A “W” is what counts most

To football fans, all that matters is the final score and hope it favors their team.

It’s like checking out a basketball score and bypassing the foul shots, rebounds, assists, and steals. Or in hockey, who scored the goals but not much of who added assists or how many saves the goal keepers made. How about baseball, the final score checks out, but, and especially on deadline, not much on all the other stats.

Nothing wrong with this, but it’s all part of the game. Who won? Who lost? Without this, there’s no results to report.

Now as the first round of the National Football League kicks off this weekend, all the final scores are in from this past weekend  when there will be six games on Saturday and six on Sunday. The field was completed and the ones left out packed their gear, including the perennial power New England Patriots being left out for the first time in a dozen years. No more Tom Brady, who is now 43 and in the same role for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he seeks a seventh Super Bowl championship.

But the rejuvenated Buffalo Bills have replaced their long-time nemesis, and will represent the AFC East as the second seed. They are 13-3, knocked the division rival Miami Dolphins out of the hunt with a resounding 56-26 home win on Sunday, and their 501 points scored is the most of the 20 teams. They have allowed 375. Next comes Brady’s Bucs with 492 scored (and 355 given up). One point behind Tampa Bay are the Tennessee Titans with 491 points scored, and they yielded 439.

Does this all matter? Yes and no. These total points come in various ways, on offense, defense, special teams, interceptions, fumbles, sacks, and so on. But a quick glance at the NFC East finds the first-place Washington Football Team as the only one of the four division teams who have scored more then they allowed, 335-329. The D.C. club owns a 7-9 overall record, and the Cleveland Browns, a wild card back in the post-season for the first time in 17 years, can boast of a much better mark, 11-5, but they are, and Washington is not, the only team left below .500, 408-419.

Not much to say about the Cleveland points for and points against, but its overall record stands out and yet its a wild card with a rematch at AFC South winner Pittsburgh Sunday night. Last week, in Cleveland, the Browns nipped PITT, 24-22, to j gain the field, while visiting Washington got a little help from the already-eliminated Philadelphia Eagles, who replaced starting rookie quarterbackJalen Hurts in the third quarter with back-up Pat Sudfeld, and fell short 20-14. A Philly win would gave gotten the New York Giants in after they turned back the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 23-19, in the afternoon game, but keeping Hurts, who had already run for a pair of touchdowns, sidelined until the final whistle, was a question asked by the Giants and their many fans.

But the Browns don’t care about giving up more points than scored, they will take the field Saturday night proud of their won-lost record. There’s also the Chicago Bears who made it in at 8-8 after the Arizona Cardinals were eliminated, and now travel to the NFCchampion New Orleans Saints (12-4) on Sunday. Now when you check out the points scored and yielded by the Windy City

crew that made a late season drive, it comes to 372-370, close but why be concerned when you still gained the playoffs?

In least points allowed, it’s the 10-6 Los Angeles Rams, a wild card and the NFC 6th seed, giving up 296 points and just ahead of the 303, that the A,FC 5th seeded Baltimore Ravens (11-5) yielded.

A favorite to repeat are the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the top overall seed at 14-2. But they could run into a tough test from Buffalo, whom they would get home field advantage against. The other AFCchallenges could come from Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

In the NFC, you’ve got to figure Tampa Bay and Brady getting past Washington on the road. But the top-two teams are probably the No. 1 seeded Green Bay Packers (13-3) and 2nd seeded New Orleans (12-4), with long-time quarterback Drew Brees probably in his final season. The NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks (12-4) are the 3rd seed after sweeping division rival Rams, who come in at 10-6. And the 4th seed is Washington.

From here on in, the statistics are nice to look at, but the final score is all that matters, and not first downs, rushing and passing, punts, kickoffs, time of possession, etc. The better stats can not change the final score.

For attendance news in the past weekend, the Tampa Bay team totaled the high of 16,009 against Atlanta, next came Kansas City with 13,350 versus the Chargers, it was 12,504 on hand in Houston against the Titans, Cleveland had 11,989 on a visit from Pittsburgh, there were 10,499 when the Cincinnati Bengals played host to Baltimore, and a measly 1,500 for the New Orleans tilt at the Carolina Panthers. All other games just listed it as A-0.

SATURDAY’S GAMES:  Buffalo over visiting Indianapolis, 35-15. The Bills play in cold weather, but are currently on a hot streak and extra tough at home, and Empire State Governor Andrew Cuomois allowing a limited number of freezing fans in the stands. This one is scheduled for a 11:05 kickoff on CBS.

In Seattle, it will be a visit from the division-rival Rams, and home field could decide this one, with the Seahawks carting off a 24-14 victory. Also a limited number of fans being allowed. FOX will show this one and it is slated for a 2:40 p.m. start.

In the night game in Washington, Brady should be able to get his new team past the Footballers, 31-13, and into the next round. The home side has not announced whether to put fans in the stands. The expected kickoff is at 6:15 and on NBC.

SUNDAY’S GAMES:  The opening tilt could be a close contest, with a soaring hot Baltimore team making the field with an impressive late run, but Tennessee, which won the AFC North tiebreaker over Indy, and is the home team, gets the edge, 28-21, and yes, there will be limited attendance. This opener is scheduled to kick off at 11:05 and on ABC.

Next comes the Bears traveling to New Orleans, and with Brees’ career winding down, it will be home, sweet home, and a 33-13 sendoff for Chicago before a limited amount in attendance. CBS has this one and starting time is penciled in at 2:40.

In the night game played in Pittsburgh, it would be asking too much for Cleveland to win back-to-back over its division rivals. The Steelers had given most of their starters off in last week’s setback, but back at almost full strength, should prevail 27-14 this time, fans or no fans. This one is the finale of the first round, can be viewed on NBC and kickoff is slated for 6:15.

SELECTIONS from ANDREW MARTINEZ, Santa Fe High head football coach.

Buffalo Bills over Indianapolis Colts, SeattleSeahawks over Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Washington Football Team, Tennessee Titans over Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints over Chicago Bears, PittsburghSteelers over Cleveland Browns.

SELECTIONS from BILL MOON, Capital High head football coach.

Buffalo over Indianapolis, Seattle over Rams, Tampa Bay over Washington, Tennessee over Baltimore, Chicago over New Orleans, Pittsburgh over Cleveland.

SELECTIONS from JOEY FERNANDEZ, St. Michael’s head football coach.

Buffalo over Indianapolis, Seattle over Rams, Tampa Bay over Washington, Tennessee over Baltimore, New Orleans over Chicago, Cleveland over Pittsburgh.

SELECTIONS from KEVIN HAUCK, St. Michael’s assistant football coach.

Buffalo over Indianapolis, Seattle over Rams, Tampa Bay over Washington, Tennessee over Baltimore, New Orleans over Chicago, Pittsburgh over Cleveland.

SELECTIONS from MATT MARTINEZ, Cleveland High School athletic director.

Buffalo over Indianapolis, Seattle over Rams, Washington over Tampa Bay, Baltimore over Tennessee, New Orleans over Chicago, Pittsburgh over Cleveland.