-Phil Collins, "In The Air Tonight"
That lyric sums of my sports life today. The Football Gods have given me all I could ever hope for in Week 17 of the NFL. Let me break this down for you:
1. The NY Jest traded to get Brett Favre from Green Bay in order to take them into the playoffs. The Jets immediately cut their returning starter, Chad Pennington.
2. The Miami Dolphins immediately sign Chad Pennington to to be the starting QB for a struggling team.
3. Tom Brady is injured and out for the season for the New England Patriots. The AFC East division is now up for grabs!
4. At Week 17, the Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Dolphins will win the division and the Patriots will be eliminated if the Dolphins can beat the Jets.
Before the games started, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day. The sun was shining and it was clear, but cold outside. A perfect day to stay indoors, where it is warn and cozy. I sat back, relaxed and watched a miserable Detroit Lions team attempt to avoid going 0-16 for the season. They came close, but ultimately lost to become the only team in NFL history to lose every game in a 16 game season. Sure, the 1976 Buccaneers went 0-14, but they were an expansion team so they get some slack. Plus- they only went 0-14. The Lions have been miserable for years and almost pulled of this feat once before (see the 2001 season). What makes it better is that they were 4-0 in the preseason- how crazy is that? Win all the games that didn't matter and none of the games that did matter... That is truly a sign of a tremendous feat that will NEVER be seen again. A part of history and sports folklore forever.
On to the second set of games, where I see Chad Pennington have the opportunity to beat the team that released him for an over-the-hill QB that should have retired a year ago in Brett Favre. Pennington does what he does- precisely cuts through the Jets defense to lead them down the field and take the lead into the 4th quarter. Favre gives me everything I could hope for- 3 INTs (1 returned for TD), completed 50% of his passes and ends his season with a QB rating less than 50! A fitting way for his career to end- playing as horribly as ever. A vintage bad Favre game... He is the model for inconsistency. He's either goes 35-43/385/4 TDs or 20-40/3 INTs. Today he was the latter and I am eternally grateful! FOr once in my life, I can say I love Favre!
Seriously- who would have ever thought that a team that was 1-15 last year (which challenged for the right to be called "worst team ever") could turn around and win their division and go 11-5 on the season? I did not think they had it in them. I figured it was a year or so away.... So the Dolphins are in the playoffs, which means that the Patriots are out! Made my freaking day. Could it really get any better? Surely not... Yet- it did.
I then turn the channel to the Eagles/Cowboys game and see that the Eagles are obliterating the Cowboys 44-6! So, with a wild card bid hanging in the balance, the Cowboys completely melt down and mail it in against a division rival? That is so great! NOW- it cannot get any better in the NFL...
So there you have it- one of the best days for me as an NFL fan.
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