NFL playoffs looming

[dr morbius]

Well, in what finally appears to have been a good, closely contested football game, the Detroit Lions outlasted the Los Angeles Rams 24-23.

I finally got one right. Yay, me.

I was actually rooting for the Rams, even though I predicted the Lions would prevail (let's face it, I was lucky). Next weekend, the Lions will host the winner of tomorrow's Eagles/Bucs game, and Green Bay will head out to San Francisco. If the Steelers beat Buffalo tomorrow, they will go to Baltimore next weekend; if not, the Ravens host the Texans and the Chiefs visit the Bills. How about that: after 30 years of no playoff games in Detroit, they have two in one year.

 

[caseydog]

Roger Baddell said that the NFL was "making its product available to people using all means of broadcasting to reach a wider audience" or something like that.

So...putting a game exclusively on a pay-only service is a way to reach MORE people? I just don't understand lawyer-speak.

Roger Goodell is all about making money. That's why we now have 17 weeks of games. Before long, the SB will be in April, if Roger has his way. And, if he could swing it, everybody would have to pay big bucks to watch any NFL game.

CD

 

[caseydog]

The Cowgirls are out, but I don't like the Packers either. But, I don't hate the packers, now that Aaron Rogers is gone.

CD

 

[dr morbius]

The Cowgirls are out, but I don't like the Packers either. But, I don't hate the packers, now that Aaron Rogers is gone.

CD

Good reason to hate the Jets next year, yes?

 

[caseydog]

Good reason to hate the Jets next year, yes?

No reason to hate the Jet's, they have enough problems.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Does anyone know if Cowboys coach McCarthy has been fired, yet?

CD

 

[FrankZ]

Does anyone know if Cowboys coach McCarthy has been fired, yet?

CD

I've not seen any indication he has been and I would be quite surprised for him to get fired.

 

[caseydog]

I've not seen any indication he has been and I would be quite surprised for him to get fired.

You don't know Jerry Jones very well, do you? I live in Dallas, and the man loves to fire head coaches.

CD

 

[FrankZ]

You don't know Jerry Jones very well, do you? I live in Dallas, and the man loves to fire head coaches.

CD

Never met him.

Jones is crazy but he isn't stupid.

 

[Kathleen]

I loved the sign during the game between the Bills and Steelers that read "see you next week, Taylor."

 

[caseydog]

NFL season is now over for me. I may watch the Super Bowl, mostly for the usually excellent commercials shown during that game. If the Ratbirds are in it, I may have to just watch the commercials on YouTube.

CD

 

[dr morbius]

Well, Buffalo did their job and dispatched the Steelers 31-17. And as expected, the collapsing Eagles fell to the Bucs 32-9. This leaves us with four games next weekend:

Houston at Baltimore
Kansas City at Buffalo
Tampa Bay at Detroit
Green Bay at San Francisco

The home team is favored in each. The Ravens/Texans game looks to me like the most likely to be a blowout, and I believe the Lions will handily defeat the Buccaneers, if for no other reason than they're at home in front of a rabid bunch of fans who have waited far too long to cheer their team on in the playoffs.

The other two games are more interesting. On paper the Niners are a lot better than the Packers, but the Packers are playing really well right now and they have no pressure. San Francisco is right now a ten point favorite; if you bet on football for money I'd take the Pack and the points. I think the Niners will win, but I see the game as being much closer than Vegas does. Buffalo is also playing well right now, but the Chiefs have a terrific defense at the moment and Josh Allen is prone to turnovers. Patrick Mahomes has never played a road playoff game. I think he's good enough that this won't matter, but it's really hard to pick against the Bills right now.

I'll take the home teams across the board. On super wild card weekend, I was 3-3. If I had taken the home team in each game, I'd be 5-1. Home field matters in January.

 

[caseydog]

If the Bills make it to the Super Bowl, they can possibly break their own record for losing Super Bowls by going 0-5.

CD

 

[Kathleen]

I do not want to listen to the hype if the Ravens move forward. Just....meh.

I still want to see the Lions move forward. Unsure about the others....

 

[caseydog]

I do not want to listen to the hype if the Ravens move forward. Just....meh.

I still want to see the Lions move forward. Unsure about the others....

Yeah, I would like to see the Lions win as long as they can. Detroit has had a long stretch of losing teams. Two people I wish could have won Super Bowls before they retires are Dan Marino, and Barry Sanders. Sanders was a freight train of a running back. He's in the Hall of Fame, but I'd bet he would trade that for a Super Bowl ring.

CD

 

[Kathleen]

Go Lions!

 

[Kathleen]

So far.....I don't like today's play-offs.

 

[caseydog]

So far.....I don't like today's play-offs.

I'm 50/50. The Ratbirds won, but the Packer's lost.

CD

 

[dr morbius]

Well, on Saturday the Ravens handled the Texans 34-10. I learned something new this week about these Ravens: they led the league in fewest points allowed (280, 16.5 per game), in most sacks (60) and most interceptions (31). It's the first time in NFL history a team has led the league in all three of these metrics. A lot of attention has been paid to Lamar Jackson, and rightly so; he's had an outstanding season. But the reason this team is here is their defense, which was stellar on Saturday - again.

And then in the nightcap the Niners outlasted the Packers 24-21 in a rainy, chilly Levi's stadium. Neither team looked mighty; Brock Purdy spent most of the game missing his targets but looked great on the game winning drive; Jordan Love looked mostly on target most of the game but threw an ill-advised pass directly to (49'ers) Dre Greenlaw in the final minute. Experience made the difference, in my opinion, but the bottom line is that the Niners looked beatable, even if the Packers weren't the team to do it.

Earlier today the Lions, mighty at home in Ford Field, beat a game Buccaneers squad 31-23 and will head to San Francisco next Sunday for the NFC championship. The Lions have won their first two playoff games this year, but let's remember who they've faced: a Philadelphia Eagles team which lost five of their last six, and Tampa Bay who finished the season 9-8 and barely won the worst division in football. And now they leave the friendly confines and go on the road. Once again, so far the home teams in these playoffs are 8-1.

So the 49'ers have to be the favorites but I hardly consider them a lock to go to the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile the last playoff game is underway in Buffalo, with the Bills going ahead just before the half. This is a tight game, as usual between these teams. I'm at work or I'd be watching it.

 

[Kathleen]

I'm 50/50. The Ratbirds won, but the Packer's lost.

CD

Yes....and B'more is puffing with purple pride. I saw this posted by a disgruntled Raven's fan over the "fair-weather fans" cheering them on. I thought it was funny enough to share.

I have a soft-spot for Baker Mayfield in that I did not like how he left Cleveland. It was good to see him play today. However, I have pledged loyalty to the Lions as they have never gone to a Superbowl and, being Chicago fan, I understand hope burning eternal and watching others do well year after year. Similarly, I have a soft spot for Brock Purdy, but his team HAS been to the SB. So....I remain: Go Lions.

I keep reading about the upcoming draft. If Chicago lets Justin go, I am going to be better off locked in my room for a week than trying to interact with polite people.