2019 Hall of Fame Game Live Blog

My Thoughts During the 2019 Hall of Fame Game Live Blog – Live Updates

What is this? I’ll be posting my thoughts during the Broncos-Falcons game here. That will include everything from the actual game, to the TV personalities, to the commercials, etc. Anything goes. This page will be updated every five minutes or so Thursday evening, so I hope you join me for the first NFL game in six months. Football is back.

Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments below.

7:58: We’re live! This is eight minutes after I planned on starting. Forgive me, I had to check for inactives for tonight’s game because I have 20 Draft Kings lineups going tonight. Yes, I’m that degenerate! Speaking of which, I have the Broncos -2.5 for a unit as well.

8:00: For what it’s worth, I have Kurt Benkert as my most frequent captain. The Falcons have just two backup quarterbacks, and one is the corpse of Matt Schaub, so I figure Benkert will play the most.

8:01: While searching on Twitter for inactives, I caught sight of some of the weird things trending right now. Someone named Leningrad Lindsey is atop the trend list. Probably some stupid musician. Then, there’s some sort of ninja who will be on something called Mixer. I don’t follow martial arts enough to know which ninja that would be.

8:03: Kevin Mawae! One of my favorite players. And I can’t believe Gil Brandt wasn’t in the Hall of Fame already.

8:04: Tony Gonzalez, another favorite. He’s easily a top-five player to never participate in a Super Bowl, unfortunately.

8:05: My dog has joined me in my office. He’s shaking because he’s scared that my wife is cooking. The smoke alarm has gone off one too many times for my dog’s liking, so whenever my wife begins cooking, he cowers underneath my desk in my office.

8:06: I wish I had known Vic Fangio would be coaching with a kidney stone. I would’ve made this a three-unit wager. Fangio cares about this game so much that he’s coaching with a kidney stone!

8:09: I’m looking forward to the regular season and all, but I don’t like that the host of the opener isn’t the defending Super Bowl champion. It feels a bit hollow.

8:10: Football is underway!

8:11: Remember when the Broncos had a promising, young quarterback who played in the preseason? Why did they cut Chad Kelly? Because he drank too much one night? Dumb.

8:12: Juwann Winfree with a drop! NOOOO I HAVE HIM IN SO MANY DK LINEUPS!!!

8:13: It’s the corpse of Matt Schaub!

8:14: That season in which Matt Schaub threw so many pick-sixes was SIX years ago. Holy s**t, where did the time go!?

8:15: Matt Schaub just sailed a pass a mile over his receiver’s head. Literally, a mile. Why is he still in the NFL?

8:16: I think the Falcons would have a better chance of completing a pass if they get a fat guy from the stands and blindfold him rather than have Schaub under center.

8:18: Can’t wait to watch America’s Got Talent. Oh, wait, I forgot that I actually have brain cells and won’t be watching that trash.

8:20: I can’t believe the NFL hasn’t made a Pixar-type movie about the talking busts in the Hall of Fame after what John Madden used to say all the time about them talking to each other. That seems like a missed opportunity.

8:21: Noah Fant with a drop! He’s in none of my lineups.

8:22: I don’t know if I’d be so confident about the Lions liking a tight end. It’s not like they have the best history with first-rounders at that position.

8:25: Touchdown, Broncos! Someone named Muhammad scored!

Broncos 7, Falcons 0

8:29: Serious question: If the Falcons asked the 59-year-old John Elway to play quarterback for them tonight, do you think he’d be better than Schaub? I’m leaning yes.

8:30: This Denver defense is flying all over the field. How does anyone score against these studs all year?

8:31: Falcons go three-and-out again, predictably.

8:32: Hey, Bronco returner idiot, don’t do a swan dive when trying to field a punt!

8:33: Schaub completes a pass! It’s a miracle! Granted, it was a zero-yard completion before the run-after-catch yardage, but still, a miracle.

8:36: Schaub with a negative-6-yard completion. He’s on fire!

8:39: Ugh, why Kevin Hogan again? We know what he is. Drew Lock needs to see action.

8:41: These punt returners can’t catch anything. At least the Atlanta guy didn’t do a swan dive.

8:44: “Want to be a Madden ratings adjustor for a day?” Umm… yes. And anyone listening to that ad would probably do a better job than the real ones.

8:45: Matt Schaub is done. His highlight reel comprised of a zero-yard completion and a minus-6-yard completion. Good night.

8:47: NBC advertising Rotoworld. I wish we had good advertising like that. And our content is all free, so that’s cool!

8:49: Benkert nearly picked off. I think he’s been watching too much film of Schaub.

8:50: My wife (I’m downstairs now because dinner is ready) is laughing because “that old man [Gil Brandt] is funny.”

8:52: Falcons kicker no good from 54 yards. Matt Bryant would’ve hit that. Just saying.

8:54: Bluff City Law seems promising. And by promising, I mean it’ll be canceled after six episodes instead of three.

8:55: Drew Lock on the field!

8:57: Lock’s second pass is a dropped interception. Not a good start.

8:58: Oh God, is Walt Coleman still officiating? He should have been fired for incompetence 18 years ago.

