Game of the day: Serbia 3 – 3 Cameroon

We could have gone either way with this one, as South Korea and Ghana had its own share of going off the rails. But we’ll choose the early game today as it had one more goal. It always feels derivative to say that soccer is defined by goals or that “goals change games,” which is perhaps the most popular trope among commentators. But it also just happens to be true.

Cameroon took the lead against the run of play. They only had one shot at all in the first 20 minutes, though Serbia wasn’t doing too much more than pawing at their defense in the opening exchanges. But going behind stirred something in Serbia we hadn’t seen this tournament, who then snapped back into the lead with two goals before halftime, including this textbook header from Strahinja Pavlović to tie it:

By the way, could you find a more Serbian looking guy than Pavlović? You’ve seen this guy smoking an unfiltered cigarette outside a bar with no sign, haven’t you?

After the break, the lead only caused Serbia to purr even more smoothly, with Dusan Tadić and Sergej Milinković-Savić (who scored the second Serbia goal) dovetailing with striker Aleksandar Mitrović, culminating in this gorgeous third goal that should be set to some killer smooth piece of music like the Pink Panther theme or a Sly song:

And this was over. Or it should have been. A funny thing happened. Cameroon manager Rigobert Song introduced striker Vincent Aboubakar, switched his team to a 4-4-2, and Serbia reacted as if they’d subbed on a dinosaur. Twice Aboubakar broke Serbia’s defensive line/offside trap, both times Nikola Milenković on the right side of Serbia’s three-man defense being the one caught too deep and keeping Aboubakar onside. The back three found covering one forward to be a breeze. Throw a second one at them at it was a kindergarten firedrill back there. The first, when everyone assumed the flag would go up and it eventually did, only for VAR to retrieve the goal back from the trash, was finished off by Aboubakar himself with the kind of scoop you’d only try when you’re pretty sure it doesn’t matter anyway:

If Aboubakar was sure that he was onside, is he quite as relaxed? Doesn’t matter now.

The second time saw Aboubakar square for Eric Choupo-Moting. And suddenly, without Cameroon really deserving it, they had tied the game and looked the more likely winner. Sadly, they only generated two more shots after the equalizer, but got what they needed to at least go into the last day with something to play for. Just have to beat Brazil! Easy peasy!

At 3-1, it seemed it would be the same story for Cameroon that it’s been since last winter’s AFCON, where something broke. After going out on penalties at home, they’ve been pretty wishy washy, and showed a lack of anything against Switzerland, especially after going behind. They did show gumption and fight on Monday.

For Serbia, they’ll rue not clinching all three points here, especially with everything riding on an already boiling match with Switzerland, that only needs a draw. It is strange that after featuring both Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahović together in qualifying, they’ve shied from that in this tournament. Especially with Mitrovic certainly not 100 percent. They played a great 50 minutes or so. But in a World Cup, you can’t leave the other 40 on the table.

Other Games

South Korea 2 – 3 Ghana

This was another game that saw a team that hadn’t shown much storming back out of nowhere, except the Koreans couldn’t then hang on. The worry about South Korea before the tournament, especially with Heung-min Son barely fit, is that their careful and intricate way of building attacks would end up looking like the worst of tiki-taka, with no end product and opposing teams yawning as they easily held them out before rushing the other way. And that’s what the first half pretty much looked like. Ghana barely under any threat (0.37 xG against) and were able to cash in on a set piece. With the comfort of a lead, Ghana then took a page out of South Korea’s book and pieced together 31 passes to set up Mohammed Kudus for his first of the day:

Nothing spurs a team like staring into the abyss, though. Finally, for the first time in two games. South Korea played with some pace and urgency in the second half,and the whole game flips with two Gue-song Cho headers. The second is a prime example of just wanting it more than anyone around you:

From there, Korea battered the Ghanian goal, as they should have…except for the small problem of leaving the back door open. Which Ghana strolled right through just seven minutes later:

Great dummy from Inaki Williams. At least that’s what he’ll say.

Ghana wasn’t great. They scored when they needed to. South Korea couldn’t one more time. There’s your game.

