The lucky & unlucky in the NFL
It was Seneca, the Roman philosopher (not Seneca Wallace, the Cleveland Browns backup quarterback), who reportedly said, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
And while that may be true, there is still an element of luck (both good and bad) involved in the NFL.
On Sunday, Eli Manning’s pass tips off the hands of Victor Cruz, bounces off Kam Chancellor and, 94 yards later, Brandon Browner hits the end zone to seal Seattle’s upset of the NY Giants.
Were the Seahawks more prepared than the Giants? Maybe. But luck certainly played a role.
If it weren’t for luck, how else to explain Buffalo being 4-1 despite having one of the worst defenses in the league? The Bills are 30th overall (26th against the pass, 29th against the rush) but have built their record on the fact that they have a turnover margin of +11, which is clearly not sustainable.
And what of the Steelers? Despite having a turnover margin of -10, Pittsburgh is 3-2 and only a half-game off the lead in the AFC North. Of course, that could be more a function of evil than luck, but nevertheless.
The Eagles have the third-best offense in the league, but their -10 turnover margin has resulted in a 1-4 record. No luck for them, obviously.
The Vikings obviously did something to offend Lady Luck over the summer, as in the first three weeks of the season they blew halftime leads of 10 points, 17 points and 20 points on their way to a 1-4 start to the season. You’d think that a team with the No. 3 rushing offense would be able to sustain a big second-half lead, wouldn’t you?
It was unlucky that Peyton Hillis missed the Miami game with an illness, as we’ve been subjected to a manufactured controversy that won’t go away.
But Marcus Benard was very lucky he walked away from a motorcycle crash with nothing worse than a broken hand.
Luckily for us, the Browns are done with their bye week and we’ll actually have something worth writing and talking about again.
Red Right 88 