The story of week one in the NFL was about the successful big gamble by the Giants which paid off with a victory.
The story of week two was about the big comebacks.
The Dolphins down by 21 at the half beat the Ravens on the road.
The Cardinals trailing by 20 at intermission beat the Raiders on the road.
We should, in all fairness, add the Jets to the tale, scoring two touchdowns in the last 2 minutes to knock off the Browns in Cleveland.
The wild finishes by Miami, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leading the parade, and Arizona, with Kyler Murray at the controls, featured spectacular nail-biters at the finish.
Tua fired three of his six touchdown passes in the final quarter, en route to a 28-3 domination in the final 15 minutes.
The outcome spoiled a brilliant showing by Ravens QB Lamar Jackson who passed for 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, and ran for 119 yards.
Jackson accounted for 437 yards and 4 scores, but in the end Baltimore was beaten in their home opener.
Murray, only threw for one, but ran for a TD with 5 seconds remaining in regulation and zinged one to the back of the end zone to A.J. Green for the 2-point conversion to send the game into overtime.
Then, a recovered fumble and a 59 yard-return for a touchdown won it for the Cards.
Tua and Kyler are constantly scrutinized, and for that matter so is Lamar.
They are known as “running” quarterbacks, and while they are often human highlight films, there will always be the burning question as to whether they can lead their team to a championship?
While we have seen those breathtaking moments , we have also seen the other side.
What every coach, in any sport, longs for, is consistency.
The word, consistency, never excites anyone who hears or reads that word.
But when you think about it, consistency is what we all strive for, whether it’s in athletics, or life.
If you play golf, or tennis, for example, the goal is to be as consistent as possible.
And I don’t mean being consistently bad.
Many years go, when I asked Billy Cunningham to run down his squad when he coached the Philadelphia 76ers, he would often use the word consistent.
I always wanted more of a description.
But to Billy, being consistent was the highest form of compliment.
So, the issue is, can these running quarterbacks be consistent, avoiding the highs and lows, to lead their teams to a possible Super Bowl?
That remains to be seen.
In any event, let’s revel in those thrilling comebacks last Sunday.
They were mind-boggling and great to watch.
This week, that’s all that counts.
I don’t understand what’s going on with Tom Brady.
A report this week, which appears valid, is that Brady will take all Wednesday’s off for the remainder of the regular season.
If a television network were looking for a new soap opera to entertain housewives during the week, the melodrama of Tom Brady would fit the bill.
Now, we’ll need some background music, replete with violins, to bring our readers up to date, but here goes.
Tom Brady, an unlikely 6th round draft choice is called to takeover as quarterback of the New England Patriots, when the starter, Drew Bledsoe is injured in the second game of the 2001 season. How will this low-drafted backup fare? Well,
Brady then leads the Patriots to a surprise Super Bowl victory and proceeds to guide the team to six championships over the next two decades.
He is a hero forever, and it’s well deserved.
He then joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent and leads them to a Super Bowl title in his first season with the Bucs at the age of 43.
It was his 7th crown.
He is accurately regarded as a the GOAT. The Greatest Of All-Time.
Last season, Brady and the Bucs lose to the eventual champion LA Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Tom Brady announces his retirement, to the delight of his wife, model Gisele Bundchen and his family.
He’s been dedicated to football and his family has taken a back seat.
However, Tom is not ready to get off the stage and announces he is returning to football 40 days after saying he’s through.
Gisele, apparently, is not thrilled.
Then, in the middle of pre-season preparation, Tom Brady leaves the team, with the blessing of the Bucs for 11 days.
Most unusual.
He returns to the team, but all is not honky-dory at home.
Gisele, apparently is seething, and takes off with the kids.
Tom Brady is not the same. He is feeling the pressure. Maybe more so than when he’s rushed by five with only four blockers.
The Bucs win their first two games, and Brady plays ok, not great.
He doesn’t need to because the Tampa Bay defense allows only 3 points against the Cowboys and 10 against the Saints.
Even in his Super Bowl triumph two seasons ago, the Bucs defense was stifling against the Chiefs, surrendering only 9 points to a high-octane offense.
Then, last Sunday, Brady becomes unhinged, shouting at Saints defensive back Marshon Lattimore who’s was ejected along with Bucs star wide receiver Mike Evans in a skirmish.
Before that incident, Brady threw his iPad (called tablet in the NFL) to the ground.
But Brady and the Bucs beat the Saints for the first time in five games.
Now, he has Wednesday’s off.
Here’s a normal work week in the NFL.
On Monday, players come in for treatment if they have injuries. There is a team meeting, often going over tape of the previous day’s game.
The off-day for the players is Tuesday.
Wednesday is a full work day, 8:30-4:30. That’s when the game plan for the upcoming encounter is installed, and practice with full pads ensues.
Thursday is another full day with more of the same.
Fridays is an easier day. No pads. The team goes over situations and as rehearsal for plays that could be key coming up. It’s a shorter practice.
Saturday is a walkthrough day. And if a team is playing on the road, they depart after that exercise.
So Tom Brady, who reportedly has taken some Thursdays off with Tampa Bay in the past, will be gone two straight days every week moving on.
It’s not a good optic to me.
I realize how great a quarterback he’s been and what he’s achieved.
Magnificent to say the least.
But here’s a guy who is 45, dealing with problems at home, which is really none of our business, absent from the team, in a sport where chemistry and togetherness is critical, also dealing with a less-than-stellar offensive line, trying to lead a team to a championship.
That’s why he came back.
If he didn’t think the Buccaneers had a chance, he would have stayed retired.
So, Tom Brady, in true soap opera style, is being pulled in many directions.
The saving grace, may be the team’s outstanding defensive play.
How will this all play out?
That’s why we watch.