TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"

By TJ Troup 

Gonna start by having another bite of crow with my coffee! Congrats to Adam Rank who correctly "picked" the Bears to win the NFC North. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last that Terence Jon Troup has been humbled. That said, how many times has an entire division finished a season with all four teams with winning records? 

Next August will attempt to evaluate who wins this strong division. Speaking of strong divisions, the NFC West had one of the best overall ever! Whoever is chosen to be head coach of the Cardinals next year faces a daunting task. Years ago shared with Steve Sabol that since the "wild card" came into existence, there has been at least one road victory every year(55 and counting)! 

Ok, all of you dedicated followers of the playoff football, which road team or teams will win this weekend? Since Vegas has betting lines with road teams as favorites, possibly that will make choices easier? Do I see a road victory this weekend? You betcha! 

Both the Rams & Bills win on the road this weekend. Have been an advocate of the defensive passer rating for what seems like forever, and has been a very useful tool in evaluating team pass defense. This year is no different since the top seven teams in this category (the Chargers led the league)all earned a playoff berth. Of the 14 teams in the playoffs, the team with the worst defensive passer rating is San Francisco with a mark of 100.5. 

Does this mean they will be carved up by the Eagles passing attack? The law firm of Smith & Brown should give Hurts some open receivers. How painful for NYJ fans as they established a new record (one that no one wants to break), by having 515 passes thrown at them with nary, repeat NARY an interception! The Jets finished dead last with a mark of 110.9. Ouch! 

Since many years of my life were dedicated to teaching/coaching this game of passion; was not a big fan of officiating. Brad Allen's "performance" last Saturday was truly abysmal, yet learned from Doug Farrar in his well-written article online that Brad Allen two years ago in the game between Detroit & Dallas was so inept, he was disciplined by not being allowed to officiate in the playoffs. 

Will be watching all six of the playoff games this weekend, and will check to see if he is assigned to a game. That is where the title of this week's saga comes from: a quote from Mr. Farrar directed towards Brad Allen. Finally, so many playoff games have been played on January 11th historically, yet with the Steelers earning a playoff berth again this year will take you back in time to two games. 

The first in January of 2009, when Mike Tomlin and his black & gold clad warriors easily dispatched the Chargers 35-24 with Willie Parker running around and through the Charger defense, and a strong pass rush that notched 4 sacks! 

The second was in 2014 when Green Bay down 21-13 rallied to beat Dallas 26-21 as Aaron Rodgers carved up the Cowboy secondary late in the game. So, will end with a question concerning a red-hot Texans team with a very well-coached defense on the road where three rivers meet. Does Tomlin finally get a playoff victory? See ya next week.

2025 PFJ All-Rookie Team

by Chris Willis, NFL Films

Awards:
OROY: Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers, WR
DROY: Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks, NB

Packers Fall in Minnesota; Finish Regular Season 0-4

 By Eric Goska

Holder Daniel Whelan (19), kicker Brandon McManus (17) and long snapper Matt Orzech (42)
teamed up to produce the Packers only points of the day on a 24-yard field goal as time expired.
(photos by Eric Goska)

Oh for four.

That’s the wrap on the Packers who finished the regular season Sunday in Minnesota. In falling 16-3 to the Vikings, Green Bay closed with four straight losses, something it hasn’t done in decades.

No matter. The Packers are playoff bound, just the fourth team in NFL history to head into the postseason on a four-game (or more) losing streak.

Locked in as the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs well before kickoff, the Packers rested many starters in Minneapolis. Clayton Tune opened at quarterback. Jakobie Keeney-James and Drake Dabney started at wide receiver and tight end, respectively.

In all, eight Packers made their first NFL start: TE Dabney, LG Lecitus Smith, C Jacob Monk, WR Keeney-James, DE Barryn Sorrell, DL Nazir Stackhouse, DE Brenton Cox Jr. and LB Jamon Johnson.

That makeshift lineup made for an interesting afternoon. On the offensive side of the ball, Green Bay posted lows not seen in years.

• In the opening two quarters, the Packers did not run a play from the 50-yard line or beyond for the first time since a 38-14 loss to the Lions on Oct. 9, 1983.
• The Green and Gold amassed 12 first-half yards, the team’s lowest total in the opening two quarters since coming away with minus-4 (unofficially) in a 31-14 setback to the Steelers on Oct. 24, 1953.
• Green Bay wound up with minus-7 yards passing, the fewest since the franchise low of minus-35 was set against the Bengals in 1976.
• The Packers produced one first down passing, the fewest since they had one in a 14-10 win over the Colts in 1991.

So inept was Green Bay that it risked being shutout. Brandon McManus finally ended that possibility with a 24-yard field goal as time expired.

Dropping four straight – Broncos, Bears, Ravens and Vikings – is not how the Packers expected to ride into the playoffs. Such a woebegone finish is out of character for a team that often plays its best ball as fall turns to winter.

Since the arrival of Mike Holmgren in 1992, Green Bay is the league’s winningest team when only the last four regular-games of a season are considered. From 1992 through 2024, the Green and Gold won 95 of 132 games, a 0.720 winning percentage. It’s one reason the club reached the playoffs a league-high 24 times during that 33-year span.

Another reason for that gaudy record had been the teams’ avoidance of the ‘oh-for-four’ finish. Prior to this season, Green Bay last closed out with four consecutive regular-season losses in 1990. Only the Bills (1985) and Bengals (1969) have steered clear longer.

Keisean Nixon (25) and Isaiah McDuffie (58) were two of
the regulars to start for Green Bay in Minneapolis.

So the Packers head into the playoffs having dropped four straight. Perhaps it might be instructive to take a glance at how the other three ‘oh-for-four’ playoff teams fared in the postseason.

1986 Jets (10-6) — New York was outscored 61 to 183 in losing its final five regular-season games. The Jets bounced back to defeat Kansas City 35-15 in a wild card game before falling to Cleveland 23-20 in a marathon divisional playoff contest (two overtimes).

1999 Lions (8-8) — With Barry Sanders retired, Detroit is outrushed 486 yards to 206 in its final four games, all losses. Washington knocks out the Lions 27-13 (wild card round), outrushing its visitors 223 yards to 45.

2024 Steelers (10-7) — Pittsburgh loses its last four regular-season games to the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs and Bengals as Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow torch the Steel City 11 for a combined 1,094 passing yards and nine touchdowns. Baltimore dispatches the Steelers 28-14 (wild card round), amassing 464 yards to Pittsburgh’s 280.

Final Four
Teams with the best record in the final four games of the regular season (1992-2024).

Team                  Record       Times in Playoffs
Packers                   95-37                       24
Patriots                   85-47                       22
Steelers                  82-50                       22
Eagles                     79-53                       20
Colts                        78-54                       18
Chiefs                     76-56                       18
49ers                       76-56                       16
Chargers                71-61                        12