TUESDAY TIDBITS: "You're Gonna Get What's Coming"

Gonna stay with music lyric quotes again this week. Yesterday was Robert Palmer's birthday and always enjoyed the power chord stucture to his song that is the title for for today's column. Down to the final four teams, and have a stat for you folks, what is the win% since the merger in '70 for the team that scores the first touchdown on Championship Sunday? Since both the Chiefs & Eagles last year scored the first touchdown's in their respective games just added to the fact that the team that finds the "promised land" first wins 74.76% of the time (40-14 historically in the AFC & 40-13 in the NFC)! Read online that with Stroud throwing errant passes all over the field in Foxboro that quarterbacks who have thrown 4 interceptions in a game have a record of 3-35 since the merger. Why did the writer not go back and research the games from 1933 through 1969? Eleven times a quarterback or tailback "achieved" this starting with Filchock in 1940. Though could detail most of those games, the game that intrigued me the most was former Packer Arnie Herber in '44 as he attempted to beat his former team now as a New York Giant. The excellent game plan conceived by Lambeau has the Packers ahead 14-0 at the half. The Giants ran the ball with former Fullerton Junior College star Howie Livingston (he gained 14 yards on 10 carries)in the first half! Herber threw just one pass; which was intercepted by Joe Laws. Second half has Arnie pitching the pigskin 21 times completing 8 with three more interceptions. Herber's long completion to Frank Liebel on the last play of the 3rd quarter set up Ward Cuff's one yard run to begin the 4th quarter. Herber ended the game with 4 consecutive pass play's from their own side of the fifty gaining only 6 yards(thank you Mr. Eric Goska for the play by play). Returning to the upcoming games let's start with the Rams in Seattle playing a team that they have struggled to beat on the road. Seattle ranked 4th in the defensive passer rating category, and no doubt coach McDonald is devising a defensive game play to stop? well at least limit future Hall of Famer Matt Stafford. Ok folks, who is the key for the Rams offense? Can the Ram defense pressure Darnold and take the ball away? Will end my column with Denver having twice played on January 18th in the past. Though leading at the half the Broncos were outscored by the Giants 30 to 10 in the 2nd half as Phil Simms continuing his unerring accuracy completes all 10 of his 2nd half passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the victory in the Rose Bowl. Eleven years later in San Diego a different story as the "under dog" Broncos pounded the Packer defense as TD rambled for 157 yards on the ground due to the punishing blocking of the Denver offensive line. Was in attendance at that game, and boy oh boy was it exciting to watch! Can Denver win again on a January 18th Sunday? Since their quarterback is not John Elway or even Bo Nix is sure looking like coach Vrabel will take his Patriots to the "Silver Trophy" game in his first season in Foxboro. If some of you believe Denver will win, hopefully you will share how he Broncos can win this game? See you next week.