9:01: Tony Gonzalez doesn’t need to apologize for only one postseason win. Dick Butkus never even reached the playoffs, and yet he’s one of the best defensive players in NFL history!

9:07: WTF is that Perfect Harmony show? Are network executives even trying anymore?

9:08: I hate those stupid sideline signals in college football. They should ban them. It just looks so dumb.

9:09: Drew Lock missed a wide-open running back for a touchdown.

9:10: Lock scrambles for a first down – his first positive play!

9:12: Lock takes a sack for holding on to the ball for too long.

9:16: WWOWOOOOOWWWW Ed Reed just blasted Charley Casserly. Holy hell. How does Casserly have a job after that?

9:17: First ever pass interference challenge!

9:20: I’m beginning to think this Benkert guy isn’t very good.

9:28: Drew Lock takes a delay-of-game penalty after what had been an uneventful 8-minute stretch.

9:29: Ugh, why not let Lock throw in that third-and-10? What did the Broncos have to lose?

9:30: Third muffed punt of the game. If you’re liking this, stay tuned for more in Weeks 1 and 4 of the preseason!

9:32: LOL what the hell was that by Benkert? He spiked the ball into the ground while getting sacked. How is that not intentional grounding?

9:34: I spoke too soon about Benkert. This is a nice drive for him, and he’s a yard away from ruining my one-unit wager.

9:35: Touchdown Falcons, Benkert to Brian Hill.

Falcons 7, Broncos 7

9:39: Well, that was fun. Lock completed a pass that was fumbled, but time expired, so it’s halftime. This exciting game is halfway over!

9:46: I’m currently winning zero dollars and zero cents with my 20 Draft Kings lineups, but I’m holding out hope that I can win a few bucks back with a big second half.

9:47: Man, I can’t believe John Elway is almost 60. I watched the entire second half of his career. I feel old.

9:55: Tony Dungy is against challenging pass interference. I think he’d be singing a different tune if he had the Saints at 18/1 to win the Super Bowl like I did!

10:01: Drew Lock back on the field! Hopefully he doesn’t keep sucking.

10:04: Drew Lock kept sucking.

10:07: Benkert is carving up the Broncos. So much for Denver’s defense being great this year!

10:11: BIG STAND BY THE BRONCOS IN THE RED ZONE! THE ONE-UNIT BET IS STILL ALIVE!

Falcons 10, Broncos 7

10:16: Do something, Drew Lock ! Dooooo something!

10:17: Three and out. Kurt Benkert is outplaying Drew Lock. And it’s not even close.

10:21: Ugh. That’s not a penalty on anyone. Just chill out, NFL.

10:22: So much for Benkert being great – he just had a horrible throw that was dropped by the defense.

10:27: Would having a fantasy draft party in Deion Sanders’ house even be fun? I feel like Deion talking in the first person would get annoying by Round 4.

10:28: That run by K. Muhammad just moved one of my lineups into the $8 range!!!

10:33: Wait, what!? The Broncos went for it on fourth-and-1 and tried a run with their small running back? Perhaps this is something the broadcasters should have brought to our attention!

10:37: Benkert injured. There goes any hope of more offense in this game because Lock has been trash thus far.

10:40: Tnis is the drive. Lock will be great here (let’s ignore that near-interception.)

10:42: I’d like a Broncos reporter to ask Fangio, “What was more painful, dealing with the kidney stone or watching Drew Lock play?”

10:46: Kurt Benkert is done for the night with a toe injury. Matt Schaub is back in, and I’ll be shocked if he throws more than a handful of passes.

10:49: OK, forget what I said earlier. THIS is going to be Lock’s drive. Watch, he’s not going to throw a near-interception this time.

10:52: Two straight runs. I guess the Broncos have given up on Lock. Time to draft another quarterback.

10:55: Lock is throwing to air right now. I don’t know whom he’s passing to. I really don’t. Maybe he’s the one with the kidney stone tonight. That would at least excuse his poor play.

10:56: Holy crap, they had the John Madden bust talking! I called it!

10:59: Schaub throws an interception! The Broncos have a chance to win!

11:00: I honestly have never heard of any of Jimmy Fallon’s guests tonight. Zero clue who they are.

11:02: Dre’Mont Jones has been the best player on the field tonight, thought that’s not really saying anything.

11:03: Fourth down for Lock! Let’s go!

11:04: Lock incomplete, the pass had no chance. Pass interference though!

11:05: K. Muhammad down to the 11! Two minutes to go!

11:06: I just realized that this wasn’t Lock. It’s Brett Rypien. No wonder the Broncos are finally moving the ball.

11:09: Ugh, ridiculous. The Broncos score a touchdown, but it’s negated by a hold.

11:10: TOUCHDOWN, BRONCOS! JUWANN WINFREE! BRONCOS TAKE THE LEAD, AND WINFREE IS ON SO MANY OF MY DK ROSTERS!!!!

Broncos 14, Falcons 10

11:17: A Schaub pass is nearly picked again. He looks so timid in the pocket.

11:18: Schaub’s fourth-down pass is incomplete! Game over! Broncos cover, and I only lost like $64 on Draft Kings!

11:20: Thanks for reading my incoherent thoughts! I’ll have Fantasy Football Rankings updated later tonight, along with a game recap and updated stock reports.

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