Could it be that the whole Occupy Movement’s impacted the National Football League? Call it Occupy NFL. On this Sunday, the Steelers vs. Ravens game that saw the Ravens prevail 23 to 20, the 49ers, Bengals, Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Jets, and Packers all visited their opponents and came away with wins.
If you consider that Detroit, Minnesota, Carolina, and Jacksonville had byes, and Chicago and Philadelphia play on Monday night, that means 9 of the 13 games played today were won by the visiting team.
What does this mean? It means that home field advantage is a thing of the past. It also means the NFL’s teams are so closely matched that a little difference in personnel or scheme can mean the difference between winning and losing.
If you think about it, had the Arizona Cardinals amazing rookie DB / Kick Returner Patrick Peterson not returned a kickoff 99 yards in overtime, and the Rams came up on the winning side, that would have been 10 of 12 games won by the visitors.
Just ask the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While the Ravens were “giddy” over their last minute win, the fact is they caught a Steeler team not at full strength, with several key team members on the sidelines, including standout linebackers Lamar Woodley and James Farrior.
Something tells this corner the Ravens will see the Steelers again in the playoffs. You can bet it will be a different Steelers team, then.
Stay tuned.
Bill Carroll