Week Eighteen Review: The Agony and the Ecstasy
As Week Eighteen concludes with highs and lows for different franchises: fans will take stock in different ways. Some will reflect on a successful regular season and await the post-season with great zeal. Other franchises will undergo self-reflection from the top down: owners; boardroom members; general managers; coaching staff and players will be the topics of discussions on forums, social media threads and WhatsApp groups.
Playoff Participants Finalised
With the conclusion of the regular season fixtures, the teams remaining have discovered who and when they are due to play in the playoffs:
Wild Card:
Saturday January 11th:
(AFC) Texans vs Chargers (9:30pm Irish Time)
Sunday January 12th:
(AFC) Ravens vs Steelers (1:00am Irish Time)
(AFC) Bills vs Broncos (6:00pm Irish Time)
(NFC) Eagles vs Packers (9:30pm Irish Time)
Monday January 13th:
(NFC) Buccaneers vs Commanders (1:30am Irish Time)
Tuesday January 14th:
(NFC) Rams vs Vikings (1:00am Irish Time)
The Chopping Block arrives
The “Back Monday” firings arrived for head coaches Doug Pederson (Jaguars) and Jerod Mayo (Patriots). Pederson received his marching orders shortly after the Jaguars final day defeat to the Colts. A 4-13 record this season saw Pederson’s tenure draw to a close. Rob Gronkowski was one of many who were shocked at the decision of the Patriots to end Jerod Mayo’s year long venture as Head Coach. The former Patriot decried the decision as rushed: echoing many Patriot fans’ opinions that “the roster that he was handed wasn’t that prominent. It’s a tough situation in New England.” Many await an Adam Schefter announcement regarding the future of Mike McCarthy and the always entertaining Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones.
These announcements were accompanied by a newer phenomenon: announcements of the retention of Head Coaches, General Managers or both. Giants fans were dismayed when the franchise announced they were keeping the Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen as Head Coach and General Manager respectively, expect more protest plane banners and brown paper bags at MetLife Stadium next season!
Steelers Lose Four-In-A-Row
From optimistic start to cruel conclusion, the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base have had a rollercoaster season. Justin Fields led the Steelers to a positive 4-2 start, with narrow defeats to the Cowboys and Colts suggesting there was plenty of optimism and potential in Mike Tomlin’s squad. The return to the field of Russell Wilson from a calf injury seemed to herald an enhancement of the offense’s abilities: most note-worthy a play-action option and his trademark “moon ball” to George Pickens had many at Acrisure dreaming of a first Super Bowl since 2008.
Alas, it was not meant to be: even with the addition of Mike Williams, the offense has faltered: and the once vaunted defense has struggled. It has seen the Steelers lose four-in-a-row and Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff appear devoid of ideas. The ever dangerous George Pickens had 900 yards receiving and was touted to break the 1,000 yard receiving statistic with expectations of a return to form against the Bengals this week. Instead his lone reception resulted in a one yard loss; he dropped some catches he is expected to complete and some footage suggests he got into a verbal altercation with Steelers fans. Alas, he is not to be blamed for the Steelers woes: he is however the embodiment of current struggles there. Next up … MVP Candidate Lamar Jackson and his purring Ravens!
Bengals 19 Steelers 17
… And the Regular season 2024 is a wrap! Some owners need to take a long hard look at themselves ahead of free agency and the draft to consider HOW to improve their opportunities for success in 2025: for many they will want to put this season in the history books as soon as possible and re-evaluate the composition of their respective coaching staff and playing roster. The action hasn’t even finished on the field and the next move in the chess games of NFL boardroom politics are already being deliberated upon … hold onto your hats! And that’s even before the Wild Card games are played! What. A. Sport!