If the first five weeks prove anything about the NFL is the reality that only five teams have a chance to play in February. 32 teams began the season, but most are wasting their time. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl once again, it will not be a confirmation of their dominance, but proof that the other 31 NFL coaches and teams are failures.

Let’s look at not only the teams, but also the television broadcasts which prove my assumption.

When Monday Night Football began in 1970 it was an exciting opportunity. It was more than another football game, it was a spectacle. Now that ESPN is televising MNF, it has become a farce. I frequently turn off these one-sided games. While watching, I turn off the sound. The announcers are horrible and know less about the game than I do.

The truth is that so many teams and coaches are incompetent. When only a single game is televised on Sunday nights, Monday, and Thursday, watching them is often a waste of time. Two perfect examples are last night’s game and the game to be played next Thursday.

All the hype about the Cleveland Browns is bullshit. It’s the same old team with a quarterback who believes he is good, but is not. San Francisco crushed the hapless Browns.

On Thursday the Giants will travel to New England and lose to the Patriots. A rookie quarterback and a questionable coach will face the best coach and the best coached team in the NFL. I’ll be watching Netflix.

The truth is that after five games only the Patriots and Chiefs have a chance to play in February representing the AFC. In the NFC, three may have a chance to lose to their AFC opponent. This conference is so weak it was hard to pick three. However, the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Dallas Cowboys have the talent and leadership to trounce their opponents in the playoffs; and I’m not so sure about the Cowboys after last Sunday. I wanted to include the 49ers and the Packers, but I do not believe their coaches have the ability to lead them to the big game.

As I write this, I want to be wrong, but I doubt it. The NFL is falling apart. Great football teams require time to learn how to play together. For every coach other than Bill Belichick, the team concept is nearly impossible. Free agency has destroyed what is necessary to play winning football and reach the ultimate game.

I have not watched the NBA or Major League Baseball for years; the NFL is next.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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