You thought we were done with Power Rankings? Oh no no dear reader. We forge on, because the season forges on, and so does the journey.
Over the holidays I had some time to catch up on podcasts, a pastime that eluded me a bit during the final run of the regular season. I am not a huge podcast listener, even to the shows I host (shameless plug for the NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and myself) and the demands of everyday life in 2020 – now 2021 – have made it more of a struggle to find time to listen to the shows I enjoy.
One such show is “Fake Doctors, Real Friends” with Zach Braff and Donald Faison. Stars of the old sitcom Scrubs, which I loved when it was on air, Braff and Faison now take listeners through the entire series, episode-by-episode. They have guests each week, including fans of the show who get to come on and ask questions, and many of the guests are their former co-stars.
One is John C. McGinley, the long-time character actor famous for his roles is Platoon and Office Space, as well as his portrayal of Dr. Perry Cox. As part of his acting method McGinley uses composition notebooks to help remember his lines and frame his thinking for each scene, and he often used poetry to help set his character’s mood.
On a recent episode of the podcast, one I listened to over the holidays, he referenced a poem from Stanley Kunitz titled “The Layers.” It contained this passage:
When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strength
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.
The NFL playoffs are a journey, and the temptation to look at the past to gather strength is there, for sure. But each new week is a journey in and of itself, with new challenges to face and obstacles to overcome.
This weekend six teams took such steps, answering critical questions and overcoming challenges. Six teams saw their journeys end in heartbreak.
Two more join the fray on the next weekend.
Here is where they stand now, along the journey.