The Joy of Rematches

Posted by Iroquois Plisken

Football (and maybe hockey--I don't really watch it) is funny in that it lends itself to repeating games in consecutive weeks. Yes, I know basketball sometimes finds itself playing the same teams home and away in very short order, but those are regular season games. Of note: we have four rematches this week, so to speak. In the Fiesta Bowl, Boise State and TCU match wits for the second consecutive year, and NFL-wise, we have the NYJets/Cincy, Packers/Buzzsaw That Is the Arizona Cardinals, and Philly/Dallas playing the exact same teams we saw them play not 24 hours ago.

The Fiesta Bowl is easier to explain. The Powers That Be selected those two teams to play in order to throw them a bone in the BCS bowls. If you're a conspiracy nutter, or even a fan with a couple of working neurons, you'll realize that this was done intentionally, probably to keep a strong TCU team from besting an auto-bid conference team, including both members of the Orange Bowl (especially Iowa), and Cincinnati. TCU and Boise might have given a good run to both Florida and Ohio State as well, not to mention that Boise already defeated Oregon, albeit a different Oregon team than what was shown in that game. My overarching question, though, is why they were paired again. We all know the BCS is a lightning rod for controversy, so pairing up two undefeated teams outside of the mythical national championship game ensures that at least two teams (had Cincy won, it could have been three) will remain undefeated at year's end. Not exactly the best way to give your system legitimacy in the public eye when the possibility of multiple undefeated teams isn't foreclosed.

As for the NFL, their rematches likely just have more to do with coincidence than anything. In a format where there are only six teams per conference and two of those teams that do not play in the wild card weekend, there is bound to be overlap. The more interesting thing is how the defeated teams will rise to the occasion given their "second chance" (or in PHI/DAL, third chance). Cincy and Arizona really laid down this previous week in an effort to rest their starters. Cincy appears to be in trouble, even if they really weren't trying this week. Rex Ryan should be pretty familiar with Marvin Lewis' game planning, as both served on the staff of the Ravens for a time. The football world is also well aware of the new buzz term circling the media--the Revis effect--and it seems a foregone conclusion that he will still be able to hold the Cincy passing game in check. I also agree with the topic of that link; Revis should really be the DPoY.

Dallas should have an easy enough time with Philly and it appears this will be the year they get out of the first round for the first time in more than a decade. Of course, that's what we said last year also. At least Tony Romo doesn't have the distraction of which of his blonde paramours will be showing up at the game. Miles Austin has been a revelation for this ballclub and it is really hard not to be optimistic about what the future will hold for the Cowboys.

As for Arizona, it's tough to tell what will go down there. The Pack seem to be peaking similar to the Cowboys and the three big injuries suffered by Arizona (Boldin, Campbell, and Rodgers-Cromartie) are keys to their successes since Warner will need all the help he can get, particularly on the side of the ball he doesn't play on. Without a pass rusher (Campbell) or a emerging, if not already good, CB (R-C), the Cardinals could be, in a word, effed. Still, hard to make judgments based on teams who had nothing to play for in Week 17 finding something to play for the next week against the same team.

Why there are so many rematches during this particular seven-day period is unknown. But, if you're expecting a rerun of the games you saw last year or yesterday, I've got news for you, friend: these episodes, while rehashed a bit, are all new.