Sitdown season

 Watched some dude named Max Brosmer knock the back-to-being-the-Detroit-Lions out of the playoffs on Christmas Day, and it reminded me why the last couple weeks of the NFL season are so entertaining.

Nah, I'm just kidding. They're not entertaining at all, just weird and silly.

This is because it's officially the League's Sitdown Season, whose goal seems to be to display more spare parts than an episode of "American Pickers." Brosmer at quarterback for the Vikings and some rando named Chris Oladokun for the Chiefs on Christmas Day; Malik Willis vs. Tyler Huntley today for Packers vs. the Ravens. Everyone else is either in the ICU or the RUFTPU (Resting Up For The Playoffs Unit).

This is what happens when you get greedy and keep adding games to a season that was already over-long before the owners stretched it to 18 weeks. We're now in Week 17 of that run, and everyone who isn't hurt is sitting out for other reasons -- such as, "We're already in the playoffs so who cares if the Cardinals beat us this week?" 

Or how about this: "Were a dog-ass team with a shot at the top pick in the draft and we're playing another dog-ass team with a shot at the top pick in the draft, so who cares if we lose to 'em? WE DO. Because losing to 'em is bigly important."

That's the state of affairs out in Oakland (oops, sorry, Las Vegas) this week, where Raiders head coach Pete Carroll announced that he's shutting down beat-up All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby for the year. Crosby, in fact, has already cleared out of the Raiders facility, with Carroll's blessing.

He's the third starter the Raiders will be without this weekend, after tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremy Chinn went on injured reserve. Are they actually injured? Probably, because virtually everyone is at this point. Could they have played in a pinch anyway? Wellll ...

Who knows?

See, the Raiders, who at 2-13 are the worst team in the AFC, are playing the New York Football Giants, who at 2-13 are the worst team in the NFC. The winner gets the inside track to the No. 2 (or 3, or 4) pick in the 2026 NFL Draft; the loser gets the inside track to the No. 1 pick. So, in this case at least, to the loser go the spoils.

That makes Raiders-Giants must-see viewing by the Blob's lights, and not just because it's Week 17 and nothing else is. I mean, how often do you get to see two En Eff Ell teams desperately trying to lose (or at least not trying all that hard to win)? It's the Sitdown Season Super Bowl, is what it is -- without the Bad Bunny halftime show all the bigots will be boycotting.

Why, already the Raiders and Giants have battling to see who can sit the most starters. The Raiders came out strong with Crosby, Bowers and Chinn; the Giants will counter with wide receiver Beaux Collins, offensive linemen Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas, defensive lineman D.J. Davidson and safety Tyler Nubin sidelined with various owies.

On the other hand, both starting QBs -- Jaxson Dart for the Giants and Geno Smith for the Raiders -- will be present for duty. So they've got that going for them.

Or not, as the case may be.