Can Connor Cover? The Games Will Be Played, But None Seem To Matter
January 5, 2023 at 2:22 a.m.
Can Connor Cover? The Games Will Be Played, But None Seem To Matter
By Connor McCann-
It would be my last of the regular season, and I had planned on going through the ups and downs of this season, both for the column and for the league as a whole.
However, I don’t start writing this column until after the Monday night game ends so all lines are available and I have each team’s most recent game in my head.
What myself and the rest of the world saw on Monday night won’t be leaving our heads any time soon.
When Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin collapsed to the turf after making a hit on Bengals’ receiver Tee Higgins, the world came to a halt. The hit was not a big one. It was the type of hit that guys will deal out multiple times a game. What followed was unthinkable, as Hamlin received an AED as well as CPR on the field of play in front of horrified teammates.
The look on Hamlin’s teammates’ faces was the first of many signs that something was seriously wrong. Seeing head coach Sean McDermott on his knees, quarterback Josh Allen covering his face with his hands while a look of disbelief could just barely be seen underneath. For those watching at home, it became clear very quickly that those on the field were seeing and dealing with something unimaginable, something that hadn’t happened on an NFL field in a generation.
After Hamlin was put into an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, the league gave word for both teams to warm up for five minutes before returning to play. It didn’t take long for it to become very clear that that wasn’t going to happen and no football would be played for the remainder of the night. While I understand that the league was put in an unprecedented situation, and that the game between those two teams was incredibly important, I can’t fathom those in charge seeing this all unfold, on a nationally televised game nonetheless, and giving the OK to go on. Those in those positions need to be better. This wasn’t the wrap it up, pop a pill and get back out there type of injury and it was very clear very quickly that it was not the case. The second the word CPR was said, football should not have mattered.
Even after both teams had been sitting in their locker rooms for over an hour, thinking about their brother and praying for his safety, the league took far too long to officially postpone the game. Again, I understand there are many factors that go into that with the playoffs quickly approaching, but nobody still paying attention to this story was still thinking about football. Will this game be made up? I don’t know. If it doesn’t, it creates quite the odd situation for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But as of right now, that does not matter. The playoffs do not matter. All that matters is Damar Hamlin.
As I sit here and try to put words together, Damar still sits in critical condition, with the whole country hoping to get some good news regarding his chances of making it out of this. I’ve been praying for Damar and encourage you to do so as well. He is just 24 years old. Far too young to have his life taken away from him while he was playing the sport he loves. Far too young to have his mother worrying about whether or not her son will survive. Far too young to be in a position even remotely close to this.
Early Wednesday, a close friend of Damar’s was interviewed outside of the hospital by NFL Network. He stated that Hamlin was “moving in a positive direction.” While vague, I have no doubt that those words will provide hope to those that desperately need it.
Despite all of this sadness, I’d like to take the time to appreciate some of the good humanity that has come out of this terrible situation. The medical personnel on the field acted heroically and with enough speed to save this young man’s life. Former NFL players and current ESPN broadcasters Ryan Clark and Booger McFarland did a tremendous job on Monday night explaining this situation from the player's side of things. Their insightful, emotional and thought-provoking commentary should not go unnoticed. Damar Hamlin set up a GoFundMe during the height of the pandemic to establish a toy drive for his community. Its initial goal was $2,500. As I’m typing this, the money raised currently sits at $6.43 million.
I don’t really know where to go next.
As of now, there will be games played this weekend. There are playoff spots on the line. It almost feels wrong picking the results of games while a member of the football family fights for his life. I will continue to pray that Damar’s condition continues to improve. In the meantime, I will try to toe the line between this situation and normalcy, looking ahead to this upcoming week. I will not be picking the Bengals-Ravens game nor the contest between the Bills and Patriots for obvious reasons. For the final time of the regular season, here are this week’s picks.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5) at Las Vegas Raiders
Jarrett Stidham looked good replacing Derek Carr for Vegas last week. The Chiefs have a problem with playing down to their competition.
The Pick: Raiders +9.5
Tennesee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5)
The winner of this game goes to the playoffs as AFC South champions. Over the last month and a half, these two teams are going in completely different directions. Jags stay hot, make the playoffs.
The Pick: Jaguars -6.5
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Minnesota Vikings (-6.5) at Chicago Bears
Justin Fields won’t break Lamar Jackson’s rushing record, he’s out this week. Nathan Peterman will not get the job done against the Vikings, who have a -19-point differential despite being 12-4.
The Pick: Vikings -6.5
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
If Houston wins this game while the Bears lose, the Bears get the No. 1 pick in the draft. They’ll have a chance to do so against the Colts, who are probably very happy their season is finally coming to an end.
The Pick: Texans +2.5
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are the model of consistency. The Browns figured some stuff out last week, but Pittsburgh gets it done with a slim chance at making the playoffs.
