With no scheduled recording this week, I wanted to take the time to write an edition of Four Downs, one that feels special as we head into one of the truly great holidays, Thanksgiving. I’ll have some closing thoughts on the great marriage that is Football and Thanksgiving at the end of this piece. If you’re wondering why I haven’t written about the Jets or Giants, the answer is simple, they’re both a total joke and not worth my time. I will address them down the line, but on this week of giving thanks let’s try and keep the vibes high and focus on the good teams and fun stories from the league!

First Down

Fins to the Left, Fins to the Right: And the rest of the league seems to be the only bait in town right now (you’re welcome, Jimmy Buffett fans). That’s how things feel for the now healthy and red-hot Miami Dolphins who are looking to make a run to the playoffs. Miami was left for dead when Tua Tagovailoa went down with another scary concussion, as they fell to 2-6, but then the gun slinging lefty returned to the lineup and the fins caught fire! They have won three in a row by upsetting the Rams, and then blowing out the Raiders and Patriots. They’re two games behind the final Wild Card spot, occupied by the Broncos, and will put their streak on the line this Thanksgiving night on the road against the Packers. Cue the music!

Second Down

Battle of the Birds: Seahawks and Cardinals, not traditionally known as one of the best rivalries in the NFL, but it may become a thrilling one down the stretch this year. The two hooked up for a slugfest in Seattle this past weekend, one the Hawks took 16-6, tying the two atop the NFC West at 6-5. The biggest play in the contest was Cobe Bryant’s pick six of Kyler Murray, the lone touchdown in an otherwise defensive struggle. Seattle and Arizona are great stories this year, with the Cards excelling under second year coach Jonathan Gannon, while the Hawks have managed to contend under rookie head coach Mike MacDonald. They’ll play again in week 14 in the valley of the sun, a game that could well decide who wins the West and goes to the playoffs!

Third Down

Mile High Playoff Fever: Of all the teams in contention this year, I think the Denver Broncos are the biggest surprise. Sure, the Commanders are a bit of a shock, but top picks have led their teams to the playoffs before. Denver was expected to be stuck in neutral at best this year as Sean Payton tried to break in first round pick Bo Nix under center, a player no one thought much of after last year’s draft. The former Oregon Duck is playing far better than anyone expected, having picked up Payton’s offense as the season has gone one, as he has thrown for over 2,500 yards with 16 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He is backed up by a fast and physical defense, led by outstanding corner Patrick Surtain Jr. who plays the position as technically sound as anybody. At 7-5, they hold a two-game lead for over the Dolphins for the final playoff spot in the AFC. There is work to be done, but playoff fever is catching on in Denver!

Fourth Down

Playing in a Winter Wonderland: How could I not include the snow globe game we witnessed last Thursday night in Cleveland Ohio!? The Steelers and Browns met on the banks of Lake Erie, on decidedly opposite ends of the playoff spectrum with Pittsburgh in first place in the AFC North while the Browns occupy the basement. The game felt like a footnote to the week before it started but then the two old rivals played a snowy classic, one that saw the Brownies upset the black and yellow 24-19 in front of the “dog pound.” I’ll let the images above do most of the talking, the only thing that’s missing from them is John Facenda and the NFL Films Theme music!

Football and Thanksgiving…A Perfect Match

A great scholar once said. “We have the tradition of Thanksgiving and football…some things go together great.” He was a pretty smart guy, someone who understood and valued the important things in life. Time passes and with-it things tend to change, for both good and bad. Some years are good, others are bad, but you push through life’s ups and downs because let’s face it, you have don’t have much choice. Hopefully it’s good more often than not, but even if it isn’t, you still get to have moments that make it all worth it. To me at least, those moments often come around the holidays when I spend it with people who matter a whole lot to me.

Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been my personal favorites, for varying reasons over the years. When I was young it was because there was a lot of food and presents given out. As I matured, I liked them because there was food and a lot of football on TV so I could get up from the table and watch. But now a days I love them both because of the genuine joy and warmth they bring to life…and the food. That warmth and joy comes from how fortunately close I am with my family, a large group of lovable folks that I look forward to sitting and breaking bread with throughout the day. We do everything from sitting in front of the TV watching the slate of football games, to sharing laughs and stories over a great spread.

Sure, things change overtime, look at the Lions, they’re actually good now. The Thanksgiving spread has changed over time, as we’ve gone from my wonderful nan cooking for a house full of guests and calling my pop and I away from the games to join everyone at the table, to going out and enjoying somebody else’s cooking (don’t worry Nan you earned the break). The scenery changes right along with that spread too, as over the years I’ve gone from big dining room tables and living rooms to restaurants with the public and driving up and down north Jersey highways to make sure I see everyone I can. Of course, and sometimes sadly, the people change, as some years you don’t spend it with the same crowd because someone is spending it elsewhere or not everyone made another trip around the sun. We hold them in our hearts, celebrate their lives, and make the best of the times we are in.

Those changes don’t just come with sorrow though, as overtime, you gain new people you get to enjoy the holidays with. 12 years ago, my father and now stepmother expanded our holiday operation, and we have enjoyed the fun that comes with our blended family over the years. I myself have found my person in this world, and now I have the privilege of enjoying the holidays with Briana and her wonderful, growing clan, while she also becomes a part of mine. The message in all this is to enjoy what you have and who you spend it with, as these are the days and moments and people that make us human. I have to have a cultural crossover here and there is no timelier one than the 1987 holiday classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. “PTA” is my favorite holiday film because it will have you dying of laughter for 90% of the runtime and then have you feeling the warm and fuzzies for the rest, especially at the end of the film, which I encourage you to watch below to get in the holiday frame of mind.

In closing I’d like to offer this advice. First off, enjoy the meal and compliment the chef on his or her work, after all, that bird doesn’t cook itself. Second, Enjoy the football, in all of its immaculate glory…even if the games aren’t that great this year. Finally, enjoy each other! Times are tense in this complicated world of ours, don’t make them anymore tense by diving into the controversial topics of the day around the dinner table. Come together and enjoy each other, the world could use more of that right now! So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone, from all of us here at the Breakdown! Now about that wise scholar…

On Twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!