Brazil 1 – 0 Switzerland

Well this was a comedown. Brazil without Neymar are certainly a different beast, both missing his enormous talent as well as their usual tendency to try and find him. With him missing for the rest of the group stage, Switzerland didn’t find it too hard to make Brazil look pretty flaccid. Without their #10 in the heart of attack. Brazil were far more dependent on going out wide, and Vinicius Jr. had moved more inside in the first half to combine with Richarlison up top.

Not fearing anything in the middle, Switzerland simply deployed a 4-5-1, and doubled up on Brazil’s wide players with their fullbacks and wide attackers. You can do that against this Brazil team because unlike in the past when they had real cowboy fullbacks such as Cafu or Roberto Carlos or Dani Alves, manager Tite prefers his fullbacks to stay where they are. Éder Militao, who started at right-back today, is really a centerback for a living. Switzerland cut off any links to glory from out wide, with Brazil not having too much to answer in the middle.

The second half didn’t change all that much, even with Vinicius restored to his normal left wing and Rodrygo brought on to link with Richarlison. The goal came from Brazil simply solving the problem of going through the middle with numbers instead of having Neymar, as Casemiro found himself in the box to volley home an absolute rapier. There was too little time for Switzerland to respond, and they didn’t seem much interested in doing so.

Neymar will be back for the important games, but if he’s not fully healthy then Switzerland’s blueprint will be used again.

Portugal 2 – 0 Uruguay

And the real comedown. Here are two teams that are capable of really setting off a fireworks show that spent the first 45 minutes kicking each other into seven different kinds of shit and bitching to the ref when they weren’t doing that. Uruguay came for a point and didn’t get it.

It did contain maybe the most Ronaldo moment ever, as he tried to claim this was his goal in every way possible, even throughout the celebrations:

Dress for the job you want and all that.

Finally, after going a goal down Uruguay actually tried to cross the halfway line with more than just Darwin Nunez and the corpse of Edinson Cavani, but could only find the post again. Now they need to beat Ghana and hope Portugal don’t rest everyone and have enough left on the field to not let South Korea sneak a win past them. It didn’t have to be this way, but this is apparently how Uruguay has it drawn up.

Goal of the day: Aboubakar’s trampoline-flick was a contender, but Casemiro may never hit another shot like this again:

Did VAR fuck anything up?: We saw both sides. Aboubakar’s goal is exactly why referee’s assistants have been holding raising their flag until the play is completed, because he was onside and VAR saved a goal that should stand. But Portugal’s penalty came off a handball from Jose Giminez when he was merely putting his hand down as he slid to the ground, the only place his hand can go and something explicitly stated is not supposed to be a penalty.

And yet the VAR official called the on-field ref to the screen, and that almost always ends up in a reversal. The system is still dependent on the opinion of people, and it’s not hard to get two people who see the world cockeyed making these decisions.

Did Alexi Lalas say anything stupid?: No Alexi, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have “haters” just because he’s good. You mentioned his “off the field matters,” so go all the way, bud. Once you open that door you can’t just dip a toe through it and then run away from it.

The one true Ronaldo: It is truly inspiring to see the OG Ronaldo, and more to the point the level of consistent contentment he seems to have achieved. Maybe you have to be the best forward of your generation to exude such a relaxed state, but maybe it’s there for all of us. Follow the OG Ronaldo to freedom:

Lastly, I know many people out there don’t follow sports. Most of their arguments are sound. Sometimes I even envy them. But the question I always come back to is, if you don’t follow sports, what makes you feel like this?

The first time I ever went to Mexico, my dad brought us to visit our grandparents, who were alive and living in San Benito, a Texas border town. In the early 90s, we crossed over to buy inexpensive medicine and trinkets from vendors. We had grown up poor, mostly living in trailer parks and spare rooms at aunt’s and uncle’s houses. But when we crossed the border into Mexico, I saw poverty on a scale I didn’t know existed. Mothers hoisted milk cartons attached to tree branches for change as naked children huddled around her.

That memory stayed with me until the next time I visited. This time I was headed to Mexico City to attend and review the Material Art Fair, a contemporary art event highlighting emerging artists of all mediums. I was on assignment for Artforum magazine and had no idea what to expect. I was prepared for the level of poverty I experienced in the border towns as a child.