The Pick: Steelers -2.5
New York Jets (-1) at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are down to their third-string QB once again, while the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend in the midst of a losing streak. The Dolphins are still alive but need to pick up a win here. I’m not sure they do it.
The Pick: Jets -1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons ( -4.5)
I’m assuming Tampa will be resting a good chunk of players based on this line. But I am reading that Tom Brady will still play. Neither team is playing for anything, but the Falcons have been worse over the last month.
The Pick: Buccaneers +4.5
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
The Panthers were so close to controlling their destiny in this game and having a chance to win the division but couldn’t seal the deal last weekend. The Saints have gotten hot over the last couple of weeks. This game means nothing. Someone will win.
The Pick: Saints -3.5
LATE AFTERNOON SUNDAY
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-14)
The Eagles crushed New York the first time these teams played and even though the Giants are locked into their playoff positon, Brian Daboll says starters will play. Jalen Hurts is still an uncertainty for the Eagles, who need this game to clinch the division and one seed.
The Pick: Giants +14
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5)
The Seahawks need a win in this game as well as a Lions win later on to make the playoffs, which would be a great accomplishment considering the team’s expectations for the year. I think they will win, but the Rams will stay in it.
The Pick: Rams +6.5
Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Denver Broncos
This feels like a no-brainer, which means I’ll probably get it wrong. The Chargers are playing their best football of the season right now and Denver is playing for nothing. Bolts should cruise.
The Pick: Chargers -3
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-14)
Niners got into a high-scoring game in Vegas last weekend while the Cardinals lost on a last second field goal. San Fran owns the Cardinals, so I’m guessing they keep it rolling here.
The Pick: 49ers -14
Dallas Cowboys (-7.5) at Washington Commanders
Dallas could win the division if the Eagles stumble and the No. 1 seed if San Francisco does as well. The odds of both happening aren’t high, but I think they win against a Washington team that has to be feeling a little upset that Carson Wentz came back and helped eliminate them.
The Pick: Cowboys -7.5
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
I hope everybody that knows me knows that I will be cheering for the Lions in this one with everything that I have. However, there’s no way Aaron Rodgers doesn’t finish this off. This is going to stink.
The Pick: Packers -4.5
Hug your loved ones a little tighter today. Don’t be afraid to remind them how much you love them. In these times of tragedy, we must lift each other up to reach the other side. Using anger to tear each other down and further the gap between us will do nothing.
The link to Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe is below. I’ll be back next week for the first weekend of the playoffs.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
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E-Editions
It would be my last of the regular season, and I had planned on going through the ups and downs of this season, both for the column and for the league as a whole.
However, I don’t start writing this column until after the Monday night game ends so all lines are available and I have each team’s most recent game in my head.
What myself and the rest of the world saw on Monday night won’t be leaving our heads any time soon.
When Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin collapsed to the turf after making a hit on Bengals’ receiver Tee Higgins, the world came to a halt. The hit was not a big one. It was the type of hit that guys will deal out multiple times a game. What followed was unthinkable, as Hamlin received an AED as well as CPR on the field of play in front of horrified teammates.
The look on Hamlin’s teammates’ faces was the first of many signs that something was seriously wrong. Seeing head coach Sean McDermott on his knees, quarterback Josh Allen covering his face with his hands while a look of disbelief could just barely be seen underneath. For those watching at home, it became clear very quickly that those on the field were seeing and dealing with something unimaginable, something that hadn’t happened on an NFL field in a generation.
After Hamlin was put into an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, the league gave word for both teams to warm up for five minutes before returning to play. It didn’t take long for it to become very clear that that wasn’t going to happen and no football would be played for the remainder of the night. While I understand that the league was put in an unprecedented situation, and that the game between those two teams was incredibly important, I can’t fathom those in charge seeing this all unfold, on a nationally televised game nonetheless, and giving the OK to go on. Those in those positions need to be better. This wasn’t the wrap it up, pop a pill and get back out there type of injury and it was very clear very quickly that it was not the case. The second the word CPR was said, football should not have mattered.
Even after both teams had been sitting in their locker rooms for over an hour, thinking about their brother and praying for his safety, the league took far too long to officially postpone the game. Again, I understand there are many factors that go into that with the playoffs quickly approaching, but nobody still paying attention to this story was still thinking about football. Will this game be made up? I don’t know. If it doesn’t, it creates quite the odd situation for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But as of right now, that does not matter. The playoffs do not matter. All that matters is Damar Hamlin.
As I sit here and try to put words together, Damar still sits in critical condition, with the whole country hoping to get some good news regarding his chances of making it out of this. I’ve been praying for Damar and encourage you to do so as well. He is just 24 years old. Far too young to have his life taken away from him while he was playing the sport he loves. Far too young to have his mother worrying about whether or not her son will survive. Far too young to be in a position even remotely close to this.
