At least two players, one for the Broncos and one for the Vikings, have tested positive so far in this week's pre-game round of testing. I'm just waiting for when one of these pops another outbreak...
As has Will Hernandez of the New York Giants, which has caused there now to be only four available non-quarantined offensive linemen. That's going to end well...
Brett Favre has joined Jack Nicklaus in the cast of idiots who are pro-Trump.
And Bobby Orr, Chris Jericho, Tony Khan, and Greg Norman...
Olbermann:
The Ontario Hockey League, long seen as one of the most violent junior hockey leagues in Canada, is actually going to try to play a no-check league because of COVID-19. People have long talked, mocking the NFL player-safety rules as a move to flag football. One has to wonder...
The Wisconsin-Nebraska game is off and will not be played. Per Big Ten policy, the game is a no-contest.
Wisconsin is suspending all football activities for a week and hoping that calms things down. Can't see it happening with the state being one of the new hotspots.
Widespread speculation that Rob Manfred was not well last night. I know I said he was probably pissed, but there is a lot of belief he was not well at all.
Big trouble in the University of Wisconsin football program -- now not only is the starting QB COVID-positive, so is his backup! Gee, what a shock. Wisconsin is one of the major hotspots for the flare-up of this virus the last month or so!
Lane Kiffin got fined $25,000 by the SEC for blasting the refs after his team lost -- and the SEC admitted that Kiffin was right! But that's right, they were playing Auburn!
The NBA is admitting they may be in financial trouble -- they would LIKE to start the 2020-21 season as soon as humanly possible as a result. Might want to check that election result first!
The final verdict for the Tennessee Titans COVID outbreak is in -- they're fined $350,000. Really... Just that after all that..
Washington Football Team fined Dwayne Haskins $4,833 for breaking their COVID protocols.
But NOTHING for on the field stuff, at least not publicized, at this point (and this is MONDAY NIGHT when I'm posting this). Might mean a double-week post later on. Had one this year already for Weeks 1 and 2.
Interesting week. But the NFL's penchant for scoring continues. Average for the 14 games this week was 50.57, leaving the season average for 105 games at 50.572 points per game.
Record watch: Most points in a season (average 46.727 in 2018): 4,904 points in 105 games.
Highest average per game (47.2): 4,956.
2020 so far: 5,329, or 425 ahead of 2018 and 373 ahead of the record average.
Home teams did not do well this week. Only 6-8. 53-51-1 for the year.
Home teams with fans:
Philly did (7,500 Thurs night): Won.
Washington did not (will have 3,500 November 8th)
Jets not until further notice. Not that anyone would come to that dumpster fire anyway.
New Orleans did (3,000 -- first time this season): Won.
Houston did (20%): Lost.
Cincinnati did (12,000): Lost.
Tennessee did (1/8 capacity): Lost.
Raiders won't for the season. UNLV, however, at some point, will allow 2000 in the new stadium.
Patriots didn't.
Chargers don't.
Rams don't.
Denver did (5,700): Lost
Arizona did (only 1,200 though): Won.
Atlanta did (at an unnamed limited capacity): Lost.
So 3-5 for the week. 25-16 for them.
Over was 6-6-2 (yes, two pushes according to the numbers I found -- GB-HOU (35-20) pushed at 55, and PIT-TEN (27-24) pushed at 51.
Bad week for the favorites. Another game kicked a pick em (DAL-WAS) Against the number, 4-9 for 45-57-1 for the year. Straight up, 9-4 for 68-34-1 for the year.
Team with more penalties was 4-9 for 41-51 for the year.
159 penalties this week (11.35 pen per game), 1196 for the year (11.4)
Big week for Cliffhangers. 5 games had at least a tying or winning score in the last two minutes or overtime (21 for the year).
Three games had two: Atlanta scored in the last two minutes to lead Detroit, but Detroit won the game at the gun. Similarly, Carolina scored in the last two minutes to lead New Orleans, but New Orleans won it at two seconds left. I'll get to the third one in a second.
7 games within 8 points final margin, 53 for the year.
5 non-competitive games for 34 for the year.
and 3 games with Last Chance Misses for 33 for the year.
One of them may be one of the longest sets of notes I've ever done on the subject -- the Sunday nighter, Seattle-Arizona. Appeared headed for ANOTHER SNF tie between the teams. Arizona started the honors with a Cliffhanger touchdown to tie the game at 2 seconds and send it to overtime. Then they Last Chance Missed a field goal at about 2:45 of the OT, at which point Seattle got the ball, and they scored a touchdown... BUT WAIT: Last Chance Miss! Called back for offensive holding! (Isn't it ironic!) Next play, they get picked off and the Cardinals get the game winner for a Double Cliffhanger Double Last Chance Miss.
