I had no idea what I was going to lead with this week until the final minutes of the late afternoon slate on Sunday.
We’re going to have a brief conversation about sportsmanship, or in the case of Patrick Mahomes, the lack thereof.
I’m sure you all have seen the play by now. Trailing by three late against the Bills on Sunday afternoon, Patrick Mahomes unleashed a deep ball to Travis Kelce, who caught it, ran for a few yards, and just before he was able to get tackled, passed it backwards to receiver Kadarius Toney, who was wide open, and ran the remaining 25 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with a little over a minute left in the game.
It was truly one of the most amazing plays I’ve ever seen on a football field, but there was just one problem: Toney was lined up almost a half yard in front of the ball, and was called for an offensive offsides, negating the play. Toney never checked in with an official to make sure he was onsides, standard procedure for wideouts.
If you missed what happened next, all hell broke loose. Mahomes lost his mind, slammed his helmet to the ground on the sidelines, then turned his attention to the referees. The two-time MVP had to be restrained by teammates and coaches from going any further.
To be honest, I didn’t have much of a problem with this. Toney was very clearly offsides, but there’s a good chance that Mahomes had not seen a definitive angle showing that just yet. It hasn’t been the type of year the Chiefs and everyone watching them are used to, especially on the offensive side, so I believe a good chunk of that rant was due to built-up frustrations.
What happened next is what I take issue in.
A few plays later, the Chiefs turned the ball over on downs, allowing the Bills to kneel a couple of times and drain the clock in a hard-fought win. The two teams met at midfield for the customary handshake, and Mahomes and Josh Allen shared a brief moment. About an hour or so after the game, the audio of the interaction came out. Mahomes said nothing to Allen besides “Oddest *expletive* call I’ve ever seen in my life. *Expletive* terrible.”
Credit to Allen for tapping Mahomes on the chest and walking away without saying a word. Did Mahomes think Allen was going to agree with him? Was he going to say “Yeah, you’re right man, let’s count this game as a tie, we didn’t deserve it?” I understand being upset in the moment after dropping a big game, I do. But at least congratulate the man on the other side that beat you. Give him a “good game.” What Mahomes did, in my eyes, painted him to be entitled with no perspective on just how many calls have gone his way over the past few years.
Can you imagine the uproar if after last year’s Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts didn’t congratulate Pat and instead said “Hey man, just so you know, that wasn’t a hold. We should have won that game.” We would still be talking about it today! It would define Hurts’ for his entire career!
Mahomes wasn’t done there. He went on to blast the NFL and its officials in his post-game press conference, stating that they “took away greatness” from Travis Kelce and how it was “ridiculous” that the refs would blow the whistle in a situation like that. What?!? The flag was thrown the second the ball was snapped!
Again, this is just a total lack of awareness by a two-time Super Bowl champion. It would take me 5000 words to detail every single call that has gone Kansas City’s way since he took over. It was just a terrible look all around.
Patrick Mahomes, you are the face of the National Football League. You are the best player in the world. You’ve won everything there is to win in this league and you’re not even 30 yet. Lose with some grace. Toney was offside, nothing after that point matters. You still had three downs and a minute left afterwards to make something happen. End of story.
I wrote this introduction on Monday, and while rereading it on Wednesday, I feel I may have been a little harsh. Mahomes went on radio this week and apologized for his lack of sportsmanship to Allen, which is something I can respect. We all have our moments.
Quick hitters for the week:
Speaking of Kermit the Frog, I watched The Muppet Christmas Carol the other night, a yearly tradition for me. I’ll detail some more of my favorite Christmas movies next week.
If you’re looking for something to do on Saturday night, make your way over to Grace College, where both the Warsaw and Manchester boys basketball teams will be competing in the Champions of Character Classic. Warsaw plays South Bend Washington at 6 p.m. while Manchester takes on Blackhawk Christian at 7:30.
The Bears are so back it’s not even funny. More details later.
The picks started off very slowly last week, but a good late slate gave me a fighting chance headed into Monday night. Bye weeks are over and we are running out of games, lets hope I can finish the season strong.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders (-2.5)
Another week, another Thursday night game that I’m not looking forward to. The Chargers will most likely turn to Easton Stick as the starting quarterback with Justin Herbert out for the remainder of the season with a broken index finger, while the Raiders will try to score some points after being shut out 3-0 by the Vikings last week. Aiden O’Connell will remain the starter despite the poor showing. Both of these teams are going to miss the playoffs, and neither of these teams have looked good recently. At this point in the season, it gets really hard to pick games you don’t care about, but I haven’t missed one yet. Give me Vegas at home.
