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01-12-2021 11:15 AM
It's the divisional round of the playoffs and sadly, division is my least adept math skill. I'm pretty good at addition, subtraction, and multiplication, but division, eh not so good. Still, we'll give it a shot.
We start off this week with whoever is playing QB for the Rams going to Green Bay to be compared to Aaron Rodgers. I'm not wildly optimistic about the Rams' chances in this one. Their best hope is that the Packers forgot how to play football during their bye week. The Packers are more talented, more experienced, better rested, healthier, playing at home, in weather they're used to, and the Rams are, well, the Rams. The Rams defense may be better than the Packers' and they should be able to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, but stopping him and Davante Adams won't be easy. I've got to think the Packers will get the win here. That Rams defense really, really needs to be on their game. Tackling Davante Adams at the line of scrimmage and lying atop him may be their best option. Sure you give up five yards and a first down each time you do that, but it might be less than you'd give up letting him run free. I'll take the Packers in this one.
Next up, the Ravens at the Bills. Two young QB's who have now shown they can win a playoff game. Weather shouldn't really bother either team all that much. Both teams are used to playing outdoors in wintry weather. Lamar Jackson has been surprisingly durable so far. That was the big question mark on him coming out of college. How could he hold up to the NFL? So far, so good. This is likely to be one of the top two games this weekend. Both defenses will be largely focused on containing the running of the opposing QB. A spy (possibly two) will be used to ensure the QB doesn't run wild on them. The Bills have done a great job in giving Josh Allen some good receivers to throw to. I'll give the slightest edge to the Bills in this one, but it should be a good game.
On Sunday we start out with the Browns at the Chiefs. I'm not wildly optimistic about the Browns' chances in this one. Andy Reid coached teams almost never lose after a bye. The Chiefs are insanely dangerous and arguably the best team in football. The Browns needed the Steelers to implode (four interceptions and a fumble) to beat them. Will the Chiefs cooperate as much? Probably not. I'll take the Chiefs.
And finally, we have the Bucs meandering their way to New Orleans for some beignets. Oh yeah, and a football game. This battle of aged warriors features two players who started their careers in the days of ancient Rome. (Well, sort of. Maybe not quite that old.) One of the two QBs (Brady or Brees) will emerge as proof that you're never too old to play QB in the NFL while the other one will be dismissed as a washed-up has-been who should have retired a few years ago in his prime. We don't really know which one will be proven to be too old and washed-up and which one will be a timeless warrior as things like their age don't really matter, but it'll be the media's narrative and God help you if you object to their narrative. Given the history of the two teams, I'm kind of expecting the Saints to do something stupid and lose late. Perhaps an undeserved penalty against them costs them the game. It's become something of a playoff tradition. Brady will emerge as the timeless warrior while Brees will be the old guy who should be living in a retirement home. It should be another good weekend of football.
01-12-2021 11:25 AM
@gardenman your division scores you a 75%. I agree with all but the last game and that is just a wild hope on my part that Brady is deemed ready for the retirement home. The Bucs will most likely win - darn!
01-12-2021 11:43 AM - edited 01-12-2021 11:46 AM
Excellent analysis @gardenman
You should be on the networks!
I was sorry to see Doug Pederson go. I think he is an excellent coach and a class act.
You may disagree with that assessment as the Eagles season was not their best showing.
GO BILLS
GO SAINTS
01-12-2021 01:25 PM
@gardenman. Hopefully we'll see better officiating. Imo, tptb wanted a game with Brady vs Brees.
It's a shame that Baker will go against Patrick. Both young men are very good. But, I have to root for Big Andy.
01-12-2021 02:25 PM
Anthony Castonzo's retirement was inevitable. He was pondering retirement last year, and I think his recent injury was the turning point. He'll be missed, but I wish him well in his future. After all he gave for the Colts, he deserves to rest now.
@Spurt, I would like to see Philip Rivers return for another year. He helped get the Colts into the playoffs, and came close to winning the Wild Card or going into overtime. I think he still has the talent to play another year or two.
If Rivers retires, I think the Colts should go free agency. I'd be fine with Stafford (considering he leaves Detroit), or Wentz. If salary cap can be worked out. I don't think Brissett would become starter in Indy again. The team could also see what they have in Eason, if nothing else comes up.
I want to see Cleveland in the Championship Game. KC had all the accolades last year; it's time for another team. Whether the Browns can do it remains to be seen, but I'm hoping.
01-12-2021 05:57 PM
01-13-2021 09:57 AM
Hoping for my Bills to win this week....not an easy task...
And JMO after 20 years in the AFC East...ANYBODY but Brady
Would love to see KC vs GB in the super bowl...if my Josh cant be there...
01-13-2021 10:38 AM
Someone posted this on facebook....
"If KC and GB play in the SB, they should let Jake from State Farm
do the coin toss" Haha. Wonder how much State Farm would be
willing to pay for that to happen.
My family members in Cleveland are going nuts, in a good way.
For them, I'm rooting for the Browns.
01-13-2021 11:44 AM
The Bills and Browns both have die-hard fans who deserve a Super Bowl appearance. Sadly, both can't make it there. If either one does I'll be happy.
A Bills' Super Bowl appearance with them needing a last-second field goal for the win and the ball trailing off to the right as the fans hold their collective breaths ("Not wide right again!") and then have the ball just slide inside the goalposts and give them the win, would be magical.
The Chiefs and Ravens have been there and done that in terms of the Super Bowl in recent years. It would be nice to see a new team representing the AFC.
In the NFC, it would be nice to see Tampa there for the fans, but not so much for Brady who lives in the Super Bowl. The Saints are kind of whiny crybabies after losses and arrogant blowhards when they win. I'm not a big fan of the Saints. The Packers are Aaron Rodgers and have been there and done that fairly recently. I guess I'd root for the Rams to make it with whoever they manage to find to play QB. Not great options on the NFC side. Buffalo or Cleveland make good stories on the AFC side though. One of them will make it to the AFC Championship game and they'll be my preferred team.
In more Eagles news, several sources now say the rift between Doug and the ownership goes way back to 2016 when towards the end of the season Jeff Lurie and Howie Roseman wanted Doug to fire Frank Reich. Doug refused and there's been a power struggle ever since. When Doug refused to fire Reich the dastardly duo then started to interview people to replace Doug, but ultimately decided to keep him for one more year, in which Doug won the Super Bowl making him and Reich unfireable.
The indications are that Lincoln Riley will stay at Oklahoma instead of joining the Eagles. (Smart man.) Duce Staley is getting interviewed today. He could get the job, but he also fills the "person of color" interview that the NFL requires. Expect Duce to either get the job or be gone. I don't see him coming back in a lesser capacity given the chaos in the organization. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is now queued up for an interview also. The list of possible new head coaches is now about a hundred names long. There doesn't seem to be any rush as Lurie said if it takes to the end of February, he doesn't mind. It looks like we'll be hiring "Whoever's Left" as the new head coach. Waiting in the wings will be "Whoever's Next." Not an ideal situation in Philly.
01-13-2021 12:24 PM
I wonder how many State Farm and Progressive commercials will be shown during the Browns-Chiefs Divisional Round. I have State Farm, but prefer Mayfield's Progressive commercials.
I didn't know Lurie and Roseman wanted Frank Reich fired. It worked out good for the Colts, though.
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