, they are in the 2nd tier of playoff teams in their conference, they will likely be the underdog in whichever playoff game they play. The 'don't follow it at all' thing to know about them is that they have a young QB Jayden Daniels who looks very promising, will almost certainly win rookie of the year this year, and if things go well, will be the Commanders QB for a very long time.
The Super Bowl will be some weekend early to middle February, as it will likely be every year for the foreseeable future.
Life is too short to pretend to have knowledge about things you don't care about.
My advice in these situations, is to not fake it, but be respectful that the universe of things to know and care about is big, and the things that you care about don't necessarily have priority.
In general, you are not going to read any cliff notes version of football and 'blend in' with people who actually care about it, similar to any subject.
I don't follow superhero movies at all.
I've gotten a lot of mileage out of "Oh, I don't really know that much about it, what happened?"
Giving the people who do care about it some space to show off their expertise will nearly always result in a reasonably smooth social encounter.
Ah no it's not like that, it's more like I end up in situations where I'm a third person in a conversation and the other two know everything and can have the in depth conversation, and I'm left sitting there like wtf happened.
I need a good minor interjection like "I heard the commanders have a good new quarter back?" And then once they answer that I can bow out of the conversation having briefly politely participated.
"Did you see that ludicrous display last night?"
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Don't do this. It's better to just admit that you know nothing than to show some tidbit of knowledge that gives people the wrong impression. When I was younger I followed NASCAR reasonably closely (and my dad follows it closely to this day), but my interest waned over the years. Then my dad scored free tickets to the fall Charlotte race and we stayed with friends who lived near the track, and we ended up as part of their contingent that went every year. So on the ride in I find myself sharing the back seat of a car with a friend of a friend of a friend who drove down from Hickory and I try to make small talk about the race. I knew enough to make this kind of small talk, but the fact that I initiated the conversation gave this poor guy the wrong impression and he immediately started asking me in-depth questions about my opinions on things I was in no position to have an opinion about. At this point, I couldn't even claim that I didn't follow it that closely, so I was forced to fake it to keep up, and this guy was entirely too nice for me to disappoint by admitting that I had no clue what I was talking about.
It's better to just act like a babe in the woods and admit you don't know anything from the get-go. Then you can ask questions that people into the team will be more than happy to answer. People generally like discussing their interests with curious outsiders.
Y'all are acting like this is the Wednesday wellness thread and I'm asking how to socialize with people.
I know me, and I know how to socialize with people.
If you're in a situation in which people are talking about football, and you're not interested or have nothing to add, there's nothing wrong with excusing yourself.
I'd be interested if there is something sufficiently interesting happening.
I don't mean that facetiously. Like I'm not against football. I just don't want to follow the day to day. But if something like deflategate, or some amazing string of wins, or some new way of playing that shakes things up happens I want to know.
If someone had to sum up each season and describe the interesting things that happened within one paragraph, I'd totally read that.
I do like the amazing feats of athleticism and the close strategic calls. I know about 99% of the rules (and I'm interested in learning how those rules change season to season, and why they changed).
I feel like people are sometimes all in on football or totally anti football, and y'all are maybe grouping me in anti football. That's not where I'm at. I'm partially interested.
There's not one interesting thing happening each week; there are multiple storylines happening at once. You pick these up by keeping up with NFL news, watching the games, reading weekly discussions on a place like /r/nfl.
Thankfully, it's easy to figure out the ongoing storylines right now because we're approaching the end of the season. For example, the Detroit Lions are on an outstanding 13-2 run going into the playoffs. They have historically been a bad team, but they're looking better than ever and could be a potential challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning two-time Super Bowl champions.
Speaking of the Chiefs, another storyline to watch is their current run to be the first team in NFL history to get win three Super Bowl in a row, a feat not even the New England Patriots of the Brady-Belichick era, a dynasty many consider to be one of the greatest of all time, could accomplish.
No one is putting you into a group. You've barely posted in these threads enough for anyone to think that.
If you're partially interested in the sport and want to follow the stories, read news coverage that summarizes the games each week. Words can only go so far, though. Weekly highlight reels will really give you a sense of the athleticism and tactics used in each game. But, honestly, the best way is to put in the time watching the games (and listening to the commentators). You see the action in real time, and, if you're consistent, you start to pick up patterns and story lines. You don't have to watch all the games, but a good chunk of them on Sunday is your best bet. Monday Night Football is usually the "game of the week."
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Mentally preparing myself for when the Chiefs win a playoff game against a backup QB or a beat up team, have an uncharacteristically bad game from Allen/Jackson, then win the Superbowl 24-20 after a tight defensive performance, some questionable calls, and a late TD.
It’s Super Bowl LIX and the Lions are up 20-13 with half a minute left in the 4th against the Chiefs, who squeezed by the AFC championship game via a gritty 9-7 victory over the Bills. Allen exited the game midway through the 1st after an injury from running over two Chiefs defenders on his way into the end zone.
The Chiefs have the ball, 3rd and 10 on the Lions 20-yard line after a long drive. Goff, with two passing TDs, looks on pensively from the sideline.
