Week 12 Player Spotlight (2024)

Thomas was alone. His fiery optimism falling on deaf ears as the season seemed to be spiraling out of control. It was uncanny, the Seahawks had won the previous week in a rematch with the Forty-Niners. Sure it came after a horrid sliding of season ending proportions. But for the others, it wasn’t convincing enough, it was too little too late, it was typical Seahawks shenanigans. Yet for all that bellyaching here they were, in week 12, with a chance to take the division lead with a win against the Cardinals. His optimism was burning eternal.

But Thomas had plenty of reasons to watch the game besides blind faith in his team. He also lead his buddies in their self created league in the app Call It. The rules for their league was simple- They all paired up in 2 player private contests every week, and the winner would get a “W” for that week. There were only four of them, but the general premise was that the top two players would face off in the playoffs for a best of 4 (with tiebreakers of course) to crown the ultimate Call It champion!

Going into week 12, Thomas had a 1 game lead over third place James, clinging to his playoff spot. And James just happened to be his opponent. Unlike Thomas, James was a pessimist. This game will go as the Seahawk’s game does.

After arriving at the designated bar, and exchanging pleasantries with the gang, Thomas set up next to James. A few minutes and a bit of trash talking later, the kickoff had commenced.

25 > Cardinals > Field Goal

Got to curb that enthusiasm.

Cardinals drove the field, albeit with difficulty. And after a few nerve wracking moments they finally sailed one through the uprights. A mixed wave of emotion flowed through Thomas. While Cardinals scoring was not ideal, he coasted to an easy 50 point advantage over James.

32 > Seahawks > Touchdown

Was he putting all his eggs in one basket? Sure. But this was the Cardinals, and this was for the division and the playoff spot. The Seahawks drove the field, and Thomas’ Call It coffers continued to fill. As the game went on, James slowly closed the gap. Early in the third quarter, Thomas fell behind on an ill advised missed field goal prediction. The game was extremely tight for the Seahawks, who led by a slim 7-3 score. Things were even more dire for Thomas, who had now fallen behind by almost 100 points. He needed to get bold or else he could go down with a whimper.

40 > Cardinals > Defensive Stop

7 > Cardinals >Interception

By hedging his bets, he could either get a decent chunk for the correctly called defensive stop, or if he were so lucky he could get a large payout from a risky interception prediction AND get the defensive stop points.

Cardinals began driving the field, and as they entered Seahawk territory, Thomas felt the desperation closing in. In a matter of minutes, Thomas could see his team lose the lead, and he himself fall into an inescapable hole.

But then it happened. A poor decision by the Cardinals QB, and an opportunistic, 69 yard interception return for a touchdown. The bar erupted in cheers, James spilled his beer all over the counter as he stood up in disbelief. Thomas briefly forgot about his competition with James as the emotions that brought this rivalry together – a mutual love for the game of football – washed over him.

After the commotion Thomas remembered his pick prediction. And sure enough, there he was, in the lead by several hundred points. A near insurmountable amount for James to overcome.

While Thomas would cruise to the victory, neither he nor James’ spirits were doused. Their team had won, their team was better than they thought, and for now, their team lead the division.

It was a good day.