NFL Week 14: December 16, 2001

Boy, it's hard to believe it has been almost 15 years since this game. 15 years since Bottlegate.

All Cleveland fans know Bottlegate - Jacksonville 15, Cleveland 10, back in 2001. The details are well summarized in this oral history and the CBS broadcast of the event is here on YouTube. I would encourage everyone to watch this see just how incompetently this was handled.

To recap:
- The Browns were 6-6 in the third year after the rebirth, well in playoff contention in the weak AFC. This is the first time we had been in playoff contention this late in the season in 7 years.
- We expected to win this game at home vs. the 4-8 Jags.
- Our offense sucked the whole game; we were losing 9-0 at half (we always suck against Jacksonville), but a pick 6 by the Browns got us back in it;
- Jacskonville kicked another field goal - their 5th - and led 15-10 with 3 minutes to go. We got the kick off and finally moved down the field.
- With a minute left, we had 4th and 2 at the Jacksonville 12. No timeouts left. Couch passed to Quincy Morgan and Morgan bobbled it a bit; he then secured it and was just past the first down line at the 10. First down Browns!
- The team lined up to spike to stop the clock; they spiked it. Now second down with :48 left at the 9.
- After the spike, the referee (more on him in a moment) said we will review the 4th down play. They determined that Morgan did drop the ball, and the Jags will take over on downs.
- This, of course, is illegal by NFL rules, since another play was run before the review was initiated.

As you can guess, pure pandemonium ensued in the stadium. the video shows that the head referree did not make an announcement to the stadium for 6 straight minutes. Of course they would be angry and confused! So the people in the stands found anything they could - usually empty beer bottles - and threw them on the field in a show of anger, displeasure and frustration.

After those 6 mi nutes, the head ref - Terry McAulay - decided it was too dangerous to continue the game and unilaterally called the game. "The Game is Over", he announced. The teams headed to the locker room.

Paul Tagliabue got on the phone quickly and said "uh no, get back out there and finish the game.". So, 20 minutes later, the teams went back on the field and completed 2 kneeldowns to officially end the game.

I don't think any Browns fan will ever forget that game. My quick thoughts:

1. I can't believe the NFL did not prepare ofr this sort of scenario. I'm sure they did not see it playing out like this. I will firmly believe that McAulay botched the execution of a possible late signal from the booth.

2. Gus Johnson was announcing the game. Just keep that in mind!

3. Gus correctly lambasted the ref for not getting on the speaker and communicating to the crowd what was going on. That, in my mind, was 80% of the problem.

4. There already was a feeling that the NFL was out to get us. In the past 6 years before this game, the NFL - forced us to fight for our name and colors, gave us a shitty deal in terms of preparation time for an expansion team and a much more deal for draft picks than what Carolina and Jacksonville got, and there was still lingering hatred for even allowing the move to Baltimore. So our paranoia with the NFL was more than justified.

5. I would have loved to know if Vegas made the call to the NFL offices to say - uh, boys, get back on the field. I truly believe that's the only reason why they played those last 48 seconds.

To the picks. Is this the day. Is the the day where the browns finally win ????At home vs. a depleted Bengals team?

Pit 24, Buf 23 I hate this game. I can't trust the Steelers on the road and I don't feel like I can trust the Bills and Rex just yet - especially after last week's meltdown at Oakland.

SD 27, Car 20.  It's over for teh Panthers. They are done for the year.

Det 27, Chi 17. Boy, maybe I should wakeup to this Detroit defense....

Ind 23, Hou 16 All right, so IN underestimated the Colts last Monday night. I can't see the Texans scoring on anyone. Why aren't they on our schedule over the next 4 weeks?

Min 17,Jax 10. Trap! Why is this line only 3???

Mia 31, Arz 20.  Last week was just the wrong opponent for the Dolphins - they struggled on the road against the #1 rushing D. Should have an easier time today.

Was 20, Phi 17.  I can't figure out either of these teams this year.

Ten 24, Den16. Again, someone tell me how Denver is going to score.

SF 24, NYJ 17.  I recognize something in these Niners...this is a classic false hope situation where a struggling team starts to play better in the 2nd half of the season, but will still be bad.

TB 30, NO 20. I know, I'm probably too late on this bandwagon...

GB 28, Sea 27. Have we forgotten that the Seahawks are awful on the road?

LA 31, Atl 30.  I know, I can't resist here. There's one last stand for the Rams....

Dal 26, NYG 23. Do these teams play each other 5 times a year?

NE 23, Bal 20. I'll repeat what I said last week - there's something off about the Patriots offense.

Best bets: 16 of them. Last week: 6-10; overall: 77-77-7

SD +1.5
Det -7
Hou/Ind under 47.5
Min -3
Min/JAx under 39
Mia +2
Az/Mia over 43.5
Was/Phi under 47.5
Ten -2
SF -3
TB -1.5
GB +3
GB/Sea over 44.5
LA +5.5
Atl?LA over 44.5
Bal +6.5

My personal supercontest picks: last week: 2-3; overall: 31-32-2
Mia -1
Ten -1
TB -2.5
GB +2.5
LA +6

Combined Supercontest picks: last week: 2-3; overall: 31-30-4
Mia -1
Phi +1
Ten -1
TB -2.5
Bal +7