NFL playoffs looming

[dr morbius]

Am I the only football fan here?

A game just ended that I really wish I could have watched (not an option here at work). The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions 20-19, after the Lions failed to convert a 2-pointer after a touchdown with :27 to play. In a road game, one would think the smart thing to do is go for the tie and head to overtime, but Lions coach Dan Campbell is known for being a risk-taker. Now it appears the Lions will probably be in the third spot in the playoffs when they had a chance at the #1 spot and the bye.

Meanwhile, aside from the Baltimore Ravens and possibly the Buffalo Bills, every team looks beatable. It's going to be a very interesting playoff this year.

Edit: As I mentioned, I was following the game online, not watching. As it happens, the Lions seemingly converted but were called for a penalty, because their lineman didn't declare as eligible. But as it happens, it looks like he did, and the referee confused him with a different lineman. Watch the video - it's widely available. It looks a LOT like a bad referee call cost the Lions the game. Man, I love football. What other sport gives you stories like this?

 

[Kathleen]

Frank's true religion is Football.

I so hope the Raven's choke today.

 

[FrankZ]

There are a couple of Browns' fans here. We are hyped for making the playoffs. AND we still have a path to the #1 seed...

 

[GotGarlic]

DH is a Lions fan and watched the game last night. I was reading in another room and he knows I don't care for football, so he didn't mention his sure disappointment I'll give him an extra hug

 

[dr morbius]

Ravens look absolutely almighty right now. They crushed the Miami Dolphins, a legitimate playoff team, 56-19! (That's a score crying out for an exclamation point.) Browns look very good at the moment, too; their defense is scary good, especially their front seven.

Meanwhile the Philadelphia Eagles, who started the season at 9-1, are now 11-5 and have dropped to a wild-card team after losing to the lowly Arizona Cardinals 35-31, a team which lost last week to the Bears. My beloved Bears are still technically in the hunt for the last playoff slot in the NFC but I don't see any miracles on the horizon. There's much discussion hereabouts about the #1 draft pick, ours because Carolina is so bad, and whether we should move on from Justin Fields or not (I say no, but no one has consulted me).

The three teams which look like the toughest to beat as the playoffs are coming are the aforementioned Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams. Everything can change in a week, though, which is what makes the game so compelling.

 

[Marlingardener]

I live in Texas, where football stadiums and churches vie for first place in the hearts of the populace. Like Got Garlic, I don't care for football. Nor do I follow any other sport other than Formula One racing. My husband can recall almost every play and (bless him) tries to explain it to me. Fruitless, but he seems to enjoy trying to educate me.
As for the Dallas Cowboys, I hope they go all the way to Hades!

 

[Andy M.]

I'm a Patriots fan so I don't have as much interest in the playoffs as I used to.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Imagine if you were a Dolphin fan for your whole life.

 

[Kathleen]

Ravens look absolutely almighty right now. They crushed the Miami Dolphins, a legitimate playoff team, 56-19! (That's a score crying out for an exclamation point.) Browns look very good at the moment, too; their defense is scary good, especially their front seven.

Meanwhile the Philadelphia Eagles, who started the season at 9-1, are now 11-5 and have dropped to a wild-card team after losing to the lowly Arizona Cardinals 35-31, a team which lost last week to the Bears. My beloved Bears are still technically in the hunt for the last playoff slot in the NFC but I don't see any miracles on the horizon. There's much discussion hereabouts about the #1 draft pick, ours because Carolina is so bad, and whether we should move on from Justin Fields or not (I say no, but no one has consulted me).

The three teams which look like the toughest to beat as the playoffs are coming are the aforementioned Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams. Everything can change in a week, though, which is what makes the game so compelling.

If the Bears move on from Justin Fields, I will be so peeved. I keep hoping they trade for a passel of draft picks and give him more support. The defense is looking good, but Justin needs options on the offense. I feel Justin is going to be really terrific with the right coaching and more line support.

Ravens.....I really hope their "Lamarr-ows" are limited. As a team, I don't think they have much without Lamarr and, while he is formidable, one awesome athlete should not an entire team make.

 

[dr morbius]

If the Bears move on from Justin Fields, I will be so peeved. I keep hoping they trade for a passel of draft picks and give him more support. The defense is looking good, but Justin needs options on the offense. I feel Justin is going to be really terrific with the right coaching and more line support.