What I experienced was more akin to a European city than anything I had experienced in Mexican-American-centric cities in Texas like San Antonio or Brownsville. Mexico City is an incredibly cosmopolitan city, filled with gorgeous architecture, world-class museums, and five-star restaurants.

There are many must-see locations, including Chapultepec Castle, where Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet was filmed, Frida Kahlo Museum, Palacio de Bellas Artes, and The Angel of independence. The city has become one of the meccas of contemporary art. Institutions like Museo Jumex, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Soumaya Museum, Casa Estudio Luis Barragan, and Machete Gallery are world-class institutions with exhilarating exhibitions. This brought me to the city to visit Material and the city’s prestigious Zona Maco art fair.

Many artists from the United States have migrated to Mexico City for a more affordable way of living, raising questions of colonial gentrification and connecting the city to global pipelines of art communities. The Material Art Fair happens every year in February. It brings in artists, curators, and gallerists from England, Germany, Portugal, and Puerto Rico, while featuring the best up-and-coming galleries and performance spaces in Mexico City. The event takes place in Frontón México, an Art Deco structure that dates back to 1929, hosting literary and sports events.

As the NBA contemplates where to expand next, Mexico City should be the top choice for where the league establishes a foothold next. Former commissioner David Stern had the grandiose vision to expand the NBA into a global league. Mexico City provides an international city close enough to the other 30 teams in distance to satisfy these goals. It also presents the opportunity for the league to expand professional sports outside America’s borders for the third time since the Toronto Raptors (founded in 1995) and Vancouver Grizzlies (1995 – 2001). The benefits go beyond revenue. It’s also about presenting basketball as an olive branch towards a country with a contentious relationship with America in its political dialogue. Mexico City has over 22 million people, good enough for the largest city in North America, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world, and the largest Spanish-speaking city. The opportunity exists to spread the teachings of the game in another language while integrating Mexico’s culture and values into the league.

This season, The NBA began to build a relationship with the city by instituting the Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico as part of the G League. They have also scheduled NBA games in Mexico City, allowing the league to gauge the turnout for two of the league’s most popular teams with Hispanic fans in the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. The game will take place on Dec. 17 and will be the 31st game hosted by Mexico, which leads every other country but Canada to host international-held games. The game will also mark the 30th anniversary of the league’s first game in Mexico, which featured a preseason game between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks at Mexico’s Palacio de los Deportes in October 1992. Today, the Capitanes de Ciudad de México play at Arena CDMX, which holds 22,300 fans.

Of all the cities seen as viable to bid for a team — including Las Vegas and Seattle, both of which deserve one — Mexico City can offer the largest audience. As the only American professional team in the country, a Mexico City-based NBA team has the potential to galvanize all of Mexico and even Central and South America. The Capitanes de Ciudad de México are televised nationwide on Star+, whose reach extends to Latin America, and ESPN Mexico, which reaches 22.1 million Mexican homes. It’s not hard to imagine the same televised access for any NBA team that made Mexico City home. That is an unprecedented reach for a single NBA team, not to mention untapped advertising opportunities with Latin American brands.

As it has shown with art fairs, World Cup matches, and fashion shows, Mexico City is on par with Paris, Rome, London, and New York City in style and scale. At this time, expansion is not imminent, but one can imagine with the rapid growth of the league, expansion is sure to come. When it happens, the untapped potential across the border has to be considered when determining which city becomes the next NBA destination city. In the case of Mexico City, the NBA needs it as much as it needs the NBA. Therefore, it’s up to the league to look past misconceptions, fear-bating rhetoric, and ignorant assumptions to see the beauty of Mexico City as a destination for hoops, food, and culture.

The Philadelphia Eagles have dominated the NFC over the first three months of the season en route to a league-best 10-1 start. Besides the game against Washington a couple of weeks ago, Philly has found a way to slither out with a win every time. They’ve already beaten two of the top three teams chasing them in the conference.

Sure, the Eagles are good, and reaching 10 wins before any other team is something to celebrate, but there’s something about Philly that isn’t worth trusting. Well, that could be plenty of things, but on the field, these Eagles bring to mind the Pittsburgh Steelers of 2020. Those Steelers also got off to a great start, winning their first 11 games before losing three of their last four games to close the season. They were also eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Browns of all teams.

