Patriots-Steelers prediction roundup: NFL pushes on through Roger Goodell’s den of duplicity
COMMENTARY
I don’t understand why everybody is up in arms.
After all, NFL players will wear pink socks on Sunday.
Yet, it seems as though a number of us have managed to peer through the league’s duplicitous show of unity during a month utilized to create awareness for breast cancer.
We’ve known for a while now the pathetic fraction the NFL manages to donate from the proceeds the league makes from its annual merchandising effort toward research, which makes its October uniform alterations no more meaningful than giving a nod of acknowledgement to the person ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. But leave it to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s consistent irresponsibility to dig the league even deeper into a hole of ignorance.
Do the math, and it’s simple to understand how Goodell and the NFL disciplinary committee can overturn every stone to maintain its demand of a four-game suspension for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s penchant to deflate footballs (allegedly), yet deliver New York Giants kicker Josh Brown one game for a case of domestic abuse, a situation that has embarrassed the league to the point one might think it would be something it would address with increased severity.
Or, you know, continue to ignore.
According to new documents unearthed this week, Brown admitted to “physically, verbally and emotionally abusing” his then-wife, Molly Brown. This is news to the New York Giants. It’s news to the Player’s Association and the NFL, which insisted that it did the due diligence in deciding Brown should receive no more than a one-game suspension.
“He certainly admitted to us that he abused his wife in the past,” Giants co-owner John Mara said in a radio interview Thursday evening on WFAN New York. “What’s a little unclear is the extent of that.”
Mara, of course, is the same lap-dogging individual who cheered Goodell’s pursuit of Brady and Deflategate, yet when it comes to the more serious issue of one of his players beating his wife, there are “extents” to understand.
The NFL has an image problem, and even during a season in which it has seen drastic decreases in TV ratings for marquee games, the arrogance that defines it is too strong to penetrate. Goodell doesn’t need to go for his Deflategate nonsense. He needed to go long ago for Ray Rice. Now, Josh Brown.
The NFL needs new leadership, and with the ratings hit the league has been taken, perhaps that door is opened just slightly more these days.
Probably not, but it’s wishful thinking for a football-watching public that has become fed up with the way their sport has been tainted.
Meanwhile, the league will push its pink display once again this weekend as some sort of deceitful band-aid.
Pathetic.
This week’s picks
ESPN.com: Eight out of nine pick the Patriots.
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: Patriots 27, Steelers 23. “Ben Roethlisberger’s injury (out at least a month) robs some shine from what might otherwise have been our Game of the Week. Tom Brady is 8-2 in his career vs. Pitt with 24 TDs, three picks and a 113 rating. Still, as bad as Steelers were in Miami last week, and even with raw Landry Jones pitching in place of Big Ben, I still like the Curtains (who’ve won seven in a row at home) to at least cover the bulging point spread.”
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Patriots 34, Steelers 17. “This was supposed to be a battle of Ben Roethlisberger against Tom Brady. But with Roethlisberger out, it’s Landry Jones against Brady. That’s a mismatch. Brady lights up the Steelers defense.”
CBS Sports staff: All New England (Steelers +7).
FiveThirtyEight: Patriots with a 70 percent chance of winning.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: Patriots 34, Steelers 20. “The team that scratched and clawed its way through four games without the starting quarterback now get a break when going to one of the few places where they could have lost.”
Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk: Patriots 31, Steelers 14. “Timing is everything in the NFL. If these teams had med a few weeks ago and it was Jacoby Brissett vs. Ben Roethlisberger, I’d take the Steelers easily. But it’s Tom Brady vs. Landry Jones, so I’m taking the Patriots easily.”
Mass Live staff: All Pats.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Patriots 30, Steelers 17. “Ben Roethlisberger won’t be playing no matter what his backup is saying. Pittsburgh can rebound from losing with Landry Jones and without Roethlisberger for one game, but its season would be totally lost if Big Ben suffers further knee injury. Bill Belichick’s defense will have no sympathy for the shorthanded Steelers. The Patriots can focus on containing Le’Veon Bell with Antonio Brown not being the same threat. Tom Brady also won’t need to worry about getting into a shootout — picking apart Pittsburgh’s defense with his tight ends will be good enough.”
David Steele, Sporting News: Patriots 30, Steelers 26. “Interesting chess game to play out here: the Steelers need to make Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams the centerpieces of their Ben-free offense, but the Patriots know that, but then that might open things up for Antonio Brown and Co., but it would still be Landry Jones throwing to them. A bigger problem for the Steelers is, obviously, Brady, and Rob Gronkowski, a tight end averaging nearly 22 yards a catch, which is obscene.”
Peter Schrager, Foxsports.com: Patriots 30, Steelers 17. “Well, this isn’t what it was supposed to be when the schedules came out in April. I think Pittsburgh will put up a good effort at home, but Landry Jones isn’t beating Tom Brady. Ever. And congratulations to new grandfather, Bill Belichick. I hear his new granddaughter is sneaky athletic and can run routes across the middle and underneath. Already!”
Bryan Altman, CBS Sports: Patriots. “Big Ben Roethlisberger will be pacing the sidelines, taking all of the air out of (heh) the fanfare of this game. But still, the game must go on.”
USA Today staff: All Patriots.
SB Nation staff: New England across the board.
Elliot Harrison, NFL.com: Patriots 30, Steelers 16. “What was once the darling game of the Week 7 schedule took a major hit this week when Ben Roethlisberger was forced to go under the knife. And with Ryan Shazier questionable, Pittsburgh could be hurting on both sides of the ball. Look forJames White to excel if Shazier is indeed absent. He’s a nice receiver out of the backfield who has caught 12 balls (and scored two touchdowns) since Tom Brady returned — after logging 13 grabs and zero TDs in the first four games of the season. When it comes to the Steelers’ offense, well, it’s important to note that backup quarterbacks are 14-47 against the Belichick Patriots, averaging less than 20 points per game on offense.Important, as in, Pittsburgh loses.”
Globe staff: All Pats (New England -7).
It says here: Patriots 27, Steelers 20. Landry Jones is no Jacoby Brissett.
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