Ravens.....I really hope their "Lamarr-ows" are limited. As a team, I don't think they have much without Lamarr and, while he is formidable, one awesome athlete should not an entire team make.

As I see it, the Bears wish list should be, in order:

Another quality receiver, Ideally, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Another pass rusher, to complement Montez Sweat.
A real center, to replace Lucas Patrick.
Depth.

Add the first of these to this team, as is, without changing the QB or coaches, and barring injury, this is a playoff team. Add the first two, this is a team which can win playoff games. Add the first three, this is a contender. Fill out the list entirely? Watch the NFL tremble.

This team is SO close to being mighty. It frustrates me that so many "experts" are ready to give up on Justin and Eberflus.

As to the Ravens, yes, Lamar Jackson is having an MVP season. But they wouldn't be where they are without that defense, which has allowed fewer points per game than any other team. They're good now, but I doubt it will last for years and years. I think the days of the dynasty are probably over in the NFL. It's hard to stay competitive with the salary cap and the kind of salaries QBs are commanding right now. Look at the Chiefs. Their defense is better today than it has been in years but their receiver corps is disappointing, perhaps because anytime they have a good one he bolts off to where the money is.

 

[Kathleen]

As I see it, the Bears wish list should be, in order:

Another quality receiver, Ideally, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Another pass rusher, to complement Montez Sweat.
A real center, to replace Lucas Patrick.
Depth.

Add the first of these to this team, as is, without changing the QB or coaches, and barring injury, this is a playoff team. Add the first two, this is a team which can win playoff games. Add the first three, this is a contender. Fill out the list entirely? Watch the NFL tremble.

This team is SO close to being mighty. It frustrates me that so many "experts" are ready to give up on Justin and Eberflus.

As to the Ravens, yes, Lamar Jackson is having an MVP season. But they wouldn't be where they are without that defense, which has allowed fewer points per game than any other team. They're good now, but I doubt it will last for years and years. I think the days of the dynasty are probably over in the NFL. It's hard to stay competitive with the salary cap and the kind of salaries QBs are commanding right now. Look at the Chiefs. Their defense is better today than it has been in years but their receiver corps is disappointing, perhaps because anytime they have a good one he bolts off to where the money is.

I am good with your list with a slight change in order. A center is really needed, and a pass rusher would enhance what is already good. Plus, I would never question a quality receiver. But I'd also like to see them consider taking an outstanding left tackle, which would allow Justin to move the ball quickly - something that I feel he is more than capable of doing. I also feel we need a stronger safety.

My number one needed change is coaching. I am not a fan of Eberflus, but I hear he is staying. Disappointing because there are lots of good people for consideration, although I'm not as big on Jim Harbaugh as many others are. He's too happy at Michigan. If Eberflus stays, they definitely should consider booting Luke Getsy. Again, there are better people out there. Last of all, a defensive coach would be good. Eberflus is definitely NOT talented enough to be both head coach and defensive coordinator. (Honestly, I think very few can do both jobs.)

As for Lamarr, he is a good athlete, but I take immense pleasure in the thought of Flacco with the Browns knocking B'more out of the running for the Superbowl. People in Baltimore were not at all supportive of Flacco while he was with them and are now crying crocodile tears over him being in Cleveland. Since the Bears are out, go Brownies!

 

[jennyema]

I love football! But, unfortunately, like Andy, I’m a Patriots fan. They have been a huge disappointment… but we’ll get a good draft pick unless Belachick trades it away.

i did finish first in my fantasy football league! $$

 

[dr morbius]

I am good with your list with a slight change in order. A center is really needed, and a pass rusher would enhance what is already good. Plus, I would never question a quality receiver. But I'd also like to see them consider taking an outstanding left tackle, which would allow Justin to move the ball quickly - something that I feel he is more than capable of doing. I also feel we need a stronger safety.

My number one needed change is coaching. I am not a fan of Eberflus, but I hear he is staying. Disappointing because there are lots of good people for consideration, although I'm not as big on Jim Harbaugh as many others are. He's too happy at Michigan. If Eberflus stays, they definitely should consider booting Luke Getsy. Again, there are better people out there. Last of all, a defensive coach would be good. Eberflus is definitely NOT talented enough to be both head coach and defensive coordinator. (Honestly, I think very few can do both jobs.)