Early Wednesday, a close friend of Damar’s was interviewed outside of the hospital by NFL Network. He stated that Hamlin was “moving in a positive direction.” While vague, I have no doubt that those words will provide hope to those that desperately need it.
Despite all of this sadness, I’d like to take the time to appreciate some of the good humanity that has come out of this terrible situation. The medical personnel on the field acted heroically and with enough speed to save this young man’s life. Former NFL players and current ESPN broadcasters Ryan Clark and Booger McFarland did a tremendous job on Monday night explaining this situation from the player's side of things. Their insightful, emotional and thought-provoking commentary should not go unnoticed. Damar Hamlin set up a GoFundMe during the height of the pandemic to establish a toy drive for his community. Its initial goal was $2,500. As I’m typing this, the money raised currently sits at $6.43 million.
I don’t really know where to go next.
As of now, there will be games played this weekend. There are playoff spots on the line. It almost feels wrong picking the results of games while a member of the football family fights for his life. I will continue to pray that Damar’s condition continues to improve. In the meantime, I will try to toe the line between this situation and normalcy, looking ahead to this upcoming week. I will not be picking the Bengals-Ravens game nor the contest between the Bills and Patriots for obvious reasons. For the final time of the regular season, here are this week’s picks.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5) at Las Vegas Raiders
Jarrett Stidham looked good replacing Derek Carr for Vegas last week. The Chiefs have a problem with playing down to their competition.
The Pick: Raiders +9.5
Tennesee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5)
The winner of this game goes to the playoffs as AFC South champions. Over the last month and a half, these two teams are going in completely different directions. Jags stay hot, make the playoffs.
The Pick: Jaguars -6.5
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Minnesota Vikings (-6.5) at Chicago Bears
Justin Fields won’t break Lamar Jackson’s rushing record, he’s out this week. Nathan Peterman will not get the job done against the Vikings, who have a -19-point differential despite being 12-4.
The Pick: Vikings -6.5
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-2.5)
If Houston wins this game while the Bears lose, the Bears get the No. 1 pick in the draft. They’ll have a chance to do so against the Colts, who are probably very happy their season is finally coming to an end.
The Pick: Texans +2.5
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are the model of consistency. The Browns figured some stuff out last week, but Pittsburgh gets it done with a slim chance at making the playoffs.
The Pick: Steelers -2.5
New York Jets (-1) at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are down to their third-string QB once again, while the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend in the midst of a losing streak. The Dolphins are still alive but need to pick up a win here. I’m not sure they do it.
The Pick: Jets -1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons ( -4.5)
I’m assuming Tampa will be resting a good chunk of players based on this line. But I am reading that Tom Brady will still play. Neither team is playing for anything, but the Falcons have been worse over the last month.
The Pick: Buccaneers +4.5
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
The Panthers were so close to controlling their destiny in this game and having a chance to win the division but couldn’t seal the deal last weekend. The Saints have gotten hot over the last couple of weeks. This game means nothing. Someone will win.
The Pick: Saints -3.5
LATE AFTERNOON SUNDAY
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-14)
The Eagles crushed New York the first time these teams played and even though the Giants are locked into their playoff positon, Brian Daboll says starters will play. Jalen Hurts is still an uncertainty for the Eagles, who need this game to clinch the division and one seed.
The Pick: Giants +14
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5)
The Seahawks need a win in this game as well as a Lions win later on to make the playoffs, which would be a great accomplishment considering the team’s expectations for the year. I think they will win, but the Rams will stay in it.
The Pick: Rams +6.5
Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Denver Broncos
This feels like a no-brainer, which means I’ll probably get it wrong. The Chargers are playing their best football of the season right now and Denver is playing for nothing. Bolts should cruise.
The Pick: Chargers -3
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-14)
Niners got into a high-scoring game in Vegas last weekend while the Cardinals lost on a last second field goal. San Fran owns the Cardinals, so I’m guessing they keep it rolling here.
The Pick: 49ers -14
Dallas Cowboys (-7.5) at Washington Commanders
Dallas could win the division if the Eagles stumble and the No. 1 seed if San Francisco does as well. The odds of both happening aren’t high, but I think they win against a Washington team that has to be feeling a little upset that Carson Wentz came back and helped eliminate them.
The Pick: Cowboys -7.5
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
I hope everybody that knows me knows that I will be cheering for the Lions in this one with everything that I have. However, there’s no way Aaron Rodgers doesn’t finish this off. This is going to stink.
The Pick: Packers -4.5
Hug your loved ones a little tighter today. Don’t be afraid to remind them how much you love them. In these times of tragedy, we must lift each other up to reach the other side. Using anger to tear each other down and further the gap between us will do nothing.
The link to Damar Hamlin’s GoFundMe is below. I’ll be back next week for the first weekend of the playoffs.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
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