# NFL 2021: Week Seventeen Again **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 2, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085 "2022-01-02T16:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/81 "2022-01-05T15:51:11Z")
Every year, somebody says it’s finally the year the Browns got on track and they’re going to do big things. And every year, they’re pretty much wrong. There have definitely been positive signs these last couple years, but I adamantly refuse to believe the Browns are off their 20+ year schneid until and unless they sustain some moderate level of success (say ~near 50% or at least 8-9, 9-8 or better) for a minimum of 3 successive seasons. That’s not a tremendously high bar to clear. It doesn’t mean they’ll be world beaters but that they achieve a level of not being an embarrassment to their city. That said, the last time this happened, it was the 90s and Bill Belichick was their coach. But to be fair, these last 3 seasons, they’ve been tantalizingly close to achieving this level, with last season at 6-10 ruining things. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/82 "2022-01-05T16:49:18Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > If it’s 2nd and 6 or more, you can be 100% sure they’ll run an empty set. It drives me crazy. There’s no threat of play action what so ever. And play action is something Baker actually does really well. But anyway, yeah, this season was unfortunately a huge waste for the Browns. We don’t know what we have in a coach or QB. Which year was the fluke? 2020 or 2021? Does anybody know the origin of the term “play action”? That seems to be a very poor description; why not just call it a “fake handoff”? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/83 "2022-01-05T16:54:14Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does anybody know the origin of the term “play action”? That seems to be a very poor description; why not just call it a “fake handoff”? A few minutes of googling don’t seem to give a particularly satisfying answer. [This site](https://thestadiumreviews.com/blogs/info/what-is-a-play-action-play-in-football/) has this to say: > [@](#): > > The play-action gets its name because the quarterback delays the pass until several seconds after the snap. When running a play-action pass, the passer won’t throw the ball until after the offensive line engages the defense, and a running back has pretended to rush upfield with the ball. This scenario means that a “play-action pass” occurs after the play’s action has already started. The term appears to date back to the '30s or '40s, and I suppose that it may be a relic of game terminology that just isn’t used in the same way anymore. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/84 "2022-01-05T17:40:57Z")
OK, won’t be going back to Football Outsiders. Based on win chances for the final week (from using the moneyline entries to estimate win chances), I get a quick and dirty 2% chance for the Ravens to make it. Their expected future wins column for both them and the Steelers adds up to 1.5, which of course is absurd when they are playing each other. Understand years ago this site had a very good reputation for in-depth analysis, which seems to have gone by the boards as well. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/85 "2022-01-05T18:31:59Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does anybody know the origin of the term “play action”? That seems to be a very poor description; why not just call it a “fake handoff”? Seems like a good question for Cecil Adams 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/86 "2022-01-05T19:43:17Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does anybody know the origin of the term “play action”? That seems to be a very poor description; why not just call it a “fake handoff”? I thought that with play action the QB has the option and must decide at the last second to either hand it off or fake the hand off. (not sure where I got that idea) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/87 "2022-01-05T19:46:52Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I thought that with play action the QB has the option and must decide at the last second to either hand it off or fake the hand off. (not sure where I got that idea) That’s a Run-Pass Option (RPO) - as [described here.](https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/09/nfl-falcons-eagles-what-is-an-rpo-run-pass-option-guide) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/88 "2022-01-05T20:00:47Z")
Yeah, a play where the QB has to decide how the play will go will be an option of some sort. Run-pass is the flavor du jour. The triple option had options as to which of 3 players would run the ball. The play-action is always intended to be a pass play but is designed to start the action looking like a draw. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/89 "2022-01-05T20:07:52Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The play-action is always intended to be a pass play but is designed to start the action looking like a draw. Well, a play-action is a designed pass play, which is designed to initially fool the defense into thinking it’s a traditional run play. (A skilled quarterback will hide the ball behind his hip for a moment after the faked handoff, to maintain the illusion.) A [draw play](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draw_play), on the other hand, is essentially the reverse of a play-action: it’s a delayed running play, which is designed to initially look like a pass play, usually through a delayed handoff to a running back, who will typically act as though he’s staying in the backfield to block a pass rusher. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/90 "2022-01-05T20:21:10Z")