This Eagles squad feels like it’s headed for early disappointment in the postseason. But it’ll all depend on matchups, and in the NFC, there aren’t many teams who seem to match up well with Philadelphia right now. Strength of schedule aside, the Eagles have shown through 12 weeks of the season that they are contenders, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to win it all. Teams who can run the ball effectively to eat the clock, play tight defense, or have a top-10 quarterback are best suited to knock these birds off their perch. In the NFC, very few teams possess enough of these attributes to seriously challenge the Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys

Philly took the first meeting with the Cowboys this season, minus Dak Prescott. The division rivals play again on Christmas Eve in Dallas, and depending on how the next four weeks round out, it could go a long way in deciding the division. With Prescott on the field, Dallas has what’s needed to keep up with the Eagles. They’ve got a playmaking QB like the Eagles, they can run the ball when focused on it, and the Cowboys’ defense is pretty good at getting to the QB.

One area that will be most vital for the Cowboys against the Eagles is stopping the run. Philly is fourth in the league rushing the ball, while Dallas ranks in the lower third against the run. But as we’ve seen this year, when Dallas decides to play ball control, they are at their best. But, of course, these are the Cowboys. Expecting them to come through, especially in the playoffs, is like expecting Daniel Snyder to do the right thing in Washington.

San Francisco 49ers

I said it a month ago, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of the season. The 49ers have the formula to be the most dangerous team in the NFC and the best chance of beating the Eagles in the playoffs. Since losing to the Chiefs last month, the Niners have reeled off four wins and have held opponents to 14, 16, 10, and 0 points, respectively. This defense allows the fewest points in the NFL at 15.7 per game. They’re No. 1 in total yards and rush yards allowed.

On the other side of the ball, San Francisco has an explosive offense with plenty of weapons to counteract those in Philly. And unlike the Cowboys coaching staff, Kyle Shanahan will run the ball as much as it takes to get the job done. All the Niners need to continue doing is limiting the potential for Jimmy Garoppolo to make mistakes. If the 49ers can continue along this path, they’ll be in the NFC championship game again, possibly against Philly. If it comes to that, take the Niners.

Minnesota Vikings?

Ok, I know what you’re saying. The Eagles handled the Vikings in Week 2, 24-7, behind 333 passing yards from Jalen Hurts. But that was Week 2, and Minnesota is a different team now. Following that loss to Philly, Minnesota went on a seven-game winning streak, in which they beat the Dolphins and Bills on the road.

By the time the Vikings face the Eagles again, if they do, they’ll be battle tested. The Vikings aren’t at the top of the league statistically, yet they’ve found ways to play winning football. After seeing the Eagles once and learning from their mistakes (hopefully), Kevin O’Connell’s staff will likely develop a much better game plan the second time around.

For Minnesota, it comes down to Kirk Cousins not making big mistakes. He threw three interceptions in the Week 2 loss to Philadelphia. The Eagles struggle against the run, so a heavy dose early and often is the key. Let the running game set up some downfield attempts for Cousins to Justin Jefferson. But you can’t force anything. The Vikings would need to get out ahead of the Eagles because it’s too hard chasing them when you’re down more than seven.

According to the policy, Jerry Jones hasn’t done anything wrong. That’s because anti-Blackness is never a crime.

A recent report from The Washington Post shows Jones in a photograph from 1957 in Arkansas among a crowd of white students, “standing on the frontlines of one of Little Rock’s darkest segregation clashes,” reads the secondary headline from the publication. At the time, white students (and some adults) were showing up at school entrances, usually to hurl racial slurs in an attempt to intimidate Black students and prevent them from entering public school schools after the Brown v. Board decision. This one was at North Little Rock.

These are the undeniable facts of American history that so many are trying so hard to expunge by standing against Critical Race Theory. Because in this country, racism isn’t real unless there’s a “smoking gun.” One of the most prestigious newspapers in America has found an old photograph of the owner of the world’s most valuable sports franchise being at a place where racists were known to congregate, and there’s nothing that Roger Goodell and the NFL can do about it.

Why?

