NFL 2022 Preview

February 12, 2023:  Super Bowl Sunday

After the NFL reluctantly turned down a two billion dollar offer by the Saudi’s to rename the game from Super Bowl LVII to Super Bowl LIV, the game went on in Glendale, Arizona after much confusion about Daily Savings Time.

Aaron Rodgers lost his final game of the year again, this time when NFL MVP Josh Allen led the Bills demolition of the Packers 44 – 21.  Allen threw for a record 494 yards after throwing for 6001 during the regular season.  Afterwards Rodgers claimed that he hallucinated the second quarter and he thought he had duplicated Doug Williams' Super Bowl performance, but in fact admitted his fingers were still numb from the NFC championship game played in -10 degrees and snow at Green Bay.  The Packers had defeated the Saints 14-7 when Roger Goodell had invoked the little used “climate change” rule and allowed the Packers to have side-line heaters, but not the Saints, thus melting the 4-foot drifts on the sideline for the Packers.  The Saints coaching staff, forced to wear white by the NFL was rarely visible.

It was the surprising Saints. who finished the regular season 10-6-1 (and rode a six game unbeaten streak with Andy Dalton at the controls to the NFC championship game,) who had played the two most exciting games of the season.  The first was the 0-0 tie with the Bucs, that prompted a December retirement by a play-off eliminated Tom Brady. 

The second was their surprising upset of the Rams in the playoffs.

Here's what happened.  The Saints’ Deonte Harty ran back the most famous Louisiana punt return since Billy Cannon’s to upset the Rams 21-17 in the Superdome.  Harty ignored official Bill Vinovich who inexplicably called “infield fly rule” on the punt, freezing almost everyone.  But Harty persevered, running down the Saints sideline and picking up a Mike-Tomlin like block of Jalen Ramsay by a spectator with his toes just off the sideline – Zion Williamson.  Ramsay hit Williamson and crumbled like he’d hit the Rock of Gibraltar as Harty raced to the score.  What ensued was the longest replay review, 23 minutes, in NFL history that only ended when NFL Line judge Sarah Thomas leveled Vinovich for his incompetence.  This followed a week of protests where Saints fans insisted Vinovich shouldn’t be allowed in the Dome, much less referee. 

Meanwhile in the AFC, Josh Allen dominated.  In the AFC Championship game the Bills beat the Broncos when Russell Wilson threw an end-zone interception on first and goal from the one, admitting later he had called an audible and didn’t really believe in running backs.  The ramifications of this were felt far and wide as Fox’s Colin Cowherd had to take a leave of absence after guaranteeing Wilson would win the Super Bowl, NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and NBA MVP.  Cowherd also made Vegas headlines when an unidentified bettor won a long-shot million-dollar bet - an “over” bet that Cowherd would say “Russell Wilson” over 100 times in one broadcast.  This was expertly predicted by Adam Schefter two weeks after the bet was cashed.     

The mid-season trade of the Cowboys’ three number one picks and Jerry Jones’ wine collection (not his whine collection) to the Saints for the rights to Sean Payton appeared to set the Saints up to package the picks for a shot a Bryce Young.  Payton, who also got ownership options of the Cowboys, took over for Mike McCarthy at midseason despite the Cowboys 7-1 record when Jones admitted he a) just couldn’t’ wait any longer, and b) had cataracts that had prevented him from actually seeing a game for 3 years.  The stunned Cowboys promptly lost 5 straight and limped to the playoffs where they were ousted by the Packers.

So, that’s what’s going to happen.  I’ll be watching, but to be honest, I’m just as excited about the Pelicans, whom I predict will win 50 games for the first time in their history.  Stay tuned, and know that the number of times the Saints and Pelicans will get even mentioned by the Cowherds of the world is an over/under of about 4.  Which is where Colin is wrong.