Bengals running back Joe Mixon tested positive for COVID-19, and he, along with four other Bengals starters, have entered the league’s protocol; Mixon is not expected to be available for Cincinnati’s final regular-season game, against the Browns on Sunday. Quarterback Joe Burrow will also be sitting out the Browns game, as he takes a week off to rest a sore knee and sore finger, in preparation for the playoffs. > **[Sources: Mixon tests positive; Burrow also out](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32999186/cincinnati-bengals-joe-mixon-tests-positive-covid-19-play-nfl-regular-season-finale-sources-say)** > > Bengals RB Joe Mixon, a first-time Pro Bowl selection who ranks second in the NFL this season with 1,205 rushing yards, will not play in the regular-season finale after testing positive for COVID-19, sources told ESPN. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/91 "2022-01-05T20:21:59Z")
There are also times when even the QB hasn’t made up his mind at the moment of handoff whether he wants to hand it off or not. There was one time Donovan McNabb fumbled in 2008 because he apparently intended to _fake_ a handoff but Brian Westbrook thought he _was_ going to handoff, and the ball got knocked loose betwixt the two guys. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/92 "2022-01-05T20:27:20Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Does anybody know the origin of the term “play action”? That seems to be a very poor description; why not just call it a “fake handoff”? It’s a shortening of “run-play action”. It dates back to the time when 90% of plays were run plays and almost all passing plays began with a run-play look. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/93 "2022-01-05T20:33:03Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Their expected future wins column for both them and the Steelers adds up to 1.5, which of course is absurd when they are playing each other. Where are you seeing this 1.5? In the playoff odds article, the Mean Wins column shows 8.9 for Pittsburgh and 8.6 for Baltimore. Pittsburgh currently has 8.5 wins and Baltimore 8, so that’s a total of 1 extra win from their upcoming game. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/94 "2022-01-05T21:32:10Z")
The Bengals have like five guys on there now (Covid), two of whom are bonafide starters: Hendrickson and Q. Spain. And not to be outdone by Burrow not playing, the Browns are FINALLY shutting down Mayfield and having Keenum play. Brandon Allen can ball a little bit too, I actually expect an interesting and competitive gae. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/95 "2022-01-05T21:58:21Z")
Duhh, a tie counts for half a win, knew they changed it from counting for absolutely nothing in the early 70’s. Their bungling of the Raven’s chances is still a matter of record tho. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/96 "2022-01-05T22:19:07Z")
Man, it wasn’t all that long ago that the Ravens had a legit shot at getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/97 "2022-01-05T22:24:23Z")
And, in the NFC, the Cardinals have fallen from the #1 seed to #5. Object lesson: it’s not the year for dominance from teams named for birds. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/98 "2022-01-06T03:30:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Object lesson: it’s not the year for dominance from teams named for birds. It’s the year for teams named after unions, right? 😁 (Eagles fan) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/99 "2022-01-06T14:56:42Z")
Antonio Brown has released a statement about his, um, unusual departure from the game last week. It was released [via tweet](https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1478908618212884483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1478908618212884483%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonglobe.com%2F2022%2F01%2F05%2Fsports%2Fantonio-brown-releases-statement-after-bizarre-sunday-walkoff%2F) by his attorney. Some highlights: > Because of my commitment to the game, I relented to pressure directly from my coach to play injured. Despite the pain, I suited up, the staff injected me with a dangerous painkiller that the NFLPA has warned against using, and I gave my all for the team. I played until it was clear that I could not use my ankle to safely perform my playing responsibilities. > I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with you?” I told him, “It’s my ankle.” But he knew that. It was well-documented and we had discussed it. He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, “Coach, I can’t.” He didn’t call for medical attention. Instead, he shouted at me, “YOU’RE DONE!” while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn’t play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs. I didn’t quit. I was cut. I didn’t walk away from my brothers. I was thrown out. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085/100 "2022-01-06T15:06:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > want to see Strahan’s record broken because his record sack consisted of Favre lying down for him. I’m glad I’m not the only one that saw that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-seventeen-again/957085.md?page=6)