The Pick: Raiders -2.5
SATURDAY SHOWDOWNS
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)
You know the season is approaching the end when the league starts scheduling games on Saturday. This could end up being an interesting one. The Vikings benched Josh Dobbs for Nick Mullens last week in their 3-0 victory, in one of the saddest sentences I’ve ever written. The Bengals suddenly have some life after a win over the Colts last week, and Jake Browning has looked good since coming in to replace Joe Burrow. This is a team that the leaders in the AFC should be worried about going up against if they’re able to sneak into the playoffs. I know this is a week-to-week league, but one of these teams scored over 30 points last week while the other was scoreless for 58 minutes against a bad defense.
The Pick: Bengals -2.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (-1.5)
The Steelers have fallen off of a cliff over the past few weeks, most recently getting embarrassed by the helpless Patriots on Thursday night. The Colts finally came back down to earth last weekend and had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Bengals. Kenny Pickett has already been ruled out for this game for Pittsburgh, meaning Mitch Trubisky will make his second straight start. Side note: I’m kind of tired of writing about how backup quarterbacks are making the start each week. Everybody is hurt this year and it sucks. Anyways, I really like Indy to get back on track at home.
The Pick: Colts -1.5
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions (-4)
After starting off the season at 1-5, the Broncos are now 7-6 and are a game behind the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. The Lions seem to have hit a snag in recent weeks, and suddenly look very vulnerable at the top of the NFC North. Detroit will still most likely make the playoffs, but I don’t think they’re a contender in the NFC like it was assumed a few weeks ago. Denver has been playing lights out recently on both sides of the ball, something that can’t be said about the home team in this one. I like the Broncos to continue their playoff push with another big victory.
The Pick: Broncos +4
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns (-3)
Pop quiz time. Can you guess which NFL team is currently one game out of the playoffs while still holding the 1st and 5th picks in next year’s NFL draft? If you guessed the Chicago Bears, you’d be correct. This team has figured a lot of things out over the past month. The defense looks fantastic, the offense is taking steps in the right direction, and the Bears are above .500 over the last nine games. This will be a tough test, as the Browns defense has been incredible at home this year, while Joe Flacco has turned back the clock since taking over the starting job. Call me crazy, but I think Chicago can pull off a win here. If the defense keeps doing what it's been doing, the Bears should be in every game they have left.
The Pick: Bears +3
Kansas City Chiefs (-8.5) at New England Patriots
I already spent more than enough time talking about the Chiefs, Pat Mahomes and the way their game against the Bills last week ended in the introduction. The Patriots picked up their first win in what felt like ages on Thursday night against the Steelers. The Chiefs offense is clearly not playing at the level we are used to, and I’m kind of surprised the problems haven’t really been fixed yet. That being said, the defense is still very good and should cause a lot of problems for New England. Kansas City is going to be angry coming into this one and I think they take it out on a Patriots team that should be focused on getting the best draft position they can.
The Pick: Chiefs -8.5
Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Carolina Panthers
I was unfortunate enough to catch some of the Panthers game against the Saints last week, and all I can say is woof. There’s not a lot to be excited about in Carolina right now. Bryce Young has a long way to go to be a serviceable NFL QB, the team has an owner in David Tepper that is way too involved with the team, and there’s no 1st overall pick waiting to make this horrible season just a little bit better. The Falcons dropped a big game to the Buccaneers last week, creating a three-way tie atop the NFC South. Atlanta is not a great team, but I still think they’re lightyears better than the Panthers are currently. Atlanta wins on the road here.
The Pick: Falcons -3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers (-3.5)
The Bucs got a big win over the Falcons last week and now find themselves in the playoff picture once again The Packers had a chance to create some separation at the No. 7 seed, but lost to the Giants and Tommy DeVito on Monday night. Green Bay did not look good in that game, perhaps I was a bit early in crowing them last week. (At least I hope so.) I do like Tampa Bay’s chances in this game, but going to Green Bay in December and coming away with a win is a task that is much easier said than done. That being said, Baker Mayfield is always ready to play and I know that man is dying to make the playoffs.
