Yesterday, when I posted my review of Week 8 in the NFL, I was not aware of one horrible thing that occurred.
In reviewing the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears, I was then unaware that Zach Miller of the Chicago Bears suffered a gruesome injury.
However, someone (a Facebook friend) posted a video of it, and I stumbled on it, without knowing what it was. It was horrific, and felt reminiscent of other horrendous injuries that we have seen over the course of time, particularly with Joe Theismann and Kevin Ware.
Now, with Theismann, his injury occurred because as he planted his foot in dropping back for a pass, Lawrence Taylor, trying to catch and sack him, essentially jumped on him and put all of his weight upon him, producing that injury.
Yesterday's injury to Miller was different, and was more similar to Kevin Ware's injury a few years ago. Ware fell awkwardly, and there was no real contact with any other player on the court. Similarly, even though there was a Saints defender nearby, the injury was not the result of contact, or some tackle. It seemed to me almost to be a freak accident. Something that would not happen more than once in perhaps 10,000 times, if that.
Yet somehow, it happened in that game on Sunday. Miller caught the ball while on the run, and his leg just seemed to twist around - all the way around. It was horrible to watch, and I kept finding myself turning away, like when you see something that seriously disgusts or disturbs you.
So, I just wanted to mention that, because I would certainly have made mention of that in yesterday's review had I known. Some things are obviously more important than football, or sports more generally, and that includes the health of the people playing. To my understanding, Miller had emergency surgery to save his leg. His football career is surely over - although Kevin Ware came back to play basketball again - but at least he can live a relatively normal life, and that is a blessing. I wish him the very best!
Monday Night Football Review - Kansas City 26, Denver 13 - This game went down in a predictable way. The Broncos are in trouble, and showed it, looking unable to cope with the Chiefs offense, and unable to score against KC's tough defense.
I only saw the final quarter or so, but Denver looked frustrated. And for good reason, too! This was their third loss in a row, as they dropped from a promising 3-1 start, and have now sunk to 3-4. With the Chargers and the Raiders also having largely dropped out of relevance, the Chiefs have this division essentially all to themselves, and even though it is too early to officially crown anyone yet, because it will be still quite a few weeks before anything has been officially clinched, it is clear that the Chiefs, barring some huge collapse, should take the AFC West without any real problems.
As for Denver?
Well, surely most fans will remember that just a few years ago, they seemed to be the western version of the New England Patriots. They won five straight division titles, and earned a playoff bye for four straight years. They had that unbelievable, record-shattering season on offense, when they became the first team in NFL history to score over 600 points, although they lost badly in that year's Super Bowl. But they went back to the Super Bowl two years later, and dominated the favored Carolina Panthers to earn the franchise's third Super Bowl championship ever.
But all of that surely must feel like ancient history now. Denver fell to 9-7, and out of the playoffs, in last year's title defense.
And now, after starting the first quarter of the season looking like a serious contender once again, the Broncos are instead showing that the issues that they dealt with last season, particularly on offense, are still plaguing them. Three straight losses now, and a losing record as they approach the mid-season point. It was less than two years ago that this team won the ultimate glory and scaled the greatest heights that any NFL team can go. But that great accomplishment only serves now to make the failures thus far with this particular edition of the Denver Broncos all the more glaring.
My prediction: Accurate
Yet somehow, it happened in that game on Sunday. Miller caught the ball while on the run, and his leg just seemed to twist around - all the way around. It was horrible to watch, and I kept finding myself turning away, like when you see something that seriously disgusts or disturbs you.
So, I just wanted to mention that, because I would certainly have made mention of that in yesterday's review had I known. Some things are obviously more important than football, or sports more generally, and that includes the health of the people playing. To my understanding, Miller had emergency surgery to save his leg. His football career is surely over - although Kevin Ware came back to play basketball again - but at least he can live a relatively normal life, and that is a blessing. I wish him the very best!
Monday Night Football Review - Kansas City 26, Denver 13 - This game went down in a predictable way. The Broncos are in trouble, and showed it, looking unable to cope with the Chiefs offense, and unable to score against KC's tough defense.
I only saw the final quarter or so, but Denver looked frustrated. And for good reason, too! This was their third loss in a row, as they dropped from a promising 3-1 start, and have now sunk to 3-4. With the Chargers and the Raiders also having largely dropped out of relevance, the Chiefs have this division essentially all to themselves, and even though it is too early to officially crown anyone yet, because it will be still quite a few weeks before anything has been officially clinched, it is clear that the Chiefs, barring some huge collapse, should take the AFC West without any real problems.
As for Denver?
Well, surely most fans will remember that just a few years ago, they seemed to be the western version of the New England Patriots. They won five straight division titles, and earned a playoff bye for four straight years. They had that unbelievable, record-shattering season on offense, when they became the first team in NFL history to score over 600 points, although they lost badly in that year's Super Bowl. But they went back to the Super Bowl two years later, and dominated the favored Carolina Panthers to earn the franchise's third Super Bowl championship ever.
But all of that surely must feel like ancient history now. Denver fell to 9-7, and out of the playoffs, in last year's title defense.
And now, after starting the first quarter of the season looking like a serious contender once again, the Broncos are instead showing that the issues that they dealt with last season, particularly on offense, are still plaguing them. Three straight losses now, and a losing record as they approach the mid-season point. It was less than two years ago that this team won the ultimate glory and scaled the greatest heights that any NFL team can go. But that great accomplishment only serves now to make the failures thus far with this particular edition of the Denver Broncos all the more glaring.
My prediction: Accurate
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