because the corollary to that is that they just aren't trying hard enough to win any of their other games and that is why we play them close. That is an absurd take, unfortunately.

It is possible that the reason we have close and come-from behind wins to teams with very inferior records is that we've just been luck and our scheming and performance on field is just not that great overall, our W-L record notwithstanding.

When the teams we survive against play another higher ranked team or other teams with better schedules they end up losing by significantly higher margins. I think we then have to ask ourselves, "Is it us?" and not the "we don't get any respect."

Until we can solve our consistency problems, regularly put full games together where both the offense and defense play well all four quarters, and eliminate head-scratching game management decisions, we will be who we always have been - perpetually on the cusp, upsetting a couple teams per year, building our hopes, and then falling short of glory.