Each week, Hall of Fame wide receiver and Westwood One Sunday Night Football analyst James Lofton tells you about the teams, players and trends that are on the way out and those that are on the way up around the NFL.
OUT: The Arizona Cardinals tried their best to survive in the desert after Carson Palmer went down in Week 9 at Dallas (after missing Weeks 2-5 to a different injury). Drew Stanton stepped in and the Birds stayed airborne with some great defense. But when Stanton himself was hurt with two weeks to go in the regular season the vultures came out and started to circle Ryan Lindley. With less than 80 yards of total offense against Carolina, the Birds were done for 2014.
UP! Andrew Luck put up big numbers in a home playoff win over the 0-fer Bengals. Luck, who averaged 297 yards passing per game during the regular season, lit up the Bengals for 376 yards and a touchdown. For the Bengals and Andy Dalton – 0-4 in the playoffs – it was deja vu all over again.
GO: Assistant coaches on private planes, at secret locations, teleconferencing, back-room interviewing and such. All over the place. Lots of go, go, go and plenty of no, no, no.
COMEBACK: 20 years removed from the Silver and Black, Mike Shanahan was back in town to talk – or maybe to finally collect a couple of checks owed to him by the Raiders.
SCREEN: Maybe that’s how that pass interference call that was, then wasn’t, was overturned. Yes, there is no such thing as “face guarding” in the NFL, but the back judge makes a call and the side judge tells him you didn’t see what you thought you saw. That’s why All-Star crews in the playoffs don’t work any better than most All-Star Games – throwing the best individuals together doesn’t necessarily lead to the best team.
HAIL MARY: That was about the only chance the Steelers had without star running back Le’Veon Bell against their rivals the Baltimore Ravens. Big Ben had a great season, but was over-matched and undone by two fourth-quarter interceptions after throwing only one in the final quarter during the entire regular season. Perhaps John Harbaugh is onto something and maybe Joe Flacco is the best quarterback in the NFL. How about we run it by the Patriots this week and see if it sticks.
– James Lofton
Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton is the analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of Sunday Night Football. This weekend you’ll find James in Seattle as the Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night. Coverage of our Divisional doubleheader begins with Patriots vs. Ravens at 4 PM Eastern.
