Rooting interests (NFL edition)

Part of my enjoyment of watching the National Football League this season was developing rooting interests. Some are long-standing, such as the New York Giants (6-11 this season) I followed as a kid. Likewise, the teams I rooted against.

When the New England Patriots and Tom Brady were winning several Super Bowls, I actively rooted against them. But now that Brady is gone, and the Pats are… not good (4-13), it’s difficult even to care, though I was glad the New York Jets (7-10) beat them on January 7.   

Here is my list of rooting interests for teams in the playoffs.

I’m an upstate kid

Buffalo Bills (11-6, 1st in the AFC East) is the only team in the NFL to play its home games in New York State. They got to four Super Bowls in the 1990s and lost them all.  The team was 6-6 five weeks ago.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, 3rd in the AFC North) had an up-and-down season. Still, their head coach, Mike Tomlin, has never had a losing season. I’ve been a fan since the 1970s when they had defensive stars as Mean Joe GREENe and L.C. GREENwood. So, who are the Steelers playing this weekend?  Sunday, January 14, 2024, 1 p.m. Steelers at Bills (CBS)

Detroit Lions (12-5, 1st in the NFC North) haven’t won their division in three decades. They used to play on Thanksgiving Day and, if I recall correctly, lost often.

Cleveland Browns (11-6, 2nd in the AFC North) is not exactly the team of Jim Brown and Otto Graham as that team moved and became the Baltimore Ravens. (It’s complicated.) They were reestablished in 1999.” From 2003 to 2019, the Browns had a 17-season playoff drought.”

Green Bay Packers (9-8, 2nd in the NFC North) has an exciting and very young team, with many starters in their first or second year. And it’s GREEN Bay.

I rooted for the San Francisco 49ers (12-5, 1st in the NFC West, first-round bye) in the 1980s in the Joe Montana and Steve Young era, and I still have a fondness.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6, 2nd in NFC East) collapsed in the latter part of the season. 

My favorite team from Texas

Houston Texans (10-7, 1st in AFC South) won their division last weekend and have a great rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, with a compelling storyline. The Texans are a 2002 expansion team after the Oilers moved to Nashville in 1997 and became the Tennessee Titans. Saturday, January 13, 2024, 4:30 p.m. Browns at Texans (NBC, Peacock)

Miami Dolphins (11-6, 2nd in the AFC East)

Los Angeles Rams (10-7, 2nd in  the NFC West) Sunday, January 14, 2024, 8:15 p.m. Rams at Lions (NBC, Peacock)

Baltimore Ravens (13-4, 1st in the AFC, first-round bye) is likely the best team in the NFL after they beat the 49ers and Dolphins back-to-back.

Kansas City Chiefs (11-6, 1st in the AFC West), Super Bowl defending champions, were often underwhelming on the field. But they are overexposed in Allstate commercials and that other thing. Saturday, January 13, 2024, 8:15 p.m. Dolphins at Chiefs (only on Peacock -meh)

Tampa Bay Buccanneers (9-8, 1st in the NFC South), winner of the weakest division Monday, January 15, 2024, 8:15 p.m. Eagles at Buccaneers (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2)

I’ve disliked the Dallas Cowboys (12-5, 1st in the NFC East) for decades. “America’s Team,” indeed. Sunday, January 14, 2024, 4:30 p.m. Packers at Cowboys (Fox)