Because a league with a racist history that is currently being sued for its racist hiring practices was smart enough to create a code of conduct policy — where the owners are “supposed to be held to a higher standard” — that didn’t list being hateful to Black people as an infraction. The possible violations include things like violent crimes, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. These are the things that the NFL should rightfully stand against. Racism is conveniently missing from the list. However, that convenience becomes a calculated move when you realize that the league’s conduct committee is made up of NFL owners. There’s no way that a group that’s never allowed a Black person into their exclusive club would ever bring punishment on one of their own for being involved in something hateful to Black people.

Never forget that Jones serves as Dan Snyder’s “best friend” in the NFL, has never hired a Black head coach, and was vehemently against players kneeling to bring awareness to police brutality and racism. And when you add that up, amongst other things, it would be easy to list this as one of those “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck,” situations. But, this is racism, which means the rules are different.

Despite how damaging the feelings and inferences may be, and no matter what your gut might be telling you, history has proven that white people — and some Black ones, too — will deny racism in every form, from microaggressions to pictures of NFL owners being in environments of hate, until a smoking gun has been found to officially deem it as “racist.”

It’s why so many in the sports world have been silent about Jones. They don’t think anything of the picture or the damage from what that moment caused then, and now. And the ones that have spoken out have decided to be on the wrong side of history, and are backing Jones even if it is a slap in the face to their race — gaslighting the ones who have always suffered from racism.

“He doesn’t deserve what just happened,” said ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith about Jones, as he couldn’t wait to carry Jones’ water. “At minimum that was 65 years ago,” Smith explained, as he willingly got on national television to “shuck and jive” for a man that doesn’t need additional allies, in a move that was an example of why it’s so hard to make America accept the trials and tribulations that African-Americans suffer on a daily base.

(Also, don’t overlook the fact that racism usually isn’t considered racism until the race of people who take part in it deems it so. The cries and allegations of the ones who suffer from it be damned.)

“It’s not who I am, and I’m sorry,” said Jones.

That apology wasn’t for the photograph. It was from a 2017 story in which Jones was sorry for what he said in the past. “Jennifer, congratulations on the wedding. Now, you know he’s with a black girl tonight, don’t you?” said Jones in a 2013 videotaped message to a white bride.

Jones’s explanation/excuse for being in the photograph went something like this:

“That was, gosh, 65 years ago, and [I was a] curious kid at the time,” he said. “I didn’t know at the time the monumental event really that was going on. I’m sure glad that we’re a long way from that.”

Jones wants us to believe that the Black children who were making history understood the magnitude of the moment, but yet, he didn’t, even though so many white students of his age group were against it. He thinks we’re stupid, and is insulting our intelligence and knowledge of history.

“My mother died before ever knowing that we were pummeled every day in school,” said Elizabeth Eckford, a member of the Little Rock 9, earlier this year. “When I would come home, I didn’t talk about what happened at school.” But, somehow, Jones didn’t know he was living through a “monumental event,” while Smith wants us to start tap dancing right alongside him.

Throughout history, White people have only been moved when racism is inescapable. Sometimes, it was the videos and pictures of police dogs and water hoses being used against Black people in the 1960s. Other times it took the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Medgar Evers. Or, maybe it was the Rodney King tape. For others, it was watching a cop kill George Floyd.

That’s how much it takes for the cries of Black people to be heard. Because when the smoking gun is attached, then racism — or the intent of it — can only be validated.

In the case of Jerry Jones, we have videos and pictures that serve as evidence of him being involved in the things a racist would do, throughout his life. The NFL won’t punish him for it because it doesn’t violate their guidelines. And America will shrug its shoulders at it because the gun isn’t smoking, despite how hot it burns when you touch it.

The Green Bay Packers hung tough with the Philadelphia Eagles all night. They were overmatched and dealing with injuries but they put up a good fight — even when it appeared that game was over long before the final whistle.

Aaron Rodgers had led the Packers down the field for a drive, late in the third quarter, that ended with a field goal, and his night then ended immediately. He ran into the locker room and would not return after suffering an oblique injury, on top of the thumb that needs surgery.

The Eagles’ offense then took the field and continued to beat up the Packers’ weary, and undermanned, defense. It resulted in a field goal, but it was a 14-play drive. Jordan Love got the opportunity to lead the Packers for the rest of the night, and the young man was impressive.

