NFL fandom is a test of loyalty. It’s easy to back your team when everything is going well. But can you stick around when it seems nothing is going right?
Nah. It’s OK to say, “see you next season.” I’ve reached that point with the Rams. Their offensive line is a disaster, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and several other players are on the shelf with injuries and the franchise was forced to bring in Baker Mayfield off the waiver wire.
These things happen.
So, I’ve always said, if your team stinks, it’s more than fine to co-opt another one (not in the same division) to root for on a temporary basis.
I’ve made my pick: the Detroit Lions. They’re just outside the playoff bubble, but they’re so hot right now, having won four of their last five games, including a blowout victory over the Jaguars on Sunday. The Lions are also easy to root for, since they’re a tortured franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1992. Think about that. There are people in Michigan who are now 30 years old who have never seen a postseason victory. Yowza.
But the main reason I’m backing the Silver and Blue is because of Jared Goff. I still have a lot of love for him and feel he got hosed when the Rams traded him before last season. He was L.A.’s No. 1 overall pick in their first campaign back in Southern California and I was all in.
And after a rough and tumble first season, he came alive under Sean McVay and a year later, even reached the Super Bowl. But things went downhill after that and Goff became an easy target for the national media, and even McVay. So he was shipped off to the NFL equivalent of Siberia and was widely considered to be a stopgap until the franchise could find a better option in the draft.
But that hasn’t happened. Goff is actually playing well. He even thinks so.
“I feel like I am playing the best football of my career right now,” Goff told ESPN. “I’m getting older, I’m understanding the game more and it’s just everything coming together a little bit.”
He’s a big reason why the Lions are doing well and who knows, Goff might be their longterm answer at quarterback. He’s projected to finish with more than 4,000 yards passing with a QB rating of 95.7. That will work at the NFL level. And after all the mocking and derision he endured, it feels good to see him never give up.
Rams, see you next fall. I’m on the Lions bandwagon now. And now that I’m thinking about it, I’m kinda into the Commanders, too, even though their owner is a dirtbag. But I’m a Taylor Heinecke guy. Hey, what would you get if you combined Jared Goff and Taylor Heinecke?
That’s right. You’d have Heineckoff. Or Goinecke. Take your pick.
Anyway, moving on.
NFL’S TOP 10
- Eagles – The train keeps rolling. Their move to trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown this past offseason was so one sided, it might have got the Titans GM fired. They’re starting to get some defensive pieces back and that’s bad news for the rest of the league. If they can clinch the NFC’s top seed somewhat soon, it might be wise to rest some players before the playoffs.
- Chiefs – Yes, they lost to the Bengals. Maybe Cincinnati is just a bad matchup for them. It happens. But they’re in good shape in the AFC and have a pretty winnable schedule coming up.
- Cowboys – The more I watch this team, the more I love them. They’re aggressive and have speed all over the field. Granted, the Colts stink, but watching Dallas hit the afterburner in the fourth quarter of that game was breathtaking. This is a team that will give anyone in the league problems.
- Bills – After their mini two-game slide, Buffalo has won three straight. Now here comes the hard part: of their five remaining games, three are against division opponents and they also have to face the Bengals. It might be tough to get a first-round bye in the playoffs, but it’s doable. They’re not out of contention for that yet.
- Vikings – They have the second-best record in the league at 10-2, and yet, I don’t consider them to be one of the elite teams. But they keep winning, so that has to count for something. If they can get a home game or two in the playoffs, they might make some headway. But I’m not holding my breath, sorry.
- Bengals – Head coach Zac Taylor deserves a lot of credit. Since losing their first two games of the season, they’ve gone 8-2 since, including an impressive win over Kansas City. If they face them in the playoffs, they might send Patrick Mahomes packing again.
- 49ers – It was a bummer to see Jimmy Garoppolo go down with an injury. Then third-stringer Brock Purdy went out there and did his best Tom Brady impression in a win over the Dolphins. I don’t expect that to keep happening. The rest of the league now has film on Purdy, so there will be adjustments made. Not saying it’s impossible for San Francisco to reach a Super Bowl because stranger things have happened, but I’m not optimistic.
- Ravens – Speaking of injuries, Lamar Jackon getting hurt is obviously the last thing Baltimore needed. He was the glue holding that offense together. Jackson might be able to return soonish as his knee injury isn’t as bad as once feared, but will he be able to move like he once did? We’ll have to wait and see.
- Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play great in Miami’s loss to San Francisco, but a lot of quarterbacks can say that after facing the Niners. And head coach Mike McDaniel made sure to say that “everything that went wrong wasn’t a direct result of the quarterback.” Well, that’s nice. Best to just shake that game off and move on.
- Seahawks – Far be it from me to give anyone credit for beating the Rams, but Geno Smith led a game-winning drive with time running out. And Seattle still looks like they’ll be playing football in the postseason. Kudos for that.
WHAT’S THE CHATTER?
We can’t have nice things: As bummed as I was when Von Miller signed with the Bills, I was even more upset to see him suffer a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Sigh. Miller’s impact would have really been obvious in the playoffs and that’s why Buffalo signed him. Here’s hoping the team can pull it together without him. And as for Miller, one has to wonder about his future as he’s had injuries pile up over the years.
Further proof: A House committee released a report on Thursday that said Commanders owner Dan Snyder helped create “a toxic work culture” and ignored sexual misconduct by male employees. Like I said, a dirtbag.
Could have been worse: I don’t know what I was expecting, but Deshaun Watson’s season debut with the Browns was a pretty drama-free affair. He looked rusty out there, but that was to be expected. I thought there would be mass protests and yelling and screaming, but none of that really happened. Just goes to show that people stop paying attention after a while.
Speaking of Baker …: It would be really ugly if he actually plays football this week. Here’s hoping he doesn’t, for his sake. Why get hurt at this point of the season?
APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 14
Jets at Bills: A sexy AFC East showdown! We’ll see how long this is entertaining, as Buffalo is looking to avenge a loss to Gang Green a few weeks ago. I see the Bills pulling away in the second half.
Browns at Bengals: The Battle of Ohio. I can still hear the voice of Sam Wyche in my head. Google it. You’ll have a laugh. Give me the Bengals there.
Vikings at Lions: This is appointment viewing for me, as my Lions are scrambling for a spot in the playoffs against a team that I view as a fraud. That’s right, I said it!
Eagles at Giants: I almost forgot that the Giants had a tie last week. Ties stink. Don’t worry, that won’t happen again. Philly in a rout.
Ravens at Steelers: Don’t look now, but Pittsburgh is just two games under .500 and they’re facing a Baltimore team likely without Lamar Jackson. I swear, if Mike Tomlin manages to avoid a sub-.500 season again, just put him in the Hall of Fame now.
Chiefs at Broncos: I remember being excited for every AFC West game before the season started. Now not so much.
Buccaneers at 49ers: Tom Brady vs. The Next Tom Brady. Possibly. Grab your popcorn.
Dolphins at Chargers: I don’t know what to make of L.A. anymore. Talented, but flawed is the best way I can put it.
Patriots at Cardinals: It’s Monday night, what else are you gonna watch?
Enjoy the games!
NFL Analyst
Currently a Mobile Editor at Yahoo, Saraf spent 5.5 years (Oct. 2010 – Feb. 2016) working for FOX Sports as an NFL Editor and Writer. Prior to that, Saraf worked for CBS Interactive for 4.5 years (May 2006 – Oct. 2010) as a Staff Editor.