The Pick: Buccaneers +3.5
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-8.5)
The Dolphins were stunned on Monday night, blowing a late 14-point lead to the Titans and losing, while the Jets scored 30 points in the second half to earn an upset win over the Texans. Tyreek Hill’s status is one to monitor. The star receiver got hurt early on Monday night and left the game for awhile before coming back for a few snaps late in the game. The Dolphins looked like a JV offense with him out of the game, so him playing is vital to Miami’s success. He probably won’t win it, but he is probably the league MVP. I’m going to assume he does play in this one, and the Dolphins take care of business.
The Pick: Dolphins -8.5
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
The Texans got a reality check against the Jets last week. The offense was unable to do anything, Nico Collins and CJ Stroud got hurt and the team lost to the Jets. The Titans became the first team in NFL history to win a game in regulation after trailing by 14 with less than three minutes remaining in Monday’s win over the Dolphins. At the time of writing this, I’m unsure if Stroud will clear concussion protocol this week and return to action, which is obviously a big factor in picking this one. That being said, it’s probably unlikely that he suits up, and without him, I think Houston has a problem.
The Pick: Titans -2.5
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints (-6)
The Giants got a big win on Monday night against the Packers, with Tommy DeVito showing out on national tv. Get that man some chicken cutlets and a tray of baked ziti. The Saints crushed the Panthers but didn’t look great doing it. Out of all of the teams in football that are not among the worst, the Saints are the team I have the hardest time watching. Derek Carr is bad, it’s clear that his teammates wish anyone else was playing QB, but they still find ways to win games. As the son of an Italian immigrant, I can’t go against DeVito. I have to ride this wave until it breaks.
The Pick: Giants +6
LATE AFTERNOON SLATE
Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams (-6.5)
The Commanders were one of the two teams with a bye last week while the Rams lost to the Ravens in overtime in what was the most entertaining game on Sunday. Los Angeles is a team that is figuring things out at the right time, playing its best ball of the year as it tries to make a final push to the playoffs. The offense has been remarkable and Matt Stafford is turning back the clock, but a defense full of young players has been pulling its weight as well. The Commanders defense is one of, if not the worst in the league currently, and going up against a high-powered offense like this might lead to disaster.
The Pick: Rams -6.5
San Francisco 49ers (-12.5) at Arizona Cardinals
I say the same thing about the Niners every week. Best team in football, most talented roster I’ve seen in a long, long time. The Cardinals have been frisky with Kyler Murray but the talent disparity is too large in my eyes. Bang bang Niner gang.
The Pick: 49ers (-12.5)
Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills (-2.5)
This is the game I’m the most excited for this week, with two of the best offenses in the league over the last month squaring off with a ton on the line for both teams. The Bills need to continue stacking up wins to get back into the playoff picture, while the Cowboys need to keep it rolling to stay on pace with the Eagles atop the NFC East. This game could be first to 40 wins, and I certainly hope that’s the case. For this one, I like a Bills team that’s playing at home and is still currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Both teams need this one, but Buffalo needs it just a bit more.
The Pick: Bills -2.5
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Ravens needed overtime to take down the Rams last week, while the Jaguars struggled mightily against the Browns. Trevor Lawrence played last week after suffering what looked like a bad injury a few weeks ago. Lawrence looked like he probably should have just taken the week off. Baltimore has the inside track at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and a win in this game would go a long way in helping to secure it. The Jaguars are falling apart at the worst time possible, and need a win here to create some more separation atop the AFC South. I think Jacksonville is going to play well here, but Baltimore is just too good.
The Pick: Ravens -3.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) at Seattle Seahawks
Fun fact: this game was the first ever to be flexed into Monday Night Football, replacing Chiefs at Patriots. The Eagles need a win very badly after being crushed by the Niners and Cowboys in back to back weeks. The Seahawks need one as well, having lost four games in a row for the first time under Pete Carroll. The Philly defense needs to be put on a milk carton the way it has disappeared over the course of this season. Geno Smith missed last week with a groin injury and his status for this week is unclear. I actually really like Seattle in this game, but the uncertainty surrounding Smith is too much for me to overlook.
The Pick: Eagles -3.5
I can’t stress enough how bummed I’m going to be if I choke away my fast start and finish the season below .500. We’re running out of time here but I believe I can finish strong.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 6-8-1
Season Record: 98-90-7