What a weekend

Joel Blank: Sunday's Saints-Vikings game reminds us of why we love football

Joel Blank: Sunday's Saints-Vikings game reminds us of why we love football
Case Keenum and the Vikings made football fun again. Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

For those of you old enough to remember ABC's Wide World of Sports, the voice of legendary sportscaster Jim McKay would echo in the head of every sports fan who has ever been on either end of a nail biter: "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." It's never really that simple is it? There's always an explanation and a reason (or reasons) one team fell apart or the other team got on a roll. But it's a roller coaster ride no one minds enduring. We can pick a side, back our favorite team, bleed our team's colors and live and die with the results on a game by game basis -- and no matter what, we will keep coming back for more. The NFL games this weekend provided the latest evidence to back these clams and prove these points again and again.

The results of the NFL Divisional Round games Saturday and Sunday proved once again that nothing is a given, no slam dunk is ever a guarantee and after all is said and done, "that's why they play the game." The Jaguars taking it to the Steelers in Pittsburgh and winning in the cold, with Blake Bortles at the helm as a 7.5 point underdog, had to be the shock of the weekend -- or was it? Just when we thought we had witnessed the unthinkable and experienced the improbable, along comes the Saints and the Vikings and the whole weekend was turned on its ear one more time. In a game that was truly a tale of two halves, the Saints and Drew Brees were awful in the opening 30 minutes and looked dead to rights and done for the year. Then, in the second half, New Orleans played almost perfectly and turned the tide and flipped the script. After a field goal with less than a minute to play, the team looked to be advancing to the NFC Championship game in the second largest comeback in NFL playoff history. Next to the Falcons' collapse and the Patriots comeback in last year's Super Bowl, the Saints win would be the latest and greatest comeback in the history of the league. That is until Case Keenum, Stefon Diggs and the Vikings pulled victory from the jaws of defeat and shocked the football world for one heck of a finish and a walk off win for the ages in Minneapolis. Even if you weren't a fan of either team, you felt a pit in your stomach for the Saints and their fans and a bit euphoric for the Minnesota faithful and their beloved Vikes. When Diggs broke free after a last second, desperation heave from Keenum and after a missed tackle that allowed him to run to daylight and answer the prayers of Vikings fans everywhere, NFL fans around the world were left gasping for air, shaking their heads and muttering under their breath that they could not believe what they had just witnessed. For fans of the game and a league that has had to endure massive amounts of criticism and a drop off in TV ratings and attendance league wide, it was just what the doctor ordered and a great finish to another entertaining weekend of NFL playoff football. Did it save the season? No, at least not yet, but there are two more weeks to be played. Did it make us forget the anthem protests, controversy and negative publicity? Not even close. But what it did do is give the league a much needed shot in the arm as it reminded fans and critics that THIS is why we love NFL football and why it is the most popular sport in the country and some say the world. The drama, the stress, the emotions and the athleticism are just the start and when you throw in the sudden death of the playoffs and the story lines like the rags to riches tales of Keenum, Diggs and Adam Thielen, you have the recipe for another storybook finish and maybe even the next Cinderella story? The final chapters remain, but if this weekend is any indication of what lies ahead, I'm all in!  

For the Saints and Steelers -- and for that matter the Titans, Falcons and the rest of the league -- there's always next year. For the Vikings, Patriots, Eagles and Jags the dream is still alive and they live to fight another day. The teams that are still alive will prepare for their respective conference championship games next Sunday as we all recover from the emotions of the weekend that was and count the days with anticipation until we can do it all again,

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A lot will be asked of Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown this year. Composite Getty Image.

When the Astros broke camp over the weekend, the club was coming off strong performances from Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. Both pitchers have looked good this spring, and that should be a big relief as a lot is riding on these two young arms, especially early in the season.

The Astros will be without Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy to start the year, so they won't have much margin for error in their rotation. Brown has the stuff to develop into a frontline starting pitcher, and many pundits are expecting him to have a breakout season in 2024.

Javier has already proven he can be a top of the rotation starter, but he's looking to bounce back from a down year in 2023 that saw his ERA jump by over two full runs from his 2022 season.

As it stands right now, the Mariners have the best rotation in the division, but that could quickly change if Javier, Brown, and Framber Valdez live up to expectations. And of course, Justin Verlander returning healthy in a few weeks would give them a huge boost.

Sweet relief

Another area the Astros will look to improve on this season is the bullpen. MLB.com recently published an article ranking baseball's best 'pens. They have the Astros slotted fourth, behind the Phillies (No.1), Braves (No. 2), and Pirates (No. 3).

One of the critical factors in this bullpen's success could come down to how Rafael Montero responds after a down season in which he posted an ERA of five.

And he'll be tested early with Bryan Abreu suspended for the first two games, and a starting rotation that likely won't go more than five or six innings per start in the first week of the season.

Building confidence from his early appearances could make a huge difference for Montero, who struggled with high-leverage situations last year. If he comes in and shuts the Yankees down in this opening series, that would be a great sign that he's poised to have a bounce-back season. Building on early success will be key for Montero.

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!

Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. We'll continue to drop more videos throughout the week.

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