As for Lamarr, he is a good athlete, but I take immense pleasure in the thought of Flacco with the Browns knocking B'more out of the running for the Superbowl. People in Baltimore were not at all supportive of Flacco while he was with them and are now crying crocodile tears over him being in Cleveland. Since the Bears are out, go Brownies!

Well, the Bears have clearly taken a step forward. I do not want them to take a step back. In defense of Luke Getsy (and I'm not a fan of him, I assure you), he has improved through the season and I think he'll improve more next season if they keep him. Keeping the coaching and the QB intact means they don't take that step back. Just my opinion.

And I agree, it would be nice to see the Browns move on. There's no team I'm rooting for more in these playoffs than the Bills. Buffalo lost those four consecutive Super Bowls in the 80's; I remember it well and I'm sure the people who live in that snowy hell remember it better. It would be a great story if they pull a championship out of this season when people wrote them off a month and a half ago.

 

[Kathleen]

With the Bears out of the running, I'm supporting the Browns big time. The Browns are due. In their 71 seasons, they have never played in a Super Bowl. (Before the NFL-AFL merger, they last won a championship in 1964.) So I would dearly love to see them go. Plus, the happiness found within my house would be boundless.

 

[dr morbius]

Well, the Packers exposed the Bears. We knew, in the first year of the rebuild, that depth was a problem. Jaylon Johnson, the best cornerback on the Bears, was out, and rookie Terell Smith went out with a hamstring injury in the 2nd quarter. The result was that the Packers had receivers open all game, and Jordan Love is a pretty good quarterback so he found them. More than that, though, the Packers young offensive line dominated pretty much all game. The Packers ran with authority and allowed only one sack. The Bears did not get much pressure and therefore did not accomplish a single takeaway.

Meanwhile, on the Bears offensive line, center Lucas Patrick was out, and Nate Davis got hurt. The Packers crushed what was left, and the Bears couldn't run for much. Justin Fields was sacked five times. The final score was 17-9 but it wasn't that close. Luke Getsy's offensive game plan was clearly inadequate.

Well, I still think the Bears are close to being pretty good, but it's obvious to me that I was wrong about HOW close they are. They need depth, badly. You cannot have your defense fall apart because you're missing your best player in the secondary. Offensive linemen get hurt so often that it's quite rare for a team to finish a season with the same five guys who started, and football people know this. Offensive line upgrades are an imperative. Upgrading the defensive line is necessary, too. And of course whoever plays QB for this team in 2024 needs more targets, badly.

But the NFC playoff picture is now clear, and I'll get that next.

 

[dr morbius]

Wild-card weekend, NFC:

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles

It is tempting to take the visiting team in each game! The Eagles have lost four of their last five, the Lions have struggled lately and the Cowboys have a history of poor results in the recent post season. And I just watched the Packers dismantle the Bears; these cheese-heads are pretty doggone good this year.

Still. The Cowboys and Eagles have too much talent to bow out this early, and the Rams have been pulling off their wins with smoke and mirrors. I predict the home team in all three matches.

The AFC matchups will not be determined until the Buffalo/Miami game is over, some three hours from now.

 

[FrankZ]

The AFC matchups will not be determined until the Buffalo/Miami game is over, some three hours from now.

Browns are traveling to Houston. That's been determined.

 

[Kathleen]

Today's Bears game was disheartening. I felt like our defense did not show up. Of course, the Packers were playing for a Play-Off spot, so they took advantage of our lackadaisical Bears. And the Bears have potential for next year. I know Dr. Mobius wants to keep coaching changes to a minimum, but I sincerely hope they do not keep Luke Getsy. I definitely hope they keep our QB, and that the team fulfills the needs mentioned above. I miss the Monsters of the Midway.

I guess the Browns are playing the Texans next week. Go Brownies.

I'd love to see a Lions - Browns Superbowl since neither have ever gone. That could be fun!

 

[FrankZ]

I'm gonna be honest. I will be mad if our playoff game streams exclusively on Peacock.

 

[dr morbius]

Browns are traveling to Houston. That's been determined.

This is true, but I'll wait until all the AFC matchups are determined before posting. I do not wager on NFL games, even though it is legal where I live, because, well, because I am just not quite dumb enough. But if I did, I would place a large amount on the Browns. They look very good on offense and especially defense, and the Texans have already had a successful season just by making it this far.