Week 16 Crystal Ball - Weekend: The Stretch Run is Upon Us
My friends, it’s Week 16, the time of year when a lot of important questions are asked - and hopefully - answered.
Which teams will secure the #1 seeds?
Who is going to emerge as MVP?
How much ham will THE CHIEF eat at Christmas dinner?
Unfortunately, another big late-season question is oft-repeated: can My Beloved Commies (4-10) squeeze another victory out of the 2023 campaign? This past week’s effort vs. the Rams was a few bricks shy of a load and with just three games left, we are running out of chances.
The final two weeks find MBC hosting San Fran and Dallas, so it looks like our best shot at one last 2023 win is this weekend when Ron Rivera & Co. visit the New York Jets (5-9). The game is at 1 pm on CBS.
Folks are likely wonder how bad this one can get and, let me tell you, I know. In fact, I’ve already seen it.
It was December 11, 1993, and the powers that be at decided that the Jets (7-5) visiting the Redskins (3-9) was the ideal Saturday afternoon football showcase in our nation’s capital. As it turns out, it set the sport back a couple of decades and may have, quite inadvertently, turned people on to soccer.
I could go into great detail about the game but think that this 47-second clip will tell you all that you need to know.
The afternoon was perhaps the low point of the one-season Richie Petibon head coaching era in DC and, damn it, that was a shame. He was an outstanding NFL safety with 48 INTs and four All-Pro nods and further distinguishing himself by coaching three Super Bowl-winning defenses under Joe Gibbs. Alas, Petibon’s 4-12 record in 1993 - with seven one-score losses - was too much for owner Jack Kent Cooke to take.
That Washington team secured the third pick in the 1994 NFL Draft and took two quarterbacks - first-rounder Heath Shuler and seventh-rounder Gus Frerotte. Baby Heath, as he was known, barely lasted five NFL seasons while the Gus Bus trudged along for 15 years, starting games for seven different teams.
While the QB selections garnered the most interest in DC, it was their second-round pick in 1994 that had the most profound effect on yours truly, an impact I feel to this day.
With the 31st overall pick, the Skins selected Edward Stanton Johnson III, a 6’3”, 315-guard/tackle from Temple. A three-time All-Big East selection, he was a physical force who played with a massive chip on his shoulder. He was also very particular about his name.
"My name is Edward Stanton Johnson III," Johnson told The Washington Post in 1994. "Tre’ stands for three. The accent is for pronunciation purposes."
Yes, indeed, the Skins lineman was the impetus for THE FAIR CLAUDINE and yours truly calling our son - Charles Randolph Williams III - “Tre”. And, after the lineman’s arrival in DC, all I had to do was meet TFC and conceive a child to make it happen.
The 2023 Washington squad looked like they’d be able to make things happen early on but, sadly, the team has fizzled like a couple of Alka Setzler tablets. Coach Ron Rivera appears to be on his last legs and the team is ticketed for its eighth season with five victoriess or fewer in the 2000s. That’s a rough stretch.
The upside to this week’s game: I’ll be watching it with THE CHIEF and THE TRE MAN on a glorious Christmas Eve afternoon and we’ll be wiping our tears with some mouth-watering Buffalo wings. I’m thinking something along the lines of 13-10, Jets, as the Commies make Trevor Siemian1 look like a cross between Peyton Manning and Joe Willie Namath.
The season record stands at 139-81 (.632) as we head into the weekend. Here we go…
SATURDAY
4:30 pm ET, NBC
I like the Bengals (8-6) at the Steelers (7-7). This is an underrated rivalry and, for once, it looks like Cincy has the upper hand. Ja’Marr Chase is out for the Cats but that’ll just give Tee Higgins more chances to do damage, especially with star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on the shelf for Pittsburgh.
8 pm ET, Peacock
I’m taking the red-hot Bills (7-6) at the listless Chargers (5-9) in a matchup of one-time American Football League rivals. The teams met in the 1964 and 1965 AFL title games with Buffalo claiming both championships.2
SUNDAY (CHRISTMAS EVE)
1 PM - FOX
I think the Colts (8-6) lose at the Falcons (6-8). It’s a bit of an upset call but I’m betting on that Heinicke Magic…
…the Lions (10-4) fall at the Vikings (7-7). These longtime rivals aren’t competing for the same playoff spot - I’d say Dee-troit sealed their bid last week - but this is huge game for Minnesota.
This one will feature a battle of University of Iowa tight ends: the Lions Sam LaPorta and the Vikings’ TJ Hockensen, who started his career in Dee-troit. Sam likely won’t repeat last week’s three-TD performance but don’t be surprised if he has another big game…
…expect the Packers (6-8) to win at the Panthers (2-12). Green Bay needs to win out to have a shot at the playoffs, so I think they’ll come ready to play.
1 PM - CBS
Another road team wins as the Seahawks (7-7) topple the Titans (5-9). Last week’s victory vs. the Eagles was a tipping point game for Seattle, which needs to finish with a flourish to have a chance…
…take the Browns (9-5) at the Texans (8-6) as Cleveland aims to seal just its second 10-win campaign in 15 seasons. CJ Stroud, the star QB, is still out for Houston.
4:05 PM - CBS
I think the Jaguars (8-6) fall at the Bucs (7-7). Don’t look now but that Baker Mayfield has resurrected his career. Well done, young man.
4:25 PM - FOX
The Cardinals (3-10) lose at the Bears (5-8) in a matchup of former crosstown rivals. Of course, only a guy BROTHER BLUENIK recalls when these teams both inhabited the Windy City, from 1922-59. Then the Cards fled for St. Lou and Chicago became a one-team town…
…the Cowboys (10-3) win at the Dolphins (9-4). My head says “Dallas,” my heart says “Miami,” and my belly says “Dinner.”
8:15 PM - NFL NETWORK
I can’t see the Patriots (3-11) beating the Broncos (7-7) in Denver, one of the first coaching stops for none other than Bill Belichick3. It’s going to be an interesting offseason in Foxboro.
MONDAY (CHRISTMAS)
I’m taking three home teams on Christmas Day:
Kansas City (9-5) over the Raiders (6-8) at 1 pm on CBS. The Chiefs offense still looks a bit out of synch but last week’s win at the Pats was a big step in the right direction.
The Eagles (10-4) against the Giants (5-9) at 4:30 pm on Fox. I know Philadelphia is struggling - that’s largely been the case since 1776 - but I think they find a way to beat a middling New York outfit.
San Fran vs. the Ravens in a matchup of 11-3 teams. This feels like one that could go either way, but I’ll take the hosts at 8:15 pm on ABC/ESPN+. Is there a more talented roster in the league?
That’s all for this week folks. Merry Christmas and God bless!
Siemian has played for seven different franchises in nine seasons, including two stints with the Jets. He started out like a house afire with the Broncos, even earning a profile in Sports Illustrated, but things went south, and he’s only started six games since he left Denver after the 2017 season.
The Raiders, Chiefs and Jets get more headlines when folks talk AFL football but no franchise was better than the Chargers during the league’s 1960-69 run. San Diego appeared in five title games in the league’s first six seasons, winning the championship in 1963 with a resounding 51-10 win over the Boston Patriots.
Don’t expect Bill Belichick to spend time walking down memory lane with his Pats needing a win but he was certainly fond of his early-career time in Denver, working on an assistant coach in the Mile High City in 1978. That was the year after the Broncos advanced to their first Super Bowl, led by quarterback Craig Morton and defensive lineman Lyle Alzado.