His first drive was solid. Love converted a third down by throwing a pass from the left hash to the far side of the field. Then on the next play, he hit Christian Watson on a play-action pass over the middle of the field. After the catch, Watson decided to turn on his invisible juice and run 50-plus yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles would drive again and kick another field goal. In his final drive, Love would go on to throw only one errant pass. Two of his incompletions on the Packers’ final drive should have been caught, including one that would have given him a second touchdown. Love looked composed, and in control. Two words that would not have been used the last time we saw Love behind center.

Of course, he played a lot in the preseason, and also some garbage time, but the last time that America got a good look at Love was against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. Aaron Rodgers had COVID and could not play. So Love led the Packers against Patrick Mahomes and only lost by four points.

However, that result had more to do with a tough day at the office for the Chiefs than anything Love did. The Packers lost 13-7, but didn’t score a point until there was less than five minutes remaining in the game. This game took place when the Chiefs’ defense went from awful to outstanding, but Love did nothing. He appeared unsure of himself and overmatched when playing against starting-caliber NFL talent. The Packers’ three drives in the fourth quarter before the touchdown? Punt, punt, interception.

There was every reason to believe that the Packers wasted that late 2020 first-round pick on a player who would never be ready to contribute. Compare the sentiment after Love’s play in a full game, as opposed to Love’s success last night, it would be easier to write off what happened in Philadelphia. Philly safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was out, it’s usually easier to run a passing offense when down multiple scores late in a game, and the one touchdown was all Watson. Also, Love only played two possessions.

If he has to start against the Chicago Bears next week maybe he looks different — likely not though, with how poorly the Bears’ defense has played of late. There is no reason to believe that the Packers will now go on to have 40 years of Hall of Fame Quarterback play after Brett Favre, Rodgers, and now Love, But what he did show on Sunday Night Football, was that there is a chance he could work as the Packers’ franchise quarterback.

Watching him play against the Chiefs last year, there was no reason to believe that. Now, at least there is a reason for Packers fans to be optimistic about the future. That’s enough for a quarter of a day’s work.

You remember that silly cheer from high school, “Be aggressive, B.E. aggressive?” In football, that only applies to the players. Please defensive end, bull rush right through the offensive tackle’s heart. But for the coaches the rules are different.

For so long, coaches have played it safe at all times, and often it does nothing to improve a chance at victory. Instead it simply extends the game, or keeps a team competitive for a longer period of time. It makes complete sense to go for two if you score a touchdown in the fourth quarter while down 14 points. It’s going to take 15 points to win, so go for it early and get a clearer idea on how many possessions it will take to win.

What the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers did yesterday, actually neither hurt nor harmed their chances at winning the game. Both teams scored touchdowns with less that 20 seconds remaining in regulation. A successful extra point would have likely sent both games to overtime, but instead the Jaguars and Chargers elected to attempt a 2-point conversion to take the lead. ESPN’s sports analytics writer, Seth Walder, tweeted out that neither decision presented more of an advantage.

Doug Pederson and Brandon Staley decided to go for it all on one play. They both went for the game-winning two-point conversion, and unlike Tom Osbourne in the 1985 Orange Bowl, the move paid off.

Admit it, you were waiting to pounce on Brandon Staley

He takes most of the arrows for his aggressive decisions. The main reason for that? When he comes up short, it can be argued that if he played more conservatively the Chargers would have won more games last season.

Surely his critics had their bows drawn back when the Chargers lined up for that two-point conversion attempt. The Chargers desperately needed a win to stay in good position in the AFC playoff race as the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals both won during the early slate of games. The New England Patriots lost on Thanksgiving which knocked them out of the last playoff spot, but not behind the Chargers.

If the Chargers had dropped to .500 it’s very unlikely that they would be able to climb into a wild-card spot. So when Justin Herbert led them down the field, of course the easy choice would’ve been to kick the field goal and go to overtime.

But Brandon Staley told us over the summer that he was going to keep the foot on the gas pedal this season. They lined up for a do-or-die play, and Herbert dropped a quick pass right into Gerald Everett’s arms. Take a bow Brandon Staley.

Good for Trevor

There wasn’t much question as to who was going to be the first quarterback selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Trevor Lawrence was the No. 1 overall player in his class after becoming Clemson’s starting quarterback his freshman year, and was every bit as good as advertised.

