Screw the NFL Network AGAIN

So, operating theory is that last week's upset by the Rams over the Redskins at the closing gun wasn't selected for NFL Replay because a) there was a lot of bad play and b) in the case of the Browns over the Giants, the game which effectively kept Rams-Redskins out of the running, the game may not have been close but was a bigger upset, I guess, and a more exciting game.

OK, so let's look at the games selected for NFL Replay by the NFL Network this week.
* Bears 48, Vikings 41. Logical choice. Any wild, high-scoring game, especially a rivalry game, is an acceptable pick.
* Bills 23, Chargers 14. A very good choice. The Bills have gotten passed over a couple of times already when they should have been picked. They're overdue for attention, plus this game was tighter most of the way than its 9-point spread indicates.

At this point, I'd like to mention:
- Rams over Cowboys was the biggest upset in the NFL this past weekend. Even without Tony Romo the Cowboys were 7 point road favorites.
- With too many things swirling around the team to list here, the Cowboys are day in and day out the league's most compelling story. A game is watchable just because the Cowboys are in it.
- The Rams-Cowboys game was filled with exciting plays, including Bulger's TD pass to Avery, Jackson's 56-yard TD run, Barber's 35-yard run and a couple of Ram interceptions.
- And who, besides Dallas fans, doesn't like to watch the Cowboys lose? That alone would certainly make Rams-Cowboys a top-four fan pick. And who doesn't love an underdog story like the Rams anyway?

You've already figured out by now, I'm sure, that the assholes at NFL Network have stiffed the Rams again. Here are their other two selections for the week's four BEST games:

* GREEN BAY 34, INDIANAPOLIS 14. You have got to be fucking kidding me. This game was a blowout by halftime, and had no significant statistical performances (like say, Steven Jackson running for 160 yards and 3 TDs). It was an ugly blowout with a boring second half which was mostly Peyton Manning making mind-blowingly bad plays. There were 21 total penalties for 180 yards. None of the team's star players performed especially well. Green Bay winning at home over anyone does not constitute a significant upset, which I say because I think the Colts were favored. There were SIX closer games in score than this which did not get NFL Replay treatment. Hell, I'd rather watch Detroit-Houston; at least the Lions made that a game at the end, though they were rarely in it.

This is a top four game at NFL Network because there is a clear Green Bay bias at NFL Network. This isn't the first time a Green Bay blowout was picked for NFL Replay over closer, more tightly-played games. Week 2, we got a Packers 3-TD blowout over Detroit instead of Buffalo's impressive 20-16 road victory at Jacksonville that came right down to the end. I know, why should Green Bay get so much love when they don't even have Brett Favre? You know who -does- have Brett Favre?

That would be the other NFL Replay this week:
OAKLAND 16, NY JETS 13. Never mind that this game was unwatchable and dreadful. The halftime score was 3-3. After three quarters, it was 10-3, Oakland. Oh, that's electrifying stuff. In its favor, Thomas Jones had a big game and the ending of regulation was wacky. Then again, these two offenses were so dreadful, all they did for 12 1/2 minutes of overtime was punt to one another before Janikowski hit a 57-yard bomb. I guess the Raiders were so excited about finally crossing midfield they figured they'd better go for a score! The teams combined for SIX fumbles (amazingly, only one lost) and TWENTY-ONE penalties. Favre added two picks. Other than its closeness, by what measure is this even considered a "good" game, let alone one of the best of the week? The bypassed Ram-Redskin game last week was easily better than this, let alone the Rams' win Sunday over Dallas!

The message last week was that an exciting upset, regardless of victory margin, makes for a better game than a close but sloppy game. But this week, the Rams' upset of the league's marquee team takes a back seat to a miserable 3 TD blowout and an even worse game than the kind of game the Rams were in last week that wasn't good enough for NFL Replay.

Ahem.

Fuck you, NFL Network. Again.

Screw the NFL Network

The NFL Network's "NFL Replay" program is advertised as a show that replays the four *best* games of the past weekend. This weekend we had five games come down to the final play. Minnesota-Detroit, though close, was so ugly it wasn't really watchable. Cowboys-Cardinals, Bears-Falcons and Dolphins-Texans all had remarkable finishes, and have been, or will be featured on NFL Replay. Good, though easy, choices.

The two biggest upsets of the season also occurred this weekend. One was the Browns whipping the Giants 35-14 Monday night. The other, of course, was the Rams over the Redskins on Sunday, a close, tense game with a fantastic finish and a fairly wild 4th quarter. What's better, a 3-TD game or a 2-point game won on the last play? No contest, right? The Rams make NFL Replay for the first and possibly only time this year, right?

Tonight on NFL Replay: Giants at Browns.

Fuck you, NFL Network.