A bit o' football

Well, since the Bills are off this week, I'm more of a casual football fan today than anything, and I don't really have much reason to withhold this post until tomorrow, so a couple of notes:

:: The Oakland-Kansas City game just showcased a rule that I really think the NFL needs to change. If you score a touchdown to take the lead as the game clock expires at the end of the fourth quarter, as Kansas City just did to go up 26-23 with no time left, it seems to me that requiring the point-after-touchdown attempt anyway, when it can't have any possible effect on the outcome of the game, amounts to little more than rubbing the losing team's nose in a heartbreaking loss. Now, I know, maybe the kicker misses the kick, and maybe that single failed point would have implications later on in the season owing to the NFL's rules for tiebreakers (some of which involve point differential), but still -- who cares? I don't see any earthly reason why, after the Chiefs have won 26-23, they should be required to try to make it 27-23.

:: I guarantee that Gregg Easterbrook will have some things to say about the playcalling of the Miami Dolphins. In their game against the Falcons, they were down 17-10 with about two minutes left in the fourth quarter, they were in the red zone, their running game had been going fairly well, the Falcons' defense was looking a little winded, and they faced third-and-two. Obviously, this situation calls for pounding the ball with the running backs; if you somehow don't get the first down on third-and-two you're in a four-down situation anyway. So, of course the Dolphins called a pass play, on which the Falcons intercepted the ball to basically end the game. I looked at the Miami sideline on TV, thinking that for sure I'd see Kevin Gilbride there, but no dice.