Then he got drafted by Urban Meyer who somehow managed to become even more disliked than he already was in less than one season as an NFL head coach. Last season was a disaster, and probably set Lawrence back in his early development

Lawrence has continued to struggle this season, but he looked like he was wearing Clemson orange on Sunday. He was 29-for-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns against a strong Ravens defense. Then, after Ravens QB Lamar Jackson took the Ravens down the field for a late fourth-quarter touchdown, Lawrence marched his squad in a wonderfully executed two-minute drill. Then with Jackson and Justin Tucker waiting on the sidelines, Pederson decided that overtime was not the way to go. They went for the 2-point conversion and were successful on a Lawrence pass to Zay Jones.

Now, if the Ravens were a little more crisp on their final drive perhaps Tucker attempts a 60-yard field goal for the win instead of a 67 — which I swore he nailed when I first saw the ball take flight. But Lawrence did his part, and maybe this is the game that gets him back on the star path.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ black alternates are stupid. There’s a lot that’s stupid about the Eagles, and I recognize the risk of making that statement when they’re 10-1 and their faithful lurk around every corner with a thought to share, but one cannot ignore the truth.

With the kelly green of yesteryear just sitting in the closet instead of a basis for an alternate, it is simply unacceptable. Choosing to use black in any fashion, if not part of a team’s color scheme, is lazy, boring, and appeals to people who don’t get the point of The Punisher.

Same goes for Team Canada. Sunday was a good day to see teams that have no business wearing black. It’s probably why Canada got their shit kicked in by Croatia. Canada’s hockey teams do this on the reg, too, wear black. Black never appears in the Canadian flag. If the hockey team wants to wear black it can do so when it mourns the dissolution of Hockey Canada. Except that won’t be a sorrowful event, so that’s out, too. If they want to wear black to mourn all the survivors Hockey Canada has silenced or ignored or allowed to be victims in the first place by others who have worn the Canada jersey, that might be closer to the point.

We live in the era of 4K TV. Colors should pop and fizz. Look at how a game between the Chargers and Chiefs sizzles off the screen. The era of everyone wanting to look like they work for Blackwater is over. Take the five minutes of thought and come up with something better.

Here’s a list of teams that can wear black in their main unis or in an alternate, because black is part of their original color scheme:

• Boston Bruins
• Ottawa Senators
• New Jersey Devils — but only kinda because they should go back to the Christmas tree scheme
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Philadelphia Flyers — but don’t ever when orange is always an option
• The LA Kings — are also barred because they need to go back to purple and gold
• Brooklyn Nets — but only because no one cares
• Chicago Bulls
• Miami Heat — but only because no one cares
• Portland Trail Blazers
• San Antonio Spurs
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers — only because no one cares
• Chicago White Sox

That’s it. That’s the list. If you’re not on it, come up with something better and live a little.

All the Love

There are going to be a lot of annoying themes around the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, and Jordan Love the next week. More so than usual, which is hard to do when it comes to the Packers and Rodgers but one of his multiple Hall-of-Fame qualities is the way in which he and the team push each other to find new and heightened ways to bug the piss out of everyone else. This year they’ve upped the ante of doing so while the team sucks utter shit, which is better than most drugs for a majority of the football-watching world.

Here’s one:

To be clear, Aaron Rodgers is due to make $100 million over the next two years. He wet his bed and several others’ the past two years so he could get that contract. Somehow it’s just a touch hard to believe that he’s just going to walk away from that contract.

Second, Jordan Love is going to get a crack at the Chicago Bears’ defense next week, which would be ice cream for a cross-eyed mule at this point. He’ll have a good game. Probably a very good one. Does that mean that the Packers are going to continue their QB lineage into a fourth decade? No, no it does not. But you’ll hear it.

What we can all root for is that Rodgers does miss the rest of the season (there’s little point in him playing now), Love looks pretty good and starts just a section of cheeseheads to start wanting him to take over as the starter. Given the rabbit ears that Rodgers has attuned to everything, it’s guaranteed that will start a soap opera of epic proportions. Suddenly reports of trade rumors to Indianapolis or San Francisco can start again, strangely from those in the media Rodgers is known to be close with.

Temporary pain for long-term gain, folks.