Worship of violence does seem crucial to fascism. Violence purifies and redeems; it clarifies and enthrones. The National Football League celebrates violence, but there is more to it than that.
Take Sunday's first game, Ravens vs. Titans (1:05 PM EST, ABC), a contest between the league's two top rushing teams. Is the Tennessee Titans offense violent? Yes. With Derrick Henry throwing tacklers to the turf helmet first it is the epitome of violence. The Titans are the number two rushing team in the league. The number one team is Baltimore. The Ravens are what I consider a finesse team. Are they physical? Yes. But physicality and violence are not synonymous. Quarterback Lamar Jackson directs a potent read-option attack which has led the league in rushing two years in a row, and led the league by a significant margin. Jackson is the first quarterback to rush for multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
For the Ravens to have a hope of advancing in the playoffs Jackson needs to be able to complete passes. The Ravens were favorites in each of the last two post-seasons only to be humiliated at home, first by the Chargers, who brilliantly loaded the box with defensive backs, completely suffocating the shifty Ravens QB, and then by the Titans. But the good news for Baltimore is that Jackson has been completing passes. When I watched a Ravens game earlier this season they had zero pass attack. That has changed.
The Tennessee Titans, the games I have watched this season, have not impressed me, besides their win over Buffalo. Pick the Ravens.
The team most analysts are dismissing is Chicago. In the Bears vs. Saints matchup (4:40 PM EST, CBS/Prime) New Orleans is favored by 10, the largest point spread of the wild-card round. There is likely to be one upset in the wild-card round. I just haven't seen enough Chicago football this season to know if the team is capable of shocking Drew Brees. I watched enough of New Orleans to know the Saints are beatable on any given Sunday. All in all though their offense is too potent even with a diminished Brees under center. Take the Saints.
The final game of the weekend, Sunday Night Football's Browns vs. Steelers (8:15 PM EST, NBC), is predicted to be competitive. I don't see it. If Pittsburgh backup QB Mason Rudolph played Cleveland to a near draw on the road what is Ben Roethlisberger going to do to the Browns at Heinz Field? Even if Roethlisberger is not what he used to be, the Steelers at home are still a much better team than Cleveland. Pick the Steelers.
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