The Lions defense punctures the Chiefs o-line and sacks Mahomes for a 15-yard loss. It’s now 4th and 25 from the Lions 35. Chiefs call their final timeout to stop the clock. Upon return to play, the Lions defense breaks through the Chiefs o-line again; this time Mahomes escapes out wide, but has nowhere to go. Lions defenders let-up as Mahomes fakes like he's about to head out of bounds around the line of scrimmage, but Patrick suddenly sprints forward for seven more yards before a Lions player pushes him out of bounds. Lions win their first Super Bowl!
Wait, there’s a flag on the ground. Unnecessary roughness on the Lions for the push, half the distance to the goal and automatic first down. Chiefs get set-up at the Lions 14. Miscommunication for the Chiefs as both Hunt and Pacheco line-up in the backfield, resulting in twelve men on the field. Lions players are furiously gesturing and pointing. A flag finally appears on the field. Neutral zone infraction: one of the Lions was deemed to have crossed the neutral zone as he pointed.
Ball is snapped at the Lions nine. Protection holds steady this time. Two members of the Lions secondary run into each other and fall down in the end zone as time expires. Mahomes to Kelce, touchdown! Camera cuts to Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes in their luxury suite clapping but still looking worried. Chiefs special teams come out for the extra point. Butker backs-up for the kick to tie the game; the snap is fumbled, but amidst the chaos Harrison manages to pick up the ball and run it into the end zone for two. Chiefs win to complete the threepeat! Butker finishes with two field goals and an extra point in addition to the two-point conversion. Camera pans over to Taylor and Brittany hugging, screaming, and briefly making out.
Chiefs are celebrating while Tay-Tay makes her way down to the field to greet Kelce. Travis gets down on one knee and proposes as the Chiefs encircle them, yelling and jumping up and down. Super Bowl MVP Harrison Butker gives a speech, in which he describes and reaffirms his support for traditional Catholic values, Catholicism staying LGBTQ+ free, women being homemakers, and Donald Trump. The world ends as the collective seethe from /r/nfl, /r/fauxmoi, and /r/travisandtaylor/ blasts a hole through the fabric of the universe.
There's one crucial inaccuracy in your hypothetical. If Allen leaves the game midway through the first there's no way the Chiefs are only scoring 9 points after three quarters of Mitch Trubisky.
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You can't do this to me on new years eve
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What I find interesting about the Chiefs is the low amount of haters they have. I think its because they started at the tail end of the Pats dynasty, and people were all hated out.
You and I must be running in very different circles. Of course, I’m a fan of a team in the AFC West, so of course I’m exposed to a constant stream of Chiefs hate. However, even in neutral subs like /r/NFL, I feel like I still see a ton of people complaining about the Chiefs, saying how sick of the Chiefs they are, making constant jokes about the refs colluding with the Chiefs, etc. The Patriots got a ton of shit for Brady being an overexposed pretty boy, and the Chiefs are getting that as well with the Travis Kelce Taylor Swift stuff.
You are correct that the Patriots got additional shit for the cheating allegations (Deflategate, Sypgate, etc.) which the Chiefs have not received, but I still think there’s plenty of fatigue with the Chiefs that will really start to boil over if they win another Super Bowl this year.
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I think it's because everyone simply agrees that Mahomes is the best QB in the league and his success is therefore deserved. It's hard to remember this, but the Patriots weren't supposed to have a dynasty. Even after winning three Super Bowls, Brady wasn't considered the best QB in the league. That honor went to Peyton Manning. It was supposed to be the Colts who had all that success, they just choked in the playoffs every year.
But it goes deeper than that. Even when they were good, the Pats were mostly an afterthought in the Boston sports landscape. The 1985 and 1996 teams made the Super Bowl, but even their own fans viewed them as frauds and weren't surprised when they got blown out. My uncle has always lived in Pittsburgh but has at various times had jobs that were technically in other cities and required him to travel a lot; in 2001, his job was based out of Boston. Throughout that entire season, he never got any heat from his coworkers. Even on the Friday before the Steelers played the Patriots in the AFC Championship game, there was no heckling, no one wearing Patriots gear, no one even said "boo". He returned to Boston the following week and found his coworkers had decorated his office with Patriots gear and spent the day jawing at him for the Steelers losing.
Now, my uncle has a tendency to think that everyone from every city he's ever had the displeasure of working out of is either a weirdo or a moron, but he holds the people of Boston in special disregard. They can't even do fairweather fandom right. If you're going to be cocky about your team winning, at least root for them all the way during a good season; don't wait until after they've already one and start acting like you were a lifelong fan. The Pats were always the No. 4 team in Boston and while the others had legends like Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Ted Williams, and Carl Yaztremski, they had, uh, Tony Eason? To see already obnoxious fans acting like their first Super Bowl victory was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream when they couldn't name five players on the team a few weeks before was revolting for most sports fans. And it's not like Boston is Phoenix where nobody cares about sports; they had no problem rooting for the Red Sox through decades of futility, but they can't muster any enthusiasm for the Patriots until after they actually win. Most people might not have known this history, but it was pretty easy to pick up the vibes at the time.
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