Now I'm Down With the NFL
I'm completely disengaged from the NFL season so far. I mean, I followed the Vikings' offseason pretty closely, followed training camp, even watched some preseason football. And yes, I watched the Vikings opener against Tampa Bay, a tepid and glistening turd of an effort that was a total buzzkill for anyone rooting Purple. That's a given, I did all of that.
But I don't know a damn thing about what else happened. I know the Patriots beat the Raiders, and saw some of it. (Vintage Moss all the way around.) I know the Bengals won, but only because the Vikings play the Bengals in Cincy next weekend. And, I saw some of the Falcons/Eagles game, but don't know who won. Week One has passed me by.
I don't want to do picks this year. For some reason, it wasn't as much fun at 54% as it was at 59%. And, to be frank, it takes a lot of time to write it up, and one of my Labor Day resolutions was to do less for Pipeline's readers. I'll still write the same amount, but you'll gradually get less and less out of it. Perhaps this already sounds familiar. Also this year, no fantasy football. I've never been a big player, but the last two years I didn't even try.
Unfotunately, I've found that without the impetus a fantasy league or prognostication provides, I just don't pay as much attention to the league overall. Is that because I'm not a fan? No, I love the NFL. I love it! Some years I'll look at a league as an aggregate, but most years I focus on a particular team, and this year thus far has been an extreme version of that.
So then, how about them Vikings? How nervous would 0-2, with the Falcons looming two weeks away, make Mike Tice? Cincinnati is an up-and-comer, they are coming off a win and they are at home. I'll bet nobody expected a genuine Sense of Urgency in Week 2.
The line collapse is the most troubling thing, because it undercuts Vikings fans' instinct to pile on to Daunte Culpepper or Michael Bennett. They didn't have great days, to be sure, but most plays barely had time to develop without a Bucs defender swarming the ball or point of attack. Would it have been so much to ask for a possession for Mewelde Moore, or even Ciatrick Fason? When the holes aren't there, Michael Bennett's not your guy! Actually, given all the blocking that was necessary in the backfield, Moe Williams was probably the best choice. Sometimes when I see Moe play, I wonder if maybe he hasn't been the best choice all along.
But not now, Moe! I want Mewelde Moore!
10:59:35 PM 
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