NFL: Week Seven, An Assessment // MLB: World Series.

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NFL:   A loudspeaker could have delivered that familiar Sunday afternoon refrain, “It aint over ‘til it’s over” as the NFL’s New York Giants completed a “back at ya” against the Washington Redskins during their Week Seven contest, the latter a team that seconds earlier scored a fourth quarter touchdown, leading the Giants, 23-20. With one minute and 32 seconds left to play, New York’s quarterback, Eli Manning, threw a deep and caught pass, creating a Giants victory over the Skins, 27-23.

Skins QB, Robert Griffin III, was leaving an impression that maybe he and that other rookie QB, Andrew Luck, of the Indianapolis Colts, weren’t ready for fourth quarter NFL game-restructuring. RG-3 was grounded four times by the Giants pass rush in the second half. Redeemed suddenly by his TD pass that gave the Skins their brief lead, the QB of last year’s Super Bowl winning franchise took it away from him, pushed him back into the throes of uncertainty. QB Luck of the Colts was luckier than RG3 on Sunday, grabbing a 17-13 win vs. the Cleveland Browns.

Other teams that are headed for Week Eight with a 5-2 record are the Baltimore Ravens, (AFC North, first place), the San Francisco 49ers (NFC West, first place), and the Minnesota Vikings (NFC North).

Still leading all teams of both conferences are the 6-0 Atlanta Falcons, the 6-1 Houston Texans close behind.

Four franchises have won only one game since the NFL 2012 season started, the Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West), the Browns (AFC North), the Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South) and the Carolina Panthers (NFC South).

Eleven franchises are still below .500, each with two or three wins to date, one of these a back from Zombieland story: the New Orleans Saints reached another step up from the bottom of the NFL after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, 35-28. Led by QB Drew Brees, the Saints won oddly, in that they achieved less in almost all play categories than the Buc’s had, e.g., being fewest in number of first downs attained, in net yards gained, in rushing and passing attempts, and with less time in possession of the football; the difference was QB Brees completing 27 of 37 passes for 377 yards and “four TD’s,” versus the Buc’s 420 yards for three TD’s.

A big question as the NFL season starts toward its halfway mark at Week Eight, is, “Will the 3-3 Denver Broncos keep its narrow AFC West leading position with a win over the NFC South’s Saints (Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees), even if the AFC West’s second place 3-3 San Diego Chargers defeat the AFC North’s 1-5 Browns, the measure coming from points equation comparisons re. performance categories.

Too, “Could the Falcons finally lose a game, and to the NFC East’s 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles?”

Also, “Might the Texans lapse in power during a Bye week and then, on November 4 (Week Nine), go to a 6-2 record, losing to the now 3-4 Buffalo Bills (doubtful),” placing on the board whether the Ravens will be chasing the Houston franchise for the AFC leadership position, thus have a clearer shot for Super Bowl contention. Note that the Ravens will also be in Bye week this Sunday and will play the much weaker Browns during Week Nine/November 4.

And, “Which of the seven 3-3/.500 franchises will reach upward, signaling probability of an above-the-margin winning record before the season finishes?” In addition to the 3-3/.500 Broncos holding first place of the AFC West, four of the seven are holding second place of their respective divisions---the Chargers (AFC West), Miami Dolphins (AFC East), the Colts (AFC South), and the Eagles (NFC East).

MLB:   The World Series commences Wednesday, pitting the Detroit Tigers, which won the year’s American League Championship from a four game-sweep vs. the N.Y. Yankees, against the San Francisco Giants, a ball club that won the National League Championship last night vs. the St. Louis Cardinals after seven games played.

So, some baseball history: last year, the AL’s Texas Rangers lost the WS to the NL’s St. Louis Cardinals, and the Tigers and the Yankees were also AL post-season contenders, the Giants finishing second place of the NL West behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Wednesday, October 24, will mark the Tigers first trip to the WS since 2006, and the Giants third of the current decade, losing the WS to the Los Angeles Angels (Anaheim) in 2002, winning the WS in 2010 vs. the Rangers.

The WS is an event that’s been taking place in America since 1903, both the Tigers and the Giants being multiple WS winners, the former since the mid-1920’s, the latter since 1962.

Teams with multiple visits to the WS from year 2000 on have been the AL’s Yankees (4X), Tigers (2X), the Rangers (2X), and the NL’s Giants (2X), the Cards (2X), the Philadelphia Phillies (2X), suggesting rough parity among the two MLB leagues, also reflected by each league having won the WS six times since 2000.

Two of this year’s three bottom-of-the pile franchises have been to the WS since 2000, i.e., teams under .400 with more than 95 losses---the Colorado Rockies, and the Houston Astros.

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